without prejudice to others As the Sun streams forth in Rays every moment yet which is a perpetual Miracle in Nature without the least diminution of his Lustre and Efficacy thus the Son of Righteousness dispences his influences of Knowledg and Love and Joy to all the blessed Assembly above and is the universal Happiness of all and the entire Happiness of every Saint God is an inexhaustible Fountain of Felicity As he that drinks of a living Spring tho inflam'd with thirst yet leaves it flowing and full as before sufficient to refresh a thousand Men without being dry thus God is able to make many Worlds happy An earthly Inheritance is either entirely and peculiarly the first Born's or is lessen'd by division but all the Sons of God have the dignity of the first born and are Heirs of God and enjoy an undivided Inheritance Our Heavenly Father verifies to every Saint what the Father in the Parable said to his Son All that I have is thine 2. The stability and firmness of it The Apostle saith 'T is a City that hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Cities that are raised by the greatest Kings who are corruptible and mortal are so slitely built that they may be consum'd by Fire batter'd by Storms and without external Violence yet from an inward principle of Decay sink into Ruins but Heaven is the City of the living God the Seat of his eternal Empire This present World is like a Tent pitcht for a time whilst the Church is sojourning in the Wilderness the most solid parts of it the visible Heaven and Earth shall perish either by an entire Consumption or their ruin shall terminate in a renovation to a better State But the third Heaven is above the dominion of the Elements exempted from all changes and for ever remains 'T is an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and fades not away The integrity purity and glory of it are always the same 'T is the habitation of God's Throne He sits in Heaven secure from all the tumultuous Conspiracies of his Enemies and derides their impious Attempts against his Son and Church His Throne is unshaken there notwithstanding things below are turn'd about in a vertiginous Circle And as the House so the Inhabitants and their felicity are eternal Glory Honour and Immortality are the Reward of all that patiently continue in well-doing Our Saviour assures his Disciples Because I live ye shall live also He tasted Death for them and swallowed it up in Victory He declar'd in Vision to St. John Behold I am alive for evermore The Lord of Life will uphold the Saints in that blessed State for ever They shall never fall out of the Arms and Bosom of a gracious God He will never withdraw his Love and they shall never forfeit it for Sin is from the perverseness of the Will and disorder of the Affections join'd with some error of the Mind But in the Light of Glory and full enjoyment of God the Understanding is so perfectly illuminated the Will and the Affections so exceedingly satisfied that 't is impossible they should apprehend erroneously or desire irregularly This glorious Advantage the redeemed Saints have by Jesus Christ who obtain'd eternal Redemption for them above the Grace given to Angels and Man in the first Creation The Angels were upon trial of their Obedience not in a determin'd state of Felicity Their first declination of Love and Subjection was a downfal from their blessed Habitation Woful change how unlike themselves in their original Purity and Glory An unparallel'd Example of the frailty of the Creature that forsakes God and of the Divine Severity Man did but stand in Paradise for a little while and had a ruinous fall with all his Progeny But the glorified Saints actually sit with Christ in Heavenly Places and enjoy an unchangeable happy State The felicity Above is permanent as the everlasting Object that produces and preserves it and the everlasting Soul wherein it dwells Blessed Security how triumphantly do the glorified in Heaven sing This God is our God for ever and ever Earthly Relations how near soever determine in Death and the sorrow of losing them is in proportion to the delightful enjoying them But the Heavenly Relation between God and the Saints is as everlasting as the Object on which 't is fixt This God in whom are all amiable Excellencies all Sweetness and Beauty to feed Desires and Delights is our God in strict propriety in the dearest and most reviving fruition for ever Their Happiness is crown'd with Eternity This is so real an accession to their Felicity that without the entire assurance of it the state of Blessedness were incompleat the least jealousie of losing it would disturb their peaceful fruition and joyful tranquillity in Heaven For as Hope in Misery allays Sorrow so fear in Happiness lessens Joy The apprehension of losing such a Kingdom would cause torment But as in the contrary state reprobate Sinners that are in Hell under an utter impossibility of deliverance are rack'd and tortur'd by absolute despair So the Blessed Above that enjoy the Beatifick Vision by the infallible assurance of its perpetuity are fill'd with a Joy unspeakable and glorious 3. The Sanctity of this blessed House 'T is separate from the rest of the World in its sublime Situation and its unparallel'd Excellencies Sanctity of Place is Relative and is founded either upon the manifestation of God's special Presence or consecration of it to his Service 'T is consistent with the Divine Immensity to be differently present in several places as the Soul is in another manner present in the Head where it performs its noblest Operations than in other parts of the Body and upon any special appearance of God a Place is Sacred Thus when Moses approach'd to see the Flaming Bush he was enjoin'd Do not come near hither pluck off thy Shoes from off thy Feet the place where thou standest is Holy Ground The visible Testimony of the Divine Presence sanctified the Place and the most humble outward Reverence was due a Sign and Effect of the internal Respect that is owing to his most adorable Majesty The sanctity of that Place was an extraordinary Relation and ceas'd upon the vanishing of the Flame the sign of God's Presence There is also a Relative Sanctity by the Consecration of Time or Place for Holy Uses Thus the Seventh Day upon the finishing the Creation was hallowed by God himself set apart as the first Fruits of Days for his Service and applied to Divine Worship that Man might more entirely exercise his Mind in admiring and praising the Creator whose Glory was visible in his Works And in both these respects the Temple of of Hierusalem was Holy as being appropriated to God's Service by his own Election and Appointment and being the place wherein he exhibited his Presence in a special manner Solomon expresseth this as the End of building the Temple in
his special Love and eternal Duration 'T is an Observation of Tertullian That God who made other Things by command by the omnipotent Umpire of his Will appli'd himself with Counsel to form the Body of Adam which was the original Model of all Perfections that a humane Body is capable of for the beauty of Aspect without and the artificial order of the Parts within and the reason was Love drew the Lineaments Thus Love the Queen of the Divine Attributes employ'd infinite Wisdom and almighty Power to build this Celestial City for the reception of his chosen Favourites The King of Glory dwells there in a special manner The Heaven even the Heavens are the Lord's but the Earth hath he given to the Children of Men. By Right and Dominion the Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof and the possession of it is from his Bounty to Men but Heaven is reserv'd for himself the Place of his glorious Residence As a Prince that hath many Houses gives some for to be inhabited by his Servants but the Imperial Palace is kept for his own Dwelling God manifests himself there in the most refulgent manner All the Perfections of the Glorious Deity are reveal'd to the Saints in their purity and radiancy The Divine Presence is the Supreme Glory of Heaven The Lord Jesus Christ is there crown'd with the Majesty of the Divine Empire This Glory is the Reward of his meritorious Obedience and Sufferings He was made a Subject and a Servant and endur'd the most ignominious cruel Death to satisfy God's injur'd Justice What hath not the Son done for the Glory of his Father He lost his Life rather than his Obedience And what will not the Father do for the Honour of his Son What Recompence is correspondent to such astonishing Humiliation Our Saviour in his last solemn Prayer with his Disciples addresses himself to God I have glorified thee on Earth I have finish'd the Work thou gavest me to do And now O Father glorify me with thy Self with the Glory I had with thee before the World was The Father was so highly honour'd by Christ that to satisfy his infinite Love towards him he hath dignified him with a Name and State that transcends all created Glory He is the Lord of Angels the Head of the Church and sits at the right Hand of Majesty on high In Heaven he appears in his triumphant Glory of which in the Transfiguration there was a transient glimpse when his Face did shine as the Sun but allayed and moderated that his Disciples might sustain his Presence There the Angels the Princes of the Celestical Court in all their bright Orders encompass the Throne of God and pay their humblest Homage to him The Saints appear there in their Robes of Glory for they are transform'd into the glorious likeness of the Son of God Their Souls radiant with pure unspotted Holiness shine through their Bodies as Sun-beams transmitted through Chrystal They all reign in Soveraign State for ever It becomes the Divine Majesty that all God's Subjects should be Kings and the highest Principality on Earth is but servitude compar'd with the Royalty enjoy'd by the Saints above For how often are the mightiest Monarchs on Earth in perfect bondage to their lawless Passions and the Soul in dull captivity to the sensual Appetites How often are the strongest Empires dissolv'd and ruin'd But the Saints in Heaven by obeying God reign triumphantly no Passions no Fears no Desires resist their Will nothing is able to trouble the sincere Delight the perfect Tranquillity of their State They in their several degrees of Glory shine like the Stars for ever and ever To sum up all What is promised to the Church is fulfill'd in Heaven The Sun shall be no more thy Light by Day nor the Moon by Night but the Lord shall be thy everlasting Light and thy God thy Glory Thus I have endeavour'd to represent that luminous Palace and the bright Inhabitants but how short is the description of the glorious Realities all humane Words are too weak and narrow to express it as it is The Glory and Joy of that blessed State are unspeakable as the Apostle a Spectator thereof certifies And 't is observable that our Saviour himself expresses the greatest Things by low familiar Terms and Resemblances as he tells his Faithful Disciples they shall eat and drink at his Table in his Kingdom In his Promises of Rewards it was not his intention meerly to make a show of his Power but to declare his Love Like a God he doth not magnify the Favours he will bestow but leaves it to their Spirits to conceive what becomes Almighty Goodness to bestow on his Servants In the plainest manner of promising the Reward there is a clear Character of the excellent Greatness of the Giver and his Gifts I will now consider the infallible Assurance we have of this blessed Place and State This is built on our Saviour's Love to them and his Truth and his going to prepare that Blessedness for them He saith to his Disciples Otherwise I would have told you implying that his Affection and Sincerity make it impossible that he should deceive them with an empty Promise of future Happiness 1. His Love secures them He would never have chosen them to be the Companions of his Cross never have expos'd them as Sheep among Wolves to suffer for his sake and to leave them for ever and reign alone in Heaven Love is a benevolent affection rising in the Breast and expressing it self in real Benefits according to the Power of the Lover and the Wants or the Capacity of the Person beloved and the more intense the Affection is the more evident and noble effects of Kindness will proceed from it All the most liberal Expressions without real performance are but a vain pageant of Friendship Now the Love of our Saviour to his Disciples was not only sincere but in such a degree of eminence that they might safely rely upon his Promises His pure Love was the motive of selecting them from the World and dignifying them with the endearing title of his Friends His Conversation with them was infinitely sweet a Miracle of Benignity and that glorious performance of his Love for them and all Believers in leaving Heaven for their sakes is the strongest assurance that he will bring them to his Father's House above 'T is represented as the peculiar Glory of Theodosius that he seated Majesty and Love in the same Throne for Love unites and conforms Persons and makes them as it were Peers and it seems too low a submission for a Soveraign to descend from his Throne to a kind of equality with a Subject or too high an exaltation to assume a private Person into such a degree of affection as to make him as himself yet such was the condescension of that great and amiable Emperor But how distant is the greatest Monarch in the World from the Eternal Son of
God the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Love brought him down from his Throne in Heaven where he was ador'd by the Angels and united him to our nature in our lowly state in order to the raising us to his Kingdom and uniting us to himself in Glory Love unvaluable and incomparable If Solomon upon God's descending in a Cloud to take possession of the Temple was surpriz'd with heavenly astonishment But will God indeed dwell on Earth with infinite more cause have we considering the incarnation of the Son of God to say Will God indeed dwell on Earth For what was the appearance of a Vapour that might be easily dispell'd to the coming of Jesus Christ into the World in whom the Fulness of the Godhead dwelt substantially What is so worthy of reverence and admiration New Things suspend the actings of the mind glorious Things overwhelm the Faculty and never was there so rare and excelling an Object This so signal and amazing Effect of our Saviour's Love gives assurance to Christians that he will take them to an everlasting Communion with himself in Glory As 't is more for a Prince to live with a private Person in a Cottage with complacency than to receive that Person into his Court and invest him with Honour The Love of our Saviour never abated to his Disciples when he was in view of Death with its troops of Terrors 't is said Having lov'd his own he lov'd them to the end And after his Resurrection to a Heavenly Life he exprest the same dear affection Go to my Brethren a stile as high as Love can rise 'T is further considerable what was touch'd on before that the Disciples of Christ besides the common Calamities of Mankind wherein they are involv'd are for his Truth and Cause expos'd to Indignities and Injuries of all kinds and degrees which the malice of Satan and his Instruments the perverted World can fasten upon them The complaint of the Church of old is often renew'd For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter And can the Love of Christ so tender so compassionate that the Love of a Mother to a sucking Infant is not an adequate representation of it can such Love let the Saints be separated from him for ever Then according to the Apostle's expression If in this Life only we have hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable 2. His Truth gives an infallible assurance that we shall be receiv'd with him in Glory He declares his own Titles I am the Way the Truth and the Life If Truth it self be true and deserves our intire trust we may rest upon his Promises who values his Word more than the World The Pillars of Heaven shall fall and the Foundations of the Earth be overthrown before one tittle of his Words shall be without a full accomplishment If any Man serves me let him follow me and where I am there shall my Servant be 'T is his most gracious Promise to encourage Obedience and he assures his Disciples If I go away and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also To shew the validity of Christ's Promise let us consider the unchangeable Perfections of God's Nature are the Foundation of his unchangeable Councils and from thence the unchangeableness of his Promises is justly inferr'd The Decrees of God are engraven with the point of a Diamond and are unretractible The Counsel of the Lord shall stand for such is the perfection of his Knowledg that he can never be surpriz'd by any sudden unforeseen Event that should induce a change of his Will and such is his Omnipotence that he gives an infallible accomplishment to his Decrees and his Word endures for ever The immutability of his Nature gives firmness to his Counsels and the fidelity of his Nature to his Promises In him there is no variableness nor shadow of change and he is God that cannot ly He reveals himself by his Name Jehova to his People to signify that he is the same in performing as in promising Now Jesus Christ his Son is equal to the Father in all essential Perfections He stiles himself the Amen the true and faithful Witness If he deceive his Servants with a false expectation of a joyful glorious State hereafter it would be a blemish to his unspotted Holiness an eternal reflection upon his inviolate Truth 'T is therefore a faithful Saying and worthy of all acceptation That where Christ is in Glory there shall his Servants be with him otherwise he would have told them 2. We are to consider the other firm ground of assurance in our Saviour's next words I go to prepare a place for you This specially respects his Ascension into Heaven but it supposes his Death He purchas'd Heaven by his Death He prepares it by his Ascension His Blood shed on the Cross and pleaded in Heaven gives to Believers a right to it here and actual possession hereafter 1. His obedient Sufferings are the price of this glorious Inheritance In our Guilty State Heaven is as inaccessible to us as Paradise was to Adam after his expulsion when guarded by a Cherubim with a flaming Sword For neither the Divine Wisdom nor the Law of God would permit that an unpardon'd Sinner should be receiv'd into his Kingdom The Justice of God doth not infringe his rich Goodness but that he may bestow upon an innocent Creature the most excellent Blessings the Testimonies of his Bounty If Adam had persever'd in his Duty God might have translated him to Heaven and that happy change had been a free Favour for his Obedince had not been comparable to the Glory that shall be revealed in the Saints But Justice sets up a Legal Barr against the Guilty they are excluded from the Heavenly Glory The Creature must be intirely innocent or graciously pardon'd to be capable of enjoying that Supreme Happiness When the guilt of Sin is abolish'd it hath no malignant Power either to subject us to Evil or deprive us of Good Now our Saviour by Satisfying the Injur'd Justice of God hath wash'd away our Sins in his Blood and hath infinitely pleas'd God that we obtain by him not only redemption from Hell but the possession of Heaven This was the Design of God's Love in giving his only begotten Son that whoever believes should not perish but have everlasting Life Accordingly the Apostle saith That being justified by his Grace through Jesus Christ we should be made Heirs of Eternal Life And by the gracious unalterable tenour of the Gospel these great Benefits are inseparable it being equally impossible that an unpardon'd Sinner should enter into Heaven or that a pardon'd Sinner should be excluded The Connexion is indissolvable Whom he justifies them he glorifies Nay 't is more easily credible that a pardon'd Sinner should be admitted into the glorious Presence of
it upon Things Above Love between Friends is maintain'd by immediate Converse or by Letters when absent thus is Love between God and the Soul And if God that is to himself his own Blessedness his own Kingdom and Glory yet is pleas'd in his gracious Communications to his Children on Earth how much more should they by frequent and affectionate Duties address to him who is their eternal lnfinite Good Thus they are acquainted with him and enjoy a sweet Peace and obtain an humble Confidence of appearing before him in his Holy and Glorious Habitation whereas those who live without God in the World are justly fearful of Death for then the Spirit returns to God that gave it Briefly let us with zealous Affections and persevering Diligence prepare our selves for the Presence of God and the Society of Blessed Spirits in our Father's House Let us always abound in the Work of the Lord knowing our Labour is not in vain Let us join Works of Charity with Works of Piety employ the fading Riches of the World for the Relief of the Saints that as our Saviour Promises when we shall fail when in the Hour of Death our Flesh and Hearts shall fail us and our Souls be dislodged from our Earthly Tabernacles we may be received into Eternal Habitations The Everlasting Judg that dispenses Rewards and Punishments has acquainted us with the Rule of Judgment at the last Day Those who mercifully relieve him in his Members shall inherit the Kingdom of Glory and those who neglect that Duty shall be cast into the Lake of Fire Though many who are wretchedly careless of doing Good according to their Ability now satisfy themselves that they are not injurious to others Yet it will be a small mitigation of their Sentence at last that they are condemn'd not for the Defect of Justice but of Charity 6. Let the belief that there are Mansions of Rest and Joy prepar'd for the Saints in their Father's House gloriously support them under their heaviest Troubles here This World is the Devil's Circuit wherein he is alwayes ranging about seeking to devour The pleasant Things of the World are his Temptations to ensnare the Carnal the Men of the World are his Instruments to oppress the Saints and were it not for the Restraints of the Divine Power what Desolations would be made in God's Heritage 'T was a strange and barbarous Custom among the Persians that upon the Death of the Emperor for five days the Empire was left without Government And as upon removing the Stone from the Fabulous Cave of Aeolus the Winds broke out in their fury so by taking away the authority of the Laws licence was given to all Licentiousness and the whole Kingdom was in mortal Paroxisms All were in Arms some to do Injuries others to revenge them the Chastity of none was secure but conceal'd nor the Estates of any but defended the Bridle of Fear was taken off no Wickedness but was boldly committed or attempted and the Kingdom became a Field of Bloody War But when the new King was proclaim'd all things were immediately reduc'd to Order that the Advantage of Government might be set off by the experimental Confusions and Mischiefs of Anarchy But if God left the perverted World and Satan the Prince of it one day to their rage against his People did he not shut it in with Doors and Bars as he doth the impetuous Ocean so swelling and diffusive is their Malignity that it would like the Deluge drown all and not a Remnant of the Saints would be left Yet God wisely permits many Temporal Evils to be inflicted on his Servants by their Enemies for the tryal of their Fidelity and their noble Resolution to glorify him whatever they suffer for his sake And it becomes them with an undisturb'd serenity of Mind and harmony of Affections with an invincible Patience to bear all the Scorn and Contempt all the Malice and Fury to which they are expos'd upon a Christian account Let them remember they are Strangers and Sojourners here and live by other Laws than the World doth which causes their hatred But in their Father's House there will be perfect Rest. St. Paul who had experience of both in a singular manner declares I reckon that the Sufferings of the present State are not worthy to be compar'd to the Glory that shall be reveal'd in us In that State of pure Felicity there are no remains of Afflicting Evils all is Peace and Joy and Glory Seneca the Philosopher when an Exile and confin'd to the Mountains of Corsica entertain'd himself with the contemplation of the Heavens and the bright Luminaries in their various but regular Motions Thus when banish'd from the Court and City he dwelt amongst the Stars and casting his Eyes down upon the Earth despis'd all Humane Greatness and Possessions that are so vainly magnified by figurative Flatteries as we do a grain of Sand. Did Philosophy inspire him with such Principles of Patience and Fortitude yet it ascended no higher than the visible Heavens How much more should Faith that raises a Christian by high and steady Thoughts to the Supreme Heaven where the Divine Glory shines comfort him in all the Troubles of this World Add further That 't is an excellent Preservative from Envy and Fretfulness at the Prosperity of the Wicked to consider that their Felicity is as transient and vanishing as the Trouble of the Saints I have seen the Wicked in great Power and spreading himself like a green Bay Tree yet he pass'd away and lo he was not yea I sought him and he could not be found All the Riches and Greatness and Pleasures of the World are weighed number'd and measur'd by the Psalmist and found to be as light and fading as Vanity Naked they came into the World and naked they must go out and how much more tormenting will it be to be stript of all their Enjoyments how much more sorrowful will they be to go from their great Possessions than for one that leaves the World and never had them Their Hopes are like the giving up of the Ghost and expire with their Breath for ever I went into the Sanctuary saith the troubled Saint then understood I their End The End of their Felicity and the Miseries of the Righteous Besides the Evils suffer'd for Righteousness-sake there are innumerable Sorrows that befal the Saints here How many afflicting Diseases sad Occurrences vexing Passions harras them Some Afflictions are so wounding to their Spirits that no Balm that growns on Earth can heal But the lively Hope of Heaven is an Universal Cure for all their Troubles Let the mourning Christian consider the wise Providence of God that orders all Events and believe his Love in sending and his End in all their Afflictions Such is the Divine Power that God could immediately free us from all Troubles as easily as turn the Wind from a blasting Quarter of the Heavens to the most Benign and