Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

- ----------- Chap.~.SeB:.7· $£tlttation. from ~i~ ~ttributes) there is a dear vifion on their part, and a clear manifcltation od Gods part; both arc from God, to make them able to fee him, an? tobe willing to be feen of them : and rhus God !hews hnnfelf not darkly as to the Patnarchs of old,not terrible as on Mount Sir;ai , riot a far·off as to JJalaam, not for ~ lhort time as in the transfiguration j the Stints now dwdl upon the;_ contemplation of him, they have time enough to take a full view of him, even Eternity itJclf. , . , . 3 • for the Frttition of G'qd, the will of the Saints cnjoycs G'od; In th1s happmclfe of Heaven· are envolvcd thefe things. . I. The Saints ha~·e God, and they know they have God by a reflex a:'l:. .· . 2 • As they know they have God, fo they make what ufe they will of all th~ attri· butes of God and of all that is in God; they have as much ufe as they will of the wif. dome of God: and ofthe power ofGod, and of the mer~y in God, as.one friend ufually fayes to another, mal<.! ufl of ail I h,ave as yoltr. own;. fo God bids the Saints make ufc of all hisriches,andglory, and excellency, as they w1ll. . . . . i1e~~e~~~~~ r.~k~~.~e~~;,~~~/,L~~~;,;I;~~ :~Jo~1~e~ea~i~~;~;~~~~;g~h~~dt~~yg~~:; 2Tim. 6 · [] the comfort wir,h it, He gives himfelf to the Saints in glory, the ufe of himfelf, and the comfort of himfelf in the ufe thereof. . . , . 4 . As they enjoy God,fo they enjoy themfclves inGo~,thcy live in God continually,' the tifh cloth riot more truly live in the water, and move in the water, than the fouls of Col. 3 . J· Saints du live in God, and move in God: yo11r life is hidJvith Ch,·ij/: i"' God. The life of Saints upon earth is an hidden life; and it is hid in God,but in Heaven it is a revealed life, and revealed in God; and enjoyed in God. Such a fpeech is that of Chri!l:, emer Ma!ih. >H~· into;•o~tr Maj/crs joy; it enters not ·into you, but you muft enter into it; _and what is it? Ywr M.1.j/ers joy: not only that joy that ycur Mafter gives, but the fatne joy that your Malter has , it is your Mafters own joy that you mlllt enter mto , and that you ih:.lllive in. So l!wu in thejj>irit on the Lords day, faith ]ohn, it is not faid, the (ptrit_Rev, t, 2o. • wa;in him, but he was in the fpirit; furely-that was a beginning of the glorious condition of the Saints of God; ,they arc in the Spirit of God, not only God in them, but they in God......... And this 0 my foul is the fpirirnal part of Heaven! doth it ·not o:clijh i 0 ~ajlc andfee th!'t the Lor4 isgood ! 0 here is the pure, fpiritual, quinteffential joyes of ~eaven! the Saints are fo fwallowe.d up in God., as tliat they cannot any- further minde themfelves, but altogether God; nay their minds, and wills, and affeEiions, are allfet, on God, and nothing elfe. I. Their mindcs are ·ro immediately fer on God, as If they · were wholly emptied of the Creature, and had nothing to do but with an uncreated good, even God himfelf. 2. They will not any thing to the!1Jfclves nor to any Crea· ture, but all to God ; 0 their will is wholly taken up with God. 3; Their affettions are wh6!ly fet on God·, they rcjo)'cc in the Lord alwayes, and againrejoyce in t.hc 1-•rd ; Pf•l. 4 • 4- .-. they love the Lord withall their heart, and witb all theirfonl, and with all.their mind, and Manh.• 2 37• though they love themfelvcs,yet fo as that they love themfelves for God ; in this world we love God for our felves, which is but a ,n~turallove, or for himfelf which is a . gracious love, but i1! Heaven the Saints love themfelvcs for God, which js a glorious. love. Andm1h1s londe of love of God, and enjoyment of thcmfclves in God; the Saints arc ravilhed with God, and afc in a kind of cxtafic eternally. ,. . 3· The Eternity of Saints remaines, and this Eternity is the crown oftheir crown, the glory of their glory: Without this Eternity all the former were comparatively little, or nothmg; the very thought of once leaving it , would even imbitter all the joyes of Saints,~yea the more would it pierce them, becaufe of the fingular excellencies wh,ch they muft forfake; it would be an hell in heaven, to think of once lofing heaven; but 0 ~le~ed Eternity ! where Jhc liv,es ofSaints are perplexed with no fuch thoughts, nor thetr )oyes Interrupted with anrfuch fears! where they are pillars in Gods .~emple, and fhall go out no more! 0 Eternity.! 0 my foul what is this ? to be fo blcficd, and to be Et~ma/ly blelfed ? Why, furely this, if any thing, is the refcmblance of God;. Eurnuy JS a peece of inliniteneffe. Now, 0 !!cat/, wl-erc isrhyJling?O grave where is thy v•f.fory? daxcs, and nights,& years, :md time,and cnd,and death,arc words which therf;l · ha.ve no figntfication, nor are ufcd, except~perhaps to extol Eternity, as the mcnti0n of hell to extol heaven. No more ufc of our Calenders, o~ Chronolugics all t~e years of.our Lord, and the years of our lives an; loft and fw:.llowed up in this ,Eterr;ity .; while we are fcrvants, we hold by le~fe, and that but for the rearm qf.q tranf\\Ory li.fc, ,, but the Son ab,dcth m the /;onjefo~ ever. 0 then ,my foul, let go thy dreams ef plcafmit CA'·~- a: D d :: ph-'allires,

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