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. It is a complacential rest, wherein the soul abides steady, bound only by the chords of love; a rest in the midst of pleasantness; The Lord is my portion, the lots are fallen to me in amenitatibus; it cannot be more fitly expressed than amidst pleasantnesses: 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. 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 thee:" q. d. Heaven and

earth yield not a tempting object, to divert me from thee. 'tis now so, at some times, 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's an active, vigorous rest. Action about the end shall be perpetuated here, though action towards it ceases. 'Tis the rest of an awakened, not of a drowsy, sluggish soul; of a soul satisfied, by heavenly sensations and fruitions, not incapable of them, or that hath its powers bound up by a stupifying sleep. It's 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 endeavours, 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.

CHAPTER V,

The relative consideration of these three ingredients of the saints' blessedness; where it is propounded to show 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 'tis divine, entire, permanent, appropriate.

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, viz. in the mutual respects they bear one to another; as they actually

d I think it not worth the while to engage in the dispute (so much agitated between the Thomists and Scotists) whether blessedness do formally consist in this satisfying fruition, or in the antecedent vision; this satisfaction is cer tainly inseparable from it, and I see not how to be excluded out of its formal notion: 'tis 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, i. e. the mind, knows, 'tis the soul enjoying, i. e. 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 I am fully satisfied, I have enough, I desire no more."

compose this blessed state. Wherein we shall show particularly: 1. The relation, by way of influence, and dependence, 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 improvable subject of discourse, in my way to this.

1. First, 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 commonly 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.a For righteousness (which we have shown 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 of heart towards him. For the entire frame of theb new man, made after the image of God, is renewed in knowledge. 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 hyεpovikov, 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 way 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

a Which necessity of a likeness to God to dispose for the vision of him, is excellently expressed by a Platonic philosopher. The Divine nature To OεLOV, which he saith, is liable to no sense, μονων δε τωι της ψυχης καλλιςωι, και καθαρωτάτων, και νοερωτάτων και κουφοταωι, και πρεσβυτατωι, οράτου de oμolorптα, &c. is yet visible to that in the soul, which is most beautiful, most pure, most perspicuous, most sublime, most noble, in respect of a certain similitude and cognation that is between them. Max. Tyr.

b Col. ii. 10.

in conjunction with our vision of it; for the vision ope rates not, but according to the efficaciousness of the thing seen; nor can that glory have any such operation, but by the intervention of vision. 'Tis 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 causality 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; (cbeholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed; 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 vigour; 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 sin, for ever to vanish out of the awakening soul, and an entire frame of holiness to succeed; but one such transforming sight of the face of God? One sight of his glorious majesty presently subdues, and works it to a full subjection; one sight of his purity makes it pure; one sight of his loveliness turns it into love; and such a sight always remaining, the impress remains always actually (besides that it is in

ç 2 Cor. iii. 18.

itself most habitual and permanent, in the soul's now confirmed state) fresh and lively.

The object hath quite another aspect upon a wicked soul, when it awakes; and the act of seeing is of another kind; therefore no such effect follows. Besides, the subject is otherwise disposed; and therefore as the sun enlightens not the inward parts of an impervious dunghill, but it enlightens air; so the sight of God transforms and assimi lates at last, not a wicked, but it doth a godly, soul. That' which here makes the greatest difference in the temper of the subject is love. I look upon the face of a stranger and it moves me not; but upon a friend, and his face presently transforms mine into a lively cheerful aspect. As an iron sharpens iron, so doth the face of a man his friend; puts a sharpness and quickness into his looks. The soul that loves God, opens itself to him, admits his influences and impressions, is easily moulded and wrought to his will, yields to the transforming power of his appearing glory. There is no resistant principle remaining, when the love of God is perfected in it; and so overcoming is the first sight of his glory upon the awaking soul, that it perfects it, and so his likeness, both at once. But enmity fortifies the soul against him, as with bars and doors; averts it from him; carries with it a horrid, guilty consciousness, which fills it with eternal despair and rage, and inwraps it in the blackness of darkness forever.

2. Both the vision of God, and likeness to him, must be considered in their relation to the consequent satisfaction, and the influence they have in order thereto. I say, both; for though this satisfaction be not expressly and directly referred by the letter of the text, to the sight of God's face; yet its relation thereto, in the nature of the thing, is sufficiently apprehensible and obvious; both mediate, in respect of the influence it hath towards the satisfying assimilation; and immediate, (which we are now to consider,) as it is so highly pleasurable in itself; and is plainly enough intimated in the text; being applied, in the same breath, to a thing so immediately and intimately conjunct with this vision, as we find it is. Moreover, supposing that likeness here do (as it hath been granted it may) signify objective glory also, as well as subjective, and repeat what is contained in the former expression," the face of God," the reference satisfaction hath to this vision (which the re-mention of its object, though under a varied form of expres

d Prov. xxvii. 17.