®cnttation. Chap.S . Se&. 7· !hall reduce all to thefe heads, their Glory. { Dut)'. Etern£ty. 1 • They arc cxercifed in the ~ighclt imploymeins that ,ny Creature' can be exercifcd in; Ha 1 ·kfn ! the htgh praifes of uod arc tn thetr momhs : Behold the htj;h C<mempl,lttons of Uod and cf the TrMttJ are m thez.r mmde::. they a:c n.lwtt.y es jingi•1g pr..-liJ:s to Uod and Pf•l.t.9, 6. ro hwt that jtts upM tbe T hrone. Surely thts IS the htghe!t employment, for this is the highcl[ glory that God bath, not only from his works here, but fro.m all :he,Counccls of hiswifdome about the great myfl:ery of :edemptton, from all hts works m heaven, and from all' the Communt~atiOns. ofhtmfelf to the Saints in Heaven; the end ofa.ll that God does m the world IS for hts glory, and the end of all that God does in heaven is for the aetual working of the fouls of his Saints 'upon hi mfclf. ' 2 . The hearts of Saints are alwayes up and fit for thefc high praifes ofGod, they arc notfomctimes enlarged and fometimes ftraitned, no, no, their fouls are alwayes up alwayes upon the higheft pin, inflamed with heat continually. ' 3 . There is no intermiflion of thefe high praifes ofGod; the Saints continue day Md 11 ight, they go not to duty, and break offagain; ~ndgo again, and break offagain; no, nu , there is no other employment here, there IS r.othmg elfe m Heaven tu fpend one moment of time in to all eternity. 4 • There is no wearinelfe in thefe Saints, though they arc praifing of God millions of yeares, yet they MC as frefh at the end of them as at the firfr moment; U Erernity ! 0 Eterna/1 duty. ' 2. The gloryof thefe Saints is both in their fouls ~ndbodies, but becaufe their bodie.< are not yet in Heaven, let palfe 0 my foul that .glory, and confider the glory of thefc fouls ofSaints, in each foul there is the underftanding, will, 1<nd ajfefiion~,: for the Pjf<lit– ons confider only their joy, for the underjlanding and will? confider their objeCt they fee, which is the vijion ofGod; and the object they enjoy, whtch is the fruition of G'od: tlut relates to the tmderjlanding, this to the will. · r. For the joy of Saints, it is apure joy without any mixture of farrow or fin; it is" JPiritual joy, flowing Hpecially from this, that God is thei_r portion; it is a [~<11 joy, for they joy in God, they joy in the glory ·of God, they joy m the Communication of God to them, they joy in th~ glory of one another ; look, how many 'Saints are in Heaven, fo many joycs have the Saints; for they rejoyce in every ones happinelfe as in their own, this doubles and trebles, aild multiplies their joyrs; 0 it is a j itll joy : but that which is more then all the rclt, it is a divine joy, for it comes f,·om (>'•d; and it is '" Gpd; and it is with God; it is the fame joj that Godhimfclf hath; carna( hearts rejoyce in fenfual things, bu~ Go~ rejoyceth n?t in thefe things they rejoyce in; now the,Saints in Heaven arc exerc1fed m the fame JOY that God hunfelt hath; the beames of their joy are mingled with the beamcs of Godsjoy. 0 glorious joy! andyet the happinelfe of Saints conlifrs not in this joy, for the enjoyment'of God is above the joy in .this en– joyment; proceed then 0 my foul; wade further, at~d bathe thy fdf in thefe delicious rivers of their heavenly Paradife. 2. ·For the Vijion of God, the underjl11nding or.the minde ofSaints foe God; in thii happine!fe ofheaven are inclofed thefe particulars. · uor. 13. n. r. TheSaintsknowGod,for feei'?t is put for k_no1ving;, Nowwefcethroteghaglajft dark]y, but then.face toface; now lVC /wowm part, b,.t 1henjhail>ve kyo1v '"'We are k_nown. EverySaint in Henen under!tands all things,and knows all perfons fo far as it may any way ~onduce to his happinefs: there is no fimplicity, no fhallownefs in Heaven, all the Saints there have fharpnelfe of wit, conformity with GQd in knowledge, .Which is in· deed the very image of God. · . . . 2. The Saints under!tandfo cle<trly~sthat theynccd no help offaith, nohelpof meanes to fee thofe glorious things of Heaven, excep~-thM mcancs,we call the .JiJht of .glory. ~n<ked there is a light in Hea~eu.abovc alt ~he bright?efs o.f_t~is, world, a lighF that would dazle the eytofman and dun1t; hence.m 'th1s fratl cond)tton no man c"flfi' G'fd and live; when God, or but an Angdappearcd,'hoW were menaffrighted ( bu,~l Heaven the fouls dfthe 'jb!t are elevated., andinabledt to fee With il>Y thQfe things that 'Rfal. ~6. 9• th~re a~e_, manifell:ed; In thy lightj{iklt wt fee •light t ' ',.It i~ caU~d r.br.>rth.erirance of, lP' ·(;Ill, lt J:z, s c '~I h . ~~~"The ~ai~ts in t!H~~ ...,,fee not oniy the ~ttribu;~s' Of-G'~d; his'~~;cy,iunic~,t:uth, and wif&om; but the vc~y fimple pure elfence of Go& (which yet is not feparated , from •'
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