168 c 4 'Declaration of the Glorious M r STF R Y C5. Heaven will fatisfy all thole delires and expectations. To have them fully fatisfied, is heaven and eternal bleifednef. This fills the fouls of them who are already departed in the faith, with admiration; joy and praifes. See Rev. v. 9, Jo, Ir. Herein is the glory of Chrift abfolutely ofanother kind and nature, thanthat of any other creature whatever. And from hence it is, that our glory fhall principally confift in beholding his glory, becaufe the whole glory of God is manifefted in him. Andby the way, we may fee hence the vanity as well as the idolatry of them who would reprefent Chrift in glory, as the objet of our adora- tion in piaures and images. They falhion wood or Bone into the like- nefs of a man. They adorn it with colours and flourifhes of art, to fet it forth'unto the fenfes and fancies of fuperflitious perfons, as haveing a re- femblance of glory. And when they have done, they. lavifh gold out of thebag, as the prophet fpeaks in various forts offuppofed ornaments i fuch as are fo only to the vaineft fort of mankind ; and fo propofe it as an image or refemblanceof Chrift in glory. But what is there in it that bath the leaft refpe& thereunto, the leaft likenefs ofit? Nay, is it not the moll: effectual means that can be devifed to divert the minds of men from true and real apprehenfions of it? Doth it teach any thing of the fubfrftenceof the humane nature of Chrift in the perfon of the Son of God ? Nay, doth it not obliterateall thoughts ofit? What is reprefented thereby of the union of it unto God, and the immediate communications ofGod unto it? Doth it declare the manifeftation of all the glorious properties of the divine nature in him ? One thing indeed they afcribe unto it that is pro- per unto Chrift, namely, that it is to be adored and worfhiped, whereby they add idolatry unto their folly. Perfons who know not what' it is to live by faith, whofe minds are never raifed by fpiritual, heavenly contem- plations, who have nodeOgn in religion but to gratify their inward fuper- ftition by their outward fenfes, may be pleafed for a time, and ruined for ever by thefe delufions. Thofe who have real faith in Chrift, and love unto him, have a molt glorious object for their exercife. And we mayhereby examine both our own notionsof the ítateof glory, and our preparations for it, and whether we are in any nieafure made meet for the inheritance of the faints of light. More grounds of this trial will be afterwards fuggefted, thefe laid down may not be palled by. Va- rious are the thoughts of men about the futureBate, thethings which are not feen, which are eternal. Some rife no higher, but untohopes of efcaping heil, or everlafting miferies, when they die. Yet the heathen had their Ellf:an feels, andMahomet hisfenfual parydife. Others have apprehenfions of I know not what gliflering glory that will pleafe and fatisfy them they know not how, when they can be here no longer. But this Bate is quite of another nature, and the bleffednefs of it is fpiritual and intelle- blual. Take an infante in one of the risings before laid down. The glory of heaven confies in the full manifeftation of the divine wifdom goodnefs grace, holinefs ofall the properties of the nature ofGod in Chrift. , In theclear perception and confiant contemplation hereofconfifts no finali part of eternal bleifednefs. What then are our prefent thoughtsof there things? What joy, what fatisfa&ion have we in the fight of them which we have by faith through divine revelation? What is our delire to come unto the perfect comprehenfion of them? How do we like this heaven? What do we find in our felves that will be eternally fatisfied hereby? Ac- cordingas ourdelires are after them, fach and no other are our delires of the true heaven, ofthe refidence of bleffednefs and glory. Neither will (od bring us unto heaven whether we will or no. Ifthrough the ignorance and d a:,rds
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