VII.

But it is time to put an end to this; and therefore I shall say no more of this promise of being so happy as to SEE GOD, but that there is a sense to be made of it which will admit the Body, as well as the Soul, to a share with him in those supreme Felicities. For when an exceeding great Splendour, beyond any created Light, appeared to Holy men in ancient times, they called it by the name of God; (who was hereby represented to be present with them;) and the beholding this is called Seeing God. As when Moses saw the Bush in a flame, and from thence a light broke forth at noon-day (as Greg. * Nyssen speaks) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, brighter then that Page  35of the Sun, we reade that he thought of approaching to behold with his eyes the wonder of that light; but, which was more wonderfull, (as the same Father goes on,) he had his ears illuminated with its beams, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and the voice of that light forbad him to come near the mountain. Whereupon he presently apprehended that there was a Divine Presence in the Bush; and it is said, He hid his face, (out of reve∣rence and a holy dread,) and was a∣fraid to look upon God, iii. Exod. 6. Thence this Mountain is called the mount of God, v. 1. and xviii. 5. from this glorious presence here; which ap∣peared afterward also to give the Law from the same place. After which you find that he, and Aaron with his sons, and the seventy Elders of Israel, being invited by God to approach towards the foot of that Mount where he spake with Moses, it is said that they saw the God of Israel, xxiv. Exod. 10. In both which places, though Maimonides would willingly understand a spirituall sight of God with the mind, (being afraid lest any man should imagine God to be cor∣poreall;) * yet he acknowledges it is safe enough to interpret it as the Chaldee Page  36doth, of a sight of that Glory which I treated of in my former Book, (Chap. IV.) or of an Angel, which in a lumi∣nous Body appeared to them.

But this last is rejected by a Rule in the Talmud * where this very place last named is explained. It is this: He that interprets a verse of Holy Scripture always according to the literall sound, is a Liar; and he that addeth to it, is a Blasphemer. As for example, when it is said, they SAW THE GOD of Israel; if any body interpret it literally, he is a Liar, for the God of Israel cannot be seen: And if any one adde, that they saw the Angel of God, he blasphemously gives the honour of God to Angels. The Chaldee onely is in the right, who says, They saw the GLO∣RY of the God of Israel. And so S. Cy∣rill of Alexandria understood it, in the like case, * when he observes, the people were brought to Mount Sinai that they might be both Auditours and Spectatours of God, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or of his Divine and secret Glory. Which, having never been seen out of the Secret place, made now a most illustrious ap∣pearance: and at the bottom of it (cal∣led his feet) there was a pavement (on Page  37which the Glory stood) very bright, and becoming the Majesty that was upon it. For the Text says, it was like a Sap∣phire-stone, and as clear as the purest and serenest sky. A token, I suppose, of the Divine favour towards them; which the clearness of the Heavens very well repre∣sented, as clouds and darkness were signs of God's displeasure. And accordingly it follows, (v. 11.) that he did not lay his hand upon the nobles of Israel; i. e. did not hurt them: (though the com∣mon opinion was, that if men saw such a sight, they should die presently.) No, so far were they from receiving any harm by it, that they did not merely see God, but also eat and drink of the re∣liques of the Sacrifices that had been (v.5.) newly offered to him. He enter∣tain'd them with provision taken from his own Table; and they feasted with his Majesty, to their great joy and satis∣faction.

Such a Glory, I told you, S. Stephen saw, when his persecutours were going to stone him. And it is reasonable to suppose that, in some part of the Hea∣vens, God now manifests himself in a most glorious visible Majesty, to the ex∣ceeding Page  38ineffable joy (not terrour and affrightment) of those who shall be ad∣mitted to approach to that Light, which is now inaccessible. So that this will be a part of our eternall happiness, to live in those pure clear Regions, where un∣known Glories and most splendid mag∣nificent sights will present themselves to us: where we our selves shall be cloa∣thed with a brightness like that wherein our Lord appeared to S. Stephen and S. Paul; and behold him in a greater Majesty and brightness then that was, because our capacities will be inlarged to make room for more illustrious manifesta∣tions of God to us. We shall live in that place, (as was said before) where he dwells in light unapproachable by mortall men; in the company of the holy An∣gels, who, as so many Stars of glory, will add, if it be possible, to the splen∣dour of that place; and with our Blessed Saviour, God-Man, whose glorified Body we shall behold. And so behold it, that we shall bear the image of the heavenly, as we have born the image of the earthy. We shall be made immortall, that is, we shall be ever with the Lord, in such glorious Bodies as his is: so that in our selves we may see the Glory of God.

Page  39For it must be noted here, that though our Happiness will begin when our Spi∣rits depart this life; yet it will not be perfected till the Son of God shall come the second time to raise our bodies out of the dust, that they may have a part with our Souls in a never-dying Life. Till then, the Happiness I speak of, it must be confessed, will not have its Crown or utmost Consummation. But yet the Soul in the mean time (I shall prove in its proper place) doth not lie asleep, nor hath all its Powers bound up in a cold and lethargick dulness; though it have not attain'd the utmost enjoy∣ment of that Good for which it hopes. Our Saviour seems to make these two distinct things; the putting us in pos∣session of everlasting life, and the raising us up at the last day. vi. Joh. 40. This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may HAVE EVER LASTING LIFE, and I will RAISE HIM ƲP at the last day: which he repeats again v. 54. The former of which expressions may well denote the comfortable Hope we have of Happiness, when Soul and Body shall be united; and the other, Page  40the perfection of this Happiness, when they shall be again united. We shall enter into a great part of Felicity, when we quit these Earthly Tabernacles; our Souls shall then feel themselves alive, and alive in the midst of those delights that will still increase and never have any end: and they shall joyfully expect the Re∣surrection of the dead, and the Glory wherein our Saviour shall then appear, and all his Saints together with him; who having received abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by Jesus Christ.

Thus I have said a little concerning this great promise of SEEING GOD; and it is so little, that I feel my self un∣satisfied, and would fain penetrate far∣ther, or at least speak more distinctly of this ETERNALL LIFE. But this small glance we have had of it may well awaken our Souls, and excite them in the worst condition here to burst out into those words, which the Authour of the Commentaries upon Job (under the name of Origen) puts into that Holy man's mouth. *

Thither will I go, where the Tabernacles Page  41of the Righteous are, where are the Glories of the Saints, where is the Rest of the Faithful, where is the Consolation of the Godly, where is the Inheritance of the Mercifull, where is the Blessedness of the Ʋndefiled. Thither will I goe, where Light and Life dwells, where Glory and Mirth, where Gladness and Exultation inhabit; from whence Grief, Sadness and Sighing fly away; where the former Tri∣bulations, which afflict the Body upon this Earth, are no more remembred. Thither will I goe, where we shall lay down our Troubles, where we shall have a reward of our Labours; where is the Bosome of Abra∣ham, where the Propriety of Isaac, where the Familiarity of Israel; where are the Souls of the Saints, where the Quires of Angels, where the Voices of Archangels; where is the Illumination of the Holy Ghost, where the Kingdome of Christ, where the never-ending Glory, and the blessed Sight of the Eternall God the Father. Thither will I go, there I hope to arrive: not com∣plaining, not finding fault, much less cur∣sing and blaspheming; but blessing and praising, and with giving of thanks, say∣ing, The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away; as it pleased the Lord, so it is come to pass. Whatsoever pleases God is good; Page  42whatsoever pleases him is just. It pleased him to give; his pleasure was good: it pleased him to take away; his pleasure was just. All that the Lord wills is Life, is Light, is Rest and Peace, is eternall Bles∣sedness. Whatsoever pleases the Lord therefore, whether to inrich or to impove∣rish, all is incorruptible and endless Bliss. Blessed is the man, O Lord, whom thou chastenest. As pleases the Lord, so it is: Let the Name of the Lord be blessed world without End. Amen.