542 THE FIRST FRUITS OF THE S11RtT¡ d$ [DISC.LF. pleasure, and begin in it the first fruits and earnest of hear vem When we survey the inexhaustible ocean of good - ness which is in God, which fills and supplies all the crea tares with every thing they stand in need of; when we behold all the tribes' of the sons of men supported by his boundless sufficiency, his bounty and 'kind providence, and refreshed with a thousand comforts beyond what the mere necessities of nature require. In such an hour ifwo feel the least flowings of goodness in ourselves towards others, we shall humble ourselves to the dust, and cry ,out in holy amazement, Lord, what is an atom to a mountain ? What is a drop to a river, a sea of beneficence ? What is a shadow to the eternal substance ? What good thing is there in time or eternity, which I can possibly want which is not abundantly supplied out of thy overflowing fulness ? Hence arises the eternal satisfaction of all the holy and happy creation in being so near to thee, and under the everlasting, assurances of thy love. I can do nothing but fall down before thee in deepest humility, and admire, adore, and everlastingly love. thee, who last assumed to thyself the name of love." 1 John iv. 8. "God is love" SECTION 1V. Thus farour joys may rise into ttn imitationof the joys above in 'the devout contemplation of divine perfections. And not only the perfections of God considered and surveyed singly in themselves, but the union and blessed harmony of many of them in the divine works and transactions ofprovidence and of grace, especially in the gospel of -Christ, administer further matter for con- templation and pleasure among the happy spirits in hea- ven : And sofar as this enjoyment may be communicated to the saints here on earth, they may be also said to have a foretaste of the business and pleasure. of heaven. Let us take notice of this harmony in several instances. 1: In the sacred có,nstitution of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, as God and man united in one per- sonal agent : Here majesty and mercy give a glorious instance of. their union, here all thegrandeur and dignity of godhead condescends to jein itself, in union with a creature, such as man is, a spirit dwelling in flesh and blood, 1 Thu. ii. .5. " There, is one God, and one. Me- diator between 'God and man even the man Christ
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=