A Prospect of Heaven, Treatise · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Of the more diſtinct bleſſedneſs of the Soul.
SECT. I. Of the perfection of the apprehenſions of the Saints in glory.
LEt us now more diſtinctly conſider of the bleſſedneſs of the Soul; firſt laying this general rule, that it ſhall be perfect: for the Apoſtle plainly ſheweth, that the Spirits of juſt men are made perfect, Heb. 12. Now the perfection of the Soul principally conſiſteth in the knowledg of God. Now there is Scientia directa & intuitiva, a direct knowledg of God upon view and ſight: Now this is either perfect, or imperfect.
A full and perfect knowledg of God himſelf, none hath but God himſelf; no creatures, no man, no Angel is capable of it; God himſelf fully and perfectly ſeeth himſelf, which no other can do; for a full and perfect knowledg of an infinite Beeing is infinite, as that Beeing is. He that hath a full and perfect knowledg of any thing whatſoever it be, hath the full meaſure of that thing in his underſtanding, which he fully and perfectly knoweth. Now what is the ſhallow and narrow capacity of any created underſtanding of Man or Angel, that it ſhould meaſure the infinite eſſence and excellency of the God-head? it is not ſo much as a ſpoon to the Ocean; and there is leſs diſproportion between the water of the Sea, and the capacity of a ſpoon, then the underſtanding of Man or Angels, and the infinite majeſty and excellency of God.
Now God knoweth himſelf fully and perfectly in himſelf. If the Sun-beams were animated, and living creatures endued with reaſon, how clearly and perfectly would they know and ſee through themſelves, every way being altogether light and tranſparent? God is the light of lights, a moſt pure, bright, and glorious Beeing; and he is of infinite wiſdom, and ſo fully and perfectly knoweth himſelf.
On the other ſide, there is a knowledg of God direct and intuitive, or upon view, which is not perfect, and this is of thoſe bleſſed Creatures already poſſeſſed of glory: ſuch knowledg have the Angels, who ſee God face to face, as our Saviour ſaith, Matth. 18.10. The Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven. They do not only ſee his back-parts, as Moſes did, but his face, by an immediate view, beholding the beauty and glory of the Lord. Whether the Saints departed, before the reſurrection of the Body, do thus ſee the face of God, I determine not; doubtleſs they do already enjoy a great degree of bleſſedneſs, the fruition whereof is more ſweet for one day, then the enjoying of all the World for a mans life: howſoever, after the reſurrection, when they ſhall be fully poſſeſſed of glory, they ſhall ſee the face of God as the Angels do, Job 19.25, 26, 27. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he ſhall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my fleſh I ſhall ſee God; whom I ſhall ſee for my ſelf, and not another, &c. So David compareth the temporal proſperity of Worldlings, which they enjoy in this life, with the bleſſed eſtate which he expected after the reſurrection of the Body; he calleth them, Pſal. 17.14, 15. Men of the World, which have their portion in this life, and whoſe belly the Lord filleth with his hid treaſures; which are full of Children, and leave the rest of their ſubstance to their Babes. This was their ſeeming happineſs, all worldly and temporary. Now on the other ſide he ſpeaketh of his own condition: As for me, I will behold thy face in righteouſneſs; I ſhall be ſatisfied, when I awake, with thy likeneſs. He cared not for thoſe hidden treaſures locked up in the mines and bowels of the earth, nor for a portion in this life, nor for large portions for his Poſterity, &c. but to behold the face of God in righteouſneſs; to ſee him face to face, (which he was aſſured of by faith) and ſo to be ſatisfied with his Image.
Object. But why is this knowledg ſaid to be imperfect, ſith the Apoſtle, ſpeaking of this glorious condition of the Saints, ſaith, That then that which is perfect ſhall come, and that which is imperfect ſhall be done away?
Sol. I anſwer, this knowledg of God which the Angels have, and the Saints ſhall have in God himſelf, is
Perfect, in regard of the Subject in which it is.
Imperfect, in regard of the Object of whom it is.
Perfect in regard of the Subject, and that in two reſpects.
1. Becauſe it filleth the underſtanding, and ſatisfieth the ſpirit with a fulneſs of light reſulting from ſo glorious an object; ſo that the Soul hath a beatifical viſion of God, ſo far as it is capable. And as the eye is refreſhed by an object fitly proportioned, and hurt or dimmed by a diſproportionable eminency, or excellency, in the object ſurpaſſing its ſtrength and ability; ſo the Soul, perfected and glorified, and the Angelical Spirits, have ſuch a knowledg of God in himſelf, as filleth them, not ſuch as confoundeth them; and this is perfect in regard of them, becauſe it is ſuch a perfection as they are capable of, and can contain.
2. It is perfect in reſpect of the ſubject in which it is, in that it is as much as is due and requiſite to make their happineſs compleat and perfect without any defect; it is ſo perfect, that they need no more knowledg of God then that which they have: and who can deny but that this is a perfection of knowledg in reſpect of the ſubjects? they are as bleſſed every way, and ſo eſpecially in regard of the knowledg of God, as ſuch creatures can be; and that is a perfection, though relative, and foreign (as they ſay) in relation to the ſubjects in whom it is.
Secondly, on the other ſide, this knowledg which theſe glorified ſpirits have, and ſhall have of God in himſelf, is imperfect in reſpect of the Object of whom it is, viz. God, whom they know in himſelf; that is, it is not a knowledg matchable to the infinite eſſence and excellency of the God-head: This cannot be comprehended by any of the creatures.
Yet let me tell you, the underſtanding ſhall then be more perfect,
In its apprehenſion,
In its judgment.
I. In its apprehenſion; that ſhall be moſt quick and acute; the Soul ſhall have a moſt ſharp and piercing eye-ſight, readily apprehending and conceiving; it ſhall not ſee thorow a glaſs, it ſhall not have its knowledg at ſecond hand.
1. It ſhall not apprehend God by the Creature, by the light of Nature; the Creatures are the darkeſt repreſentations of God, there are but ſome of his foot-prints in the Creatures, they are no glaſſes wherein we ſhall behold the face of God: At the beſt, the Creatures are but Jacob's Ladder to us, by which we may aſcend from Earth to the knowledg of God in Heaven; the Creatures can but take us by the hand and lead us to God, and lift up our minds to Heaven; the ſight of God is more then all the Creatures can afford, becauſe God's face cannot be ſeen in the Creature: and yet this we may grant, that the Saints ſhall ſee God in the Creatures then, but with this difference, as Dionyſius well obſerveth,Dionyſ. Ercop. the Creatures will be ſpecula clara in ſtatu integro, clear glaſſes in a perfect ſtate; but now in ſtatu corrupto, in a corrupt ſtate they be ſpecula aenigmatica, obſcure glaſſes.
2. The glorified Soul ſhall apprehend God after another manner then now it can know him from his Word, or underſtand him in his Word. The knowledg of the Word is by the Schools called cognitio Fidei, the knowledg of Faith; it is a far greater knowledg then the knowledg of God from the Creatures; Faith is of an higher reach then Reaſon, or the light of Nature; the Word of God ſpeaks of God more, then the eye of Reaſon ever can by the eye of Nature kenne; things which Reaſon could almoſt deny, (at leaſt diſpute againſt) the Word reveals of God. The Creatures ſhew but the foot-ſteps of God, the Word ſheweth his back-parts, his glorious attributes, his gracious goodneſs: but yet the Word cannot ſhew us the face of God; therefore the Beatifick Viſion is more then the knowledg of God we have from the Word.
3. The knowledg of God in Heaven is more then that which the Saints have of him by the light of grace in this life; by the light of grace the Saints do behold the light of God's countenance in this life: David often prays, Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us; but yet the light of grace cannot ſhew the very countenance of God himſelf, it muſt be the light of glory that muſt diſcover that to us. Indeed to know God by the light of grace, (which more properly is termed the knowledg of Faith) is called life eternal, John 17.3. It is called eternal life, becauſe to believe in God, and in Chriſt, is the medium, a way and means to life eternal; and then again, it is vita eterna inchoata, ſaving Faith in Chriſt is the beginning of eternal life: but the eye of Faith is too weak to look God in the face: yet this we may grant, that what the Creature, what the Word reveals of God, what we know by the light of grace, we ſhall have a more clear, more full, and more manifeſt ſight of it in Heaven.
We ſhall then ſee God as he is, (i.) know himſelf by himſelf; we ſhall know him by himſelf without the Creature, know him by himſelf without the external preaching of the Word, know him without the Sacraments; the Word and Sacraments being glaſſes wherein we behold the glory of God, but in Heaven there ſhall be no need of theſe glaſſes, we ſhall ſee his face without theſe glaſſes by himſelf. Look as God doth manifeſt himſelf to the Angels, ſo he will manifeſt himſelf to us; they ſee God in himſelf, and by himſelf, therefore they are ſaid always to behold the face of God, and ſo ſhall glorified Saints do.
Here the bodily eye may be dim, either by reaſon of the weakneſs of the eye, a defect of ſtrength in the organ or inſtrument of ſight, or becauſe of ſcales or films growing over it; ſo it is with the underſtanding, or eye of the Soul, its ſight may be dim and imperfect, either by reaſon of its natural weakneſs, or by the ſcales of luſts or ſinful corruptions overgrowing it; theſe do exceedingly blind the underſtanding, and dull the apprehenſion, while we are in this ſtate of mortality: Now both theſe ſhall be done away in that ſtate of glory; the organ, or eye of the Soul, ſhall then be ſtrengthned with perfection, there ſhall be no weakneſs remaining in it, it ſhall be moſt ſtrong and vigorous; the Soul ſhall then be elevated and raiſed to that ſtrength, that it ſhall be able to gaze upon the glory of God for ever, and ſo ſee him, as never to loſe the ſight of him: then likewiſe all the ſcales ſhall be removed, there ſhall not be the leaſt mote of luſt to dim the eye of the Soul, it ſhall ſee clearly and perfectly; and ignorance, which is here a brand of ſin, ſhall be quite defaced by the brightneſs that ſhall enlighten the Soul. Tunc nec falli, nec peccare poſſunt homines, veritate illuminati, & in bono confirmati; then men illightened with the truth, and confirmed in good, can neither deceive, nor be deceived, nor ſin, ſaith St. Auguſtine.
How quick was Adam's apprehenſion in the ſtate of innocence? how did the acuteneſs of his underſtanding penetrate into the inſides of the Creatures, as is manifeſt by his giving them names ſuitable to their natures? Now as Chriſt (the ſecond Adam) is incomparably more excellent then the firſt Adam, and Believers are the ſpiritual ſeed of Chriſt, as Men and Women are the natural ſeed of Adam, ſo far more tranſcendent ſhall that perfection of apprehenſion and underſtanding be, which Chriſt ſhall illighten the Souls of his Saints withal (as his ſeed) in that ſtate of bleſſedneſs, even far ſurpaſſing that which Adam had, and which ſhould have been propagated from him to his natural iſſue, had he perſevered in the integrity of his nature wherein he was created.
SECT. II. Of the perfection of the judgments of the Saints in glory.
II. AS the apprehenſions, ſo likewiſe the judgments of the Saints ſhall be perfected in Heaven: Here ſometimes quick apprehenſions are accompanied with ſhallow judgments, as on the other ſide ſolid judgments are joyned with ſlow apprehenſions; but in glory, the ſoundneſs of the judgment ſhall be correſpondent with the clearneſs and quickneſs of the apprehenſion, it ſhall not be ſubject to the leaſt miſtake, nor obnoxious to any error; here we are full of levity, and wavering in matters of Religion, taking up opinions lightly, without due examination; and for want of ſtrength of judgment, we are ready upon every ſleight occaſion to receive another Doctrine; and likewiſe preſuming upon the ſtrength of and ſubtilty of our own wits, not limited by grace, we are ſhamefully foiled. Love and affection to our own vain opinions, is a great impediment to ſound judgment; it breeds prejudice againſt the truth, making men reſolute in defending their opinions, if by any way of wreſting the Scripture to their purpoſe it be poſſible. But in Heaven the ſoundneſs of the Saints judgments ſhall be anſwerable to the acuteneſs of their apprehenſions, they ſhall be no longer accompanied with doubts and darkneſs; as they learn without labour, ſo they ſhall not fear forgetfulneſs, drawing light and wiſdom from the very fountain; they ſhall know all things in their principles; their Souls ſhall then be penetrated by the Spirit of God, and their judgments clarified with the light of glory; the Saints ſhall then be able not only to view the ſuperficies, or ſurface of things, but alſo to dive into the bottom of them, to comprehend the breadth and length, the height and depth of them; they ſhall then ſee that God is ever like himſelf, and that all things in him do moſt exactly conſent and agree together.Sicut terra reſpectu coeli eſt inſenſibilis quantitatis, ſic honitas aliarum ſcientiarum reſpectu Scipturarum. Durand. Durandus ſaith of the knowledg of the Scriptures, that the knowledg of all humane Sciences is no more to be compared to the knowledg of the Scriptures, then the Earth to the Heavens for bigneſs; the Earth is but a ſmall inſenſible point in regard of the Heavens: I am ſure the knowledg of God which we have from the Scripture, from the Creatures, is no more to be compared to the knowledg of God, which the bleſſed Saints and Angels in Heaven have, it is nothing to be compared with it; all Solomon's wiſdom and knowledg is nothing.
It is ſaid, that God gave to Solomon wiſdom and underſtanding exceeding much, 1 Reg. 4.29. and largeneſs of heart, even as the ſand on the Sea-ſhore; and this was to admiration in this ſtate of mortality: but I believe, that he that is leaſt in the Kingdom of Heaven, ſhall far ſurpaſs Solomon in underſtanding and judgment. If John Baptist (according to our Saviour's teſtimony) were greater then any of the Prophets, becauſe he ſaw Chriſt already come in the fleſh, whereas they only foreſaw Chriſt to come; and yet the leaſt in the Kingdom of God (that is, in the Church of the New Teſtament) be greater in this reſpect then John Baptist, becauſe they ſee into the Myſtery of Chriſt, not only as already come, but as having actually performed the work of our redemption, died, overcome death, riſen from the dead, aſcended into Heaven, given forth his Spirit, and ſpread his Goſpel over the World; how far then ſhall the underſtandings of the Faithful in Heaven (ſeeing Chriſt face to face) excel the knowledg which all the Prophets, Solomon, John Baptist, and all Believers under the New Teſtament, had here upon the face of the Earth? and as the perfection of theſe faculties, ſo the excellency and perfection of the objects which they ſhall thus clearly apprehend and perfectly know, ſhall wonderfully advance the bleſſedneſs of the Saints.