a fight that we are little pleased with; many a rueful spectacle that makes our Hearts ake.

1. We see much Sin, and defilement in our felves and others.

2. Much Sorrow and Anguish, many Troubles and Afflictions, the bitter Fruits of Sin.

3. Much Vanity and Emptyness in our best Things, our choiceft Earthly Comforts. Wherefore Solomon looking Ecel. 4. no further than prefent Things, (for 2,3. there he takes not in the Confideration of Eternity) praises the Dead above the Living, and prefers him that hath not yet been, before them both. But now the fight of God in Heaven fhall make us amends for all.

(1.) There we fhall fee no Sin; the bitter root of the Corruption of our Nature, and every string thereof fhall be plucked up, and we fhall be prefented unto God pure and holy, without fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing, Eph. 5. 27. Then we shall be clothed with white Robes, Rev. 7. 9. or as the fame thing is exprefs'd, Rev. 19. 8. we shall be arrayed in fine Linnen, clean and white, which is the Righteousness of the Saints.

(2.) Thére

1

(2.) There we fhall fee no Sorrow. God fhall wipe away all tears from our Eyes, Rev. 21. 8.

(3.) There we fhall fee no Vanity or Emptiness; we fhall have a fight there which will fill all the most inlarged Defires of our Souls. With the Hopes hereof David comforted himself, Pfal. 17. 15. As for me, I will behold thy Face in Righteousness; I shall be fatisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

When fome rare publick Shew is to be fet forth, as in folemn Triumphs after great Victories, or at the Coronation of Princes, or the like, as the time fet for fuch Solemnities draws near, and when all Things in order thereunto are now in a readinefs, how do Perfons that take delight in fuch Things, long that the Day were come! The Night before perhaps they can hardly fleep for the thoughts of what they are to fee the next Day. And should not we much more long for that blissful fight, in comparison whereof all the glorious Things of this World are but empty Trifles! And that's a fight that fhall not pass away as thefe here do, leaving us as much troubled that they are fo foon gone, as we were delighted with

them

Tis

them while they were prefent. true, God here caufeth his Goodness only to pass before us fometimes; but in Heaven it shall not pafs before us, but stand still, and remain in our Eye and full View to Eternity. O that our Hearts could be lifted up in the lively Hopes of this Sight, and that the Breathings of our Souls after it, might be thofe of David, As the Hart panteth Pfal. 42. after the Water-brooks, fo panteth my 1,2. Soul after thee, O God; My Soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when fball I come and appear before God? So much of the Comparison: Now follows the Explication of it, in the last claufe of the 12th Verfe; Now know I in part; but then shall I know even as alfo I am known. To fee through a Glafs darkly is explained by knowing in part; and to fee Face to Face is explained by knowing as we are known. Having fo fully fpoken of this whole matter already, all that I fhall add, or need to add, is, concerning the last words, Then fhall I know, even as alfo I am known. The meaning of which words is, then fhall I know God, even as I am known of God, or as God knows me. Now this fimilitude or like

nefs

ness that is between our knowing God, and God's knowing us, lyes in thefe two Things.

1. God knows us immediately and directly; he knows us by direct intuition, without the help of any other thing representing us unto him, and fo hereafter thall we know him by immediate Vifion or Intuition. This the Scriptures in divers places express by our feeing God. So Matth. 5. 8. Blef Jed are the pure in Heart, for they shall fee God. Heb. 12. 14. Without Holiness no Man fhall fee the Lord. 1 John 3. 2: When he shall appear, we shall fee him as he is. And Rev. 22. 3, 4. after a large and glorious Defcription of the New Jerufalem, this is added concerning it, And there fall be no more Curfe, but the Throne of God and of the Lamb fhall be in it, and his Servants fhall ferve him ž and they shall fee his Face, and his Name fhall be in their Foreheads.

2. God knows us perfectly, his allfeeing Eye looks into us, and pierceth thorough us, as I may fay: Whatfoever is in us, lyes open and naked be fore him who fearcheth the Reins, and tryeth the Heart. And we also in fome fenfe shall hereafter know God perfect

ly:

ly. 'Tis indeed impoffible that we be ing Creatures fhould have fuch a full and comprehenfive Knowledge of God, as God hath of himself. In this Senfe is Zopbar to be understood, Job 11.7,8, 9. Canft thou by fearching find out God? Canft thou find out the Almighty unto Perfection? It is as high as Heaven,what canft thou do? Deeper than Hell, what canft thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the Earth, and broader than the Sea. That is, God being Infinite, it is utterly impoffible that thou being a Finite Creature fhould fully understand him. But yet I fay in fome Sense we alfo fhall know God perfectly when we come to Heaven. And this in a three-fold refpect.

1. We shall then know God perfectly. in comparison of that dark, fhort and imperfect Knowledge of him which we have here. In this Senfe the Apostle before in the 10th Verfe, fpeaking of our Knowledge, faith, when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 'Tis then comparatively a perfect Knowledge of God which we fhall be endued with hereafter, though not abfolutely perfect.