breasts much lesse into the breast of a Deity Thou caust not fathome sometimes a shallow creature and do'st thou think to reach to the bottome of infinite depths Has God given thee secret springs of working has he made the wheeles and motions of thy soul secret and undiscernable and may he not have the same priviledge himself So then if God has put a vaile upon Election do'st thou think to see into it When he has shut and clasp't the book of Life do'st thou think to open it and read it II. Vocation comments upon Election Gods decrees that were set from everlasting do bud and blossome and bring forth fruit in time Election buds in a promise and blossomes in an offer of grace The Book was written before the foundations of the world were laid but it was not publisht till God himself gave it an Imprimatur The Letter was dated from eternity the Supersociption was writ in time in Vocation Now you know though the Letter be writ first yet the Superscription is read first by him that receives the Letter 'T was decreed from eternity that Decrees should be known in time And the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulnesse of time is the time when Gods decrees are fulfilled When the decrees of God are ripe then he lets the soul taste them and then they are sweetest Then thou perceivest that thou art a vessel of honour when God puts thee upon an honourable imploiment That fountain of love which ran under ground from everlasting bubbles up and flowes to thee in time That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was in Election becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Vocation Thus thoughts of men when they would appear they put on words they take wings to themselves and flie away III. There is a strict and an inseparable connexion betwixt Election and Vocation For who is there that can blast the decrees of Heaven or who can reverse the Seale of the Almighty Who can break one linke of this golden chaine To be sure 't is not in the power of created Beings to evacuate and annihilate the counsels of God A creature as it had no influence upon Election so neither has it any power to alter it A shadow does not alter the Sun but rather shews you what time of the day it is And then to be sure God himself will not reverse his own seale Nulla est litura in dâ—crâ—tis sapientum say the Stoicks A wise man will scorne to blot out any thing Nulla sunt litura in libra vitâ— God is so full of light as that there is no shadow of change in him Therefore has God pickt thee out as a Jewel and laid thee up in a secret repository in the Cabbinet of his secret councel He will then bring thee out and shew thee in time he means to polish thee and put a lustre upon thee he means to set thee as a Diamond in his Ring and to put thee upon the band of a Saviour Did God from all eternity resolve to set thee as a captive soul at liberty Truely then thou needest not doubt but that he will in time break open the prison-doors and beat off thy chaines and thy â—etters and give thee full inlargement God has been preparing a feast for thee from everlasting a feast of sweet and fat things a refined an Evangelical feast To be sure then he will invite thee in time he will stand at thy door and knock nay he will compell thee to come into it God glanced an eye of love upon thee when thou layest hid in the barren wombe of nothing to be sure then in time he means to wooe thee and to winne thee and to espouse thee to himself in faithfulnesse and in truth IV. Election and Vocation though in respect of us they have gradual and climbing accomplishments yet in respect of God they are equally present For there is no succession in eternity There can be no Priâ—â— posterius where there was no beginning 'T is true that our finite Beings as they cannot sufficiently graspe an infinite Essence so neither can they measure an infinite Duration And therefore our understandings put many times severall periods there where there ought not to be the least Comâ—â— because we span out things by our own narrow Duration For Duration is nothing else but permanoâ—â—ia in esse a continuation and abiding in Being the spinning out of Entity And therefore as the soul cannot see the face of God so neither can it see the vastnesse of his Duration which is adequate and commensurate to the degree of his Entity So that we being but of yesterday are not competent judges of Eternity And as the soul imprisoned in a body can but darkly conceive of spiritual Beings and cannot behold the lustre and oriency of an Angel nay it cannot behold its own beauty much lesse is it able to behold the glory of God himself So being here conversant with transient things that have their Ortum Occasum their Fluxum Refluxum their Spring and Autumne their bounds and their bottome and dwelling among temporals 't is not so well acquainted with the vast Duration of Eternity And yet it can far better behold the back-parts of Eternity then the face of it Eternity à parte pòst then Eternity à parte antè because the soul it self is measured by that Duration Whereas only that one Supreme Being God himself has the compleatnesse and perfection of Eternity No wonder then that our understandings put several periods there where there ought not to be the least comma because we span out things by our own Duration that which bubbles from Eternity comes flowing to us in time But Vocation is as eternall as Election In respect of God Jacob was as soon call'd as he was chosen and that not only in respect of the secret counsel and decree of God but whensoever God does actually call Jacob he calls him ab Aeterno for Eternity is not at all spent and exhausted by continuance but is alwayes in vigore viridi 'T is a flourishing Duration that never withers nor decayes Indeed Vocation is nothing else but Election pulling off her velle and smiling upon the soul and telling her that God loves her and manifests and displayes his love to her V. It is altogether irregular and anomalous for the soul 1. To prie into Election 'T is dangerous to tread on the highest round first and here it is impossible Thus the soul forgets that it is a creature it forgets its own Duration and would be measuring it self by Eternity The windowes of the soul must be set open for the entertaining of such light as do's more immediately flow in upon it and the understanding must close and comply with such objects as are best proportioned to it Now you know that those things which are first intelligible in their own nature yet are not alwayes first presented to the view and eye
nor yet subdue the power of sin There 's none but knows how to wound himself I but he must have skill that knowes how to cure him 't is easie enough to run into debt and many finde it hard enough to discharge it There 's none but can heap up sin and treasure up wrath and wound conscience I but who is there that can appease wrath and calme conscience and screen a soul from a consuming fire Sin is an offence against an infinite justice so that infinite being can either dispense with it or satisfie for it It is not the blessed Virgins milke can wash out so deep a staine it is not this can whiten the soul no if the Saints Robes be wash't white it must be in the blood of the Lambe And the power of the Keys can't reach thus farre A Minister can no more by any way of efficiency remit a sin then he can create a world And I know not what a Popes indulgence should do unlesse it be to send some ignorant people to hell with more chearfulnesse and alacrity that they may in Coelum descendere as the Satyrist said Nero did when they look for heaven drop into hell irrecoverably The mighty hand of God himself must be put to the blotting out of iniquities 't is I even I that blot out thy transgression even I whose royall prerogative 't is to pardon transgression and to blot out sin 3. I even I that have manifested mine anger against thee in punishing thee for thine iniquities even I am he that will blot them out for the soul will still be doubting and miâ—giving why 't is thou O God that hast shot off so many threatnings against us and spent all thine arrowes upon us Thou hast hewn us by thy Prophets and slaine us by the Words of thy mouth Thou hast dipt thy Pen in gall and writ bitter things against us Thou hast follow'd us with an whole Army of judgements and every way showne thy self an angry God against us and wilt thou now blot out our iniquities The Text hath the same answer ready for this too 'T is I even I am he that will blot them out and it speaks these two things 1. God he is not long angry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 't is in the 54. of Isaiah vers 8. In a littlâ— wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer God as he is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quickly provok'd so neither is he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long displeas'd God is Love saith the Apostle now Love is hardly provok'd and 't is quickly reconcil'd God is Love He writes not injuries in Marble his Law indeed he writes in stone I but the breach of the Law he writes that in the dust All the wrong hath been done to him and yet he beseeches us to be reconcil'd Hee 's farre more ready to offer mercy then the creature is to embrace it and more willing to speak peace then man is to hear it Where will you meet with a man so propense to put up a wrong and so ambitious to forgive an injury But as far as the heavens are above the earth so far are his thoughts above our thoughts He writes not our sins in so deep a character but that they may be easily blotted out 2. God requires no more humiliation then to bring a soul unto himself and make it capable of mercy Many a weak Christian questions his condition because he hath not fill'd Gods bottles so full of teares as others he hath not had such rendings of heart such breakings and piercings of spirit such scorching pre-apprehensions of hell and wrath as others have had I but let such a one consider that God is very gracious in his dealings and we must not look for the like degrees of humiliation in all some have a quicker delivery and are sooner freed from the pangs of the new birth some hearts are more wrought upon in a more winning and melting way others are beat in pieces by a stroke of Omnipotency But this we are sure that soule 's humbled enough that 's brought to a sight and sense of his sinne so as to see the necessity of a Saviour and to prize him and love him as the fairest of ten thousand When God hath made a soul to see his sins hee 's ready then to blot them out 'T is I even I am he that blot out thine iniquities even I that have punish't thee for them aud shewne mine anger against them I might adde that 't is a note of Gods complacency in his own goodnesse he doth even glory in the riches of his free grace and therefore 't is so often repeated I even I am he that will do it for mine own sake but I hasten to the next words Blot out thine iniquities There are many things wrapt up in this expression I 'le be more brief in them then to promise brevity And 1. Blotting out of iniquities implies that they were all written and took notice of 1. They were written in Gods book God he is not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and knowes all things every idle word every vaine extravagant thought every glance of the soul the least tendency to sin the first bublings up of Original corruption they are all took notice of In his Book are all thine iniquities written 2. Thou hast a book within thine own breast and Conscience hath the pen of a readie writer it can write as fast as the soul can dictate Calamum in corde tingit and with an accurate pencill it can give thee a full pourtraicture of thy most closetted behaviour of thy most reserved actions of thy most retired motions and though there be a curtaine drawn over them here yet then they shall be made very apparent God shall give conscience an Imprimatur and such works as thou would'st have supprest shall be publish't to the eyes of men and Angels and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall passe censure upon them Sinnes of the smallest print of the most indiscernable character shall be made clearly legible and become as Atomes in the presence of a Sun beam With what a furious reflexion wilt thou then read over thine own sinful life when all thine iniquity shall stare thy soul in the face to all eternity When as a Christians life shall be set out in a new Edition Multò auctior emendatior for all Errata shall be corrected and with an happy Index expurgatorius Every iniquity shall have a Deleatur and all Desiderata shall be suppli'd the Book shall become perfect and be look't on as a faire object to all eternity This is the first thing impli'd in blotting out of iniquity that they were all written and took notice of 2. Every transgression leaves a blot For even remission of sins is exprest by blotting out of iniquity Although the blot was here greater before
is as impossible for Israel to perish as for God to lose his glory And will not remember thy sins The sinful soul is full of doubts and suspicions Certainly saith he if God should let me alone now he will call me to acount for them hereafter If he seem to blot them out now he will write them again sometime or other No saith God I 'le blot out thy transgressions and will not remember thy sins 'T is an ordinary speech in the mouth of some silly ones they will forgive but never forget it had need have a very candid construction a grain of salt is scarce enough to make it savory but God never forgives but he doth forget too when he blots out iniquities he remembers them no more When the sins are laid upon the head of the scape-goat they are then carried into a land of forgetfulnesse I suppose you recall the usual rule Verba Memoriae denotant affectum effectum He will not remember them so as to call thee to account for them so as to upbraid thee with them so as any way to punish thee for them Guilt and punishmeat are correlates such Twinnes as live and dye together when the one 's remitted the other 's never retain'd For 1. 'T were injustice to punish where there is no fault God indeed may out of his absolute dominion and sovereignty inflict an evill upon an innocent creature but then it falls not under the formal notion of a punishment and doth inflict evils upon his own people which flow from a fatherly castigation and not from a judicial proceeding 2. 'T is against the very nature of remission Do you call that forgiving of a debt to cast a man into prison for not discharging it or is that pardoning of a Traitour to behead him for his treason 3. 'T is injurious to the full satisfaction of Christ who drunk up the whole cup all the dregs of wrath not a drop of that bitter cup left for a Christian no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there they do indeed pledge him but 't is in a sweeter draught and not at all in satisfaction to divine justice 'T is an impious speech and fit for the mouth that spoke it worthy of a Jesuite that calls Christians sufferings Fimbrias meritorum Christi but he may touch this hemme of the Garment and finde no vertue coming out from it Christs Resurrection was a full and plain aquittance a clear and apparent signe that iniquities were all blotted out Quest But doth not God revive former sinnes and reprint such iniquities as he hath once blotted out Answ He doth indeed but in abundance of love and bowels of free grace not as an angry and revenging God but 't is to make thy tepentance for them more deep and serious And though God remember them no more yet there 's good reason that the soul should still remember them First to make it more thankful to him that he blotted them out Secondly to walk more humbly Thirdly more watchfully and accurately 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus we have took a brief survey of the Text wee 'l now strain the quintessence of all into one observation Justifying grace is free grace He blots out iniquities for his own sake Every justifi'd person is a monument of free grace or in the Psalmists language he 's crown'd with loving kindnesse and tender mercies The grace of God is free grace and that First If you look to the Spring from whence it flowes That Originall goodnesse that fountain-mercy in Election when he singl'd out a peculiar people to himself there were beamings out of his love and blossomings of his grace towards thee from everlasting He was plotting and studying thy happinesse long before thou hadst any being Thou wert Gods Jewel from all eternity his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he casts a propitious glance upon thee And thy time was the time of love He took thee as the Jewel out of the rubbish of ruinated mankinde out of the Massa corrupta and in his due time he means to polish thee and to set a glorious lustre upon thee Now what was there that God should smile on Jacob and frowne on Esau from all eternity What was there in thee to perswade him to all this What were the motives Where were the arguments What was the Rhetorick 1. It was long before thou hadst any being thou wert hid in the barren wombe of nothing thou hadst no desire no thought of happinesse and I can't well understand the merite of a non-entity 2. God might have had great revenues of glory out of thy eternall ruine now that he should choose to glorifie the riches of his mercy in thy happinesse and salvation was most free grace Two books were before him he might have writ thy name in his black book with fatall and bloudy characters and made his justice glorious in thy miserie and damnation I but he took the book of life and with the point of a Diamond writ thy name there thus to make his love wonderful in thy salvation 3. Consider how few God then chose unto himself Out of those many worlds which he might have made out of that which he did make he pickt out a few here and there they all make up but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little diminutive flock a little little flock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The major part of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it lyes drench't and drown'd in wickednesse How comes it now that thou dost not go with the generality but art one of the little number is not this free grace God hath riches of grace for many more and yet he would spend it all upon a few he would contract and concentricate his love in them Et quantò pauciores filios habet tantò cariores 'T is St Pauls reason that he might make known the riches of glory upon the vessels of honour this was the very end that they might admire his goodnesse the more and tell stories of free grace to all eternity 4. Don't think that this was out of any prevision of worth and excellencie in thee more then in another For 1. This makes the prime wheeling cause wholly dependent upon inferior movers The great Creator of Heaven and Earth must wait upon mans liberum arbitrium if the creature please to determine thus or thus then he must copy out his decree accordingly 2. They speak as if they had never seen the nineth to the Romans What was it that prevail'd with the Potter to make one vessell to honour and the other to dishonour Was it because this was the more refined Earth and so fitter for a vessell of Honour No saith St. Paul of the very same lumpe he made one a vessel to honour and the other to dishonour And God lov'd Jacob and hated Esau before they had done either good or evil Now if Jacob would certainly have done good of his own accord 't was all one as if 't
love immortall Did not his Spirit seale up thy soul and is not the print of that seale indelible Speak did not he once shew thee thy name written with his own had in the Book of Life and do's he use to blot out what he has written Do'st not thou remember did not he smile upon thee in such and such an Ordinance and are his smiles deceitful O no! rest satisfy'd O Christian soul and quiet thy self in those rich expressions of his Love which he has formerly bestow'd upon thee O quesion not his goodnesse but prepare thy self for receiving of it The streams are dry'd up but yet the fountaine's full thou hast had some tastes of it though now thou art dry and thirsty and thou shalt have in time fresh bubblings up of his grace towards thee in the interim take this for a cordial Those former drops which thou hast tasted of it will cherish thy soul to all eternity The least drop of grace shall never be exhausted the least spark of true joy shall never be extinguisht all the floods that the Dragon can vomit out of his mouth shall never be able to quench it But then 4. Put the case thus that there be no Sun-light nor Starre-light nor reliques of former light neither the testimony of Gods Spirit nor of our own spirits nor any recalling of former assurance what must the soul do now Now look to the dawning of the day to the first Crepusculum look now to the initials of grace to the preface of Sanctification Thou canst not it may be shew any faire and lively pourtraâ—cture I but hast thou the first draughts and rudiments of holinesse Thou hast not any goodly and delicious clusters of Canaan O but see if the tender grape do bud There are not any ripe fruits of the Spirit but yet are there some blossomings of holinesse They graces don't flow out in fo full and faire a stream but canst thou see any bubblings up of goodnesse in thee Thou hast not yet the strength of a well grown Christian well but is there the vagitus of an Infant Look now to the souls prizing of a Christ to the whimperings after the breast to the breathings and longings after its Beloved thoughts upon him desires for him endeavours after him there 's much comfort and sweetnesse in these I and some kinde of Assurance For 1. Be sure that God that has begun this great work in thee will never give over till it be full and compleat he do's not use to leave his work imperfest The least tendency to goodness is cherished by him The very first motion 't is of his own planting and it shall lack for no watering and he himself will give it an increase 2. The least seed of grace as 't is choice and precious so 't is very vigorous and operative it will never leave working till Christ be formed in thee Who hath dâ—spised the day of small things Thy spark may spread it self into a flame and thy tender bud may flourish and bring forth much fruit He that is richest in grace began with as little a stock He that is now a tall Cedar was once a tender plant Improve but present strength and God will send thee in fresh supplies Auxiliary forces and thou shalt walk from strength to strength till thou appearest before God in glory Thy light shall shine out brighter and brighter till perfect day Donec stabiliatur dies according to the Syriac till thou com'st to a firme and well establisht Assurance The least peeping out of light the least dawning of the day is pleasant and comfortable 5. If thou canst not spy out any grace in they self borrow light of another Lay open thy soul to an Interpreter one of a thousand he may explain they condition and paraphraze upon thy soul better then thou thy self canst This Interpreter one of a thousand may more exactly analyse thy condition and shew the context and coherence of it 'T is the speech of Elihu Job 33. 23. There meets him a messenger an Interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto him his uprightnesse Hee 'l shew thee here 's grace and there 's grace here 's a true pearle and there 's a spark though in ashes and there 's an evidence A discerning and experienc'd Christian may shew thee cause of joy when thou canst finde none thy self 'T is no shame to borrow light especially spiritual light 6. One step further What if after all this there be not the least glimmering of light nothing of a spark nothing of a beam a totall eclipâ—e all clouds and blacknesse and darknesse and the very valley of the shadow of death yet even here will we fear none ill 1. When reflex acts are wanting be sure to multiply direct acts when there is no certainty of Evidence yet even then have a certainty of Adherence and Recumbency Now grasp a Promise take fast hold of that precious offer rolle thy self upon the free grace of a God in Christ lay all the stresse of thy salvation upon it with a gallant and heroical resolution If I perish I perish Thus Job Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Thus our Saviour My God my god why hast thou forsaken me And this must needs be a strong act of faith even then to rely upon God when he seems thine enemy to trust in an angry and displeased God and when he frowns on thee yet then to lean upon him Like men ready to be drown'd be sure to take fast hold cast Anchor though in the dark 2. Study self-denyal and though thou long and breath after Assurance yet resigne up thy self wholly to his will and be content to want Assurance if he see it best for thee Take heed of murmuring in the wildernesse in the saddest and most deserted condition Throw thy self at his feet with this resolution O my God I 'le blesse thee for those eternal treasures of sweetnesse that are in thy self though I should never taste of them I 'le blesse thee for those smiles of thy face which thou bestowest upon others though thou wilt not cast one gracious look upon my soule I 'le blesse thee for those rich offers of grace thou makest unto me though I have not a heart to lay hold of them 3. Put thy soul into a waiting posture and stay till he please to display some of himself unto thee and make some of his goodnesse passe before thee One beam of his countenance one gracious smile one propitious glance of his eye the least crumb of the hidden Manna 't is worth waiting for all thy life-time And when I speak of waiting I mean not that the soul should stand still and do nothing no this were against the Text Give diligence c. improve all present strength waite upon him in prayer beg one glimpse of him be earnest for a taste for a relish of the hidden Manna and wait upon him in his Ordinances here the Spirit
blushes of the morning those beautiful eye-lids of the day The smilings and flowerings out of light much more the advancement of light to its Zenith and Noon-day-glory And why then cannot an Intellectual eye discerne as well that now it sees that now it looks upon God with an eye of love with an eye of faith with an eye of confidence and that now God looks upon him with an eye of tendernesse and compassion with an eye of grace and favour with an eye of delight and approbation Who but an Anaxagoras will go about to perswade a man to disbelieve his eyes and if a corporal eye deserve such credit why may not a spiritual eye then expect as much Say not then in thine heart Who shall ascend into heaven to bring down Assurance from above who shall unclaspe the book of life that is sealed and turne thee to thy name or who shall bring thee a certificate that it is written there Behold it is nigh thee even in thine heart The work of grace there the Law written on the tables of thine heart by the finger of the Spirit is the exemplification and counterpane of that Decree the safest way the best way the only way to make sure of Election is first to make sure of thy Vocation Make your Calling and Election sure FINIS SPIRITUAL OPTICKS OR A GLASSE Discovering the weaknesse and imperfection of a Christians knowledge in this life BY NATHANAEL CULVERWELL Master of Arts and lately Fellow of EMMANVEL COLLEDGE in CAMRIDGE LONDON Printed by T. R. and E. M. and are to be sold by John Rothwel at the Sun and Fountaine in Pauls Church-yard 1652 To the READER Reader I Here present thee with a little Mirrour wherein thou mayest easily discerne thine own imperfections unlesse they stand in thy light and if thou wilt but use to reflect upon thy self aâ—a dwell at home thou â—ayest easily finde that thou hast little reason either to admire thy self or contemne others If thy knowledge puff thee ap thou hast so much the lesse He was counted a wise man who said that he knew but one thing and that was that he knew nothing though another durst not own so much and a wiser man then both tells us that he that is wise in his own eyes is of all fools the most uncurable and another that if any man think that he knows any thing he knowes nothing yet as as he ought to know So that it seems to be agreed on by those who are best able to judge that the first priece of wisdome is to be sensible of ignorance Then I hope this Discourse may prove not unprofitable truly nor unseasonable neither in this confident age when every ignorant one is so prone to lean unto his own understanding that he thinks himself too good to be taught whereas indeed he hath not yet wit enough to learne But it is the Devils subtilty to dazzle them with new light as Boyes do Geese that they may wink conceitedly while he pulls them naked and makes them become ridiculous It is sad to think how he puts out mens eyes and then makes himself cruel sport with them and the game of it is that still they think themselves seers and know not that they are blinde and naked and miserable Now if this Glasse prove but instrumental to reflect so much old light upon them as to discover to them their own blindnesse there will be some hope of cure But Reader I must intreat thee neither to condemne this piece because it is imperfect nor yet contemne it for being little It is imperfect I confesse but so is all our knowledge here which is the subject of it and if we know but in part no wonder if we prophesie also but in part besides if Saint Paul himself could not utter the words which he had heard then truly we may very well excuse this Author for not expressing that in words which neither ear hath heard nor eye seen nor the heart of man conceived But it may be what is here said may at first seem but little it may be the sooner read Do but peruse it and if it please thee it is enough if otherwise too much But indeed it was intended only for a tast and to bear the Mace into the world before that learned and elegant Treatise which this ingenious Authour hath left behinde him concerning The Light of Nature Which now waits only to see what entertainment this will meet withall Perhaps it may be expected that I should adde something in praise of the â—uthour but I am not ignorant that a friends testimony is prone to be suspected of partiality and although such an one have most reason to know the truth yet Cassandra-like he seldome hath the hap to be believed The best on 't is he needs it not his works will commend him most effectually which if I shall indeavour to bring into publick view I hope thou wilt finde them such that I shall not be thought either to have abused thy leâ—sure or to have wronged the memory of my deceased friend W. D. Emman Dec. 24. 1651 1 COR. 13. 12. For now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known PAUL that was of a piercing eye and had as clear an insight into the mysteries of Salvation as any other whose soul was alwayes mounting towards that third Heaven whither he had once been rapt and had there heard words that neither could nor might be uttered for so much is implyed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we finde him here granting the imperfection of his knowledge those weak and shadowy apprehensions which he had of the Divine Majesty while he saw through a glasse darkly and encouraging himself with the consideration of the full and clear Vision which we shall have of him hereafter when we shall see God face to face in glory Whithout any further preamble we 'l open the words of the Text that we may see this Glasse clearly and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Apostle here advances charity to the highest pitch of commendation as a triumphant grace a grace that had eternity stampt upon it It out-lives faith for that gives place to Vision it out-lasts Hope for that is swallowed up in fruition Prophecies they shall vanish and Tongues shall be silenced and Knowledge shall passe away for 't is weak and imperfect here it is in its minority yea in its infancy When I was a childe I spake as a childe 'T is cloudy and obscure here For now we see through a glasse darkly NOW we see c. Now that the Gospel beams out upon us with a powerful and glorious ray It was likely that at the first peeping out of Heavenly light at the Evangelical day-break before the shadowes were fully scattered that then there would be some obscurity I but 't has shin'd out brighter and brighter till perfect day