MEDITATIONS AND DTSCOüascu herein, is our evidence of the truth and reality in the beholdingof him. No man can have the least ground of assurance that he bath seen Christ and his glory by faith, without some effectsof it in changing him into his likeness. For as on the touch of his garment by the woman in the gospel, virtue went out from him to heal ber infirmity; so upon this view of faith, an influence of transforming power will proceed from Christ unto the soul. 2. As unto the event it is but partial. It dothnot bring this work unto perfection. The change wrought by it is indeed great and glorious; or, as the apostle speaks, it is from glory, in a progress of glorious grace: but absolute perfection is reserved for vision. As unto divine worship, perfection was not by the law: it did many things preparatory unto the revelation of the will ofGod concerning it, but it made nothingperfect; so absolute perfection in holiness, and the restoration of the imageof God, is not by the gospel, is not by faith; however, it gives us many preparatory degrees unto it, as the apostle fully declares, Phil. iii. 10-14. Secondly. Vision is beatifies], as it is commonly call- ed, and that not amiss: It gives perfect rest and bles- sedness unto them in whom it is. This may be a little opened in the ensuing observations. 1. There are continual operationsof God in Christ, in the souls of them that are glorified, and communica- tions from him unto them. For all creatures must eter- nally live even in heaven, in dependence on him who is the eternal fountain of being, life, goodness, and hies sedness unto all. As we cannot subsist one moment, in our beings, lives, souls, bodies, the inward or outward man, without the continual actings of divine power in us, and towards us; so in the glorified state, our all shall depend eternally on divine power and goodness, communicating themselves unto us, for all the ends of our blessed subsistence in heaven. 2. What is the way and manner of these communi- cations, we cannot comprehend. We cannot indeed . fully understand the nature and way of his spiritual communications unto us in this life. We know these things by their signs, their outward means, and princi- pally by the effects they produce in the real change of our natures; but in themselves we see but little of them. John iii. 8. All God's real operations in heaven and earth are incomprehensible, as being acts of infinite power, and we cannot search them out unto perfec tion. 3. All communicationsfrom the Divine Being and in- finite fulness in heaven unto glorified saints, are in and through Christ Jesus, who shall ever be the medium of communication between God and the church, even in glory. All things being gathered into one bead inhim, even things in heaven, and things in earth: that head being in immediate dependence on God, this order shall never be dissolved, Eph. i. 10, 11. 1 Cor. iii. 23. And on these communications from God through Christ de- pends entirely our continuance in a state of blessedness and glory. We shall no more be self-subsistent in glory, than we are in nature or grace. 4. The way on our part whereby we shall receive these communications from God by Christ, which are the eternal springs oflife, peace, joy and blessedness, is this vision, the sight whereof we speak. For as it is ex- pressly assigned thereunto in the Scripture: so whereas it contains the perfect operation of our minds and souls in a perfect state, on the most perfect object, it is the only means of our blessedness. And this is the true cause whence there neither is, nor can be any satiety or weariness in heaven, in the eternal contemplation of the same glory. For not only the object ofour sight is ab- solutely infinite, which can never be searched into the bottom; yea, is perpetuallynew unto a finite understand- ing, so our subjective blessedness consisting in continual fresh communications from the infinite fulness of thedi- vine nature, derived unto us through vision, is always new, and always will be so to eternity. Herein shall all the saints ofGod drink of the rivers of pleasure that are at his right hand, be satisfied with his likeness, and refresh themselves in the eternal springs of life, light, and joy, for evermore. This effect, that view which we have by faith ofthe glory ofChrist in this world, doth not produce. It is sanctifying, not glorifying. The beet of saints are far from a perfect or glorified state in this life. And that not only on the account of the outward evils, which in . their persons they are exposed unto; but also of the weakness and imperfection oftheir inward state ingrace. Yet we may observe some things unto the honour of faith in them who have received it. As, 1. In its due exercise on Christ, it will give unto the souls of believers someprevious participation of future,
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