Eighty Sermons, Easter · Sermon 23
SERMON XXIII. Preached at S. Pauls, for Eaſter-day. 1628.
1 COR. 13.12.
For now we ſee through a Glaſſe darkly, But then face to ſace; Now I know in part, But then I ſhall know, even as alſo I am knowne.
THeſe two termes in our Text, Nunc and Tunc, Now and Then, Now in a glaſſe, Then face to face, Now in part, Then in perfection, theſe two ſecular termes, of which, one deſignes the whole Age of this world from the Creation, to the diſſolution thereof (for, all that is comprehended in this word, Now) And the other deſignes the everlaſtingneſſe of the next world, (for that incomprehenſibleneſſe is comprehended in the other word, Then) Theſe two words, that deſign two ſuch Ages, are now met in one Day; in this Day, in which we celebrate all Reſurrections in the roote, in the Reſurrection of our Lord and Saviour Chriſt Jeſus, bleſſed for ever. For the firſt Term, Now (Now in a glaſſe, now in part) is intended moſt eſpecially of that very act, which we do now at this preſent, that is, of the Miniſtery of the Goſpell, of declaring God in his Ordinance, of Preaching his word; (Now, in this Miniſtery of his Goſpell, we ſee in a glaſſe, we know in part) And then the Then, the time of ſeeing face to face, and knowing as we are knowne, is intended of that time, which we celebrate this day, the day of Reſurrection, the day of Judgement, the day of the actuall poſſeſſion of the next life. So that this day, this whole Scripture is fulfilled in your eares; for now, (now in this Preaching) you have ſome ſight, and then, (Then when that day comes, which (in the firſt roote thereof) we celebrate this day) you ſhall have a perfect ſight of all; Now we ſee through a glaſſe, &c.
That therefore you may the better know him,Diviſio. when you come to ſee him face to face, then, by having ſeen him in a glaſſe now, and that your ſeeing him now in his Ordinance, may prepare you to ſee him then in his Eſſence, proceed we thus in the handling of theſe words. Firſt, That there is nothing brought into compariſon, into conſideration, nothing put into the balance, but the ſight of God, the knowledge of God; It is not called a better ſight, nor a better knowledge, but there is no other ſight, no other knowledge propoſed, or mentioned, or intimated, or imagined but this; All other ſight is blindneſſe, all other knowledge is ignorance; And then we ſhall ſee how there is a twofold ſight of God, and a twofold knowledge of God propoſed to us here; A ſight, and a knowledge here in this life, and another manner of ſight, and another manner of knowledge in the life to come: For, here we ſee God In ſpeculo, in a glaſſe, that is, by reflexion, And here we know God In aenigmate, ſayes our Text, Darkly, (ſo we tranſlate it) that is, by obſcure repreſentations, and therefore it is called a Knowledge but in part; But in heaven, our ſight is face to face, And our knowledge is to know, as we are knowne.
For our ſight of God here, our Theatre, the place where we ſit and ſee him, is the whole world, the whole houſe and frame of nature, and our medium, our glaſſe, is the Booke of Creatures, and our light, by which we ſee him, is the light of Naturall Reaſon. And then, for our knowledge of God here, our Place, our Academy, our Univerſity is the Church, our medium, is the Ordinance of God in his Church, Preaching, and Sacraments; and our light is the light of faith. Thus we ſhall finde it to be, for our ſight, and for our knowledge of God here. But for our ſight of God in heaven, our place, our Spheare is heaven it ſelfe, our medium is the Patefaction, the Manifeſtation, the Revelation of God himſelfe, and our light is the light of Glory. And then, for our knowledge of God there, God himſelf is All; God himſelf is the place, we ſee Him, in Him; God is our medium, we ſee Him, by him; God is our light; not a light which is His, but a light which is He; not a light which flowes from him, no, nor a light which is in him, but that light which is He himſelf. Lighten our darkneſſe, we beſeech thee, O Lord, O Father of lights, that in thy light we may ſee light, that now we ſee this through this thy glaſſe, thine Ordinance, and, by the good of this, hereafter face to face.
The ſight is ſo much the Nobleſt of all the ſenſes, as that it is all the ſenſes.Viſio. As the reaſonable ſoul of man, when it enters, becomes all the ſoul of man, and he hath no longer a vegetative, and a ſenſitive ſoul, but all is that one reaſonable ſoul; ſo, ſayes S. Aug. (and he exemplifies it, by ſeverall pregnant places of Scripture) Viſus per omnes ſenſus recurrit, Aug.All the ſenſes are called Seeing; as there is videre & audire, S. Iohn turned to ſee the ſound; Apoc. 1. Pſal. 34.9.and there is Guſtate, & videte, Taſte, and ſee, how ſweet the Lord is; And ſo of the reſt of the ſenſes, all is ſight. Employ then this nobleſt ſenſe upon the nobleſt object, ſee God; ſee God in every thing, and then thou needſt not take off thine eye from Beauty, from Riches, from Honour, from any thing. S. Paul ſpeaks here of a diverſe ſeeing of God. Of ſeeing God in a glaſſe, and ſeeing God face to face; but of not ſeeing God at all, the Apoſtle ſpeaks not at all.
When Chriſt tooke the blinde man by the hand,Mark 8.23. though he had then begun his cure upon him, yet hee asked him, if hee ſaw ought: Something he was ſure he ſaw; but it was a queſtion whether it were to be called a ſight, for he ſaw men but as trees. The naturall man ſees Beauty, and Riches, and Honour, but yet it is a queſtion whether he ſees them or no, becauſe he ſees them, but as a ſnare. But he that ſees God in them, ſees them to be beames and evidences of that Beauty, that Wealth, that Honour, that is in God, that is God himſelfe. The other blinde man that importuned Chriſt,Mark 10.46. Ieſus thou Son of David have mercy on me, when Chriſt asked him, What wilt thou, that I ſhall doe unto thee? Had preſently that anſwer, Lord that I may receive my ſight; And we may eaſily think, that if Chriſt had asked him a ſecond queſtion, What wouldſt thou ſee, when thou haſt received thy ſight, he would have anſwered, Lord I would ſee thee; For when he had his ſight, and Chriſt ſaid to him, Goe thy way, he had no way to goe from Chriſt, but, as the Text ſayes there, He followed him. All that he cared for, was ſeeing, all that he cared to ſee, was Chriſt. Whether he would ſee a Peace or a Warre, may be a States-mans Probleme; whether he would ſee plenty or ſcarcity of ſome commodity, may be a Merchants Probleme; whether he would ſee Rome, or Spaine grow in greatneſſe, may be a Jeſuits Probleme; But whether I had not rather ſee God then any thing, is no Problematicall matter. All ſight is blindneſſe, that was our firſt; all knowledge is Ignorance, till we come to God, that is our next Conſideration.
The firſt act of the will, is love, ſayes the Schoole; for till the will love, till it would have ſomething, it is not a will. But then, Amare niſi nota non poſſumus; Scientia. Aug.It is impoſſible to love any thing till we know it: Firſt our Underſtanding muſt preſent it as Verum, as a Knowne truth, and then our Will imbraces it as Bonum, as Good, and worthy to be loved. Therefore the Philoſopher concludes eaſily, as a thing that admits no contradiction. That naturally, all men deſire to know, that they may love. But then, as the addition of an honeſt man, varies the ſignification, with the profeſſion, and calling of the man, (for he is a honeſt man at Court, that oppreſſes no man with his power; and at the Exchange he is the honeſt man, that keeps his word; and in an Army, the Valiant man is the honeſt man) ſo the Addition of learned and underſtanding, varies with the man: The Divine, the Phyſitian, the Lawyer are not qualified, nor denominated by the ſame kinde of learning. But yet, as it is for honeſty, there is no honeſt man at Court, or Exchange, or Army, if he beleeve not in God; ſo there is no knowledge in the Phyſitian, nor Lawyer, if he know not God. Neither does any man know God, except he know him ſo, as God hath made himſelfe known, that is, In Chriſt. Therefore, as S. Paul deſires to know nothing elſe, ſo let no man pretend to know any thing, but Chriſt Crucified; that is, Crucified for him, made his. In the eighth verſe of this Chapt. he ſayes, Propheſie ſhall faile, and Tongues ſhall faile, and Knowledge ſhall vaniſh; but this knowledge of God in Chriſt made mine, by being Crucified for me, ſhall dwell with me for ever. And ſo from this generall conſideration, All ſight is blindneſſe, all knowledge is ignorance, but of God, we paſſe to the particular Conſideration of that twofold ſight and knowledge of God expreſſed in this Text, Now we ſee through a glaſſe, &c.
Firſt then we conſider,2. Part. Viſio. (before we come to our knowledge of God) our ſight of God in this world, and that is, ſayes our Apoſtle, In ſpeculo, we ſee as in a glaſſe. But how doe we ſee in a glaſſe? Truly, that is not eaſily determined. The old Writers in the Optiques ſaid, That when we ſee a thing in a glaſſe, we ſee not the thing it ſelfe, but a repreſentation onelyonly; All the later men ſay, we doe ſee the thing it ſelfe, but not by direct, but by reflected beames. It is a uſeleſſe labour for the preſent, to reconcile them. This may well conſiſt with both, That as that which we ſee in a glaſſe, aſſures us, that ſuch a thing there is, (for we cannot ſee a dreame in a glaſſe, nor a fancy, nor a Chimera) ſo this ſight of God, which our Apoſtle ſayes we have in a glaſſe, is enough to aſſure us, that a God there is.
This glaſſe is better then the water; The water gives a crookedneſſe, and falſe dimenſions to things that it ſhewes; as we ſee by an Oare when we row a Boat, and as the Poet deſcribes a wry and diſtorted face, Qui faciem ſub aqua Phoebe natant is habes, That he looked like a man that ſwomme under water. But in the glaſſe, which the Apoſtle intends, we may ſee God directly, that is, ſee directly that there is a God. And therefore S. Cyrils addition in this Text, is a Diminution; Videmus quaſi in fumo, ſayes he, we ſee God as in a ſmoak; we ſee him better then ſo; for it is a true ſight of God, though it be not a perfect ſight, which we have this way. This way, our Theatre, where we ſit to ſee God, is the whole frame of nature; our medium, our glaſſe in which we ſee him, is the Creature; and our light by which we ſee him, is Naturall Reaſon.
Aquinas calls this Theatre,Theatrum, Mundus. where we ſit and ſee God, the whole world; And David compaſſes the world, and findes God every where, and ſayes at laſt, Whither ſhall I flie from thy preſence? Pſal. 138.8.If I aſcend up into heaven, thou art there; At Babel they thought to build to heaven; but did any men ever pretend to get above heaven? above the power of winds, or the impreſſion of other malignant Meteors, ſome high hils are got: But can any man get above the power of God? If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermoſt parts of the Sea, there thy right hand ſhall hold me, and lead me. If we ſaile to the waters above the Firmament, it is ſo too. Nay, take a place, which God never made, a place which grew out of our ſins, that is Hell, yet, If we make our bed in hell, God is there too. It is a wofull Inne, to make our bed in, Hell; and ſo much the more wofull, as it is more then an Inne; an everlaſting dwelling: But even there God is; and ſo much more ſtrangely then in any other place, becauſe he is there, without any emanation of any beame of comfort from him, who is the God of all conſolation, or any beame of light from him, who is the Father of all lights. In a word, whether we be in the Eaſterne parts of the world, from whom the truth of Religion is paſſed, or in the Weſterne, to which it is not yet come; whether we be in the darkneſſe of ignorance, or darkneſſe of the works of darkneſſe, or darkneſſe of oppreſſion of ſpirit in ſadneſſe, The world is the Theatre that repreſents God, and every where every man may, nay muſt ſee him.
The whole frame of the world is the Theatre,Medium, Creatura. and every creature the ſtage, the medium, the glaſſe in which we may ſee God. Moſes made the Laver in the Tabernacle, of the looking glaſſes of women: Exod. 38.8.Scarce can you imagine a vainer thing (except you will except the vaine lookers on, in that action) then the looking-glaſſes of women; and yet Moſes brought the looking-glaſſes of women to a religious uſe, to ſhew them that came in, the ſpots of dirt, which they had taken by the way, that they might waſh themſelves cleane before they paſſed any farther.
There is not ſo poore a creature but may be thy glaſſe to ſee God in. The greateſt ſlat glaſſe that can be made, cannot repreſent any thing greater then it is: If every gnat that flies were an Arch-angell, all that could but tell me, that there is a God; and the pooreſt worme that creeps, tells me that. If I ſhould aske the Baſilisk, how cameſt thou by thoſe killing eyes, he would tell me, Thy God made me ſo; And if I ſhould aske the Slowworme, how cameſt thou to be without eyes, he would tell me, Thy God made me ſo. The Cedar is no better a glaſſe to ſee God in, then the Hyſſope upon the wall; all things that are, are equally removed from being nothing; and whatſoever hath any beeing, is by that very beeing, a glaſſe in which we ſee God, who is the roote, and the fountaine of all beeing. The whole frame of nature is the Theatre, the whole Volume of creatures is the glaſſe, and the light of nature, reaſon, is our light, which is another Circumſtance.
Of thoſe words, Iohn 1.9. That was the true light, Lux rationi….that lighteth every man that commeth into the World, the ſlackeſt ſenſe that they can admit, gives light enough to ſee God by. If we ſpare S. Chryſoſtomes ſenſe, That that light, is the light of the Goſpel, and of Grace, and that that light, conſidered in it ſelf, and without oppoſition in us, does enlighten, that is, would enlighten, every man, if that man did not wink at that light; If we forbear S. Auguſtines ſenſe, That light enlightens every man, that is, every man that is enlightned, is enlightned by that light; If we take but S. Cyrils ſenſe, that this light is the light of naturall Reaſon, which, without all queſtion, enlightneth every man that comes into the world, yet have we light enough to ſee God by that light, in the Theatre of Nature, and in the glaſſe of Creatures. God affords no man the comfort, the falſe comfort of Atheiſm: He will not allow a pretending Atheiſt the power to flatter himſelf, ſo far, as ſeriouſly to thinke there is no God. He muſt pull out his own eyes, and ſee no creature, before he can ſay, he ſees no God; He muſt be no man, and quench his reaſonable ſoule, before he can ſay to himſelfe, there is no God. The difference betweene the Reaſon of man, and the Inſtinct of the beaſt is this, That the beaſt does but know, but the man knows that he knows. The beſtiall Atheiſt will pretend that he knows there is no God; but he cannot ſay, that hee knows, that he knows it; for, his knowledge will not ſtand the battery of an argument from another, nor of a ratiocination from himſelfe. He dares not aske himſelfe, who is it that I pray to, in a ſudden danger, if there be no God? Nay he dares not aske, who is it that I ſweare by, in a ſudden paſſion, if there be no God? Whom do I tremble at, and ſweat under, at midnight, and whom do I curſe by next morning, if there be no God? It is ſafely ſaid in the Schoole, Media perfecta ad quae ordinantur, How weak ſoever thoſe meanes which are ordained by God, ſeeme to be, and be indeed in themſelves, yet they are ſtrong enough to thoſe ends and purpoſes, for which God ordained them.
And ſo, for ſuch a ſight of God, as we take the Apoſtle to intend here, which is, to ſee that there is a God, The frame of Nature, the whole World is our Theatre, the book of Creatures is our Medium, our glaſſe, and naturall reaſon is light enough. But then, for the other degree, the other notification of God, which is, The knowing of God, though that alſo be firſt to be conſidered in this world, the meanes is of a higher nature, then ſerved for the ſight of God; and yet, whilſt we are in this World, it is but In aenigmate, in an obſcure Riddle, a repreſentation, darkly, and in part, as we tranſlate it.
As the glaſſe which we ſpoke of before, was propoſed to the ſenſe,Scientia Dei. and ſo we might ſee God, that is, ſee that there is a God, This anigma that is ſpoken of now, this darke ſimilitude, and compariſon, is propoſed to our faith, and ſo far we know God, that is, Beleeve in God in this life, but by aenigmaes, by darke repreſentations, and alluſions. Therefore ſaies S. Auguſtine, that Moſes ſaw God, in that converſation which he had with him in the Mount, Sevocatus ab omni corporis ſenſu, Removed from all benefit and aſſiſtance of bodily ſenſes, (He needed not that Glaſſe, the helpe of the Creature) And more then ſo, Ab omni ſignificativo aenigmate Spiritus, Removed from all alluſions, or ſimilitudes, or repreſentations of God, which might bring God to the underſtanding, and ſo to the beliefe; Moſes knew God by a more immediate working, then either ſenſe, or underſtanding, or faith. Therefore ſaies that Father, Per ſpeculum & aenigma, by this which the Apoſtle cals a glaſſe, and this which he cals aenigma, a dark repreſentation Intelliguntur omnia accommodata ad notificandum Deum, He underſtands all things by which God hath notified himſelfe to man: By the Glaſſe, to his Reaſon, by the aenigma to his faith. And ſo, for this knowing of God, by way of Beleeving in him, (as for ſeeing him, our Theatre was the world, the Creature was our glaſſe, and Reaſon was our light) Our Academy to learne this knowledge, is the Church, our Medium is the Ordinance and Inſtitution of Chriſt in his Church, and our light is the light of faith, in the application of thoſe Ordinances in that Church.
This place then where we take our degrees in this knowledge of God, our Academy, our Univerſity for that,Academia, Eccleſia. is the Church; for, though, as there may be ſome few examples given, of men that have growne learned, who never ſtudied at Univerſity; ſo there may be ſome examples of men enlightned by God, and yet not within that covenant which conſtitutes the Church; yet the ordinary place for Degrees is the Univerſity, and the ordinary place for Illumination in the knowledge of God, is the Church. There fore did God, who ever intended to have his Kingdome of Heaven well peopled, ſo powerfully, ſo miraculouſly enlarge his way to it, The Church, that it proſpered as a wood, which no felling, no ſtubbing, could deſtroy. We finde in the Acts of the Church, five thouſand Martyrs executed in a day;Acts 4.4. And we finde in the Acts of the Apoſtles five thouſand brought to the Church, by one Sermon; ſtill our Chriſtnings were equall to our burials at leaſt.
Therefore when Chriſt ſaies to the Church,Luke 12.32. Feare not little flock, it was not Quia de magnominuitur, ſed quia de puſillo creſcit, ſaies Chryſologus, Not becauſe it ſhould fall from great to little, but riſe from little to great. Such care had Chriſt of the growth thereof; and then ſuch care of the eſtabliſhment, and power thereof, as that the firſt time, that ever he names the Church,Mat. 16.18. he inveſts it with an aſſurance of perpetuity, VponUpon this Rock will I build my Church, and the gates of Hell ſhall not prevaile againſt it; Therein is denoted the ſtrength and ſtability of the Church in it ſelfe, and then the power and authority of the Church upon others, in thoſe often directions, Dic Eccleſiae, complaine to the Church, and conſult with the Church, and then Audi Eccleſiam, Harken to the Church, be judged by the Church; heare not them, that heare not the Church; And then Ejice de Eccleſia, let them that diſobey the Church, be caſt out of the Church. In all which, we are forbidden private Conventicles, private Spirits, private Opinions. For, as S. Auguſtine ſaies well,Pſal. 49. (and he cites it from another whom he names not, Quidam dixit) If a wall ſtand ſingle, not joyned to any other wall, he that makes a doore through the wall, and paſſes through that doore, Adhuc foris eſt, for all this is without ſtill, Nam domus noneſt, One wall makes not a houſe; One opinion makes not Catholique Doctrine, one man makes not a Church; for this knowledge of God, the Church is our Academy, there we muſt be bred; and there we may be bred all our lives, and yet learne nothing. Therefore, as we muſt be there, ſo there we muſt uſe the meanes; And the meanes in the Church, are the Ordinances, and Inſtitutions of the Church.
The moſt powerfull meanes is the Scripture;Medium, Inſtitutie. But the Scripture in the Church. Not that we are diſcouraged from reading the Scripture at home: God forbid we ſhould think any Chriſtian family to be out of the Church. At home, the holy Ghoſt is with thee in the reading of the Scriptures; But there he is with thee as a Remembrancer, (The Holy Ghoſt ſhall bring to your remembrance whatſoever I have ſaid unto you, ſaies our Saviour) Here,Iohn 14.26. in the Church, he is with thee, as a Doctor to teach thee; Firſt learne at Church and then meditate at home, Receive the ſeed by hearing the Scriptures interpreted here, and water it by returning to thoſe places at home. When Chriſt bids you Search the Scriptures, he meanes you ſhould go to them, who have a warrant to ſearch; A warrant in their Calling. To know which are Scriptures, To know what the holy Ghoſt ſaies in the Scriptures, apply thy ſelfe to the Church. Not that the Church is a Judge above the Scriptures, (for the power, and the Commiſſion which the Church hath, it hath from the Scriptures) but the Church is a Judge above thee, which are the Scriptures, and what is the ſenſe of the Holy Ghoſt in them.
So then thy meanes are the Scriptures; That is thy evidence: but then this evidence muſt be ſealed to thee in the Sacraments, and delivered to thee in Preaching, and ſo ſealed and delivered to thee in the preſence of competent witneſſes, the Congregation. When S. Paul was carried up In raptu, 2 Cor. 12.4.in an extaſie, into Paradiſe, that which he gained by this powerfull way of teaching, is not expreſſed in a Vidit, but an Audivit, It is not ſaid that he ſaw, but that he heard unſpeakeable things. The eye is the devils doore, before the eare: for, though he doe enter at the eare, by wanton diſcourſe, yet he was at the eye be fore; we ſee, before we talke dangerouſly. But the eare is the Holy Ghoſts firſt doore, He aſſiſts us with Rituall and Ceremoniall things, which we ſee in the Church; but Ceremonies have their right uſe, when their right uſe hath firſt beene taught by preaching. Therefore to hearing does the Apoſtle apply faith; And, as the Church is our Academy, and our Medium the Ordinances of the Church, ſo the light by which we ſee this, that is, know God ſo, as to make him our God, is faith; and that is our other Conſideration in this part.
Thoſe Heretiques, againſt whom S. Chryſoſtome, and others of the Fathers writ,Lumen, fides. The Anomaei, were inexcuſable in this, that they ſaid, They were able to know God in this life, as well as God knew himſelfe; But in this more eſpecially lay their impiety, that they ſaid, They were able to doe all this by the light of Nature, without Faith. By the light of Nature, in the Theatre of the World, by the Medium of Creatures, we ſee God; but to know God, by beleeving, not only Him, but in Him, is only in the Academy of the Church, only through the Medium of the Ordinances there, and only by the light of Faith.
The Schooledoes ordinarily deſigne foure wayes of knowing God; and they make the firſt of theſe foure waies, to be by faith; but then, by faith they meane no more but an aſſent, that there is a God; which is but that, which in our former Conſiderations we called The ſeeing of God; and which indeed needs not faith; for the light of Nature will ſerve for that, to ſee God ſo. They make their ſecond way Contemplation, that is, An union of God in this life; which is truly the ſame thing that we meane by Faith: for we do not call an aſſent to the Goſpell, faith, but faith is the application of the Goſpell to our ſelves; not an aſſent that Chriſt dyed, but an aſſurance that Chriſt dyed for all. Their third way of knowing God is by Apparition; as when God appeared to the Patriarchs and others in fire, in Angels, or otherwiſe; And their fourth way is per apertam viſionem, by his cleare manifeſtation of himſelf in heaven.
Their firſt way, by aſſenting only, and their third way of apparition, are weak and uncertain wayes. The other two, preſent Faith, and future Viſion, are ſafe wayes, but admit this difference, That that of future Viſion, is gratiae conſummantis, ſuch a knowledge of God, as when it is once had can never be loſt nor diminiſhed, But knowledge by faith in this world, is Gratiae communis, it is an effect and fruit of that Grace which God ſhed upon the whole communion of Saints, that is, upon all thoſe who in this Academy, the Church, do embrace the Medium, that is, the Ordinances of the Church; And this knowledge of God, by this faith, may be diminiſhed, and encreaſed; for it is but In aenigmate, ſayes our Text, darkly, obſcurely; Clearly in reſpect of the naturall man, but yet but obſcurely in reſpect of that knowledge of God which we ſhall have in heaven; for, ſayes the Apoſtle, As long as we walk by faith, and not by ſight, we are abſent from the Lord. 2 Cor. 5.6.Faith is a bleſſed preſence, but compared with heavenly viſion, it is but an abſence; though it create and conſtitute in us a poſſibility, a probability, a kinde of certainty of ſalvation, yet that faith, which the beſt Chriſtian hath, is not ſo far beyond that ſight of God which the naturall man hath, as that ſight of God which I ſhall have in heaven, is above that faith which we have now in the higheſt exaltation. Therefore there belongs a conſideration to that which is added by our Apoſtle here, That the knowledge which I have of God here (even by faith, through the ordinances of the Church) is but a knowledge in part. Now I know in part.
That which we call in part, the Syriack tranſlates Modicum ex multis; Ex parte.Though we know by faith, yet, for all that faith, it is but a little of a great deale that we know yet, becauſe, though faith be good evidence, yet faith is but the evidence of things not ſeen; Heb. 11.1.And there is better evidence of them, when they are ſeen. For, if we conſider the object, we cannot beleeve ſo much of God, nor of our happineſſe in him, as we ſhall ſee then. For, when it is ſaid, that the heart comprehends it not, certainly faith comprehends it not neither: And if we conſider the manner, faith it ſelf is but darkneſſe in reſpect of the viſion of God in heaven: For, thoſe words of the Prophet, I will ſearch Ieruſalem with Candles, are ſpoken of the times of the Chriſtian Church,Zeph. 1.12. and of the beſt men in the Chriſtian Church; yet they ſhall be ſearched with Candles, ſome darkneſſe ſhall be found in them. To the Galatians well inſtructed, and well eſtabliſhed,Gal. 4.9. the Apoſtle ſayes, Now, after ye have knowen God, or rather are knowen of God; The beſt knowledge that we have of God here, even by faith, is rather that he knows us, then that we know him. And in this Text, it is in his own perſon, that the Apoſtle puts the inſtance, Now I, (I, an Apoſtle, taught by Chriſt himſelfe) know but in part. And therefore, as S. Auguſtine ſaith, Sunt quaſi cunabula charitatis Dei, quibus diligimus proximum, The love which we beare to our neighbour is but as the Infancy, but as the Cradle of that love which we beare to God; ſo that ſight of God which we have In ſpeculo, in the Glaſſe, that is, in nature, is but Cunabula fidei, but the infancy, but the cradle of that knowledge which we have in faith, and yet that knowledge which we have in faith, is but Cunabula viſionis, the infancy and cradle of that knowledge which we ſhall have when we come to ſee God face to face. Faith is infinitely above nature, infinitely above works, even above thoſe works which faith it ſelf produces, as parents are to children, & the tree to the fruit: But yet faith is as much below viſion, and ſeeing God face to face. And therefore, though we aſcribe willingly to faith, more then we can expreſſe, yet let no man think himſelf ſo infallibly ſafe, becauſe he finds that he beleeves in God, as he ſhall be when he ſees God; The faithfulleſt man in the Church muſt ſay, Domine adauge, Lord increaſe my faith; He that is leaſt in the kingdome of heaven, ſhal never be put to that. All the world is but Speculum, a glaſſe, in which we ſee God; The Church it ſelf, and that which the Ordinance of the Church begets in us, faith it ſelf, is but aenigma, a dark repreſentation of God to us, till we come to that ſtate, To ſee God face to face, and to know, as alſo we are knowen.
Now,Calum, Sphaera. as for the ſight of God here, our Theatre was the world, our Medium and glaſſe was the creature, and our light was reaſon, And then for our knowledge of God here, our Academy was the Church, our Medium the Ordinances of the Church, and our Light the light of faith, ſo we conſider the ſame Termes, firſt, for the ſight of God, and then for the knowledge of God in the next life. Firſt, the Sphear, the place where we ſhall ſee him, is heaven; He that asks me what heaven is, meanes not to heare me, but to ſilence me; He knows I cannot tell him; When I meet him there, I ſhall be able to tell him, and then he will be as able to tell me; yet then we ſhall be but able to tell one another, This, this that we enjoy is heaven, but the tongues of Angels, the tongues of glorified Saints, ſhall not be able to expreſſe what that heaven is; for, even in heaven our faculties ſhall be finite. Heaven is not a place that was created; for, all place that was created, ſhall be diſſolved. God did not plant a Paradiſe for himſelf, and remove to that, as he planted a Paradiſe for Adam, and removed him to that; But God is ſtill where he was before the world was made. And in that place, where there are more Suns then there are Stars in the Firmament, (for all the Saints are Suns) And more light in another Sun, The Sun of righteouſneſſe, the Son of Glory, the Son of God, then in all them, in that illuſtration, that emanation, that effuſion of beams of glory, which began not to ſhine 6000. yeares ago, but 6000. millions of millions ago, had been 6000. millions of millions before that, in thoſe eternall, in thoſe uncreated heavens, ſhall we ſee God.
This is our Spheare,Medium, Revelatio ſui. and that which we are fain to call our place; and then our Medium, our way to ſee him is Patefactio ſui, Gods laying himſelf open, his manifeſtation, his revelation, his eviſceration, and embowelling of himſelfe to us, there. Doth God never afford this patefaction, this manifeſtation of himſelf in his Eſſence, to any in this life? We cannot anſwer yea, nor no, without offending a great part in the Schoole, ſo many affirm, ſo many deny, that God hath been ſeen in his Eſſence in this life. There are that ſay, That it is fere de fide, little leſſe then an article of faith, that it hath been done; And Aquinas denies it ſo abſolutely, as that his Followers interpret him de abſoluta potentia, That God by his abſolute power cannot make a man, remaining a mortall man, and under the definition of a mortall man, capable of ſeeing his Eſſence; as we may truly ſay, that God cannot make a beaſt, remaining in that nature, capable of grace, or glory. S. Auguſtine ſpeaking of diſcourſes that paſſed between his mother, and him, not long before her death, ſayes; Perambulavimus cuncta mortalia, & ipſum coelum, We talked our ſelves above this earth, and above all the heavens; Venimus in mentes noſtras, & tranſcendimus eas, We came to the conſideration of our owne mindes, and our owne ſoules, and we got above our own ſoules; that is, to the conſideration of that place where our ſoules ſhould be for ever; and we could conſider God then, but then wee could not ſee God in his Eſſence. As it may be fairely argued that Chriſt ſuffered not the very torments of very hell, becauſe it is eſſentiall to the torments of hell, to be eternall, They were not torments of hell, if they received an end; So is it fairely argued too, That neither Adam in his extaſie in Paradiſe, nor Moſes in his converſation in the Mount, nor the other Apoſtles in the Transfiguration of Chriſt, nor S. Paul in his rapture to the third heavens, ſaw the Eſſence of God, becauſe he that is admitted to that ſight of God, can never look off, nor loſe that ſight againe. Only in heaven ſhall God proceed to this patefaction, this manifeſtation, this revelation of himſelf; And that by the light of glory.
The light of glory is ſuch a light, as that our School-men dare not ſay confidently,Lux Cloris. That every beam of it, is not all of it. When ſome of them ſay, That ſome ſoules ſee ſome things in God, and others, others, becauſe all have not the ſame meaſure of the light of glory, the reſt cry down that opinion, and ſay, that as the Eſſence of God is indiviſible, and he that ſees any of it, ſees all of it, ſo is the light of glory communicated intirely to every bleſſed ſoul. God made light firſt, and three dayes after, that light became a Sun, a more glorious Light: God gave me the light of Nature, when I quickned in my mothers wombe by receiving a reaſonable ſoule; and God gave me the light of faith, when I quickned in my ſecond mothers womb, the Church, by receiving my baptiſme; but in my third day, when my mortality ſhall put on immortality, he ſhall give me the light of glory, by which I ſhall ſee himſelf. To this light of glory, the light of honour is but a glow-worm; and majeſty it ſelf but a twilight; The Cherubims and Seraphims are but Candles; and that Goſpel it ſelf, which the Apoſtle calls the glorious Goſpel, but a Star of the leaſt magnitude. And if I cannot tell, what to call this light, by which I ſhall ſee it, what ſhall I call that which I ſhall ſee by it, The Eſſence of God himſelf? and yet there is ſomething elſe then this ſight of God, intended in that which remaines, I ſhall not only ſee God face to face, but I ſhall know him, (which, as you have ſeen all the way, is above ſight) and know him, even as alſo I am knowne.
In this Conſideration, God alone is all; in all the former there was a place,Deus omnia ſolus. and a meanes, and a light; here, for this perfect knowledge of God, God is all thoſe. Then, ſales the Apoſtle, God ſhall be all in all. Hic agit omnia in omnibus, ſayes S. Hierome; 1 Cor. 15.28.Here God does all in all; but here he does all by Inſtruments; even in the infuſing of faith, he works by the Miniſtery of the Goſpel: But there he ſhall be all in all, doe all in all, immediately by himſelf; for, Chriſt ſhall deliver up the Kingdome to God, even the Father.Ver. 24. His Kingdome is the adminiſtration of his Church, by his Ordinances in the Church. At the reſurrection there ſhall be an end of that Kingdome; no more Church; no more working upon men, by preaching, but God himſelf ſhall be all in all. Miniſtri quaſi larvae Dei, ſaies Luther. It may be ſomewhat too familiarly, too vulgarly ſaid, but uſefully; The miniſtery of the Goſpell is but as Gods Vizar; for, by ſuch a liberty the Apoſtle here calls it aenigma, a riddle; or, (as Luther ſayes too) Gods picture; but in the Reſurrection, God ſhall put of that Vizar, and turne away that picture, and ſhew his own face. Therefore is it ſaid, That in heaven there is no Temple, but God himſelfe is the Temple; God is Service,Apoc. 21.22. Auguſt. and Muſique, and Pſalme, and Sermon, and Sacrament, and all. Erit vita de verbo ſine verbo; We ſhall live upon the word, and heare never a word; live upon him, who being the word, was made fleſh, the eternall Son of God. Hîc noneſt omnia in omnibus, Hieron.ſed pars in ſingulis: Here God is not all in all; where he is at all in any man, that man is well; In Solomone ſapientia, ſaies that Father; It was well with Solomon, becauſe God was wiſdome with him, and patience in Iob, and faith in Peter, and zeale in Paul, but there was ſomething in all theſe, which God was not. But in heaven he ſhall be ſo all in all,Idem. Vt ſinguli ſanctorum omnes virtutes habeant, that every ſoule ſhall have every perfection in it ſelf; and the perfection of theſe perfections ſhall be, that their ſight ſhall be face to face, and their knowledge as they are known.
Since S. Auguſtine calls it a debt, a double debt, a debt becauſe ſhe asked it,Facie ad faciem. a debt becauſe he promiſed it, to give, even a woman, Paulina, ſatisfaction in that high point, and myſtery, how we ſhould ſee God face to face in heaven, it cannot be unfit in this congregation, to aske and anſwer ſome ſhort queſtions concerning that. Is it alwaies a declaration of favour when God ſhewes his face? No. I will ſet my face againſt that ſoule,Levit. 17.10. that eateth blood, and cut him off. But when there is light joyned with it, it is a declaration of favour; This was the bleſſing that God taught Moſes for Aaron, to bleſſe the people with, The Lord make his face to ſhine upon thee, and be gracious to thee. Numb. 6.25.And there we ſhall ſee him face to face, by the light of his countenance, which is the light of glory. What ſhall we ſee, by ſeeing him ſo, face to face? not to inlarge our ſelves into Gregories wild ſpeculation, Qui videt videntem omnia, oninia videt, becauſe we ſhall ſee him that ſees all things, we ſhall ſee all things in him, (for then we ſhould ſee the thoughts of men) reſt we in the teſtimony of a ſafer witneſſe, a Councell,Senon. In ſpeculo Divinit at is quicquid eorum interſit illuceſcet; In that glaſſe we ſhall ſee, whatſoever we can be the better for ſeeing. Firſt, all things that they beleeved here, they ſhall ſee there; and therefore, Diſcamus in terris, Hicron.quorum ſcicntia nobiſcum perſeveret in Caelis, let us meditate upon no other things on earth, then we would be glad to think on in heaven; and this conſideration would put many frivolous, and many fond thoughts out of our minde, if men and women would love another but ſo, as that love might laſt in heaven.
This then we ſhall get, concerning our ſelves, by ſeeing God face to face; but what concerning God? nothing but the ſight of the humanity of Chriſt, which only is viſible to the eye. So Theodoret, ſo ſome others have thought; but that anſwers not the ſicutieſt; and we know we ſhall ſee God, (not only the body of Chriſt) as he is in his Eſſence. Why? did all that are ſaid to have ſeene God face to face, fee his Eſſence? no. In earth God aſſumed ſome materiall things to appeare in, and is ſaid to have been ſeene face to face, when he was ſeen in thoſe aſſumed formes. But in heaven there is no materiall thing to be aſſumed, and if God be ſeen face to face there, he is ſeen in his Eſſence. S. Auguſtine ſummes it up fully,In Pſal 36.10. upon thoſe words, In lumine tuo, In thy light we ſhall ſee light, Te ſcilicet in te, we ſhall ſee thee in thee; that is, ſayes he, face to face.
And then,Vt cognitus. what is it to know him, as we are knowne? Firſt, is that it, which is intended here, That we ſhall know God ſo as we are known? It is not expreſſed in the Text ſo: It is only that we ſhall know ſo; not, that we ſhall know God ſo. But the frame, and context of the place, hath drawn that unanime expoſition from all, that it is meant of our knowledge of God then. A comprehenſive knowledge of God it cannot be; To comprehend is to know a thing as well as that thing can be known; and we can never know God ſo, but that he will know himſelfe better: Our knowledge cannot be ſo dilated, nor God condenſed, and contracted ſo, as that we can know him that way, comprehenſively. It cannot be ſuch a knowledge of God, as God hath of himſelfe, nor as God hath of us; For God comprehends us, and all this world, and all the worlds that he could have made, and himſelfe. But it is Nota ſimilitudinis, non aequalitatis; As God knowes me, so I ſhall know God; but I ſhall not know God ſo, as God knowes me. It is not quantum, but ſicut; not as much, but as truly; as the fire does as truly ſhine, as the Sun ſhines, though it ſhine not out ſo farre, nor to ſo many purpoſes. So then, I ſhall know God ſo, as that there ſhall be nothing in me, to hinder me from knowing God; which cannot be ſaid of the nature of man, though regenerate, upon earth, no, nor of the nature of an Angell in heaven, left to it ſelfe, till both have received a ſuper-illuſtration from the light of Glory.
And ſo it ſhall be a knowledge ſo like his knowledge, as it ſhall produce a love, like his love, and we ſhall love him, as he loves us. For, as S. Chryſoſtome, and the reſt of the Fathers, whom Oecumenius hath compacted, interpret it, Cognoſcam practicè, ideſt, accurrendo, I ſhall know him,Aug. that is, imbrace him, adhere to him. Qualis ſine fine feſtivitas! what a Holy-day ſhall this be, which no working day ſhall ever follow! By knowing, and loving the unchangeable, the immutable God, Mutabimur in immutabilitatem, we ſhall be changed into an unchangeableneſſe, ſayes that Father, that never ſaid any thing but extraordinarily. He ſayes more,Idem. Dei praeſentia ſi in inferno appareret, If God could be ſeene, and known in hell, hell in an inſtant would be heaven.
How many heavens are there in heaven? how is heaven multiplied to every ſoule in heaven, where infinite other happineſſes are crowned with this, this fight, and this knowledge of God there? And how ſhall all thoſe heavens be renewed to us every day, Qui non mir abimur hodiè, Idem.that ſhall be as glad to ſee, and to know God, millions of ages after every daies ſeeing and knowing, as the firſt houre of looking upon his face. And as this ſeeing, and this knowing of God crownes all other joyes, and glories, even in heaven, ſo this very crown is crowned;2 Pet. 1.4. There growes from this a higher glory, which is, participes erimus Divinae naturae, (words, of which Luther ſayes, that both Teſtaments afford none equall to them) That we ſhall be made partakers of the Divine nature; Immortall as the Father, righteous as the Son, and full of all comfort as the Holy Ghoſt.
Let me diſmiſſe you, with an eaſie requeſt of S. Auguſtine; Fieri non poteſt ut ſeipſum non diligat, qui Deum diligit; That man does not love God, that loves not himſelf; doe but love your ſelves: Imo ſolus ſe diligere novit, qui Deum diligit, Only that man that loves God, hath the art to love himſelf; doe but love your ſelves; for if he love God, he would live eternally with him, and, if he deſire that, and indeavour it earneſtly, he does truly love himſelf, and not otherwiſe. And he loves himſelf, who by ſeeing God in the Theatre of the world, and in the glaſſe of the creature, by the light of reaſon, and knowing God in the Academy of the Church, by the Ordinances thereof, through the light of faith, indeavours to ſee God in heaven, by the manifeſtation of himſelfe, through the light of Glory, and to know God himſelf, in himſelf, and by himſelf, as he is all in all; Contemplatively, by knowing as he is known, and Practically, by loving, as he is loved.