124 nAXT*En's nYIPtd THOtfdHTS. i. God himself will be the full and everlasting object of my love. And he that could but understand, as well as those in heaven do, what this word signifieth, ' to love God,, and be' beloved of him,' would say, that there needs no other description of perfect happi- ness:.perfect, joyful complacency in. God is the heaven 'Which I desire and hope for. This is my felicity, and much more. As I am the agent of love to, God, and the object of God's love to me, it is my felicity. As God is the ultimate object ofmy love, and the agent ofhis love to me, (that is, of the effects of it,) so it is un- speakably more high and excellent than to be my felicity. Love is the closure of the wills of God and man, and as it is God's part or interest, (efficiently or objectively,) it is infinitelyMore excellent than as it is my part and interest. In God there is all that love Can desire for its full, everlasting faith.: 1. He is infinitely good in himself, that is, most amiable ; and the nature of man's will is to love goodas good. Could we love Gòd with a love that is adequate to the object, we should be God ourselves, which is impossible : none but God can adequately know God or love him. In God's lave to himself, both the act and object are infinite, and, indeed, are both one, there being not that formally which we know by the name of act and object; but ' act and object' are our analogical, inadequate conceptions of that act of God which is his essence. $ut inour love to "God the act is finite, and infihitely} below the object; yea, the object, which in reality isitself infinite, yet proximately as the esse cognitssm is the object of our love, infinite there. It is the conception or idea of God-in the intellect, which is the proper and nearest object of the will ; and this is as a face ins glass, a shadow, even the finite little shadow of an infinite Being. The same infinite good is a felicity' to divers persons in divers degrees, according as theydiversely love him, and are receptive of his love: 2. God, -whe is infinitely good in himself, wigbe`that most suit- able good to me, and meetest for the dearest,embracements of my, will. For, He bath all in himself that I' need or can desire. There is no room, nothing above him, or beyond him, or 'without him; for love to cleave to. ' Though below him the creature, though not being without him, is' loved without him, by the decep- tion of the mind. He is willing 'tò be loved by me. He disdaineth not my love. He might- have refused to be embraced by such affections as Kaye so oft and sinfully polluted themselves by embracing vanity and filth. As persons of state, and stately cleanliness, will not be touched by filthy hands, much less let dogs or dirty swine leap on them, which come from wallowing in the miré.; God might have drivenme away from the happiness of loving him, and have denied
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