The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

It is true, that there are sundry other things in particular that belong unto this State of Glory. But what we have mentioned is the Fountain and Spring of them all. We can never have an immediate enjoyment of God in the Immensity of his Nature, nor can any created understanding conceive any such things. Gods communications of himself unto us, and our enjoyment of ⟨p. 107⟩him, shall be in and by the manifestation of his Glory in Christ. He who can see no Glory, who is sensible of no Blessedness in these things, is a stranger unto that Heaven which the Scripture reveals, and which Faith leads unto.

It is true, that there are sundry other things in particular that belong unto this State of Glory. But what we have mentioned is the Fountain and Spring of them all. We can never have an immeditate enjoyment of God in the Immensity of his Nature, nor can any created understanding conceive any such things. Gods communications of himself unto us, and our enjoyment of ⟨p. 107⟩him, shall be in and by the manifestation of his Glory in Christ. He who can see no Glory, who is sensible of no Blessedness in these things, is a stranger unto that Heaven which the Scripture reveals, and which Faith leads unto.

It may be enquired, what is the Subjective Glory, or what Change is to be wrought in our selves that we may enjoy this Glory? Now that consists principally as unto our Souls in the Perfection of all Grace, which is initially wrought and subjectively resides in us in this world. The Grace which we have here, shall not be done away as unto its essence and nature, though somewhat of it shall cease as unto the manner of its Operation. What Soul could think with Joy of going to Heaven, if thereby he must lose all his present Light, Faith, and Love of God, though he be told that he should receive that in lieu of them, which is more excellent, whereof he hath no experience, nor can understand of what nature it is. When the Saints enter into Rest, their Good Works do follow them, and how can they do so, if their Grace do not accompany them, from whence they proceed? The Perfection of our present Graces which are here weak, and interrupted in their operations, is a principal Eminency of the State of Glory. Faith shall be heightened into Vision as was proved before, which doth not destroy its Nature, but cause it to cease as unto its manner of Operation towards things invisible. If a man have a weak small Faith in this Life, with little Evidence, and no Assurance, so that he doubts of all things, questions all things, and hath no Comfort from what he doth believe; if afterwards through supplies of Grace, he hath a mighty prevailing Evidence of the things believed, is filled with Comfort and Assurance; this is not by a Faith or Grace of another kind than what he had before; but by the same Faith raised unto an higher Degree of Perfection. When