2. We shall then know God perfectly according to our Measure, and the utmoft capacity of our Faculties. Our Souls are little Veffels in comparison of God, and cannot take in much of an Infinite Being; yet these little Veffels fhall be filled up to the brim, and know as much of God as they are capable of knowing. Now when we know as much of God as we can know of him, when our whole capacity is filled up, we may be faid to know God perfectly; perfectly with refpect to our fmall meafure, though not fo with refpect to his Infinite and Incomprehenfible Effence. 3. We may be faid hereafter to know God perfectly with Relation to our Happiness. We fhall then have all that Knowledge of him that may conduce to our Felicity. We fhall then so know him, as we fhall have no Reason to defire to know any more of him. We fhall be fully fatisfied with our Knowledge of him, as being every way fufficient for all the ends of our Knowledge of him. And he knows God perfectly as to the condition of a Creature, that needs no further Knowledge of him in reference to any of all thofe great ends for which the Knowledge of God is de firable. firable. And fo much concerning the meaning of those word, Then fhall I know as alfo I am known. Now to apply this in a few words. Use. Shall we hereafter fee God Face to Face, and know God as we also are known of God? Then let us be exhorted to make preparation for this Vision of God, for this immediate view and fight of him. Let us confider that the God whom we hope to fee Face to Face, is a God Glorious in Holiness, Exodus 15. 11. A God of purer Eyes than tơ behold Evil, and that cannot look on Iniquity, Hab. i. 13. with whom Evil fhall not dwell, neither fhall the foolish ftand in his fight, Pfal. 5. 4, 5. Wherefore, if we ever look to be admitted to that Beatifical Vifion and Fruition of God, two things must be done by us. 1. We must see that our Natures be changed. For without Holiness no Man fball fee the Lord, Heb. 12. 14. Except a Man be Born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God, John 3. 3. 2. We must not reft here, but be still endeavouring to make a further progress in Holiness, cleansing our felves from all filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit, and Z 2 * per perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God, 2 Cor. 7. 1. And purifying our felves still more and more, as God whom we hope to fee and enjoy is pure, 1 John 3.3. All ye who cannot indure to hear of leaving your Sins, who ftill go on in them, and are refolved fo to do, never make account of being admitted to the Vifion of God; that Happiness is not defigned for any Impenitent, finally Impenitent Sinner. And if your inward thought fhould be, as perhaps it may be, that 'tis no great matter if you be deprived of that Vision, you will be contented to run the hazard thereof, so that you may enjoy the pleasures of Sin while you are here, you may do well to take these two things into confideration. 1. That you cannot fall fhort of Heaven, and be deprived of the Bleffedness of feeing and enjoying God, but you muft inevitably plunge your felf into Eternal Mifery. If you might mifs Heaven, and yet still enjoy the pleasures of Sin (which now you choofe) to Eternity, or if when this Life ends you were either to go to Heaven, or to return into nothing, and to be uncapable of Punishment, then the cafe would be fome fomewhat alter'd; but if you be not everlastingly Happy in the Vifion and Enjoyment of God, you must be for ever miferable, for their is no middle condition, 2. Though you may think it now no great Evil to be deprived of the Vision and Fruition of God, if it fhould fo come to pass that through your final unbelief and impenitency you fhould be deprived of it, you would not then think it a fmall Evil. Be affured of it, you would then have other thoughts of this matter than at present you have. Then the very lofs of Heaven would be matter of moft intolerable and endless Anguish of Spirit unto you. Then to think of the unutterable and endless Joys of Heaven, which you have loft by preferring the fhort and vanishing Pleasures of Sin before them, would cut your very Heart, and make you ready to tear your felf to pieces if you were able, and all to no purpose; for if the whole Creation fhould joyn together, endeavouring to put you once more into a capacity of Salvation, and fo procure you again the offers of Mercy but for one Hour, it could not be obtained. Confider how many things would then come in upon Z 3 your your Spirit to wound and pierce it most direfully, and to make the lofs of Heaven an infupportable Burthen to it. As, 1. That you should foolishly despise and lose an Happiness that is both unspeakable and endlefs. 2. That you lofe it for a trifle; for thofe finful delights and carnal fatisfactions that are not worth a Rufh. 3. That you should lofe it after it had been fo often proffered you, and your acceptance of it fo earnestly follicited by all manner of Arguments that might be thought to have the greatest force to work upon you. 4. That you fhould lofe it when fo many Thousands accepted of it, and attained it; and amongst them many of your Friends and Acquaintance, and many of those who had never one half of thofe advantages for attaining it which you enjoyed, 5. That you fhould lofe an Happiness contrived for you by Infinite Wisdom and Love, and after that fo much had been done in order to the making of you actually partaker of it; after that the Eternal Son of God had taken our Nature on him on purpose to bring about and compass it after that by a moft |