February 25

They hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat: for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters.—Revelation 7:16.

WHAT vast degrees of perfection and happiness the nature of man is capable of, we may best understand, by viewing it in the person of Christ, taken into the nearest union with the Divinity, and made God's Vicegerent in the world, and the Head and Governor of the whole creation. In this our narrow and contracted state, we are apt to think too meanly of ourselves, and do not understand the dignity of our own natures, what we were made for, and what we are capable of: but as Plotinus somewhere observes, "We are like children, from our birth brought up in ignorance of, and at a great distance from, our parents and relations; and have forgot the nobleness of our extraction, and rank ourselves and our fortunes among the lot of beggars, and mean and ordinary persons; though we are the offspring of a great Prince, and were born to a kingdom." It does, indeed, become creatures to think modestly of themselves; yet, if we consider it aright, it will be found very hard to set any bounds or limits to our own happiness, and say, "Hitherto it shall arise, and no further." For that wherein the happiness of man consists, viz., truth and goodness, the communication of the Divine nature, and the illapses of Divine love,—it doth not cloy, or glut, or satiate; but every participation of them does widen and enlarge our souls, and fits us for further and further receptions: the more we have, the more we are capable of; the more we are filled, the more room is made in our spirits; and thus it is still and still, even till we arrive unto such degrees as we can assign no measure unto.

We shall be made like unto God, "salvation can no otherwise be accomplished, but by becoming Godlike." "It does not yet appear what we shall be;" but when he shall appear, we shall be like him, says John; for "we shall see him as he is." There is no seeing God as he is, but by becoming like unto him; nor is there any enjoying of him, but by being transformed into his image and similitude. Men usually have very strange notions concerning God, and the enjoyment of him; or rather these are words to which there is no correspondent conception in their minds: but if we would understand God aright, we must look upon him as infinite wisdom, righteousness, love, goodness, and whatever speaks any thing of beauty and perfection; and if we pretend to worship him, it must be by loving and adoring his transcendent excellencies: and if we hope to enjoy him, it must be by conformity unto him, and participation of his nature. The frame and constitution of things is such, that it is impossible that man should arrive to happiness any other way. And, if the sovereignty of God should dispense with our obedience, the nature of the thing would not permit us to be happy without it: if we live only the animal life, we may indeed be happy, as beasts are happy; but the happiness that belongs to a rational and intellectual being, can never be attained but in a way of holiness and conformity unto the Divine will: for such a temper and disposition of mind is necessary unto happiness, not by virtue of any arbitrarious constitution of heaven, but the eternal laws of righteousness, and immutable respect of things, do require and exact it: yea, I may truly say, that God and Christ, without us, can not make us happy: for we are not conscious to ourselves of any thing, but only the operations of our own minds; and it is not the person of God and Christ, but their life and nature, wherein consists our formal happiness: for, what is the happiness of God himself, but only that pleasure and satisfaction that results from a sense of his infinite perfections? And how is it possible for a creature to be more happy, than by partaking of that, in its measure and proportion, which is the happiness of God himself?

The soul being thus prepared, shall live in the presence of God, and lie under the influences and illapses of Divine love and goodness: "Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory." They that fight manfully under the banners of heaven, and overcome their spiritual enemies, "they shall eat of the hidden manna, and become pillars in the temple of God, and shall go no more out: they shall stand before the throne of God continually, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters." God shall put under them his everlasting arms, and carry them in his bosom, and they shall suck the full breasts of eternal goodness: for now there is nothing can hinder the most near and intimate conjunction of the soul with God. There are several faculties in the soul of man, that are conformed to several kinds of objects; and, according to that life a man is awaked into, so these faculties do exert themselves: and though, whilst we live barely an animal life, we converse with little more than this outward world, and the objects of our senses,—yet there are faculties within us that are receptive of God. And when we arrive once unto a due measure of purity of spirit, the rays of heavenly light will as certainly shine into our minds, as the beams of the sun, when it arises above the horizon, do illuminate the clear and pellucid air: and from this sight and illumination, the soul proceeds to an intimate union with God, and that fills it with inexpressible joy and triumph. For, if the objects of this outward world, that strike upon the senses, do so hugely please and delight us; what infinite pleasure must there needs be in those touches and impresses, that the Divine love and goodness shall make upon our souls! But these are things that we may talk of, as we do of a sixth sense, or something that we have no distinct notion or idea of; but the perfect understanding of them belongs only to the future state of comprehension.