N29704:251
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 Timothy Green in Middle 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.
III. The Perfection of Blessedness consists in Seeing GOD. It is so Expressed in the Scripture, Heb. 12.14. Follow Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. All the Blessedness of Heaven is denoted by that, of Seeing the Lord. The Glorified have a clear and immediate Sight of GOD. They do not see him through the Glass of his Word & Works as is in this World they do; but have an Open, Clear, Full Sight of him; 1 Cor. 13.12. Now we see through a Glass Darkly; but then Face to Face: Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as I am known. Here we have but a Dark and Very Imperfect Knowledge of God. Both the Object and our Eyes are covered with Darkness; but in heaven that Darkness is Removed, so that we see clearly; as two men who are near together & behold one ⟨p. 237⟩another Face to Face. In this Life, our sight of God is by Faith: We Walk by Faith, and not by Sight; But in heaven there is an immediate Vision and Fruition of him. Not that in heaven God the Father is seen with Bodily Eyes. The Divine Nature cannot be seen: He is the Invisible God, whom no man has seen nor can see, as to a Corporeal Vision. But Mental Knowledge is in the Scripture Expressed by Vision. It is an Intellectual Vision of GOD which Saints in Glory are Blessed with: He is seen with the Eye of the Understanding. Not that the Blessed have a Comprehensive Vision or Knowledge of GOD. No Creature can Comprehend the Incomprehensible Being of GOD. Finite has no proportion to Infinite. Therefore no Finite Understanding can have a Perfect Knowledge of the Infinite Being: Job 11.7. Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty to Perfection? No Creature can ever do it. Nevertheless, there is an Intellectual Knowledge of God, in which the Essence of Happiness does consist: ⟨p. 238⟩This all the Blessed have. Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall see God, Mat. 5 8. As to the Degree and Measure of this Vision, it is according to the Pleasure of God, who will doubtless Vouchsafe greater Manifestations of himself to some Saints in Heaven than to Others, (as he does on Earth) according to the Sovereign Good Pleasure of his Will. But such a Vision of God all the Glorified shall have, as will make them happy. And nothing short of that can make the Rational Creature happy.