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the divine glory, beheld, impresses upon the soul; and which immediately conduces to its satisfaction and blessedness. I say, moral perfection, because that only is capable of being impressed by the intervening ministry of our own understanding; namely, by its vision, intimated, as was formerly observed, in that of the apostle, "We shall be like him-for we shall see him," &c. Its natural perfections are antecedent and presupposed, therefore not so fitly to be understood here. And I say, both these ways; for, as we cannot form an entire idea of God, without taking in, together, his perfections of both sorts, communicable, and incommunicable, (the former whereof must serve instead of a genus; the latter of a differentia,) in composing the notion of God, Thes. (Salmu. de Deo immenso :) so nor will his impress on us be entire, without something in it respecting both; in the senses already given. What it will contribute to future blessedness, we shall shortly see, in its place, when we have made a brief inquiry (which is the next thing, according to our order proposed) concerning,

3. The satisfaction that shall hence accrue. Where it will not be beside our purpose, to take some notice of the significancy of the word. And not to insist on its affinity to the word used for swearing, or rather, being sworn, (which; an oath being the end of controversies, and beyond which we go no further, nor expect more, in way of testifying; would, the more fitly here represent to us the soul in its non-ultra: having attained the end of all its motions, and contentions,) its equal nearness to the word signifying the number of seven, is not altogether unworthy observations. That number is, we know, often used in Scripture, as denoting plenitude and perfection; and God hath, as it were signalized it, by his rest on the seventh day and if this were not designedly pointed at here in the present use of this word, (as it must be acknowledged to be frequently used where we have no reason to think it is with such an intendment) it may yet occasion us to look upon the holy soul now entered into the eternal sabbath † the rest of God: which, (secluding all respect to that circumstance) is, yet, the very

*How fit a Symbol it is of God's Sabbatic rest, see Dr. More's defence of his Philosophical Cabbala from Philo. Judæus.

Erit ibi verè maximum Sabbatum, non habens vesperam, quod commendavit Dominus in primis operibus mundi; ut legitur, et requievit die Septimo-Dies enim Septimus etiam nos ipsi erimus, quando ipsius fuerimus benedictionum et sanctificationum pleni atque referti; ibi vacabimus et videbimus, videbimus et amabimus, amabimus, laudabimus, &c. There shall be in reality a great sabbath having no evening, which God distinguished at the very creation of the world; as it is written "and he rested on the seventh day. For the seventh day shall be ever with us, when we shall be completely filled with blessings and graces. There we shall rest and contemplate; contemplate and love; love and praise. Aug. de civit Dei lib: 22, c. 38, vid. eund. de civit. Dei 1. 17, c. 4.

substance and true notion of the thing itself (to the consideration whereof I now pass) under the word held forth to us. For this satisfaction, is the soul's rest in God; its perfect enjoyment of the most perfect good: the expletion of the whole capacity of its will; the total filling up of that vast enlarged appetite; the perfecting of all its desires in delight and joy. Now delight or joy (for they differ not, save that the latter word is thought something more appropriate to reasonable nature) is fitly defined Quies appetitus in appetibili: the rest of the desiring faculty in the thing desired. (Abuin. Sum.) Desire and delight, are but two acts of love, diversified, only by the distance, or presence of the same object: which, when it is distant, the soul, acted and prompted by love, desires, moves towards it, pursues it; when present and attained, delights in it, enjoys it, stays upon it, satisfies itself in it, according to the measure of goodness it finds there. Desire, is therefore, love in motion: delight, is love in rest. And of this latter delight or joy, Scripture evidently gives us this notion, he will rejoice over thee with joy, (unto which is presently added as exegetical,) he will rest in his love: (Zeph. 3. 17.) which resting can be but the same thing with being satisfied. This satisfaction then is nothing else but the repose and rest of the soul amidst infinite delights: its peaceful acquiescence, having attained the ultimate term of all the motions, beyond which it cares to go no further: the solace it finds in an adequate, full good; which it accounts enough for it, and beyond which, it desires no more; reckons its state as good as it can be, and is void of all hovering thoughts, (which perfect rest must needs exclude,) or inclination to change.

And so doth this being satisfied, not only generally signify the soul to be at rest; but it specifies that rest; and gives us a distinct account of the nature of it. As, that it is not a forced, violent rest; such as proceeds from a beguiled ignorance, a drowsy sloth, a languishing weakness, or a desire and hope of happiness, by often frustrations baffled into despair, (to all which, the native import and propriety of that word satisfaction doth strongly repugn.) But it discovers it to be a natural rest: I mean, from an internal principle. The soul is not held in its present state of enjoyment by a strong and violent hand; but rests in it by a connaturalness thereunto: is attempered to it, by its own inward constitution and frame. It rests not as a descending stone, intercepted by something by the way, that holds and stops it; else it would fall further; but as a thing would rest in its own centre; with such a rest as the earth is supposed to have in its proper place; that being hung upon nothing, is yet unmoved ponderibus librata suis, equally balanced by its own weight every way. It is a rational, judicious rest; upon certain knowledge that its present state is simply best, and not capable of being changed for a better. The soul cannot be held under a perpetual

cheat, so as always to be satisfied with a shadow. It may be so befooled for a while, but if it remain satisfied, in a state that never admits of change; that state must be such, as commends itself to the most thoroughly informed reason and judgment. It is hence a free, voluntary, chosen rest: such as God professes his own to be in Zion; this is my rest, here will I dwell, for I have desired it. Psal. 123. 14. It is a complacential rest, wherein the soul abides steady, bound only by the cords of love; a rest in the midst of pleasantness; Psal. 16. 6. The Lord is my portion, the lots are fallen to me in amanitatibus; it cannot be more fitly expressed than amidst pleasantness: and this speaks not only what the Psalmist's condition was, but the sense, and account he had of it. That temper of mind gives us some idea of that contentful, satisfied abode with God, which the blessed shall have. He intimates, how undesirous he was of any change. Their sorrows (he told us above) should be multiplied that hasten after another God. (Ver. 4.) Hereafter there will be infinitely less appearance of reason for any such thought. Now, it is the sense of a holy soul, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none I desire on earth besides the :" as if he said, Heaven and earth yield not a tempting object, to divert me from thee it is now so, at sometimes, when faith and love are in their triumph and exaltation (but the Lord knows how seldom!) but much more when we see him as he is, and are satisfied with his likeness! It is an active, vigorous rest. Action about the end, shall be perpetuated here, though action towards it, ceases. It is the rest of an awakened, not of a drowsy, sluggish soul; of a soul satisfied by heavenly sensations and fruitions: not uncapable of them; or that hath its powers bound up by a stupifying sleep. It is the rest of hope, perfected in fruition, not lost in despair; of satisfied, not defeated expectation. *Despair may occasion rest to a man's body, but not to his mind; or a cessation from further endeavors, when they are constantly found vain, but not from trouble and disquiet; it may suspend from action, but never satisfy. This satisfaction therefore speaks both the reality and nature of the soul's rest in glory: that it rests; and with what kind of rest.

*I think it not worth the while to engage in the dispute (so much agitated between the Thomists ond Scotists) whether blessedness do formally consist in this satisfying fruition, or in the antecedent vision: this satisfaction is certainly inseparable from it, and I see not how to be excluded out of its formal notion: it is not vision, as vision; but as satisfying, that makes us happy; and to talk of the satisfaction or pleasure which the understanding hath in knowing is insipid: while the soul understanding, that is, the mind, knows it is the soul enjoying, that is, the will, is pleased and finds content: and till the soul be fully contented, it is not blessed, and it is, by being so, when it saith, "Now am I fully satisfied. I have enough, I desire no more."

CHAPTER V.

1. The three ingredients of this blessedness having been considered absolutely, we come-Secondly. To their relative consideration; where it is propounded to shew particularly: 1. What relation vision hath to assimilation. 2. What both these have to satisfaction. The relation between the two former, inquired into. An entrance upon the much larger discourse, what relation and influence the two former have towards the third: What vision of God's face or glory, contributes towards satisfaction, estimated from the consideration, 1. Of the object, the glory to be beheld; as it is divine, entire, permanent, appropriate.

I. Thus far have we viewed the parts or necessary concurrence, of which the blessedness of the saints must be composed absolutely and severally each from other: we proceed,

Secondly. To consider them relatively, namely, in the mutual respects they bear one to another; as they actually compose this blessed state. Wherein we shall shew particularly the relation, by way of influence, and dependance, between vision, and assimilation: and-Between both these and the satisfaction, that ensues which latter I intend more to dwell upon; and only to touch the former, as a more speculative and less improveable subject of discourse, in my way to this.

I. It may be considered-What relation there may be between vision of God, and assimilation, or being made like to him; and it must be acknowledged (according to what is commmonly observed of the mutual action of the understanding and will) that the sight of God, and likeness to him, do mutually contribute each towards other. The sight of God assimilates, makes the soul like unto him; that likeness more disposes it for a continued renewed vision. It could never have attained the beatifical vision of God, had it not been prepared thereto, by a gradual previous likeness to him. For righteousness (which we have shewn qualifies for this blessedness) consists in a likeness to God: and it could never have been so prepared, had not some knowledge of God introduced that conformity and yielding bent

*Which necessity of a likeness to God to dispose for the vision of him, is excellently expressed by a platonic philosopher. The divine nature, the το θεῖον, which he saith, is liable to no sense, μο'νῳ δὲ τῷ τῆς ψυχῆς καλ λίζω και καθαρωτάτῳ, καὶ νοερωτα τῳ, καὶ κεφοτα τῳ καὶ πρεσβυτάτων, o'qarov di o'poio'rηra, &c. is yet visible, to that in the soul whic his most beautiful, most pure, most perspicuous, most sublime, most noble, in respect of a certain similitude and cognition that is between them. Max. Tyr.

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of heart towards him. For the entire frame of the new man, made after the image of God, is renewed in knowledge. Col. 3. 10. But as, notwithstanding the circular action of the understanding and will upon one another, there must be a beginning of this course somewhere, and the understanding is usually reckoned the sovxov, the first mover, the leading faculty: so, notwithstanding the mutual influence of these two upon each other, seeing hath a natural precedency, and must lead the way unto being like; which is sufficiently intimated in the text, "I shall behold thy face," and then "I shall be satisfied with thy likeness ;" and more fully in that parallel scripture: "We shall be like him, for we shall see him," &c. From whence also, and from the very nature of the thing, we may fitly state the relation of the first of these to the second, to be that of a cause to its effect sight begets likeness, is antecedent to it, and productive of it. That is, the face or glory of God seen; that glory in conjunction with our vision of it: for the vision operates not, but according to the efficaciousness of the thing seen; nor can that glory have any such operation, but by the intervention of vision. It is therefore the glory of God seen, as seen, that assimilates, and impresses its likeness upon the beholding soul and so its causality is that of an objective cause (which whether it belong to the efficient or final, I shall not here dispute) that operates only as it is apprehended: so introducing its own form, and similitude into the subject it works upon. Such a kind of cause were Jacob's streaked rods of the production that ensued; and such a cause is any thing whatever, that begets an impression upon an apprehensive subject, by the mediation and ministry, whether of the fancy or understanding. This kind of causalty the word hath in its renewing, transforming work; and the sacraments, wherein they are causal of real physical mutations on the subjects of them. So much of the image of God as is here impressed upon souls by gospel-dispensations, so much is impressed of his glory. The work of grace is glory begun. And now, as glory initial, and progressive in this life enters at the eye(beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed, 2. Cor. 3. 18.) so doth perfect and consummate glory in the other life. For we have no reason to imagine to ourselves any alteration in the natural order the powers of the soul have towards each other, by its passing into a state of glory.

The object seen, is unspeakably efficacious; the act of intuition is full of lively vigor; the subject was prepared, and in a disposition before; and what should hinder, but this glorious effect should immediately ensue? as the sun no sooner puts up his head above the hemisphere, but all the vast space, whither it can diffuse its beams, is presently transformed into its likeness and turned into a region of light. What more can be wanting to cause all the darkness of atheism, carnality, and every thing of