DISCOURSE n. 535 The soul that loves God with warm affection, cannot bear those dreadful words, 2 Thess. i. 9. of being punishedwith everlasting destructionfrom the presence of the Lord. 'ro be without God in the world, during the short space of our continuance here, is a very formidable and grievous thing to the good man ; but to be cursed and condemned, to depart from God for ever, this is the very hell of hell, if I may so express it, in the esteem of the soul" that loves God : Tobe divided for everfrom God, the springof life and love, and all happiness ; to be separated for everfromGod, the infinite and the all-sufficientgood ; tobe thrustout for ever from the presence of God, the most lovely and the best of beings ; to see him no more, to love himno snore, and to be for everbanished from his love ; the very thought ofit gives the holy soul moreanguish than it is able to bear. On the other hand, heaven, which is the dwelling-place of the Most High, is the mark which the good man ever aims at, that he may see God face to face. When his love rises high, he is ever breathingpassionately after this blessedness, and lives with delight upon the promises which give him this joyful hope. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God ; Mat. v. S. The goodman's affections are set on the things above, where Christ is at the right hand of God ; Col. iii. 1, 2. His treasure is on high, and his heart is there also ; Mat. vi. 21. Ifwe love God with all the heart, we shall keep heavenalways in our eye. The foretaste ofit will be our present comfort and support ; the thoughts of being for ever with God, will sweeten all the sorrows of life, will take away the bitterness of affliction, and ease the pains of death. As Jacob cheerfully sustained a hard servitude of seven years in Chaldea, through heat and cold, through frost and wind, and sun-beams, for the love of Rachel, so the christian endures all the labours and conflicts, all the fatigues and distresses of life in this lower world with patience, and withholypleasure, in hope to dwell for ever withGod, whom his soul loves supremely above all creatures. Thus I have finished the second general head, which I pro- posed ; and produced a variety of instances, wherein this sacred and sovereign affection of divine love commands and influences, excites or subdues the other passions pf nature, and makes them all subservient to its own great designs, that is, to the honour and to the enjoyment of God, the object of this divine affection. [Here this discourse may be divided.] Before I proceed to the third general head, I shall endea- yonr to improve thisdiscourse by these three useful reflections Reflection I. " How happy and easy a rule is here given us to examine how stands our love to God, and whether we love him with all our heart!" Are the other passions of nature in- fluenced by this love ? Surely it is impossible for us in this pre-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=