Chapter 47: The blessedness of Union with God

THirdly, they shall have union with God. Sight is higher then presence, and union is higher then sight. John 17:21 Christ prays to his Father, That they may be one in us, as you art in me, and I in you. For the opening of this union with God, you are to know that there is first an union that God has with all creatures in general. Secondly, an union that he has with the humane nature of Christ. Thirdly, the union that he has with the Saints. First, the union that God has with all creatures in general, and that union is twofold: An union of dependance; or an union of his immense presence: Of dependance, because all creatures in the world depend upon God for their being, and continuance of their being every moment, therefore there must be an union of God with them; for if the union of dependance were broke, evey creature would fall to nothing. As the beams of the Sun have an union with the Sun, and the beams could not continue if they were not united to the Sun; so all the creatures have an union of dependance with God, without which they cannot continue. And then the union of immense presence, that must be, because God is in every thing, and every where; there is not the least spire of grass or stone, but there is a way of Gods immense presence in that. Secondly, there is another kinde of union that God has with the humane nature of Christ, and that we call an hypostatical union: for the humane nature, and the divine nature to be united in one person, this is that the Saints and Angels of God shall be adoring God for to all eternity; that ever there should be such an union between the Deity and the Creature, that if it were not revealed to us in the word, it were impossible to be imagined by any creature. It is a great work of God to unite an immortal soul with such a base creature as our flesh is into one person; I do not know any one work of God in creation so great as this, and this is to be admired at: but if this be so great a work to unite a rational immortal soul into one person, with a corruptible piece of flesh, then to unite mans nature into one person with the second person in Trinity, this is a great work.

Thirdly, there is an union of God with the Saints, and that is in this World, or in Heaven. In the World, there is a fourfold union that God has with the Saints. First, there is an union of the inhabitation of the Spirit; for the Saints of God in this World, are the Temples of the Holy Ghost, and the Spirit of God is said to dwell in them; and so there is a glorious union by the inhabitation of the Holy Ghost in them. The second union that the Saints of God have in this world, is the union of similitude; the Saints are like God here in some measure, they have the image of God stamped upon them, God sees his face in the Saints. The brightest glass in the world to show Gods face, is the souls of the Saints; and there is not only some likeness of God in the Saints, but the likeness of God in his very life. A glass may represent my image, but that image has not that life that I have, but the image of God in the Saints, does not only represent God, but they have the life of God: those that are converted live the life of God, and by sin we are estranged from the life of God: they work as God works, God understands himself the highest and infinite good; and God wills himself as the highest and infinite good; these are the chief actions of Gods life. Now the Saints of God live this life, they in their measure do here understand God, as the highest and infinite good, and do will God as the highest and infinite good. A third union that the Saints have with God, is a union of love; love is an uniting grace, and there is a most entire love between God and every Saint, and so their hearts are close united, and mingled by love.

Again, in this life there is a mystical Union, and that is an union higher then any other; an union with Christ, being made members of the Son of God, and so they come to have union with the Son of God, according to that expression, in 1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. There is a mystical union between us and Christ, and so we come to have union with God the Father also, and to be joined to the Lord, we are one Spirit with him. Now for the union that the Saints have with God in Heaven, there are many intricate notions that some of the Schoolmen have about this; as, that the soul shall be turned into the same Idea that God made it of; and that there shall be an Illapsus of God into the soul; but we must know there can be no union with God, but it must be by vertue of the influence of some good from God; for speak of what union you will, God cannot in his Essence be more present with the creature then he is here, but only in regard of some manifestation, or communication of himself, in some gift or good thing; but certainly, there will be a wonderful glorious union between God and the soul in Heaven, and that upon these four grounds.

First, there is not such distance between God and the soul, but that it is capable of union with God. One would think how is it possible that God should be so united to the soul, being there is such an infinite distance between God and it: but there is not such an infinite distance between God and the soul of man, as that there should not be a glorious union between them: there is a great deal of likeness between God and the soul; First, in the spirituality, God is a Spirit, the soul is a Spirit. Secondly, in immortality, God is immortal, the soul is immortal. Thirdly, in the high excellency of God, the understanding and will, the soul is endued with understanding and will; the perfection of God as we can conceive, is his understanding and will; and so it is in the soul. Fourthly, in the several operations that the soul has; and herein there is more likeness between God and mans soul, then is between God and Angels, in that one rational soul should perform so many works, as the same God, the same Excellency, working upon the creature, works in one thing one way, and in another thing another way; so the soul represents God in this, in that one rational soul has such variety of workings in the body, for understanding, for sense, for vegetation, which Angels have not. Again, the soul resembles God in the infiniteness; the soul is not only infinite in duration, but in regard of the infiniteness of the working of it: and here is a mighty difference between the soul of man, between rational creatures, and all other creatures: for the sensitive creature that only works about some particular thing that concerns its own preservation, and its own good within its narrow compass, but the object of mans soul is universal, infinite: it is not any particular truth, that will satisfy the understanding, let there be never so many truths revealed, yet the understanding desires infinitely more; if there be any truth that is not revealed, it would have that. Let the sense have some particular object before it, suitable to sense, it looks no further; as if the eye have color, it goes no further, nor the ear goes no further then sound, but the understanding has desire to all truth: And so for good, the sensitive creature has no desire of good, but only that which does preserve sense, but the will of man is for good in general: and this shows how capable the soul is to be raised to such an excellency, as to have communion with God: if we knew what our souls were capable of, we would not think we could satisfy them with such things as bruit beasts are satisfied with. Secondly, there may well be a glorious union between God and and the souls of the Saints, because God shall see nothing but himself in the souls of the Saints: now when God shall see nothing but his own in such a creature, this is a full ground of Gods near and most glorious union with it: as when a man comes to see in another much of his own, his heart is united to him; things that are of a like nature do unite: Bring an hot fire-brand to the fire, and it does unite presently, because the fire does finde something of it self there; if there were some moisture in the brand, it would not so fully unite: And so here we cannot have full union with God, because though God sees somewhat of his own in us, yet there is a great deal in us, that is not Gods: but when we shall be wholly free from sin, and God shall see nothing but his own in us, that must needs be a ground of a most glorious union.

Thirdly, in Heaven there shall be nothing in God, but shall be suitable to the nature of a glorified Saint, and suitableness is the cause of union: if there be not a suitableness, there cannot be union. There cannot be suitableness between God and other creatures; but between a glorified Saint and God, there shall be an infinite suitableness, and therefore an infinite glorious union. Again, there shall be an infinite inflamed love; here is an union of love, but in Heaven there will be a further degree of love, and love being enflamed, there must needs be a most glorious union.

Fifthly, if you consider what the bond of connexion of the soul and God together is, namely, the mediation of the Son, the second person of the Trinity, there must needs be an infinite close and glorious union of the Saints with God. This vision and union with God, is enough to cause the souls of Gods people to be so satisfied, as to say, Let all things be taken from me, it is enough; I have somewhat of Gods presence here, but I shall have the glorious presence and vision of God, and union with God hereafter; and though my eyes should never see good day after, or never see comfortable object in the world, this is enough, I shall see God, and have full union with God: Though there be a separation between me and all temporal comforts in the world, though God should rend this creature or that creature, the dearest husband, or the dearest wife, or the dearest comfort in the world, and those things that my soul do most cleave to here, from me; yet it is enough that God and my soul are somewhat united, and that God and my soul shall have a glorious union hereafter. O that God would raise our hearts to these things, that we may know what is the business we have to do in the world: If you do not know these things shall be your portion, never give satisfaction to yourselves in the flesh, till your know these things shall be your portion.