Head V. Fulnefl of Joy. 3' I before receivin~: the Lord will allow his people an un– r~frrained familiarity· with himfelf there. · Now they are in part £liade parta.~erl of the divine 1w-· ture; but then they fhall perfeCtly p?.rtake of it; · that i& to fay, God "vill communicate to the}n his o'•vn image, make all his goodnefq not only pafs bef<?re them, but pais . . into them, arid ftamp the image of all his ovm perfections t;lpon them, fo far as the-creature is capable to riceive the fam~; froip ,-whence {hall refult a perfect likeneis to him, in all things in or about them, which completes the happi~ nefs of the creature. And this is what the PL1lmi1l fcems to have had in . view, Pjal. xvii. 15. 1 )hall be fatisfitd, •when l cFwake. •with t·hy likenefs: the perfetlion .of God's image, follo\ving upon the beatificvifibn. And fo fays John, 1]ohniii. 2. Wejha/1 be li,ke him; for we }hall fee himar ht ii. Hence there {hall be a mofi ciofe :J.nd' intimate uni· on betwixt God and the faints: God fbJ.Lbe in them_, and the.y in God, in !heway ofa glor,iou-s and · t~ofl: perf.ect uni· .on; for then '£hall they dwell in love made perfeCt. God if low, and he that d<tvel!eth in love, d<V;e/let/; in God, and God ;n him , I Jo_hn iv.r&. How will the faints knit with Goq 1 <\nd he with them; 'when he fhall fee nothing iri, them but his own image; when their love fh::tli arriYe at its perfettion, no nature bnt the divine nature being left in them; and all imperfecrion fw<~llovved up in their glori- , ous transformation into the likenefs ofGod? their love to the Lord being r-urged from the drofs of felf l0ve, fhail be moft pure; f6 as they will love nothing but God, an.d in God. It l1nll be no more faint and langui!bing, but burn Jike coals ofjuniper. It will be a ligh~ without darknefs, a . flaming fire without fmoke. As the livt::· eoal when all the moifl:ure is gone out of it, is all fire; fo will the faints be all love when they come to the full enjoyment of God in heaven, by intuitive and experimental knowledge of him, by fight and full participation of the divine goodnefs. Lafl!y, From this gloriolls prefence and enjoyment fhall a– rife an unfpeakabl_e joy, which the faints lhallbe filied wi.h, fn)hy prefena i.r fultlefl oflPJ', Pfal. xvi. Jr. T~e faints fometiines enj'>Y God in tl:l_e world, when their eyes being held, that they canno~ perceive it, they have ootthe com– fort of the enjoyment i but then, allmifiakes beir)g rem.ov~ • e~ .'I' ,
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