Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

906 Of the ioyee ofheauen. light of his fpirit. So our Saviour faith, that the pure in heart Mnth. s.8. area blabbed, becaulé they (hail fee God t and that b.eternall b Ioh.17. ;. life cóufieth in the knowledge ofGod,and his bonne Cbrill. So the holy Apollles Pawland laI.w,doc make it a chicle part e r.Cor.t ;.t a. of our happinc(fe,that we (hail c fec God face to face, know d t.Ioh. ;.a. him as we are knowne,and d fee him as he is. And the Pro- phet Daatidfaith,thatbeholdingGods face in righteoufhes, Pfal.17a q, heihould bee fatisfied with his image. And hence it is that our Sauiour carnally defiring the happine(íe of his feruants, f Ioh.t7.54. doth intreate of his Fathcr,that thofe whom he had f given him might he with him,andbehold his glorie.And this llan- deth with goodreafon that this vifion and knowledge of God ( hould be a chick and principal) part of our hapoine1fe; firfl,becaufe our vnderflanding being the chiefefi Çacu1 tie of the chiefea part ofman,it mua needs be a chicle part of our ioyandglorietohaue it fatisfied and contented. But how can it be fatisfiod,if Peeing excellent efle6s,it doe not fee the caufe ; and if knowing the rare workes of God, it doe not alto know the workman? Againe,if there fhouldbe in hea- uen no true knowledge of God, there could be nolone of him,and confequently no pleafure and delight : for howfoe- uer wemay leue an euill thing,yet wee cannot loue a thing vnknowne ; and ifwee doe not loue it, we take no comfort or ioy in the being oftr. So that take away knowledge, and take away loue and delight; and contrariwife,prefuppofe excellencie and perfeulion of the obie6i,and thegreater our knowledge is, the greater will be our loue, the greater alfo our pleafure and contentment in the fruition obit. 4.Srí7.3. The other part of our fruition ofGod, is our communion o¡that comma with him; neither (hall wee onely fee and behold him in all pionwbicb we his goodnes,glorie,and maielhe,butwe(hall alto in a mob} Nun with bleffed manner bevnitedvotohim, and communicate with God in the him in all his happineffe, which is the fupreme end of our kiigdomeef creation and redemption, and the very perfcaion of our beaver. glorification.For therefore did the Lord create vs according to his own image, & conformable to himfelf in wifedom, righteoufnes and holines, that he might dwell with vs, & in vs,as in hisholy temple and habitation, and that wee might haue