Chap. 9. An Expofition upon the Bookof J O B. Vert i r. 231 as any of hisattributes, yea his cffence is as plain to faith, as any of his works are to fenfe. Thus he is feen, Whono man; bath feen nor canfee'(I rim. 6.16.) not the Saints ni heaven : they are not able tó fee the Lord in his offence, paffeth by them there, and theyfie him not ; inheaven we are promifcd a fightof him, yet not that fight, Bleffed are thepoor infpirit, for they£hall fee God: and without holinefs noman 'hallfee the Lord,then holy'men'thall fee him; the flare ofSaints in hisglory is vition,as here it is faith(2 Cor.13.1 z. ) rrefhallfee himface toface,andas he is` r Joh.3.2.)Thefe icriptúres which fpeak of the ettateof the Saints, beholding God in glory, are not to be underftood , as if the nature and effeuce of God could be feen, for no man hath fen that, nor ever thall ; but they are meant ofa morefull andglorious manifeftation of God We(hallfee themface toface ; that is,more plainly, for it is oppofed to feeing him. in aglafs ; we fee him now in a glafs, that is,darkly, in ordinances, in duties, in his word, and in his works, but there thall be no need of thefe glades nil heaven. We thall have fo direct and full manifcltation of God, that thefè glatils which retied nine tha11 be out of ufc. Fhe Saints on earth have fometìmes a fight of God without a glafs,that is,out ofall ordinances,and promifes,and works either wrought in them or for them. God comas near to their fpirits, and lifts them abovemeans,and thews them his love, and their intcreff in him by an immediate witnefs of the Spirit, ('John 5.$.)For althoughi.the water and the blond (juffitication and fanétitication) never witnefs without theSpirit; and though the Spirit never witneffes againtl them, or where they are not yet the Spirit doth oftenwitnefsabove them, and without them, that is, they not being called forth to give their witnefs. This is next doorto heaven: only, the vifion in heaven will be exceeding- ly heightned and raifed,- not only above our vihon by ordinances, but above our viíìon by immediate revelation or witnefs. Further confider, The tight we have of Gel is in Chrift. God is feen in every creature ( Kom.r. ) much mole in ordinances, but Ch rift is the exprefs image ofhisperfon,and the b; igdtnefs of his glory, Heb. i.3. He is the medium by which we fee God now, and fome have thought wefall fee him otily in`Chrift forever'. But it is out ofdoubt that in this, life God'is feen only in Chrift ravingly. We of our felves, are fofar off from God, that we cannot fee him. There mutt boa due diftarfce between the organ and the objed we are afar off from God > untill Chrift bring usnear ; we come, to
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