N01272:261
Meditations on the glory of the heavenly world. I. On the happiness of the…
Meditations on the glory of the heavenly world. I. On the happiness of the soul of believers, at the instant of their separation from their bodies. II. On the glory of the bodies of God's children, in the resurrection world, when they shall be as the angels of heaven. III. On the glory of both soul and body in the heaven of heavens, after the day of judgment, to all eternity. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Six lines of quotations]
Boston in N.E. printed: : Sold by Benjamin Eliot, at his shop in King Street., 1711
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
One of the Ancients speaks with true Devotion, when he says, If thou, Lord, shouldst give me never so much, except thou wilt give me thy Self, I cannot be satisfied. Nothing will make a man happy, but that which will give to his Soul a fullness of Satisfaction. No Created Good can do that: But the Vision & Fruition of GOD will do it: Psal. 17. 15. I shall behold thy Face in Righteousness; I shall be satisfied with thy Likeness. Nothing will make a man happy, but that which will make him Impeccable; that is uncapable of Sinning. The Beatifical Vision will be ⟨p. 239⟩attended with that Happiness. An Impossibility of Sinning in the Man Christ Jesus, proceeds from the Personal Union of the Humane Nature with the Divine. But in Glorified Saints, it proceeds from the Beatifical Vision. They are so filled with the Fullness of GOD, and so taken up with GOD, that it is impossible that they should Sin whilst they are so; and they Will be so for ever and ever. It remains then that the Happiness of the Glorified in Heaven, consists chiefly in this Vision of God. Yea, the Happiness of the Angels is, and for ever Will be in this. When they have finished that Course of Obedience appointed for them, they shall be Rewarded. And what shall their Reward be? Surely a Contemplation of the Infinite Perfections which are in GOD. The Happiness of Christ considered as Man, is in this Beatifical Vision. Christ therefore has said, Thou wilt show me the Path of Life; in thy Presence, or as the Original Words are, in thy Face there is fullness of Joy. Happiness in the Perfection and Fullness of it, is in being with GOD and beholding His ⟨p. 240⟩Face, Psal. 16. 11. Yea, the Blessedness of GOD himself, is in Beholding his own Infinite Excellencies and Glory. So has he been most Blessed from all Eternity. This then is that which Elect Angels and Men Will be taken up with in Heaven, throughout the Days of Eternity. It Will be impossible for them to see to the End of the Divine Perfections; but there is Infinitely more still. After the Day of Judgment, it is said, that God shall be all in all, 1 Cor. 15. 28. For the present, Christ is all in all. All comes to us through the Hands of a Mediator: But in Heaven all will come from God Immediately. All the Elect of God shall be satisfied from GOD alone. While in this World, they Receive Comfort from Creatures, from Friends & kind Relations;