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I will next enquire, whether this satisfaction can be in this life; if not, sure there must be such a thing here∣after; and for this, it is fi••st evident that man hath some knowledge of God in this life;* 1.1 he can by examining causes find that there must be a first; yea, he can from thence affirme that he must be free from all imperfecti∣ons, incorporeall, immense, and the like, because Cor∣poriety, Mensurability, finitenesse, argue imperfection.
Thus have men Philosophiz'd by reason: but the under∣standing is not filled with this; as you may observe a Country-man, when he see's another write, walke, speake, and the like, he can tell you, these are the ef∣fects of some excellent principles in that man who doth them; ask him, what it is? he can, with all the world, tell you, it is his Soule; but ask, what that Soule is? he is at a stand, he knowe's nothing of it; such are our thoughts of God, from whose works of his we know there is a cause which bringe's these mighty things to passe, which we call God; but what that God is, who doth them, we are at a losse, by all the reason man can find out; for as a dog can apprehend his master's kind∣nesse to him, or his anger, yet cannot know the excel∣lency of his Master's Wisdome, power, &c. because he is in a lower rank of things then man is; much lesse is man able to reach at that infinite excellency of God, be∣ing many degrees much lower then God, than any Creature is below man. This is the knowledge a man may have of God; if there be any thing else, it must be that other way, in which many Divines have trod, besides these negatives of imperfections, to conceive these things we call perfections to be in a much more in∣finitely excellent manner in him who is God: So a husbandman may know that a learned man exceed's him in knowledge, and that this knowledge is in divine, naturall, and morall things; but what that knowledge of his is, he cannot tell, unlesse that learned man reveale it to him; so it is in respect of God,* 1.2 we know he hath excellencies beyond us, that these consist in these or these eminencies; but what is the nature of these emi∣nencies, no man can know, but he to whom God re∣veale's them; yet he cannot choose but desire to know
them; But it may here be said, that God hath revealed these excellencies of his in his holy book; he hath revea∣led something of himself in Scripture, enough for a viaticum, for a rep••st by the way, in a Riddle, darkely, behind a Cloud; by which he believe's there are such things; yet faith cannot make men absolutely perfect; it is the support,* 1.3 the foundation of things hoped for; but Peregrinamur fide, we must be strangers from happiness, whilst we live in faith; it is of things absent; happinesse consists in the fruition, the possession of what is present, which cannot be so long as we are believing; Faith give's a man a nearer approach to happinesse, then any thing else in this world; and therefore a faithfull man can passe better through all the affronts of this world, then any other; because he knowe's there is a happiness for him elswhere; that he is approaching to it; his con∣versation is in heaven, as S. Paul speaketh; his thoughts are there, his businesse and negotiation; this world be∣long's not to him; but yet he is going to his happinesse; onely, he is not there, untill he put off his flesh and blood. There are other revelations to prophetique persons,* 1.4 by dreames, visions, and other apparitions, by which God is pleased to reveale himself to some espe∣ciall Servants of his; but these are of some particular things, which cannot fill the vast understanding of man; there are likewise extasies in some men, which (I guess) have had by them fuller and greater manifestations of God; of that kind was that Saint Paul speake's of, in which were unutterable mysteries; but these are very short, enough to give a man a taste of heaven, not satisfie him; enough to make him long for more of the same, and desire to be dissolved, and be with Christ; enough to give him an eagernesse of desire, mixed with the Com∣fort
of assurance. He who hath happinesse, as it must be full, so it must be ••onstant, without losse, or feare of losing: for although beasts are happy in the present en∣joyment of their happy objects, because they have no forecast of any future evill, unlesse such little Sagacities, and instincts of nature as dispose them to these, or these provisions for the future; yet man, having foreseeing eyes, alwayes looking at what will become of him here∣after, cannot be happy in the present without forecast of the future, what he shall be; and therefore these tem∣porary felicities cannot make him blessed.
Man hath some imperfect knowledge of God in this life.
None positive∣ly of his emi∣nencies, but by revelation.
What Faith do••'s towa••d it.
What dreams, visions, ecsta∣sies &c.