Dying Thoughts Upon Philippians 1:23, Part 3
III. The Conſtitutive Reaſons from the Intellective ſtate.
III. § 1. Though the Tempter would perſuade men, becauſe of the caſe of Infants in the Womb, Apoplectick's, &c. that the underſtanding will be but an unactive Power when ſeparated from theſe corporeal Organs, I have ſeen before ſufficient Reaſons to repel this temptation. I will ſuppoſe that it will not have ſuch a mode of Conception as it hath now by theſe Organs: But, 1. The Soul will be ſtill eſſentially a Vital Intellective ſubſtance, diſpoſed to act naturally, and that is, to thoſe acts which it is formally inclined to (as fire to illuminate and heat.) And as it cannot die (while it is what it is in Eſſence) becauſe it is Life itſelf, that is, The Vital ſubſtance; ſo it cannot but be Intellective (as to an Inclined Power,) becauſe it is ſuch Eſſentially (though God can change or annihilate any thing if he would.) 2. And it will be among a world of Objects. 3. And it will ſtill have its dependence on the firſt cauſe, and receive his continual actuating influx. 4. And no Man can give the leaſt ſhew of true Reaſon, to prove that it ſhall ceaſe ſenſation, (whether the ſenſitive Faculties be in the ſame ſubſtance which is Intellective, which is moſt probable, or in one conjunct as ſome imagine) though the Species and Modes of Senſation ceaſe which are denominated from the various Organs. 5. Yea, no Man can prove that the departing Soul doth not carry with it its igneous Spirits, which in the Body it did immediately actuate: (If it were never ſo certain that thoſe Greek Fathers were miſtaken (as well as Hippocrates) who took the Soul itſelf to be a ſublime Intellectual Fire.
And as to the Objection, ſome hold that the Soul preexiſted before it was in the Body; others and moſt that it then received its firſt being. If the firſt were true, it would be true that the Soul had its Intellectual Activity before, though the Soul itſelf incorporate remember it not, becauſe it Operateth but ut forma hominis, (and its Oblivion they take to be part of its penalty:) And they that think it a radius of the Anima mundi vel ſyſtematis muſt think that then it did Intellectually animate hunc mundum, vel mundi partem: And to do ſo again, is the worſt they can conjecture of it: As the rays of the Sun which heat a burning Glaſs, and by it ſet a Candle on fire, are the ſame rays ſtill diffuſed in the Air, and illuminating, heating and moving it, and terminated on ſome other Body, and not annihilated or debilitated when their contracted Operation ceaſeth by breaking the Glaſs or putting out the Candle: And as the Spirit of a Tree ſtill animateth the Tree, when it retireth from the Leaves and lets them fall. But this being an unproved imagination of mens own Brains, we have no further uſe of it, than to confute themſelves. But if the Soul exiſted not till its incorporation, what wonder if it Operate but ut forma, when it is united to the Body for that uſe? What wonder if its initial Operations like a ſpark of Fire in Tinder, or the firſt lighting of a Candle, be weak and ſcarce by us perceptible? What wonder if it operate but to the uſes that the Creation did appoint it; and firſt as vegetative fabricate its own Body as the Makers inſtrument, and then feel, and then underſtand? And what wonder if it Operate no further than Objects are admitted? And therefore what wonder if in Apoplexies, &c. ſuch Operations are intercepted? But the departing Soul is, 1. in its Maturity. 2. No more united to this Body, and ſo not confined to ſenſe and imagination in its Operations, and the admiſſion of its Objects. 3. And it is ſub ratione meriti, and as a governed ſubject is ordinate to its reward; which it was not capable of receiving in the Womb or in an Apoplexy. And as we have the Reaſons before alledged to hold, 1. That it ſhall not be annihilated. 2. Nor diſſolved. 3. Nor loſe its eſſential Faculties or Powers. 4. Nor thoſe eſſential Powers be continued uſeleſs by the wiſe and merciful Creator, though by Natural revelation we know not in what manner they ſhall act; whether on any other Body, and by what conjunction, and how far; ſo by Supernatural Revelation we are aſſured, that there is a reward for the Righteous, and that holy Souls are ſtill members of Chriſt, and live becauſe he liveth, and that in the Day of their departure they ſhall be with him in Paradiſe, and being abſent from the Body, ſhall be preſent with the Lord; and that Chriſt therefore died, roſe and revived that he might be Lord both of the Dead and of the Living, that is, of thoſe that being Dead, hence do Live with him, and of thoſe that yet live in the Body: For he that ſaid, God is not the God of the dead but of the Living, that is, ſtands not related to them as his People as a King to Subjects, is not himſelf the Lord of the abſolute Dead, but of the Living.
Therefore (as Contarenus againſt Pomponatius de Immortal. Anim: ſaith) the Immortality of the Soul is provable by the Light of Nature, but the manner of its future Operation muſt be known by Faith. And bleſſed be the Father of Spirits, and our Redeemer, who hath ſent and ſet up this excellent Light, by which we ſee further than purblind Infidels can do.
§ 2. But I deny not but even the Scripture itſelf, doth tell us but little of the Manner of our Intellection when we are out of the Body; and it is not improbable that there is more Imperfection in this Mode of Notional, Organical, Abſtractive knowledge which the Soul exerciſeth in the Body, than moſt conſider of: And that as the Eye hath the viſive Faculty in ſleep, and when we wink, and an internal action of the viſive Spirits (no doubt,) and yet ſeeth not any thing without, till the Eyelids are opened, (and was not made to ſee its own ſight;) ſo the Soul in the Body is as a winking Eye, to all things that are not by the Senſe and Imagination intromitted or brought within its reach: And whether (ſicut non video viſum, ne que facultatem, ne que ſubſtantiam videntem, videndo tamen certo percipio me videre, ſo it may be ſaid, Non intelligo immediatè ipſam intellectionem, ne que facultatem, aut ſubſtantiam intelligentem; Intelligendo tamen certo percipio me intelligere, quia actus Intellectûs in Spiritus ſenſitivos operans ſentitur; or whether we muſt further ſay with Ockam, that Intellectus tum intuitivè tum abſtractivè ſe intelligit; I leave to wiſer men to judge: But I am very ſuſpicious that the Body is more a Lanthorn to the Soul, than ſome will admit; and that this Luſus notionum ſecundarum, or abſtractive knowledge of Things by Organical Images, Names, and Notions, is occaſioned by the Union of the Soul with the Body ut formae; and is that Childiſh knowledge which the Apoſtle ſaith ſhall be done away: And how much of Mans fall might conſiſt in ſuch a knowing of good and evil I cannot tell (or in the overvaluing ſuch a knowledge:) And I I think that when vain Philoſophy at Athens had called the thoughts and deſires of Mankind from great Realities to the Logical and Philological game at Words and Notions, it was Socrates his wiſdom to call them to more concerning Studies, and Pauls greater Wiſdom to warn men to take heed of ſuch vain Philoſophy, and to labour to know God and Jeſus Chriſt, and the things of the Spirit, and not to overvalue this ludicrous dreaming worldly Wiſdom. And if I have none of this kind of Notional childiſh knowledge when I am abſent from the Body, the Glaſs and Spectacles may then be ſpared, when I come to ſee with open Face, (or as face to Face.) Our future knowledge is uſually in Scripture called SEEING, Mat. 5. 8. Bleſſed are the pure in heart, for they ſhall ſee God, 1 Cor. 13. 12. We ſhall ſee Face to Face, 1 Joh. 3. 2. We ſhall ſee him as he is, Joh. 17. 24. Father, I will that thoſe which thou haſt given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my Glory which thou haſt given me, &c. An Intuitive knowledge of all things as in themſelves immediately is a more excellent ſort of knowledge than this by ſimilitudes, Names and Notions, which our Learning now conſiſteth in, and is but an Art acquired by many acts and uſe.
§ 3. If the Sun were, as the Heathens thought it, an Intellective Animal, and its emitted rayes were vitally viſive, and when one of thoſe rayes were received by prepared ſeminal matter (as in Inſects) it became the Soul of an inferiour 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 Intellective Intuitive emanation: And 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 the univerſal Light or underſtanding to which it is united. The Soul now as it is or operateth in the Foot or Hand doth not underſtand, but only as it is and operateth in the Head: And yet the ſame Soul which is in the Hand underſtandeth in the Head; and the Soul operateth not ſo ſelfiſhly or dividedly in the Hand, as to repine there becauſe it underſtandeth not there; but it is quiet in that it underſtandeth in the Head, and performeth its due Operation in the Hand. But this diverſity of Operations ſeemeth to be from the Organs and the Bodies 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 ſeeth all things, and we are united to him, yet we may ſay further that we our ſelves ſhall ſee God, and all things that are meet for us to ſee.
§ 4. And ſeeing it is moſt certain that the Superior glorious Regions are full of bleſſed Spirits who do 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 Intellective Nature in my ſelf, 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 ſuperiour 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 igneous or ethereal Body or Vehicle, as well as all thoſe worlds of Spirits. And the certainty of Apparitions, Poſſeſſions, and Witches do tell us, not only that there are ſuch Inhabitants of other Regions, Ordinarily inviſible to us, but alſo that we are in the way to that Happineſs or Miſery which is in our inviſible ſtate.
§ 5. Theſe things reviewed (being partly mentioned before) aſſuring me that I ſhall have actual Intellection 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, 1 Cor. 13. 10, 11, 12. 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. Hammonds obſervation hold that foreign in Scripture,And Mr. Beverly in his Great Soul of Man. when [The Fleſh or Body] is not joined with it, ſignifies that Life which the Soul doth enter upon immediately after our Death, and ſo that the Soul hath that [after living] which is ſinified by the very word which we Tranſlate Reſurrection] then it will lead men to think that there is leſs difference between Mansſtate 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 Henoch, Elias, and thoſe who roſe at Chriſts 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 followeth Death, what mortal Man can tell? I am paſt doubt that Fleſh and Blood (formally ſo called, and not only ab accidente, as ſinful) ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God (vid. Hammond in loc.) but that our Natural Bodies ſhall be made Spiritual Bodies: And how a Spiritual Body differeth 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 like that we are nearer to that Perfection (in Knowledge and Felicity) while we are between both, than we are in the Fleſh.
§ 6. And ſure a Soul, that even Solomon ſaith goeth upward, and to God that gave it, is liker to know God, than that which is terminated in Fleſh, and operateth ut forma according to its capacity and ſtate: And a Soul that is with Chriſt, is liker 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 with him ſignifie?
§ 7. And, 1. as to the Kind of Knowledge, how excellent and more ſatisfactory a way will that of Intuition or Intellective-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 Rhetorick, and our Logick? Our Artes loquendi, dicendi, & diſſerendi? To learn our Wordy Rules and Axioms, in Metaphyſicks, Phyſicks, &c. And when we have learnt them all (if all can be learned) how little the nearer are many to the knowing of the ſignified Realities? We oft get but a Set of Words to play with, to take up our time, and divert duplicate page duplicate page us from the Matter: Even as Carnal men uſe the Creatures which ſignifie 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 Organical ſignal Knowledge They uſe it as men do Cards, and Romances, and Plays, to delight their Phantaſies; 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 meer 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 ſeemeth to me to have greater reſpect to the univerſally eſteemed Athenian Arts, than, as Dr. Hammond Thought, to the meer Gnoſtick pretenſions.
This poor dreaming ſignal Artificial Knowledge is, 1. Coſtly, 2. Uncertain. 3. Contentious. 4. Unſatisfactory, in compariſon of Intuitive Knowledge.
1. 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, and Boots, and Spurs for our Journey, and it's 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 Viam Lacteam, &c, and he ſpends his whole life in getting him the beſt Tubes or Teleſcopes, & never uſeth them to his ends: Or like one that inſtead of learning to write doth ſpend his life in getting the beſt Ink, Paper & Pens: Or rather like one that learneth to Write and Print exactly, and not to underſtand what any of his words do ſignifie. Men take their Spectacles in ſtead of Eyes.
2. And when this Learning is got, how uncertain are we whether the words have no ambiguity? Whether they give us the true notice of the Speakers …, and of the Matter ſpoken of? As I ſaid before, what a penury, and yet redundancy of words have we? Of how various and uncertain ſignification? Changed by Cuſtom, or Arbitrary deſign? Sometime by the Vulgar uſe, and ſometime by Learned men, that being conſcious of the defectiveneſs of the ſpeaking-Art, are ſtill tampering and attempting to amend it. And ſome men ſpeak obſcurely on purpoſe, to raiſe in their Readers a conceit of their ſubtile and ſublime conceptions. And he that underſtandeth Things moſt clearly, and ſpeaketh them moſt plainly (which are the parts of true Learning) ſhall have much a do to get the Matter out of dark and bewildring uncertainties, and to make others underſtand both it and him.
3. And hence come the greateſt part of the Contentions of the World, which are hotteſt among men that moſt pretend to wordy knowledge: As in Traffick 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, me… …pretend to, the more Diſputes and Controverſies they make; and the Inſtruments of Knowledge, prove the Inſtruments of Errour and Contention: And alas how many applauded Volumes are the ſnares and troublers of the World! And 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 ſtriveth for the preeminence of his Wit and Notio…s, and few ſtrive for holy Love, and Unity, and good works.
4. And 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, and Chriſt, and Heaven and Holineſs, do give the Soul a nouriſhing and ſtrengthning 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 Auſtine's definition ſaith, Nemo male utitur; 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: And if it be ſanctified knowledge, it is but Mediate in order to our knowledge of the Things thus ſignified: And it is the real Good which contenteth and beatifieth, though the Notions may be a ſubordinate recreation. And Intuition feaſteth on theſe Realities.
§ 9. II. And as to the Objects of this Intuition, their excellency will be the excellency of our Knowledge. 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 Dirigent Word, and Will. VI. I ſhall know the Methods and Senſe of Diſpoſing Providence better. VII. I ſhall know the Divine Benefits which are the Fruits of Love better. VIII. I ſhall know my Self 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.
§ 10. I. Aquinas, and many others took it for the chief Natural proof of the Souls Immortality, that Man by Nature deſireth 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 ſecrets of the Almighty, nor to pretend to know more of God than indeed I know; but O that I might know more of his glorious Perfections, of his Will, and 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 and Univerſities, and the Learned men, to go and diſcourſe with ſuch a Meſſenger? What travel ſhould I think too far? What coſt too great for one Hours talk with ſuch a Meſſenger? But we muſt have here but ſuch intimations as will exerciſe Faith and excite deſire, and try us under the Temptations of the World and Fleſh: The glorious Light is the reward of the Victory obtained by the conduct of the Light of Grace. God in great Mercy even here beginneth the reward: They that are true to the initial Light, and faithfully follow on to know the Lord, do find uſually ſuch increaſe of Light, (not of vain Notions, but of quickning and comforting knowledge of God) as greatly encourageth them, and draweth them ſtill 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. 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's little that they bring home, but more acquaintance with Sin, and Vanity, and Vexation. How many more Years do Thouſands ſpend in the reading of multitudes of tedious Volumes, that they may know what others knew before them. Printers and Bookſellors 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 abſtractive knolwedge; whether the Glory which we ſhall ſee be only a created appearance of God, or be his very Eſſence, it ſatisfieth 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. And 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.
II. And 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 exceeding 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 a Carkaſs, and to know and deſcribe poor Worms and Inſects, Plants and Minerals? And no Man ever yet perfectly knew the leaſt of them all; no Herbaliſt or Phyſician ever yet knew the Nature, and uſes of any one Herb with an adequate knowledge! With what delight and diligence are Phyſical ſearches carryed on in the World, though ſtill we are all but groaping in the dark, and ignorant of many things for one that we know (and therefore know no one perfectly becauſe we are ignorant of reſt.) 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 compages of all, Oh, what a delightful Spectacle would it be? How much more to ſee the whole Creation, yea or one Vortex or Syſteme of the Globes, and to know their union and communion, and to behold their beauteous Symmetry, and hear them in concord and melodious Harmony praiſing the 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: And the wonders and glory of the Works of God, ſhall wrap up my Soul in admiring joyful praiſe for ever: And 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. And theſe deſires being of God, ſhall not be fruſtrate. 2. Becauſe there will be a proportionableneſs of the 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 ſhewing him the Kingdoms and glory of the World, and promiſing them all to him if he would have worſhipped him: But God will ſhew me more than Satan could ſhew, and give me more of that which is beſt, than Satan could give.
III. And that in Heaven I ſhall better know Jeſus Chriſt, and all the Myſtery of our Redemption by him, will not be the leaſt of my felicity! For in him are hid all the Treaſures of Wiſdom: And 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 will this be? All dark Texts concerning his Perſon, his Office, and his Works will be then 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 Satans advantage to tempt us to unbelief or doubting. The ſight of the Glory of my Lord will be my Glory, Joh. 17. 24. 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 calleth The Reſurrection of the dead,) Phil. 3. 9, 10, 11, 12. 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: And the Glaſs and Riddle ſhall be laid aſide, when we ſhall ſee Face to Face, and ſhall know as we are known, 1 Cor. 13. 10, 11, 12. (as to our ſight and knowledge of Chriſt and his Triumphant Body: For I dare not apply that Phraſe to the ſight and knowledg of the Divine eſſence; nor yet deny it.)
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: And 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 ſhew 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 ſmalneſs 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 Fathers Houſe. Words now give me ſo poor imperfect a conception of the World and things which I never ſaw, as that ſomtimes I can ſcarcely tell, whether the Joy of my Faith, or the trouble of my dark apprehenſions, be the greater: But when I ſhall ſee the Place, the Perſons, the Glory which I heard of, that will be the delightful ſatisfying, and poſſeſſing kind of knowledge. If Nehemiah and the godly Jews, made ſo great a matter of ſeeing the Walls of Jeruſalem repaired, and others of the imperfect reedifying of the Temple, O what a joyful ſight to me, will the heavenly Jeruſalem then be: The moſt glorious ſight will be at the great Marriage day of the Lamb, when Chriſt ſhall come to be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all them that now believe: But the next to that will be the Day of my particular deliverance, when I ſhall come to Christ, and ſee the Saints admiring him in Glory.
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 concernment to be advanced to the fuller knowledge of them. But ſeeing I know that Angels love us, and by Office do 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 aereal and near to this dark and ſinful World, and ofter 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. And therefore we have but little knowledge, even of thoſe that know, and 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 below the Intellective 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 rejoice in my relation to the innumerable Company of them, in the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jeruſalem, Heb. 12. 22. and long to know and love them more; expecting long to bear my part in the Praiſes of God and of the Lamb, in the ſame Chore where they are the Precentors.
And 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 and holy (though weak and blemiſhed) companion been to me here on Earth? And how lovely have God's Graces in ſuch (though ſmutted) appeared to me. O then what a ſight will it be when we ſhall ſee the Millions of Souls that ſhine in perfect Wiſdom and Holineſs with Chriſt: To ſee a Garden that hath ſome beautiful Flowers in it, is ſomthing: But if you ſaw whole Fields and Countries ſhining with them, it would be a glory (though fading) to the Earth. A well built City is a pleaſanter ſight, than a ſingle Houſe; and a Navy than a Ship; and an Army than one Man: And if this poor low World did all conſiſt of Wiſe, and Juſt, and Holy Perſons, O what an orderly, lovely World would it be! If one Kingdom conſiſted (Prince, Magiſtrates, Paſtors, and People) all of ſuch, what a bleſſed Kingdom would that be: The plague of wicked mens deceits, and falſhoods, 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 Countrey, were it not that the more the beauty of goodneſs appeareth, 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 my ſelf partaking of the ſame, that will be the truly bleſſed day! And why doth my Soul impriſoned in Fleſh no more deſire it?
V. I ſhall better underſtand all the World of God! The Matter, and the Method of it! Though I ſhall 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 how to ſolve all doubts, and reconcile all ſeeming contradictions, and to expound the hardeſt Propheſies: That light will ſhew me the admirable Methods of thoſe Sacred 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? And how joyfully ſhall I praiſe that God and Saviour, that gave his Church ſo clear a light to guide them through this darkſom World, and ſo ſure a promiſe to ſupport them till they came to life Eternal? How joyfully ſhall I bleſs him that by that immortal Seed did regenerate me to the hopes of Glory? And that ruled me by ſo Holy and Juſt a Law?
VI. In that World of Light I ſhall better underſtand God's preſent and paſt works of Providence, by which he ordereth the matters of this World: The Wiſdom and Goodneſs of them is little underſtood in little parcels; It is the union and harmony of all the parts which ſheweth the beauty of them; when the ſingle Parcels ſeem deformed, or are not underſtood. And no one can ſee the whole together but God, and they that ſee it in the light of his Celeſtial Glory: It is a proſpect of that End, by which we have here any true underſtanding of ſuch Parcels as we ſee. Then I ſhall know clearly why (or to what uſe) God proſpered the wicked, and tryed the Righteous by ſo many afflictions? I ſhall know why he ſet up the ungodly, and put the humble under their Feet: Why he permitted ſo much ignorance, ungodlineſs, pride, luſt, oppreſſion, perſecution, falſhood, deceit, and other ſins in the World: I ſhall know why the faithful are ſo few: And why ſo many Kingdoms of the World, are left in Heatheniſm, Mahometaniſm and Infidelity. The ſtrange permiſſions which now ſo puzzle me, and are the matter of my aſtoniſhment, ſhall all be then as clear as day: I ſhall know why God diſpoſed of me as he did through all my life; and why I ſuffered what I did; and how many great deliverances I had, which I underſtood not here; and how they were accompliſhed. All our miſinterpretations of God's works and permiſſions, will be then rectified: And all our Controverſies about them, which Satan hath made ſo great advantage of (by a pretended zeal for ſome Truths of God) will then be reconciled, and at an end: And all the works of Divine Providence from the beginning of the World, will then appear, a moſt delectable beauteous frame.
VII. And among all theſe works, I ſhall ſpecially know more, the nature and excellency of Gods mercies and gifts of Love, which here we too unthankfully undervalued & and made light of! The ſpecial works of Love, ſhould be the matter of our moſt conſtant, ſweet and ſerious Thoughts, and the fuel of our conſtant Love and Gratitude! The lively ſenſe of Love and Mercy, maketh lively Chriſtians, abounding in Love to God, and Mercy to others: But the Enemy of God and Man moſt laboureth to obſcure, diminiſh, and diſgrace God's Love and Mercys to us, or to put us out of reliſh to them, that they be unfruitful as to their excellent ends and uſes. Little do moſt Chriſtians know how much they wrong God and themſelves, and how much they loſe, by the diminutive poor Thoughts which they have of God's Mercies: Ingratitude is a grievous miſery to the Sinner, as gratitude is a very pleaſant work. Many a Thouſand Mercies we now receive, which we greatly undervalue. But when I come to the ſtate and work of perfect gratitude, I ſhall have a more perfect knowledge of all the Mercies which ever I received in my Life, and which my Neighbours and Friends, and God's Church and the World did ever receive: For though the thing be paſt, the uſe of it is not paſt: Mercies remembred muſt be the matter of our everlaſting thanks: And we cannot be perfectly thankful for them, without a perfect knowledge of them: The worth of a Chriſt, and all his grace, the work of the Goſpel, the worth of our Church-priviledges, and all God's Ordinances, the worth of our Books, and Friends, and Helps of our Life and Health, and all conveniences will be better underſtood in Heaven, than the moſt holy and thankful Chriſtian here underſtandeth them.
VIII. And it will be ſome addition to my future happineſs that I ſhall then be much better acquainted with my ſelf: Both with my Nature, and with my Sin and Grace. I ſhall then better know the Nature of a Soul, and its formal Faculties (Three in One:) I ſhall know the nature and way of its Operations, and how far its acts are ſimple or compound, or organical! I ſhall know how far Memory, Phantaſie, and Senſe internal and external belong to the rational Soul, and whether the ſenſitive and rational are two or one; and what Senſes will periſh and what not? I ſhall know how the Soul doth act upon it ſelf, and what acts it hath that are not felt, in ſleep in Apoplexies, and in the Womb? I ſhall know whether the vegetative nature be any thing elſe than Fire; and whether it be of the ſame Eſſence with the Soul (ſenſitive, or rational:) (and whether Fire eminenter be a common fundamental ſubſtance of all Spirits, diverſly ſpecified by the Forms, (mental, ſenſitive and vegetative:) or whether it be as a Body or Vehicle to Spirits, or rather a nature made for the Copulation of Spirits and Bodies, and the Operation of the former on the latter, as between both: And whether Fire (and of what ſort) be the active forma telluris, and of other Globes: I ſhall know how far Souls are One and yet Many, and how they are Individuate? And whether their Quantitas diſcreta in being numerically many, do prove that they have any Quantitatem continuam, and whether they are a purer ſort of Bodies as the Greek Fathers, Tertullian and others Thought, and what Immateriality ſignifieth; and what ſubſtantiality of Spirits; and how ſubſtantia & materia differ; and how far they are penetrable and indiviſible; and whether a Soul be properly pars; and whether individual Souls are parts of any common Soul: and how far the individuation doth continue? And whether ſeparated from the Body, they operate in and by any other Vehicle, or without, and how? and whether they take with them any of the fiery Nature as a Vehicle or as a conſtitutive part? I ſhall know how God produceth Souls? And how his production by Emanation or Creation, doth conſiſt with Generation? And how forms are multiplied? And what Cauſality the Parents Soul hath to the production of the Childs? Whether by communication of ſubſtance, or only by diſpoſing the recipient matter? I ſhall know whether all Souls came from Adam's one ſubſtantiality, and whether there be more ſubſtance in the All than in that One, and whether one ſubſtance cauſe more by generation? Or whether it be ſo as to the Souls of Bruits; or whether any Anima communis inform many Organical Bodies of the Bruits, as the Sun lighteth many Candles which are individuate by matter to which (as parts of one) they variouſly are contracted, and on which they operate, and whether they were individuate in pre-exiſtence, or ſhall be individuate after ſeparation? I ſhall know how far the ſemen in generation is animated: And how the animated ſemina of two make one? And if animated, what becomes of the anima ſeminis perditi? and of an Abortive? And whether the Body be animated as Vegetative or Senſitive before the entrance of the rational Soul? Or rather the ſame Soul which in its Faculty is Rational being one with the Senſitive and Vegetative, be the conſtitutive form of the firſt animated Body, and the Fabricator of its own domicilium? I ſhall know how far the Soul is receptive? And what the Cauſa finalis doth to it? And what each Object is to the Conſtitution or production of the act? Yea and what an Act is, and what a Habit? And how a Soul acting or habited differeth from itſelf not acting or habited? And how its acts are many and yet but One: Or its Faculties at leaſt: Many other ſuch difficulties will all be ſolved; which now Philoſophers contend about in the dark, and paſs but under doubtful conjectures? Or at leaſt are known to very few.
And I ſhall know how God's Spirit operateth on Souls: And how it is ſent from Chriſt's humane Nature to work on Man? And whether Grace be properly or only Metaphorically called a Nature (a New Nature, a Divine Nature) in us: I ſhall know what Freewill is, and how Man's will can be the firſt determiner of any act of its own in ſpecie morali (good or evil) without being ſuch a Cauſa prima, as none but God can be: And ſo how far free acts are neceſſitated or not: I ſhall know what power the Intellect hath on the will, and the will on the Intellect, and what power the Senſe and Phantaſie hath on either: And what any Intellectus agens doth? Whether it be to our Intellection, as the Sun is to our ſight? I ſhall know what is meant by the Degrees of Acts and Habits in the Soul: And whether there be divers Degrees of Subſtantiality, or of the virtus vel facultas formalis of ſeveral Souls: I ſhall know better the difference of the Habits called Acquired and Infuſed: And what common Grace is, and what it doth: And what Nature can do of itſelf or by common Grace, without that which is proper to the juſtified: And how far any Degrees of Grace are loſt.
I ſhall know what meaſure of Grace I had my ſelf: and how far I was miſtaken in my ſelf: And what acts were ſincere, and how much that was not ſound was mixt: and what was of my ſelf and ſin.
I ſhall know much more of my ſin than here I ever knew; the number, and the greatneſs of them: That ſo I may know with greateſt thankfulneſs and love, how much I am beholden to pardoning and healing Grace.
Yea I ſhall know more of my Body, as it was the Habitation of my Soul, or the organical matter on which unitedly it workt. I ſhall know how far it helpt or hindred me: And what were all th… obſcure Diſeaſes that puzzled all the Phyſicians and my ſelf: And how marvellouſly God ſuſtained, preſerved, and oft delivered me: And what of my actions, was to be imputed to the Body, and what of them to the Soul?
IX. And every fellow Creature, which I am concerned to know, I ſhall know far better than now I do, both Things and Perſons: The Good and Bad, the Sincere and the Hypocrites will be there diſcerned: And many an action that here … for honourable, covered or coloured with wit or worldly advantages, or falſe pretences, will then be found to be odious and unjuſt: and wickedneſs will be flattered or extenuated no more: And many a good and holy Work which falſe men through wickedneſs and worldly Intereſt, reproached as ſome odious Crime, will there be juſtified, honoured and rewarded: All Sciences are there perfect, without our ambiguous Terms, or imperfect Axioms and Rules of Art.
X. And laſtly, I ſhall better know, from what Enemies, what Sins, what Dangers I was here delivered. What contrivances and malicious endeavours of Satan and his Inſtruments God defeated: How many Snares I eſcaped: And I ſhall better know how great my deliverance is by Chriſt from the Wrath to come. Though we ſhall not know Hell, by painful Senſe, we ſhall know it ſo far as is neceſſary to fill us with gratitude to our Redeemer: Yea we ſhall know much of it far better than the damned Spirits that feel it. For we ſhall know by ſweet and full fruition what the Joy and Bleſſedneſs is which they have loſt; when they have no ſuch kind of knowledge of it.
All this knowledge will be thus advanced to my glorified Soul beyond what I can here conceive in Fleſh: And is it not then far better to be with Chriſt?