Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

6o8 Pfal. 73· 2 5· Book VI. 1Lootttng unto jlefus. Chap 1. Seer. 9 • <'plcitics arc greater then the S1ints, if there be enough 111 God for JetusChriil, w hofe capacity is yet far wtdcr then the Angels, 1f there be enough in God for God hirnfelf, whofe capacitV is infiuitely greater then them all; then there mutt need• be fJtistaCtion enough in God to any one poor Suul. Here is another thing where– in God is ouralliu all, we flJall enjoy him tully. 3. It ccmfills in e>ur <njoying God folely . Not as if there were nothing dfc in heaven but only God; but that God in heaven !hall be all_in all, and in tlead of all ; it is God m heaven that makes heaven to be heaven; the Satnts bldfcdncfs, and Gods own blc1fednefs doth confi£1 in the enjoyment of God himfelf; the Scholcmeu teli us, that we lhallnnt properly enJoy any thing elfc but only God; we may have fome ufe of the Creatures, but no fruition; and therefore is God faid to be all, or as good as all. And indeed what can we imagine to be in heaven, which is not eminently m God himfelf: if it be greatnefs, power, and glory, and victory, and majeliy, all thefe are his; if it be joy, or love, or peace, or beauty, or any thing amiable or dcfirable all thele arc in him . Hence forne take it to be Davids meaning, when he [,id, h; bad no11e in btovm but God, that the fole enjoyment of God, (of God, and of ., 0 _ thing dfe but God) i> the fouls true happinefs, when it is at highelt; whom 1 1 ave I in heaven but thee! whom? why there arc Angels, there are Saints, there are the fpirits of jut\ and perfect men; arc thefe nothing with David? 0 ye; ! all thefe are good, but they are not able to fatisfie a foul without God him[df. Whether God will make ufe of any Creatures for our fcrvicc then? or if any, of what Creatures? and what ufe? is more then I yet know; but to make up a lull cnjoymcnr there is required a gracious-glorious prefcnce, a fweet etfulion or communication of that prefence, a jufi comprehenfion of the excellency of that communication, a perf<Cl: love, and a perfect re£1 in the love of whatfoever it is we comprehend; now this is proper only to God; it is he only that fills the whole capacity of the Soul, i t is he that fo fills it that it can hold no more, it is he only that is the object of love intended to the utmo£1, and then fore he only is properly enjvyed, he only is polfdfed with a full contentment as portion enough, and as reward enough for the foul for ever. But !hall not tile Saints have to do with (omcthing elfe in heaven, but only with God? 0 yes I I believ~ there lhall be in heaven a communion of the blelfcd fpi· rits in God, an a1foCJatlon of the Samts and Angels of God : yet this lhall not take away the foie enjoyment of God, that he lhould not be their all in all, For they !hall not mind themfelves or their own good as created things, but altogether God; they lh1ll not love them or one another as for themfelves, but only for God ; here we love God for himfelf, and it is a gracious love; but there we lhalllove our felves for God, and 'tis a ~lorious love; why this is to enjoy God folely, in this rdpeci he is all, and in all ; 'Rihom have I in he~ven but thee? v[<. Here's a point enough to wean us to the World. Alas I rhe time is coming on a pace that all this world !hall be dilfolved, and thenG•dfha/1 be all in aU; here lie• the Saints happinefs to have God immediately, God fully, and God folely ; and will not Saints prepare themfelves fcir fuch a condition as this l you that have the World, "[e it asif ~tot; for tht fafhion ofthi<worldpaJJeth a'Riay; and you that have bura 1 Cor•. 7 • 3 '· little to do with the world, improve that <ondirion; furtly 'tis your own fault if you h•ve not more to do with God, for you have little elfe to take up your hearts; God may dwell and walk in your hearts without dillurbance, give me ,;either povert} Hor ricbei (faith the wife man upon that ae<ount) a mean condition is more capabk of happinefs then that which ovcr·loads us wit~ outward things; whilll orhers are I calling up their accounts, you ma>: fay wrth Davzd, h•rr: precmu aretby th•nghts zm. Pfal. l39· l 7· 10 mt ll God? bow gre.t if tiJ< jumme of them? whrllt others are followmg their fuits at courts ofJullicc, you may follow all you have at aThrone of grace; whilft others are numbring their Flocks and Heards, all your Arith metick may beemploy– ed to number your days; whil£1 other can.not get out of the clutches of the World, you may get into the embraces of your God; why, this is to prepare your felves for fuller and fuller enjoyments of God, it is God will bcaltinall, and thi•is'thevery top of hcavms happinefs; furcly the lefs you have of the World now, if you can but improve it, the more you may have of heavem happinefs even upon earth, for what is the happinefs of heaven, but the foie eojoymcnt of God l Chtifiians I if you feel any inclinations, pamiogs, breathiogs after thi• world, give me leave to tell you,

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