176 THE SCALE OF BLESSEDNESS, God for evermanifesting himself in him and to him, accordingto . this divine union. This is that glorious piece of human nature, that one man, whom God has chosen, from all the rest of mankind, to bring sa near to himself. This is that flesh, and that soul, which were chosen by God the Father's decree, from among all possible, and all future, flesh and souls, to be made for ever 'one with God _ and they are for ever one. This wondrous unionhas, and must have everlasting pleasure in it, vastly beyond our nearest unions and approaches to God even in our most exalted state in grace or glory., This is an approach to God indeed, and blessed is the man'prhom thou hastthuschosen, O Lord, and thus caused to ap- proach unto thee, that hemay dwell, not only in. thy courts, but in thy bosom, in thyself for ever and ever : Blessed is this man, and. - mayhe be for ever blessed.!'* 2. Hisknowledge of God is mach more intimate, more- ex- tensive, and more perfect, than any other creature can attain for as he- is exalted to the highest station and dignitythat can belong to a creature, so we may be assured the all-wise God has . furnished him with faculties of the noblest capacity, answerable to so exalted a station ; and Christ has the highest advantage to- fill all those capacities with inconceivable treasures of know- ledge, by dwelling so near to God, and being so intimately united to Divine'Wisdom. The sublime furniture of his understanding is vastly superior to all that we know, or canknow; for our union. to God is but a distant copy, his is the bright, but inimitable ori- ginal. Our nearness to God bears no proportion to that of the man Jesus ; for his union to the godhead is of 'a superior kind. He has therefore a vaster comprehension of all truth, and a. sweeter relish in the survey of it, than any created spirit, angelic Cr human ; and thereby this part of his blessedness becomes far superior to theirs. 3. All the outgoings of his holy soul towards God, all his desires, his love, and delight, are more noble in their kind, and snore intense in their degree, than those of anyother creature. He Who dwells so near to godhead, sees vastly more beauty, excellency, and loveliness, in'the Deity, than men or angels can do at their distance ; and therefore his love is raised to unknown heights and raptures. rl: I. know the word blessed, when it is applied to God or Christ, gene rally signifies, that they are the objects of our blessing or praise, and it is thus translated from the originals, or zuroyaaor: But in our tongue thisword signifies also happy, and the original words a eJ and Masac;& are frequently rendered blessed, to signify happiness, as in my text. Though, if our trans. lators had always observed thedistinction, the precise sense of the original bad 'better Appeared. ..
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