Looking Unto Jesus by Isaac Ambrose: A View of the Everlasting Gospel.
Section 10.1.10. - Of Christ, notwithstanding this, being all in all, to his blessed, saved, and redeemed Saints to all Eternity.

BOOK 10. THE JUDGEMENT.

CHAPTER 1.

10.1.10. Of Christ, notwithstanding this, being all in all, to his blessed, saved, and redeemed Saints to all Eternity.

Of Christ, notwithstanding this, being all in all, to his blessed, saved, and redeemed Saints to all Eternity.

For Christ's being all in all, to his blessed, saved, and redeemed saints to all eternity, we shall dilate in this section. Some may object, if God be all in all, what then becomes of Christ? Is not this derogatory to Jesus Christ? I answer, No, in no ways: For, --

Now then as I have spoken of God, so that I may speak of Christ, and conclude all with Christ, I assert this doctrine, "That the glory of Christ, which the saints shall behold in Christ to all eternity, is their all in all." In the discussion of which I shall open these particulars. 1. What is the glory of Christ? 2. How the saints shall behold his glory? 3. Wherein is the comprehensiveness of this expression, that the beholding of Christ is our "all in all?"

1. What is the glory of Christ? I answer, That the glory of Christ is either human or divine; (a). There is an human glory, which in time was more especially conferred upon his manhood. (b). There is an essential or divine glory, which before time, and after time, even from everlasting to everlasting, issueth from the Godhead; I shall speak to both these, that we may rather take a view of Christ in those glories, (as w'e are able) wherein he will appear to his saints as their "all in all" to all eternity.

(a). First, For his human glory, that is, either in regard of his soul or body: for his soul, Christ was from the first instant of his conception full of glory, because even then he received grace, not by measure, as we do, but as comprehensor; he had the clear vision of God, even as the angels of heaven, which arose from that hypostatical union of two natures at his first conception. It is true, that by the special dispensation of God, the fulness of joy accompanying that glory was withheld from Christ in the time of his passion, and the redundancy of glory from his soul into his body, was totally deferred until the exaltation of Christ; but Christ no sooner exalted, and set on the right hand of God, but immediately the interruption of joy in his soul, and the interception of glory from his soul to his body, was altogether removed. Then it was that his soul was filled with all joy, solace, pleasure, which could possibly flow from the sight of an object so infinitely pleasing, as is the essence, majesty, and glory of God. And then it was, that his body was replenished with as much glory as was proportionable unto the most vast capacity of any creature; not only his soul, but his body is a glorious creature: it is ('soma tes doxcs,') "A body of glory," that is, a most glorious body in itself, and the spring of glory unto others, "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory?" Luke xxiv. 26. It is called "his glory," as if it were appropriated unto him as the most eminent subject, and principle efficient of glory; as if he had the monopoly of glory: all the glory in heaven is in some sort "his glory." Surely Christ's manhood is exalted unto an higher degree of glory, than the most glorious saint or angel ever was or shall be; principalities, powers, mights, and dominions, fall short of his glory.

But some object, that the mediatory office of Christ shall wholly cease, and that the body and soul of Christ shall then be annihilated.

Indeed this was the opinion of Eutyches. That the human nature of Christ should be changed or converted into the divine; and thus he interprets that scripture, "Then shall the Son also himself be subject, that God may be all in all," 1 Cor. xv. 28, "What is the subjection, (saith he) but a conversion of the creature into the very substance or essence of the Creator himself?" (Ut ipsam subjectionem, communicationem and conversionem, credat futuram creatura in ipsam substantiam vel essentiam creatoris. Aug. de Trinit. Lib. i. c. 8. et Aret. in loc.) but we deny the interpretation: the Son, as man, shall be subject, and yet the manhood of Christ shall still remain; it is true, that his mediatory office shall wholly cease, but it follows not that therefore the manhood of Christ shall be converted or changed into the Deity. There may be other reasons for the continuation of his human nature, besides the execution of his mediatory office: As, --

(i). That the lustre of his Deity might shine through his humanity, and that thereby our very bodily eyes may come to see God as much as is possible, for any creature to see him, "I shall see him (saith Job) not with other, but with these same eyes," Job xix. 27.

(ii). That the saints may see how the power of an infinite God can convey the lustre of his Deity into a creature; upon this account, I verily believe, that angels and men will be continually viewing of Jesus Christ. "He shall come to be admired of the saints," 2 Thess. i. 10. He shall be admired (as we have heard) at the judgment day; nor is that all, but the saints in heaven shall see with their eyes such excellencies in Christ, as they shall admire forever; I say forever, as much as they did at the first moment when they saw him: here, if we see anything excellent, we admire at first, but after a while we do not so; but in heaven there will be so much excellency in Christ, that we shall admire as much to all eternity, as we did at the very first moment; there will be no abatement in glory of our being taken with the sight of the glory, in Jesus Christ.

(iii). That Christ by his humanity may converse more freely, and familiarly with his brethren in his Father's house: Oh! the intimacy that will be there betwixt Jesus Christ and his Christian saints! Oh! the mutual rejoicing and delight that will be there betwixt Jesus Christ and his dearest darlings. As Christ from eternity rejoiced in the habitable part of his earth, so will the saints (his habitable earth) to all eternity rejoice in Christ; the eye of the saints in glory can never be off Christ as Mediator and God; now the eye of the saints in glory shall never be off Christ as God and Mediator then. Thus far of his human glory.

(b). Secondly, For his essential divine glory, it is that glory which Christ hath as God: this he never laid aside, but as the sun in a dark gloomy day may not send forth his beams, so Christ, the Sun of righteousness, in the time of his abode upon earth, (except a little glimpse only in his transfiguration) did not set forth his glorious beams; but hereafter the body or humanity of Christ shall not hinder the breaking forth of all his divine glory. No sooner the Son is subjected, and his mediatory office discharged, but Christ, as God, will manifestly put forth his more immediate glory to all his saints, "Behold now, we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is," 1 John iii. 2. Mark it, "when he shall appear," at and after the resurrection day, "we shall see him as he is," (i.e.) we shall see the very essential glory of Jesus Christ.

Question. But what is the essential glory of Christ?

Answer. I cannot answer, it is a question not to be resolved by all the men in the world: we know little of the glory of saints, How should we know anything of the essential glory of Christ as God? The scriptures say. That "God spake to Moses face to face," Exod. xxxiii. 11. Yet God tells him, "Thou canst not see my face," and he favours him so far as to tell him the reason, "For there shall no man see my face and live," verse 20. q.d. No man in this life, he must first die, and be changed, and then he shall have a peculiar revelation of the divine Majesty; then he shall "see him as he is;" but how that is, I cannot tell. Come, let us question this no further; surely it is a mercy that this infinite glory is not discovered to us; for as a weak eye is not able to behold the sun, or to see it in rota, (as the schoolmen speak) in that wheel or circle wherein the sun doth run, but only on the beams of it; no more can we see Christ as God in his glorious essence, or in his essential glory, but only in the beams thereof, in his word and effects. If now we know so little of spirits and spirituals, Oh! then, How little do we know of him who is the Father of spirits? I shall say no more therefore, let us be content to be ignorant of these things till we enter into the confines of eternity.

Question. But whither shall this glorious essence, or essential glory of Christ be more seen, or manifested, at, or after the day of judgment, than ever it was before? I answer,

Answer. I believe it will. Some (Dr. Annesly's communion with God.) tell us of several periods wherein the glory of Christ is still more and more seen: As,

In this life we may see it in part; thus David speaks of himself "My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, to see thy power and thy glory, as I have seen thee in the sanctuary?" but this sight is very dim, "We see only as through a glass darkly," 1 Cor. xiii. 12. The second period is betwixt our dissolution and resurrection; and then shall we see the essential glory of Christ more immediately and fully; our creeping apprehension of God shall then be elevated, and our distance from God shall then be shortened, and all the riddles of grace and of Jesus Christ shall then be opened. This sight is so great, that if a soul should come from heaven to declare it, neither could that soul express it, nor we understand it; we read of Lazarus, whose soul Christ returned into his body, whom much people of the Jews came purposely to see, that they might hear stories of the other world, but not a word from him of any such matter; Paul's rapture may satisfy with the reason of it, he heard there (arreta remata,) "wordless words," 2 Cor. xii. 4. Such words as could not possibly be repeated on earth; and yet all this is but the second step to the full vision of Christ's essential glory. The third period is at the resurrection, and during the time of the last judgment, and then we shall see more of his glory. Camero affirms, "That it is no curiosity to say that the saints and angels in heaven had a new glory by the exhibition of Christ, the great mystery of the incarnation being thereby better known." And we may as safely affirm, that the saints shall have a new glory, by new visions of the glory of Christ at the day of resurrection; they shall then see the solemnity of heaven's glory carried on by Jesus Christ in his glorious actings; and all that ever the soul saw before in being with Christ in heaven till the resurrection, shall be swallowed up with the sight of this glory of Christ at the resurrection day. The last period is after the resurrection, and that shall continue even to all eternity; now all the manifestations of Christ's glory before this, are but as a few green ears rubbed in our hands; so that the full crop, or the full harvest is yet behind. But this is that, (which as we told you before) we cannot tell, though we had the tongues of men and angels. Thus far of the first point, what is the glory of Christ.

2. How shall the saints behold this glory? I answer, as Christ hath a twofold glory, so there is a twofold manner of beholding it, i.e. Ocular and Mental.

(a). First. There is an ocular vision, a sight of Christ with our very eyes, "Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold him," Job xix. 27. With these eyes in our heads, we shall one day behold the human glory of Christ: I doubt not we shall behold the beauty of heaven, the shining bodies of the saints, but above all, our very eyes shall delightfully contemplate Christ's glorious body: and indeed this shall drown all the other sights. If any think, that Christ's glorious body shall be too intensive, and too extraordinary a brightness for our weak eyes; let such consider. That, --

(i). The eye in heaven shall be glorified; now glorification adds a singular excellency to the faculties, it advanceth the faculties, and raiseth them to an higher pitch of excellency; glorification adds a greater capacity to the eye than ever it had before. In this world there is a difference in our eyes and sight; a man of a clear sight sees more things, and more of every thing than a dark sight doth; so a glorified eye sees more of things than our eyes now can see. It shall be enlarged exceedingly to take in objects which now it cannot receive; glorification adds strength to the faculties both internal and external, so that the eye shall be able to look on the glory of Christ, not with difficulty, but with contentment; in this world every sense we have is apt to be destroyed by excellent objects, and the more excellent and transcendent the object is, the more it hurts and destroys the sense; as the sun by its brightness darkens the eye, and other things by mighty sounds bring deafness on the ear. Paul indeed had a vision of glory, but because his faculties were not glorified, he was he knew not how, "whether in the body, or out of the body," whether alive or dead he did not know; certainly the sight of the glory of the other world would amaze, distract, and destroy us, if we had a sight of it, as now we are; but in heaven the eye shall have great pleasure in beholding the brightest light, because it shall be advanced to the highest pitch of strength that may be.

(ii). As the eye shall be glorified, so it shall act in a glorified body, and this will make the sight of the glory of Christ instead of hurting us to leave upon us a more sweet, enlivening and powerful impression. By this means all the impediments that hinder the conveyance of divine influences from that heavenly object will be removed. To illustrate this, let the most excellent sight be set before a man that is defective in his bodily state, and it doth not take him, what would a sick man do with such things? He makes nothing of the most pleasant gardens, orchards, buildings, nor of the most glorious sights that are; when he is sick, they are but sick things to him, and of none effect: but in heaven the body shall be glorified, and stript of all corruptions and imperfections; so that there shall be no bar unto the influences of the glory of Christ which shall there be seen.

(iii). As there shall be a glorified eye acting in a glorified body, so it shall be acted by a glorified spirit; the eye is but the organ, or instrument of sight, and without the spirit, would convey no more than a glass doth; it is the spirit of a man that gives life to vision, it is the spirit of a man that discovers things, and sets them forth in their worth, virtues and ends: now in heaven the spirits of men shall be glorified, and enabled to perform all those offices in perfection; so that when a man shall look on the man Christ Jesus, by virtue of a glorified spirit, he shall see more, know more, taste more, than any other can. As a man of understanding, when he looks on a diamond, or a wedge of gold, he hath other apprehensions of it, and a farther touch upon his spirit, than a beast, or a child in a cradle hath; so, where the sight of the eye is acted by a glorified mind, it takes in more from the sight of every thing which is to be seen, (inexpressibly more) than what can be done here by the most sanctified spirit in the world. Now, in these respects Christ's glorified body, (though it be the brightest visible thing in the heaven of heavens) yet may it be the object of the eyes of saints, for they shall have glorified eyes in glorified bodies, and acted by their glorified spirits.

(b).Second. There is a mental vision, a sight of Christ by the eyes of our understandings; and surely this exceeds the former, the eye of the body is only on the body of Christ, but the eye of the soul is on the body and soul, on the humanity and Deity of Jesus Christ. This is the very top of heaven, when saints shall be enlightened with a clear and glorious sight of Christ as God; divines usually call it, "Beatifical vision."

Question. But how shall saints behold the glorious essence, or Godhead of Christ?

Answer.

(i). Some say, Christ as God, or the Godhead of Christ, shall be known by the humanity of Christ; such a lustre of his Deity shall shine through his humanity, as that thereby, and by no other means shall the essential glory of Christ appear.

(ii). Others say, That besides the humanity of Christ, there shall be a species representing the divine essence of Christ, and a light of glory elevating the understanding by a supernatural strength: and that thereby the glorious essence of Christ shall be discovered.

(iii). Others say, That the divine essence shall be represented to the glorified understanding, not by Christ's humanity, nor by any species, but immediately by itself: yet they also require a light of glory to elevate and fortify the understanding, by reason of its weakness, and infinite disproportion and distance from the incomprehensible Deity.

(iv). Others hold, That to the clear vision of Christ as God, there is not required a sight of Christ's humanity, as the first suppose; nor a species representing the divine essence, as the second suppose; nor any created light elevating the understanding, as the third suppose; but only a change of the natural order of knowing; it is sufficient (say they) that the divine essence be immediately represented to a created understanding: which, though it cannot be done according to the order of nature, as experience tells us, (for so we conceive things as first having passed the sense and imagination) yet it may be done according to the order of divine grace. I shall not enter into these scholastical disputes, it is enough for a sober man to know, that in heaven we shall see him "face to face," 1 Cor. xiii. 12. "His servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face," Rev. xxii. 3, 4.

Question. His face. What is that? I answer:

Answer.

(i). They shall see Christ as God, of the same essence with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, and yet a distinct person from them both; they shall see the unity in trinity, and trinity in unity; they shall see how the Son is begotten of the Father, and how the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father, and the Son; they shall see the difference between the generation of the Son, and procession of the Spirit. These are mysteries in which we are blind, and know very little or nothing; but in seeing his face, we shall see all these.

(ii). They shall see Christ as the first Being, or principle of all the good that is in the world, "They shall see how all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made," John i. 3. They shall see all the good in the creature as flowing from Christ, and as contained in the absolute perfection of Christ's divine nature; they shall see in one Christ all the excellencies of all the creatures united, which is indeed to see him in his eminency, if there he any beauty, riches, honour, goodness in any creature, that is eminently, transcendently, and originally in Christ, and that shall be seen.

(iii). They shall see Christ in all his ways, counsels, decrees, executions, and transactions, from everlasting to everlasting; that great business of election and reprobation will then be discovered: it is an expression of Augustine, "They shall then see the reason why one is elected, and another reprobated; why one is rich, and another poor:" they shall then see all the works that ever God did, or that ever God will do; it is not yet 6000 years since the creation of the world, and what is 6000 years to eternity? Certainly the truth of Origen's opinion, (Orig. l.de principiis 3. c. 5.) "Touching the existency of other worlds before this, and the future succession of other worlds after this," will then be known. If no worlds before this, yet if God in Christ hath done such great things in only 6000 years, what he may do in the next 6000 years, and so in the next 6000 years, who now can tell? We see not these things, but the saints, in seeing the face of Christ, shall see all things.

(iv). They shall see Christ in all his glory, ways, counsels, decrees, executions and transactions, as working for their happiness. Now this is more than the former; there is a great deal of difference in seeing an object, as excellent in itself, and in seeing an object, as conducing to my happiness; as one that is a stranger, and another that is an heir, rides over such a demesne; the stranger rides over it, and takes delight to see the situation, rivers, trees and fruits; but the heir looks upon it after another manner, "This (saith he) is the land for which my father laid out so much, and all to enrich me, and all to bestow it on me, as my inheritance." So the saints admitted into the glorious sight of Christ, they take not only a view of Christ, of the essential glory of Christ, of the transactions of Christ, things excellent in themselves, but they see all these as to make them happy: they say of Christ, and of all his actings, "These are mine, and for my happiness:" a stranger may look upon a king, and see beauty, and majesty, and glory, and honour in him: but the queen looks upon the king and his beauty as her own: so the saints look upon the King of heaven, they see Christ, and all in Christ, as their own, to make them happy forever and ever.

(v). They shall "see Christ as he is," 1 John iii. 2. But what, do we not "see him now as he is?" Oh no! we now see him not as he is in deed and truth, but only as he is in hear-say and report: we now see him only as he is shadowed out to us in the gospel of peace; and what is the gospel, but the portraiture of the king, which he sent to another land, to be seen by his bride? So kings and queens on earth woo one another; whilst the bride is on earth, she never seeth him as he is in his best Sabbath-royal-robe of immediate glory, she seeth him rather by the second-hand, i.e. by messengers, words, and mediation, he rather sends his portraiture, than comes himself; but in heaven the saints "see him as he is," they see Christ himself in his own very person, they see the red and white in his own face, they see all the inside of Christ, and thousands of excellencies shall then be revealed, that we see not now, the mysteries of that glorious ark shall then be opened, his incarnation, his two natures in one person, his suffering as man, and his sitting in the seat of God as God, all these shall be seen.

(vi). They shall see Christ without interruption, and without intermission to all eternity. If once the eye be set on the face of Jesus Christ, it will never be taken off again. Some conceive this to be the reason why the saints in heaven can never fall away, because they shall have a continual view of Christ as God: surely to have but one glimpse of Christ in this respect, though it were gone presently, it were a great happiness beyond all that the world affords: it was sometimes the desire of a philosopher to see the nature of the sun, though he were to be burnt by it; so if Christ should but grant us this happiness, "You shall come to see me, but the sight of me will destroy you," this were a desirable thing: but to have such an excellent glorious sight as shall never end, that Christ should not only pass by, but stand still, so as the soul shall never lose his sight; O how glorious is this! If a man do but look upon a delightful object, he is loth to have the eye drawn from it: surely the eyes of saints shall be eternally opened to see the divine nature of Christ; turn them which way they will, they shall never turn aside the busied eyes of their understanding from off the Deity of Christ; he fills heaven, he is that fair tree of life, the branches whereof, in all these huge and capacious borders of heaven, have not room to grow in, "for the heaven of heavens cannot contain him." O the wonders of heaven! there is Abraham, Moses, Elias, the prophets, the apostles, and all the glorified martyrs, but the saints have neither leisure, nor hearts to feed themselves with beholding of creatures; no, no; all the eyes of heaven (which are a fair and numerous company) are upon (only, only upon) the Lord Jesus Christ; the father hath no leisure to look over his shoulder to see his son; the husband hath no leisure to look over his shoulder to see his wife; Christ takes all eyes off from such created things: surely it is enough for the saints and angels in heaven to study Christ for all eternity; it shall he their only labour to read Christ, to smell Christ, to hear, see, and taste Christ, to love, joy, and enjoy Jesus Christ forever and ever. Thus far of the second point, how the saints shall behold the glory of Christ.

3. Wherein is the comprehensiveness of this expression, that "the beholding of Christ is cur all in all?" I answer, --

(a). It comprehends the immediate seeing and looking upon all that majesty and glory which Jesus Christ hath. In this sense Paul took it when he complained, "We walk by faith, not by sight," 2 Cor. v. 7. q.d. On earth we have faith, and in heaven we have sight: it is some comfort that now I see Jesus Christ by faith, but comparatively to that sight which the saints have in heaven, it is as no comfort at all; alas! I am not, I cannot be satisfied so long as I am absent from the Lord, I look upon myself as one from home: and as a prince in a strange land sits down sadly, because he hath not the sight of his father, so I am forced to complain, "O! I cannot see my Lord, I would fain behold him, I am a stranger on earth, a pilgrim in this world, I am not where I would be, I am absent from him whom I most desire: O! I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ; I walk with him here on earth by faith, but to walk with him in the streets of heaven by sight is far better; O! I long, I pant, 1 breathe, I desire, I think every day a year, and every year an age, till I be in heaven, at home, in my father's arms, that I may behold and see him, and that immediately, I say immediately in his glory." This is one way of beholding Christ, it is an immediate sight.

(b). It comprehends the fruition and enjoyment of Christ in his glory. Surely the saints shall not be mere idle spectators of the glory of Christ, but they shall enjoy him, and be taken into fellowship with him: it was said of Moses, that he did see the land of Canaan, but he was not admitted into it; it is otherwise with the saints, they shall see heaven, and they shall enter into heaven, "Come thou faithful servant, and enter into thy master's joy," not only behold it, but enter into it; they must behold Christ, and take possession of Christ, and enjoy him as their own, and thus the word to see, or behold, is often used in scripture, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God," John iii. 3. i.e. he cannot enjoy it; and "Father, I will, that those whom thou hast given me be with me where 1 am, that they may behold my glory," John xvii. 24. i.e. that they may enjoy my glory; for Christ is not only glorious in himself, but he is the spring of glory unto others; now, in this respect, more especially is Christ our all in all; he is all in himself, and if we enjoy him, he is "all in all" unto us: to see a little into the state and condition of the saints in glory in this enjoyment of Christ.

(i). They possess Christ as their own, they go to Christ, and they lay hold on him, saying, "Thou art mine." It was indeed the language of the spouse whilst yet on earth, "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." There is a right and a propriety made over to her in her betrothing unto Christ! but after the solemnity of the marriage is over, the possession is then more full; when once the spouse comes to behold Christ in his kingdom, she may then go boldly to her beloved, and say, "All I see is my own, I had thee in hope, but now hope is vanished, and actual enjoyment comes in its place; lo! now I have thee in my eye, and in my heart, and in my hands, and in my arms, and as nothing shall separate us now, for all our enemies are trode under foot, so never will I part with thee, so far as to be out of my eye, I will still behold thee, and in beholding I will still possess thee, for thou art mine own."

(ii). They have the use of what they possess, and this is an infinite good to the saints, they shall not only possess Christ, but they shall have what use they will of Christ, and of all in Christ; they shall, as they please, make use of his humanity, and of his Deity, of his glorious essence, and of his glorious attributes; O wonder! that a saint should come to Christ, and say, "O my Lord, thou art mine, and my pleasure is to make use of thy wisdom, power, and mercy;" and that Christ should reply and say, "Welcome sweet soul, use me and all my glory as thou pleasest." Why, thus it is, even as a friend will say to his friend, "Make use of all I have as your own;" so will Christ come to his saints, and bid them make use of all his riches, glory and excellency, even as they will, even to the utmost that they are capable of.

(iii). They have the sweet and comfort of all they use, and this makes up a complete enjoyment. In things below we may have the possession of them, and the use thereof, but if we have not the sweet and comfort of that we use, we cannot be said truly or fully to enjoy those things; what is the possession and use of meat and drink, if we taste not the sweet of them? Hence God is said "to give us all things richly to enjoy;" no creature can give us richly to enjoy another; one may give us such and such things wherein there may be comfort, but he cannot give us comfort in such things, it is only God that can give us that; it is so with the saints in glory, God gives them all things, yea, Christ gives himself to them, as "all in all," to enjoy him richly, fully, sweetly, to the very uttermost. This is another way of beholding Christ, it is a fruition or enjoyment of Christ, wherein, and whereby he is our "all in all."

(iv). It comprehends all the effects and consequents of such a beholding of his glory, which are infinite delight and complacency in the will, and all praise and thanksgiving in the mouths of his saints. For the first, It is disputed, whether eternal happiness be more in the acts of the understanding, or of the will? And some conclude, that it is principally in the will, because that is an active appetite and predominant in a man, indeed the whole of a man. Oh! the joy, delight, and complacency that will arise in the will, upon the seeing and beholding of Jesus Christ! they shall delight infinitely in the essential glory of Christ, and in the declared glory of Christ; they shall delight in all that glory that is reflected upon Christ by all his creatures in heaven; they shall delight in his presence, and in his love; "Christ is all delights," and how then shall they but delight in Christ? For the second, As they delight in their wills, so will their mouths be filled with praises: we read of saints and angels continually praising God in heaven, there shall be none of our duties of mourning, fasting, praying and humbling; the acts of patience and justifying faith shall cease in heaven; but the duty of praising and glorifying God will continue to all eternity. Methinks I see the saints following the Lamb: methinks I hear the familiar converses betwixt Christ and them, as Christ opens himself to them, so they to him: First, He begins, "Oh! my dear saints, you are they, for whom, before all time, I decreed this heaven, and now you see the execution of my decrees; whilst the world stood, I was still carrying on the work of your salvation, either in doing or suffering, or in successive works, applying my doings and sufferings, my active and passive obedience to your persons; and now the world is at an end, you see the end of my work, and the end of your faith, which is the eternal salvation of your souls; Oh! now I have my wish, and you have your happiness; here you and I will live together, that I may forever behold you, and that you may forever behold me and my glory." Which no sooner said, but methinks I hear all those innumerable saints in heaven to answer, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing," Rev. v. 12. "And therefore unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen," Rev. i. 5, 6. Yea, methinks I hear every creature in heaven say, "Blessing, honour, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. Amen," Rev, v. 13. Why, this is their continual work in heaven, they have nothing else to do, but with joy and gladness to sing forth the praises of God, and of Christ, and that his mercy endureth forever. And this likewise is comprehended under that notion of the saints, "beholding of Christ," which completely makes up the proportion asserted, "That Christ, or the glory of Christ, which the saints shall behold to all eternity, is their all in all."

Thus far we have propounded the object, which is Jesus carrying on the salvation of his saints, in his coming again to earth, and taking them up with himself and his angels into heaven: our next work is to direct you how to look unto Jesus in this respect, and then we have done.