Chapter 46: The happiness of the beatifical vision discovered

SEcondly, they shall have the Beatifical Vision of God, we shall be where he is, and we shall see his face. Says Christ, Father, I will, that those which you hast given me, be where I am, that is a blessing; but in Rev. 22:4 it is said, They shall see his face, and that is more, They shall know as they are known, 1 Cor. 13:12 It is the promise of the pure in heart, that they shall see God: 1 Iohn 3:2 Behold, now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. It is the happiness of the Angels that they behold the face of God; so it shall be the happiness of the Saints to behold the face of God in heaven: As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake with your likeness, Psalm 17:15 and so we may have the help of divers Scriptures to show, that this is the happiness of the Saints. The glory of this may appear in these particulars:

First, to see God as the first being of all, or the principle of all good, is a most blessed thing, to see Adam the first father, or Eve the first mother of mankinde, or for a childe to see his father, or mother, out of whose loyns and bowels he came, whom he has not seen in many years, this is a joy and comfort; but to see the Creator, the first Principle of all things, that must be a great, an infinite contentment; and to see him that has done all the good in the world, has much satisfaction in it. We would rejoice to see a man that has been an instrument to do great things in some Countrey, as the King of Sweden, or the like; but to see God that has done all the great things in the world, what a blessed joy and contentment will that be? The rational creature does naturally desire to know the causes and principles of things, no other creature looks at the principles and causes of things, but the rational creature. If other creatures may have that which is suitable to sense, they look no farther; but a rational creature cannot be satisfied in whatever it has, unless it knows something of the principles and causes of the thing it has, and when it knows the cause of one thing, it would know the cause of that, and nothing will quiet it till it comes to see the cause of all; and when it comes to know that, it has full contentment: Show us the Father, and it sufficeth.

Secondly, they shall see God in his unity; whereas now we understand God only according to his several Attributes, as the manifestation of the Infinite Simple: First, being in one way we call Power, in another way we call Mercy and Bounty, in another way Justice, and so we apprehend God according unto the several Attributes that God has manifested himself in; whereas there are not many things in God, but all those several Attributes that we apprehend diversly, are but one excellency in God: as one beam of the Sun shining through a red glass, causes a red reflection; and the same Sun shining through a blue glass, causes a blue reflection; and so the same excellency of God shining one way, and working after one manner, we call by one name; and the same excellency of God working another way, we call by another name, and yet it is all one in God; and though we cannot apprehend it now, yet we shall see God in his unity afterward.

Thirdly, we shall see God in the Trinity: though there be but one God, yet there are divers persons: to see how the Father begot the Son, and how the Spirit did proceed from the Father and the Son, and the difference between the procession of the Spirit, and the generation of the Son; the sight of God in the mystery of the Trinity, is a most glorious thing.

Fourthly, we shall see God in his glory, in Isa. 33:17 there is a promise, They shall see the King in his beauty, or in his glory; there is a great deal of difference between seeing the King at an ordinary time, and seeing of him when he is in his Robes, with his Crown upon his head, and his Scepter in his hand, and set upon his Throne, with all his Nobles about him in all his glory: so God does manifest himself a little now, but this is not all that he does intend: and for to see God now as he does manifest himself, is somewhat, but to see God in his greatest glory that ever he shall manifest himself in, that must be a great happiness.

Fifthly, to see God in his eminency; that is, they shall see how all excellencies that are in the creature are eminently contained in the absolute perfection of the Divine nature; all the good that is in the effect, is in the causes, and the good of those causes in their causes, and so at length they come to the first principle: so all the good that we can see in all objects that give content, we may see all eminently in God, and see God in all. The latitude of the object of mans understanding, is such, as it comprehends all beauty, all excellency, all truth in it, and therefore cannot be satisfied till it sees into all; in God it findes all united, and therefore in him only it findes blessedness: it is eternal life to know him.

Sixthly, they shall see God as he is, 1 John 3:2 now there is a great deal in that to see God as he is; and for explication of that, there are these five branches.

That is first not to see him only negatively, that is, not to see him as he is: the most that we see of God now, is by way of negation, rather then any positive sight; when we say of God he is incomprehensible, that is, he is such a God as cannot be comprehended, that's but negation: when we say of God that he is infinite, that is, such a God as has no bounds of his being, this is stil a negation, to say what God is not: and when we say God is a spirit, though the expression seem to have an affirmation in it, yet it is but the apprehension of God rather by negation, that is, that God has no bodily substance in him; for to speak properly, God is not a Spirit; but only that is the most excellent thing that we can conceive of, and by way of negation, that he is no body, and is invisible, one that we cannot see, and feel, and the like: when we say he is holy, he has no spot of sin, this is by way of negation, but now in Heaven we shall not see God only by negation, but we shall see that positive excellency of God, we shall see him as he is.

Secondly, we see God much by relation unto other things; as when we speak of God, and would open the excellency of God, we say, God is the King of Heaven and Earth, and our Father, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Creator and Governor of all things, and these are but relative expressions, and a great part of our knowledge of God is by way of relation; but hereafter we shall see him as he is.

Thirdly, you shall see God as he is, not by framing any representations of him in our mindes; there shall be that immediate presence of God to the mind, that there shall not need be any representation, that we now form in our mindes; as in the sense of Seeing, the object of the eye being absent from it, there must be a species to represent it: so there are some kinde of representations of God to our understandings here; but there shall be that immediate union with God in the understanding, that there shall need no kinde of representation of God, but we shall see him as he is.

Fourthly, we shall see him, not in his effects in the creature; the greatest part that we see of God now, is in his effects, and not as he is in himself, we do not see the face of God, but his back parts. We look upon the Sun, and there we see somewhat of the power of God, but it is but the effect of Gods power, and not Gods power it self; and when we look upon the world, we see much of Gods wisdom, we see the effect of Gods wisdom, and not the wisdom of God it self.

Fifthly, we shall see God as he is distinguished from all creatures; here now we see almost nothing of God, distinguished from created things. Say what you will of God, that he is a Spirit, that he is a created thing, that he is wise, or holy, or just, or merciful, there is somewhat of all these in the creature, only he is infinitely above all, and that is by way of negation. But we do not see him in that positive excellency which does difference him from all created things; but now it will be a blessed thing to see God, as he is differenced from all created things, to see him as he is.

Sixthly, the Saints shall see the counsels of God, and all the ways of God, what have been, and what shall be to all eternity about election; what his counsels were about creating of things, before they were created, and what the workings of his counsels were about the several ways of his providence, before there was any manifestation of them in his creature; and so all his counsels about rejection of so many thousands of men and Angels. It is an expression of S. Augustine, We shall see the reason why one is reprobate, and one elected; why one is rich, and one is poor: we do not see the reason now, but by seeing God we shall see all things that may make for our happiness: we shall know all the works that ever God did, and that ever he will do to all eternity. It is a great thing for a man to know what is done in his generation: but to know all the ways of God since the beginning of the world, must be a glorious sight. It is not yet Six thousand years since God did any thing out of himself, and what is six thousand years to eternity? and if God have done such great things in Six thousand years, what may God do in the next Six thousand years, and so in the next, who now can tell? A Workman does his meanest works at first, and this world is but the beginning of Gods works, and for a creature to see what God shall thus work for ever, is an infinite blessed thing.

The seventh thing, in which this blessed vision of the Saints appears, is, that they shall look upon all the ways and works of God, as to see their happiness consisting in them: there is a great deal of difference in seeing an object that is excellent in its self, and to see an object that is excellent, in which consists my happiness. As in riding over a Land, one that is a Stranger rides over it, another that is an Heir; the Stranger rides over it, and takes delight to see the Trees, and Fruit to grow; but the Heir looks upon it after another manner, as the Land for which my Father laid out much, and all to enrich me, as the Land that is mine Inheritance: so, were it that we were but admitted to this glorious sight of God, meerly to have the view of God, it were a great priviledge to the Creature, but to see all the shine, and all that excellency that is in God, is to make me happy; and all the counsels and ways of God are working for my happiness and glory, this is blessedness indeed. There is difference between a Stranger looking upon the King, and the Queens looking upon a King. A Stranger may see Beauty and Majesty in the King; but the Queen looks upon the King, and his Beauty and majesty, as her own; and so the souls of the Saints shall see all in God as their own, to make them happy.

Eighthly, the blessedness of the sight of God consists in this, that it shall be a transforming sight, such a sight of God, as shall be a transforming, perfecting sight, not only a perfect sight, but a perfecting, transforming sight: The light that shall come from God upon the mind, shall perfect the mind, and transform the mind into the same likeness with God: It shall not be a meer notional sight; as men may speak much of God, and have a notional vision of God; but there is a great deal of difference between the notional vision of God, and the Deifical vision of God; for it is not only beatifical, but Deifical, for it does transform a man into the likeness of God. A deformed man may see a beautiful object, and that sight shall not make him like that beautiful object; but the sight of God shall make the soul glorious, as God is glorious, as you shall have it in 1 Iohn 3:2 We shall be like him: what is the ground? We shall see him as he is.

Ninthly, the sight of God will be a full sight, a sight whereby the mind shal be raised to that heighth of excellency, as it shall be able to see God in his excellency: we cannot look upon the Sun now in its excellency, if we will see the Sun, we must see in its reflection; but the understanding of the Saints shal be raised to that heighth, that they shall be able to look full upon the face of God, and this will be the reward especially of Faith; for those that are godly do believe above reason. Now because the Saints are willing to fear God so far, as to captivate their reason, and to believe upon bare testimony above reason; therefore hereafter God will give them this rereward, to see things fully, and the reason of things.

Again, it shall be such a sight of God, as shall be without any discourse, or labor, but there shall be the present vision of God, at the opening of the eye. We are glad if we can come to understand the creature with labor; but to come to understand God the Creator without labor, is a great happiness.

Again, to have the sight of God so, as never to lose it, that addes much to the happiness of the Saints: To have but one glimpse of the face of God, though it were gone presently, it were a great happiness, beyond all that the world affords, but God shall not only pass by, but stand still: so as the soul shall never lose the sight of God, but it shall have it to all eternity, and the eyes of the soul shall be eternally opened to see God. If a man looks upon a delightful object, he is loth to have the eye drawn from it; you shall never have your eye drawn from God.

Further, in the sight of God you shall see all things that do any way concern yourselves in ordering of you to all eternity: and this is made by some the ground, why it is impossible for the Saints in Heaven in the least degree to fall there; because they shall have a continual view of God, and in him see fully all circumstances of all actions, and all things that any way do or shall concern them to all eternity. For there is no falling, or declining from God, but it comes at first from some error in the theoretical or practical work of the understanding, or in some inconsiderateness; but there cannot be the least error in the mind, or the least inconsiderateness; because the soul shall be so fully taken up with the sight of God: what an infinite delight must this needs be? It was the desire of a Philosopher to see the nature of the Sun, though it were to be burnt by it, he could be content; so if God should grant us this happiness, You shall come to see me, but the sight of me shall destroy you, this were a desireable thing; but to have a sight of God that is a perfecting sight, and such an excellent and glorious sight, in which our happiness shall consist for ever, how glorious must this needs be?

Lastly, to see God in ourselves: It is an happiness to see God in the Creature, but much more to see God in ourselves: the chiefest of the glory of God, next to that which appears in Jesus Christ, shall appear in the Saints, and the chief excellency of God that the Saints shall see, shall be within themselves: they shall see more of the glory of God within themselves, then in all the Heavens besides. The Heavens are glorious now, the Sun, Moon, and Stars are glorious; but to see the highest Heaven, that were more glorious. But the meanest Saint of God in Heaven, shall see more of God, and of his glory in himself, then does appear in all the Heavens beside, and then much more then does appear in all the World. We might make it out, there is more of the glory of God in one Saint, then in all the Heavens and Earth besides; for the Heavens and the Earth are but Gods foot-stool, not his image, but the Saints of God are are his image, and this shall be their happiness, to see the glory of God in themselves. A man may delight to see beautiful colours, but you take more delight, if you can by looking in a glass see yourselves beautiful, and see those beautiful colours in your own clothes; but if we could have the glory of the Sun, and the Moon, and all the creatures in heaven shining within our bodies, that would be counted glorious indeed; but to see the divine excellency, and the top of the divine excellency of the infinite God shining within us, this will be a mighty happiness. Base sensual carnal hearts think there is no content but in satisfying the flesh. What sweet and content have many, but in their eating and drinking? and their pallate is pleased, and in that their other senses are satisfied, and they think this is the excellency of man: But take a schollar, that has but the exercise of his understanding to finde out truths, and those things that are suitable to the rational part, and he sees more excellency there, then in any sensual thing, and he can scorn sensual delights. If there be so much content to the mind in viewing the things here, what content will there be to the mind in beholding God, and his glory? There are two reasons of content in seeing things; In regard of the object, or in regard of the act of seeing it self. Let the object be what it will, there is delight in the act of seeing and understanding: For a man to understand that which is evil, it gives delight to the mind, and it is one of the perfections of God that he understands evil as well as good, so that there is content and delight in the act of seeing, though there be no delight in the object: but when the object is pleasing too, that addes much to comfort and delight, therefore content in the sight of God must be the highest content, because there is the highest act of understanding, and the highest object to see that can be.

And thus I have endeavored to open unto you the second blessed thing that the Saints shall have in Gods being their portion, they shall see God. Blessed are your eyes, says Christ, That you see those things that you see; and blessed are your ears, that heard those things you hear: So, blessed are the eyes of Gods people that do see any thing of God here, and hear any thing of God here; but blessed are the eyes that shall see God hereafter. That which I labor for in pressing these things, is to take off your hearts from these things below, and that you may see what you are capable of; and if your hearts be mad upon your sins, and you will perish, you shall know what you lose: me-thinks if men did know what they lose by their sin, they would cast it off with indignation, and therefore when your sin comes and tempts you, say, What, shall I lose all this for such a way of sin?