Chapter 45: The Saints enjoyment of God to be their portion, their happiness in having his presence

GOd himself will be the portion of the Saints. Augustine says of the happiness of the Saints, If God gives such good things to wicked men, does he keep nothing for the Saints? Yes, he keeps heaven it self; but says he, Surely I speak of too low a thing, when I speak of heaven, he will give himself to them. Heaven is beautiful, but more beautiful is God himself, the God of heaven: Therefore God must give himself to them, or else their souls are not satisfied. It is a sweet and excellent expression that Bernard has, Lord, as whatever we give unto you,unless we give ourselves, cannot satisfy you; so Lord, Whatever you givest to us, unless you givest yourself, we cannot be satisfied. The Lord said to Abraham, Fear not, I am your exceeding great reward; but says Abraham, What will you give me, seeing I go childeless. Surely he had respect to Christ, or else it could not but be a fault, that Abraham should not be fully satisfied in what God said; for as God does make the Saints to be his portion, so God is the portion, and the inheritance of the Saints. The enjoyment of God is Heaven it self, and therefore in Scripture God is called heaven: I have sinned against heaven. In this there are these seven things: First, the presence of God. Secondly, the blessed vision of God. Thirdly, the happy union with God. Fourthly, the glorious communion with God. Fifthly, the fruition of God. Sixthly, the rest that their souls shal have in God. Seventhly, the enjoyment of themselves in God.

O beloved! for preparation to hear these things, that we had spiritual hearts, says one, It is not for your carnal, base, sensual, voluptuous spirits to hear of those things: For those that know no better things, then to eat, and drink, and to be unclean, what is it for them to hear of such excellent things? As for the pleasures of the flesh, they do infect and defile the soul, and make it unfit for the hearing of such things, we had need of spiritual ears to hear them. God says to Abraham in Genes. 13:16 I will make your seed to be as the dust of the earth: afterward in Gen. 15:5 he says, He will make his seed as the stars of heaven: The seed of Abraham are of two sorts. Some are of the seed of Abraham that are visible members of a Church, and yet have earthlyhearts: but there are others of his seed, and they are as the stars of Heaven, of spiritual hearts: now as we are of the seed of Abraham outwardly in profession, let us not be of that seed that are of the dust of the earth, only fit to hear of earthly things; but let us show that we are of the seed of Abraham, that are as the stars of Heaven, and shall hereafter come to enjoy the God of Heaven.

For the first, the presence of God, that glorious presence that the Saints shal have of God in Heaven, is a great part of their happiness: Heaven, it were not Heaven without the presence of God: The presence of God in the most miserable place that can be, were a greater happiness then the absence of God in the most glorious place that can be. David would not be afraid, though he walked in the valley of the shadow of death, so that God were with him, Psalm 23. Luther would rather be in Hell with Gods presence, then in Heaven God being absent. If the presence of God takes away the dread of the shadow of the valley of death, and makes Hell to be more desired then Heaven, what will the presence of God make Heaven to be? The three Children in the fiery furnace with Gods presence were happy? how happy then are the Saints with Gods presence in Heaven? The Saints desire Gods presence even when he is angry, they are loth to be out of his presence then. It is very observable that we have recorded of David, Psalm 51. ver. 9. he cryes to God to hide his face from his sins, for Gods face was then an angry face against him: yet ver. 11. he cryes again, Cast me not away from your presence; he was not willing to be out of Gods presence howsoever, upon which St. Auguhath this expression, Whose face he fears, even his face he invocates. God made rich promises to Moses, yet he could not be satisfied without the presence of God: If your presence be not with us, bring us not hence. And the Apostle, when he would set out the misery of those that are damned, in 2 Thess. 1:9 says the Text, They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord; now the presence of God must needs be the happiness of the Saints.

First, because this must needs draw out all their graces, in all the sweet savor of them, Cant 1:12 While the King sits at his table, my spikenard sends forth the smell thereof: As it is with the Sun, it draws forth all the vertue that there is in the plant, and makes a sweet savor in things; so the presence of God must much more draw forth the fragrancy of all the graces of his Spirit, in the souls of his Saints.

Secondly, the presence of God must needs quicken all the comforts of the souls of his people, and keep them always in vigor and activity; for as we know, the Sun it does quicken things that lay dead; so the presence of God has a wonderful quickning power, it keeps the comforts of Gods people fresh, so long as we have the presence of God, all our comforts are green and lively. The Saints in heaven have always the presence of God, and therefore their comforts are always vigorous and lively. When they shall be presented faultless before the presence of his glory, it shall cause exceeding joy, Jude 24. the word there signifies, leaping, springing, exalting joy.

Thirdly, the presence of God in heaven shall be the accomplishing of all that sweet and good that ever they have had in Gods presence in this world; they have had by pieces, many sweet manifestations of God unto them; but often God has been absent, and they have been fain to seek for their Beloved; but now all those pieces (as we may so speak) which they have had, some at one time, and some at another, shall be all joined together; and they shall have the accomplishment of all in one, and the perfection of all in one, and so for ever enjoy it.

Fourthly, the presence of God must needs fill their souls and bodies with glory, for it fills the heaven with glory; much more it must needs fill an immortal soul with glory, because that is more capable of glory then the heaven: If the Sun can put a glory upon these poor dark creatures here below, much more can the presence of God put glory upon the glorified bodies and souls of the Saints.

Further, the presence of God must needs be very glorious unto the souls of the Saints, in regard of the manner of the bringing into Gods presence, for they shall be brought into it by the hand of Christ the Bridegroom; he shall, as it were, take the Saints by the hand, and lead them to the Father; he shall say, Come now, I will show you my Father that I have spoken so much of to you before, to that end that the Father may delight in you. As suppose the Prince were married to one, and upon their marriage he takes his Spouse by the hand to lead her unto his father, to that end his father may take notice of her, and manifest respect unto her; so this coming into the presence of God shall be by the hand of Christ. There is a glorious leading of our souls into the presence of God in this world, Eph. 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access; the word signifies, A leading by the hand: and in Canticles 1:4 it is said of Christ, That he brings the Spouse into the Chambers: He brings the Church, the souls of his people into the Presence-Chamber, and that makes the presence of God sweet unto the Church: but hereafter there shall be a more glorious leading of the Saints unto God by Christ, how much more shall the presence of God be sweet unto them then?

Sixthly, what a blessed security must there needs be to the souls of the Saints in the presence of God: To be under the shadow of the Almighty is a secure condition, to be hid in the secrets of Gods presence is a secure condition, but to be in the glorious presence of the Almighty, as it shall be in heaven, O the happy security then! A childe when it is gotten into the presence of his father or mother, thinks it self safe; the Saints then that shall always be in the presence of God, must needs be in an happy security.

Lastly, hence will follow an holy boldness: the Saints of God shall stand in the presence of God with an holy boldness, they shall have nothing whereof they shall be ashamed: though the light of God shall shine most gloriously upon them, yet it shall not discover any thing in them that shall cause any shame or fear in them. It is the promise of God to the diligent, They shall stand before Kings: Those that are now diligent in making their calling and election sure, in providing for their eternal estate, this is the blessing of them, they shal stand before the King of glory, before the King of heaven with an holy boldness: And this is the first thing which the Saints shall have in having God to be their portion, The presence of God.