f SIN in BEI.IBVERS. 35 being revealed from his own bofom, we now know him much more clearly, and as he is.:. we.fee his face now, and not his back-parts only, as Msfes did. r. I acknowledge a vaft, and almoft unconceivable difference between the acquain- tancewe now havewith God,after his fpeakingto us by his own San", and thatwhich the generalityof the faints had under the law c. for although their, eyes were as good, fltarp; and clear as ours, their faith, and fpiritual underftanding, not behind ours, she obje& as glorious unto them, as unto us, yet our day is more clear than theirs was; theclouds are blown away and fcattered t, the fhadows of the night are gone andfled away,; the Sun is rifen, and the means offight is made more eminent and clear than formerly. Yet, z. That peculiarfight which Wes had ofGod, Rood. xxxiv-. was a gofpel-fight, a fightof God, as gracious, &c. and yet, its called but his back-parts, that is, but loss and mean, in comparifon of his excellencies and perfeftions. 3. The Apoftleexalting to the utmoft this glory of light, above that of the law, manifefting that now the veil canting darknefs, is taken away ; fo that with open or uncovered face " we behold the glory of the Lord, tells us how; as in in a glafi, z Cor. iii. a8. in a glaf,, how in that ? clearly, perfefily ? alas no. He tells you how that is, r Cor. xiii. ía. Wefee through a glafs darkly, faith he ; it is not a telefcope thathelps us to fee things afar .off, concerning which the Apofile fpeaks : and yet what poor help; are they ?. How-ihort do we come of the truthof things, notwith- flooding their Alfillance ? It is a looking-glafs whereunto he alludes (where are only obfcure fpecies and images of things, and not the things themfelves) and a fight therein that he compares our knowledge to. He tells you alto that all that we do fee II ¡tiCe;r, by or through this glafs, is in cal gtcwrrin a riddle, in dal-lied;and oblcú- rity. And !peaking of himfelf, who furely was much more clear lighted than any now living, he tells us, that he taw but dw ,ígs, inpare-; he law but the back-parts of heavenly things, v. au. and. compares all the knowledge he had attained of God, to 'that he had of thingswhen he was achild,.v. II: it is a ;,íç@., _lhort of the el ría.av: yea, fuck as waragyhryoel.b, it fall be deffroyed, or done away... We know what weak, feeble, uncertain notions and apprehenlions children have of things of any abflrufe confideration t howwhen they grewup with any improvements of parts and abilities thofe conceptionsvanifh, and they are afhamed of them. It is the commendation of a child to love, honour,. believe, and obeyhis father; but for his faience and notions, his father knows his childifhnefs and, folly. Notwithfianding all our confidence of high attainments, all bur notions of God are but childifh in refpeft of his infinite perfe&ions. We lifp and babble; and fay we know not what, for the molt part, in our molt accurate, as we think, conceptions and notions of God. We may love, ho- pour, believe, and obey our father, and therewith he accepts our childilh thoughts- for they are but childith. We fee but his back-parts, we know but little of him. Hence is that promife, wherewith we are fo often fupported, and comforted in out diflrefles ; Ive (hallfee him a, be is; we fhall fee himface rafrue; know as we are known; comprehend that for which weare comprehended, r Cor. xv. no. r Yoh. iii. z. and pofìtieely, Now we fit him not : all concluding that here we fee but his back-parts, not as he is, but in a dark, obfcure reprefentation, not in the perfeâion of his glory. The Queen ofSheba had heard much of Solomon, and framed manygreat thoughts ofhis magnificence, in her mind thereupon ; but when the came and faw his glory, flie was forced to confefs, that the one halfof the truth had not been told her.. We may fuppofe that we have hereattained great knowledge, clear and high thoughts of God; . but alakl when he fhall bring us into his prefence we fhall cry out, we never knew him as he is. Thethoufandth part of his glory and perfeâion, and bleffednefs, ne- ver entred into our hearts. The apoftie tells us, t yob. iii. 2. that we know not what we ourfelves flail be; what we fhall findour felces in the iflue ,; much lets will it enter intoour hearts to conceive, what God is, and what we thall find him to be. Confider either him-who is to be known, or the way whereby we know him ; and this will farther appear, (i.) We know fo little of God, becaufe it is God who is thus to be known; that is, he whobath defcribed himfelf to us very much by, this, that we cannot knowhim; what elfe cloth he intend where he calls himfelf invifible, incoinprehenhble, and the like ? that is, he whom we do not, cannot know as he is : and oar farther progrefs ambits more in knowing what he is not, than what he is. Thus is he de- fcribed to be immortal, infinite; that is, he is not as we are, mortal, finite, and li- Fteb. i. t r. t ate. iv. 6. r+' dr<wewaxvµ,uíva ,veyrírg. mitad
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