60 BAXTER'S" DYING THOUGHTS. i. i. From the nature of man : 1. Made capable of it. 2. Obliged,'even by the law of nature, to seek it before all. 3. Nat- urally desiring perfection, (1.) Habitual: (2.) Active: and, (3.) Objective. - ii. And from the nature ofGod, 1. As good and communicative, 2. As holy andrighteous. 3. As wise ; making none of his works in vain. Il. From grace, 1. Purchasing it. 2. Declaring it by a messenger from heaven, both byword and byChrist's own (andothers') resur- rection. 3. Promising it. 4. Sealing that promise by miracles there. 5. And by the work of sanctification,' to the end of the world. III. By subordinate providence. 1. God's actual governing the worldby the hopes and fears of another life. 2. The many helps which he giveth ns for a heavenly life, and for attaining it, (which are not vain.) 3. Specially the ministration of angels, and their love to us, and communion with ús. 4. And, by accident,' devils themselves convince us. (1.) By the nature of their temptations. (2.) &c. * ' Being with Christ. Having proved that faith and hope have a certain, future hap- piness to expect, the text directeth me next to consider why it is described by "being with Christ;" viz. I. What is included in our "being with Christ." H. That we shall be with him. III. Whwe shall be with him. To b2 with Christ includeth, I. Presence. II. Union. III. Communion, or participation offelicity with him. I. Quest. Is it Christ's Godhead, or his huitipn soul, of his hu- man body, that we shall be present with,` and united to, or all? Answ. It is all, but variously. 1. We shall be present with thedivine nature of Christ. Quest. But are we not always so?' And are not all creatures so? Answ. Yes, as his essence comprehendeth all place and beings ; but not as it is operative, and manifested in and by his glory. Christ di- recteth our hearts and tongues to pray, " Our Father, which art in heaven ; " and yet he knew that all place is in and with God be- cause it is in heaven that he gloriously operateth and shineth forth to holy souls ; even as man's soul is eminently said to be in the head, because it understandeth and reasoneth in the head, and not in the foot or hand, though it be also there. And we look aman in the face when we talk to him, so we look up to heaven when we pray to God. God who is, and operatethas, the root of nature, in all the works ofcreation, (for inhimwe live, andmove, andare,) and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=