To conclude ; the pleasures it hath here, are but the pleasures of hope and expectation, which cannot bear any proportion to those of sight and full fruition. O see the advantages of an unbodied state !
Prop. 10. That gracious souls, separate from the hodij^ do attain to the perjection qfknowledge, zoith more ease than they attained any small degree of knowledge •whilst they dicelt in the body.
Great are the inconveniences, and prejudices, under which souls labour, in their pursuits after knowledge in this life, Veritatis in puteo, Truth lies deep. And it is hard, even with much labour.
46 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN.
pains, and study? to pump up one clear notion ; for the soul can- not now act as it would, but is fain to act as it can, according to the limitations and permissions of the body, to which it is confined. By heedful observations, and painful researches it is forced to de- duce one thing from another, and is too often deceived and im- posed upon by such tedious and manifold connections.
Beside, truth is now forced, in compliance with our weakness, and distance from the fountain, to descend from heaven under vails *, shadows, and umbrages, thereby to contract some kind of affinity with our fancies and exterior senses first, that so it may with more advantage transmit itself to our understanding. It must come under some vail or other to us, whilst we are vailed with mortality, because the soul cannot behold it with its native lustre, nor converse otherwise with it.
And hence it was that Augustine made his rational conjecture. Why men used to be so much delighted with metaphors, because they are so much proportioned to our senses, with which our rea- son in this embodied state, hath contracted such an intimacy and familiarity : But when the soul lays aside its vail of flesh, truth also puts off her vail, and shews the soul her naked, beautiful, and ra- vishing face ; it henceforth beholds all truth in God, the fountain of truth. There are five ways by which men attain the knowledge of God, say the schools, four of which the soul makes use of in this world ; but the fifth, which is the most perfect, is reserved for the separate state. Men discern God here,
(1.) In vestlgio, By his footsteps in the works of creation. God hath imprest the marks of his wisdom and power upon tlie crea- tures, by which impressions we discern that God hath been there. Thus the very Heathens arrive to some knowledge of a God, Rom. i. 20. Acts xvii. 24, 27.
(2.) I?i ufnhra. By his shadow : If you see the shadow of a man you guess at his stature and dimensions thereby. Thus Christ made some discovery of himself to the world, in the Mosaical ceremonies, and ancient types and umbrages, Heb. x. 1.
(3.) In speculo, In a glass : This gives us a much clearer repre- sentation of a person, than either his footsteps or shadow could : this is an imperfect or darker vision of his face, by way of reflec- tion. And thus God is seen in his word and ordinances, wherein, ^' as in a glass, we behold the glory of the Lord," 2 Cor. iii. 18.
(4.) In Fil'iOy in his own Son, who is the living image and ex- press character of his Father. Thus we sometimes see a child so
* The light from above never descends without a vail : for it is impossible that di- vine light could othenvise shine to us, unless it be covered with a variety of sacred shadow ings. Dionys. Arcop, de cctlest. Hicr. c 1.
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lively representing his father in speech, gate, gesture, and every \u neainent of his face, that we may say,
— Sic oculos^ sic ille manus, sic oraferehat ;— • « Just so his father spake, so he went, and just such a one he was."
Thus we know God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor, iv. 6. who is the express image of his Father, Heb. i. 3. and John xiv. 9. This is the highest -way of attaining the knowledge of God in this hfe. But then, in the unbodied state, we see him,
(5.) Face toface^ with a direct vision. This is to see Mm as he is. The believer is a candidate for this degree now, but cannot be invested with it, till he be divested from this body of flesh. Yet the soul, when unbodied, and made perfect, attaineth not to a com- prehensive knowledge of God, for it will still remain a finite being, and so cannot comprehend that which is infinite. That question. Job xi. 7. " Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection .''" may be put to the highest graduate in heaven. And yet,
1. To see God face to face, and know him as he is, will be a knowledge of the divine essence itself. '' To see the divine essence, is to see God as he is ; i. e. to see him so perfectly and fully, that the understanding can proceed no farther in point of knowledge, concerning that great question. What is God ? Thus no man hath seen or can see God in this world. Even Moses himself could not see God, Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19, 20. But the spirits of the just made perfect, have satisfying apprehensions, though not perfect compre- hensions of the Divine essence.
2. In this light they clearly discern those deep mysteries which they here racked their thoughts upon, but could not penetrate in this life. There they will know what is to be known of the union of the two natures in the wonderful person of our Emmanuel ; and the manner of the subsistence of each person, in the most glorious and undivided Godhead, John xiv. 20. The several attributes of God will then be unfolded to our understandings ; for his essence and attributes are not two things. Rev. iv. 8, 9, 10, 11. Oh ! what a ravishintj sio;ht will this be !
The mysteries of the scriptures and providences of God will be no mysteries then : Curiosity itself will be there satisfied.
3. This immediate knowledc^e and sight of God face to face, will be uifinitely more sweet, and ravishingly pleasant than any, or all the views we had of him here by faith ever were, or possibly could be. There is a joy unspeakable in the visions of faith, 1 Pet. i. 8. but it comes far short of the facial vision. Who can tell the full importance of that one text. Rev. xxii. 4. " The throne of the " Lamb shall be in it, and they shall see his face .?" Oh ! for such a heaven (said one) as to get one glimpse of that lovely face ! Eaith cannot bear such sights. This light overwhelms, and confounds
^ A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN.
the inadequate faculties of imperfect and embodied souls. But there is Iuj7ien comfortans^ a cheering, strengthening, pleasant light, as the light of the morn'mg star, Rev. ii. 28.
4. This sight of God will be appropriative and applicative. We there see him as our own God and portion. Without a clear inte- rest in him, the sight of him could never be beatifical and satisfy- ing. Sight without interest is like the light of a glow-worm, light without heat. All doubts and objections are solved and answered in the first sight of this blessed face.