ven; and the faints fhall all be his courtiers, ever near the King's perfon, feeing his face. The throne of God and of the Lamb fhall be in it, and his fervants fhall ferve him, and they fhall fee his face, Rev.

xxii. 3.4

() They fhall fee Jefus Chrift with their bodily eyes, fince he will never lay afide the human nature. They will always behold that glorious bleffed body, which is perfonally united to the divine nature, and exalted far above principalities and powers, and every name that is named. There we will fee, with our eyes, that very body, which was born of Mary at Bethlehem, and crucified at Jerufalem betwixt two thieves; that bleffed head that was crowned with thorns; the face that was fpit upon; the hands and feet that were nailed to the crofs; all thining with unconceivable glory. The glory of the man Chrift will attract the eyes of all the faints, and he will be for ever admired in all them that believe, 2 Theff. i. 10. Were each ftar, in the heavens, fhining as the fun in its meridian brightness, and the light of the fun fo increased, as the ftars, in that cafe, fhould bear the fame proportion to the fun, in point of light, that they do now; it might poffibly be fome faint refemblance of the glory of the man Chrift, in comparison with that of the faints; for though the faints fhall fhine forth as the fun yet not they, but the Lamb thall be the light of the city. The wife men fell down, and worshipped him, when they faw him a young child, with Mary his mother, in the house. But O! what a ravishing fight will it be to fee him in his kingdom on his throne, at the Father's right hand! The Word was made flesh, (John i. 14.) and the glory of God fhall fhine through that flesh, and the joys of heaven fpring out from it, unto the faints, who fhall fee and enjoy God. in Chrift. For fince the union betwixt Chrift and the faints is never diffolved but they continue his members for ever; and the members cannot draw their life, but from their Head; feeing that which is dependent on the head, as to the vital influence, is no member: therefore Jefus Chrift will remain the everlasting bond of union betwixt God and the faints; from whence their eternal life shall spring, John xvii. 2,3."Thou haft given him power over all flesh, that he should give "eternal life to as many as thou haft given him. And this is life eter❝nal, that they might know thee the only true God, &c. Ver. 22, 66. 23. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that "they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, "that they may be made perfect in one." Wherefore the immediate enjoyment of God in heaven is to be understood, in respect of the laying afide of word and facraments, and fuch external means, as we enjoy God by in this world; but not, as if the faints fhould then caft off their dependence on their Head for vital influences: nay," the "Lamb which is in the midft of the throne, fhall feed them, and fhall "lead them unto living fountains of waters," Rev. vii. 17.

Now when we fhall behold him, who died for us, that we might live for evermore, whofe matchlefs love made him fwim through the

Red

Red-fea, of God's wrath, to make a path in the midst of it for us, by which we might pafs fafely to Canaan's land: then we will fee what a glorious One he was, who fuffered all this for us; what entertainment he had in the upper-house; what hallelujahs of angels could not hinder him to hear the groans of a perthing multitude on earth, and to come down for their help: and what a glory he laid afide for us. Then will we be more "able to comprehend with all faints, what is the "breadth, and length, and depth, and heighth : and to know the love " of Chrift, which paffeth knowledge," Eph.iii. 19. When the faints fhall remember, that the waters of wrath he was plunged into, are the wells of falvation from whence they draw all their joy; that they have got the cup of falvation, in exchange of the cup of wrath his Father gave him to drink, which his finlefs human nature fhivered at: how will their hearts leap within them, burn with feraphick love, like coals of juniper, and the arch of heaven ring with their fongs of falvation? The Jews celebrating the feaft of tabernacles, (which was the most joyful of all their feafts, and lafted feven days) went once every day about the altar, finging hofanna, with their myrtle, palm and willow-branches in their hand, (the two former figns of victory, the laft of chastity) in the mean time bending their boughs towards the altar. When the faints are prefented as a chefte virgin to Chrift, and as conquerors have got their palms in their hands, how joyfully will they compafs the altar evermore; and fing their hofannas, (or rather their hallelujahs) about it, bending their palms towards it, acknowledging themfelves to owe all unto the Lanib that was flain, and redeemed them with his blood! and to this agrees what John faw, Rev. vii 9, 10. " A great multitude-ftood before the throne, and "before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palins in their "hands and cried with a loud voice, faying, Salvation to our God "which fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."

(2.) They fhall see God, Matth. v. 8. They will be happy in feeing the Father, Son, and holy Ghoft (not with their bodily eyes, in refpect of which God is invifible 1 Tim. i 17. but) with the eyes of their un. derftanding; being bleft with the most perfect, full, and clear know. ledge of God and divine things, which the creature is capable of. This is called the beatifick vifion, and is the perfection of the understanding, the utmost term thereof. It is but an obfcure delineation of the glory of God, that mortals can have on earth; a fight, as it were of his back part, Exod. xxxiii. 23. But there they will fee his face, Rev. xxii. 4. They fhall fee him in the fulness of his glory, and behold him Exedly; whereas it is but a paffing view they can have of him here, Exod. xxxiv. 6. There is a valt difference betwixt the fight of a king in his night-clothes, quickly paffing by us; and a fixed leifure view of him fitting on his throne in his royal robes, his crown on his head, and his feptre in his hand: fuch a difference will there be, between the greatest manifeftation of God that ever a faint had on earth; and the difplay of his glory that fhall be feen in heaven. There the faints

fhall

fhall eternally, without interruption, feed their eyes upon him, and be ever viewing his glorious perfections. And as their bodily eyes fhall be strengthened and fitted, to behold the glorious majesty of the man Chrift; as eagles gaze on the fun, without being blinded thereby : fo their minds fhall have fuch an elevation, as will fit them to fee God in his glory: their capacities thall be enlarged, according to the measure in which he thall be pleafed to communicate himself unto them for their compleat happiness.

This blissful fight of God, being quite above our prefent capacities, we must needs be much in the dark about it. But it seems to be fomething elfe, than the fight of that glory, which we will fee with our bodily eyes, in the faints and in the man Chrift, or any other fplendor or refulgence from the Godhead what foever: for no created thing can be our chief good and happiness, nor fully fatisfy our fouls; and it is plain, that these things are fomewhat different from God himself. Therefore I conceive, that the fouls of the faints fhall fee God himfelf: fo the fcriptures teach us, that we shall fee face to face, and know even as we are known, 1 Cor xiii. 12. And that we shall see him as he is, 1 John iii. 12. Howbeit the faints can never have an adequate con ception of God; they cannot comprehend that which is infinite. They may touch the mountain, but cannot grafp it in their arms. They cannot with one glance of their eye, behold what grows on every fide: but the divine perfections will be an unbounded field, in which the glorified fhall walk eternally, feeing more and more of God: fince they can never come to the end of that which is infinite. They may bring their veffels to this ocean every moment, and fill them with new waters. What a ravifling fight would it be, to fee all the perfections, and lovely qualities, that are scattered here and there among the creatures, gathered together into one! but even fuch a fight would be infinitely below this blifsful fight the faints fhall have in heaven. For they fhall fee God, in whom all these perfections fhall eminently appear, with infinitely more; whereof there is no veftige to be found in the creature. Inn fhall they fee every thing defirable, and nothing but what is defirable.

Then fhall they be perfectly fatisfied, as to the love of God towards them, which they are now ready to queftion on every turn. They will be no more fet to perfuade themselves of it, by marks, figns, and. teftimonies: they will have an intuitive knowledge of it. They fhall (with the profoundelt reverence be it spoken) look into the heart of God, and there fee the love he bore to them from all eternity, and the love and good-will he will bear to them for evermore. The glorified fhall have a moft clear and diftinct understanding of divine truths, for in his light we shall see light, Pfal. xxxvi. 9. The light of glory will be a compleat commentary on the Bible, and loofe all the hard and knotty queftions in divinity. There is no joy on earth, comparable to that which arifeth from the difcovery of truth; no difcovery of truth comparable to the difcovery of feripture-truth, made by

the

、

State IV. the Spirit of the Lord unto the foul I rejoice at thy word, fays the Pfalmift, as one that finaeth great poil, Pfal. cxix 162. Yet it is but an imperfect difcovery we have of it while here. How ravishing then will it be, to fee the opening of the whole treasure, hid in that field! they shall also be let into the understanding of the works of God. The beauty in the works of creation and providence will then be fet in at due light. Natural knowledge will be brought to perfection by the light of glory. The web of providence concerning the church, and all men whatsoever, will then be cut out, and laid before the eyes of the faints, and it will appear a mott beautiful mixture; fo as they fhall fay together, on the view of it, he hath done all things well. But, in a special manner, the work of redemption fhall be the eternal wonder of the faints, and they will admire and praise the glorious contrivance for ever. Then thall they get a full view of its fuitableness to the divine perfections, and to the cafe of finners: and clearly read the covenant, that paft betwixt the Father and the Son, from all eternity, touching their falvation. They fhall for ever wonder and praife, and praife and wonder at the myfteries of wisdom and love, goodness and holiness, mercy and juftice, appearing in the glorious device. Their fouls fhall be eternally fatisfied with the fight of God himself, and of their election by the Father, their redemption by the Son, and application thereof to them by the Holy Spirit.

2. The faints in heaven fhall enjoy God in Chrift by experimen tal knowledge, which is, when the object itself is given and poffeffed. This is the participation of the divine goodness in full measure; which is the perfection of the will, and utmolt term thereof. The Lamb fhall lead them unto living fountains of waters, Rev. vii. 17. Thefe are no other but God himself, the fountain of living waters, who will fully and freely communicate himself unto them. He will pour out of his goodness eternally into their fouls: and then fhall they have a moft lively fenfation, in the innermost part of their fouls, of all that goodness they heard of, and believed to be in him; and of what they fee in him by the light of glory. This will be an everlasting practical expofition of that word, which men and angels cannot fufficiently unfold, to wit, God himfelf fhall be their God, Rev. xi. 3. God will communicate himself unto them fully they will no more be fit to taste of the ftreams of divine goodness in ordinances, as they were wont, but fhall drink at the fountain-head. They will be no more entertained with fips and drops, but filled with all the fulness of God. And this will be the entertainment of every faint for though in created things, what is given to one, is withheld from another; yet an infinite good can fully communicate itfelf to all, and fill all. Thefe who are heirs of God, the great beritage, fhall then enter into a full poffeffion of their inheritances: and the Lord will open his treafures of goodness unto them, that their enjoyment may be full. They fhall not be flinted to any

measure: but the enjoyment fhall go as far as their enlarged capacities can reach. As a narrow veffel cannot contain the ocean, fo neither can the infinite creature comprehend an infinite good: but no measure shall be set to the enjoyment, but what arifeth from the capacity of the creature. So that, although there be degrees of glory, yet all fhall be filled, and have what they can bold; tho' fome would be capable to hold more than others, there will be no want to any of them, all fhall be fully fatisfied, and perfectly bleffed in the full enjoyment of divine goodness, according to their enlarged capacities. As when bottles of different fizes are filled, fome contain more, others lefs; yet all of them have what they can contain. The glorified fhall have all, in God, for the fatisfaction of all their defires. No created thing can afford fatisfaction to all our defires: clothes may warm us, but they cannot feed us; the light is comfortable, but cannot nourish us. But in God we shall have all our defires, and we shall defire nothing without him. They fhall be the happy ones, that defire nothing but what is truly defirable; and withal have all they defire. God will be all in all to the faints. he will be their life, health, riches, honour, peace, and all good things. He will communicate himself freely to them: the door of access to him fhall never be shut again, for one moment. They may, when they will, take of the fruits of the tree of life, for they will find it on each fide the river, Rev. xxii. 2. There will be no vail betwixt God and them, to be drawn afide; but his fulnefs shall ever stand open to them. No door to knock at, in heaven; no asking to go before receiving; the Lord will allow his people an unreftrained familiarity with himself there.

Now they are in part made partakers of the divine nature: but then they fhall perfectly partake of it; that is to fay, God will communicate to them his own image, make all his goodness not only pass before them, but pass into them, and ftamp the image of all his own perfections upon them, so far as the creature is capable to receive the fame; from whence fhall refult a perfect likeness to him, in all things in or about them, which completes the happiness of the creature. And this is what the Pfalmift seems to have had in view, Pfal. xvii. 15. I shall be fatisfied when I awake, with thy likeness; the perfection of God's image, following upon the beati fick vifion. And fo fays John, 1 John i 2. We shall be like him; for we shall fee him as he is. Hence there fhall be a moft close and intimate union betwixt God and the faints: God fhall be in them, and they in God, in the way of a moft glorious and perfect union; for then fhall they dwell in love made perfect. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him, 1 John iv. 16. How will the faints knit with God, and he with them; when he fhall fee nothing in them but his own image; when their love fhall arrive at its perfection, no nature, but the divine nature, being left in them, and all imperfection fwallowed up in that glorious transfor