Of HE AV EN. Chap. IV. CHAP. IV. 71,; blejfed ejfeEI of t/,e lli(:on of God in tiJe Sai11ts. 'lis produEiil!e and conferl!atil!e of l!IJ glonoru Lrkwefs. It ajfeEis them rvrtl> t/,e mofllmmble l!tlzeration of God's Exctllmcies. It infiames tlm11 with tl:e moft ardent Lol!e of God, and of our S.rl!iour. X Will confider tilebleffedEftetl:s of the Virion of God in Heaven upon the Saints. Our Saviour tells us, Thu is Life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jejus C rift whom thou haft fent. The beginning and introduCtion of our Felicity, is by a lively Faith here, the confummation of it is by prefent fight in Heaven. I . From the Vifion of h!S Glory there will be a refultance of his Likenefs impreft on us. We fhatl be like him, for we fha/1 fee him as he is. All the PerfeCtion and Happinefs of the Samts IS compnfed m that Prom1fe. The Sun, when the Sky is clear and ferene, ~;~~~~~~i~i~;ui~~~~v~~~P:;;:d &;;c:~J ;~e c;:r f~~~ 0~h~s b;~~h~:~bt::t ~~~ by l;'owerful e~a?at1on• tra?sforms the Soul into its Jiienefs, in that divine Degree of Holmefs and Fehc1ty, as glonou£1y refembles God. Mofts by converfing with God in the Mount, and feeing his back-parts, return'd to the Ifraelites with fuch a radiancy in h~ Face, that they could not look on it without a Veil. What an impreffionof Glory is in the Saints, who fee his PerfeCtions in their infinite luftre? 'Tis the privilege of Chriftians in this Life, above the Church under the Law ; Theybeho~d m the Gojpel as m a Gl.ji, theGlory of the Lord, and are <hanged into the fame Image, from Glory to Glory : they become more Holy and Heavenly, more purified and adorn'd with his Vertues and Graces. Now if the Vifion of Chrift here in a Glafs, an eclipfin!l Medium, be fo.influxive upon Believers, what an illuftrious and infallible efficacy has the 1mmediate, clear, and permanent view of his Glory upon the Saints in Heaven? That fight is produUive and confervative of his Image in its purity and perfeCtion for ever. 2. The Divine Prefence affeCts the Saints with the moft humble reverence and folemn vene ration of God. This is an eternal refpeCt due from the intelleCtual Creature to the Creator, upon the account of his infinite and incommunicable Excellencies. He is diftinguifhed not only from Idols, but from Creatures of the higheft Order, by his elfential, ~~~r:'~r~~r~;~~~r ~a~oer:, 1hfs~ffi;;;;~, k;~~ 'd~~;;~·e~~~~~Y r~~~ ~;is L;J~~~~~ Power. The moft eminent Q!!.alities of the Creatures are but in !bow and appearance compar'd with the reality and ftability of his glorious Nature. In the Scripture, Wifdom, Holinefs, Goodnefs, Power, Truth, Immortality, are attributed to God, With the ex· clufion of all Creatures from thofe Prerogatives ; they being his eiTential, infinito and incomparable PerfeB;ions. They are feparable Q!!alities in the Creatures, like the gddmg and enameling of bafer Metal : but in the Deity, they are like fubftantial maiTy Gold. There is a vaft diftance between created Beings ; but the Dtftance between a Fly, or a Worm, and· an Angel, is nothing to the diftance between an Arch-Angel and God, the:e being no comparifon between finite and infinite. All Creatures equally vamfh, and dlfappear as nothing, compar'd to the glorious Creator. As if one _fi·om the Regwn of the Stars fhould look down upon the Earth, the Mountains and Htlls w1th the Valltes would appear one flat Surface, an equal Plain, the hei ght and the lownefs of the feveral parts being indifcernible at that immenfe diftance. Now in Heaven the Divine Majefty is moft vifible, and moft awful and adorable. The fublimeft Spirits cover their Faces before his glorious Brightnefs. The Prophet Ifarah had a reprefentation of Heaven : I {arv the Lord fiuing upon a Tbrone lugh and lifted up, •nd his Train filled the Temple. Above it flood the Seraphrms : each one had fix Wmgs; with twam he ,overed his F~tce, with twam he cover'd hii Feet, witb twatn he dul f!J· .Amlo~e <ried to n~rother, and [aid, Holy, holy, holy Lord of Hofls, the whole Earth rs f•ll of hr~ Glory. They highly honour him, by the refleCt ion of his feparate and peerlefsExcellen· cies, his Almighty Power, his Infinite Supremacy and Eternal Emptre, mthetr concert of ;.r1~eteaven the Saints as perfeEtly love God, as they know him. This is_ the princ!· pa l Duty of Angels and Men to the bleffed Creator for bis admirable PerfcCtions..:~il~~~
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