020 THE WORLD TO COME. fills and supplies all the creatures with every thing they stand is need, of ; when we behold all the tribes of the sons of men sup- ported by his boundless sufficiency, his bounty and kind provi- dence, and refreshed with a thousand comforts beyond what the mere necessities of nature require. In such an hour if we feel the least Sowings of goodness its ourselves towards others, we shall humble ourselves to the dust, and cry out in holy amaze- ment, "Lord, what is an atom to a mountain ? What is a drop tesa river, a sea of bene enee? What is a shadow to the eternal substance? What good thing is there in time or in eternity, which I can possibly want which is not abundantly sup- plied out of thy overflowing fulness ? Hence arises the eter- nal satisfaction of all the holy and happy creation its 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 hast as, sumed to thyself the name of love." 1 John iv. S. God is love. SECT. IV. Thus far' our joys may rise into an imitation of 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 of providence and of grace, especially in the gospel of Christ, administer further matter for contemplation and pleasure. among the happy spirits in heaven : And so far as this enjoyment may be communicated to the saints here on earth, they may be also said to have a fore- taste of the business and pleasure of heaven. Let us take notice of this harmony in several instances. 1. In the sacred constitution of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, as God and man united in one personal agent : Here majesty and mercy give a glorious instance of their union, here all the grandeur and dignity of godhead condescends to join itself in union with a creature, such as man is, a spirit dwelling in flesh and blood ; 1 Tim. ii. 5. There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man even the soon Christ Jesus: But this man is personally united to the blessed God, he is God manifest in the flesh : Ile is a man in whom dwells all the fulness of the godhead bodily, to constitute one all sufficient Saviour of miserable and fallen mankind: What an amazing stoop or condescension is this for the eternal godhead thus to join itself to a creature, and what a surprizing exaltation is this of the creature for the man Christ Jesus thus to be assumed into so near a relation to the blessed God ? All the glories that result from this divine contrivance and transaction are not to be renumeráted in paper, nor by the best capacity of writers here on earth The heavenly inhabitants are much better acquainted . with them.
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