1. The first and most sublime part of the glory of heaven is the full and sweet frui- tion of God : ipse Deus siifficit ad proem ium, Aug. We are apt to think the happiness of heaven is in being free from pain and misery, but the A'ery quintessence of happi- ness, is the enjoyment and fruition of God ; this is the diamond-ring of glory. God is an infinite inexhaustible fountain of joy ; and to have him, is to have all. Now the enjoyment of God imj)lies three things.
\. It implies our seeing of God.
2. Our loving of God.
3. God's loving us.
1st. The enjoying of God implies our seeing of God, 1 John iii, 2., " We shall see him as he is :" Here we see him as he is not : mutable, mortal ; there as he is.
Quest. 2. How shall ire see God?
Ans. 1. We shall see liim intellectually, with the eves of our mind. This divines call ihe beatifical vision: we shall have a full knowledtie of God, though not know him fully. If there were not sucli an in- teUectual sight ol God, then how do t!ie
spirits of just men made perfect see God. This sight of God will be very glorious, as when a king on his coi onation-day shews himself in all his royalty and magnificence.
A. 2. We shall corporally behold the glorified body of Jesus Christ : ;ind if it be a pleasant thing to behold the sun, Eccl. xi. 7., then, how blessed a sight will it be to behold the Sun of Righteousness, — to see Christ clothed in our human nature, sitting in glory above the angels ! Solo- mon saith, " the eye is not satisfied with seeing," Eccl. i. 8., but sure the eyes of saints will be satisfied with seeinsr that o- rient brightness which shall shine from the beautiful body of Christ. It must needs be satisfying, because through Christ's flesh some rays and beams of the Godhead shall gloriously display themselves. God's ex- cellent majesty would overwhelm us ; but through the vail of Christ's flesh Ave shall behold the divine glory.
A. 3. Our seeing God will be transform- ing. We shall so see him as to be in some measure assimilated and changed into his image, 1 John iii. 2., " We shall be like him." If, when Moses was with God on the mount, and had but some im])erfect sight of his glory, ' Moses* face shined,' Exod. xxxiv. 35., how shall the saints glo- rified shine, being always in God's j)re- sence, and having some beams of his glory put upon them? " We shall be like him." One that is deformed, may look on beauty, and not be made beautiful ; but the saints shall so see God, as that sight sliall trans- form them into his likeness, Ps. xvii. 15., " When I awake, I shall be satisfied with thy likeness." Not that the saints shall partake of God's essence : for as the iron in the fire is made fiery, yet remains iron still, so the saints, by beholding God's mar- jesty, shall be made glorious creatures, but yet creatures still.
A. 4. Our seeing of God in heaven will
be unweariable. Let a man see the rarest
1 (sight tiiat is, he will soon be cloyed ; when
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he comes into a garden, and sees delicious ing, tlicy weep over their sins and afflic- walks, fair arbours, ple;isant flowers, witli- tions, — then their water shall be turned in- in a little while he grows weary, but it is to wine, — then the vessels of mercy shall not so in heaven, there is no surfeit, — ibi ; be filled and run over with joy, — then they nee fames necfastidium, Bern. The saints will never be weary of their prospect, viz. of seeing God ; for, (lod being infinite, there sluvll be every moment new and fresh delight springing from God into the souls of the glorified.
2f/. The second thing implied in our en- joying God, is our loving of God. It is a saint's grief that his heart is like the frozen ocean, — that he can melt no more in love to God : but in heaven the saints shall be like seraphims, burning in divine love; love is a pleasant affection ; " fear hath a torment in it," 1 John iv. 18.; love hath joy in it. To love beauty is delightful : God's amazing beauty will attract the saints' love, and it will be their heaven to love him.
3t/. The third thing implied in enjoying God, is God's loving us. Were there glory in God, yet, if there were not love, it would much eclipse the joys of heaven : but " God is love," 1 John iv. 16. The sidnts glori- fied cannot love so much as they are loved. What is their love to God's? What is their star to this sun ? God doth love his people on earth, when they are black as well as comely ; they have their imperfec- tions; O how entirely will he love them, when they are without " spot or wrinkle !" Eph. v. 21.