With the blessed God himself they are most of all concerned: For him they are eternally to adore and enjoy: Therefore that their Perfection should be virtually included in Divine Knowledge, is congruous to the State of their Case, and to the Language of the Holy Scriptures, which expresses their most perfect State by the Vision of God, in the mentioned 1 John 3. 2. and Mat. 5. 8. Heb. 12. 14, &c. Which Phrase is not borrowed from the Sight of the Eye, and transferred to that of the Mind, at random, or without (most probable) Design. It most aptly signifies the great Facility of this Knowledge; that it is not toilsome, there is little Labour in it; 'tis not such as requires great Pains: It is but Intuition, not a cautious, wary Ratiocination, wherein we use to be very solicitous, lest we draw any irregular or untrue Consequences. We do very easily, and on the sudden, without Suspicion, or Fear of Error, only behold what is offered to our View. This is a great Perfection of Mind with these blessed Spirits, to be capable of knowing the greatest things so easily, and so soon, to know, by seeing. And their Aptness hereto is a moral Perfection; for the Clearness of the Discovery infers their greater Obligation to attend, and not to divert from what shall cost them so little. The blessed God's Manifestation of himself in that brightest and most glorious Light, is not only evidently supposed; for in his Light only can we see Light, Psal. 36. 9. but it is emphatically expressed in the before-mentioned Text, 1 Cor. 13. 12. of seeing Face to Face; which signifies, on his part, gracious Vouchsafement, his offering his blessed Face to view; that he hides it not, nor turns it away, as here sometimes he doth, in just Displeasure. And his Face means even his most conspicuous Glory; such as, in this State of Mortality, ⟨p. 21⟩'twould be mortal to us to behold: For no Man, not so divine a Man as Moses himself, could see his Face and live. And it signifies, on their part, who are thus made perfect, their applying and turning their Face towards his, viz. that they see not casually, or by fortuitous Glances, but Eye to Eye, by direct and most voluntary Intuition; which therefore, on their part, implies moral Perfection, the Will directing and commanding the Eye, and upon unexpressible Relishes of Joy and Pleasure forbidding its Diversion, holds it steady and intent.
With the blessed God himself they are most of all concerned: For him they are eternally to adore and enjoy: Therefore that their Perfection should be virtually included in Divine Knowledg, is congruous to the State of their Case, and to the Language of the Holy Scriptures, which expresses their most perfect State by the Vision of God, in the mention'd 1 John 3. 2. and Mat. 5. 8. Heb. 12. 14, &c. Which Phrase is not borrowed from the Sight of the Eye, and transferr'd to that of the Mind, at random, or without (most probable) Design. It most aptly signifies the great Facility of this Knowledg; that it is not toilsom, there is little Labour in it; 'tis not such as requires great Pains: It is but Intuition, not a cautious, wary Ratiocination, wherein we use to be very solicitous, lest we draw any irregular or untrue Consequences. We do very easily, and on the sudden, without Suspicion, or Fear of Error, only behold what is offer'd to our View. This is a great Perfection of Mind with these blessed Spirits, to be capable of knowing the greatest things so easily, and so soon, to know, by seeing. And their Aptness hereto is a moral Perfection; for the Clearness of the Discovery infers their greater Obligation to attend, and not to divert from what shall cost them so little. The blessed God's Manifestation of himself in that brightest and most glorious Light, is not only evidently supposed; for in his Light only can we see Light, Psal. 36. 9. but it is emphatically express'd in the before-mention'd Text, 1 Cor. 13. 12. of seeing Face to Face; which signifies, on his part, gracious Vouchsafement, his offering his blessed Face to view; that he hides it not, nor turns it away, as here sometimes he doth, in just Displeasure. And his Face means even his most conspicuous Glory; such as, in this State of Mortality, ⟨p. 21⟩'twould be mortal to us to behold: For no Man, not so divine a Man as Moses himself, could see his Face and live. And it signifies, on their part, who are thus made perfect, their applying and turning their Face towards his, viz. that they see not casually, or by fortuitous Glances, but Eye to Eye, by direct and most voluntary Intuition; which therefore, on their part, implies moral Perfection, the Will directing and commanding the Eye, and upon unexpressible Relishes of Joy and Pleasure forbidding its Diversion, holds it steady and intent.
