The child's portion, or, The unseen glory of the children of God asserted and…

1. That a perfect and through knowledge of God in Christ is not to be expected by any in this life: this is a privilege reserved for glory, a•d not here looked for, much less presumed upon by any but such as are infatuated: our Organs are not as yet accommodated to it, nor shall be▪ till the body of death be laid off: sin remaining in the understanding is so much darkness there: nor are our present means ordered to be the deferents of perfect light to us, but are Glasses fitted to our sore eyes, lest instead of helping them to see, they should put them out. Believers are not stark blind, their eyes are blessed because they do see, but they are imperfectly blessed for they see but confusedly, men like trees. Paul, as a Saint, knows but in part, and as an Apostle, or a glass to give light to others, prophesies but in part, 1 Cor. 13. 9. the air through which the Sun of righteousness beams down his light upon us, is, though diaphanous, yet hazy and thick. There is indeed ⟨p. 140⟩enough revealed to direct us in our way, but not so much as to set us down satisfied: Hence the Ordinances, and all helps to the knowledge of God in Christ, will be of use to us as long as we are in this life: and though it should be a comfort to us to think that the time will shortly come when we shall no more need this Glass, when that Oracle shall be fulfilled, Jer. 31. 34. They shall teach no more every man his Neighbour, for they shall all know me, &c. Yet except we can be content here to live without any •ight of Christ at all, we must not be weary of, nor throw aside the Glass as long as we are her• ▪ We must be glad that we may, and thankful that we do see the Sun in his beams, till we come to dwell in the Fountain of Light.

1. That a perfect and through knowledge of God in Christ is not to be expected by any in this life: this is a priviledge reserved for glory, a•d not here looked for, much less presumed upon by any but such as are enfatuated: our Organs are not as yet accomodated to it, nor shall be till the body of death be laid off: sin remaining in the understanding is so much darkness there: nor are our present means ordered to be the deferents of perfect light to us, but are Glasses fitted to our sore eyes, lest instead of helping them to see, they should put them out. Believers are not stark blind, their eyes are blessed because they do see, but they are imperfectly blessed for they see but confusedly, men like trees. Paul, as a Saint, knows but in part, and as an Apostle, or a glass to give light to others, prophesies but in part,