The child's portion

1. The Manner: That now is through a Glass darkly, that then is, face to face: i. e. We now see him mediately, whereas we shall then see him immediately; now we have a reflex, then we shall ⟨p. 130⟩have a direct sight of him. Now there are some who think he is here seen by the reflection of the of his Attributes, and then in his naked Essence, and so make the Attributes a part of the Glass; but this is a flight too high for me to soar unto. It is certain the Attributes are no part of the Glass, but they are the Object that is now reflected in the Glass. I know that seeing Christ as he is, intends more than a seeing the Man Christ in his visible Glory, but it doth not therefore necessarily enforce the seeing the Divine Essence. Seeing him face to face, is some transcendent manner of seeing him; and what if it be his good pleasure that we shall not know it till we come actually to see it? We can neither understand how there should be, nor believe that there is any proportion between an infinite object and a finite created understanding: Should God make a Being able to know him in his naked Essence, he must make one equal to himself. Angels are Comprehensors, yet they are represented as covering their faces with two of their wings, and that not only by reason of modesty, but of weakness too, lest they should lose their sight in the contemplation. The highest flight of our understanding, is to see things in their causes, but the Divine Essence is without cause. That distinction of seeing comprehensively, and seeing apprehensively hath here no place; in things that have parts, and are divisible, and so ⟨p. 131⟩may partially come into our view it will hold, but the Divine Essence is simple and indivisible, and therefore to apprehend and comprehend it are all one. Nor is the ground of Opposition between Faith and Sight with respect to the object seen, for we heard that is one and the same, but to the manner of seeing him; and it may rather argue the contrary, namely, if it be God in his Attributes that is believed in now, it must be God in his Attributes that must be seen then; Christ saith, be it to thee according to thy Faith. We now believe that God is Infinite, Eternal, &c. we shall see and apprehend him to be so then;

1. The Manner: That now is through a Glass darkly, that then is, face to face: i. e. We now see him mediately, whereas we shal then see him immediately; now we have a reflex, then we shal