with delight; yet am I happy to the uttermost, whether I enjoy you or not time was when I could not well have wanted you; but now, whether I enjoy you or not, I am ever the same, being filled with His eternal sweetness: you are the adornments and outfields to my great inheritance, and no addition thereunto. And art thou, O my God, become all unto me? The want of all my temporal enjoyments is a gain that cannot be told! How have I been vexed, and wearied, with being occupied about vain, empty, unsatisfying "nothings!" so that I was glad of a borrowed vision of thee, of a reflex manifestation of thy glory and excellence; and was so covered over with "shadows," that I could neither order right expressions, nor conceptions, because of darkness. How often have I bemoaned, ‘When shall the day dawn, and the shadows fly away, that I may be filled immediately with his glory? This sight of his beauty, this taste of his sweetness, is tormenting, as well as delightsome; I cannot rest, until I get full enjoyment: still I would have more and more of God, until I be filled with all his fulness: but, oh! I cannot. Ten thousand things stand betwixt me and him, through this earthly and sinful estate; so that I am ofttimes so confused and disordered, that I can desire nothing at all. How does this poor life depend, every moment, on ten thousand things! Here am I diverted, through mortality, by every thing that comes in my way; innumerable creatures having a commanding, diverting influence over me. Must I be ever sleeping, eating, drinking, conversing in this and that trifle ? Must I draw consolations from this, and the other, and the third creature; and have a fellowship with my God by benefit of means and ordinances, which ever have the tincture and savour of imperfection? And are not the conduits ofttimes so corrupt, as that they embitter my enjoyments? and are they not so stopped, as that I am almost dead for want? How am I drawn aside hither and thither! this feeble flesh being apt to receive new impressions, every moment, from every thing that comes in the way! And how vexing are all these enjoyments, though most necessary! what a nauseating round do I run, ever tossing the same stone! That which “hath been, is that which shall be, and there is no new thing under the sun. What profit hath a man of all his labour?" Eccl. i. 3, 9. For though the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing, so that new enjoyments are ever required; yet must the same thing be run over and over again: and what might seem more excellent than, by the serious search and study of things, to have the heart filled with great experience of wisdom and knowledge! yet I perceive, that "this also is vanity and vexation of spirit; for in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow," Eccles. i. 17, 18. Run fast, O time, and days, that this world may be cried down for ever, and God may become All in all. Silly worldlings desire to have these enjoyments eternally; because they know no better; something the faculties must be exercised with, though with vexing vanity. Oh, but I have a sight of the only satisfying Object! Oh to have all these out of the way! were it not thy good pleasure I should continue thus for a time, I could not but die through longing for the immediate vision of God. Scattered streams and drops are become bitter; when shall I enter, body and soul, into the ocean, and be filled and swallowed up for ever and ever? when shall I receive the direct rays of all excellence from the Sun of Righteousness, no clouds intervening throughout eternity?' Oh Flower of all blessedness! oh golden Life of all my desires! I am passed from the light of the sun, and of the moon; I am passed from the necessary help of shadows, and nothings: the Lord JEHOVAH is my only strength, and light, and life, and joy, and song, and all things. Is it not sweet living thus, in the immediate presence of JEHOVAH and the Lamb? Oh Emmanuel's world, thou art an excellent habitation! how sweetly and commodiously art thou situated directly against the Sun and Original of all light, and life, and joy, and sweetness! Who can but be lively and joyful here! Indeed, this is the smiling world, the rosy and sunny side of the creation. What more can be said of my overflowing happiness, than that I am here for evermore! eternally blooming thing. 53. Glory is an Is not the fountain of life deep? men and angels, is it possible you shall ever draw it dry? nay, is it possible you can draw so much, that less remains behind? yea, what could millions of millions of angels multiplied do here? Not only drink, and for ever drink; but enter in, and you shall be, as so many : nothings, swallowed up, as it were, and lost for ever. What infinite springs of sweetness and consolation lie hid! Dig further and deeper, for ever, and still you shall find new springs: still there remain as many hid as at the first searching. What boundless varieties of joys and sweetness! Every moment, every instant is filled with new delights; for what can exhaust infinite sweetness? We may feel, and taste, and enjoy it, as it is; but can we comprehend it, and search it out unto perfection? When we are all filled, the boundless ocean is nothing diminished and since we are ever drinking, ever drawing in floods of uncreated sweetness, are not our delights infinitely various, and renewed every moment? which is an enjoyment of the same, after diverse manners, according to its infinite varieties of perfections, which eminently and virtually dwell therein. Oh then, the various and wonderful conceptions of men and angels! Oh the evergreen and flourishing communications of love, and joy! shall there not be, every moment, a new song of praises? shall not infinite perfections, more and more seen, supply for ever with new expressions of the excellency, glory, loveliness, sweetness and kindness of Him that sits upon the throne, and the Lamb? We have passed from augmenting our knowledge, by borrowed visions; or perfecting it, by striving to know more, and more evidently, and distinctly. All confusion and darkness is done away; error, ignorance, and false ideas are no more: we know as we are known, even clearly, immediately, and "face to face;" without a prospective representation, or clouds intervening. So that, as to kind, knowledge is perfect; yet, shall we not ever be searching into the unsearchable riches of this bottomless mine, filled with all varieties of silver, gold, gems, diamonds, rubies and sapphires, of inconceivable value and excellence? Are we not as so many divines, searching, preaching, discoursing more and more of the transcendent excellence of that fountain of all fulness? Do we not, in this delightful exercise, run over again, in the same round? Oh then, throughout all eternity our happiness shall ever be increasing. In the very first entry, all superabounds and overflows its banks; so that nothing is wanting, in the least, to perfect happiness, satisfaction and fulness; yet shall these overflowing tides of loves, and joys, and raptures for ever swell higher and higher; so that the succeeding moments shall be more superabounding than the immediately preceding. Oh then, the growth and flourishing of ten thousand myriads of ages! And doth not this river increase proportionably to its greatness? Oh then after myriads of ages, according to the number of the atoms of the creation, how shall it be augmented above the number of all these atoms, thousands of times multiplied by themselves? So that, to all eternity, we are ever changed from glory to glory," and ever ascend higher and higher, and still the steps become wider and wider; the faculties ever are more and more clear and extended; and the discoveries more and more wonderfully enrapturing. This infinite world of all perfections is beheld clearly and immediately as it is; yet, who can comprehend all the beauties, delights, excellences and 66 |