1. The Naturall which hath wholly buried in her the senses all Philosophy and the strongest and most assured courage cannot hinder him from shutting his eyes at the suddaine surprise of a flash of lightning or at the feignednesse of a hand which unexpectedly approacheth our face or that we withdraw not or turne not our head from the sight of a fearefull precipice or that a suddaine crack or noyse doe not at first hearing terrifie or astonish us Primi illi motus non sunt hominis The first motions or terrours are not in our power 2. Corporall whereby wee naturally abhorre Death and feare to expose and cast our selues into danger 3. Mundane or worldly whereby we feare to lose our wealth honours and dignities but it is of neither of these sorts of feares which our Apostles speakes unto us but onely of Divine feare which likewise streames foorth in three rivolets 1. Servile whereby we feare God for the apprehension we have of the infernall tortures and torments of Hell and this degree and sort of feare is not good of it selfe because it hath no good object nor is made or formed to a good end neverthelesse it is held and termed good because it conduceth to good 2. Initiant which lookes two wayes 1. towards the torments wee feare 2. towards the glory we desire and it is also termed enterwoven or mixt because it is composed both of a good and bad feare 3. Filiall which is the last and best sort of divine feare whereby we love God not only for our owne glory or for the apprehension of tormenâ—s but for his goodnes excellâ—ncy pâ—rfection and in a word for and in regard of himselfe Saint Bernard lively describes and pertinently represents those three sorts of feare 1. Ne cruciemur à gehenna 2. Ne exclusi à visione tam inestimabili gloria privemâ—r 3. Replet animum sollicitudine ne deseratur à gratia Which is to say The first feare apprehends torments The second the privation of glory and the third wholly possesseth our hearts and â—indes with care and anxiety as fearing not to lose Gods grace and favour The servile feare is attributed to the wicked The filiall to the good I meane to those who are the children of God The Initiant or intermixed is proper as well to the good as the bad and also it is the most frequent and generall Those three sorts of feare are so many wingâ— which conduct elevate soare us up to heaven The Servile begins first which denounceth to sinners eternall death and damnation and that sharpe and sensible apprehension to be devoured with the flames of hell fire It opens him the gate to be sorrowfull for his offences which threaten to precipitate him in that unquenchable fire and afterwards entering into a firme and lively â—epentance for his former sinnes hee begins to conceive the future felicity and glory of Heaven for the love whereof hee partly resolâ—es to forsake and abandon sinne as Salomon saith By the feare of the Lord men depart from evill Prov. 16.6 Although neverthelesse that he doe it partly for feare of punishment which will infallibly follow him and afâ—er that it againe leades him into this perfect filiall feare whereby he so infinitely loves God that hee had rather dye then offend him in the least thing of the world so neerely he loves him so deerely he honoureth and adores him St. Augustine makes onely two sorts of feare to wit Filiall and Servile and makes them different in this That the Servile hath for object malum poenae the evill of punishment and the filiall malum culpae the evill of guiltinesse Illo timetâ—r ne incidâ—tur in tormentum sâ—pplicij isto ne amittatur gratia beneficij By the first wee feare the torments of hell fire By the second wee feare to lose the grace and favour of God It is this faire this sweet spirituall vertue which gives us admittance and entrance into the closet of God which openeth unto us the treasures of his favour and mercy and which makes us enter into the possession â—f life eternall For those who feare the Lord shall behold his face shall have prosperity and see good dayes saith the royall Prophet King David Psalm 34.11 It is this feare of the Lord which makes men prosper on earth as saith Salomon the Prince of wise men and the wisest of Princes The feare of the Lord prolongeth dayes but the yeares of the wicked shaâ—â— be shortned Prov. 10.27 This wise King in all his afflictions and troubles had still his recourse to the fâ—are of the Lord which was his fortresse his Sanctuary his comfort and consolation as wee shall read in the 14. Chap. of Proverbs In the feâ—re of the Lord is strong confidence and his children shall have a place of refuge The feare of the Lord is a fountaine of life to depart from the snares of death He againe teacheth us that wealth is unprofitable yea prejudiciall to us without this salubrious this sacred feare of God that poverty is to be preferred before fading and perishable riches Better is a little with the feare of the Lord then great treasure and trouble therewith This feare of the Lord is as it were Iacobs Ladder whereby the Angels of divine consolations descend upon us on earth and our holy prayers and religious thoughts and meditations ascend unto Heaven This Ladder hath three principall steps As the feare of the Lord makes us ascend unto Iesus Christ which is our wisedome for through and by God he hath made us wisedome 1. Cor. 1.30 Iesâ—s Christ leades us to God his Father and God receives and lodgeth us in Heaven and therefore we first feare him if ever we hope or thinke to enter into his favour This feare of God is the head spring and fountaine from whence weâ— draw and exhaust the sacred mysteries of our salvation and Dâ—vid tells us in formall and expresse termes That the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome Psal. III. 10. Thereby to teach us â—hat all this knowledge and learning whereof men vaunt and glory is nothing else but pure folly if it derive not his Origen or beginning from the feare of the Lord. This feare is here taken for the principle of wisedome and Ieâ—us Christ himselfe in many places of Scripture hath assumed and taken the title of Wisedome because he is the wisdome of the Father as wee reade in the former alledged Chapter of 1. Cor. 1.30 But in the book of Genes Chap. 31.42 He himselfe is by Moses called the feare of Isaac Except thâ— God of my Father the God of Abraham and the feare of Isaaâ— had beene with me thou hadst sent me away empty But here the best Interpreters by this feare of Isaac doe undeâ—stand the second person of the Trinity Iesus Christ our Saviour who had not yet assumed and cloathed our humane naâ—ure and of whom Isaac was the true type and figure â—t is an excellent
eternity it selfe Iesus Christ our Saviour to perfect his Apostles in the way of salvation saith to them in generall Blessed are the mercifull c. As if hee had said I doe much hate and abhorre cruelty that I desire also that you that are my Disciples should expell and banish it quite from your hearts and thoughts and in her roome to admit and entertaine mercy that heavenly vertue which I both esteeme deerely and love and respect perfectly You must therefore practise this eternally praise-worthy vertue if you will be blessed for it is impossible to get into my Fathers favour if you be not furnished and armed with mercie You cannot ascend to the top of felicity before you have left sinne this heavâ—e and intolerable burthen I say before you have received pardon and absolution for your faults which you can never obtaine before you have forgiven your brethren their offences before you have shewed your selves favourable and willing to assist them In a word before you have exâ—ended and practised on them all sorts of mildnesse clemencie and meekenesse which they shall stand in neede of for I say vnto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie We reade words like unto these Luke 6.36 Be yee mercifull as your Father is mercifull And againe after forgive and it shall be forgiven unto you give and it shall be given unto you And Eccl. 4. Be mercifull to the Orphans be unto them a father and to their mothers a husband and then yee shall be the obedient sonnes of the most high who will yet more liberally distribute unto you his great mercie And Pro. 11. The soule that doth good shall be exceedingly filled and replenished It is a principle flowing from our nature that we must not doe to another what we would not have done to our selves from which principle is derived that golden sentence of Christ. Luk. 6. With what measure you mete it shall be againe measured unto you And Iames 2. Condemnation without mercie shall fall on them that have not used mercie and mercie is glorified against condemnation Blessed then are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie In which words by Gods assistance which wee to this end implore wee will consider 1. Who be these mercifull And 2. The reason why they are termed blessed And first let us heare the sacred voyce of the eternall Sonne of God the Redeemer of our soules saying in the first part of our Text Blessed are the mercifull as if he had said O how great and altogether incomparable and incomprehensible are the favours blessings and graces laid up for them that shall practise the works of mercie they shall be Citizens of heaven the Angels companions and shall eternally enjoy and â—ossesse in heaven those bâ—atitudes which eye hath not seene eare hath not heard and that are not entred into the heart of man and this is the recompence that God hath prepared for them which practise mercie Now that we may the better know the definition of this word Mercifull which is the concrete or conjoyned we will firâ—t consider it in its abstract as the Philosophers speake to wit Meâ—cie which is commonly defined to be A hearty griefe or a sorrow for anothers miserie whom we assist and helpe with all our power The object of it is the miserie and affliction of other which makes her produce these gracious and pittifull effects because shee is unable to behold the sore without applying the remedie God being one cannot suffer any kinde of division there be no qualities nor accidents in him but all things are essentiall in him the Scripture to represent him unto us doth describe him all justice and all mercie so by reason of the fore-going maxime wee cannot say that mercie is one of his parts seeing that being one hee is indivisible but wee will more properly say that he is Mercie it selfe and therefore the faithfull that shall bee mercifull that shall practise the works of charity of clemencie and meekenesse may undoubtedly beleeve that they are the sonnes of the most high who hath communicated unto them a ray or sparke of his insinite grace and mercie that so they may thereby resplend and shine with the same light with their heavenly Father tread upon his steps and be made like him as much as may be Be mercifull saith Iesus Christ as your heavenly Father is mercifull Luke 6.36 Mercie said an ancient Doctor est fidei ornamentum it is the ornament of faith for faith sheweth her selfe by her fruits which are pious and charitable works and as trees are never so faire to behold as when they are loaden and covered with fruits so faith never appeareth so glorious as when she is adorned and crowned with the sweet and delightfull fruites of mercie Hee called it againe sâ—lutis domicilium the retreate and lodging of salvation bâ—cause that when sinners shall be called to give account of their actions before God when God shall aske them the reason of their administration as that Lord in the Gospell then the shortest and safest remedie is to flye to his mercie and to aske him forgivenesse Salomon that wise King counselleth us to make a carcanet of mercie to put it about our necke and that in this habit and ornament wee shall make the accesse of heaven free to our selves finding grace before God and men and indeed it is one of the most pretious stones and that is fit to beautifie and adorne the crowne of perfection it selfe Wee will therefore compare it to the Oppall stone Irius which represents the same colours that appeare in the Raine-bowe so the mercifull makes all sorts of graces and blessings to shine upon his forehead and to appeare in his actions this Oppall stone Irius is greene red and white the greene colour represents unto us that Hope which we have to finde grace before the soveraigne Iudge of our soules and bodies The red colour represents unto us the pure blood of Christ shed upon the Crosse to obtaine this grace for us she also denoteth unto us the rednesse of our sinnes according to the Prophets phrase Though our sinnes were as red as scarlet they shall be made as white as snowe Isa. 1.18 and the white colour figureth unto us the divine justice covered â—nd overcome by the whitenesse of his mercie as it is noted in the Rainebow that his white colour covereth and exceedeth the red if faire weather to be follow They marke besides that this Oppall easeth the paines and labours of women with childe so mercie lighteneth much the miseâ—ie and griefe of the afflicted We will here make no diâ—ficulty to uâ—e in this place the fabulous inventions of the Poets following the example of Salomon who tooke of Hiram though a Pagan all the wood and stones needfull for the building of the temple They usually describe Mercury the messenger of the imaginary Gods with a wand in his hand composed of hornes of
plenty wreathed with serpents they also give him wings with which he with incredible celerity flyes whether soever he is sent In this fable wee see a remarkable morall which is that it is a symbole of the Mercifull who quickly and without delay takes pitie of the miserie of others according to this axiome no lesse common then true Bis dat qui cito dat he giveth twice that giveth speedily Secondly he lives in all plâ—nty and abundance because that God blesseth him in all his goods as the Psalmist speaketh Hee hath given largely to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for ever his horne shall be exalted in glory and he shall have whereof to lend all the dayes oâ— his life Psal. 112.9 Thâ— serpent useth once a yeare to cast off his skinne to assume another that thereby he may be more healthfull and faire so those who are mercifull leave and cast off their wealth and substance in favour of them that need it that so they may appeare faire in the eye of the most high give your almes and all things shall bee cleane vnto you putting off the old man But that we may walke in the sacred pathes of the holy Scripture let us compare Mercie to the Serpentine rod of Moses that faithfull servant of God for if this had done many miracles in Egypt that hath done as many wonders in the world If this was called the finger of God that is an excellent vertue that maketh us come neare to God but contrarily if the rod hath turned the waters into blood Mercie turneth the blood of wrath into the water of mildnesse and mansuetude If that hath caused darknesse this bringeth light if that wounds this cures In this they agree that as the one divided the red Sea to deliver the people from Pharaohs slavery so the other maketh us passe the red waters of Gods divine justice to shunne the devils seizing of us and to come to the Sanctuarie of caelestiall goodnesse according to the sense of the beatiâ—ude described in our Text Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtain mercie O happy and infinitely glorious therefore shâ—ll those be that use mercie towards their afflicted brethren who open the bosome of liberality and reach out the hands of goodnesse and compassion to draw them to them there and thereby to shelter them from the miseries and calamities that compasse them about for when the soveraigne Iudge of our soules and bodies shâ—ll come to keepe his Assises when hee I say shall come accompanied with thousand millions of Angels who are the Heraulds and great Officers of his divine Iustice when heaven and earth shall shake before his face when all the elements and all the creatures together shall quake for feare in his presence when hee shall judge by an eternall decree the living and the dead among all the most grievous and notable reproaches whereuâ—to the wicked shall be subject that of cruelty shall be the most remarkable he will not then so much taxe them of having beene theeves drunkards murtherers fornicators as of not having beene piâ—tifull to the poore and needie Math. 25.42 Goe will he say ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his angels for I was hungry and ye gave me not to â—ate I was thirstie and ye gave mâ— no drinke I was naked and you clothed me not I was in prison and ye visited me not But contrariwise hee will alter his voyce when speaking to his Elect with a sweet smiling and gracious coâ—ntenance hee will pronounce this favourable sentence of congratulation Math. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father possesse the inheritance prepared for you before the foundation of the world for I was â—ungrie and ye gave mee to eate I was thirstie and you gave mee drinke I was naked and you have cloathed mee I was in prison and you have visited mee The end and center of the law of God in the second Table is this Thou shalt love thy neighbours as thy selfe in these few words wee see all the offices all the duties and all the services which we owe to our neighbour to wit to love him as we love our selves for as no man is so unnaturall unlesse hee hath lost the use of reason and be ready to precipitate himselfe into despaire that would in his neede for his good refuse himselfe any thing that shâ—uld be in his power so likewise let us represent to our selues that our neighbour is our other selfe and that to refuse him any needfull thing yea not to prevent him in his wants and incommodiâ—ies is a sinne in him that is infected with it which makes him unworthy to be compared or placed among the Pagans and Infidels for they helpe one anoâ—her with all their might but with a great deale of reason and justice we may say â—hat he is farre worse then a brute beast for we may obserue and marke that those of thâ— same kinde helpe and succour one another As we read in Plinie that when a great and heavie Elephant is fallen being for his heavinesse not able to rise sâ—â—ing specially they have no joynts in their legges his fellowes doe then assemble and raise him up with their snowâ—s It is noted that when Stagges intend to swimme over some swift River they gather themsâ—lues together and because their heads laden with such great hornes would make them sinke they lay them on the hinder parts the one of the other and because the foremost hath no place to leane his upon every one in his turne supplieth that place and what should wee not doe although we had no naturall affection would not the very beasts accuse us of crâ—elty and barbarousnesse if being all to passe together the vast and deepe Ocean of this tempâ—stuous life in hope once to arrive in the delightfull Haven of salvation If I say feeling our heads laden with so many miseries imperfections and calamities we did not mercifully assist and ease one another and so wee should not accomplish the Apostles command saying Beare ye one anothers burthens that you may fulfill the law of Christ. St. Chrysostome with his golden mouth as his name importeth tells us in generall that all men represent unto us but one body whereof the greatest and most honourable are like thâ— braine the eyes the mouth and the eares and that so orderly according to their dignities they possesse and take their place and nevertheleâ—se there is so great an affinity betweene all thâ—se different members that they all helpe and succour one another the eye helpeth the foot and the foot serveth the eye the mouth is serviceable to the hand and the hand to the mouth and besides that experience teacheth us that if there be the least ach in the head the face becommeth pale the eyes often times flow with teares and all the other members participate of her paines according to the proverb Quando caput dolet caetera membra aolent If the foot chance to
eyes as are these of Eagles who though soaring in the highest clowds doe neverthelesse see very plainely in the thickest bushes in the remotest furrowes of the farre distant field and which is most admirable is that her sight is so strong and powerfull that contrary to the nature and practise of other living creatures she can steddily behold and contemplate the Sunne without winking at all yea when shee is nearest him and standing on the highest branch of a tree planted on the top of the loftiest mountaine Now to appropriate this to our matter wee say That hee whose heart is incombred with the things of this world whose soule is ore-vayled with ambition with the clowds of vanity and vaine glory whose conscience is obscured and darkned with hatred envie and malice can never contemplate God nor see his face which is all the consolation all the joy and in a word the true center of our happinesse the fulnesse of all our felicity and the greatest delights which the faithfull can wish or desire But those that shall be carefull and diligent to keepe their soules pure and cleane from the filthinesse of sinne those like Eagles indeede alwayes soaring in heavenly and godly actions shall be perched and placed in the highest place of mount Syon from thence-forth ever to view the heavenly Sinne rising that beareth health in his rayes and wings to behold steddily and without winking the glistering and bright shining beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse without any feare of hurt being assured of his wonderfull favour manifested by his inviolable promises for he saith in our Text Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see GOD. By this purity of heart we may understand the simplicity of our lives and actions and so this sentence Blessed are the pure in heart may be thus interpreted Blessed are those that walke simple in their actions whose heart is voyd of fraud and of any thoughts of iniquity whose tongue speakes nothing but the hearâ—s meaning that shunnes vanity and the glory of this world that so they may be perfectly glorious in that which is to come St Augustine lib. 1. de Serm Dom. is of this opinion because that as St Iohn saith 1. Epist. chap. 5. ver 19. The whole worldlyeth in wickedness and that the Apostles were to take men and to bring them to the way of salvation neiâ—her by craft noâ— by force but by meekenesse and simplicitie And therefore Christ sending through all the world to publish the Gospell of the Kingdome of heaven the redemption of captive sinners from the chaines and torments of hell and to preach openly the acceptable yeare of the Lord saith unto them Behold I send you forth as sheepe in the midst of Woolves be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmelesse and innocent as Doves as we read in the 10. Chap. of S. Math. ver 16. And in the same Gospell Chap. 6. ver 22. The light of the body is the â—ye if therefore thine eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light This so excellent vertue of meekenesse and simplicity hath alwayes beene hated of the world as being contrary to the vanity and folly of it and the high way to mount Sinai there to see God face to face as Moses who preferred the simplicity of a Shepheards crooke to the honours riches and preferments which hee might justly have expected in Pharaohs Court as being reputed his daughters sonne This vertue cannot but be very pleasing to God since he himselfe hath put it in practise in appearing to Moses in a bush which is a base and abject plant despising the lofty Pine trees and Câ—dars of Libanus which in height and bâ—auty exceed all other trees of the earth The Angels also have practised it when having left the heavens to appeare unto men they have not taken the forme and majestie of Kings to be respected of all but rather the habit of Pilgrimes and men of base quality to teach us to shunne pride and vaine glory and to shew us by their cloathes that we are Strangers and Pilgrimes in this world that our houses are but Innes where we should stay onely as posts doe under a tree till the storme be past and so to continue our way as long as the day of our life shineth that the night envelloping and wrapping us up in her darke cloake wee may arrive at the heavenly Canaan which is our native Country from whence we first departed We read in the 18. Chap. of Genes That Abraham sitting at his tent doore saw three men passing that way whom heâ— called and desired to come and sit under a tree with him to eate a morsell of bread to comfort their hearts Now if it were god himselfe in the forme of three men to represent the three persons of the blessed Trinity or if they were Angels sent by him is a question out of the subject of our Text but because many Fathers of the Church are of the second opinion we also will hold it grounded on the 13. Chap. to the Heb. Be not forgetfull to entertaine Strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares which is commonly referred to this action of the Father of the faithfull and of Lot his brothers sonne who also entertained in Sodome two Angels in the shape of Strangers and of men that were travelling further In the 5. Chap. of Tobit wee reade that the Angell Raphael appeared to the young Tobit and offered to bring him into Media which hee did afterwards performe But leaving many other examples which we could alledge of the humility and simplicity of Angels let us briefly runne over the lives of the Patriarks Prophets where the simplicity and innocent purity of their actions doe most lively appeare Abraham at Gods command without any further information goeth to the place appointed him to sacrifice on an Altar his onely sonne Isaack following the steps of his Fathers obedience to God runnes to his death never fearing the great torment that he was ready to endure layeth the wood on his shoulders and carrieth in his hand that fire that was appointed to burne him to ashes yea hee encourageth his poore old Father to execute Gods divine command restores unto him by his exhortation his strength already lost by reason of the extreame griefe which he endured to be the executioner of his owne sonne and to kill him to whome hee had lately given life But least we should be too tedious this example of simplicity shall serve us for all the Propheâ—s as being the most remarkable that can be ever rehearsed by man and indeed was it not a great and lofty mysâ—erie that God should give so resolute a courage so great a constancie to the Father of the faithfull and so admirable boldnesse to this obedient sonne for Abraham representeth unto us God the Father who to execute the irrevocable decree of his divine justice hath seised the sword of his terrible judgements to dip
incomprehensible but yet is so gracious and favourable that he enlightneth and fortifieth those that with feare humility approach the greatnesse of his mysteries as David teacheth us Psalm 2.11 Serve the Lord in feare and reioyce with trembling And Solomon his sonne Those that trust in the Lord shall understand the truth and the faithfull shall know his love Then with the spirit of feare and humility we are to seeke after this hidden glory and under the vayle of faith which teacheth us to beleeve the things which wee see noâ— nor cannot be the object of our senses Hope will make us desire them Charity to love them and the gracious goodnesse of God will helpe us to attaine them O blessed then shall be the pure in heart for they shall see God St. Iohn Chap. 17. saith This is life eternall to knâ—w thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent And in the 1. Epist. of Saint Iohn chap. 3. Beloved now we are the sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but we know that when he shall appeare wee shall be like him for wee shall soe him as he is And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe even as hee is pure And in the 22. chap. of the Revel His servants shall serue him and they shall see his face The infinite greatnesse of this divine promise whose performance is infallible makes us skip and leape for joy charmeth our senses and ravishâ—th our mindes for it seemeth altogether impossible that living tombes mortall carcasses the prey of death and the foode of wormes should ever aspire so high as to pretend to see and view that felicity which is better described by silence and admiration then by any other description for they are things which eye hath not seene eare hath not heard and that are not entred into the heart of man which God hath prepared for them that love him 1. Cor. 2.9 But the children of Israel did not pitch the Tabernacle in Ierusalem before they had cleansed the mountaine of Sion of those enemies that were opposite to their rest So wee must not settle our selues in the contemplation of the divine Tabernacle before we have cleared some places of Scripture that seeme to forbid us entrance In the 33. Chap. of Exod. ver 20. God saith to Moses Thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see me and lâ—ve And in the 1. chap. of Saint Iohn No man hath seene God at any time And in the 1. Epist. of the Cor. chap. 13. ver 12. Now we see through a glasse darkely And in the 28. chap. of Iob God is hidden from all living eyes In a word there are many other pâ—aces to confirme this which will be too long to rehearse Wee with one consent said That God is invisible which seemeth to be opposite and contrary to the promise made unto us in our Text Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Nâ—verthelesse to reconcile them together for the holy Ghost is never contrary to himselfe wee say that the places before alledged aâ—e so to bee understood that whilest man is in this mortall prison in this valley of teares so obscure and darke whilest like an Owle he delighteth in the night of sinne his eyes can no way endure the least beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse for God being an infinite Spirit cannot be seene by a finite body but when we shall leave off this mortall prison of our bodies our soules then perfectly enlightened by the heavenly grace shall be endued with that knowledge and faculty that they shall openly contemplate their Creator and their God as Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 13. Chap. Now wee see through a glasse darkely but then wee shall see hiâ— face to face This word See God is much controverted among Divines which be of two severall opiâ—ions whereof the oâ—e holdeth That soules delivered of this corporall vayle cannot see Gods face for two reasons the first is that God being a spirituall Essence infinite incomprehensible caâ—not bee seeâ—e by a finite creature without implying contradiction for then the containing to wit the blessed soule should bee greater then the contained that is God which is absurd by this axiome that the object is contained by the visuall faculty As if a man placed in the midst of the earth or of the sea looking round about a great distance off as farre as his sight could reach could not for all that say That hee saw all the earth or all the sea Those of the second opinion answere to this first reason saying That the Creator may not be compared with the creatures that God is all in all and all and whole in every part that hee is one and consequently indivisible that all things in him are Essentiall and is not subject to division that whosoever seeth him seeth him totally The second reason of the first is that wee measure our soules by our bodies imagining that they shall have eyes with the which they shall be able to discerne and distinguish the present objects To which the others answere that indeede the soules in heaven shall have no corporall eyes like ours but that notwithstanding God will give them a seeing faculty by the which they shall perceive the present objects 2. When these soules shall be rejoyned and revnited to their bodies God having purified them from all vncleanenesse will make them like unto the glorious body of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord who saith Math. 22. That our bodies shall be as the Angels of God in heaven who alwayes behold the face of God Math. 18. that is that are alwayes in his presence and that see him perfectly in respect of themselues as much as it pleased God to permit but not perfectly in respect of God as he that seeth the Sunne may say that hee seeth it perfectly in respect of himselfe if his faculty be good and notwithstanding he caâ—not see him as he is because of the weakenesse of his eyes The second opinion which is more generally received holdeth that this word See is taken simply and absolutely for to Know and those that hold it say That Iesus Christ in our Text promiseth to the pure in heart a perfect knowledge of the divine goodnesâ—e wherein consisteth the fulnesse of our felicity of our delights and content which they doe well proove by the 14. Chap. of Saint Iohn ver 7. If ye had knowne me ye should have knowne my Father also and from henceforth ye know him and have seene him where Christ sheweth to his Disciples that they have seene his Father because they have knowne him by so many miracles done before their eyes And in the 17. Chap. of the same Gospell This is life eternall that they might know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent where it plainely appeareth that this word to know God is as much as to possesse life
eternall And so from those two places joyned to our Text this conclusion followeth that To see God know God and have eteâ—nall life are the same thing As the Angels then see the face of God even so shall we also see it for that blessed sight is reserved for a recompence of our faith as Saint Iohn in his 1. Epist. 3. Chap. When he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him face to face Not that we must imagine that God hath any members although it be said that man is made in the image of God for that is thus to be understood that man hath beene created in perfect justice and innocencie after the example of God But by this face of God we must vnderstand with the Scripture the Church and the Fathers and namely Saint Augustine in his booke Decivit Dei the manifestation of his glory and a perfect knowledge of his wonderfull mercie which he will communicate unto vs. It is a hard question and difficult to handle Whether the Saints after the Resurrâ—ction shall see God with their corporall eyes after they be glorified so Iob saith In my flesh shall I see God there Iob prophesieth the Resurrection of his body but hee doth not say I will see him by my flesh and if he had it might have beene understood of Christ that shall come at the last judgement in the sight of all but his meaning was that when hee should see God hee should be in his flesh though the wormes and corruption had devoured it Saint Augustine is excellent upon this subject saying We shall see God with our corporall glorified eyes as we see the life of a man by his living actions not seeing life it selfe so is it likely that being enlightened by a heavenly and divine light we shall be able to see the Creator of all things both in them and himselfe so doubtfully the learnedst speak of it In the 5. Chap. of the 2. booke of Kings we reade that Elisha after that he had healed Naaman the Syrian saw Gehazi his servant take Presents from him although hee were beyond the common reach of the sight and when Gehazi was returned he said unto him Went not my heart with thee when the man turned againe from his Chareâ— to meet thee Now if this Prophet hath bin able to see the actions of his servant although absent from him how much more shall our glorified bodies see all when God shall be all in all Now Elisha saw this action of his servant either by a speciall revelation from God or by the sight of a spirituall imagination of the Prophet that shewed him the thing after which manner he knew the most secret counsells of the King of Syria We speake of these things as blind men doe of colours wee finde no certainty of them any where the Fathers themselues speake so obscurely of them they goe as softly on in the handling of this question as if they trod on thornes they grope along as if they went in the obscure darknes of the blackest night hardly can you finde two agreeing together and which is more strange not one that is agreed with himselfe and indeed how should a worme of the earth the dwelling of errours the subject of ignorance know or comprehend that great God which is the fountaine of all knowledge and the bottomlesse and shorelesse Ocean of wisedome and prudence It is true that when our soules shall be blessed with that eternall happines that they shal enjoy the divine vision in which consisteth our chiefest felicity we shall then see God as he is but to conceive and comprehend the infinity of his being it will be altogether impossible to us Those that sayle in the maine Sea which way soever they looke finde no other object but the heaven or the waves their sight being too weake to penetrate to the bottome or to view the shores Even so shall we see God and know him as farre as it shall please him to enable us but so farre shall wee be from compreheâ—ding him that he doth comprehend us and wee should then be no more seene there then a drop of wine in the Ocean Saint Baâ—ile handling this question in the Epistle to Eâ—moniuâ— hath an excellent comparison from the least to the greatest If we cannot comprehend the composition of a Pismire for the smalnesse of it how shall wee comprehend the infinite greatnesse of God We shall comprehend it indeede but it shall be as spunge cast into the Oceâ—n which is filled quite with water but is overcome and compassed round about by it I should want time rather then matter to speake on a subject so high and excellent wee should never have done if we should propound and resolue the infinite number of arguments and opinions moved upon this question of our sight of God But for us let us hold as the Mathematicians doe linea recta est brevâ—ssima that the straiteâ—â— line is the shortest and in this the shortest way is the surest let us turne neither to the right hand nor to the lefâ— from the certaine way of truth taught unto us by the truth it selfe to wit by Iesus Christ in our Text saying Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Let us then purifie our hearts and cleanse our soules from the filthinesse of sinne and from the spots of iniquity let our consciences bee white as snow and cleane as washed wooll let us take the firme and inviolable oath of Alleageance to our God and let us not suffer Satan our mortall enemie to take possession of the fort of our soules of the hill of Syoâ— that is of our consciences let us not suffer him to make a breach in that vow that we vowed to his obedience at our first reception into the Church by Baptisme and so wee shall be washed seaven times in the Iordan of repentance and of contrition for our faults when we have put on the white roabes of holinesse justice and iâ—nocencie we shall be invited to the Lambs wedding we shall sit downe at table with the Kings sonne wee shall be abundanâ—ly filled with the dainties of his house and shall drinke in the river of his delights In a word when like the high Priest we have left off the habits of our naturall corruption and put on the white and cleane garment of sanctification for our selues of love for our God of charity for our neighbour then even then the gate of the most holy place which is heaven shall be opened unto uâ— wee shall see Gods Majestie not darkly and as in a clowd as it hath long appeared to our fore fathers but rather as a bright shining Sunne whose vertue shall enlighten us whose love shall warme us and â—hose compassions shall animate us at whose sight wee shall be vivified consolated and glorified For hee will enrowle us among his Angels will make us Citizens of heaven and impatriate us to be absolute