God all in all or The highest happines of the saints. Jn [sic] two parts. The I. Asserting this happiness to consist in the enjoyment of God. II. Enquiring into the quality of that enjoyment. Together with a short appendix, wherein is very briefly considered, the claim of natural reason, and private inspirations to a guidance of us in the things of God. Also what courses dishonour the Gospel, and what duties we owe it. By Edward Buckler, preacher of the Gospel.

SECT. VIII. The third Use, of Exhortation.

LEaving then out of our hearts those vain things that cannot profit us, let us be exhorted to fill them up with that which can, scorning to waste our spirits about the enjoyments of the world where happinesse is not, let us employ all our strengthin labouring after the enjoyment of God, where it is, the more we can possesse of this, the more we have of heaven. 'Tis doubtlesse our sin as well as misery, that we should need any motives to such a duty, indeed to such a priviledge as this is; but because we doe, I shall lay down this one, viZ.

The transcendent excellency of this en∣joyment above all others, and that both in regard of

• 1. The Object, God.
• 2. The Act, Fruition.

First, in regard of the Object, God. In whom

1. There is nothing that is not ami∣able, and desireable; whatever is not good, perfect, excellent, to be sure that is not God. Divine beauty is un∣mixt, look upon the choisest of the Creatures, and if there be beauty, there be also blemishes; not so our God, you cannot attempt to describe him, but removing from him all im∣perfection: If all beauty cannot draw out our souls, and melt them into ar∣dent desires of fruition, then nothing can.

2. There is in God every thing that is good and lovely. Divine beauty is compleat and perfect, there is no∣thing in the world for an affection to close with, that is not in him: If it be Greatnesse, and Power, and Glory, and Victory, and Majesty, they are all his, 1 Chron. 29.11. If it be peace he is the very God of it, 1 Thes. 5.23. If it be wealth, the Heaven, even the Heavens are the Lords, Psal. 115.16. If it be love, God is love, 1 Ioh. 4.8. and what ever else you can imagine that is desireable.

3. These and all perfections else are in God, in an unparralleld way of eminency, not of the sieze they are in us; that one Volume contains more, then the several editions of all the creatures, that are under Heaven, or in it: what is scattered elsewhere is but a drop to this Ocean. We may speak excessively of other things, but not of God.

4. The Beauty that is in God, is permanent, 'tis everlasting, not fade∣ing and perishing as the Creatures is, out of whose garden every day plucks a flower . Yea, the Heavens them∣selves, which for their preheminence of beauty, are called, praestantissimum Corpus, a most excellent piece indeed, and are by some supposed to consist of a finer matter then any of the four Elements, which go to the making up of other beauties; even these glorious bodies shall wax old as doth a gar∣ment, &c. Heb. 1.11. tis God only that hath immortalitie, 1 Tim. 6.16. and in whom there is no variableness, &c. Jam. 1.17.

5. All the beauty and goodnesse that is in the Creature, is of Gods putting there, and what ever is in the effect, is more eminent in the caus, how glorious is that Soveraign of the skies, the Sun, and that Queen of Heaven the Moon! There is beauty in the Heavens; how gallantly are they be∣spangled with Stars! Ther's beauty in the Earth, how finely is it embroi∣dered with fruits and flowers! There is beauty in men, women, &c. how much more is there in God that made them? that little that is in the channel doth many times extreemly ravish us, and we are sick of love till we can en∣joy it, what should not that doe that is in the Fountain? if the Creatures have so much, their maker cannot chal∣lenge less then all.

6. When we have said and imagin∣ed all that we can of the excellencie of God, when we are swallowed up and and have lost our selves under the con∣templation of it, we come infinitely short of what is indeed in him. God is in all his glorious perfections incom∣prehensible.

Now truly if there be nothing in God that is not desireable, nor a want of any thing that is; if what ever we dote upon in the Creature, be no more then a spark to that sun, and that too, let down from that Father of Lights; if all the beauty and goodnesse we can see in him, be short of what indeed it is, and all that is, be everlasting, to supply sufficient matter for our delight and complacencie to all eternity; how excellent is the enjoyment, when this God shall be the Object of it.

2. In regard of the Act, Fruition, which (as we have seen already ) is a cleaving unto God by love, for his own sake, as the choicest emanation of the soul, is love; so of all loves that which pitcheth upon God, which is then in its highest glory and excel∣lencie, when it carryes out the soul af∣ter him, for his own sake; for the good that is in him, rather then the good that comes by him. This love hath most of excellency in it, whether you look upon.

• 1. The kind of it.
• 2. The degree.

First, Its a love of a Nobler kind, flowing from higher principles, refin∣ed from those dregs that lie at the bot∣tom of other loves. Ex. gr.

1. We may love God meerly because he is able to do us good, having all in him, that is wanting in us. This is but Amor indigentiae, a necessitous love, and hath something of self in the composition of it, and we may

2. Love God meerly that he may do us good; This is Amor concupiscen∣tiae, a mercinary love, as like to theirs as it can look who followed Christ for loaves, Ioh. 6.26. and is not so much a love of God as of our selves, and we may

3. Love God because he hath done us good, given us health, peace, &c. this at best is but Amor gratitudinis, a thankful love, and may easily flow even from a good nature; but the love that is in Fruition, is of another cha∣racter, when God is loved for himself. Then.

1. The desires of the soul are car∣ryed out after him with a large wing,

thirsting after him as a dry and parch∣ed land for rain, Psal. 63.1. and pant∣ing after him as the chased heart for the brooks of water, Psal. 42.1. to whom she thinks she can never be near enough; and there is not any way of Communion that she doth not ardent∣ly long to meet him in. To see him, and to gaze upon his beauty as long as she lives, Psal. 27.4. To hear him, his mouth is most sweet, his lips are like Lillies, and every syllable is Myrrh that droppeth from them, Cant. 5.13.16. To be in his arms, one hand must be under her head, and the other must embrace her, Cant. 8.3. Yea, to be in his very heart, and to be set there as a seal, Cant. 8.6. Yea all the familiari∣ties that God affords her here doe not satisfie; to be in the body is to be at too great a distance, and is upon that account a burden that she groanes un∣der, 2 Cor. 5.4. A dissolution is lookt upon as far better, Phil. 1.23. towards a fuller enjoyment of him, no pace will serve but the swiftest, Cant. 8. ult. and her prayer is not onely Come Lord

Jesus, but come quickly, Apoc. 22.20.

Where art thou Lord (saith Augu∣stine ) why doest thou hide thy face? Perhaps thou wilt say, No man shall see me and live: Eia domine moriar, ut te videam, if that, Lord, be all, let me dye upon that condition. This now is amor unionis, a desire of enjoying God as immediately as we may. When God is loved for himself, Then

2. The soul is possessed with a full contentment in God, as portion e∣nough, Psal. 16.6. She will see more in him than in all the world beside, and there will rest (see before Sect. 2.) this is amor complacentiae, a love made up of nothing but delight. And

3. The soul will be inclined to all possible compliance with God, that love which tyes us to him for his own sake, is an imperative affection, it will lay us at his feet, 1 Cor. 13.7. it will ne∣ver give us leave to say of any duty that God commands us, that it is either dangerous, see Dan. 6.10. Acts 4.18, 19. or difficult, Joh. 20.15. or tedi∣ous , Gen. 29.20. 1 Ioh. 5.3. or unpro∣fitable,

of so excellent a kinde is this love of God; 'tis amor amicitiae, a friendly love. And

Secondly; for the degree of it, it is a ravishment of spirit, even unto sick∣nesse, Cant. 2.5. begotten by a contem∣plation of divine beauty; 'tis amor in∣ebrians, prevailing upon the soul even to a spiritual drunkennesse; 'tis love intended to the uttermost, the highest strain that the heart can reach unto: O∣ther things doth such a soul think may be loved too much, but the measure by which she loves God, is to love him without measure; 'tis love as hot as fire, not glowing a little in the ashes, but affording most vehement flame, Can. 8.6. nay heat in fire may be put out by a little water; many waters can∣not quench this, Can. 8.7. as it was said of Laurence frying upon the Grid∣iron , The fire without was lesse than the flame within; 'tis a love that moves our bowels which an ordinary qualm of affection can never doe, Cant. 5.4. Such impressions can it make upon beleevers, when it is duly acted, who

doe bear about upon their soules (as Paul did in his body) the marks of the Lord Jesus, Gal. 6.17. but we cannot yet give over so sweet a theam, let me offer you a further tast of its excellen∣cie in these four particulars.

1. God himself takes it into his pro∣prieties, if it be not rather his very es∣sence; God is love, 1 Joh. 4.8. and God is nothing but what is excellent.

2. It is the womb of all duties else which we owe to God, and 'twill bring them forth as occasion shall be offered, as Augustine said to Christ, God doth freely say us, First love me, and then do what you will.

3. All our abilities, all our doings and sufferings will finde no entertain∣ment above, unlesse this love of God give them a certificate, that they came from her. See 1 Cor. 13.1, 2.

4. 'Tis something that this will con∣tinue to be a duty, when most duties else shall be obsolete, and out of date; they are practicable on earth, this in heaven. They have their time, this its eternity.

Now if there be so much of ex∣cellency in the Object, God, and in the Act, Fruition, this is motive enough, if the Lord will vouchsafe to set it on, to aspire after the enjoy∣ment of God, above all the en∣joyments else that are under the Sunne.

Notes

• Est ali∣quid quod se dedecuisse putes.
• Florem decoris finguli carpunt dies.
• Ex quintâ essentiâ.
• Si sic in creaturis labore∣mus quid in ipso Deo?
• Nullus intellec∣tus crea∣tus potest deum cognoscere ut cogn••∣scibilis, est Aq. par. 1. q. 12, Art. 7
• Sect. 2.
• Soliloq. cap. 1.
• Ama il∣lud bo∣num in quod sunt omnia bo∣na, & sufficit. Aug. ma∣nual. c. 34
• Quid non cogit amor? ni∣hil aman∣tibus du∣rum nul∣lus labor difficilis.
• In eo quod a∣matur, aut non labor la∣boratur aut ama∣tur.
• Raptus ex intui∣tu divinae pulchri∣tudinis ortus.
• Segnior fuit ignis, qui foris ussit, quā qui intus accendit.
• Domiue dilige, & fac quic∣quid vis.