64 SER1110NSuponthe Semi XI, Reafons. 1. Becaufe then we Jhall have /fight and Immediate communion with him. And oiir Happinefsflowerh from him without the interventionof any means, Ails 3.19.Days of refrefhingfhallcome from the prefence of thy, Lord. Compare it. with z Thef. a. 9. The wicked than be punifhed with everlafling DefEreih en from the pretence of the Lord and from ,theGlory cfhis power. Eternal tfappinefs is granted to the EleCt by the full revela- tion ofChrilts face, Rev. :2. 4. They (hall fee his face. And the very look and face of Chrift is the caufe of vengeance on the wicked, Rev. 6. 16. They jhallfy unto the moon- taint and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that fitteth upon the throne, and the wrath of. he Lamb. Chrifls face produced' powerful Effeéts either in a way of grace or punifhment. In the days of his flelh we had a proof of it both ways. The Lord looked up- on Peter, and. that melted his heart, Luke az, 61. And when the High Priefts Servants. came to attaque himjohn 18. 6. _He looked upon him, and laid; I am he. And they went back - ward,and fell to the ground. But Purely in Heaven we fhall need no more to make ushap- py than once to fee the face 6f Chrift. In thy pretence, or in thy face, is fulnefi ofjoy, and pleafure for evermore, Pía. 16. 11. The fruition of Gods Immediate prefence is not like the Joys of the World which can neither feed nor lilla man. But in feeing him weui all have full content and compleatfelicity.The,Children of God long to fee God in his Ordi- nances, P 4. One thing have I defared of the Lord, that will I feek after, that I may awell in the bootie ofthe Lord all the days of myy life, to behold the beauty of the Lord,and enquire in his Temple.. There is but one thing cDavidwas Sollicitous about, and Importu- nate for in his Prayers; what was this one thing? Not that he might bé felled inlais re- gal throne, which he feemeth not yet to be when that Pfalm was penned (for the Sept. in title add to what appeareth in our Bibles 7,6 'o vA9ñvay before he was anointed. ) But that he might enjoy the fweet pleafures of daily and frequent converfe with God that he might behold the beauty of the Lord. So PJa. 412. My Seul thirtieth for God, for the living God;when than I come and appear before God? David was Impatient of being debarred from the prefence of God. Now ifthere be fo great and fo longing a delire to fee God in thefe Glaffes,wherein fo little of hisglory is teen with any comfort and SatisfaCt ion, how much more to fee him immediately and face to face ? If that Glimpfe which God now vouchfaferh be fo glorious, what will it be when he Manfully thew himfeff to his People face to face. z. Becaufe then we (ball converfe with him without Impediment and di!Irallion, Here bodily neceffities take up the far greaten part of our time, Luke i o. 4 r. Thou art cumbred about many things,butone thingis necefary. The prefent life required" many miniftries and fervices at our hands. Befides finful diftradions there are many worldly occafions to divert us,but then 'tis our work and our wages to fee Gcd,our bufinefs and bleífednefs to ítudy divinity in-the Lambs face, Sohn 17.24. That they may be where am, and Behldmy Glory. 'Tis our confiant work in Heaven to admire and adore God in Chrift. The diffi- culties and diftraétions are removed, and that mats of Ffefh which we then carry about us will be then no clog to us, a Cor. 6. 13. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats,but God /hall defiroy both it and them. Nature calleth for them, and in this life there is an abfolute neceffity of them,but the neceffity and ufe thall ceafe; the Spiritual body will need no o- ther fupplies, and put us upon no other Imployments than the loving, pleating and fer- vingofGod. All the things which we ¡hall fee will leave more fweet, enlivening and powerful Impieflionson us, than pofibly now they can, becaufe we ¡hall underfland them better, and have more leifure to attend upon them. 3. Our prefence with him (hall be perpetual. We than meet never to part more, 1 Thef 4. 17. We (hall be for ever prefent with the Lord. Wicked men (hall fee Chrift, for they tauft appear before his Tribunal, but they shall fee him to theirconfudon, Rev.r 7 Every Eye Jhall fee him and they that have pierced him fball wail becaufe.of him. But the Godly ¡tall fee him to their Confolation, Job ,t9. 26. Iknow that my Redeemer liveth, and with there Eyes I than fee him. The one ¡hall fee him'as their 3udge, the other as their Sa- viour ; but the chiefeft difference is, the one ¡hall fee him for a whde,and then be bann- ed out of his prefence, Matth.25. 41. depart ye curled. There is a difpute'whither pan: damni,or Pe3na fenfus he the greaten. I cannot determine fuch nice points. The fenfe of pain is from the wrath of God, Confcience refleëtethupon our lofs; the Agents are not to be compared;yet on the other fide the, objet is greater, the thing loft is God bimfelf'Tis the creature that is pained, but I am fure the lofs will be much greater than now we ap- prehend it to be; for the prefent we do not value communion with Chrift, we have other things wherewith to entertain our Souls; there are no pleafures ofthe fletll to abate and di- vert the fenfe of our lofs ; nothing left but the vexing remembrance of our own folly Fe.verfe and
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