Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Sixthly, the Saints shall see the counsels of God, ¹and all the ways of God, what have been, and what shall be to all eternity about election; what his counsels were about creating of things, before they were created, and what the workings of his counsels were about the several ways of his providence, before there was any manifestation of them in his creature; and so all his counsels about rejection of so many thousands of men and Angels. It is an expression of S. Augustine, We shall see the reason why one is reprobate, and one elected; why one is rich, and one is poor: we do not see the reason now, but by seeing God we shall see all things that may make for our happiness: we shall know all the works that ever God did, and that ever he will do to all eternity. It is a great thing for a man to know what is done in his generation: but to know all the ways of God since the beginning of the world, must be a glorious sight. It is not yet Six thousand years ⟨p. 541⟩since God did any thing out of himself, and what is six thousand years to eternity? and if God have done such great things in Six thousand years, what may God do in the next Six thousand years, and so in the next, who now can tell? A Workman doth his meanest works at first, and this world is but the beginning of Gods works, and for a creature to see what God shall thus work for ever, is an infinite blessed thing.

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The seventh thing, wherein this blessed vision of the Saints appears, is, that they shall look upon all ¹the ways and works of God, as to see their happiness consisting in them: there is a great deal of difference in seeing an object that is excellent in its self, and to see an object that is excellent, wherein consists my happiness. As in riding over a Land, one that is a Stranger rides over it, another that is an Heir; the Stranger rides over it, and takes delight to see the Trees, and Fruit to grow; but the Heir looks upon it after another manner, as the Land for which my Father laid out much, and all to enrich me, as the Land that is mine Inheritance: so, were it that we were but admitted to this glorious sight of God, merely to have the view of God, it were a great privilege to the Creature, but to see all the shine, and all that excellency that is in God, is to make me happy; and all the counsels and ways of God are working for my happiness and glory, this is blessedness indeed. There is difference between a Stranger looking upon the King, and the Queens looking upon a King. A Stranger may see Beauty and Majesty in the King; but the Queen looks upon the King, and his Beauty and