Chap. IV. Of HEAVEN excellent Benefits. The Evidence of it is fo intire, that the rcafonable- Mind can no~ fufpend 1; r:C~~~:;rtl~:dt~er:h~nt~~~~rt';n&7~i"a~~ a~1t~h~~o~~~~~ ~o::r~i&-r,ri!~~:·a~g engage the AffeEtions. Now rhefe are in God in unfpeakable degrees of Emmence. The Prophet breaks out in a rapture) How great u Ins Goodnefs, how great ts hts Beiruty! . . . · 'Twas a Precept of the Ceremomal Law, that the Fu·filings of the Flock, aud -the ftrft and bcft Fruits of the Earth fhould be oflercd to God ; not as If the firft that open'd the Belly was more valuable in his Account than the !aft, or the moft early Fruits in the Spring ni.orc pleafing to him than the later in the Autumn;. but 'twas infiruB:ive, that our Love, the jirjl-born of the Soul, and the beginning of tts Jlrength, fl1ould be confe. crated to God. The Love ofGod is-the elfential CharaEter of a Saint, that difiinguifl1cs him from the Unregenerate. Indeed, it is lhange that .God, who is infini(cly lovely! and infinitely liberal and beneficent, fl1ould not prevail on the Heam of all Men ; but If we confider the deaeneracy of Mankind, haw their Minds arc depraved and deceived, and their AileEtignsarevitiated, the Wonder will ceafe. Carnal Men have not due conceptions of God, and will not attentively obferve .his (lmiable PerfeEtions. St. 'John tells us, He thAt IO'lleth not, doth not knoov God. Knowledg is the leading Principle in the Operations of the Soul. There mufi be a Heavenly Eye to difc'over the Heavenly Beauty, before there can be love of it. Now-Men are in ignorant darkncfs, and are defiled in Fle(]l and Spirit, and therefore cannot love God1who is glorious in Uolinefs. Without refem)Jlance there can be no AffeEtionate Union which is the Effenceo( Love. The contrariety of pifpofitions infers a contrariety of , Aft~tlions. The Scripture e~prc.ffes this in dreadful Colours: Tile carnal Mmd. IS enmity ag•mfl God: the Frrendj/Hp oj tile World IS enmrty rvith God; that is, Pride, and Coveroufnefs, and Senfuality, which are the Lufts of the Carnal Mind, and are terminated upon worldly things, are inconfiftent with rhc Love of God. The Jultice of God is terrible to the Confciences, and his Holinefs odious to the AffeEtions of the Unrenewed. Till by Divine Grace the Undcdhnding is enl.ightned and purified lo have right apprehenfions of God ; till the Will and AfleEtions ar.e cleanfed and changed; till there be a refemblance of God's holy Natnre, an~ a .conformity to hiS holy ~~;~.,th~f r;v~~t capable of delightful adhenng to lum, whiCh IS the. mternal effential But thofe who·are partakers of the Divine Nature, the Holy and Heavenly; taf! itnd fee how good tile Lord is : and according to the Ill uftrations of the Mind, fuch are the Imp;effions upon the Heart; the Love of God in their Breafts here is. l!ke fmoking Flax, but m Heaven 'us a tnumphant Flame. God IS the firfi Fair, the Ongmal of all amiable Excellencies, in whom they fhine in their unfiained Luftre and PerfeEtion. When he fully reveals himfelf, and difplays the·richeft Beams of his Love and Glory, how tranfport!Dg ~ger~'i~r~%~gf~iri:~!fl~~l~~s ~uhi:g~~~~~rs'~~~:;, %~1 ~~~~eb~d u~'it~~ai':r o~~i"Fuli Current to him, who is afJ. in ali. In Heaven the immenfc Tr:eafurcs of. liis Grace.ar:e reveal'd. That when Man for his rebellious Sin was juftly expelled fm.m Paradife,and under the Sentence of Eternal Death, God fhould not only pardon, but prefer us to the dignity of his Children, and prepare fueh a Glory for us, and us for . fueh ._a. Glory ; this will infpire the Saints with fuch ardent Affec:tions, that will make them equal to the Angels, thofe pure and evcrlaftmg Flames of Love to God. . In Heaven we Ihall be with 1e(tu the Mediator of the New Covenant, who is flated at the ~(%~~ ~;?n~ 1 g,~~' t."u~~o~r:~~;~~· ~~;";,~,~~:ca~~~~~'I:e ;~Inr~:~~~;ro~~~; •:;~~ ~~~~~ Holy Mount, and one vanifhing Beam of Glory appea r'd in hi s Transfiguration, Peter was fo.tranfported atthe ~ght, that he forgot the World . and himfelf: How ravifhing then will the fight of lu'? m ius TriUmphantMaje il:y be, when·we fhall be transfigur'dour felves? Now while Believers are m the fl~adows of the earthly State, .they /O'!Je their kn· feen Saviour with fuch intenfe degrees of aftec:tion, as deface all the wa01y Colours all the vain loves of things in this World: but when they arc admitted into his fbining ftefence and fee him in the day of Celeftial Glory; with what an e~tafy of Affec:tion will they bJ tranfported? . ' W: e fhall then fee! the endearing Obligations our Saviour has laid up!Jn us, who ranfom'd us ~Ith fo nch a Pnce, and purchafed for us fuch an unvaluable Inheritance. For in pro' portion as we fballundcrftand his Greatnefs in himfelf, .we fimll his Goodnefs to us. Tire Eternal Son of God defcended from the Heaven of Heavens.to our lowly Earth;, and, . ~~u
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