Select discourses ... by John Smith ... ; as also a sermon preached by Simon Patrick ... at the author's funeral ; with a brief account of his life and death.

CHAP. X.

The Conclusion of this Treatise concerning the Existence and Nature of God, shewing how our Knowledge of God comes to be so imperfect in this State, while we are here in this Terrestriall Body. Two waies observ'd by Plotinus, whereby This Body does prejudice the Soul in her Operations. That the Better Philosophers and more Contemplative Jewes did not deny the Existence of all kind of Body in the other state. What meant by Zo∣roaster's 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. What kind of knowledge of God cannot be attain'd to in this life. What meant by Flesh and Blood, 1 Cor. 15.

FOR the concluding of this Discourse, as a Mantissa to what hath been said, we shall a little consider how inconsistent a thing a Perfect knowledge of God is with this Mundane and Corporeall state which we are in here. While we are in the Body, we are absent from the Lord, as S. Paul speaks, and that (I think) without a mysterie: Such Bodies as ours are being fitted for an Animal state, and pieces of this whole Machina of Sen∣sible Matter, are perpetually drawing down our Souls, when they would raise up themselves by Contempla∣tior of the Deity; and the caring more or less for the things of this Body, so exercises the Soul in this state, that it cannot attend upon God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 without distraction. In the antient Metaphysicks such a Body as this is we carry about us, is call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. the dark Den and Sepulchre in which Souls are impri∣son'd and entomb'd, with many other expressions of

the like importance; and Proclus tells us that the Com∣moration of the Soul in such a Body as this, is, accor∣ding to the common vote of Antiquity, nothing else but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a dwelling or pitching its Tabernacle in the Valley of Oblivion and Death. But * 1.1 Plotinus, in his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, seems not to be easily satisfied with Allegoricall de∣scriptions, and therefore searching more strictly into this business, tells his own and their meaning in plainer terms, that This Body is an occasion of Evil to the Soul two waies; 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as it hinders its Mentall operations, presenting its Idola specûs continually to it: 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as it calls forth its advertency to its own Passions, which while it exerciseth it self a∣bout too earnestly, it falls into a sinfull inordinacy.

Yet did not the Platonists nor the more Contempla∣tive Jews deny the Existence of all kind of Body in the other State, as if there should be nothing residing there but naked Souls totally devested of all Corporeall Es∣sence; for they held that the Soul should in the other World be united with a Body, not such a one as it did act in here, (which was not without disturbance) but such as should be most agreeable to the Soul, which they call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Spirituall Vehicle of the Soul, and by Zoroaster it was call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a kind of Umbra or Aereal Mantle in which the Soul wraps her self, which, he said, remain'd with her in the state of glory, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and in the Jewish language it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 indumentum quoddam interius, as Gaulmin hath observed in his De vita & morte Mosis.

But to return; the Platonists have pointed out a threefold knowledge of God, 1. one 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,

2. the second 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 3. the last 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and this last they affirm'd to be unattainable by us, it be∣ing that ineffable Light whereby the Divinity com∣prehends its own Essence penetrating all that Immen∣sity of Being which it self is. The First may be attain'd to in this life; but the Second in its full perfection we cannot reach here in this life, because this knowledge ariseth out of a blissfull Union with God himself, which therefore they are wont to call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Con∣tact of Intellectuall Being, and sometimes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, that I may phrase it in the Scripture words, a beholding of God face to face, which is that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Arcanum facierum the Jewish writers speak of, which we cannot attain to while we continue in this concrete and bodily state. And so when Moses desir'd to behold the face of God, that is, as the * 1.2 Jewes understand it, that a distinct Idea of the Di∣vine Essence might be imprinted upon his Mind, God told him, * 1.3 No man can see me, and live; that is, no man in this corruptible state is capable of attaining to this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or visio facierum, as Maimonides ex∣pounds it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The Understanding of the living man, who is compounded of Body and Soul, is utterly unable clearly to apprehend the Divine Essence, to see it as it is. And so S. Paul distinguisheth the knowledge of this life as taken in this complex sense, and of the life to come: that now we see 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in a glass, which is continually sullied and darkened, while we look into it, by the breathing of our Animal fansies, passions and imaginations upon it; and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 darkly: but we shall see then 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 face to face; which is the translation of that Hebrew phrase 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. And in the like manner does a Greek Philosopher com∣pare

these two sorts of Knowledge which the Soul hath of God in this life and in that to come, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The Soul will reckon all this knowledge of God which we have here by way of Science but like a fable or parable, when once it is in conjunction with the Father, feasting upon Truth it self, and beholding God in the pure raies of his own Divi∣nity. I shall conclude all with that which S. Paul ex∣presly tells us, 1 Cor. 15. 50. Flesh and blood cannot in∣herit the kingdome of God; where, by Flesh and Blood he seems to mean nothing else but Man in this com∣plex and compounded state of Soul and Body, I mean corruptible, earthy Body: and it was a common Peri∣phrasis of this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 amongst the Jews, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in the like sense is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Flesh & Blood, in those and other places in the New Testament used, where this phrase occurs, viz. Matth. 16. 17. Gal. 1. 16. Ephes. 6. 12. Heb. 2. 14. But in opposition to this gross earthy Body, the Apostle speaks of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Spirituall Body, v. 44. such as shall put on incorruption and immortality, v. 53. and consequently differing from that Body which here makes up this compounded ani∣mall Being: and accordingly our Saviour speaks of the children of the Resurrection, that they * 1.4 neither marry nor are given in marriage, nor can they die any more, but are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or, as it is in S. Matthew and Mark, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as the Angels of God; and so the Jewish writers are wont to use the same phrase to ex∣press the state of Glory by, viz. that then good men shall be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sicut Angeli ministerii.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Enn. 4. l. 8.
• * 1.2

  Maimon. de fundam. legis, cap. 1.
• * 1.3

  Exod. 33. 20.
• * 1.4

  Luk. 20.