Cap. 47. but it must be by vertue of the influence of some good from God, for fpeak of what union you will, God cannot in his Effence be more prefent with the creature then he is here, but onely in regard of fome manifeftation, or communication of himself, in fome gift or good thing; but certainly, there will be a wonderful glorious union between God and the foul in Heaven, and that upon thefe four grounds.

Firft, there is not such distance between God and the foul, but that it is capable of union with God. One would think how is it poffible that God fhould be fo united to the foul, being there is such an infinite diftance between God and it: but there is not fuch an infinite diftance between God and the foul of man, as that there should not be a glorious union between them: there is a great deal of likeness between God and the foul, Firft, in the fpirituality, God is a Spirit, the foul is a Spirit. Secondly, in immortality, God is immortal, the foul is immortal. Thirdly, in the high excellency of God, the understanding and will, the foul is endued with underftanding and will; the perfection of God as we can conceive, is his understanding and will; and fo it is in the foul. Fourthly, in the feveral operations that the foul hath; and herein there is more likeness between God and mans foul, then is between God and Angels, in that one rational foul fhould perform fo many works, as the fame God, the fame Excellency, working upon the creature, works in one thing one way, and in another thing another way; fo the foul reprefents God in this, in that one rational foul hath fuch variety of workings in the body,for underftanding, for fenfe, for vegetation, which Angels

have not. Again, the foul refembles God in the in- Cap.47• finiteness; the foul is not onely infinite in duration, but in regard of the infiniteness of the working of it: and here is a mighty difference between the foul of man, between rational creatures, and all other crea tures: for the fenfitive creature that onely works about fome particular thing that concerns its own prefervation, and its own good within its narrow compafs, but the object of mans foul is univerfal, infinite: it is not any particular truth, that will fatisfic the understanding, let there be never fo many truths revealed, yet the understanding defires infinitely more, if there be any truth that is not revealed, it would have that. Let the fenfe have fome particular ob- * Impossi. bile eft fen ject before it, fuitable to sense, it looks no further; um corpoas if the eye have colour, it goes no further, nor the reuele car goes no further then found, but the understand. vari ad Deum,prout ing hath defire to all truth: And fo for good, then fe eft, fenfitive creature hath no defire of good, but onely quia nullo that which does preferve fenfe, but the will of man prehenditur is for good in general: and this fhews how capable Deus fub the foul is to be raised to fuch an excellency, as to have communion with God: if we knew what our fouls were capable of, we would not think we could non potest fatisfie them with fuch things as bruit beafts are fatif-ri ad percified with. Secondly, there may well be a glorious piendum fo union between God and and the fouls of the Saints, um, nec auditus ad because God fhall fee nothing but himself in the fouls creipiendü of the Saints: now when God fhall fee nothing colorem & 'fic de aliis

I modo com

objecto e

jus; báce im ratione

potentiis, in quo multum differt intelleétus à fenfu; nam intellectus abfolutè continet Deum fub objecto fuo;& ideò elevare poteft ad percipiendum illum perfectius, quàm naturaliter poffets quia tota illa elevatio eft intra latitudinem objecti intellectus, Suarez. de Beat, Difp. 6, Sc. 3.

552 Cap.47. but his own in fuch a creature, this is a full ground of Gods near and most glorious union with it: as when a man comes to fee in another much of his own, his heart is united to him; things that are of a like nature do unite: Bring an hot fire-brand to the fire, and it does unite presently, because the fire does finde fomething of it felf there, if there were fome moisture in the brand, it would not fo fully unite: And fo here we cannot have full union with God, because though God fees fomewhat of his own in us, yet there is a great deal in us, that is not Gods: but when we fhall be wholly free from fin, and God fhall fee nothing but his own in us, that must needs be a ground of a most glorious deur oreld

4.

5.

union.

Thirdly, in Heaven there fhall be nothing in God, but shall be fuitable to the nature of a glorified Saint, and fuitableness is the caufe of union: if there be not a fuitableness, there cannot be union. There cannot be fuitableness between God and other creatures, but between a glorified Saint and God, there shall be an infinite fuitableness, and therefore an infinite glorious union. Again, there shall be an infinite inflamed love; here is an union of love, but in Heaven there will be a further degree of love, and love being enflamed, there must needs be a most glo

rious union.

Fifthly, if you confider what the bond of connexion of the foul and God together is, namely, the mediation of the Son, the second perfon of the Trinity, there must needs be an infinite close and glorious union of the Saints with God. This vifion and union with God, is enough to cause the fouls of

Gods

Gods people to be fo fatisfied, as to fay, Let all Cap.45. things be taken from me, it is enough; I have fomewhat of Gods prefence here, but I fhall have the glorious prefence and vifion of God, and union with God hereafter; and though my eyes fhould never fee good day after, or never fee comfortable object in the world, this is enough, I shall fee God, and have full union with God: Though there be a feparation between me and all temporal comforts in the world, though God fhould rend this creature or that creature, the deareft husband, or the dearest wife, or the deareft comfort in the world, and those things that my foul do moft cleave to here, from me; yet it is enough that God and my foul are fomewhat united, and that God and my foul fhall have a glorious union hereafter. O that God would raise our hearts to these things, that we may know what is the bufinefs we have to do in the world: If you do not know these things fhall be your portion, never give fatisfaction to your felves in the flesh, till your know these things fhall be your por

tion.

Cap.48.

I.

CHAP. XLVIII.

The blessedness of communion with God.

N

Ow we come to the fourth thing, Communion with God, and this is more then the other three things. Union is the ground of communion, communion is that which rileth from both parts being united, and the Saints shall have a glorious communion with God and the Trinity; in this life there is a communion that the Scripture fpeaks of, that we have with God the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, 1 John 1.3. Our fellowship is with the Father, and his Son Fefus Chrift, and in 1 Cor. 13.14. The communion of the Holy Ghoft be with you, fays the Apostle; fo that there is a fellowfhip with the Father and the Son, and communion with the Holy Ghost, but certainly, it fhall be another maner of communion that the Saints fhall have with God in the world to come. Now this communion, it ftands either in regard of the work of God, upon and towards the Saints, or the work of the Saints upon and towards God; for communion is on both fides, and that in these four things: First, in the delight they have one in another. Secondly, in wifhing all good to one another. Thirdly, in the communication of themselves one to another. Fourthly, in the bleffed familiar converse that they have one with another.

First, communion confifts in the delight they have in one another: There is a full, actual, mutual, everlasting delight between God and the Saints in heaven: First, there is a delight: Secondly, full:

Thirdly,