diately, is a more excellent sort of knowledge than this by similitudes, names, and notions, which our learning now consists in, and is but an art acquired by many acts and use. If the sun were, as the heathens thought it, an intellectual animal, and its emitted rays were vitally visive, and when one of those rays were received by prepared seminal matter, as in insects, it became the soul of an inferior animal; in this case the said ray would operate in that insect or animal but according to the capacity of the recipient matter; whereas the sun itself, by all its emitted rays, would see all things intellectually, and with delight; and when that insect were dead, that ray would be what it was, an intellectual, intuitive emanation. Though the soul in flesh do not know itself, how it shall be united to Christ, and to all other holy souls, and to God himself, nor how near, or just of what sort that union will be, yet united it will be; and therefore will participate accordingly of the universal light of understanding to which it is united. The soul now as it is, or operates in the foot or hand, doth not understand, but only as it is, and operates in the head: and yet the same soul which is in the hand, understands in the head; and the soul operates not so selfishly or dividedly in the hand, as to repine there because it understands not there; but it is quiet in that it understands in the head, and performs .ts due operation in the hand. But this diversity of operations seems to be from the organs and body's use or need: but souls dismissed from the body seem to be as all eye, or intuitive light. Therefore though it might content us to say that our head sees all things, and we are united to him, yet we may say further, that we ourselves shall see God, and all things that are meet for us to see. Seeing it is most certain that the superior glorious regions are full of blessed spirits, who see God and one another, having much more perfect operations than we have, whose effects we mortals find here below, why should I that find an intellectual nature in myself, make any doubt of my more perfect operations when I am dismissed hence, being satisfied that a soul will not lose its simple essence. Either those superior spirits have ethereal bodies to act in, or are such themselves, or not: if they are or have such, why should I doubt of the like, and think that my substance or vehicle will not be according to the region of my abode? If not, why should I think that my departed soul may not know or see without an ethereal body or vehicle, as well as all those worlds of spirits. These things reviewed, being partly mentioned before, assuring me that I shall have actual intellect in my separated state, the region, with the objects, but above all the holy scriptures, will tell me as much as it is meet that I should here know what it is that I shall intuitively understand. The apostle doth distinguish our knowing in part and knowing perfectly, knowing as a child, and as a man, knowing darkly and enigmatically as in a glass, and knowing face to face as we are known. The great question is, when this time of perfection is? Whether he mean at death, or at the resurrection. If Dr Hammond's observation hold that árásarıç in scripture, when, the flesh or body, is not joined with it, signifies that life which the soul enters upon immediately after our death, and so that the soul hath that, after living, which is signified by the very word which we translate resurrec tion, then it will lead men to think that there is less difference between man's state, at his first departure, and at his last resurrection, than most think, even than Calvin himself thought. But the difference between our first and last state of after-life, or resurrection, cannot be now distinctly known. What difference there is now between Enoch, Elias, and those who rose at Christ's resurrection, and the rest of the saints, even the spirits of the perfected just, and whether the first have as much greater glory than the rest, as it is conceived that we shall have at the resurrection above that which immediately follows death, what mortal man can tell? I am past doubt that, 'Flesh and blood,' formally so called, and not only as sinful, shall not inherit the kingdom of God,' but that our natural bodies shall be made spiritual bodies: and how a spiritual body differs from a spirit or soul, I pretend not well to understand, but must stay till God, by experience or fuller light, inform me. But surely the difference is not like to be so great, as that a soul in flesh shall know in part, and a soul in a spiritual body shall know perfectly, and a soul between both shall not know at all. If it be perfection which we shall have in our spiritual body, it is likely that we are nearer to that perfection, in knowledge and felicity, while we are between both, than when we are in the flesh. Surely a soul that, even Solomon saith goes upward, and to God that gave it, is more likely to know God, than that which is terminated in flesh, and operates according to its capacity and state: and a soul that is with Christ, is more likely to know Christ, and the Father in him, than that which is present with the body, and absent from the Lord. What less can the promise of being | speaker's mind, and of the matter spoken of. As with him signify? As to the kind of knowledge, how excellent and more satisfactory a way will that of intuition or intellectual sense be than is our present way of abstraction, similitudes, and signs: what abundance of time, thoughts, and labour doth it cost us now to learn our grammar, our rhetoric, and our logic; to learn our wordy rules and axioms, in metaphysics, physics, &c. When we have learned them all, if all can be learned, how little the nearer are many to the knowing of the signified realities! We often get but a set of words to play with, to take up our time, and divert us from the matter: even as carnal men use the creatures which signify God, and are made to lead them up to him, to intangle them, and be the greatest and most pernicious diversion of their souls from God; so do too many learned men do by their knowledge. They use it as men do cards, romances, and plays, to delight their fancies; but they know less of the things that are worth their knowing, than many unlearned persons do, as I said before. Had not much of the Athenian learning been then a mere game, for men to play away their precious time at, and to grow proud of, while they were ignorant of saving realities, Christ and his apostles had not so much neglected it as they did, nor Paul so much warned men to take heed of being deceived by that vain kind of philosophy; in which he seems to me to have greater respect to the universal esteemed Athenian arts, than, as Dr Hammond thought, to the mere Gnostic pretensions. This poor, dreaming, signal artificial knowledge is costly, uncertain, contentious, and unsatisfactory, in comparison of intuitive knowledge. It is costly, as to the hard labour and precious time, which must be laid out for it, as aforesaid; we grow old in getting us horses, boots, and spurs, for our journey, and it is well if we begin it at the last : like a man that would study the new found planets, and the shape of Saturn and Jupiter's satellites, and the milky way, &c. and he spends his whole life in getting him the best tubes or telescopes, and never uses them to his ends or like one that instead of learning to write spends his life in getting the best ink, paper, and pens: or rather like one that learns to write and print exactly, and not to understand what any of his words signify. Men take their spectacles instead of eyes. When this learning is got, how uncertain are we whether the words have no ambiguity? Whether they give us the true notice of the I said before, what penury, and yet redundancy of words, have we? Of how various and uncertain signification? Changed by custom, or arbitrary design: sometimes by the vulgar use, and sometimes by learned men, that being conscious of the defectiveness of the speaking art, are still tampering, and attempting to amend it. Some men speak obscurely on purpose, to raise in their readers a conceit of their subtle and sublime conceptions. He that understands things most clearly, and speaks them most plainly, which are the parts of true learning, shall have much ado to get the matter out of dark and bewildering uncertainties, and to make others understand both it and him. Hence come the greatest part of the contentions of the world, which are hottest among men that most pretend to wordy knowledge: as in traffic and converse, the more men and business we have to do with, usually the more quarrels and differences we have; so the more of this wordy learning, instead of realities, men pretend to, the more disputes and controversies they make; and the instruments of knowledge prove the instruments of error and contention. Alas, how many applauded volumes are the snares and troublers of the world! How great a part of our libraries are vain janglings, and strife of words, and traps for the more ingenuous sort, that will not be taken with cards and dice, robbing us of our time, destroying our love, depressing our minds, that should ascend to God, and diverting them from the great and holy things which should be the matter of our thoughts and joys; and filling the church with sects and strife, while every one strives for the pre-eminence of his wit and notions, and few strive for holy love, unity, and good works. All this while, alas, too many learned men do but lick the outside of the glass, and leave the wine within untasted. To know God, Christ, heaven, and holiness, gives the soul a nourishing and strengthening kind of pleasure, like that of the appetite in its food: but this game at words is but a knowing of images, signs, and shadows, and so is but an image and shadow of true knowledge: it is not that grace which Austin's definition saith, 'no one makes ill use of,' but it is that which the sanctified use well, and the unsanctified are puffed up by, and use to the opposition of truth, the ostentation of a foolish wit, and the deceit of their own souls. If it be sanctified knowledge, it is but mediate in order to our knowledge of things thus signified: it is the real good which contents and beatifies, tion. Intuition feasts on these realities. though the notions may be a subordinate recrea- | fully follow on to know the Lord, do find usually such increase of light, not of vain notions, but of quickening and comforting knowledge of God on to seek for more. It is very pleasant here to increase in holy knowledge, though it usually bring an increase of malignant opposition, and so of sorrows to the flesh. As to the objects of this intuition, their excellency will be the excellency of our knowledge. as greatly encourages them, and draws them still I. I shall know God better. II. I shall know the universe better. III. I shall know Christ better. IV. I shall know the church, his body, better with the holy angels. V. I shall better know the methods and perfection of the scripture, and all God's word and will. VI. I shall know the methods and sense of disposing proviIdence better. VII. I shall know the divine benefits, which are the fruits of love, better. VIII. I shall know myself better. IX. I shall better know every fellow-creature which I am concerned to know. X. And I shall better know all that evil, sin, Satan, and misery, from which I am delivered. The pleasure that the mind hath in common knowledge, brings men through a great deal of labour to attain it: how many years travel over land and sea do some men take, to see and know more of this lower world? Though it is little that they bring home, but more acquaintance with sin, vanity, and vexation. How many more years do thousands spend in the reading multitudes of tedious volumes, that they may know what others knew before them. Printers and booksellers live by our desire of knowledge. What soul then on earth can possibly conceive how great a pleasure it will be for a glorified soul to see the Lord? Though I cannot now conceive what that intuition of God himself will be, and whether it will not be a glorious kind of concluding or abstract knowledge; whether the glory which we shall see be only a created appearance of God, or be his very essence, it satisfies me that it will be as perfect a knowledge as is fit for me to desire; and I shall then desire no more than is fit: and what it is I shall then know by itself, for it is not otherwise to be clearly known. All the pleasure that I shall have in heaven in knowing any of the works of God, will be in my beholding God himself, his being, his vital power and action, his wisdom, and his love and goodness in those works: for he is the life and glory of them all. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' I. Aquinas, and many others, took it for the chief natural proof of the soul's immortality, that man, by nature, desires not only to know effects and second causes, but to rise up to the knowledge of the first cause; and therefore was made for such knowledge in the state of his perfection: but grace hath much more of this desire than nature. Not that we must not be content to be without a great deal of knowledge, which would be unmeet for us, useless, troublesome, or dangerous to us; nor must we aspire to that which is above our capacity; and to know the unsearchable things of God: but not to know God is to know nothing, and to have an understanding worse than none. I presume not to pry into the secret of the Almighty, nor to pretend to know more of God than indeed I do; but O that I might know more of his glorious perfections, of his will, love, and ways, with that knowledge which is eternal life? Blessed be that love that sent the Son of God from heaven to reveal him to us in the gospel as he hath done: but all that hear the same words, and believe them, have not the same degree of light or faith. If an angel from heaven came down on earth to tell us all of God that we would know, and might lawfully desire and ask him, who would not turn his back on libraries, universities, and learned men, to go and discourse with such a messenger? What travel should I think too far? What cost too great for one hour's talk with such a messenger? But we must have here but such intimations as will exercise faith, and excite desire, and try us | minerals? No man ever yet perfectly knew under the temptations of the world and flesh the least of them all; no herbalist or physician the glorious light is the reward of the victory ever yet knew the nature and uses of any one obtained by the conduct of the light of grace. herb with an adequate knowledge: with what deGod in great mercy even here begins the reward: light and diligence are physical researches carthey that are true to the initial light, and faith-ried on in the world, though still we are all but II. Doubtless it will be no small part of my delight, to see and know God's perfect works, I mean, the universe itself; I cannot say that I shall have so large a capacity as to comprehend all the world, or know it perfectly, and with an adequate knowledge: but I shall know it in such perfection as is suitable to my capacity. It is exceedingly pleasant to know the least particles of the works of God: with what diligence and delight have men endeavoured to anatomize a body, yea, a small part of one, and to know and describe poor worms and insects, plants and rest. in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom. To know the mystery of his eternal Godhead, in the second person, and his created nature, and the union of these, and to see God's wonderful design and work of grace in him laid open to our clearest view, O what beatifying knowledge would this be! All dark texts concerning his person, his office, and his works, will then be expounded and fully understood: all those strange and difficult things which were the great exercise and honour of faith, will then be plain: difficulties will no more be Satan's advantage to tempt us to unbelief or doubting. The sight of the glory of my Lord will be my glory. If Paul had not then attained to perfection in the knowledge of Christ, and the power of his resurrection, but was pressing forward to reach that crown in the life to come, which he calls the resurrection of the dead,' such as I must not expect here to attain it; but when that which is perfect is come, this imperfect knowledge of faith will be done away, as childish knowledge is in manly: the glass and riddle shall be laid aside, when we shall see face to face, and shall know as we are known,' as to our sight and knowledge of Christ and his triumphant body: for I dare not apply that phrase to the sight and knowledge of the divine essence; nor yet deny it. groping in the dark, and ignorant of many | by him, will not be the least of my felicity, for things for one that we know, and therefore know no one perfectly, because we are ignorant of the But if indeed we were above our dreaming, erroneous hypotheses, and saw the nature of every creature, even in sea and land, this little spot of God's creation, and the appendages of all, O, what a delightful spectacle would it be! How much more to see the whole creation, yea, or one system of the globes, and to know their union and communion, and to behold their beauteous symmetry, and to hear them in concord and melodious harmony praising the glory of their great, wise, amiable Creator; this were a delectable sight indeed! I shall have as much of this as I shall be capable of: the wonders and glories of the works of God, shall wrap up my soul, in admiring, joyful praise for ever. Though here it be but little of God's works that we know, I have great reason to think that it will be far otherwise there. 1. Because the state of perfection must far excel our dark and infant state of imperfection we have now desires after such a knowledge: his works are great, sought out of them that have pleasure therein.' These desires being of God, shall not be frustrated. 2. Because there will be proportionable parts of our perfection; and therefore as our love to God and his works will be there perfected, so will be our knowledge. 3. Because we shall know God himself as much as we are capable, and therefore we shall know his works in him, or by a subordinate knowledge, the less being in the greater. 4. Because God hath made his works to be known to his glory but it is little that is here known of them by mortals; therefore they are known by them in heaven, who are fitted to improve that knowledge to his praise. If Christ, who is the wisdom of God, will teach me the true philosophy, how to love God, and live here in all well-pleasing unto him, I shall quickly in heaven be a perfect philosopher; and experience will tell me, that the surest way to be truly learned, and know the wonderful works of God, was to know, love, and serve the great Creator, and in him we shall have all, and without him we know nothing, and have nothing at all. Satan tempted Christ by showing him the kingdoms and glory of the world, and promising them all to him if he would have worshipped him but God will show me more than Satan could show, and give me more of that which is best, than Satan could give. III. That in heaven I shall better know Jesus Christ, and all the mystery of our redemption If now though we see not Christ, yet believing we love him, and rejoice in him with unspeakable glorying joy: what love and joy will the everlasting sight of our blessed Head excite there in the souls of all the glorified. IV. I shall better, O much better, know the heavenly Jerusalem, the triumphant church, the blessed angels and glorified saints: as my love to them, so my knowledge of them, will not be the least part of my heavenly delight. As strangely as I now look upward to that world, because I cannot see it with these eyes, it shall be my well known everlasting habitation. O what a sight, what a joyful sight, will death show me by drawing aside the vail! Or rather the Lord of life by turning death to my advantage! When I am there at home, I shall no more think with confusion, fear, or doubting, of that blessed place or state. My fears, which now come from the smallness of my faith, will end when faith is turned into vision. As I now know the several rooms in my house, and houses in the street, and streets in the city, so shall I then know the many mansions which Christ hath said are in his Father's house. Words now give me so poor, imperfect a conception of the world and things which I never saw, as that sometimes I can scarcely tell whether the joy of my faith, or | and holy, though weak and blemished, companthe trouble of my dark apprehensions, be the ion been to me here on earth! And how lovely greater: but when I shall see the place and per- have God's graces in such, though sullied, apsons, the glory which I heard of, that will be the peared to me! O then what a sight will it be delightful, satisfying, and possessing kind of when we shall see the millions of souls that shine knowledge. If Nehemiah and the godly Jews in perfect wisdom and holiness with Christ! To made so great a matter of seeing the walls of see a garden that hath some beautiful flowers in Jerusalem repaired, and others of the imperfect it, is something: but if you saw whole fields and rebuilding of the temple, O what a joyful sight countries shining with them, it would be a glory, to me will the heavenly Jerusalem then be! The though fading, to the earth. A well-built city most glorious sight will be at the great marriage- is a more pleasant sight than a single house; and day of the Lamb, when Christ shall come to be a navy than a ship; and an army than one man. glorified in his saints, and admired in all them If this poor, low world did all consist of wise, that now believe.' But the next to that will be just, and holy persons, O what an orderly, lovely the day of my particular deliverance, when I world would it be! If one kingdom consisted, shall come to Christ, and see the saints admiring (prince, magistrates, pastors, and people,) all of him in glory. such, what a blessed kingdom would that be! The plague of wicked men's deceits, falsehoods, oppressions, and iniquities, may help to make us sensible of this. It would be a great temptation to us to be loth to die, and leave such a country, were it not that the more the beauty of goodness appears, the more the state of perfection is desired. It is pleasant to me to pray in hope as Christ hath commanded me, that earth may be made liker unto heaven, which now is become so like to hell: but when I shall see the society perfected, in number, in holiness, in glory, in heavenly employment, the joyful praises of Jehovah, the glory of God and the Lamb shining on them, and God rejoicing over them as his delight, and myself partaking of the same, that will be the truly blessed day! And why doth my soul, imprisoned in flesh, no more desire it? If I were of the opinion of those Greek fathers, who thought that stars were angels, or had intellectual souls, (matters unknown to us,) I should love them as my guardians, and take it to be yet more of my concern to be advanced to the fuller knowledge of them. But seeing I know that angels love us, and by office attend and keep us, and rejoice at our good, and at our repentance, and, which is far more, are more holy and excellent creatures than we are; it is therefore my comfort to think that I shall better know them, and live in near and perpetual acquaintance and communion with them, a more sensible and sweet communion than we can have with them here. Devils are aerial, and near to this dark and sinful world, and more often appear to men than angels: but the angels affect not such descending appearances, till love and obedience to their Lord make it pleasing to them. Therefore we have but little knowledge, even of those that know, love, and keep us : but when we come home to their nearest society and converse, to know them will be sweet and joyful knowledge. For they are more excellent creatures than the most glorious that are here below the intellectual nature: they are full of light, and full of love to God and man. Had God bid me pray to them, I would not have refused it, but taken it for my honour but seeing he hath not, I will do that which he hath bid me, even love them, and re-show me the admirable methods of those sacred joice in my relation to the innumerable company of them, in the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and long to know and love them more; expecting ere long to bear my part in the praises of God and of the Lamb, in the same choir where they are the precentors. That I shall know the spirits of the perfected just, and be of their communion, will be no small addition to my joy. How sweet hath one wise V. I shall better understand all the word of God: the matter, and the method of it; though I shall not have that use for it as I have now in this life of faith, yet I shall see more of God's wisdom and his goodness, his love, mercy, and justice appearing in it, than ever man on earth could do! As the creatures, so the scriptures, are perfectly known only by perfect spirits. I shall then know now to solve all doubts, and reconcile all seeming contradictions, and to expound the hardest prophecies: that light will words, where dark minds now suspect confusion! How evident and clear then will every thing appear to me! Like a small print when the light comes in, which I could not read in the glimmering twilight. How easily shall I then confute the cavils of all our present unbelievers! How joyfully shall I praise that God and Saviour, that gave his church so clear a light to guide them through this darksome world, and so sure |