In the kingdom of Heaven:(1) We shall have an immediate communion with God himself, who is the inexhaustible sea of all happiness. This divines call ‘the beatific vision.’ The psalmist triumphed in the enjoyment he had of God in this life. ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee?’ Psa 73: 25. If God, enjoyed by faith, gives so much comfort to the soul, how much more when he is enjoyed by immediate vision! Here we see God darkly through the glass of ordinances but in the kingdom of heaven we shall see him ‘face to face.’ 1 Cor 13: 12. We shall have an intellectual sight of him; we shall see him with the eyes of our mind; we shall know him as much as the angels in heaven do. Matt 18: 10; we shall know as we are known. 1 Cor 13: 12. We shall have a full knowledge of God, though not know him fully; as a vessel in the sea is full of the sea, though it holds not all the sea. To see and enjoy God will be most delicious; in him are beams of majesty, and bowels of mercy. God has all excellencies concentred in him, bonum in quo omnia bona [the good in which are all good things]. If one flower should have the sweetness of all flowers how sweet would that flower be! All the beauty and sweetness which lies scattered in the creature is infinitely to be found in God. To see and enjoy him, therefore, will ravish the soul with delight. We shall see God so as to love him, and be made sensible of his love; and when we shall have this sweet communion with him he shall be ‘all in all;’ light to the eye, manna to the taste, and music to the ear. 1 Cor 15: 28. ....Thomas Watson ..(1620-1686)
Posted on: Sat, 09 Nov 2013 00:45:43 +0000