Serm. CXXXI. in the future State I 9 1 likewife Mahomet framed fuch a Paradife, as is moft agreeable to our fenfual Ap- petites and Lu(ts. In like manner the Schoolmen, who addicted themfelves wholly to Contemplation, would have the Happinefsof Heaven to confif inthat which they thenifelves took moft Delight in. But finely the Scripture under.- Rands fomething more by the Sight of God, than a bare Contemplation of him. It is a known Rule given by Divines for the Underftanding of Scripture ; " The Words that fignifySenfe and Knowledge, are very often in Scripture to be fo " underftood as to comprehend in them thofe Affe&ions and Effe&s, whichSenfe " and Knowledge are apt to produce in us. So our Knowledge of God doth in Scripture manyTimes import the Sum of all Religion, the wholeDuty of Man : He that faith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a Lyar: and God's knowing of us, lignifies the whole Happinefs of Man The Lord knometh them that are his. So Tatting and Sight are in Scripture put for Experience and Enjoy- ment, Pfd. 34. 8. Tafle andfee that the Lord is gracious. Lament. 3. r. I am the Man that. have Peen Aplion, that is, that havefuffered it. i Pet. 3. ró. He Mat will love Life, andfee good Days, that is, enjoy them. And fo we ufe the Word in com- mon Speech. To feea Friend, is to enjoy the Pleafureof his Company, and all the Advantages of his Converfation. So here, the Sight of God doth comprehend and take in all the Happinefs of our future State. As to fee the King, includes the Court, and all the glorious Circumftancesof his Attendance ; fo to fee God, does take in all that Glory, and Joy, and Happinefs, which flows from hisPre- fence. I grant indeed, that this Expreflion primarily and immediatelydenotes our perfet Knowledge of God in the other Life, inOppofition to thofe obfcure and more impeded Difcoveries and Apprehenfions which we have of him in thefe earthly Bodies. For I think we need make no Doubt, but that Sight ishere taken in a fpiritual and intelle&ual Senfe. We are not to dream that we fhali fee God with our bodily Eyes; for being a pure Spirit, he cannot be the Obje& of any corporeal Senfe But we (hall have fisch a Sight of him, as a pure Spirit is capable of we (hall fee him with the Eyes of our Minds andUnderftanding. -And in this Senfe, we do in fome degreefee God in this Life, by Faithand Knowlege : but it is but darkly, and as it were through a Glaje that we fee him, as the Apoftle expref- feth it. But when we come to Heaven, our Underttandings (hall be railed and cleared to fuch a Degree of Strength and Perfe&ion, that we (hall know God after a far more perfe&Manner, than weare capable of in this State of Morta- lity. And this perfefKnowledge of him, together with the happy Effe &s of 'it, thofe Affe&ions which it (hall raife in us, and that bleffed Enjoyment of the t chief Good which we are not able toexprefs, is that which is call'd the Sight of God. II. What is here meant by acing God as he it : We Shall fee him as he is. Now this doth farther and emphatically exprefs our perfe& Knowledge and Enjoy- ment of God. r. Our perfe&Knowledge of him. Not that we are to imagine, that when we come to Heaven, our Underftandingcan, or (hall be railed to fuch a Pitch, as tobe ableperfe&&ly to comprehend the infinite Nature and Perfe&ions ofGod For all created Underftanding being naturally finite, we cannot imagine that it can be ftretched to the Comprehenfion of what is infinite, as the Divine Nature and Perfections are. But our Knowledge (hall be advanced and railed to filch Degrees of Perfe&ion, as a finite and created Underftanding is capable of. And we may very reafonably conceive, ( and indeed the Scripture leads us to it, without and beyond which it is not fafe to fpeak of there Things) I lay, we may reafonably conceive the Perfe&ionof this Knowledge to confi t in there three Things : In a more immediate, and clear, and certain Knowledge of the Di- vine Nature and Perfe&ions, than we are capable of in this State of Mortality. (s.) We (hall then have an immediate Knowledge of God. In this World we fee him by the Means and Helpof his Word andWorks; we fee him as he bath manifefted and revealed himfelf to us in the holySctiptures, as he bath repre- Cented himfelf to us in the Creatures, as the Apoftle tells us, Rom. t. ao. That his
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