ject for our weak Sight. The Apostle St. Paul tells us, 1 Tim. vi. 16. that He dwells in the Light which no Man can approach unto, whom no Man hath feen, nor can fee. This feeing of God, then, must be with the Eye of the Mind, and we are. to understand it both of that Measure of the Knowledge of God which is communicated to good Men here, and of that more perfect Knowledge of God which shall be communicated to them hereafter.

Of that Measure of Knowledge of God which is attainable here, fome is more imperfect by the Light of Nature; (b) For the invifible Things of him from the Creation of the World are difcerned, being understood by the Things that are made, even his eternal Power and Godhead. Some other is more perfect, namely, as it is revealed in God's Word, tho' in that the Law and the Prophets were very obfcure; and till Chrift brought us the Revelation of God's Mercy and Good-will to Mankind, we were very much in the Dark, as to that Particular. No Man bath feen God at any Time, faith St. John, Chap. i. 18. The only begotten Son, which is in the Bofom of the Father, be bath declared him. Yet after all the Manifestation Chrift has thought fit to make of the Father, even that is very dark, in Comparison of what it shall be in the future State. St. Paul compares the one to feeing through a Glass darkly, and the other to Seeing Face to Face, 1 Cor. xiii. 12. But what that beatifick Vifion will be, we can but very imperfectly tell, tho' in general we know it will be infinitely glorious and happy; yet, from this Pro

(b) Rom. i. 20

mile

mife in the Text, we may apprehend somewhat of the Felicity of that future State. For,

1. As it is a Knowledge of God, and Acquaintance with him, we may eafily apprehend that it will be the greatest Improvement of the Underftanding. If the Queen of Sheba could obferve how happy Solomon's Servants were, who stood continually before him, and heard his Wisdom; what a vast Degree of Happiness must it be, to be acquainted with unerring Wisdom itself; to have the Secrets of God's Providence explained, the Beauty of his Counfels and Works displayed, all the Endearments of his Love made known, and all the Advantages of his everlasting Friendship clearly reprefented to the enlightened Mind and Understanding.

2. This Knowledge of God will not only improve the Understanding, by presenting it with the best Objects, but by enlarging the Powers and Capacities of it, to take in a vaft deal of that Knowledge unfpeakably beyond what in this imperfect State it is capable of. For here, as our bodily Eyes are foon blinded by looking upon the Sun in its meridian Brightnefs; fo our weak Understandings are foon amazed and confounded with the Contemplation of God's Nature and Attributes, and with the Confideration of his Works of Creation and Providence; as being a, Subject far above its Reach and Capacity. But then the Mind shall be so much improved in its intellectual Faculty, that there will be as great a Difference between what it understands now, and what it fhall understand then, as there is between feeing a remote Object by the help of a ProfpeЄtive

Q3

ctive Glass, and the feeing it at Hand, what the Apoftle calls Face to Face.

3. This Knowledge will not be a dry speculative Knowledge, influencing only the Brain and the intellectual Faculty, as much of our Knowledge of divine Things is here below; but it will fuitably affect us with Love and Complacence; it will be a lively Senfe and Experience, rather than a Knowledge and Contemplation: And confequently will break in upon the Heart and Affetions with all the Tenderness of a pure Love, and ravishing Joy and Delight, which is altogether unconceivable, and indeed inexplicable by any of those inferior Loves and Complacencies we know here below: For befides that the Objects of them are of infinitely lefs Dignity, and prove commonly but mere Vanities and Delufions, never affording the Heart that Degree of Happiness and Satisfaction which it promised itfelf in the Enjoyment of them; there are fo many Things to allay and abate, and at last totally to deftroy that pretended Felicity, that it is nothing, or less than nothing, in comparison of the Love and Enjoyment of an Object of infinite and endless Worth, without any the leaft Fear or Sorrow with it, and in whom, tho' fuch Degrees of Happiness and Perfection fhall be immediately discovered as are fufficient to content and fatisfy the greatest rational Defire; yet there fhall be continually a gradual Increase of Knowledge and Love, by new Discoveries of Perfection, and fresh Participations of Joy to all Eternity. But after all we must confefs that this Part of the Happinefs of feeing God in Heaven, doth infinitely exceed all we can conceive or fpeak of it.

III. The

III. The Third Thing I was to confider from the Words is, what Influence this Purity of Heart has in difpofing us for the Knowledge and Vifion of God; and here I shall país by how it disposes us by way of Condition. What seems to me moft peculiar in the Promises annexed to these Beatitudes, is, that they are fomething refulting. from the Nature of the Chriftian Virtues themfelves, to which the Bleffings are annexed. Poverty in Spirit, or a Difengagement of the Heart from the World, doth naturally dispose the Mind both for the evangelical State here, and for the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter; godly Sorrow doth naturally difpofe us for fpiritual Comforts; Meeknefs qualifies a Man for a quiet Enjoyment of his worldly Inheritance and Poffeffion; Honefty fecures a Man against Want and Poverty, and helps to provide him with a Competency of the good Things of this Life; Mercifulness naturally moves Mercy and Commiferation in others; and inward Purity here doth mightily prepare and difpofe the Soul for the Knowledge, Senfe, and Love of God: For there can be no greater Weight and Biafs upon the Soul to hinder. it in its Contemplation and Love of God, than the Love of unlawful Pleasures; and that for these, among other Reasons,

1. Because they intoxicate and bewitch a Man that he can't know, or be rightly fenfible of his true Interest, or undertake any wife Conduct of himself. (c) Whoredom and Wine take away the

Heart.

2. They blunt his Understanding, that he can have no right Senfe of God and Religion, but,

like

(4) Hosea iv, 111

like a brute Beast, he blindly follows the brutish Appetite, tho' to his own Destruction. He goeth after her ftraightway, faith Solomon, Prov. vii. 22. as an Ox goeth to the Slaughter, or as a Fool to the Correction of the Stocks; till a Dart ftrike through bis Liver, as a Bird hafteth to the Snare, and knoweth not that it is for his Life.

3. They ftupify his Confideration, that tho' he is endowed with better Principles, and knows better Things, he can't mind or confider them. Thus it is recorded of Solomon himself, for all his Wifdom and Experience, that (d) When he was old, bis many Wives turned away bis Heart after other gods; and his Heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the Heart of David his Father. And tho' they have not this Effect on all Men to turn them away to Idolatry, they certainly turn their Minds from seeking and minding God.

4. They weaken the Refolution and active Faculties, that they can't flee upwards towards God in Devotion, or put any good Purpose vigorously in Execution. In this refpect the Heart of a whorish Woman is compared to Snares and Nets, and her Hands to Bands; and the Difficulty of extricating one's felf from those evil Habits, is compared to a Man's ftruggling to get out of (e) a deep Ditch, or narrow Pit. In fhort, it is certain that nothing doth more steal away the Heart from God than the Love of finful Pleasures, If we shake off thefe, we not only remove the greatest Impediment to the Knowledge and Love of God, but prepare the Soul for the Influences of God's holy Spirit. As in a clear Lookingglafs the Face is best seen, so in a pure Heart we (d) 1 Kings xi. 4. (e) Prov. xxiii. 27.

fee