Sérm. CXXXI. in the ¡uture Strte. s 9 3 Eye of the Soul, that is, our tlnderftanding Faculty $hall be enlarged unto that Capacity, and purified to that Clearnefs, and elevated to that Strength, as to be able to receive and bear fo much of the Luftee and Glory of the Divine Na- ture and Perfe&íon, as is confiflent with the Finitenefs ofa HumaneUnderftand- ing; and fuitable to the Perfection of a glorified Soul ; and our Underflandings fhall then be railed and advanced to fuch a Strength, that they (hall be fo far from being opprefs'd and burdened with thePrefence of God, and from finking under the Weight of his Glory, that they (hall be infinitely ravifh'd and de- lighted with it. 2. To fee God as he is, does imply our perfect Enjoyment of him. We (hall not only perfettly know him, but we (hall take infinite Pleafure in him, in be- holding his Glory, in praifing and admiring his Goodnefs, in doing his Will with all imaginable Readinefsand Chearfulnefs. I donotpretend to defcribe to you the Particularities of that State, and all the bleffed Comforts and Enjoy- ments of it; It doth not yet appear what we fball'be. God bath not told us, and none but he, who is the Author and Fountain of this Happinefs, can difcover it to us. Let it fuffice us, that God bath affured tic of it, and bath prepared it for us , and it cad be no mean Thing which the infiniteWifdom, and Goodnefs; and Power of God bath defigned for the final Rewardof thofe who love him, and of thofe -whom he loves. If we know thus much of it, that it is certain beyond all Doubt, and vafl beyond all Imagination, we have nothing more to with, but that God would fit us for it, and as loon as he pleafeth, bring us to the Enjoyment of it. III. We will confider the Fitnefs of this Metaphor, to exprefs to us the Hap- pines of our future State. And that the Scripture doth very much delight to fet forth to us the B1efIednefs of Heaven, by this Metaphor of Seeing, is evident from the frequent Ufe of it in Scripture. Matth. 5. 8. file /d are the pare inHeart 5 for they (hall fee God. S Cor. r 3. 12. Wefballfee him Face to Face. Heb t2. r4. With- out Holinefs no Man flallfee the Lord. And here in the Text, We ¡hall fee him as he is. And indeed God is pleated, in Scripture, to make fenfible Difcriptions of the Happinefs and Mifery of another World, and by way of Accommoda- tion to our Underflandings, and Condefcenfion to the Weaknefs and Imperfe- tfions of this State, to let forth Heaven and Hell to us by fuch Things as arè fenfible; 'and that not only to help our Under(landings to a more eafieConcep- tion of Things, but likewife to move and rouze our Affe&ions, which while we are in the Body, and immers'd in Senfe, are commonly moll powerfully wrought upon, by fenfible Reprefentations of Things. And therefore Hell is defcribed to us by Inch Things as affeet the Senfe of Feelitig, becaufe that is ca- pable of the greateft and fharpeíi Pain ; and the Enjoyments of Heaven, by the Senfe ofSight, becaufe that is the noblefl of all our Seules; and the primary and proper Obje& of it is moll delightful, and of the moft Spiritual Nature of any corporeal Thing, r. Sight is the noblelt and moll excellent of all our Senfes 5 and therefore the Frame of the Eye is the moil curious of all other Parts of the Body, and the dearefl to us, and that which we preferve with the greateft Tendernefs. When the A oltle would let forth the mighty Affe&ion which the Galatians bore to him, he Pays, They mould have plucked out their very Eyes for him. 'Tis the moll' comprehenfiveSenfe, bath the largelt Sphere, takes in the molt Objects, anddil ceras them at the greateft Diftance. It can in a Moment pals from Earth to Heaven, and furvey innumerable Objects. It is the molt Pure, and Spiritual, and quickelt in its Operations, and approacheth neared to the Nature of a Spiritual Faculty. Ofall our Senfes, it carries the greateft Evidence and Certainty along with it, and the Reports of it are the moll certain and unqueflionable. Hence we ufe to fay, that One Eye-witnefs is more thanTen Ear-witnelfes. When lob would exprefs to us the molt perfe& Knowledge of God, he does ii by Siht, job 42. 5. I have heard of thee by the Hearing of the Ear; but nowmy Eye fees thee i that is, he had a mors perfect and clear Difcovery of God and his Perfeítions, C c than.
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