12. This Eternal life doth positively consist in the beatifying the soul and the whole body, sanctifying it so fully that now it can enjoy God: For though God be never i• glorious an object, yet till the soul be made perfect he cannot enjoy God; No more then the Sun which is primum visibile, yet because of its dazzling lustre the eye is too weak to behold it steadfastly; Now in heaven the spirits of just men are said to be made perfect, and no corruptible thing can inherit the Kingdom of heaven; This then, this eternal life is seen in that the soul, yea, the whole man is •o heavenly and holy, so perfected in every thing, that it's made capable of all this happiness; The godly have communion and fellowship with God in this life, now they are no more capable of this, if not sanctified, then a beast can converse with a man; Hence because this sanctification is impotent, we know in part, we believe in part, We see him but in a riddle, not face to face, but then shall we know him even as we are known of him, 1 Cor. 13.12. It was a general received opinion, as appeareth by several examples in the Old Testament, that if God made any glorious appearance to man, he should presently die, so Manaoh and others argued, and whence rose that apprehension but because of the glorious Majesty of God, and the vain, weak, frail nature of man? Oh but in heaven where God is in all his glorious manifestation, and we shall behold him continually, yet there shall be no faintings, no fears within us, and all is, because the Saints are then glorified and perfected in soul and body; There's not the least spot or wrinkle of sin to put them to any shame or fear within.
12. This Eternall life doth positively consist in the beatifying the soul and the whole body, sanctifying it so fully that now it can enjoy God: For though God be never i• glorious an object, yet till the soul be made perfect he cannot enjoy God; No more then the Sunne which is primum visibile, yet because of its dazling lustre the eye is too weak to behold it stedfastly; Now in heaven the spirits of iust men are said to be made perfect, and no corruptible thing can inherit the Kingdom of heaven; This then, this eternal life is seen in that the soul, yea, the whole man is •o heavenly and holy, so perfected in every thing, that it's made capable of all this happinesse; The godly have communion and fellowship with God in this life, now they are no more capable of this, if not sanctified, then a beast can converse with a man; Hence because this sanctification is impotent, we know in part, we beleeve in part, We see him but in a riddle, not face to face, but then shall we know him even as we are known of him, 1 Cor. 13.12. It was a general received opinion, as appeareth by severall examples in the Old Testament, that if God made any glorious appearance to man, he should presently die, so Manaoh and others argued, and whence rose that apprehension but because of the glorious Majesty of God, and the vain, weak, frail nature of man? Oh but in heaven where God is in all his glorious manifestation, and we shall behold him continually, yet there shall be no faintings, no fears within us, and all is, because the Saints are then glorified and perfected in soul and body; There's not the least spot or wrinkle of sinne to put them to any shame or fear within.
- 12. It consists in the perfect sanctifying the sou• •nd body thereby si•ting a man for the enjoyment of God.
