sue.

in the state of glory, a constant indeficient fulness, renders | covered both by a general consideration hereof, and by inthe blessed soul undesirous of any change. There is no stancing in some particulars, wherein blessed souls shall need of varieties, or diversions: what did once please, can be like him. never cease to do so. This glory cannot fade, or lose any thing of its attractive power. The faculty cannot languish, or lose the disposition, by which it is contempered and made proportionable thereto. Hence no weariness can enWhat! a soul in which the love of God is perfected, grow weary of beholding him! The sun will sooner grow weary of shining; the touched needle of turning itself to its wonted point; every thing will sooner grow weary of its centre; and the most fundamental laws of nature be sooner antiquated and made void for ever. The eye of the fool, Solomon tells us, is in the ends of the earth. His, only, is a rolling wandering eye, that knows not where to fix. Wisdom guides, and fixes the eye of the holy soul; determines it unto God only: I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel, my reins also instruct me,-I have set the Lord always before me. Surely heaven will not render it less capable of dijudication; of passing a right judgment of the excellency and worth of things. And here, a rational judgment will find no want; and an irrational will find no place. Therefore, as permanent glory will certainly infer a perpetual vision; perpetuated vision will as certainly perpetuate the soul's satisfaction and blessedness. 4. "Twill be a possessive intuition as 'tis an appropriate glory which it pitches upon. Twill be the language of every look, "This glory is mine." The soul looks not upon it shyly, as if it had nothing to do with it; or with slight and careless glances: but the very posture of its eye speaks its interest, and proclaims the pretensions it hath to this glory. With how different an aspect doth a stranger passing by, and the owner, look upon the same house, the same lands! A man's eye lays his claim for him and avows his right. A grateful object that one can say is his own, he arrests it with his eye; so do saints with appropriative looks behold their God, and the Divine glory. Even with such an eye as he was wont to behold them;t To this man will I look, &c. that is, as the place of my rest, mentioned before; he designs him with his eye. Which is the import of that expression," The Lord knows who are his; his eye marks them out; owns them as his own: as concerning others, whom he disowns, the phrase is, I know you not. And how vastly different is such an intuition, from that, when I look upon a thing with a hungry, lingering eye, which I must never enjoy, or never expect to be the better for! This vision is fruitive, unites the soul with the blessed object: which kind of sight is meant, when actual blessedness is so often expressed by seeing God. We see then what vision, the sight of God's face, contributes to the satisfaction of blessed souls.

2. Our next business is to discover, what assimilation, or the impressed likeness of God, may further add to this satisfied state; or, what satisfying pleasure the blessed soul finds in this, that it is like God. And here we are distinctly to inquire into the pleasure which such an assimilation to God involves in itself, and that which it tends and disposes to.

1. It is obvious to suppose an inexpressible pleasure in the very feeling, the inward sensation, the holy soul will have of that happy frame in general, whereinto it is now brought; that joyful harmony, that entire rectitude, it finds within itself. You may as soon separate light from a sunbeam, as pleasure from such a state. This likeness or conformity to God is an cusparta, a perfect temperament; an athletic healthiness; a strong sound constitution of soul. Do but imagine, what it is to a man's body, after a wasting sickness, to find himself well. Frame a notion of the pleasure of health and soundness, when both all the parts and members of the body are in their proper places and proportions, and a lively, active vigour, a sprightly strength, possesses every part, and actuates the whole; how pleasant is this temper! If we were all body, there could be no greater felicity than this. But by how much the more noble any creature is, so is it capable of more exquisite pains, or pleasures. Sin is the sickness and disease of the soul; enfeebles all its powers, exhausts its vigour, wastes its strength. You know the restless tossings, the weary roslings to and fro, of a diseased languishing body; such is the case of a sinful soul. Let it but seriously bethink itself, and then speak its own sense; (but here is the malignity of the disease, it cannot be serious, it always raves;) What will it be? "OI can take no rest!" The way of wickedness is called ba way of pain: sinners would find it so, if the violence of the disease had not bereft them of sense: Nothing savours with me; I can take comfort in nothing. The wicked are as a troubled sea (as their name imports) that cannot rest, whose waters, &c. The image of God, renewed in holiness and righteousness, is health restored, after such a consuming sickness; which when we awake, when all the drowsiness that attends our disease is shaken off, we find to be perfect. The fear of the Lord, (an ordinary paraphrase of holiness or piety,) is said to be health to the navel and marrow to the bones. Our Lord Jesus invites wearied sinners to come to him, to take his yoke on them, to learn of him, that is, to imitate him, to be like him; and promises they shall find rest to their souls. How often do we find grace and peace in conjunction in the apostles' salutations and benedictions! We are told that the ways of Divine wisdom (i. e. which it prescribeth) are all pleasantness and peace. That in keeping the commandments of God there is great reward. That they are not grievous, i. e. (for there seems to be a meiosis in the expression,) are joyous, pleasant. And what are his commandments, but those expresses of himself, wherein we are to be like him, and conform to his will ?e The kingdom of God (that holy order which he settles in the spirits of men, his law transcribed and impressed upon the soul; which is nothing else but its conformation and likeness to himself:) is righteousness, and then peace. The póvnua Пvívparos,í that notion, and judgment, and savour of things, that excellent temper of mind and heart, (for that is the extent of the expression,) whereof the Holy Spirit of God is both the author and pattern, is life and peace, involves them in itself. When one thing is thus, in casu recto, predicated of another, it speaks their most intimate connexion, as Rom. xiv. 17. above: so 1 John v. 3. This is love that, &c. So here, such a mind is life and peace (though the copula be not in the original, it is fitly supplied in the translation.) You cannot separate (q. d.) life and peace from such a mind: it hath no principle of death or trouble in it. Let such as know any thing of this blessed temper and complexion of soul, compare this scripture and their own experience together; when at any time they find their souls under the blessed empire and dominion of a spiritual mind, when spirituality wholly rules and denominates them. Are not their souls the very region of life and peace? both these in conjunction, life and peace? not raging life, not stupid peace; but a placid, peaceful life, a vital, vigor

1. The pleasure it involves in itself; or, which is taken in it abstractedly considered; which we may more particularly unfold by showing-the pleasure involved, I. in being like God: and-2. in knowing or reflecting upon the same: the esse and the cognosci of this assimilation. 1. The pleasure in being like God; which may be dis-ous rest and peace: 'tis not the life of a fury, nor peace of

tion which it hath not in itself, by a gracious vouchsafement and communication. The good man, (in that degree which his present state admits of,) Solomon tells us, is satisfied from himself: he doth not need to traverse the world, to seek his happiness abroad; he hath the matter of satisfaction, even that goodness which he is now enriched with, in his own breast and bosom ; yet he hath it all by participation from the fountain-goodness. But that participated goodness is so intimately one with him, as sufficiently warrants and makes good the assertion, he is satisfied from himself: viz. from himself, not primarily, or independently; but by derivation from him who is all in all, and more intimate to us than we ourselves. And what is that participated goodness, but a degree of the Divine likeness? But when that goodness shall be fully participated, when this image and imitation of the Divine goodness shall be complete and entire, then shall we know the rich exuberant sense of those words. How fully will this image or likeness satisfy then! And yet more distinctly, we may apprehend how satisfying this likeness or image impressed will be, if, a little further deferring the view of the particulars of this likeness which we have designed to instance in, we consider these general properties of it.

a stone: life that hath peace in it, and peace that hath life | blessedness. Nothing can be necessary to its full satisfacin it. Now can the soul say, "I feel myself well; all is now well with me." Nothing afflicts the spiritual mind so far, and while 'tis such; 'tis wrapt up and clothed in its own innocency and purity, and hereby become invulnerable, not liable to hurtful impressions. Holiness (under the name of light, for that is by the context the evident meaning of the word there) is by the apostle h spoken of as the Christian's armour. Put on, saith he, the armour of light, in opposition to the works of darkness, which he had mentioned immediately before. Strange armour! that a man may see through. A good man's armour is, that i he needs none: his armour is an open breast; that he can expose himself, is fearless of any harm. Who is he that shall harm you if ye be followers of that which is good? It should be read imitators, so the word signifies; and so whereas following is either of a pattern or an end, the former must be meant here, by the natural importance of that word. And hence, by "that which is good," is not to be understood created goodness; for it is not enough to imitate that goodness, for so we must be good; but the words are capable of being read, him that is good, or (which is all one) the good. And so 'tis the increate good, the blessed God himself, formally considered under the notion of good. Nothing can harm you if you be like God, that's the plain sense of this scripture. Likeness to God is armour of proof; i. e. an imitation of him, viz. in his moral goodness, which holiness (as a general name of it) comprehends. A person truly like God is secure from any external violence, so far as that it shall never be able to invade his spirit. He is in spirit far raised above the tempestuous stormy region, and converses where winds and clouds have no place.

k

Nor can, so far as this temper of soul prevails, any evil grow upon such a mind within itself. It is life and peace, it is light and purity, for 'tis the image, the similitude of God. God is light, and with him is no darkness at all. Holy souls were darkness, but they are light in the Lord. He the Father of light," they the children of light. They were darkness: not in the dark; but in the abstract, "darkness;" as if that were their whole nature, and they nothing else but an impure mass of conglobated darkness. So, Ye are light: as if they were that and nothing else; nothing but a sphere of light. Why suppose we such a thing as an entire sphere of nothing else but pure light? What can work any disturbance here, or raise a storm within it A calm, serene thing, perfectly homogeneous, void of contrariety, or any self-repugnant quality: how can it disquiet itself? We cannot yet say, that thus it is with holy souls in their present state, according to the highest literal import of these words, Ye are light: but thus it will be when they awake; when they are satisfied with this likeness. They shall then be like God fully, and throughout. O the joy and pleasure of a soul made after such a similitude! Now glory is become as it were their being, they are glorified. Glory is revealed into them, transfused throughout them. Every thing that is conceivable under the notion of an excellency, competent to created nature, is now to be found with them; and they have it in-wrought into their very beings. So that in a true sense it may be said, that they are light; they not only have such excellencies, but they are them:P as the moralist saith of the wise or virtuous man, that he not so properly hath all things, as is all things. "Tis said of man, in respect of his naturals, he is the image and glory of God. As for his supernatural excellencies, though they are not essential to man, they are more expressive of God; and are now become so inseparable from the nature of man too, in this his glorified state, that he can as soon cease to be intelligent as holy. The image of God, even in this respect, is not separable | from him, nor blessedness, (surely,) from this image. As the divine excellencies, being in their infinite fulness in God, are his own blessedness, so is the likeness, the participation of them in the soul that now bears this image its

g Invulnerabile est non quod non feritur, sed quod non læditur. Sen. de constantial sapientis, sive quod in sapientem non cadit injuria.

h Rom. xiii. 12.

i Integer vitæ scelerisque purus, &c. Hor. Muntai,

* Του αγαθού.

1 As Plato and his followers used the expression, raya0ov, fully according to the sense of Matt. xix. 17.

m 1 John i.

n Eph. v. James i.

1. 'Tis a vital image: not the image only of him that lives, the living God; but it is his living and soul-quickening image. 'Tis the likeness of him, in that very respect; an imitation and participation of the life of God; by which, once revived, the soul lives that was dead before. 'Tis not a dead picture, a dumb show, an unmoving statue; but a living, speaking, walking image; that wherewith the child is like the father: the very life of the subject where it is; and by which it lives as God, speaks and acts conformably to him. An image, not such a one as is drawn with a pencil, that expresses only colour and figure; but such a one as is seen in a glass, that represents life and motion, as was noted from a worthy author before. 'Tis even, in its first and more important draught, an analogical participation (as we must understand it) of the " Divine nature; before which first tincture, those preludious touches of it upon the spirit of man, his former state is spoken of as an alienation from the life of God; as having no interest, no communion therein. They putting on of the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, is presently mentioned, in direct opposition to that dismal state, implying that to be a participation of the Divine life: and certainly, so far as it is so, 'tis a participation of the Divine blessedness too.

All

2. "Tis an image most intimate, therefore, to its subject. Glory it is; but not a superficial skin-deep glory; such as shone in Moses's face, which he covered with a vail. 'Tis thoroughly transformative; changes the soul throughout; not in external appearance, but in its very nature. outward embellishments would add little felicity to a putrid, corrupt soul. That would be but painting a sepulchre; this adds ornament unto life; and both, especially to the inward man. 'Tis not paint in the face, while death is at the heart; but 'tis the radication of such a principle within as will soon form and attemper the man universally to itself. 'Tis glory, blessedness, participated, brought home and lodged in a man's own soul, in his own bosom; he cannot then but be satisfied. A man may have a rich stock of outward comforts, and while he hath no heart to enjoy them, be never the happier. But 'tis impossible, that happiness should be thus lodged in his soul, made so intimate, and one with him, and yet, that he should not be satisfied, not be happy.

3. An image connatural to the spirit of man. Not a thing alien, and foreign to his nature, put into him purposely, as it were, to torment and vex him; but an ancient well-known inhabitant, that had place in him from the beginning. Sin is the injurious intruder; which therefore puts the soul into a commotion, and permits it

ο Σφαιρα ψυχής αυτοειδής, όταν μητε εκτείνηται επι τί, μητε έσω συντρε χη, μήτε συνιζάνη, αλλά φωτι λαμπηται, &c. Marc. Antonin. lib. 11. p Omnia non tam habere quam esse. Sen.

q 1 Cor. xi. 7.

Intimo nostro intimior.

Plat. et. Aug.

u 2 Pet. i.

r Prov. xiv. 14.

Esse nostrum laudabile. Gibieuf. de libertate, ext Sic oculos, sic ille manus, sic ora ferebat.

3

of mind, nor error of judgment, nor perverseness of will, nor irregularity or rebellion of affections: no ignorance of God, no aversation from him, or disaffection towards him. This likeness removes all culpable dissimilitude or unlikeness. This communicated glory fills up the whole soul, causes all clouds and darkness to vanish, leaves no place for any thing that is vile or inglorious; 'tis pure glory, free from mixture of any thing that is alien to it. And it is itself full. The soul is replenished, not with airy, evanid shadows; but with substantial, solid glory,d a massive, weighty glory; for I know not but subjective glory may be taken in within the significancy of that known scripture, if it be not more principally intended; inasmuch as the text speaks of a glory to be wrought out by afflictions, which are the files and furnaces, as it were, to polish or refine the soul into a glorious frame. 'Tis cumulated glory, glory added to glory. Here 'tis growing, progressive glory, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory. It shall, now, be stable, consistent glory; that carries a selffulness with it: (which some include also in the notion of purity :) 'tis full itself, includes every degree requisite to its own perfection. God hath now put the last hand to this glorious image, added to it its ultimate accomplishments. Now a conformity to Christ, even in the resurrection from the dead, in his glorious state, is fully attained. That prize of the high calling of God is now won. And the humble sense of not having attained as yet, and of not being already perfect, (in which humility the foundation of the temple of God in a saint is laid, and the building raised,) is turned into joyful acclamations, "Grace, grace!" for the laying on of the top stone, the finishing of this glorious work. And when this temple is filled with the glory of the Lord, the soul itself repleFor here is no sacrifice to be offered but that of praise, and joy is the proper seasoning for that sacrifice.

not to rest, while it hath any being there. This image
calms it, restores it, works a peaceful, orderly composure
within; returns it to itself, to its pristine, blessed state;
being reseated there, as in its proper, primitive subject.
For though this image, in respect of corrupted nature, be
supernatural; in respect of institute, and undefiled nature,
it was in a true sense natural, as hath been demonstrated
by divers of ours against the papists; and upon the matter,
yielded by some of the more moderate among themselves.
At least it was connate with human nature, consentaneous
to it, and perfective of it. We are speaking, it must be
remembered, of that part of the Divine image that con-
sists in moral excellencies; there being another part of it,
as hath been said, that is, even in the strictest sense natu-
ral. There is nothing in the whole moral law of God, (in
conformity whereunto this image did, ab origine, consist,)
nothing of what he requires from man, that is at all destruc-
tive of his being, prejudicial to his comforts, repugnant to
his most innate principles: nothing that clashes with his
reason, or is contrary to his interest; or that is not, most
directly conservative of his being and comforts, agreea-
ble to his most rational principles, subservient to his best
and truest interest, for what doth God the Lord require,
but fear and love, service, and holy walking from an en-
tire and undivided soul? what, but what is good; not only
in itself, but for us; and in respect whereof, his law is
said to be holy, just and good? And what he requireth,
he impresseth. This law, written in the heart, is this like-
ness. How grateful, then, will it be, when, after a long
extermination and exile, it returns and re-possesses the
soul, is recognized by it, becomes to it a new nature, (yea,
even a divine,) a vital, living law, the law of the spirit
of life in Christ Jesus! What grievance, or burden, is it
to do the dictates of nature? actions that easily and free-nished with the divine fulness, will not its joys be full too?
ly flow from their own principles? and, when blessedness
itself is infolded in those very acts and inclinations? How
infinitely satisfying and delightful will it be, when the soul
shall find itself connaturalized to every thing in its duty;
and shall have no other duty incumbent on it than to be
happy! when it shall need no arguments and exhortations
to love God: nor need be urged and pressed, as hereto-
fore, to mind him, to fear before him! when love, and re-
verence, and adoration, and praise; when delight, and
joy, shall be all natural acts! Can you separate this, in
your own thoughts, from the highest satisfaction?

4. This image will be now perfect; every way, fully perfect.-1. In all its parts, as it is in the first instant of the soul's entrance into the state of regeneration; the womb of grace knows no defective maimed births. And yet here is no little advantage, as to this kind of perfection. For now those lively lineaments of the new creature all appear, which were much obscured before: every line of glory is conspicuous, every character legible, the whole entire frame of this image is, in its exact symmetry and apt proportions, visible at once. And 'tis an unspeakable addition to the pleasure of so excellent a temper of spirit, that accrues from the discernible entireness of it. Heretofore, some gracious dispositions have been to seek, (through the present prevalence of some corruption or temptation,) when there was most need and occasion for their being reduced into act. Hence the reward and pleasure of the act, and improvement of the principle were lost together. Now, the soul will be equally disposed to every holy exercise that shall be suitable to its state. Its temper shall be even and symmetral; its motions uniform and agreeable: nothing done out of season; nothing seasonable omitted, for want of a present disposition of spirit thereto. There will be not only an habitual, but actual entireness of the frame of holiness in the blessed soul.-2. Again this image will be perfect in degree; so as to exclude all degrees of its contrary, and to include all degrees of itself. There will be now no longer any colluctation with contrary principles; no law in the members warring against the law of the mind; no lustings of the flesh against the spirit. That war is now ended in a glorious victory, and eternal peace. There will be no remaining blindness

Now, the new creature hath arrived to the measure of the stature of a perfect man in Christ Jesus. The first formation of this spiritual, as well as of the natural man, was hidden and secret, it was curiously wrought, and in a way no more liable to observation, than that of framing the child in the womb; as that is as hidden as the concoction of minerals, or precious stones, in the lower parts of the earth. No secrets of nature can outvie the mysteries of godliness. Its growth is also by very insensible degrees, as it is with the products of nature: but its arrival to perfection is infinitely more strange than any thing in nature ever was. How sudden and wonderful is the change, when, in the twinkling of an eye, the blessed soul instantly awakes out of drowsy languishings, and miserable weakness, into perfect strength and vigour ! As a man is, so is his strength; and as his strength is, so is his joy and pleasure. The sun is said to go forth as a strong man, rejoicing to run his race. When a man goes, in the fulness of his strength, upon any enterprise, how doth his blood and spirits triumph before-hand! No motion of hand or foot, is without a sensible delight. The strength of a man's spirit, is, unspeakably, more than that of the outward man; its faculties and powers more refined and raised; and hence are rational or intellectual exercises and operations much more delightful than corporeal ones can be. But (still as the man is, so is his strength) 'tis an incomparably greater strength that attends the heaven-born man. This man born of God, begotten of God, after his own likeness; this hero, this son of God, was born to conflicts, to victories, to triumphs. While he is yet but in his growing age, he overcomes the world; (as Hercules the serpents in his cradle ;) overcomes the wicked one, and is at last more than conqueror. A mighty power attends godliness; "a spirit of power, and of a sound mind; but how much this divine creature grows, so much the more like God: and being perfect, conflicts cease: he had overcome and won the crown before. And now all his strength runs out into acts of pleasure. Now when he shall go forth in his might to love God, (as we are required to love him now with all our might, and every act

of praise shall be an act of power, done with a fulness of pleased, any moment to nothing again. These are true strength, (as 'tis said their praises, at the bringing home of and just acknowledgments, and to a well-tempered soul the ark, were with all their might,) O! what will the infinitely pleasant, when the state of the case is thoroughly pleasure be that shall accompany this state of perfection! understood, (as now it is,) and it hath the apprehension Perfect power and perfect pleasure are here met, and shall clear; how the creation is sustained, how, and upon what for ever dwell together, and be always commensurate to terms, its own being, life and blessedness are continued to one another. They are so here, in their imperfect state: it; that it is every moment, determinable upon the conour feeble, spiritless duties, weak, dead prayers; they have stancy of the creator's will, that it is not simply nothing. no more sweetness than strength, no more pleasure than 'Tis not possible that any thing should hinder this consipower in them. Therefore we are listless, and have no deration from being eternally delightful, but that diaboli mind to duties, as we find we are more frequently desti-cal uncreaturely pride, that is long since banished heaven, tute of a spiritual liveliness and vigour therein. When a and that banished its very subjects thence also. Nothing spirit of might and power goes on with us in the wonted can suit that temper, but to be a god; to be wholly indecourse of our converses with God, we then forecast oppor-pendent, to be its own sufficiency. The thoughts of living tunities, and gladly welcome the season, when it extraor- at the will and pleasure of another, are grating; but they dinarily occurs, of drawing nigh to him. It cannot be are only grating to a proud heart, which here, hath no thought, that the connexion and proportion between these place. A soul naturalized to humiliations, accustomed to should fail in glory; or that, when every thing else is per-prostrations and self-abasements, trained up in acts of fect, the blessed soul itself made perfect, even as God him- mortification, and that was brought to glory through a self is perfect, in this bearing his likeness, should be unlike continued course and series of self-denial; that ever since him in bliss; or its satisfaction be imperfect. it first came to know itself, was wont to depend for every moment's breath, for every glimpse of light, for every fresh influence, ("I live, yet not I-) with what pleasure doth it, now, as it were, vanish before the Lord! what delight doth it take to diminish itself, and as it were, disappear; to contract and shrivel up itself, to shrink even into a point, into a nothing, in the presence of the Divine glo(to the soul, in its right mind) as they are suitable; as they carry a comeliness and congruity in them; and nothing now appears more becoming, than such a self-annihilaBut besides the general consideration of this likeness, tion. The distances of Creator and creature, of infinite we shall instance in some of the particular excellencies and finite, of a necessary and arbitrary being, of a selfcomprehended in it, wherein the blessed shall imitate and originated and a derived being, of what was from everresemble God whence we may farther estimate the plea-lasting, and what had a beginning; are now better undersure and satisfaction that being like God will afford.Only here let it be remembered, that as we all along in this discourse, speak of likeness to God in respect of moral excellencies; so by likeness to him, in respect of these, we understand, not only a participation of those which are communicable; but a correspondent impress also as to those that are incommunicable; as hath been more distinctly opened in the propositions concerning this likeness. Which being premised, I shall give instances of both kinds, to discover somewhat of the inexpressible pleasure of being thus conformed to God. And here, pretermitting the impress of knowledge of which we have spoken under the former head of vision, we shall instance,

CHAPTER VIII.

The satisfaction carried in the glory of God impressed, further shown by in-ry; that it may be all in all! Things are now pleasant, stances. Certain particulars of this; impression instanced in a dependent frame of spirit, subjection or self devoting, love, purity, liberty, tranquil

lity.

stood than ever. And the soul, by how much it is now come nearer to God, is more apprehensive of its distance. And such a frame and posture doth, hence, please it best, and doth most fitly correspond thereto. Nothing is so pleasing to it, as to be as it ought. That temper is most grateful that is most proper, and which best agreed with its state. Dependance therefore is greatly pleasing, as it is a self-nullifying thing. And yet it is, in this respect, pleasing, but as a means to a further end. The pleasure that attends it, is higher and more intense, according as it more immediately attains that end, viz. the magnifying and exalting of God: which is the most connatural thing to the holy soul; the most fundamental and deeply impressed law of the new creature. Self gives place, that God may take it becomes nothing, that he may be all: it vanishes, that his glory may shine the brighter.— Dependance gives God his proper glory. 'Tis the peculiar honour and prerogative of a Deity, to have a world of creatures hanging upon it, staying themselves upon it; to be the fulcrum, the centre of a lapsing creation. When this dependance is voluntary and intelligent, it carries in it a more explicit owning and acknowledgment of God. By how much more this is the distinct and actual sense of my soul, Lord, I cannot live but by thee; so much the more openly and plainly do I speak it out, Lord, thou art God alone; thou art the fulness of life and being; the only root and spring of life; the everlasting I AM; the Being of beings.

1. In a dependent frame of spirit, which is the proper impress of the Divine all-sufficiency and self-fulness, duly apprehended by the blessed soul. It is not easy to conceive a higher pleasure than this, compatible to a creature,-the pleasure of dependance; yea, this is a higher than we can conceive. Dependance (which speaks the creature's axes or habitude to its principle, as the subserviency which imports its habitude to its end) is two-fold.-1. Natural: which is common and essential to all creatures; even when no such thing is thought on, or considered by them. The creatures live, move, and have their beings in God, whether they think of it or no.-2. Voluntary, or rational: which is de facto, peculiar; and de jure, common to reasonable creatures as such. A dependance that is, is ooaipioews, elective; and, with a foregoing reason, (which I understand by elective, not a liberty of doing, or not doing it,) How unspeakably pleasant, to a holy soul, will such a and concomitant consideration of what we do, and animad- perpetual agnition or acknowledgment of God be! when version of our own act: when knowingly and willingly, the perpetuation of its being shall be nothing else than a understanding ourselves in what we do, we go out of our-perpetuation of this acknowledgment; when every renewed selves, and live in God. This is the dependance of which aspiration, every motion, every pulse of the glorified soul, I speak. And it cannot but be attended with transcendant shall be but a repetition of it; when it shall find, itself, in pleasure in that other state, when that knowledge and ani- the eternity of life, that everlasting state of life which it madversion shall be clear and perfect: both, as this depen- now possesses, to be nothing else than an everlasting testidance imports-a nullifying of self-and magnifying (I mony that God is God: He is so, for, I am, I live, I act, may call it omnifying) of God, a making him all in all. I have the power to love him; none of which could As it imports (which it doth most evidently) a self-anni- otherwise be. When amongst the innumerable myriads hilation, a pure nullifying of self, 'tis a continual recogni- of the heavenly host, this shall be the mutual, alternate tion of my own nothingness, a momently, iterated confes- testimony of each to all the rest throughout eternity, will sion, that my whole being is nothing, but a mere puff of not this be pleasant? when each shall feel continually precarious breath, a bubble raised from nothing, by the the fresh illapses and incomes of God, the power and arbitrary fiat of the great Creator; reducible, had he so sweetness of Divine influences, the enlivening vigour of

■ Gal. ii. 20.