Anfw. Two ways: the one is by fight, which will fatisfy the understanding; and the other is by experience, which will fatisfy the will.

Queft. 38. What is it that will give the greatest fatisfaction to the bodily eyes in heaven?

Anfw. A beholding that glorious and blessed body, which is united to the perfon of the Son of God, Job xix. 27.

Queft. 39. Will not the glory of the man Christ Jefus be unspeakably fuperior to the glory of all the faints?

Anfw. Yes furely: for, though the faints hall Shine forth as the fun, yet not they, but the Lamb fhall be the light of the heavenly city, Rev. xxi. 23.

Queft. 40. What is it that will make the glory of the human nature of Chrift fhine, with a peculiar luftre, in the eyes of the faints?

Anfw. It is the indiffolvable fubfiftence of that nature in the perfon of the Son, as the everlasting bend of union betwixt God and them, John xv. 23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.

Queft. 41. Is not the blissful fight of God in heaven, fomething else than the fight of that glory, which we will fee with our bodily eyes, in the man Chrift, or in the faints, or any other splendor and refulgence from the Godbead whatsoever?

Anfw. Yes: for no created thing can be our chief good and happinefs, nor fully fatisfy our fouls; and as thefe things are fomewhat different from God himself, fo the fcriptures affure us, that we fhall fee God, and fee him as he is, Matth. v. 8. 1 John iii. 2.

Queft. 42. How will the faints fee God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in heaven?

Anfw. Not with their bodily eyes, in refpect of which God is invifible, 1 Tim. i. 17.; but with the eye of the underpanding, being bleft with the most perfect,

perfect, full, and clear knowledge of God, and divine things, which the creature is capable of, I Cor. xiii. 12.

Queft. 43. What is the difference between believers feeing God here, and their feeing of him then? Anfw. Here they have only a fight, as it were, of his back-parts; but there they fhall fee his face, Rev. xxii. 4. it is but a paffing view they can have of him here; but there they fhall eternally, without interruption, feed the eyes of their fouls upon him; and be ever contemplating his infinite love, his unchangeable truths, and wonderful works, with the utmost complacency and delight, Pfal. xvi. 11. Queft. 44 What knowledge will the faints in heaven have of the love of God towards them?

Anfw. They will have an intuitive knowledge of it: they shall look in to his heart, and there fee the love he bore to them from eternity, and the love and good-will he will bear to them for evermore; for he hath faid, I have loved thee with an everlasting love :-----Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, Jer. xxxi. 3. Matth. xxv. 23.

Quest. 45. What knowledge fhall they have of divine truths?

Anfw. The light of glory will be a complete commentary on the Bible, and an opening of the whole treasure hid in that field, Pfal. xxxvi. 9. In thy light fhall we fee light.

Quest 46. What understanding will they have of the works of God?

Anfw. The knowledge of the works of creation will then be brought to perfection: the web of providence will be fpread before the eyes of the faints, and appear a most beautiful mixture and, in a fpecial manner, the work of redemption fhall be matter of their eternal admiration; they fhall for ever wonder and praife, and praise and wonder, at the mysteries of wisdom and love, goodness and holinefs

holinefs, mercy and juftice, that fhine through the whole of that glorious device, Rev. i. 5, 6.

Queft. 47. What is the experimental knowledge whereby the faints fhall enjoy God in heaven?

Antw. It is the participation of the divine goodnefs in full measure, accompanied with a moft lively fenfation thereof in the innermoft part of their fouls, Rev. vii. 17. The Lamb fhall lead them to living fountains of waters; which are no other but God himself, the fountain of living waters, who will FULLY and FREELY communicate himself unto them.

Queft. 48. In what respect will the communication of God, to the experience of the faints in heaven, be FUL?

Anfw. In as much as they fhall not be ftinted to any measure, but the enjoyment fhall go as far as their most enlarged capacities can reach.

Queft. 49. Will the capacities of the faints above be of equal fize?

Anfw. As there will be different degrees of glory, (the faints in heaven being compared to fars, which are of different magnitudes, Dan. xii. 3.) fo fome capacities will contain more, and others lefs, yet all shall be filled, and have what they

can hold.

Quest. 50. Wherein will confift the FREEDOM f God's communication of himself to the experience of the faints in heaven?·

Anfw. In an unreftrained familiarity which he will there allow them with himself; his fulness fhall ever ftand open to them, there being no vail betwixt him and them to be drawn afide.

Quelt. 51. What will be the refult of the free communication, and full participation of the divine goodness in the upper fanctuary?

Anfw. Perfect likeness to God, and unspeakable joy hence, fays the Pfalmift, Ifhall be fatished, when

Iawake,

I awake, with thy likeness.-----In thy prefence is fulnejs of joy, Pfal. xvii. 15. and xvi. 11.

Quest. 52. Why will perfect likeness to God follow upon the beatific vifion of him?

Antw. Because the feeing of God, in all his matchless excellencies, no more through a glass darkly, but face to face, cannot but be attended with a fwallowing up of all the imperfections of the faints, into a glorious transformation to his bleffed image, John iii 2.-----We (hall be like him, for we shall fee him as he is.

Queft. 53. Why is the communication, and participation of God in heaven, accompanied with unspeakable joy?

Anfw. Because of the undoubted certainty, and full affurance, which the faints have of the eternal duration of the fame; the enjoyment of God being always fresh and new to them, through the ages of eternity; for they shall drink of living fountains of waters, continually fpringing up in abundance, Rev. vii. 17.

Queft. 54. Why will the faints in heaven have an undoubted certainty of their full enjoying of God to all eternity?

Anfw. Because the everlasting God himself will be their eternal life and happiness, 1 John v. 20.-This is the true God, and eternal life. Ifa. lx. 19. ------The Lord fhall be unto thee an everlafting light, and thy God thy glory. Hence it is faid of heaven, that the glory of God doth lighten it, and that the Lamb is the light thereof, Rev. xxi. 23.

Queft. 55. What improvement ought we to make of thefe benefits which believers receive from Chrift at the refurrection?

be

Anfw. We fhould be diligent that we may found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless: and occupy the talents he hath given us till he come we should judge ourselves, that we may not be judg

ed; and because the end of all things is at hand, we should therefore be fober, and watch unto prayer: yea, we should hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto us, at the revelation of Jefus Chrift, 2 Pet. iii. 14. Luke xix. 13. 1 Cor. xi. 31. 1 Pet. iv. 7. and i. 3.

END OF PART FIRST.

Juft Publish'd by ROBERT JOHNSTON;

PREVEN

[Price 3d.]

REVENTING LOVE; or God's Love to us, the cause of our Love to him. Being a SERMON Preached after the Administration of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper at Portmoak, June 3. 1723. on 1 John iv. 19. We loved him, because he firft loved us. By Mr. RALPH ERSKINE, Minifter of the Gofpel at Dumfermling,