(2.) As unto the event, it is but partial. It doth not bring this work unto perfection. The change wrought by it is indeed great and glorious ; or, as the apostle speaks, it is " from glory to glory," in a progress of glorious grace: but absolute perfection is reser\'ed for vision. As to divine worship, perfection was not by the law. It did many things preparatory unto the revelation of the will of God concerning it ; but it " made nothing perfect : " so absolute perfection in holiness, and the restoration of the image of God, is not by the Gospel, is not by faith ; — however, it gives us many preparatory de- grees unto it, as the apostle fully declares, Phil. iii. 10-14.
Secondly, Vision is beatifical, as it is commonly called, and that not amiss. It gives perfect rest and blessedness unto them in whom it is. This may be a little opened in the ensuing observations.
1. There are continual operatio7is of God in Christ in the souls of them that are glorified, and communications from him unto them. For all creatures must eternally live, even in heaven, in dependence on Him who is the eternal fountain of being, life, goodness, and blessed-
41.4^ THE GLORY OF CHRIST.
ness unto all. As we cannot subsist one moment in our beings, lives, souls, bodies, tlie inward or outward man, without tlie continual act- ings of divine power in us, and towards us; so in the glorified state our all shall depend eternally on divine power and goodness, commu- nicating themselves unto us, for all the ends of our blessed subsistence in heaven.
2. What is the way and manner of these communications, we cannot comprehend. We cannot, indeed, fully understand the nature and Vfay of his spiritual communications unto us in this life. We know these things' by their signs, their outward means, and. princi- pally by the effects they produce in the real change of our natures ; but in themselves we see but little of them. " The wind bloweth where it listeth, and we hear the sound thereof, but we know not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth ; so is every one that is bom of the Spirit," John iii. 8. All God's real operations in heaven and earth are incomprehensible, as being acts of infinite power; and we cannot search them out unto perfection.
3. All communications from the Divine Being and infinite ful- ness in heaven unto glorified saints, are in and through Christ Jesus, who shall for ever be the medium of communication between God and the church, even in glory. All things being gathered into one head in him, even thmgs in heaven, and things in earth, — that head being in immediate dependence on God, — this order shall never be dissolved, Eph. i. 10, 11; 1 Cor, iii. 23. And on these communica- tions from God through Christ depends entirely our continuance in a state of blessedness and glory. We shall no more be self-subsistent in glory than we are in nature or grace.
4. The way on our part whereby we shall receive these communi- cations from God by Christ, which are the eternal springs of life, peace, joy, and blessedness, is this vision the sight whereof we speak. For, as it is expressly assigned thereunto in the Scripture, so whereas it contains the perfect operation of our minds and souls in a perfect state, on the most perfect object, it is the only mea.ns of our blessed- ness. And this is the true cause whence there neither is nor can be any satiety or weariness in heaven, in the eternal contemplation of the same glory. For not only the object of our sight is absolutely infinite, which can never be searched unto the bottom, yea, is per- petually new unto a finite understanding; but our subjective blessed- ness consisting in continual fresh communications from the infinite fulness of the divine nature, derived unto us through vision, is always new, and always will be so to eternity. Herein shall all the saints of God drink of the rivers of pleasure that are at his right hand, be satisfied with his likeness, and refresh themselves in the eternal springs of life, light, and joy for evermore.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FAITH AND SIGHT OF IT. 415
This effect, — that %dew, which we have by faith of the glory of Christ in this world, doth not produce. It is sanctifying, not glori- fying. The best of saints are far from a perfect or glorified state in this life ; and that not only on the account of the outward evils which in their persons they are exposed unto, but also of the weakness and imperfection of their inward state in gi'ace. Yet we may obsei've some things unto the honour of faith in them who have received it. As, —
(] .) In its due exercise on Christ, it will give unto the souls of believers some jyrevious participation of future gloiy, working in them dispositions unto, and preparation for, the enjoyment of it.
(2.) There is no glory, no peace, no joy, no satisfaction in this world, to be compared with what we receive by that ivealc and ir)i- perfect view which we have of the glory of Christ by faith ; yea, all the joys of the world are a thing of nought in comparison of what we so receive.