now let me die, this is that which my soul hath longed for, Luke ii. 28, 29.

Our present darkness and weakness in beholding the glory of Christ, is not like theirs. It is not occasioned by a vail of types and shadows cast on it by the representative institutions of it; it doth not arise from the want of a clear doctrinal revelation of the person and office of Christ; but, as was before declared, it proceedeth from two other causes. First, From the nature of faith itself, in comparison of vision. It is not able to look directly into this excellent glory, nor fully to comprehend it. Secondly, From the way of its proposal, which is not substantial of the thing itself, but only of an image of it, as in a glass. But the sight, the view of the glory of Christ, which we shall have in heaven, is much more above that which we now enjoy by the gospel, than what we do, or may so enjoy, is above what they have attained under their types and shadows. There is a far greater distance between the vision of heaven, and the sight which we have now by faith, than is between the sight which we now have, and what they had under the Old Testament. Heaven doth more excel the gospel-state, than that state doth the law. Wherefore, if they did so pray, so long for, so desire the removal of their shadows and vails, that they might see what we now see, that they might so behold the glory of Christ, as we may behold it in the light of the gospel; how much more should we, if we have the same faith with them, the same love, (which neither will nor can be satisfied without perfect fruition) long and pray for the removal of all weakness, of all darkness and interposition, that we may come unto that immediate beholding of his glory, which he so earnestly prayed that we might be brought unto?

To sum up briefly what hath been spoken: There are three things to be considered concerning the glory of Christ, three degrees in its manifestation; the shadow, the perfect image, and the substance itself. Those under the law had only the shadow of it, and of the things that do belong unto it, they had not the perfect image of them, Heb. x. 1. Under the gospel we have the perfect image, which they had not; or a clear complete revelation and declaration of it, presenting it unto us as in a glass. But the enjoyment of these things in their substance is referred for heaven; we must be where he is, that we may behold his glory. Now there is a greater difference and distance between the real substance of any thing, and the most perfect image of it, than there is between the most perfect image and the lowest shadow of the same thing. If then they longed to be freed from their state of types and shadows, to enjoy the representation of the glory of Christ, in that image of it which is given us in the gospel; much more ought we to breathe and pant after our deliverance from beholding it in the image of it, that we may enjoy the substance itself. For whatever can be manifest of Christ on this side heaven, it is granted unto us for this end, that we may the more fervently desire to be present with him.

And as it was their wisdom and their grace to rejoice in the light they had, and in those typical administrations of divine worship which shadowed out the glory of Christ unto them, yet they did always pant after that more excellent light and full discovery of it, which was to be made by the gospel; so it will be ours also, thankfully to use and improve the revelations which we enjoy of it, and those institutions of worship wherein our faith is assisted in the view thereof; yet so as continually to breathe after that perfect, that glorifying sight of it, which is reserved for heaven above.

And may we not a little examine ourselves by these things? Do we esteem this pressing towards the perfect view of the glory of Christ to be our duty, and do we abide in the performance of it? If it be otherwise with any of us, it is a signal evidence that our profession is hypocritical. If Christ be in us, he is the hope of glory in us; and where that hope is, it will be active in desires of the things hoped for. Many love the world too well, and have their minds too much filled with the things of it, to entertain desires of speeding through it, unto a state wherein they may behold the glory of Christ. They are at home, and are unwilling to be absent from the body, though to be present with the Lord. They hope it may be that such a season will come at one time or another, and then it will be the best they can look for when they can be here no more. But they have but a little sight of the glory of Christ in this world by faith, if any at all, who so little, so faintly desire to have the immediate sight of it above. I cannot understand how any man can walk with God as he ought, or hath that love for Jesus Christ which true faith will produce, or doth place his refresh. ments and joy in spiritual things, in things above, that doth not, on all just occasions, so meditate on the glory of Christ in heaven, as to long for an admittance into the immediate sight of it. Our Lord Jesus Christ alone perfectly understood wherein the eternal blessedness of them that believe in him doth consist. And this is the sum of what he prays for with respect unto that end; namely, that we may be where he is, to behold his glory. And is it not our duty to live in a continual desire of that which he prayed so earnestly that we might attain? If in ourselves, we as yet apprehend but little of the glory, the excellency, the blessedness of it, yet ought we to repose that confidence in the wisdom and love of Christ, that is our best, infinitely better than any thing we can enjoy here below.

Unto those who are inured unto these contemplations, they are the salt of their lives, whereby every thing is condited and made savoury unto them as we shall shew afterwards. And the want of spiritual diligence herein, is that which hath brought forth a negligent, careless, worldly profession of religion, which contenting itself with some outward duties, hath lost out of it the power of faith and love in their principal operations. Hereby many deceive their own souls. Goods, lands, possessions, relations, trades, with secular interests in them, are the things whose image is drawn on their minds, and whose characters are written on their foreheads, as the titles whereby they may be known. As believers beholding the glory of Christ in the blessed glass of the gospel, are changed into the same image and likeness by the Spirit of the Lord; so these persons beholding the beauty of the world, and the things that are in it, in the cursed glass of self-love, they are in their minds changed into the same image. Hence perplexing fears, vain hopes, empty embraces of perishing things, fruitless desires, earthly, carnal designs, cursed self-pleasing imaginations, feeding on and being fed by the love of the world and self, do abide and prevail in them. But we have not so learned Christ Jesus.

CHAP. XIII.

THE SECOND DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR BEHOLDING THE GLORY OF CHRIST BY FAITH IN THIS WORLD, AND BY SIGHT IN HEAVEN.

FAITH is the light wherein we behold the glory of Christ in this world. And this, in its own nature, as unto this great end, is weak and imperfect, like weak eyes, that cannot behold the sun in its beauty. Hence our sight of it differs greatly from what we shall enjoy in glory, as hath been declared. But this is not all; it is frequently hindered and interrupted in its operations, or it loseth the view of its object by one means or other. As he who sees any thing at a great distance, sees it imperfectly, and the least interposition or motion takes it quite out of his sight; so is it with our faith in this matter; whence sometimes we can have little, sometimes no sight at all, of the glory of Christ by it. And this gives us, as we shall see, another difference between faith and sight.

Now, although the consideration thereof may seem a kind of diversion from our present argument, yet I choose to insist upon it, that I may evidence the reasons whence it is that many have so little experience of the things whereof we have treated, that they find so little of reality or power in the exercise of this grace, or the performance of this duty. For it will appear in the issue, that the whole defect is in themselves; the truth itself insisted on, is great and efficacious.

First, Whilst we are in this life, the Lord Christ is pleased in his sovereign wisdom sometimes to withdraw, and as it were to hide himself from us. Then do our minds fall into clouds and darkness; faith is at a loss, we cannot behold his glory ; yea, we may seek him, but cannot find him. So Job complains, as we observed before; 'Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him; on the left hand where he doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him,' chapter xxiii. 8, 9. Which way soever I turn myself, whatever are my endeavours, in what way or work of his own I seek him, I cannot find him, I cannot see him, I cannot behold his glory. So the church also complains; 'Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel the Saviour,' Isa. xlv. 15.; and the Psalmist, 'How long, Lord, wilt thou hide thyself for ever? Psal. lxxxix. 46. This hiding of the face of God, is the hiding of the shining of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ, and therefore of the glory of Christ himself; for it is the glory of Christ to be the representative of the glory of God. The spouse in the Canticles is often at a loss, and herein bemoans herself, that her beloved was withdrawn, that she could neither find him nor see him, chap. iii. 1, 2. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth ; I sought him but I found him not. I will rise now and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth; I sought him but I found him not.' Chap. v. 6. 'I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone; my soul failed when he spake; I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.'

Men may retain their notions concerning Christ, his person, and his glory. These cannot be blotted out of their minds, but by heresy or obdurate stupidity. They may have the same doctrinal knowledge of him with others; but the sight of his glory doth not consist therein; they may abide in the outward performance of duties towards him as formerly; but yet all this while, as unto the especial gracious communications of himself unto their souls, and as unto a cheerful refreshing view of his glory, he may withdraw and hide himself from them.

As under the same outward dispensations of the word, he doth manifest himself unto some, and not unto others; ('How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" John xiv. 22.); whereon they to whom he doth so manifest himself, do see him to be beautiful, glorious, and lovely, (for unto them that believe he is precious), whilst the others see nothing hereof, but wonder at them by whom he is admired, Cant. v. 9. What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than