God and the heavenly perfection in glory which we are called to love. What if you could come to this glory without dying, as Enoch and Elias did, would you not be willing to go thither?

5. And he that loveth God in all these his appearances to man in his works: and in the image on his saints in the wisdom, holiness and goodness of his word, in the wisdom, love and holiness of his Son, and in the perfection of his glory in the heavenly society; doth certainly also love him in the highest respect; even as he is himself that blessed Essence, that perfect Greatness, Wisdom and Goodness, or Life, Light and Love, which is the beginning and end of all things, the most amiable object of all illuminated minds, and of every sanctified will, and of all our harmonious and delightful praise for ever. For whatever become of that dispute, whether we shall see God's essence in itself, as distinct from all created glory, (the word seeing being here ambiguous) it is sure that we can even now have abstracted thoughts of the essence of God as distinct from all creatures, and our knowledge of him then will be far more perfect.

It should be more pleasant to every believer to think that GOD is; even that such a perfect glorious being is existent: than as if we heard of one man in another land, whom we were never likely to see, who in wisdom, love, and all perfections excelled all men that ever were in the world; the thoughts of that man would be pleasing to us, and we should love him, because he is amiable in his excellency: And so doth the holy soul when it thinketh of the infinite amiableness of God.

6. But the highest love of the soul to God, is

in taking in all his amiableness together, and when we think of him as related to ourselves, as our Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier and Glorifier, and as related to all his Church, and to all the world, as the cause and end of all that is amiable; and when we think of all those amiable works which these relations respect, his creation and conservation of the whole world, his redemption of mankind, his sanctifying and glorifying of all his chosen ones, his wonderful mercies to ourselves in soul and body, his mercies to his Church on earth, his inconceivable mercies to the glorified Church in heaven, the glory of Christ, angels, and men, and their perfect knowledge, love, and joyful praises; and then think what that God is in himself that doth all this: such considerations causeth the fullest love to God, and though unlearned persons cannot speak or think of all these distinctly and clearly, as the Scripture doth express them, yet all this is truly the object of their love, though with confusion of their apprehensions of it.

CHAP. XIII.

THE SECOND PART OF THE EXHORTATION:REST IN THIS, THAT YOU ARE KNOWN WITH LOVE TO GOD.

2. To be KNOWN OF GOD here signifieth to be approved and loved of him, and consequently that all our concerns are perfectly known to him and regarded by him.

This is the full and final comfort of a believer. Our knowledge and love of God, in which we

are agents, are, 1. That we are known with love to God, by way of comfort and evidence. 2. And they are our comfort in their very exercise. But the chief part of our comfort is from God, not only as the object of our love, but as the lover of us and all his saints, even in our passive receiving of the blessed effects of his love for ever: when a Christian therefore hath any discerning of his interest in this love of God, by finding that he loveth God and goodness, here he must finally anchor his soul, and quietly rest in all temptations, difficulties and tribulations.

1. Our enemies know us not, but judge of us by blinding interest, and the bias of their false opinions, and by an easy belief of false report, or by their own ungrounded suspicions: therefore we are odious to them, and abused, slandered and persecuted by them. But God knoweth us, and will justify our righteousness, and bring all our innocency into light, and stop the mouth of all injustice and iniquity.

2. Strangers know us not, but receive such characters of us as are brought to them with the greatest advantage: and even good men may think and speak evil of us (as Bernard and others did of the Waldenses, and as many of the fathers did many godly men that were called heretics, and many called such fathers heretics). But to us it is a small thing to be judged of man, who is not our final judge and knoweth not our cause, and is ready to be judged with us; we have one that judgeth us and them, even the omniscient God, who "knoweth whereof we are made," and every circumstance concerning us.

3. Our very friends know us not; no not they that dwell with us: in some things they judge us better than we are, and in some things worse: for they know not our hearts; and interests and cross dispositions may deceive them; and even our bosom friends may slander us and think they speak the truth.

And when they entirely love us, their love may hurt us, while they know not what is for our good; but God knoweth us perfectly, and knoweth how to counsel us, conduct us, and dispose of us; he seeth the inward and the outward, the full state of our case, which our dearest friends are utter strangers to.

4. We know not ourselves thoroughly, nor our own concerns: we oft take ourselves to be better or worse than indeed we are: we are oft mistaken in our own hearts, and our own actions, and in our own interest: we oft take that to be good for us that is bad, and that to be bad which is good and necessary. We long for that which would undo us, and fear and fly from that which would save us: we oft rejoice when we are going to the slaughter, or are at least in the greatest danger; and we lament and cry when God is saving us, because we know not what he is doing. Paul saith, "I know nothing by myself, I judge not my ownself:" That is, though I have a good conscience, yet that is not my final judge: it must go with me as God judgeth of me, and not as others or myself.

Is it not then an unspeakable comfort in all these cases, that we are known of God? Desiring to know inordinately for ourselves, was our first sin; and this sin is our danger, and

our constant trouble: but to be to God as a child to his father, who taketh care to love him and obey him, and in all things trusteth his father's love, as knowing that he careth for him, this is our duty, our interest, and our only peace. Remember then with comfort, O my soul, 1. Thy father knoweth what it is fittest for thee to do. His precepts are wise, and just, and good: thou knowest nothing but by his word. Love, therefore, and submit to all his laws: the strictest of them are for thy good: Thy Guide, and not thou, must lead the way; go not before him, nor without him; nor stay behind him: in this night and wilderness, if thou have not his light and presence, how forlorn, erroneous and comfortless wilt thou be? He knoweth thy heart, and knoweth thy enemies, temptations and dangers, and therefore best knoweth how to guide thee, and how to frame his laws and thy duty.

2. He knoweth what place, what state of life, of health, of wealth, of friends is best for thee. None of these are known to thee: He knoweth whether ease or pain be best: the flesh is no fit judge, nor an ignorant mind: that is best which will prove best at last: And that he that foreknoweth all events only knoweth. That, therefore, is best which Infinite Wisdom and Love doth choose. Ease and pain will have their end it is the end that must teach us how to estimate them: and who but God can foretel thee of the end?

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He knoweth whether liberty or imprisonment be best Liberty is a prison, if sin prevail, and God be not there. A prison is a palace, if God by his love dwell there with us. There is