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and herds, all your arithmetic may be employed to number your days, whilst others cannot get out of the clutches of the world, you may get into the embraces of your God; why, this is to prepare yourselves for fuller and fuller enjoyments of God, it is God will be " all in all," and this is the very top of heaven's happiness; surely the less you have of the world now, if you can but improve it, the more you may have of heaven's happiness even upon earth: For what is the happiness of heaven but the sole enjoyment of God? Christians! If you feel any inclinations, pantings, breathings after this world, give me leave to tell you, that you will never be happy till you have lost all, till you have no friends nor estates, no enjoyment but God alone; when all is done, when this world is nothing, when means shall cease both for bodies and souls, and when Christ shall cease his Mediator's office, and the Son of man be subject to his Father, then God shall be "all in all."

SECT. X. Of Christ's (notwithstanding this) being all in all to his blessed, saved, and redeemed saints, to all eternity.

10. 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,

1. It is not the Father personally and only, but the Deity essentially and wholly, that is our all in all: when we say God is all in all, we do not exclude the Son, and Holy Ghost; for the whole God-head is "all in all" to all the saints, as well as the first person of the Trinity; the Father is all, and the Son is all, and the Holy Ghost is all; and in that Christ is God, and the Son is God, we may say of Christ, that he is "all in all:" only the truth of this position is not from the human nature, but from the divine nature of Jesus Christ.

2. It is not derogatory to Christ, but rather it doth exceedingly advance Christ in the thoughts of all his saints; while it was necessary Christ vailed his Deity, and when his work of mediation is fully finished, Christ then shall reveal his Deity to his saints more than ever before. In this respect might I say, if any person in the Trinity receives more honor than another, Christ should have most, "Every creature which is in heaven; heard I saying, Blessing, honor, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever," Rev. 5:13. Not only unto God, but particularly "to the Lamb for ever and ever." It is true, that God only, and God fully, and God immediately, is "all in all:" but doth that hinder that Jesus Christ is not also, only fully and immedia ately, "all in all?" See how the scripture joins them together, which plainly argues that they may consist, "I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple of it; and the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God does lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof," Rev. 21:22,23.

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.

1. There is an human glory, which in time was more especially con. ferred upon bis manhood.

2. 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 we are able,) wherein he will appear to his saints as their "all in all" to all eternity.

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 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 interrup tion 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 doxes,) “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 24: 26. It is called "his glory," as if it were appropriated unto him as the most eminent subject, and principal 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 high. er 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.

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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. 15: 28. *"What is the subjection, (saith he) but a conversion of the creature into the very substance or essence of the Creator himself?" but we deny the interpretation: the Son, as inan, 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, 1. 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 19: 27. 2. 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

*Ut ipsam subjectionem, communicationem & conversionem, credat futuram creatura in ipsam substantiam vel essentiam creatoris. Aug. de Trinit. Lib. 1. c. 8 & Aret. in loc.

Jesus Christ. "He shall come to be admired of the saints," 2 Thess. 1: 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 any thing 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. 3. 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 the 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.

2dly. 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 3:2. Mark it, "when he shall appear," at and after the resurrection day, "we shall see him as he is,” (i. e.) We shall sce the very essential glory of Jesus Christ. Quest. But what is the essential glory of Christ? Ans. 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 any thing of the essential glory of Christ as God? The scriptures say, That "God spake to Moses face to face," Exod. 33:11 yet God tells him, "Thou canst not see my face," and he favors 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 in 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.

Quest. But whether 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.

Ans. I believe it will. Some tell us of several periods wherein the glory of Christ is still more and more seen: As, 1. 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. 13:12. 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. 12:4. 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 inay 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 inental.

1st. 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 19: 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,

1. The eye in heaven shall be glorified; now glorification adds a singular excellency to the faculties, it advanceth the faculties, and raiseth them to a 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

Dr. Annesly's communion with God.

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 scnse; 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 be cause 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

2dly. There is a mental vision, a sight of Christ by the eyes of our un derstandings; 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 hea ven, when saints shall be enlightened with a clear and glorious sight of Christ as God; divines usually call it, "Beatifical vision."

Quest. but how shall saints behold the glorious essence, or Godhead of Christ?

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