1. lie is an universal good, — honum in quo omnia bona, " a good, in which are all goods." The excellencies of the crea- ture are limited. A man may haA'e health, not beauty; learning, not parentage; riches, not wisdom ; but in God are eminently con- tained all excellencies. He is a good, com- mensurate fully to the soul ; he is a sun, a portion, an horn of salvation ; in him dwells " all fulness," Col. i. 19.— 2. God is an unmixed good. No condition in this life but hath its mixture ; for every drop of honey there is a drop of gall. Solomon who gave himself to find out this philoso- pher's stone, — to search out for an happi- ness here below, — he found vanity and vex- ation, Eccl. i. 2. But God is a perfect, quintessential good. He is sweetness in the flower. — 3. God is a satisfying good; The soul cries out, I have enough, Ps. xvii. 15., " I shall be satisfied with thy like- ness." A man tliat is thirsty, bring him to the ocean, and he hath enough. If there be enough in God to satisfy the angels, then sure, enough to satisfy us. The soul is but finite, but God is an uncreated in-" finite good. And yet though God be such a good as doth satisfy ; yet not surfeit. Fresh joys spring continually from God's face ; and God is as much to be desired after millions of years by glorified souls, as at the first moment. There is so nmch fulness in God as satisfies, yet so much sweetness, that the soul still desires ; it is satisfaction without surfeit. — 4. God is a delicious good. That which is the chief good must ravish the soul with pleasure ; there must be in it spirits of delight and quintessence of joy, and this is to be en- joyed only in God, In Deo quackim didcedine deledatur animo, immo rapilur : The love
of God drops such infinite suavity into the soul as is unspeakable and full of glory. If there be so much delight in God, when we see him only by faith, 1 Peter i. 8., what will the joy of vision be when we shall see him face to face ? If the saints have found so much delight in God while they were suffering, O then what joy and delight will they have when they are crowning ! If flames are beds of roses, O then what will it be to lean on the bosom of Jesus ! What a bed of roses will that be ! — 5. God is a superlative good. He is better than any thing you can put in competition with him; he is better than health, riches, honour. Other things maintain life, — he gives life. But who would go to put any thing in ba- lance with the Deity ? Who would weigh a feather Avith a mountain of gold ? God excels all other things more infinitely than the sun the light of a taper. — 6. God is an eternal good. He is " the ancient of days," Dan. vii. 9., yet never decavs, nor waxes old. The joy he gives is eternal, the crowu fadeth not away, 1 Peter v. 4. The glori- fied soul shall be ever solacing itself in God ; it shall be feasting on his loA'e, and sunning itself in the light of his counte- nance. We read of " the river of plea- sure at God's right hand;" but will not tliis in time be dried up ? No, there is a fountain at the bottom which feeds it, Ps. xxx\a. 9., " With the Lord is the fountain of life." Thus God is the chief good, and the enjoying God for e\er is the supremest felicity the soul is capable of.
1. Use of Exhortation. Let it be the chief end of our living to enjoy this chief good hereafter; this is that which will crown us \v'ith happiness. Austin reckons up 288 opinions among the philosophers about haj)- piness, but all did shoot short of the mark. The hiirhest elevation of a reasonable soul is to enjoy God for ever. It is the enjoy- iiiil God that makes heaven, I Thess. iv. 17., " Then shall we ever be with the Lord." The soul trembles, as the needle in the compass, and is never at rest till it comes to God.
To set out this excellent state of a glo- rified soul's enjoying God: 1. This enjoy- ing of God must not be understood in a sensual manner ; we must not conceive any
MAN'S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD.
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