God is the chief good--good so as nothing is but himself. He is in
himself most happy; yea, all good and all true happiness are only to
be found in God, as that which is essential to his nature; nor is
there any good or any happiness in or with any creature or thing but
what is communicated to it by God. God is the only desirable good;
nothing without him is worthy of our hearts. Right thoughts of God
are able to ravish the heart; how much more happy is the man that
has interest in God. God alone is able by himself to put the soul
into a more blessed, comfortable, and happy condition than can the
whole world; yea, and more than if all the created happiness of all
the angels of heaven did dwell in one man's bosom. I cannot tell
what to say. I am drowned. The life, the glory, the blessedness, the
soul-satisfying goodness that is in God, are beyond all expression.
It was this glory of God, the sight and visions of this God of
glory, that provoked Abraham to leave his country and kindred to
come after God. The reason why men are so careless of and so
indifferent about their coming to God, is because they have their
eyes blinded--because they do not perceive his glory.
God is so blessed a one, that did he not hide himself and his glory,
the whole world would be ravished with him; but he has, I will not
say reasons of state, but reasons of glory, glorious reasons why he
hideth himself from the world and appeareth but to particular ones.
What is heaven without God? But many there be who cannot abide God;
no, they like not to go to heaven, because God is there. The nature
of God lieth cross to the lusts of men. A holy God, a glorious holy
God, an infinitely holy God; this spoils all. But to the soul that
is awakened, and that is made to see things as they are, to him God
is what he is in himself, the blessed, the highest, the only eternal
good, and he without the enjoyment of whom all things would sound
but empty in the ears of that soul.
Methinks, when I consider what glory there is at times upon the
creatures, and that all their glory is the workmanship of God, "O
Lord," say I, "what is God himself?" He may well be called the God
of glory, as well as the glorious Lord; for as all glory is from
him, so in him is an inconceivable well-spring of glory, of glory to
be communicated to them that come by Christ to him. Wherefore, let
the glory and love and bliss and eternal happiness that are in God,
allure thee to come to him by Christ.