82 THE GREAT MISERY OF THOSE in the firmament. The rich man's purple and fine linen and sumptuous fare, did not so exalt him above Lazarus, while at his gate full of sores. § 4. (2) They shall have no comfortable relation to God, nor communion with him. hs they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, but said unto him, Depart from us, for we desire not the know- ledge of thy ways; so God will abhor to retain them in his household. He will never admit them to the inheritance of his saints, nor endure them to stand in his presence, but will profess unto them, " 1 never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." They are ready now to lay as confident claim to Christ and heaven, as if they were sincere believing saints. The swearer, the drunkard, the whoremaster, the worldling, can say, is not God Our Father as well as yours? But when Christ separates his followers from his foes, and his faithful friends from his de- ceived flatterers, where then will be their presump- tuous claim ! Then they shall find that God is not their Father ; because they would not be his people. As they would not consent that God by his Spirit should dwell in them, so the tabernacle of wicked- ness shall have no fellowship with him, nor the wick- ed inhabit the city of God. Only they that walked with God here, shall live and be happy with him in heaven. Little does the world know what a loss that soul hath, who loses God ! What a dungeon would earth be, if it had lost the sun ! what a loathsome carrion the body, if it had lost the soul! yet all these are nothing to the loss of God. As the enjoyment of God is the heaven of the saints, so the loss of God is the hell of the ungodly. And as the enjoying of God is the enjoying of all, so the loss of God is the loss of all. 5. (3) They also lose all delightful affections to- wards God :that transporting knowledge; those de- lightful views of his glorious face; the inconceivable pleasure of loving him ; the apprehensions of his infi- nite love to us : the constant joys of his saints : and the rivers of consolation with which he satisfies them.
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