shining through a red glass causes a red reflection and the same Sun shining through a blue glass causes a blue reflection and so the same excellency of God shining one way and working after one maner we call by one name and the same excellency of God working another way we call by another name and yet it is all one in God and though we cannot apprehend it now yet we shall see God in his unity afterward Thirdly we shall see God in the Trinity though there be but one God yet there are divers persons to see how the Father begot the Son and how the Spirit did proceed from the Father and the Son and the difference between the procession of the Spirit and the generation of the Son the sight of God in the mystery of the Trinity is a most glorious thing Fourthly we shall see God in his glory in Isa 33. 17. there is a promise They shall see the King in his beauty or in his glory there is a great deal of difference between seeing the King at an ordinary time and seeing of him when he is in his Robes with his Crown upon his head and his Scepter in his hand and set upon his Throne with all his Nobles about him in all his glory so God does manifest himself a little now but this is not all that he does intend and for to see God now as he does manifest himself is somewhat but to see God in his greatest glory that ever he shall manifest himself in that must be a great happiness Fifthly to see God in his eminency that is they shall see how all excellencies that are in the creature are eminently contained in the absolute perfection of the Divine nature all the good that is in the effect is in the causes and the good of those causes in their causes and so at length they come to the first principle so all the good that we can see in all objects that give content we may see all eminently in God and see God in all The latitude of the object of mans understanding is such as it comprehends all beauty all excellency all truth in it and therefore cannot be satisfied till it sees into all in God it findes all united and therefore in him onely it findes blessedness it is eternal life to know him Sixthly they shall see God as he is 1 John 3. 2. now there is a great deal in that to see God as he is and for explication of that there are these five branches That is first not to see him onely negatively that is not to see him as he is the most that we see of God now is by way of negation rather then any positive sight when we say of God he is incomprehensible that is he is such a God as cannot be comprehended that 's but negation when we say of God that he is infinite that is such a God as hath no bounds of his being this is stil a negation to say what God is not and when we say God is a spirit though the expression seem to have an affirmation in it yet it is but the apprehension of God rather by negation that is that God hath no bodily substance in him for to speak properly God is not a Spirit but only that is the most excellent thing that we can conceive of and by way of negation that he is no body and is invisible one that we cannot see and feel and the like when we say he is holy he hath no spot of sin this is by way of negation but now in Heaven we shall not see God onely by negation but we shall see that positive excellency of God we shall see him as he is Secondly we see God much by relation unto other things as when we speak of God and would open the excellency of God we say God is the King of Heaven and Earth and our Father and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and Creator and Governor of all things and these are but relative expressions and a great part of our knowledge of God is by way of relation but hereafter we shall see him as he is Thirdly you shall see God as he is not by framing any representations of him in our mindes there shall be that immediate presence of God to the minde that there shall not need be any representation that we now form in our mindes as in the sense of Seeing the object of the eye being absent from it there must be a species to represent it so there are some kinde of representations of God to our understandings here but there shall be that immediate union with God in the understanding that there shall need no kinde of representation of God but we shall see him as he is Fourthly we shall see him not in his effects in the creature the greatest part that we see of God now is in his effects and not as he is in himself we do not see the face of God but his back parts We look upon the Sun and there we see somewhat of the power of God but it is but the effect of Gods power and not Gods power it self and when we look upon the world we see much of Gods wisdom we see the effect of Gods wisdom and not the wisdom of God it self Fifthly we shall see God as he is distinguished from all creatures here now we see almost nothing of God distinguished from created things Say what you will of God that he is a Spirit that he is a created thing that he is wise or holy or just or merciful there is somewhat of all these in the creature onely he is infinitely above all and that is by way of negation But we do not see him in that positive excellency which does difference him from all created things but now it will be a blessed thing to see God as he is differenced from all created things to see him as he is Sixthly the Saints shall see the counsels of God and all the ways of God what have been and what shall be to all eternity about election what his counsels were about creating of things before they were created and what the workings of his counsels were about the several ways of his providence before there was any manifestation of them in his creature and so all his counsels about rejection of so many thousands of men and Angels It is an expression of S. Augustine We shall see the reason why one is reprobate and one elected why one is rich and one is poor we do not see the reason now but by seeing God we shall see all things that may make for our happiness we shall know all the works that ever God did and that ever he will do to all eternity It is a great thing for a man to know what is done in his generation but to know all the ways of God since the beginning of the world must be a
knows the minde of God that soul can know how to savor these things and know the reality of them Again another reason why these things are above the reach of most people is because they are not acquainted with the mysteries of the Gospel and what in them is revealed concerning mankinde If we were acquainted with the mysteries of the Gospel we would not think these things strange that are revealed Thirdly because mens hearts are not enlarged with Gods image for the present therefore they cannot savor any thing but that which hath some savor of the creature Fourthly because they are not acquainted with the first-fruits of Heaven whereas those that are godly have some beginnings of eternal life wrought in them here and upon that these things are not so strange to them their hearts can close with them and suck out abundance of comfort from them And thus we have finished the fourth thing of the reward namely To have God for their portion CHAP. L. The Saints happiness in Communion with Christ NOw the fifth particular in the reward of the Saints is the communion that they shall have with Jesus Christ God and Man there are divers things in which the happiness of the Saints consists in having communion with Christ God and Man It was one of Saint Augustines three wishes To see Christ in the flesh It would be a great delight to you to see Christ in the flesh Many make much of the Picture of Christ and if they had it right they would make more of it but if Christ should come to any of your houses as he did when he lived upon the Earth in his mean condition would it not greatly delight you but when we come to enjoy communion with Christ in Heaven it will be another maner of communion then that upon Earth We accounted the Apostles blessed men that lived with Christ upon the Earth what a blessed condition will it be to live with Christ in Heaven If there were such vertue in Christ upon Earth that there came such vertue from the hem of his garment what glory will there be in Christ in his full glory If Christ were so glorious when he was in his transfiguration how glorious is he being glorified before men and Angels eternally in Heaven With the glory that he had with his Father before the beginning of the World If there was so much vertue in the Apostles of Christ in regard of the reference they had to Christ as from the shadow of Peter and the Napkins that were taken from Pauls body there was such power as to heal diseases what vertue must needs come from Christ when we shall come to enjoy him when we come to see Christ that was the author of all our good We read of the poor Cripple when he was healed by the two Disciples he ran and catched hold on them and was loth to go from them who had been the instruments of so great good to him but for the Saints to come and be with Christ who hath been the instrument of so great good to them as Christ hath been what an infinite happiness will this be we read of many that would go long journeys to see those men that had any excellency in them as some would go from the utmost parts of Greece to Rome to see Livie Themistocles to see Christ then in whom is so much excellency will be glorious And then to have communion with him it is he in whom God the Father takes full satisfaction surely he must be the full satisfaction of the Saints this is that which Christ prays for First he prays for his own glory and then he prays for the Disciples and all Believers That they might be with him to see his glory O to see the Lord Jesus glorified as he shall be glorified must be a glorious thing As to see his glory in regard of the lustre of his Divinity through his humanity when Christ pleased to let out any lustre of his Divinity through his humanity here men were not able to bear it as those that came to apprehend him when he said I am he they fell down backward now in Heaven the lustre of Christs Divinity shall shine mightily through his humanity so in him our bodily eyes shall come to see God as much as it is possible for any creature to see him because God shall be let out through the humanity of Christ as much as it is possible for the Divinity to appear in any corporeal substance or in any creature We shall see him with these our eyes as Iob says We shall see how the power of an infinite God can convey the lustre of a Deity into a creature Certainly Angels and men will be continually viewing of Christ he shall come to be admired of the Saints he shall be admired at the day of Judgement in the Saints but in Heaven they shall see such excellency in Christ God and Man as they shall be admiring at him to all eternity as much as they did at the first moment here if we see any thing that is excellent we admire at first but after a while we do not so but there will be so much excellency in Christ as we shall so admire at it to all eternity as we did at the first moment for there shall be no abatement of our being taken with the glory of the sight of Christ Blessed are your eyes says Christ that see those things you see and blessed are your ears that hear those things you hear It is a blessed thing to see the things we may see here but to see the Divinity shine through the humanity this will be a great blessing And we shall see him in the glory that the Father will put upon him Certainly God will put an infinite glory upon his Son because the Lord was so infinitely well pleased with the satisfaction of his Son Because he subjected himself to the death of the Cross therefore He hath given him a name above all names And we shall see the glory of Christ when all the Angels shall be worshipping of him and all the Saints shall be singing with Praises and Hallalujahs to him And this shall be the business in Heaven eternally to be admiring Christ and praising God for Christ And then we shall see him in his glory triumphing over all his enemies in bringing them down and in his glory when he shall have brought to perfection that great work that he did undertake Now to see Christ thus glorified and for us to enjoy communion with Christ thus in his glory this will be a glorious reward for Gods people This glory of Christ will be made the glory of the Saints as a Queen that sees the Prince in his glory she delights in it because it is her glory and so the Church when she shall see Christ her husband in his glory she shall rejoyce in it because she looks upon it as her own I
for communion with a Church are fit for heaven and therefore the question may be true Who shall dwell in thy holy hill who shall be partakers of these things Blessed are they that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God But who are they It is necessary you should labor to make this sure because it is a matter so great and so glorious and not to lay the weight of that which is of infinite consequence upon poor weak slight and sandy foundations certainly we do not know what the grace of God towards mankinde is if we content our selves with slight hopes but if God hath enlightned your souls to know the reality and glory of them they wil never be at rest till you have got certain and infallible grounds for them In things of small consequence we are content with slight evidences but if a man have to deal in any business upon which his whole estate depends he would not have any man think it ill if he does make sure if he will have bonds and seals so we should make sure of heaven and of glory because it is such a great matter Some I suppose that meerly upon the hearing of the greatness of these things cannot but have some misgiving thoughts If these things be so great surely they concern not me they belong not to me Can I think in my conscience that I am that man or woman that God should have such great thoughts upon and should look upon me so as to make it the greatest design that he hath to glorifie the riches of his mercy upon me What work of Gods grace have I ever had upon me I would not have those that are affected with the greatness of Gods grace to mankinde think that these things do not belong to them because they are great But those that never had their hearts affected with the excellency and glory of Gods grace toward man when they hear of the greatness and glory of those things that are reserved for the Saints they may justly have their consciences misgive them and think surely they do not belong to them Canst thou that art a base drunkard that prizest nothing but a little drink and some outward things think that God should make it the greatest work that he hath in the world for to communicate the riches of his grace and goodness unto thee The greatness of these things may be enough to cast thee off As it is with a Beggar a Beggar comes and asks an alms if a man put his hand in his pocket and take out a peny or two pence he hath hope to have that but if he take out a piece of gold he hath no hope of that because it is so much So when men have but natural thoughts of heaven and happiness hereafter you think you might have that but when you come to have heaven opened to you and you see it is such a great and glorious thing your hearts may justly think it is not for us Cast a bone to a Dog he falls to it presently but set a joynt of meat before him well drest in a large dish and he goes away he dares not venture upon that So for these things in the world the ordinary favors of God these bones that God casts to Dogs you may fall upon them and think these are for you but when you come to the dainties and infinite treasures of God can such a swinish heart such a base filthy unclean spirit as yours is that never minded nothing but the satisfying of your base lusts think that these are for you you cannot but have misgiving thoughts and think either these things are but notions or else I have no part in them CHAP. LV. To whom the Recompence of reward appertains BUt how may any know that they shall have this glorious reward Carnal and sensual hearts because they have no principles of Gods grace to shew them the great things of God and the minde of God they think no man can know we must have hopes and hope well but who can know what God hath in heaven for us Those that are acquainted with the mysteries of God in the Gospel they know what Gods minde hath been from all eternity concerning them and what God will do for them to all eternity How do they know First would you know whether you shall have this Recompence of reward Have you made Moses Choice Certainly those that have made Moses Choice shall have Moses Reward What Moses Choice was you have heard Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Moses might have had honor and esteem enough in Egypt but he accounted afflictions with the people of God in Gods ways a great deal better He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then all so I may have Christ and communion with his people let me be reproached and contemned and despised I care not Now do you finde this Though there was a time my heart was taken with the glittering shews of things here and I saw no excellency in the ways of God they were but notions to me at length God wrought mightily upon my soul and shewed me the vanity of all things that I accounted for glorious things and shewed me a beauty in Gods people and began to knit my heart to them so as I was willing to part with any thing to have communion with them and to venture all upon the bare word and promise of God for those glorious things that are revealed in it and this choice I have made and my soul is setled in it whatsoever befals me in this world hath there been such a work upon your souls that you have made Moses Choice then you shall have Moses Reward Secondly are you begotten unto the hope of these glorious things Whosoever shall be partaker of this glorious reward must be one that is born to it There are some dignities in the world that are got no way except they be born to them so if you have this reward you must be born to it 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us unto a lively hope Whosoever hath the true hope of Heaven it is one that is begotten to it that is There must be a mighty work of God upon your hearts a new birth a regeneration in you otherwise there is nothing you have done or can do that can get this reward In Mat. 19. 28. says Christ unto his Disciples after Peter had spoken what they had left for him Ye that have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel As if Christ should say Peter you have forsaken all and followed me but know the bare forsaking is not enough but you who
loth to leave these things because he did not know whither he went but a soul that knows what inheritance it shall have hereafter it is not loth to go hence Many are loth to dye because they have treasures in the world as those ten men said in Isa 41. 8. Slay us not for we have treasures in the field of wheat and of barley and of oyl but a godly man is willing to dye because he hath treasures in Heaven Keep open the eye of faith exercise faith to see God that is now sending for his childe home And look upon Christ as having that prayer granted Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be where I am by faith you shall see Heaven opened and the crown prepared and see God in his glory that you may express chearfulness of heart in going to take possession of that glorious recompence of reward behold the Angels of God coming to take you up into Heaven It was an expression of the honor of one Hugh Bishop of Lincoln that King John and his Nobles would carry him to the grave more honor shall the Saints have for God to send his Angels to convey them to that place of glory And further let you spirits work mightily after Heaven now when they draw near to it as the nearer any thing is to the center the more strongly and swiftly it moves As a stone that falls down from a high place it moves more swiftly when it is nearer the ground then when it was higher so at death the soul is nearer its center grace is changing to glory and when grace and glory is to meet there must need be a mighty working of heart and mighty shouts As it is reported of the Duke of Bulloin and his company when they went to Jerusalem as soon as his company saw the high Turrets they gave a mighty shout that the earth rang and so when the soul sees the turrets of this heavenly Jerusalem and when you see your selves ready to go and possess it what mighty workings and shoutings of your heart will there be And when you are to dye speak well of God and of the ways of godliness to all that are about you Christians should now labor so to live as there may appear a mighty difference between their deaths and the death of others whereas ordinarily such is the vanity and drossiness of the hearts of Christians in their lives as when they come to dye they are so heavy and sad as if no such things were prepared for them In 2 Pet. 1. 11. the Apostle having exhorted them before to adde one grace to another and to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure says he So an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Christians should labor so to live as when they come to dye they may not onely have an entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord administred unto them but that they may have an entrance administred unto them abundantly Many make shift to get to heaven but they have not an entrance administred abundantly As a Ship may make shift to get into harbor but with the Anchors lost and Cables rent and Sayls torn and the Masts broke another Ship comes in with the Sayls up and the Flags up and Trumpets sounding and comes bravely into Haven so much difference is sometime between true Christians some through carelesness and unbelief and sadness and sullenness of Spirit although they make shift with much ado to get into Heaven yet so as their anchor of hope was even gone and they had little or no comfort at all but those that have added one vertue to another and have been diligent to make their calling and election sure they come to Heaven with much glory and joy and that should be our care so to live in adding one grace to another that when we dye our deaths may be glorious Yet further from the consideration of this glory revealed which God hath prepared for his Saints we are to draw this meditation If Heaven be so glorious then we had need fill up the comfort of our lives by doing and getting as much good as we can while we live here that we may as much as possibly we can recompence that which we suffer in the staying from the possession of such glorious things reserved for us when we hear of such things as these are we cannot but think in our selves it were better for us many ways to be in Heaven this life is but a bondage to us while we are absent from such things and therefore we had need have something to recompence this bondage we had need do much good and get much good while we live to pay the charges of our lives what a tedious thing is it to us to live so much to sense as we must necessarily do here when we are heirs of such glorious things if we do not do much good and get much good here what have we to sweeten and recompence this tediousness If a man be from home and by his absence suffers much loss of what he might have had at home he is the more diligent and careful in his journey to get something that may recompence this loss so it should be with us It costs us dear as I may so speak to live in the world for it costs us the forbearance of such glorious things if we fill not up our lives with service for God what have we to pay our charges to countervail this that our lives here cost us CHAP. LVII The great things of eternity to be much sought after THe last Use is an Use of Exhortation to all now to set your hearts to seek after these great and blessed things of eternal life that have been opened O that now the hearts of people that have been wandring after other things might be brought in and set upon eternal life and Heaven Let every soul reason with it self Are there indeed such things to be had hath God such intentions to communicate himself thus to mankinde And am I the man or woman that shall lose all this that shall never be partaker of this O wo unto me that ever I was born In Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets says Christ were till John but since that time the kingdom of God suffereth violence The Law and the Prophets did but darkly reveal the things of the Kingdom of God but St. John he did more clearly reveal the things of that Kingdom and since that time the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence O that it might be said concerning any man or woman that have heard this argument opened since that time that the recompence of reward was opened the kingdom of heaven hath suffered violence Surely there is strength enough in that which hath been said to draw forth the heart with violence after it I remember Plutarch reports in
glorious sight It is not yet Six thousand years since God did any thing out of himself and what is six thousand years to eternity and if God have done such great things in Six thousand years what may God do in the next Six thousand years and so in the next who now can tell A Workman doth his meanest works at first and this world is but the beginning of Gods works and for a creature to see what God shall thus work for ever is an infinite blessed thing The seventh thing wherein this blessed vision of the Saints appears is that they shall look upon all the ways and works of God as to see their happiness consisting in them there is a great deal of difference in seeing an object that is excellent in its self and to see an object that is excellent wherein consists my happiness As in riding over a Land one that is a Stranger rides over it another that is an Heir the Stranger rides over it and takes delight to see the Trees and Fruit to grow but the Heir looks upon it after another maner as the Land for which my Father laid out much and all to enrich me as the Land that is mine Inheritance so were it that we were but admitted to this glorious sight of God meerly to have the view of God it were a great priviledge to the Creature but to see all the shine and all that excellency that is in God is to make me happy and all the counsels and ways of God are working for my happiness and glory this is blessedness indeed There is difference between a Stranger looking upon the King and the Queens looking upon a King A Stranger may see Beauty and Majesty in the King but the Queen looks upon the King and his Beauty and majesty as her own and so the souls of the Saints shall see all in God as their own to make them happy Eighthly the blessedness of the sight of God consists in this that it shall be a transforming sight such a sight of God as shall be a transforming perfecting sight not onely a perfect sight but a perfecting transforming sight The light that shall come from God upon the minde shall perfect the minde and transform the minde into the same likeness with God It shall not be a meer notional sight as men may speak much of God and have a notional vision of God but there is a great deal of difference between the notional vision of God and the Deifical vision of God for it is not only beatifical but Deifical for it does transform a man into the likeness of God A deformed man may see a beautiful object and that sight shall not make him like that beautiful object but the sight of God shall make the soul glorious as God is glorious as you shall have it in 1 Iohn 3. 2. We shall be like him what is the ground We shall see him as he is Ninthly the sight of God will be a full sight a sight whereby the minde shal be raised to that heighth of excellency as it shall be able to see God in his excellency we cannot look upon the Sun now in its excellency if we will see the Sun we must see in its reflection but the understanding of the Saints shal be raised to that heighth that they shall be able to look full upon the face of God and this will be the reward especially of Faith for those that are godly do believe above reason Now because the Saints are willing to fear God so far as to captivate their reason and to believe upon bare testimony above reason therefore hereafter God will give them this rereward to see things fully and the reason of things Again it shall be such a sight of God as shall be without any discourse or labor but there shall be the present vision of God at the opening of the eye We are glad if we can come to understand the creature with labor but to come to understand God the Creator without labor is a great happiness Again to have the sight of God so as never to lose it that addes much to the happiness of the Saints To have but one glimpse of the face of God though it were gone presently it were a great happiness beyond all that the world affords but God shall not onely pass by but stand still so as the soul shall never lose the sight of God but it shall have it to all eternity and the eyes of the soul shall be eternally opened to see God If a man looks upon a delightful object he is loth to have the eye drawn from it you shall never have your eye drawn from God Further in the sight of God you shall see all things that do any way concern your selves in ordering of you to all eternity and this is made by some the ground why it is impossible for the Saints in Heaven in the least degree to fall there because they shall have a continual view of God and in him see fully all circumstances of all actions and all things that any way do or shall concern them to all eternity For there is no falling or declining from God but it comes at first from some error in the theoretical or practical work of the understanding or in some inconsiderateness but there cannot be the least error in the minde or the least inconsiderateness because the soul shall be so fully taken up with the sight of God what an infinite delight must this needs be It was the desire of a Philosopher to see the nature of the Sun though it were to be burnt by it he could be content so if God should grant us this happiness You shall come to see me but the sight of me shall destroy you this were a desireable thing but to have a sight of God that is a perfecting sight and such an excellent and glorious sight in which our happiness shall consist for ever how glorious must this needs be Lastly to see God in our selves It is an happiness to see God in the Creature but much more to see God in our selves the chiefest of the glory of God next to that which appears in Jesus Christ shall appear in the Saints and the chief excellency of God that the Saints shall see shall be within themselves they shall see more of the glory of God within themselves then in all the Heavens besides The Heavens are glorious now the Sun Moon and Stars are glorious but to see the highest Heaven that were more glorious But the meanest Saint of God in Heaven shall see more of God and of his glory in himself then does appear in all the Heavens beside and then much more then does appear in all the World We might make it out there is more of the glory of God in one Saint then in all the Heavens and Earth besides for the Heavens and the Earth are but Gods foot-stool not his image
third union that the Saints have with God is a union of love love is an uniting grace and there is a most entire love between God and every Saint and so their hearts are close united and mingled by love Again in this life there is a mystical Union and that is an union higher then any other an union with Christ being made members of the Son of God and so they come to have union with the Son of God according to that expression in 1 John 1. 3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ There is a mystical union between us and Christ and so we come to have union with God the Father also and to be joyned to the Lord we are one Spirit with him Now for the union that the Saints have with God in Heaven there are many intricate notions that some of the Schoolmen have about this as that the soul shall be turned into the same Idea that God made it of and that there shall be an Illapsus of God into the soul but we must know there can be no union with God but it must be by vertue of the influence of some good from God for speak of what union you will God cannot in his Essence be more present with the creature then he is here but onely in regard of some manifestation or communication of himself in some gift or good thing but certainly there will be a wonderful glorious union between God and the soul in Heaven and that upon these four grounds First there is not such distance between God and the soul but that it is capable of union with God One would think how is it possible that God should be so united to the soul being there is such an infinite distance between God and it but there is not such an infinite distance between God and the soul of man as that there should not be a glorious union between them there is a great deal of likeness between God and the soul First in the spirituality God is a Spirit the soul is a Spirit Secondly in immortality God is immortal the soul is immortal Thirdly in the high excellency of God the understanding and will the soul is endued with understanding and will the perfection of God as we can conceive is his understanding and will and so it is in the soul Fourthly in the several operations that the soul hath and herein there is more likeness between God and mans soul then is between God and Angels in that one rational soul should perform so many works as the same God the same Excellency working upon the creature works in one thing one way and in another thing another way so the soul represents God in this in that one rational soul hath such variety of workings in the body for understanding for sense for vegetation which Angels have not Again the soul resembles God in the infiniteness the soul is not onely infinite in duration but in regard of the infiniteness of the working of it and here is a mighty difference between the soul of man between rational creatures and all other creatures for the sensitive creature that onely works about some particular thing that concerns its own preservation and its own good within its narrow compass but the object of mans soul is universal infinite it is not any particular truth that will satisfie the understanding let there be never so many truths revealed yet the understanding desires infinitely more if there be any truth that is not revealed it would have that Let the sense have some particular object before it suitable to sense it looks no further as if the eye have colour it goes no further nor the ear goes no further then sound but the understanding hath desire to all truth And so for good the sensitive creature hath no desire of good but onely that which does preserve sense but the will of man is for good in general and this shews how capable the soul is to be raised to such an excellency as to have communion with God if we knew what our souls were capable of we would not think we could satisfie them with such things as bruit beasts are satisfied with Secondly there may well be a glorious union between God and and the souls of the Saints because God shall see nothing but himself in the souls of the Saints now when God shall see nothing but his own in such a creature this is a full ground of Gods near and most glorious union with it as when a man comes to see in another much of his own his heart is united to him things that are of a like nature do unite Bring an hot fire-brand to the fire and it does unite presently because the fire does finde something of it self there if there were some moisture in the brand it would not so fully unite And so here we cannot have full union with God because though God sees somewhat of his own in us yet there is a great deal in us that is not Gods but when we shall be wholly free from sin and God shall see nothing but his own in us that must needs be a ground of a most glorious union Thirdly in Heaven there shall be nothing in God but shall be suitable to the nature of a glorified Saint and suitableness is the cause of union if there be not a suitableness there cannot be union There cannot be suitableness between God and other creatures but between a glorified Saint and God there shall be an infinite suitableness and therefore an infinite glorious union Again there shall be an infinite inflamed love here is an union of love but in Heaven there will be a further degree of love and love being enflamed there must needs be a most glorious union Fifthly if you consider what the bond of connexion of the soul and God together is namely the mediation of the Son the second person of the Trinity there must needs be an infinite close and glorious union of the Saints with God This vision and union with God is enough to cause the souls of Gods people to be so satisfied as to say Let all things be taken from me it is enough I have somewhat of Gods presence here but I shall have the glorious presence and vision of God and union with God hereafter and though my eyes should never see good day after or never see comfortable object in the world this is enough I shall see God and have full union with God Though there be a separation between me and all temporal comforts in the world though God should rend this creature or that creature the dearest husband or the dearest wife or the dearest comfort in the world and those things that my soul do most cleave to here from me yet it is enough that
wil go far in quieting and calming of the heart under afflictions but grace surely where it is true will go farther It is the most unseemly sight in the world to see a murmuring fretting Christian if thy God if Christ if Heaven were lost it were not much to see wringing of hands and sinking of heart but to see this upon loss of a few outward comforts upon enduring of a few outward afflictions this is a most unseemly a vile and an abominable thing in thee S. Augustine upon the 12. Psalm brings in God rebuking a discontented Christian thus What is thy faith have I promised thee these things what wert thou made a Christian that thou shouldest flourish here in this world Well may God and Conscience and all the Saints upbraid a murmuring fretting Christian What didst thou expect in the entrance upon profession of Christianity what was thy aim what didst thou make account to live at ease to have no trouble to the flesh Where there is not quiet of spirit in passive obedience the sincerity of active obedience may be suspected How far art thou from rejoycing in tribulations who hast not a quiet contented spirit in tribulations I will not enlarge my self in this argument now intending a Treatise by its self of Christian contentation onely for the present take this one argument which surely hath much strength in it to quiet the heart under any affliction It is this God is willing to accept of thy service that thou tendrest up to him though it be mixed with much sin why shouldst not thou accept of his ways towards thee though there be a mixture of much affliction The sin of our service should be a greater cause for God to be displeased with what comes from us then the sorrow and affliction that comes in the ways of his providence can be to cause us to be displeased with what comes from him that surely is worse that is mixed with sin then that which is mixed with sorrow yet as the one is accepted by God from us let then the other be accepted by us from God Lastly let us not onely be contented under Gods afflicting hand but labour to thrive under it to improve all our afflictions that befal us Certainly there is a blessing in every Ordinance of God if we have wisdom and care to draw it forth to make it our own and so in this way of God towards his people it is indeed a gracious work to get our hearts lye quietly under affliction but it is too low a work for a Christian to rest there he must look to improve every affliction for his advantage By improving them we make our Benonies our Benjamins that is the sons of our sorrow the sons of our right hand Although waters in the Sea be salt yet if they be raised up to the Heavens and sent down again then they are sweet so though afflictions be brackish yea brine-salt yet a spiritual heart can spiritualize them and make them sweet and wholesom Afflictions are great opportunities for spiritual advantage if we have hearts to improve them and the loss of an affliction is a great loss S. Augustine in his second book of the City of God cries out against such who did not profit by Gods judgement You says he have lost the profit of the calamity he speaks of it as a great loss to them that it was over and they had got nothing by it As it is a sign of great wickedness to turn blessings into curses so it is a sign of great grace to turn curses into blessings By this improvement we shall not onely get water but honey out of the rock But how should we improve afflictions First be jealous of your selves lest it should pass away unsanctified be more afraid of the affliction leaving of you thus then of the continuing of it upon you and therefore lay out your strength more for a sanctified use of it then for deliverance from it Secondly labor to know Gods minde in your afflictions The man of wisdom sees Gods name upon this rod and understands what God intends First whether he sends them for sin or for other ends and if for sin for what particular For the first it is true God sends affliction sometimes for trial and other ends rather then for sin yet it is sin that makes us capable of such a way of trial were we not sinful God would not deal with us that way he would bring about his purposes by us some other way therefore it is good in all to be humbled for sin you may be helped in the knowledge of Gods end First if the affliction be extraordinary and come in an extraordinary way and upon examination you finde your self not guilty of any special evil besides daily incursions then you may comfortably hope Gods intentions are not specially for sin but for some other end so it was in Job and Joseph Secondly you may know from the work of the affliction which way it tends and how God follows it whether in it God settles not sin upon your heart for humiliation more then ordinary or whether the work of Gods spirit be not rather for the stirring up of the exercise of some other grace for God in his dealings with his people will work for the attaining the ends he aims at Thirdly much may be learned from the issue of an affliction when God comes chiefly for trial in the issue his grace does much abound towards his servants as it did in Joseph and in Job what honor was Joseph advanced unto and Job had given him twice as much as he had before chap. ult ver 10. In all the land there were no women so fair as the daughters Iob ver 15. but when the afflictions is for sin it doth not use to have such an issue it is well if the sinner may be restored into such a comfortable condition as he was in before When David was afflicted for his sin some scars stuck by him after his deliverance he scarce ever was brought into that comfortable condition he was in before But how may we finde out the particular sin First look what sins and afflictions the word hath coupled together although every sin deserves all kinde of affliction yet the word joyns some special correction to special transgressions as God sorts several promises to several graces so he sorts several afflictions to several sins Secondly consider what sins and afflictions providence couples in respect of similitude God often stamps the likeness of the sin upon the judgement Iudges 1. 7 8. Thirdly enquire at the mouth of God by prayer and humiliation as David did 2 Sam. 21. and Job cap. 10. 2. and those in Jeremy cap. 16. 10 11. Fourthly hearken to the voice of conscience that is Gods officer in your soul especially in time of affliction conscience will deal impartially and take this
quickly gone Christs sufferings both in himself and in his Church is but drinking of the brook not a spring of water for perpetuity Besides the afflictions of Gods people are in their season it is now the very season to be afflicted and shall we be troubled to have affliction in its season this time of our life is appointed for this end it is our winter time will a man be troubled to see frost and snow in winter time It is better to see frost and snow in winter time then to see the corn blooming or earing in January and February so while we are in the body the winter of affliction is in season it is not the time to be delivered from affliction now that is hereafter and therefore why should we be troubled that we meet with affliction Lastly these afflictions that you say will discourage they will bring forth a gracious end they are but as a dark entry into your Fathers house a dirty lane to a Palace do but shut your eyes and there will be a change and as a Martyr said Though we have an ill breakfast we shall have a good dinner Now put all these together what great matter is there to discourage any from the ways of God But now come to the other part A gracious heart discourses of the ways of sin what if I should choose the pleasure of sin and should go on that way 1. If I go on in those ways I shall be sure to go on in a way of direct opposition against the God of all the world and so treasure up to my self the wrath of an infinite God And is it nothing for a poor creature to go on in a way of opposition and enmity to an infinite Diety how much better were it for me if I had never been born then thus to do 2. I shall be sure to have no peace in those ways in my own spirit in conscience I shall have within me a conscience galling girding and lashing of me the worm gnawing of my heart my conscince continually damping of my soul telling of me Surely I am not in those ways an immortal soul should walk in I shall never have any pleasure but when my conscience shall be stopped and what cursed pleasure is this for a man that he can never have it but onely when he can stop his conscience if his conscience had but the mouth open he could not have pleasure and all the pleasure that he hath he must steal it at that time when his conscience is asleep he can never have it upon other terms if a mans conscience be enlightned and awaked it is impossible to have pleasure in the ways of sin it is poor living when a servant or childe can get no victuals but as they steal it when the master or mistress is asleep or is on the to side and so it is poor pleasure that the world hath when it must be stoln when conscience is asleep What good is it for a man to have a broken leg and a silken stocking and what great content is it for a man to have outward pleasure and inward dampings of spirit 3. Again in these ways of sin as I shall have no peace so do what I can I shall have some trouble in spight of my heart let me go on in the ways of sin as I will and seek for my contentment I shall have some trouble in spight of me and how grievous will that trouble be that shal come with the curse of God and the wrath of God and the hatred of God what shall I have to support me in trouble A little water in a leaden vessel is heavy so a little trouble in an evil conscience 4. And in these ways of sin I shall be sure to be a stranger from God never to know what any communion with God means go up and down in the world as a forlorn forsaken creature of God that when as others of Gods people have communion with God and with Christ and have the light of Heaven and the joy of Angels I shall be set to my swill 5. And as for my eternal estate I shall hazard to miscarry therein and oh my soul dost know what it is to miscarry to eternity Surely there need be some great matter that should procure the least peace to a man in the way of sin much more to procure delight to a man But you will say You take sin at the worst side at first sin hath a delightful side and that will please you and allure you though the other would not therefore let us see the fairest side of sin a gracious heart will look on every side The pleasures that you speak of what are they are they not fleshly onely reach to the sensual part What must God Heaven eternal life be neglected for these What shall that body that must within a while be gnawn on by worms and lie rotting as a filthy carcase now be so regarded now have such content given to it as all that is to be had in God and Jesus Christ must be neglected for it When thou shalt hereafter at the great Day meet with this wretched carcase of thine and see how vile it is what confusion will be upon thee when thou shalt think Was this the vile carcase that must have such content for which God and Heaven and all the good in Christ is now lost for ever Secondly it hath been the care of all Gods dearest servants to keep down their bodies to deny contentment to the flesh and wilt thou give it all the content thou canst Daniel was afraid of taking liberty to his flesh in eating the Kings meat and the time when he had his 〈◊〉 heavenly visions he ate no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in his mouth neither did he anoint himself at all You know the mean provision that Iohn the Baptist the Forerunner of Christ had his fare was locusts and wilde honey and yet there was not a greater born of a woman before him St. Paul was careful to beat down his body to club it down even till it was black and blew so the word signifies Timothy although he was sickly yet would not take liberty to drink a little wine but onely water till Paul wrote to him and in that liberty there was but a little granted and that for his stomacks sake and his often infirmities not for his lusts sake and to maintain riotousness If I should tell you of the mean provision for the flesh that many of the Ancients who were the most worthy instruments of God the most eminent in all true excellency were contented withal and that before the superstition of Popery prevailed it would be even incredible unto you Basil in an Epistle to Iulian mentions the mean fare he and others with him lived withal he ate no flesh they had need of no Cook the leaves of plants and a little bread
pleased to discover better things to you so as to make you renounce your former ways and to make choice of another way in which your souls have found other maner of comforts and satisfactions and contentments then ever you did before bless God as David did Blessed be the Lord that hath given me counsel and made me to understand aright So may such a soul say for had I been left to the counsels of mine own heart I know what should have become of me I have as vile a heart as any and my heart did take as much delight in the flesh as any and I should have gone on God knows whither and might by this time have plunged my self into the bottomless pit my friends would have given me other counsels to harden me in my ways of sinful pleasure but blessed be God that hath over-powered my heart How many do I see every day whose parts of nature exceed mine and yet they are mistaken in the things that concern their everlasting welfare they minde no other things but the pleasures of the flesh and stumble at the meanness of Gods people and this hides the beauty of godliness from their eyes and what a great mercy is this that God hath taken this stumbling block from me and that he hath opened mine eyes to see pearls though wrapped up in rotten rags and to see the excellency of godliness notwithstanding all afflictions that do attend upon them Certainly it is no other but a beam of Gods own light from Heaven that hath shined into thy heart It is a remarkable passage that we have Esay 44. 20 21. where God shewing the difference between those who forsook the true God and his people who chose him to be their God stirs up his people to remember for ever this mercy of God towards them that they should be delivered from the deceit and vanity whereby others were deluded and guided in a right and safe way to be the servants of the blessed God As for the Idolater he feedeth upon ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lye in my right hand Now mark what follows Remember these O Jacob and Israel for thou art my servant c. As if he should say Do you see how others have left God and God hath left them They feed upon ashes a seduced heart hath deceived them but it is otherwise with you God hath put it into your hearts to be my servants to choose me for your God Remember for ever these things O Jacob here is a mercy indeed never to be forgotten How comes it to pass that your hearts should not be so seduced as theirs it is Gods free grace and rich mercy towards you And his mercy is the greater in that it is in such a weighty thing that the Lord hath given thee counsel to make a right choice in If a man makes an ill choice in a matter that is of moment that will bring him trouble in his life how is he grieved as in marriage when he is to make choice in that one thing upon which he knows the comfort or trouble of his life does much depend if the Lord hath so provided for him that he hath made a good choice onely in that how does he bless God it is that which sweetens all his life If it be such a mercy to be guided to make a good choice in marriage what a mercy is it to be guided to make a good choice for ones soul to be happy to all eternity if the Lord should leave a soul in that choice what a lamentable condition had the soul been in And therefore those that have any savour of godliness if they be to change the condition of their lives they will seek God and be earnest that God would guide them and not leave them to themselves and take advantage to punish their former sins in their choice now If you be to make a choice that concerns the outward comforts of your lives you will earnestly desire God not to leave you there Now you are to make your choice for your eternal condition if God should leave you now what a lamentable condition would you be in as he does leave most in the world As soon as we come to years of discretion we come to make our choice to go on in the ways of God or in the ways of death How many yong ones make a woful choice in the beginning and go on and are hardened in their choice and perish for ever And hath the Lord looked upon you and considered how like you would be to fail in your choice And hath the Lord been pleased to come in with his Spirit and a light from Heaven to shew you the way Have you heard a voyce from heaven saying This is the way walk in it Though God should leave you in all outward things yet you are made for ever and therefore thou mayest say as Judas not Iscariot Lord wherefore is it that thou revealest thy self to us and not to the world Lord wherefore is it that in this great business of my choice that concerns my eternal estate thou art pleased to reveal thy self to me a poor contemptible creature rather then to the world 1. Hence it is because thou art one of the chosen ones of the Lord because the Lord hath made a choice of thee and hath separated thee from all eternity to do good to thy soul hence it is manifest that thou art the chosen one of the Lord when thou seest most in the world to follow the pleasures of the world if God hath given thee a heart to choose his ways upon any terms take this as an argument that thou art a chosen vessel of God Reciprocal signs of Gods grace are the most sweet as if I love God this is an argument God loves me if Gods honor be dear to me then my soul is near to God so if I choose God then God hath chosen me 2. This choice is that for which thousands of Gods people have blessed God upon their death-beds they counted it a blessed time and blessed the means the Word and the Instrument that God was pleased to work by to incline their hearts to such a choice as this 3. Yea this choice of thine though it be suffering affliction it is that thou shalt bless God for to all eternity in the highest Heavens it is such a great mercy as this little poor span-long life of ours is not sufficient to give God glory for it therefore there is an eternity reserved to praise God for it when thou shalt see what good comes of thy choice then thou shalt bless God indeed Certainly God takes it well at thy hands now Jer. 2. 2. I remember the kindeness of thy youth and the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the wilderness God takes it kindely that men will choose him and his
is a woful choice that many make Most people are offended at the afflictions of Gods people their hearts are set upon pleasure and delight and pleasure they must have pleasure to the flesh is that they choose and that they follow after but as for the afflicted ways of godliness they cannot relish them their carnal sensual hearts do turn aside from them they give themselves up to the pleasures of the flesh and satisfie themselves in the enjoyment of their hearts desires and God does give them up likewise to their own lusts to let them have their choice so that they shall spend their time in mirth and jollity in eating and drinking and gaming and in this they bless themselves as those who have wisely provided for themselves to make their lives so full of comfort and soul-content as they imagine these are set upon carnal frothy sensual things as if the chief good and happiness of man consisted in them and therefore they give themselves liberty in them to the utmost That wherein a mans happiness consists he may desire infinitely and he cannot but do it it is as natural for him to do it as for the fire to burn or the stone to descend and because men put happiness in the pleasures of the flesh therefore their hearts are set infinitely upon them that is to set as they give themselves liberty without any bounds and desire that if it were possible no limits might be set either by God or man If they have means they account the chief good of what they have is in that they may have larger opportunities then others to satisfie the flesh in the sensual pleasures of it and hence is the infinite excess of meats and drinks and carnal delights in those whose means afford them opportunities thereunto Luther speaking of this excess hath this expression If Adam should now rise again and see this madness of all sorts of men I believe he would be so amazed at it that he would stand as a stone A. Gellius tells of Caligula that he made one supper that cost three hundred thousand Crowns I have read also of Vitellius the Emperor that at one supper he was served with Two thousand sorts of fishes and Seven thousand several fowls In such profuse expences for the satisfying of the flesh how many do glory as if it were the highest happiness attainable upon the earth And the baser sort of people seeing the great ones set upon such a kinde of life in satisfying the flesh they think there is no other happiness to be had therefore all their care thoughts endeavors are how they may live jocundly and give satisfaction to their lusts Clemens Alexandrinus tells of a fish that hath the heart in the belly differing from other living Creatures which the Philosophers call the Sea-Ass This is like sensual men whose hearts are onely set upon the things of the belly so as it may be said of many in regard of satisfying the flesh as Aurelianus said of one Bonoses He was born not that he might live but that he might drink So do these seem to be born not that they might live but that they might eat and drink and pamper the flesh the whole world is too strait to some for the pampering their bellies Oh how beneath is this to the true excellency of a rational and immortal soul What pity is it that an immortal reasonable soul should be of no other use then to keep the body alive to taste the sweet of the flesh of beasts and of the fruit of the earth How many draw all their substance thorow their throats and their belly their houses lands yea and devour their posterity like Cannibals when men in company spend their estates their wives and children wanting bread at home what do they but even drink the very blood of their wives and children It was the prophaneness of Esau for which God hath branded him That he sold his birth-right for a mess of pottage yet that was in the time of extreme hunger these men sell God and Heaven and all for drink not to satisfie thirst but their lust But O thou vain man know thou art utterly mistaken in thy choice if thou continuest in this way of thine that thou hast chosen to satisfie thy flesh in thou art undone for ever thou wilt ere long cry out of this thy choice most bitterly and curse thy self for it most fearfully It is a seduced heart that hath deceived thee and thou feedest upon ashes and thou canst not say Is there not a lye in my right hand Esay 44. 20. It is true not onely of Idolators but of all other ways of evil thou feedest upon ashes they are but ashes thou feedest upon and delightest in and it is a seduced heart hath turned thee aside from the ways of God that makes thee offended at them it is the God of this world that hath blinded thy eyes so that thou shouldest not see the glorious excellencies and beautiful pleasures and sweet delights that are in the ways of God but that thou shouldest please thy self in those ways that tend to death What hath the whole course of thy life been but playing with the Devils bait under which is a hook that will snatch thee into the sorrows of eternal death Howsoever those that live in jollity and delight in the flesh may bless themselves yet Gods people whose eyes God hath opened would not be in their condition one quarter of an hour for a thousand worlds There are divers sorts that come under this use of reprehension for that ill and woful choice they have made First such as choose to satisfie themselves in such pleasures as are in themselves sinful such who take pleasure in filthiness and ungodliness these are the dregs of men these are the basest of all that can take delight in the very act of sin it self All that is said concerning the dreadful evils of sin and that venome and curse that there is in sin is so far from making sin to be bitter to them as they account more pleasure to be had in many sinful ways then there is to be had in the enjoyment of all the glory that there is in God and Jesus Christ in Heaven and Eternity O cursed heart and cursed choice is this that when God hath revealed in his Word so much concerning the evil of sin that might make any heart in the world tremble at it that thou shouldst not onely not apprehend the evil of it or not taste any bitterness that is in it but shouldst count it delightful yea shouldst esteem so much pleasure to be had in the act of sin it self more then there is to be had in God in Christ or in the Promises or in Heaven or Eternity Surely a cursed seduced heart hath deceived thee these are infinitely out of the way What is there in sin that is thy pleasure that thou choosest as
Gospel No says he the poor receive the Gospel he knew that John had a gracious heart and would esteem of things as he did and would not be offended Secondly Gods people by a spiritual eye are very highly esteemed because such an eye looks at spiritual excellencies God hath made a gracious heart acquainted with true spiritual excellencies and such a one beholding the beauty and the glory that there is in spiritual excellencies all the outward glittering glory that there is in the world is darkned It is true men and women so long as they know no better things judge onely according to these outward mean things Children that know no better things then a gay coat count it the greatest preferment that can be to be put into such a coat and so a man that knows no better things then the things of the world he counts it the greatest excellency to have them But when a childe comes to have reason and sees higher things he does not prize such things so a soul that comes to see the things of Heaven God and Christ and Grace and sees into the realities of them and not as imaginary he will never admire at any thing below but onely at grace and where there is grace nothing can darken the light of it it is so glorious as the light of the Sun a little smoak cannot darken the light of the Sun when it shines bright a little smoak will darken the light of the candle but cannot darken the light of the Sun And so a little affliction will darken these outward things to those that esteem them at a high rate but spiritual excellencies are of such a nature that afflictions cannot darken them But what spiritual excellencies are those that a spiritual eye sees in Gods people that make them to be so precious in its esteem notwithstanding all their outward meanness First the Image of God Secondly the relation they have to God Thirdly their spiritual priviledges Fourthly the preciousness of that which comes from them Fifthly the great use that they are of here in the world Sixthly their ends First for the work of grace they have the image of God upon them Now the image of a thing is not the representing of a thing in some under excellency or in some mean thing that concerns that which it is made to resemble but it is a resemblance of it in that which is the chief excellency As if I would draw the picture of a man I would not draw it for to resemble flesh meerly that a beast hath as well as man but as near as can be the very countenance and life of man I will not draw the back parts of a man but his face and countenance to life so the image of God is not that which hath some little likeness to God but that which hath a likeness to God in the highest excellency in his holiness and righteousness which is to speak according as we are able to conceive the highest excellency of God so that a gracious heart hath that which makes him like unto that which is the top of Gods excellency that which is the image of GOD himself and therefore it hath these four titles The Image of God The Divine Nature The Life of God and the Glory of God The Image of God Gen. 1. 26. That of the Divine Nature you have in the 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you may be partakers of the Divine Nature And the Life of God Eph. 4. 18. Being alienated from the life of God that is from his grace And the Glory of God Rom. 3. 23. For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God The work of grace in mens souls hath that excellency in it that there is more of God to be seen in it then in all the works that ever God did make from the beginning of the world not onely if you take one single work onely excepting the hypostatical Union of the humane nature of Christ but take all the creatures that God hath made in heaven and earth they have not so much of the glory of God to be seen in them as there is to be seen in the work of grace so that take the poorest meanest Christian that hath the work of grace though parts be never so weak and outwardly he be never so contemptible there is more to be seen in this poor man or woman then in the whole frame of Heaven and earth then in the Sun Moon and Stars then in all the creatures of the world besides except Angels and therefore surely outward meanness can never take down the esteem that a gracious heart hath of Gods people Yea it is the greatest excellency that ever God did bestow upon or will bestow upon any for the kinde if it were grown up to the greatest degree still excepting that hypostatical Union of the Humane nature of Christ with the Divine and therefore must needs gain a precious esteem It is a principle of eternal happiness it is that which will grow up to an eternal glory Take all moral and natural excellencies let them grow up to the highest height they can they can never grow up to glory but this is that eternal seed if it be let to grow up it wil grow up to the height of glory Now if Grace be thus if it be that principle whereby a creature is raised to such a high condition no marvel though those that have a spiritual eye and can see into the things of God and judge spiritually of things must needs esteem those very precious and honorable that have the work of grace upon them Moral excellencies have been highly esteemed by Heathens as the Fabii and Fabritii that were taken from their dinner and supper of Turnips to rule and govern great armies because they saw such great excellencies under their mean outsides If so be the knowledge of moral excellencies can raise the esteem of men in the world much more then the true and glorious excellencies of grace Secondly in regard of the relation they have to God Gods people have a near relation to God the nearer relation one hath to great ones the more high he is in the esteem of men now Gods people though never so mean have a wonderful near relation to God for First they are the chosen of God they are those which the Lord in his eternal counsels hath set apart for himself the counsels of God from all eternity have wrought for their good and this is manifested unto a gracious heart The Lord hath set apart a godly man for himself says the Psalmist in Psal 4. They are those that are the consecrated ones of God consecrated and devoted things though they were never so mean were exceedingly esteemed of if it were but leather or wood or never so mean a thing that was in the tabernable and consecrated to God
Lord is pleased to condescend to our weakness to express his especial presence with his Church and therefore it is good to be with them these are the expressions of it But wherein does the presence of God with his people appear more then with other people In these two things especially First because there God makes himself known reveals himself there and makes his beauty to appear Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple It is the glory of Heaven to see God in his beauty and this is one of the greatest promises of God to his Church that they shall see the King in his majesty We may see some glimmering light of God in the Heavens Sun Moon and Stars but in the Church there God shews his beauty there we may see the face of God and this is that which Moses did desire Lord-shew me thy glory It is much granted to us in the Church in enjoying his Ordinances and there is no way to see Gods face so clearly as this way Every childe of God that is in the Temple shall speak of Gods glory for they see God in his glory in a special maner Secondly the especial presence of God with his people is especially manifested in that he communicates to his people as namely First the choice mercies of God are communicated to his people If you would have any share in Gods choice mercies his peculiar mercies come amongst Gods people joyn with them as that place is observable in Psal 134. 3. The Lord that made Heaven and earth bless thee out of Sion He does not say the Lord that made Heaven and Earth bless thee out of Heaven and Earth but the Lord that made Heaven and Earth bless thee out of Sion as if he should say The blessings that come out of Sion are the choice blessings and the peculiar mercies of God even above any that come out of Heaven and Earth Secondly God communicates his mercies more fully then any where else Isa 25. 6. And in this mountain that is in the Church I will make a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow c. and Psal 36. 8. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures In a private way there may be some drops of pleasure from God but there is not that full communication from God as with his people in his Ordinances there is in the world in the creature drops in private communion there are ponds but in a pulique Church-communion there are rivers of pleasure and that is the height of all Thirdly God communicates his mercies more powerfully in the Church then any where else Psal 133. 3. For there the Lord commanded the blessing even life for evermore God did not onely speak and said there should be a blessing but spake in a commanding way There Where is that There in the Church amongst his people there God commanded the blessing even life for evermore Lastly God blesseth more universally with all kinde of blessing and therefore he is more present there and in that respect the Psalmist says Psalm 87. 7. All my springs are in thee This whole Psalm is to set out the excellent condition of the Church and he concludes the Psalm with this All my springs are in thee Now this expression is very emphatical Spring is taken two or three ways in Scripture The Law of God the Doctrine of Gods Law is compared to a spring and heavenly knowledge is compared to a spring and then it is thus All my springs All the truths I have all the knowledge I come to be made partaker of are all in the Church Again All my springs all the comforts of my heart and that good and joy my spirit receives and all the graces of the Spirit that I have and all the quickning and strengthning I have is communicated to me this way And upon this ground the Church is called the very perfection of all beauty Psal 50. 2. Out of Zion the perfection of all beauty God hath shined Out of Zion there is his glory wonderfully apparent The word that is translated the perfection of beauty is translated by some the universality of beauty all kinde of beauty all kinde of excellency as if the Psalmist should say Put all excellencies together that possibly you can imagine to make a thing comely and lovely they are all in the Church Thus you see it is good being with Gods people when as God is thus present with them in a special maner Eighthly it is good being with Gods people because there is Gods special protection others are but as the wilderness the Church is as a garden enclosed Cant. 4. 12. A man regards his garden that he hath enclosed and bestowed cost about more then a wilde field the fields have hedges to keep out the beasts but gardens have brick wals or wood walls Isa 27. 3. I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day How full is this his care over it is such as he threatens those which shall but touch it Jer. 12. 14. to pluck them out of their land Zach. 2. 5. God promiseth he will be a wall of fire round about his people alluding to the custom of travellers in the wilderness who used to make fires round about them in the night for their safety because then none of the wilde beasts durst come near them such a defence is God to his people There is nothing in the Book of God wherein God is so full in his expression as when he comes to this argument to manifest his affection to his Church Christ is the Shepherd and when sheep are together they are under the protection of the Shepherd when the sheep are scattered the Shepherds eye is not so over them And therefore in Hosea 4. 16. God threatens his people he would feed them as a Lamb in a large place as a Lamb getting from the fold goes up and down bleating so when Gods people are scattered they are as a Lamb in a large place and when God would threaten the sorest judgement against his people Ezekiel 34. he says He will scatter them and they shall become to be meat to the beasts of the field And hence it is that the condition of the Church is so stable a condition and therefore in Isaiah 60. 15. the Church is called an eternal excellency because it is under the Lords protection and is it not good being there to be under the wing of God Ninthly to be amongst Gods people is a blessed thing because they have so many
running up and down from one witness to another but a gracious heart hath other ways to help it self it cryes to God most high and looks for help from Heaven God sends forth his mercy and truth to help and there is help indeed Fifthly another help is this if you can but get your hearts quietly and kindely to lament the condition of your reproachers this will be a marvellous means tosweeten the heart and to help to bear reproaches It was the answer of Socrates to one who wondred at his patience towards one who reviled him If we should meet one says he whose body were more unsound then ours should we be angry with him and not rather pity him why then should we not do the like to him whose soul is more diseased then ours The folly of our reproachers should cause us to pity them to be patient towards them and pass by the wrong they do unto us this was one of the arguments that Abigail brought to David to quiet his spirit that was so stirred against Nabal because of that reproach he cast upon him Nabal saith she is his name and folly is with him it is his folly rather pity him it is too low a thing for such a spirit as Davids is to be stirred with it Instead of being troubled with the reproaches that are upon you your spirits should be most troubled for their sin Now there is infinite cause we have to be troubled for their sin more then for any evil that befals us An evil tongue devours and is an abomination and in Prov. 8. 13. God says The froward mouth he hates Now if you have any love you should think thus This poor man what hath he done he hath brought himself under the hatred of God now this should mightily affect the hearts of the godly As he is an abomination to God so he is an abomination to men Prov. 24. 9. The scorner is an abomination to men scornful spirits love to cast shame and ignominy upon others And in Prov. 18. 7. A fools mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soul we should think he hath but ensnared his own soul and so fall a lamenting of his wretched condition And so in Isa 33. 10. Your breath as fire shall devour you If the breath of any man devours him the breath of revilers and reproachers and slanderers does The Heathens called a reproacher A three tongued man because he hurts three at once he hurts him that he reproaches and him that heard the reproach and himself worst of all do but get power over your hearts to bewail this sin and your reproach will not be so troublesom Trilinguis Gallesius a writer upon Exod. 22. ver 28. observes the exceeding patience of those three Emperors Theodosius Honorius Arcadius towards those who spake evil of them they would have them subject to no punishment for they said If it comes from lightness of spirit it is to be contemned if from madness it is worthy of pity if from injury it is to be pardoned wrongs are to be forgiven Again labor to possess your souls with the reality of the sweet of and the honor there is in the ways of God so no reproach will be grievous to you As it is said of the covetous man when some told him Such and such hiss at thee but says he I care not I rejoyce in what I have at home that I have so much money in my chest So it should be with a gracious heart he should say I have sweet enough in my own heart what need I trouble my self with what others think or say Seventhly labor to satisfie your souls in the glory of God and Christ Though my name be cast out as filth yet the name of God and Christ is blessed and glorious and so shall be for ever let Devils and wicked men do what they can against it It was a good speech of Luther writing to his friend Spalatinus bemoaning his condition to him because of the scorn and contempt he suffered yet comforting himself in this that Christ lived and reigned Luther is accounted even a Devil but Christ lives and reigns he addes his Amen to it Thirdly it is not enough to bear reproaches patiently but we must bear them fruitfully a christian should think he hath not done that which belongs to a christian unless he hath got some good by them a christian should not think it enough to free himself from the scorn of the tongue but he must improve it for good by it First consider what ends God aims at by it and labor to work them upon your selves that you may attain to those ends Secondly labor to draw what good instructions you can from the reproaches of others As namely thus when I hear men reproach and revile O what a deal of evil is there secretly in the heart of man that is not discovered till it have occasion I did not think that such and such could ever have been reproachers if they had not been provoked Again do I see another so vigilant over me to finde me out to reproach me how vigilant should I be over my self to finde out what is in me to humble me Again is there so much evil to be under the stroke of mans tongue what a great evil is it to be under the stroke of Gods justice Lastly to be fruitful that is set upon what duty God calls for at the present surely this is one great general duty that the less credit I see I have in the world let me labor to have the more credit in Heaven I see there is a breach of my name here let me seek to make up my name in Heaven 4. And then they must be born joyfully but we shall speak of that afterwards in the third point that a gracious heart is not onely willing to bear reproach when God calls unto it but in the cause of CHRIST to triumph and rejoyce in his reproaches 5. Lastly we should return good for evil then you come to the top of Christianity This is a sign of great progress in Religion If I be weak saith Ambrose perhaps I may pardon one charging me falsly but if I have profited although not altogether perfect though he flows in upon me with reproaches I hold my peace and answer nothing but if I be perfect I then bless him that reviles me according to that of St. Paul Being reviled we bless If you can do thus if you can heartily pray for your reproachers and desire good to them and be willing to take notice of any good in them to clear up their innocency where there is iust cause if you can be ready to offer any offices of love and respect and kindeness to them and so heap coals of fire upon them this is a great sign of grace you have made a good progress indeed in Gods way Mat. 5. 44
busie to tend on him and to make a fire and get him dry cloathes So when the people of God meet with such hardship in the world when they shal come and meet with Christ for whom they have suffered how shall they be entertained What riches of glory shall they enjoy in the highest heavens for ever hereafter our sufferings are but the seeds of our glory and the deeper the furrows are the more plentiful will the Harvest be and therefore Gordius the Martyr said It is to my loss if you bate me any thing in my sufferings Are you reproached for Christ Blessed are you for the Brand of reproach says Basil shall be turned into the glory of an Angel A gracious heart counts it more riches to be conformable to Christ then to have Crowns upon his head As in Phil. 3. 8. he counted all the things of the world dogs meat for the fellowship of Christs sufferings he did not count all the world dogs meat for the glory he should have by Christ onely but for the fellowship he should have in the sufferings of Christ Truly happy is that soul and to be equalled with Angels says Jerome who is willing to suffer if it were possible as great things for Christ as Christ hath suffered for it Vera est illa anima faelix Angelis aequanda quae pro nomine opere Christi tanta quanta pro nobis ille sustinuit voluit sustinere Hyeronym Epist ad Oceanum Such as have been followers of eminent men they highly esteemed to be like their Masters though in things that were some dishonor As Plato was a man of a crooked back and his Schollars counted it an ornament for to go crooked And Aristotle had a lisping speech and his Schollars thought it an honor to have a lisping speech And Alexander had somewhat a wry neck and a harsh speech and his soldiers thought it an honor to be like him how much more should the godly count their sufferings an honor because they are comformable to Christ For Application In the first place hence we see the excellency of grace what an excellent and glorious thing it is wheresoever it is that it does conduce so far to encrease riches out of any thing great must needs be the gain of godliness when it gains from their sufferings and reproaches grace is such a thing as can turn dust into gold The Philosophers stone is counted a rich thing because it turns dust into gold grace will do it the dirt that the world casts upon Gods people is turned into gold well may it be called the Divine nature for as God brings light out of darkness and comfort out of sorrow and riches out of poverty and glory out of shame so does grace How does grace conduce to the comfortable life of Gods people as for the service that God employs them in they count that honorable and the sufferings that God calls them to they count them comfortable we need not therefore be so afraid of sufferings indeed if we have not a principle to change the nature of them we may be afraid but if God do put a principle into us to turn our shame into glory and sufferings into riches we need not be afraid If any did see Moses his Serpent he would be afraid but if he had Moses hand he would not be afraid because Moses hand had a divine vertue with it to turn the Serpent into a rod and so if we look upon sufferings as a Serpent ready to devour us we may be afraid but when we consider the excellency of grace that it hath a divine power to turn the Serpent into a rod you need not be afraid labor to prize this jewel of grace that can do such great things It was the curse upon the wicked that God would turn their glory into shame It is the blessing of grace that it will turn shame into glory Secondly we see a reason of the meekness and quiet behavior of Gods people in sufferings Though they are persecuted they carry themselves meekly and are ready to forgive they are not discouraged and sink in their sufferings because they look upon sufferings with another eye then the men of the world do they look upon their sufferings as their glory and riches When a man hath riches coming in he is quiet and though he were angry passionate and vexing before yet when riches come in that quiets his heart and he is ready to do any office of love then this is the reason why Gods people are ready to do any office of love to them that do persecute them because they look upon them as their glory St. Paul was a man that had a high esteem of his sufferings and therefore when he suffered much and from those that were his friends in Gal. 4. 12. see his behavior Brethren I beseech you be as I am for I am as you are ye have not injured me at all As if he should say How soever you have carried your selves yet be as I am I am as you are let our hearts close and joyn together you have not injured me at all Thus his spirit was carryed in this quiet and meek frame because he had a right understanding of the nature of sufferings And so we read of Stephen when they were stoning him says he Lord forgive them What was the ground of this He saw the heavens opened and Christ stand at the right hand of his Father he saw a great deal of glory that was in his sufferings when he suffered thus for Christ he could pray for his persecutors What was the reason Christ endured all so quietly he knew the good that was in his sufferings Indeed as for those that see no good in them that finde nothing but trouble and vexation no marvel though their hearts fret and revile again but where a gracious heart findes sweetness and good in suffering surely there need not be that fretting and vexation of spirit in them as in others And why should we vex and fret when we suffer any thing for God it must be upon one of these two grounds either because of the evil that we do endure or the evil of those from whom we do endure The evil that we do endure cannot cause fretting because it is turned to such great riches But you will say The suffering it self I do not care for but the base malicious hearts of those from whom I suffer that troubles me To that I answer It is reported concerning Socrates being once reproached and yet behaving himself meekly and quietly one came and asked him how he could be so meek and quiet when he was reproached by such a one as he was that did reproach him Socrates answered If as we go along we should meet with a man that had a diseased body more diseased then our bodies more weak then ours should we fret at him because we see the disease of his body more grievous
for righteousness sake I would this foolish world would all rise up against me to reproach me Secondly Gods people have been greedy of them Origen was so earnest to suffer with his father when he was a youth of sixteen years of age that if his mother had not kept his clothes from him he would have run to the place where his father suffered to profess himself a Christian and to have suffered with him And so the story of the poor Woman in the book of Martyrs that made haste to the place where many Christians were to be burned and meeting with the Persecutor says he What need you make such haste to that place there are many to be burned Ah says she that I know and I am afraid all will be done before I come I and my childe would fain suffer with them And many blessed the day of their suffering Alice Drivers expression was That never neckerchief became her so well as that chain did and are you so shy of them what difference is between you and their spirits Again what unthankfulness and dishonor is this to Christ that hath suffered so much for you Christ hath gloried in the sufferings he suffered for you and why should you be afraid of sufferings for him it was a notable speech of an Ancient Acceptable is the reproach of the Cross to him that is not unthankful to him that was crucified upon the Cross And what confusion will it be upon you another day when you shall see those that suffered are so glorified that their sufferings are crowns of such immortal glory O consider what you do deprive not your selves of such glorious riches Fifthly let us labor to get this Christian magnanimity of spirit namely for to glory in all that we suffer for Christ Heathens can be patient in sufferings but Christians must go beyond them and glory in their sufferings You have been bold in suffering for sin if you might have your minde and will now if you may have your minde and will for Gods glory in suffering in a good way why should you not suffer Mark the expressions that we have of Job Did I fear a great multitude or did the contempt of families terrifie me that I kept silence and went not out of the door O that one would hear me behold my desire is that the Almighty would answer me and that mine adversary had written a book let them say what they can against me write a book against me Surely I would take it upon my shoulder and binde it as a crown to me Thus it should be with the people of God they should take their reproaches as an ensign of honor This indeed is truly in a spiritual sense to tread upon the Asp and the Adder that when the Asp and Adder and the old Serpent does spit out her venomous poyson a gracious heart should tread upon them There are three things that will put a spirit of suffering and so a holy magnanimity into us All the arguments in the world will not do it unless we have a suffering spirit and these three things will put a suffering spirit in us First if you had a full satisfaction of your own spirits in the cause of God you maintain and the ways of God you walk from your own experience you have in them if you take upon you the profession of Religion by the reports of others and be carried by the example of others that will not do it but if in your own experiences you finde that sweet and onely satisfying content in the truths and ways of God this will do it It was a notable resolution of Luther My purpose is not says he to maintain my life or name in respect what men say or can say of me for my maners but my purpose is to maintain the cause of God let whosoever will tear my life and name in this regard Propositum est mihi neque vitam neque mores tueri sed solam causam lacerent mores meos quicunque velint Luth. ad Nicolaū Hansman Secondly if you get your hearts inflamed with love to Christ Love delights in opportunities of expressing it self and it hath never such a full opportunity of expressing the strength and heat of it as in suffering much for the Beloved Thirdly if you have an eye of faith and can behold God the Father and Christ and the blessed Angels looking upon you when you are in your sufferings By the eye of faith look up to heaven and see God looking upon you and saying Here is a servant of mine is called to suffer for me now you shall see his behavior and Christ and the Angels looking upon you to see your behavior and this will do it not onely make you patient but glory in them Sixthly if there be so much glory and such riches in suffering Hence we have an Use of abundance of comfort and encouragement to them that are willing to endure reproaches for Christ There are five or six branches of consolation to Gods people in this Use First are you willing to suffer reproaches and to glory in them I remember a notable speech of Gulielmus Parisiensis O happy pallat that can taste such delicates O it is a blessed thing that God hath given you such a taste Again know if you glory in your sufferings for God God will glory in doing for you None shall glory in suffering for him but he will count it his glory to be doing for them Thirdly if you glory in your sufferings for Christ God will count it his glory to uphold you in his sufferings Fourthly do you glory in the low condition you are put into for Christ certainly God will own your souls and glory in you when you are in the lowest condition when your souls shall be in adversity God will know you then Fifthly can you glory in a suffering Christ when Christ comes in glory he will own you when he shall be glorified his glory shall be yours Those that are ashamed of me I will be ashamed of them says Christ before my Father and the Angels But those that glory in Christ Christ shall be their glory Lastly now you glory in Christs sufferings you shall glory in his praises Seventhly if so be that Gods people account themselves so enriched by sufferings and reproaches let us take heed we do not despise any that do suffer for Christ that we have not low esteem of them because of their sufferings God hath high esteem of them when they suffer and they themselves see cause to glory in their condition and are you that are standers by ashamed of them and do you disesteem of them for their sufferings while the Saints of God flourish in the world they are esteemed of by many carnal hearts but let them suffer any thing and be disgraced and they withdraw themselves from them they are despised as
themselves though we cannot see how we do go further yet it is an argument we do go further if we get up to this Paul made it a mighty work of grace in him that he could have his heart taken off from all temporal things that are seen and to look at eternal things that were not seen Fifthly yet we ought to look at God and to lift up God beyond our selves or any thing that concerns our selves and not to aym at God more then any worldly thing onely but to aym at God more then at the glory of Heaven But yet further though we are to aym at God beyond our own good any way yet it is the will of God that he would not have us to part with any of our spiritual good no not for any glory to his own name if you look at your reward in Heaven as spiritual you may so far look at it as not to be willing to part with it for any glory that you conceive may come to God by spiritual good I mean grace Now if it could be supposed that God should have never so much glory by my abating the least degree in grace yet I am so bound to the work of grace as I must not abate the least degree for the highest glory that can come to God yea though it is true I am to desire the glory of God and that others should glorifie God yet I should more desire the furtherance of grace in my own soul so as I should not be willing to part with the least degree of grace though thereby all the world should glorifie God But here lies one objection Paul seems to go otherwise for he wished himself accursed or anathamized from Christ for his brethren his kinsmen after the flesh so that it seems St. Paul did wish the glory of God in others more then any grace in himself To this I answer That separation from Christ we must understand rightly we are not to understand by separation that he should be separated from the Spirit and grace of Christ but that he might be separated from the comforts of Christ that he might not have that comfort and that happiness that comes in by Christ If he had desired to be separated from the grace of Christ he should have sinned in it Gods glory and our good are so annexed together that though we may suffer much for the good of others yet we are not to desire to be in any sinful condition though it could save all the world If it could be conceived unless I sin the least sin in thought all the men of the world should be damned I should suffer them all to be damned rather then to sin the least sin I remember St. Augustine hath a tractate about an officious lye to tell a lye for no hurt but for good says he We are not to tell such a lye though it were to save all the world Christ had rather all the world should have been damned then that he should have committed the least sin In the next place whosoever does understand what the true reward is that is in heaven it is impossible if he desire heaven aright but he must desire the glory of God above himself What is the heighth and top of heaven it is not any carnal good any carnal content that is the heighth and top of the glory of heaven It is that our souls being in the perfection of them might live to the praise of God for ever Now if this be the end of all we shall receive from God in heaven that we might live for ever to reflect the glory upon God again in our praise then it is impossible to desire heaven but in our desires of heaven we do desire God above our selves Surely we may freely aym at our reward in heaven for if we aym at our reward and know it aright it is such as we cannot but aym at God above our selves yea further so near is Gods glory and our reward joyned together that we cannot aym at God above our selves but we shall by that means in the best maner provide for our selves and the more we strive to aym at God above our selves we come in the best maner that possibly can be to provide for our selves And yet lastly there is a great difference between a gracious heart looking to the reward and a carnal heart looking to the reward As First the difference lies here a gracious heart does love the reward for the works sake a carnal heart does onely love the work for the rewards sake As a gracious heart loves heaven and loves the glory of heaven but it loves heaven and the glory of heaven the better because there is such a blessed way to it If a man were to go home and had an ill way he would love his home but if he have a fair smooth way home he loves his home the better for the ways sake therefore many men are at great cost to have a fair going to their houses And so a gracious heart loves the way that God does reveal to come to heaven by and loves heaven the better because of the way A carnal heart may love heaven but he does not love heaven the better for the way but wishes the way to heaven were otherwise he looks upon the way to heaven as a necessary burthen to him As a man that is going out a journey and must go through a dirty lane he goes through it but complaining and so though they desire heaven yet all the while they are complaining of the way Certainly there is a great deal of difference between the desires of heaven in a carnal heart and the desires of it in a gracious heart Secondly the eye that a gracious heaat hath to the recompence of reward is another maner of eye then any carnal heart can have What kinde of eye is it First the eye that a gracious heart hath to the reward it is a clear discerning eye he does not take the things of heaven as guesses and imaginary things but looks upon them as certain substantial realties For my own part I much doubt whether any man in the world be able to see the glorious things in heaven as certain substantial things that hath not the truth of grace The truth of grace it is partly in this thing in having that principle in the soul that makes the soul able to look at the things of heaven as the onely real substantial excellent things so as to darken all the glory of the things of the world so that when you come thus far whereas before you heard something of heaven and they were but imaginary things and now there is such a light set up in your souls as you see the things of heaven as the onely real substantial glorious things certainly there is the work of grace The ground of it is that of Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the evidence of
but as a little drop of the sea and a little spark of the great furnace Those good things of eternal life are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure so precious that they are above all estimation Augustine in one of his Epistles hath this relation That the very same day wherein Jerome dyed he was in his study and had got pen ink and paper to write something of the glory of heaven to Jerome suddenly he saw a light breaking into his study and a sweet swell that came unto him and this voyce he thought he heard O Augustine what doest thou doest think to put the sea into a little vessel when the heavens shall cease from their continual motion then shalt thou be able to understand what the glory of heaven is and not before except you come to feel it as I now do this therefore is beyond the expression of man Fifthly all the desires of all the souls of Gods Saints in the world they come infinitely short of that which shall be hereafter We are straightned here in our spirits in our desires if we could enlarge our desires in a spiritual way it would hereafter adde much to our glory our desires are not onely straighter then that we shall have but the straightness of our desires here hinders much the capacity of the good that hereafter is to be revealed and communicated and therefore Christians should labor in a spiritual way to enlarge their desires to the utmost to get their hearts to be working after great things here so that they may by them engreaten their hearts and extend their hearts to prepare them for the great things that are to be revealed I may say concerning our straight desires as the Prophet did to Joash 2 Kings 13. 18 19. where the Prophet bade him strike upon the earth and he struck thrice the Prophet was angry and said You should have struck five or six times and so often shouldst thou have smitten thy enemies So according to the truth and spiritual working of our desires here shall we be made capable of glory hereafter but now if we be straightened in our hearts and we desire to be in heaven and to have some good thing there but our hearts are not after great things not enlarged in our desires it will be in some measure in some proportion according to our desires and therefore it is an evil thing for Christians to have their desires straightned here There are glorious things to be had in God and therefore our desires should be more enlarged then they are It is an excellent expression of Basil It grieves it irks it is tedious to our most munificent great glorious King he hath one word that expresses as much as all these if we ask any thing little of him he would have us ask great things of him Again they are beyond all our hopes It is said of Abraham He believed above hope we cannot believe above hope in this sense that is above the great things that are hoped for and yet God loves to have his people raise their hopes high Yea lastly it is beyond all imagination if men and Angels should set themselves to imagine what they would have they would think if such and such things were that would be a glorious condition this reward shall be beyond imagination we may imagine that which we could not almost desire but whatsoever you can invent or imagine you shall have that happiness or that which is beyond it sometime we think what a sweet thing will it be in Heaven to meet our Father our Mother our Brother or Sister our Husband or Wife these relations shall cease there but we may conclude though we have not that there we shall have that which shall be better and that which we would rather chuse But then if it be thus that all the world be but a dark shadow if that which is revealed in the word be but a glimpse if all the comforts of the Saints here be but the first-fruits if all the expressions of men come beneath if all our desires come short if all our hopes reach not to it if all be above the imagination of men and Angels what is it then what is that which is thus great we can tell you somewhat of this recompence of reward negatively and somewhat comparatively but very little of it positively yet somewhat that way too First negatively There shall be no evil there shall be such an estate of Gods people wherein they shall be fully absolutely everlastingly free from all kinde of evil in this world evil sticks to every Christian but there they shall be in an estate beyond all evil When the Sun is got to the heighth there is no shadow so when Gods people come to the top of their blessedness there shall be no shadow of any evil at all that God that is infinite in good certainly will not suffer evil to be always in his people Freed from all evil of sin and that is the greatest evil of all never troubled with any hard heart any more never pestered with an unbelieving straightned heart any more never dull and heavy in Gods service any more there shall never be any more blindeness and ignorances any unconstancy any mistake any weariness in Gods service delivered wholly from sin yea delivered not onely from the sin that we have but from the very savor of sin and from all the remainders of sin A man may be delivered out of prison but he may smell of the prison men may be healed of a wound and yet have a scar remain so it is with Gods people here they are delivered from the guilt and power of their sin but they smell of their prison garments and there are some scars upon them but all the smells and scars of our sin shall be taken from us yea delivered from the very possibility of sin To be in an estate without sin is a blessed estate but to be in an estate wherein there shall be no possibility to sin that is a blessed condition indeed It is a kinde of misery that a godly man counts himself to be in not onely that he does sin but that he may sin that he hath a possibility to sin but to be free from that that is a blessed condition And this is the happiness of God himself that there is no possibility that he should do any thing in the least degree to sin And as they are delivered from sin so from sorrow for that is the immediate consequent of sin All tears shall be wiped from their eyes And as from moral evil so from natural evil from external and internal evil from all weakness of parts and from all pains and sickness and deformities from all labors all incumbrances here in the world freed from the company and madness and opposition and tyranny and injustice of wicked men they shall be above Satan and above
the men of the world Gal. 1. 4. It is said that Christ hath given himself to deliver us from this present evil world it is a part of the purchase of Christ to be wholly freed from all the evils of this present world and this purchase of Christ we shall have Under the highest regions are the tempests and storms but above there are none so in this world the Saints meet with tempests and storms but above are none As the Psalmist says In thy light O God we shall see light so in the light of God we shall see nothing but light now when Gods light does shine into us it does discover darkness but time will come though Gods light shall shine never so brightly we shall see no darkness but altogether light We read concerning Moses and Elias in Luke 9. in the transfiguration of Christ the Text says They did confer about his decease that should be accomplished at Jerusalem the Saints of God shall meet together and Moses and Elias and the Patriarchs and shall confer no more about deceases about troubles and sufferings that shall be accomplished all those evils shall be done away We may say of evils all as Moses did to the people of Israel concerning the Egyptians Those your enemies that now you see you shall never see any more So we may say to Gods people that go out of the world to partake of the recompence of reward be quiet be still those evils of sin of sorrow that now you see and feel you shall never see never feel any more that is something though it be negatively Secondly comparatively and herein are three things First to compare the good the happiness that shall be hereafter with all the good and happiness that we have here Secondly compare it with the condition of Adam in the estate of innocency Thirdly compare it with the happiness of the Angels CHAP. XLII The differences between that good we receive here from God and that we shall have hereafter FIrst we will compare that we have here with that we shall have hereafter Brethren though we receive many mercies from God yet look what difference there is between that close place of the womb that the infant is in before it be born and this space of the world that the childe comes into when it is born such difference is between all this world and any good and happiness here and the world that is to come this and much more then this First here we receive good from without First unto our outward senses and by them it comes into the soul but now hereafter God shall first let out good unto the soul unto the rational part and from the redundancy of that good and glory that God shall communicate unto the rational soul there shall flow glory and sweetness and good to the body and outward senses whereas here we see from without and so it comes in there shall be a spring and a fountain of good within the soul the kingdom of heaven shall be within and more good shall be in the heart and flow from thence outwardly then to be received from without and so to come inwardly for us to receive something in our sences and so to convey it to the soul this is but a low way but to have a spring and fountain of all good and happiness to be within the soul and so spread it self and flow out this shews wonderfully the blessedness of Gods people when God shall communicate himself to them in that way Secondly here the excellency and eminency of an object does destroy the faculty if the faculties of our souls be exercised about objects that are very high above us that are full of excellency and glory they destroyed the faculty as now though light be the most pleasing to the eye of all things in the world yet the excellency and glory of light destroys the eye so sound is the proper object of the ear but if the sound be too great it makes one deaf but it is otherwise in heaven the more excellent the object is the more perfect will the faculty be the object shall not onely delight the faculty but perfect and strengthen the faculty nature as in a glass but thus far that as we see good in the creature now then we shall see them by knowing God himself more then by knowing the creature And the reason is because all excellency and good that is in the creature is eminently in God for all the good of the effects must needs be eminently in all the principles and the good of all principles in the first principle If all good in the creature be eminently in God and the souls of the blessed shall come perfectly to know God so far as their created understandings shall be capable of then they must needs see the excellency of the creature in God We shall know as we are known 1 Cor. 13. 12. Upon this a learned man hath this note We shall know as we are known now God knows all his works by knowing himself by knowing his own power and will and nature and so we shall know as we are known because we shall know the creatures by knowing God Fourthly here the mercies and good that we have from God are sweetned unto us by the sense of our wants But hereafter we shall prize them and have the sweetness of them in regard of their own fulness not from such a low relation as our wants and our necessities when God would have us prize any mercy here he first makes us sensible of the want of the mercy and so it comes to be sweet to us and scarce any mercy comes to be sweet unless we feel the want of it first for else we would prize the mercy at any time but in that we do not prize all mercies always alike it appears the great commendation of Gods mercy is from our wants but hereafter the prizings and the relish and the sweet of all shall be from the fulness of the goodness that we finde in God Gods goodness to us here is but the supplying of some defect but hereafter Gods goodness shall be the glorifying of perfect nature Fifthly here when we do enjoy any comfort from God we are much sensible of it at the present enjoyment but after we have had it a little while we grow to be less sensible we begin to be cloyed with it as the most beautiful sight that we did admire at first if we see it every day it does not affect us as who is affected at the sight of the Sun because he sees it every day but suppose we had lived all our days in a dark dungeon and this had been the first day we were brought out of the dungeon and now see the Sun and the Earths and Seas how mightily would we be taken with the sights that we see but now it is not so with us because we have the Sun every day
and so the melodious sound to the ear first we are ravished with it but when we are used to it it is nothing and so for the taste the taste of sweet things is mightily pleasant to us at first but afterward it is no more pleasing to us then the taste of ordinary mean fare is to poor people who have as much content in their mean fare as rich men in their delicious fare because rich men are used to such delicious things but this is the excellency of Gods maner of communication of himself to his people hereafter they shall be to all eternity as exactly and fully sensible of the glory of heaven as they were in the first moment they came into it The sixth difference between Gods communication of himself to us here and hereafter is here we have much good from God but much good is in the habits and is not always in action there are many habits of grace that are not always acting fully but sometime the act of one habit is called forth and sometime the act of another but here is the blessedness of Gods people there shall be no habits lying still no instant but every minute to all eternity they shall act to the utmost of them so far as may any way conduce to their happiness for the end of the habit it is action and in the enjoyment of our happiness we shall ever be enjoying to the full the highest and last ends and therefore there shall always be the utmost activity of the habits of grace There is a necessity here of cessation of actions because we grow weary quickly of any action though it be a gracious action we must unstring our bows and cease that some actions may give way to others for the heart to be always up it is not able to bear it but then there shall be no need of any cessation any moment Again here we are not able to exercise our selves in the works of God without some difficulty there is difficulty in raising our hearts unto any thing that is good and to keep our hearts up but hereafter there shall be that communication of God unto his people that they shall be exercised about the highest things in the highest maner without any difficulty but as freely and readily and fully as the Sun shines the Sun does shine without any difficulty and the fish draws in water without difficulty so there shall be that perfect working of the soul about the highest object without any difficulty or labor Again here in this world there cannot be an intention in one faculty but it does hinder the intention in another as if man speak to me and I be intent in looking upon an object I do not hear him that speaketh and so in all faculties the intention of one faculty does hinder the intention of another but in Heaven all the faculties of the soul shall be intens'd to the highest intention and the intention of the one shall not hinder the intention of the other Again the good we receive here is in the root in the promise in election in great part but that we shall have hereafter shall be in the fruit in the actual communication of God as before all our actings shall be acted upon God so all the good shall not be contained in the root of his electing love or in the promise but shall be in actual communication Again here we receive many mercies from God that we do not understand our selves that we know but little of we do not see into the large extent of the mercy that we have from God but there we shall have no mercy from God but we shall know it fully in all the circumstances of it in all the principles of it and in all the appertainances that do any way concern the mercy we have and we shall know the issue of it and the like Again here we receive great mercies from God and we know not how to manage them Gods mercies lie and sowre in us we turn our mercies many times into afflictions for want of skill but hereafter we shall have the full improvement of all mercy that we receive from God Again here we see and desire many good things that we do not enjoy and possess but hereafter we shall see no good nor desire any good nor will any good but we shall have it And as God said concerning the Land of Canaan unto the children of Israel in Deut. 11. 24. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours so in heaven whatsoever the Saints see they shall have Here we may will a thing and will it lawfully and yet it may be cross unto Gods secret will and it shall never come to pass the reason is because the rule of our wills is Gods Commandment and not his secret will as David did will to build God a house and God commends him for it and yet God did not will it And a childe may will the life of his parent and yet God may will his parent shall not live and yet he is not to be blamed because he wills according to the rule but hereafter God shall so far reveal his will to us and our wills shall be so fully united to God that there shall not be the least crossing between any thing that we will and that God wills Again here it is one especial excellency of the work of grace for us to keep in our hearts and affections to restrain them that they be not let out too far in that we do enjoy but hereafter when we come to the recompence of reward we shall not need keep in our hearts we shall have liberty to let them out Object But we may not let out our hearts too much upon the Saints to love them above God Ans Then we shall love nothing but in God all shall be swallowed up in God himself that we shal not need fear the letting out of our hearts to the utmost Though I may love the creature yet I may let out my heart fully upon it because I love it onely in God Here many times a thing is more prized before we have it and when we come to enjoy it we do not see so much excellency upon it and so do less prize it but though we may set a prize upon Heaven and say O the blessed time when we come there we shall infinitely more prize it and rejoyce in it then we can here Yet further here we can enjoy nothing that we can be so certain of but that we can lose it wholly or in some part but the Saints of God hereafter shall be so certain of that they have in enjoyment that they shall not lose any thing of it in the least degree Lastly that we have from God here is mediately conveyed through many Channels through the Pipes of Creatures and Ordinances but that we shall have hereafter shall be
let out immediately from God and this is indeed the special difference of all from whence flow many excellent consequences which would even require a particular of it self I may hereafter enlarge my self in this in some other Treatise And thus you may see the blessed condition of Gods people when they come to the recompence of reward We have something here and we rejoyce in it and bless God for it but those ways that God hath to communicate himself to his people hereafter are glorious ways O that our hearts were raised to look after that communication of God that we shall have hereafter O those base and drossie spirits that we have Because we receive some goodness of God here we are ready to be quieted here and rest here as if God had nothing to communicate to the Children of men but that we have here See the vileness of our hearts we are here ready to rest upon the lowest things that God communicates and do not so much as rise in our hearts to the highest things that are communicated here but a christian heart should rise higher then the most excellent things that are here in the world namely to the most blessed things that are hereafter let us shew our selves that we are men of hopes to enjoy God after another maner then here Many do not desire enjoyment of God let them have the creature they never think of any communication of God so much as through the creature whereas a true Christian that hath grace he receives nothing in the world but he thinks with himself how have I God here how does God communicate himself to me in meat and drink and cloathes and friends and the like it is well if you go thus far but you must go higher are there not choyce mercies O yes there are blessed things communicated through the ordinances through prayer and the word and sacraments there are blessed things few mens hearts look so high as to look to the communication of Gods choyce mercies in this world but a gracious heart rises higher does as it were bathe it self with those refreshments that are to come through Gods mercy I have the creature and the communication of God through that and I have the ordinances and Gods choyce mercies communicated through them but there are glorious things to be communicated hereafter and those my soul rejoyces in Now God does communicate himself onely in that way which is suitable to our condition now we are but narrow vessels and have but narrow mouthes and are not capable of that greatness of Gods communication but time will come when as God will communicate himself in a more glorious maner and in that I bless my self and therefore I will not regard any of Gods communication of himself to me here but in order unto that glorious communication of God to me hereafter And thus we have seen something of the recompence of reward comparing it with what we have here Now secondly we are to compare it with the condition of Adam in the estate of Innocency As for the estate of Adam in Paradise it was a blessed condition yet far under the happiness of the Saints in the recompence of the reward For Adams body was but natural and his Paradise was but a natural Paradise and a possibility there was he might lose his happiness and if he should have stood there should not have been that glorious distinct working of the three Persons of the Trinity about mans happiness that there now is and therein especially lies the difference Thirdly compare it with the Angels and you shall finde in Scripture some expressions of the happiness of the Saints beyond the happiness of the blessed Angels themselves For the union that the Saints shall have with the Deity is a nearer union in divers respects then the union that the Angels have with the Deity and the righteousness wherewith the Saints stand righteous before the Lord is an higher righteousness then Adam or the Angels should have been in First the union that the Saints have with the Deity is a nearer union then that of the Angels First the humane nature in general that is advanced to an higher dignity then all the glory of the Angels put together Because there is an Hypostatical union between the humane Nature and the Divine in Christ Again we have many expressions in Scripture of the union of Saints with the Deity whereby it appears their union is nearer then the union of the Angels They are called the friends of Christ They are said to have fellowship with Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 9. They are the Brethren of Christ They are Co-heirs with Jesus Christ There are no such expressions of the Angels And yet there are nearer expressions of their union they are the Spouse of Christ the Bride the Angels are but as the servants They are the members of Christ and are made one with Christ They are those that are to be one with the Father as the Father and the Son are one Iohn 17. 21. Christ there prays As thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us he never prayed so for the Angels Lastly they are said to be loved of the Father with the very same love wherewith he loved the Son now though God loves the Angels yet it is not said that he loved them with the same love that he loved his Son These are the expressions we finde in Scripture concerning the near union that the Saints have with the Deity in some respects beyond the Angels but of the union of the Saints with the Deity we shall speak of more when we come to speak of the reward positively And then the righteousness wherewith they stand righteous before God is greater then the righteousness of Adam in Paradise or the Angels because it is the righteousness of the second Person of the Trinity and that is of an higher nature and a more glorious righteousness then the righteousness of any meer creature Now the righteousness of the Angels though it be perfect in its kinde yet it is not a righteousness of such an high nature as that righteousness which is the Son of God And thus of this recompence of reward comparatively CHAP. XLIII The perfection of the bodies and souls of the Saints in glory NOw thirdly let us consider it positively now in this positive consideration these things are to be followed First the perfection of their natures that they shall be raised to Secondly the glory that shall be put upon them at the day of Judgement Thirdly the possession of Heaven Fourthly the having God to be their Portion Fifthly their blessed communion with Jesus Christ Sixthly their communion with the Saints and Angels Lastly the eternal Sabbath that they are to keep in Heaven Under these seven heads all that we have to say concerning the positive reward of the Saints may be contained First the perfection that their
the Monarchs and great ones of the earth and so to be honored in the eyes of those that were their enemies and contemned and reproached them and vilified them before and likewise their glory shall be in this to rejoyce in the execution of the sentence that is pronounced upon those that are condemned Lastly their glory shall be in their glorious ascension with Christ into the highest heavens ranked in their comely order with triumph and joy singing Stand open ye gates and be ye open ye everlasting doors that the King of glory and all his redeemed ones may come in Thirdly the possession of heaven the Kingdom of heaven shall be theirs the heaven of heavens great things are spoken of that there are these things considerable in it First it is the third heaven there is the heaven that is the space between the visible firmament and the earth the second heaven is the Orbes wherein the Sun and Moon and Stars are and then there is an heaven above them which is the seat of the blessed which is of an infinite heighth above all now it as a sweet confideration for the people of God when you are going out in the evening and seeing the firmament spangled with the Stars to have such thoughts as these What shall one day this body of mine be lifted up beyond yonder place Though now you lie low in some dark hole there is a time when God shall lift you up to be above that spangled firmament that spangled firmament is but the pavement of your Fathers house it is but the outside and if the outside and footstool of Gods house be so glorious how glorious is it within how glorions is the presence Chamber This world is made for Dogs for the Enemies of God and those that are more vile then any creatures he does not think much to have swine live here but you do not suffer swine to come into the presence Chamber or into the Dining-room now heaven is the presence Chamber and Dining-room for that eternal feast to be solemnized in and that must needs be glorious Secondly it is called our Fathers house This is not our Fathers house though we should be caught up where the Stars are that is not our Father house that is but the out-room Says Christ In my Fathers house there are many Mansions God was from all eternity a heaven to himself before the world was then he created the highest heavens to be the place of his presence not that he is comprehended there but that he would have a place for his glory more fully to shine in Again it is a place prepared from the beginning of the world and Christ is gone to prepare it for us If there were such a building here that all the men of the world had been building from the beginning of the world and they had all the pearls and jewels of the world to set into it and all the inventions and strength of men and Angels to help them to build it would be glorious but in comparison it is but a dungeon to this The brightness of this is exceeding glorious says Chrysostom when you see a sumptuous pallace you look upon it and are taken with it but it is but as a dungeon to your Fathers house The light of that shall be of another nature then the light of the world the light that we have here is a material light but the whole body of heaven is of an higher nature then the body of the Sun and there shal be such a glorious presence of God as there shall need no Sun Moon and Stars to enlighten it and then with the brightness of the body of Christ and the brightness of the bodies of the Saints there shall be a glorious lustre And for the large extent of it the lowest heavens are but as a prick of the center in comparison to the starry heaven and the starry heaven is but as a prick of the center to the highest heaven Men boast here if they have but a few clods of land as Socrates put a scorn upon Alcebiades that boasted of his lands he brought him to the Map of the whole world and prayed him to shew them there and there was not one prick vouchsafed for them in it What is a little land to a countrey and what is a countrey to the world and the world is but as a prick to the lowest heaven and the lowest heaven is but as a prick to the starry heaven and the starry heaven is but as a prick to the highest heaven and the Saints shall possess all that You that have no possessions here know there is a possession hereafter that is more then if you had all the Lands in the world Besides it is of an incorruptible nature it is an inheritance incorruptible The reason why the heavens and so the soul is incorruptible is because it is not made out of pre-existing principles it was made out of nothing and nothing but an infinite power can annihilate a thing as well as make a thing out of nothing Much is said of that place for the description of it Jerusalem was but a Type of it and the Land of Canaan was but a Type of it and Paradise was but a Type of this glorious place that is provided for the Saints of God Let us therefore raise up our hearts to consider of this And as we read in Gen. 13. 14 15. where God shewed to Abraham the Land of Canaan says God look Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward for all the land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy seed So consider the vastness of the Heavens and the exceeding extent of them and consider this is the Inheritance of the Saints We know we have an abiding eternal inheritance our bodies shall abide eternally and the Heavens themselves are eternal this should quiet our hearts when we finde any discontent in our habitations it is no matter in what Countrey we are here there is a glorious Countrey we are going to Christ our elder Brother is already gone and hath taken possession of Heaven for us as if so be there were some great inheritance did befal you here and you cannot go to possess it and if you hear one is there for you who hath taken quiet possession for you and you shall be sent for in time convenient will you not be content So we are not fitted for Heaven but Christ is gone before to take possession and within a while we shall go and live with him The earth is too mean a place for the Saints and yet the world is not worthy of the Saints of God in a mean condition then the world shall not be worthy of the Saints in their glorious condition and therefore there must be a place above the world Yet know Heaven is not enough for the Saints the Saints of God are of such spiritual raised spirits as
but the Saints of God are are his image and this shall be their happiness to see the glory of God in themselves A man may delight to see beautiful colours but you take more delight if you can by looking in a glass see your selves beautiful and see those beautiful colours in your own clothes but if we could have the glory of the Sun and the Moon and all the creatures in heaven shining within our bodies that would be counted glorious indeed but to see the divine excellency and the top of the divine excellency of the infinite God shining within us this will be a mighty happiness Base sensual carnal hearts think there is no content but in satisfying the flesh What sweet and content have many but in their eating and drinking and their pallate is pleased and in that their other senses are satisfied and they think this is the excellency of man But take a schollar that hath but the exercise of his understanding to finde out truths and those things that are suitable to the rational part and he sees more excellency there then in any sensual thing and he can scorn sensual delights If there be so much content to the minde in viewing the things here what content will there be to the minde in beholding God and his glory There are two reasons of content in seeing things In regard of the object or in regard of the act of seeing it self Let the object be what it will there is delight in the act of seeing and understanding For a man to understand that which is evil it gives delight to the minde and it is one of the perfections of God that he understands evil as well as good so that there is content and delight in the act of seeing though there be no delight in the object but when the object is pleasing too that addes much to comfort and delight therefore content in the sight of God must be the highest content because there is the highest act of understanding and the highest object to see that can be And thus I have endeavored to open unto you the second blessed thing that the Saints shall have in Gods being their portion they shall see God Blessed are your eyes says Christ That you see those things that you see and blessed are your ears that heard those things you hear So blessed are the eyes of Gods people that do see any thing of God here and hear any thing of God here but blessed are the eyes that shall see God hereafter That which I labor for in pressing these things is to take off your hearts from these things below and that you may see what you are capable of and if your hearts be mad upon your sins and you will perish you shall know what you lose me-thinks if men did know what they lose by their sin they would cast it off with indignation and therefore when your sin comes and tempts you say What shall I lose all this for such a way of sin CHAP. XLVII The blessedness of Union with God THirdly they shall have union with God Sight is higher then presence and union is higher then sight John 17. 21. Christ prays to his Father That they may be one in us as thou art in me and I in thee For the opening of this union with God you are to know that there is first an union that God hath with all creatures in general Secondly an union that he hath with the humane nature of Christ Thirdly the union that he hath with the Saints First the union that God hath with all creatures in general and that union is twofold An union of dependance or an union of his immense presence Of dependance because all creatures in the world depend upon God for their being and continuance of their being every moment therefore there must be an union of God with them for if the union of dependance were broke evey creature would fall to nothing As the beams of the Sun have an union with the Sun and the beams could not continue if they were not united to the Sun so all the creatures have an union of dependance with God without which they cannot continue And then the union of immense presence that must be because God is in every thing and every where there is not the least spire of grass or stone but there is a way of Gods immense presence in that Secondly there is another kinde of union that God hath with the humane nature of Christ and that we call an hypostatical union for the humane nature and the divine nature to be united in one person this is that the Saints and Angels of God shall be adoring God for to all eternity that ever there should be such an union between the Deity and the Creature that if it were not revealed to us in the word it were impossible to be imagined by any creature It is a great work of God to unite an immortal soul with such a base creature as our flesh is into one person I do not know any one work of God in creation so great as this and this is to be admired at but if this be so great a work to unite a rational immortal soul into one person with a corruptible piece of flesh then to unite mans nature into one person with the second person in Trinity this is a great work Thirdly there is an union of God with the Saints and that is in this World or in Heaven In the World there is a fourfold union that God hath with the Saints First there is an union of the inhabitation of the Spirit for the Saints of God in this World are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of God is said to dwell in them and so there is a glorious union by the inhabitation of the Holy Ghost in them The second union that the Saints of God have in this world is the union of similitude the Saints are like God here in some measure they have the image of God stamped upon them God sees his face in the Saints The brightest glass in the world to shew Gods face is the souls of the Saints and there is not onely some likeness of God in the Saints but the likeness of God in his very life A glass may represent my image but that image hath not that life that I have but the image of God in the Saints does not onely represent God but they have the life of God those that are converted live the life of God and by sin we are estranged from the life of God they work as God works God understands himself the highest and infinite good and God wills himself as the highest and infinite good these are the chief actions of Gods life Now the Saints of God live this life they in their measure do here understand God as the highest and infinite good and do will God as the highest and infinite good A
God and my soul are somewhat united and that God and my soul shall have a glorious union hereafter O that God would raise our hearts to these things that we may know what is the business we have to do in the world If you do not know these things shall be your portion never give satisfaction to your selves in the flesh till your know these things shall be your portion CHAP. XLVIII The blessedness of communion with God NOw we come to the fourth thing Communion with God and this is more then the other three things Union is the ground of communion communion is that which riseth from both parts being united and the Saints shall have a glorious communion with God and the Trinity in this life there is a communion that the Scripture speaks of that we have with God the Father and the Son and the Spirit 1 John 1. 3. Our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and in 1 Cor. 13. 14. The communion of the Holy Ghost be with you says the Apostle so that there is a fellowship with the Father and the Son and communion with the Holy Ghost but certainly it shall be another maner of communion that the Saints shall have with God in the world to come Now this communion it stands either in regard of the work of God upon and towards the Saints or the work of the Saints upon and towards God for communion is on both sides and that in these four things First in the delight they have one in another Secondly in wishing all good to one another Thirdly in the communication of themselves one to another Fourthly in the blessed familiar converse that they have one with another First communion consists in the delight they have in one another There is a full actual mutual everlasting delight between God and the Saints in heaven First there is a delight Secondly full Thirdly actual Fourthly mutual Fifthly everlasting First there is a delight God here rejoyces in them the Scripture says He rejoyces in the habitable parts of the earth and his delight is with the sons of men Prov. 8. 31. why does God delight in the habitable parts of the earth there are other glorious works of God that are not in the habitable parts of the world but God delights in the habitable parts of the world because there are rational creatures there but he hath more delight in his Church in this world then in any other part of the habitable parts of the world as Isa 19. 25. Assyria is the work of Gods hands but Israel is his inheritance but there will be a delight far higher The delight that God hath in heaven it self is in regard of the Saints that are there without which heaven were not heaven First it is delight in their persons God takes infinite delight and content in the persons of the Saints howsoever their persons are mean here yet as they shall be hereafter God will take an infinite delight in them Secondly he delights in conferring blessedness upon his people there is much delight in the communication of good as well as in the enjoyment of it what good hath a man who hath a great estate more then another but that he may communicate more good then another Thirdly he delights in the glory that he hath conferred upon them As those that have true communion one with another delight in any good that one another hath God delights in the glory that is in his Saints and takes much pleasure in it his soul is satisfied in the glory that he sees upon his own people and that because he loves them The former arose from the pleasure in himself in the act of communicating this from the love to his people to see their good Fourthly God delights in their presence to have them with him and by him as the Father delights in the presence of his Children to have them round about him Fifthly God delights in their love that he hath these creatures to love as a man delights to have love from others What pleasure could a man have in all the world if none loved him If he should live in a Family or Town and none loved him he could have no pleasure in his life but if a man live where he is loved it makes up a great many wants so God is not contented in any thing else he hath to delight himself in but that which must make up all in that he hath his people to love him Sixthly God delights the more in his own glory because his Saints are partakers of it it is so much the more sweet unto him because they have a share in it thus it is between entire friends who have intimate communion one with another their own happiness pleases them the more because the other hath a part in it Secondly it is a full delight that God takes in his people It is said of his people in this world in Zeph. 17. 3. he will rejoyce over them with joy and with singing the delight that God hath with his people in Heaven must needs be full First in regard of the near relation that his people have to his Son and because he takes such infinite delight in the Son and they being one with him thence flows that full delight Secondly because he shall see so much of his own Image now that is infinitely delightful that is the reason why the father or mother does delight in their children because they see themselves in them so God shall see himself in his people and that will cause full delight Thirdly because of the glorious works of God upon the souls of his people because he shall see his own handy-work to be so glorious and full in them As a man that makes a work that is very curious and glorious he takes abundance of delight to look upon it and if the work be full and perfect then his delight is full and perfect Now the great work of God is in the glory of the Saints God loves to look back to the creatures therefore when he had made the world he looked upon what he had made and saw it was good As a workman when he hath brought his work to some perfection he will look upon it Now when God shall see what he hath done in raising such a poor worm to such high excellency God will take full delight in viewing this full work he hath done And this is more then all the former for besides the delight in the act of communication and delight because of the love to those to whom good is communicated This is the delight in his own work done in the beholding the beauty and glory of it Fourthly the delight of God must be full because in them God attains his highest end the highest end of his greatest design the highest end of his deepest councels the highest end of his most glorious work It is a great
delight to a man when he goes about a work if he have his end though a man have some benefit by his work yet if he be crost in his last end all his joy is taken away and this is the evil of sin sin seeks to cross God in his highest end that he aims at but the Saints in heaven shall give God his full end God shall have the highest end that he did aim at he shall see it accomplished and fulfilled in them now those objects in which God 's highest end is fulfilled he must needs take delight in and that shall be in the Saints Again the delight of God must be full because God hath no other object but rational creatures Angels and Saints to let out his delight to if God does take any delight in any creature here it is in order to the Angels and the Saints Now when God hath no other object to himself and his Son and his Spirit to let out his delight unto but the rational Creatures Saints and Angels joyned in one for the Lord Christ shall be the head of the Saints and Angels surely his delight in them shall be full Thirdly this delight shall be actual and that is necessary to communion for though there be delight yet if it should lie dead in the habits there is no communion If two friends have habitual delight one in another they are not said to have communion but when it is actual so this delight shall be actual the nature of delight is to be lively and active even in us though it be but an affection in us but God being a pure act there will be an infinite activity in his delight and it is always vigorous and fresh so as God shall make the souls of his people to be sensible of the activity of his delight Fourthly this delight shall be mutual it shall be on the Saints part as well as on Gods part As God delights in the persons of the Saints so they delight in God himself not in that they receive from God but their greatest delight is in the being of God himself and as God delights in their glory so they do delight in all the glory of God in essential glory that they see in God and in all the glory that is reflected upon God by his creatures and they delight in his presence in being with him and in his love and in that they can give any glory to him they delight in all they have more because God hath glory by it then in that themselves are blessed in it And it is full likewise the delight of the Saints of God is full as well as the delight of God in the Saints is full and that for the very same grounds that the delight of God in them is full namely The fulness of Gods delight in them is their relation to Christ so the ground of their full delight in God is because God is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and because they see their likeness in God what ever excellency they have in themselves they see it to be infinitely in God and as God delights in them because of his works he sees in them so the Saints shall see all the good that ever they have done does redound to the glory of God howsoever the works of Gods people for the present seem to be mean yet it shall appear all the gracious works of the people of God shall be the most glorious things in the world For God shall own them for the setting out of his glory as the greatest things in the world and this should be an infinite encouragement to us to be abundant in good works because God will glorifie our good works and as the fulness of the delight of God in the Saints is because God attains his end in them how full must the delight of the Saints in God be because the Saints do attain their end in God the end of all their thoughts and ways and performances and they shall have no other object to let out their delight to but onely God here though we have some grace yet the stream is divided we let out so much to one creature and so much to another the children so much to the Parents and the Parents so much to the children and husband so much to the wife and the wife so much to the husband and so much to our friends that the stream we let out to God is but little but when all the delight that we let out to the creatures shall be taken away and God shall be the onely object of our delight then our delight must be full And as this delight is mutual so it shall be continual for being withdrawn from all other objects it will work upon that both of them Gods delight in the Saints and the delight of the Saints in God shall be for ever the Saints shall be an eternal excellency in which God shall delight and God shall be an eternal excellency in which they delight they shall be always keeping that feast of the Lamb. We read of Ahasuerus he kept a glorious feast and the gloriousness of it is set forth by the continuance of it Esther 1. 4 5. it is observable the difference between the feast that he made with his Nobles and the feast that he made with the common people and that may lively set out the difference of the goodness of God that he lets out to his own people and that he lets out to other common people he made a feast of a hundred and fourscore days to his Nobles and but seven days to the common people so when God comes to make a feast of joy to his people it shall be everlasting Men in the world have some content but it is but for a little time but the comfort and joy that is to be between God and the Saints in Heaven is to be eternal because it is such a feast as is made to his Nobles and to shew the riches of his glorious Kingdom and the honor of his Majesty Secondly in communion there is a mutual wishing and willing of good to one another now God shall will all good to the Saints and they wish all good to God It is true that God from all eternity did will all good unto his people but here his people are not of a capacity to receive much there is a great deal of difference in willing and determining good to them before they were in being or before they were capable of receiving this good and willing good to them when they shall be made vessels fit to receive good the bodies and souls either of the Saints or the wicked being united after the resurrection they shall be vessels infinitely enlarged capable of abundantly more then they are here and then to have God will good to them is far better then to have good willed to them here The men of the world would fain have good here
while their hearts are narrow and they cannot receive much from God but the Saints look for good hereafter when their hearts shall be enlarged when as the wicked when their souls shall be enlarged they shall have nothing but misery There is a twofold love when one shall will onely good to himself by another or will good to another now the love of good will is most glorious in God and it is mutual God shall will his good to the creature and the Saints shall will all good to God What good can they will to God It is true there can be no addition to the essential goodness of God but they can will that this his goodness be honored and praised and this shall be in the blessed communion between God and his Saints in the mutual working of their wills Thirdly in communion there is the communication of what one have unto another where there is right communion there is a communication on both parts if on receive good and the other do not labor to communicate it is not communion Now there is a glorious communication on Gods part First immediate Secondly full Thirdly free Fourthly everlasting First immediate whereas here God communicates himself through creatures or through ordinances there are conduits of conveyance for there is such distance between God and us that we cannot expect that immediate conveyance of Gods goodness and of himself to us here as we shall have in heaven Secondly the fulness of Gods communication Suppose that God should draw out all that beauty sweetness goodness and power that he hath communicated in all creatures in the world and bring the quintessence of all and communicate that unto the soul of one Saint certainly it would not serve the turn for the happiness of one Saint there must be a greater communication But conceive if we see one creature have so much power in it by its influence upon the dunghil as to produce such a glorious creature as life which is the most glorious thing that ever God did make Saint Augustine says There is more glory in the life of a flie then in the Sun in the Firmament Now if the Sun have such power to produce life from a piece of dirt what power shall the influence of an infinite God have upon a glorified soul No marvel though the Scripture says That eye hath not seen neither ear hath heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him Thirdly it is free as free as the Sun lets out its beams It is natural to a good thing to communicate much more for goodness it self certainly God being goodness in the abstract his communication must needs be free Fourthly it is everlasting the letting out of himself to the Saints shall preserve their strength that he may let out himself unto them as if there were that power in some excellent liquor that is let out into a vessel not onely to sweeten it but perpetually to preserve it that it may be letting out it self into it so God does everlastingly in communicating himself unto his people preserve them that he may communicate himself And then the Saints of God do communicate to God in the same way that God does to them They are always worshipping God immediately not through ordinances as they shall not receive any thing of God through ordinances so they shall not worship God through ordinances but as they receive immediately so they shall worship God immediately and their communication shall be full but as they cannot will any essential good to God so they cannot communicate any essential good but they shall communicate themselves and all that they are or have to God or if they were able to make a thousand worlds they would make them all for the glory of God but because that is beyond the power of any creature therefore they communicate themselves and all that they are or have or can do to God as a drop of water is let out into an infinite Ocean so they are let out unto God as into an infinite Ocean And then the communication is free having the divine nature made perfect in them that do flow to God when they see his divine nature and this communication shall be everlasting God letting out himself to them and they letting out themselves to God This is the reward of the Righteous and this is that which Moses had an eye unto and all Gods people that have an eye beyond the vail behold it with infinite soul-satisfaction Fourthly in communion with God there is a familiar converse between God and the Saints And herein are these particulars First God manifesting himself in a suitable way to the conditions of his people so as it were condescending to their condition that though his Majesty be infinite yet it shall no way be a terror unto them Here if a Saint of God sees but an Angel he is amazed but because God would have his people enjoy holy familiarity with himself therefore he will manifest himself so as though there be an infinite glory yet there shall be no amazement but that they shall be able familiarly to converse with him as one friend does with another The Scripture speaks of the familiar converse that God hath with his people here that they are called friends Abraham was called The friend of God and the Disciples were called friends but hereafter the friendship shall be much more full and sweet Job shall have his desire O that the terror of God may not fall upon me Here when God spake by himself many of the dearest of his Saints have been afraid but when we come to be made partakers of this blessed Recompence of reward all such fear shall be done away Again another thing in familiar converse is the mutual opening of themselves one to another much is said of Gods opening of himself to his people here Psal 25. 14. Prov. 3. 32. 1 Cor. 2. 16. John 15. 15. and that is the reason why they are brought into the Chamber spoken of in Cant. 1. 4. because their secrets are discovered as they said to the King of Judah concerning the Prophet The Prophet that is in Israel does reveal whatsoever thou doest in thy bed-chamber because in them Kings reveal their secrets The mysteries of the Kingdom are revealed to the Saints here much more in heaven there are many secret things that God hath to tell his people when they come to have familiarity with him When a man comes to a woman a stranger he does not tell her his secrets but when she is marryed to him then he tells her his secrets so in heaven God will reveal his secrets and they shall not onely see his face but they shall see Gods heart And they shall open their hearts to God for they shall have nothing in their hearts that they shall be ashamed of As the Sun-flower when the
laid in water reserved till we shall come to be planted in Heaven and there to flourish There is much difference between Gods people what they are here and what they shall be in Heaven as there is between a plant that is bound up and laid in water to be kept alive and when it is in the Orchard green and flourishing and bringing forth fruit Fourthly to have communion with them when we shall know one another perfectly It is an opinion of Thomas as you heard That the bodies of the Saints shall be so transparent that they shall be able to see through one anothers bodies as through a glass Howsoever that be yet the souls of one another and the graces and goodness of one another shall be fully made known to one another If now we did converse with a company of people that we knew certainly had all true grace and were all elected from all eternity what an admirable comfort would this be our communion is comfortable because we have some hopes of their election and we see some signs of grace but if we were certain of this if God should speak from Heaven concerning the poorest member of a Church and say This man or woman is the man or woman that I have had thoughts upon from all eternity and have elected to everlasting glory would we not prize such a one and rejoyce to have such a one in our families and houses Now when we come to Heaven we shall certainly know every one was elected from all eternity and so shall live with us to eternity we shall never have any fears or suspitions of them lest they should be hypocrites as there are fears and suspitions given of one another now And then to have communion with them when there shall be perfect love and union of heart to one another that one shall love another as well as himself and rejoyce in the glory and prosperity of one another as well as his own If one have more glory then another he that hath least glory shall rejoyce in him that hath more glory as if it were his own and therefore there shall not be any want of glory to any says Anselm Every Saint shall love God above himself and love one another as himself and God shall love them all more then they either love themselves or one another and he gives the reason of it says he They love both themselves and one another for God and by God and God loves himself and them for himself and by himself and therefore as they shall love God above themselves so they shall love one another like themselves and rejoyce in the happiness of another as in their own happiness Now what an heaven upon earth is it to have brethren live together in unity if it be in family communion or in Church communion to have entire love without any breaches this is a blessing but howsoever while we are in this world there will be breaches yet there is an heavenly Jerusalem coming where we shall live without breaches And then likewise to have communion one with another always in holy exercises To have communion one with another in our civil converse to eat and drink at one anothers tables and in recreating our selves this is sweet but communion in holy ordinances and holy duties that is sweetest Men love communion and society here that they may play together and eat and drink together indeed if it be in a moderate Christian way there may be some delight in it but know it is an evident sign of a carnal heart when as thy chief affections shall be let out in the exercising thy self that way If the chief joy of your hearts be not in exercising your selves in holy duties your hearts are carnal There is a great deal of difference between that day in which a company of gracious men have communion with one another in recreating themselves and that day wherein they shall have communion with one another in exercising themselves in holy ordinances in praying together and hearing the Word together and therefore examine whether you finde a day of communion with Gods people in holy exercises better then a day of communion in outward society Again it is such a communion as we shall never part with such a communion as we shall always enjoy Here we have communion but it is often darkned because we are often in our dumps and many times there is an occasion of sorrow given but to have communion where there shall be always joy continual being at the feast the supper of the Lamb that must needs be sweet Therefore that Text you have of Lazarus in Abrahams bosom sets out the continual feast of the Lamb that the Saints shall have because that was the maner of the Jews feasting to lean in the bosom of one another and therefore John when he sate to eat with Christ he leaned in his bosom noting that the Saints shall be always as the children of the Bride-Chamber There is a question made by some of the knowing of one anoanother in heaven It is reported of Luther the night before he dyed he was reasonable well and sate with his friends at the Table and the matter of their discourse was Whether they should know one another in heaven or no whether the father should know the childe or the childe the father Luther held it affirmatively and this was one reason he gave As it was with Adam as soon as he saw Eve he knew what Eve was not by discourse but by the Spirit of God telling him what she was and so we being filled with the Spirit of God we shall come to know one another we shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob we shall have communion with them not onely as godly men but as with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and if with them why not with others This we have in Scripture that spiritual relations shall adde much to the glory of the people of God in Heaven though natural relations shall be taken away as the Father if he know the childe there shall not be that natural affection to the childe as is now yet the Scripture seems to speak of spiritual relations that they shall continue even in Heaven for the glory of the Saints and therefore St. Paul says to the Philippians You are our crown and our rejoycing in the day of Christ It shall be known who were converted by such a Ministery and it shall be a crown to a Minister that such were converted and edified and built up by him But we need not trouble our selves about this question because we have one thing that will satisfie us about all questions that are not clear Either we shall have all that happiness we do think in our thoughts or can think or else we shall have that we being our own judges and choosers that shall be as good or better so that if a Parent thinks what an happiness were it for me
to see my childe in heaven and the childe shall think what an happiness were it for me to see my Parents in Heaven you think so here We guess at things thus childishly but yet either this shall be or that which is as good or better then this As suppose I should think how glad should I be if such a one would give me a shilling if after I come to know he will give me this or a Twenty shilling piece I do not trouble my self to know whether he will give me a shilling or no. And so much for Communion with the Angels and Saints CHAP. LII The happiness of Gods people in the Perpetual Sabbath that they shall enjoy NOw the last thing in the Explication is to shew wherein the happiness of the Saints consists is that Perpetual Sabbath that they shall keep with God whereof this Sabbath is but a Type Heb. 4. 9. Sabbaths here are comfortable and we have felt some sweet and some comfort in some Sabbaths but take all the comfort that ever you had in all the Sabbaths you have had here and put all into one that would be a comfortable Sabbath but that perpetual Sabbath that shall be hereafter will be the accomplishment of all those Sabbaths and that will be sweet Now I shall express my self in these six or seven particulars to shew the happiness of Gods people in that perpetual Sabbath First they shall be exercised in the highest employments that any creature can be exercised in or that they are capable to be exercised in The happiness of a creature consists much in that which it is exercised in as there is a great deal of difference between the happiness of a Noble-man in Court and the happiness of one that is employed onely in cleansing channels and the meanest employment that is because their exercise is different the one is exercised about business that concerns a King and a State and the other is imployed about mean things therefore according as the exercise is that any creature is raised to so is the dignity and excellency of that creature Now we are exercised in mean things here in comparison of what we shall be hereafter and yet our business here in making provision for the flesh in getting meat and drink and clothes and money is sweet but though out of obedience to God we ought to go on comfortably in our callings and places wherein God hath set us because God calls us to these low mean things yet we are to account them a mean condition in regard of that which our natures are capable of it is but a sore travel that is laid upon man and this shall not satisfie us as if we were capable of no higher things but when we shall be raised to be busied about the highest employments that a created substance is capable to be busied about that must be comfortable as the Psalmist speaks The high praises of God shall be in their mouthes They shall be always busied in the high contemplations of God and of the Trinity and they shall be always singing praises to God and to him that sits upon the throne and to every Verse of the Song that they shall sing to the Lamb there shall be a Selah put to it it must be glorious because this is the highest glory that God hath not onely from his works here but from all the counsels of his wisdom about the great mystery of redemption from all his works in Heaven and the highest glory that he hath from all the communications of himself to the Saints in Heaven in his praises that they shall be exercised in all the happiness that we have from God here is a way of subserviency unto the actual praising of God there whatsoever God communicates to his creature the top of all is not that the creature should have it but that it should reflect the praise of all upon God The end of all that God does in the world is his glory that he shall have in Heaven and the end of all he does in Heaven is the actual working of the souls of his Saints upon himself Secondly the happiness of the perpetual Sabbath may be expressed in this in that the souls of Gods people shall be always up and fit for these high works God calls us many times to most excellent things to be exercised about himself but our hearts are not fit for these exercises sometimes we finde our hearts enlarged and when our hearts are up we take delight in holy exercises but at other times how hardly are we drawn to them and we are weary in obedience and count it a slavery those exercises are heavy to us but there is a time coming when our hearts shall be always up never to seek but shall be always upon the highest pin enflamed with heat continually as it is an heavy curse for a mans heart to be suitable and fitted for temptation when a temptation shall come so it is a wonderful blessing to be fitted for any holy employment when we are called to it this there shal be always in the Saints in heaven in keeping this their perpetual Sabbath It is reported of Anselm as he was walking out of his house he saw a bird that was fluttering to fly up and could not get up but fell down and looking upon it wishly he saw a string tyed to the leg and a stone at the end upon this his heart broke and he bemoaned himself This is my condition says he though sometimes I would fain get up in holy exercises with God O but this burthen of sin and weight of sin is like a stone and presses me down when I am got up a little way I am pull'd down again my heart is seldom fitted for holy exercises So it is with us usually though through Gods grace there are some wings to move up a little yet this weight and burthen of sins presses us down and makes us unfit for holy duties let us go humbly a while under that sore burthen but know we shall be freed from it ere long Thirdly the happiness of the Sabbath consists in this there shall be no intermission but they shall continue day and night though there shall be no night then we shall not go to duty and break off again and go again and break off again no there shall be no other imployment though the duties of Gods worship here be of an excellent nature yet we are not to spend all our time in them but then there shall be nothing else to spend one moment of time in to all eternity Fourthly there shall be no weariness though we do spend some time in holy exercises here we are quickly weary before we have done Though the spirit be willing the flesh is weak but when we shall have been praising of God millions of years we shall be as fresh at the end of them as at the first moment when we are
The time is short says the Scripture the word that is translated short in 1 Cor. 7. 29. is a Metaphor taken from a piece of cloth that is rolled up onely a little left at the end so God hath rolled up all his works onely he hath a little left at the end and then all this glory shall appear the frame of Heaven and earth does but stand till that time and if that time were come the frame of Heaven and earth should presently be dissolved and the ways of Gods providence in this world should be at an end the Heavens and earth groan for this time It is said of Doctor Taylor when he was near at the stake he fetch'd a leap and said I have but two stiles to my Fathers house We in our way here are as Travellers some ride it may be a little faster and get to the Inn first and then another comes a quarter or half an hour after but it is but a short time in comparison he hath promised and he will come quickly with the glory of his Father and all the glory of Heaven with him And then this shall be after all our troubles As Painters first draw all black and then the other beautiful colours so all our troubles here are but as the black ground-work to make our glory the more beautiful hereafter To see land after a long and dangerous voyage how joyful is it As the Trojans after they had been wandring a long time in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas as soon as they espied Italy they cryed out with exulting joys Italy Italy how much more the Saints after they have passed this troublesom world and come to Heaven what acclamations of joy will the heavens ring of Heaven Heaven Lastly all these things are eternal this puts an infiniteness of worth upon every particular How was Haman puffed up by Esthers inviting of him to one Banquet How shall the hearts of the Saints be taken with that eternal Supper of the Lamb Obed-Edom was blessed in having the Ark but three moneths in his house how blessed they who shall have Gods not onely gracious but glorious presence eternally And so I come to the fourth particular which was propounded in the handling of this point namely 4. Wherein lies the power of the consideration of the recompence of reward to help a man through sufferings Much hath been said but more may be said to shew that there is a mighty power in it to enable the heart to suffer any thing for God it is that which hath mightily wrought upon the Saints of God heretofore That is an observable place that we have concerning Christs Transfiguration and Christs Agony when he was transfigured upon the Mount and his glory was shewed even a glimpse of the glory of Heaven Christ took with him onely three Disciples Peter James and Iohn afterward when Christ was to come to his Agony when his soul was heavy to death and he sweat clods of blood he onely took those three Disciples that had seen him in his glory to see him in his sufferings to shew that those that know what the glory of Christ means those are the fittest to joyn with Christ in his Agony and to endure the greatest sufferings that they can meet withal See in Dan. 7. there is mention made of a cruel Tyrant that should make War with the Saints and should persecute Gods people that devoured and brake in pieces yet there were some that should bear out all that should have the Kingdom given them and God should reward them gloriously Who are they at the 22 verse The Saints of the most high so you read it or The Saints of the highest not onely of the highest God but of the highest places of the highest things they are those to whom the Kingdom shall be given those Saints that did see the most glorious things of the Kingdom of God they had the reward for they held out in sufferings but others whose hearts were low in the earth they did not hold out So those that should hold out in the time of Antichrist and should not worship the Beast Rev. 13. 6 7 8. were such as dwelt in Heaven He opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwelt in Heaven in many places of the Revelations Heaven is taken for the Church of God and the People of God and so Interpreters take it here And it was given to him to war with the Saints and to overcome them but though he prevailed against the Saints to kill them yet he could not prevail against them that dwelt in Heaven to worship him but all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him all that know no higher good then the Earth they shall follow Antichrist and worship him Here we see the reason why people will not endure the sufferings inflicted by the Beast but follow the Beast have his mark either upon their foreheads openly or in their hands secretly because they do not apprehend the glory of Heaven but if they can come to see those glorious things of Heaven though Antichrist do persecute them they would not worship him in these latter times of the world Antichrist will prevail to get many to worship him but the sight of these glorious things will keep us we shall not worship him In Rev. 12. the Church who is compared to a Woman that was cloathed with the glory of the Sun she had the Moon and all sublunary things under her feet When the soul is seeking after the glory of Heaven and that is always in its eye this causes it to have the Moon by which is signified all things below that are subject to changes under its feet I read of a Martyr that was whipped and almost scourged to death and then being led to the execution he met with his Mother who being a godly gracious woman did not fall of tearing her hair and rending her cloathes as other women used to do but cryed Son Remember eternal life look up to Heaven and see him that reigns there Hence we see that having an eye to the recompence of reward does make the heart to choose the Choice of Moses To suffer affliction with the people of God and to esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt you see there is a great deal of power and efficacy in it but wherein does this power consist In divers particulars CHAP. LIII Wherein the power and efficacy of eying the recompence of reward consists FIrst there is a great deal of power in looking to this glorious recompence of reward because the glory of this does so much darken all the glory of the things of the world that we are called to part withal when we are called to suffer any thing Now then the argument lies thus That which darkens all the glory of the world and makes it appear to be
nothing that must needs have a great deal of power to enable the heart to part with any thing in the world in the cause of God those who by the eye of faith are able to behold the reality and certainty of those glorious things they look upon all things below as poor mean slight contemptible things As we know the glory of the light of the Sun darkens the glory of the light of a candle the light of a candle is comfortable in the night in the dark but when the light of the Sun riseth that is nothing So long as the men of the world are in darkness the light and comfort of the creature is a great matter to them but when God lets the glory of the things of his Kingdom appear to them then the comfort of the creature is nothing A Glow-worm glisters in the dark but when the day comes the brightness and the glistering of the Glow-worm is not seen so all the brightness and glistering of the creature that takes the hearts of men is gone when God lifts up his light upon them and shews them the greatness of his Kingdom And the reason why people are so hardly brought to suffer any thing for God is because they have such high esteem of these things that which a man hath high esteem of he is loth to part withal but when a mans heart is taken from them as there is no longer a high esteem of them he is willing to part with them As Saint Paul said I am ready not to be bound onely but also to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus his life was not dear to him he accounted it not worth the least degree of glory to God A gracious heart as it accounts nothing low in any duty that tends to this glorious reward so it accounts nothing high to part with for the recompence of reward It is a notable passage we have of Joseph to his Father Jacob Gen. 45. 20. Regard not your stuff for the good of all the Land of Egypt is yours It may be Joseph thought his Father Jacob might think I have many Goods here and what shall I leave all that I have here to go to Egypt into a strange countrey he might think this might be some let to his Father but Ioseph calls it all stuff you have a deal of stuff and lumber but let it not grieve you to leave your stuff and lumber all the good of the Land of Egypt is yours So God says to a gracious heart when it looks upon any thing it should part withal and it is loth to part with it says God Regard not your stuff and lumber you have here for not the good of all the Land of Egypt is yours but all the good that is in Heaven is yours and the good that is in the God of Heaven and the good that is in Christ is all yours That soul that understands the glory of Heaven and the Interest that it hath in it shall hear a voyce tell it That all the good in Heaven and in God and in Christ is its own and therefore he will not regard any thing here if we knew no better things then these we would be loth to part with them if we had never seen the light of the Sun we would have accounted the Moon a glorious creature and as a mighty Ornament to Heaven and to the world but when we come to see the glory of the Sun that is nothing to us in comparison Children that are born in a dungeon and know no better things would be loth to part with that they have there but when they come to know what is in the world then all they had before is nothing to them greater glory diminisheth that which is less So that we may apply that the Apostle speaks concerning the comparison of the Gospel with the Law to this we are speaking of 2 Cor. 3. 10. That which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth though there was some glory in the administration of the Law yet it is no glory in comparison of that which excelleth So though there may be glory in the outward comforts of the world yet there is no glory in comparison of that glory which excelleth in comparison of that glory which hath been opened and that is the first thing Secondly as the glory of the world is darkned by having respect to this glorious recompence of reward so all the evils of the world are wonderfully lessened You know what the Apostle says in Rom. 8. 18. That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us As we use to say It is not to be named the same day not to be reckoned with the glory that shall be revealed in us A Father upon that place hath a notable gloss says he Sufferings are not to be compared looked upon in respect first of the punishment that we have deserved which is passed by and pardoned and then not to be compared and reckoned with the present grace and comfort that Gods people have here But then much less is to be compared and reckoned with the weight of glory that is to come that is promised to us And so in 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. While we look at things that are eternal not temporal this light affliction all is but light and nothing in comparison What is it for one to have a rainy day who is going to take possession of a Crown there is no man would be much sensible of a little cold in his head if it were uncovered a while to have a Crown of gold put on I have read of a foolish woman that was afraid her Son should get cold by putting off his night-cap to have a Crown set upon his head but no wise man would much consider the cold he should get in his head upon that ground Great things swallow up small things and great joys will swallow up small evils there is no comparison between the evil we suffer here and the glory that is to come What is a drop of vinegar put into an Ocean of sweet wine it is not so much as taken notice of here when a man receives a great good he is not affected with lesser evils As for example in Saul when Saul had the Kingdom some did despise him 1 Samuel 10. 27. but Saul held his peace he was not troubled at that though he was a man afterward froward enough he thought this good of the Kingdom is enough to take away the apprehension of any evil in being despised what though a company of poor people despise me and speak against me when as I have the Kingdom and am anointed of God and have this dignity put upon me A man that knows any thing of his own worth and that God hath bestowed much upon him this takes off any other evil that
appears to be in others prating of him but now when men do not understand any great good in themselves then they account the evil of the world despising them a great evil Many men judge of themselves rather by the esteem other men have of them then by any good they know in themselves and no marvel though these men be so much troubled at other mens despising of them If a Merchant have a Ship come home laden with many thousand pounds worth of rich Commodities though his Servant should do something amiss that day he would not be froward at it but pass it by because he hath such great profit and good coming in so the evils of the world are nothing in comparison to that soul that knows the great things of the Kingdom of God to be its own Thirdly there is a mighty deal of power in it because this respect unto the recompence of reward does so much take up the faculties of the soul the intention of the minde being taken up about so great an object other things are not minded in comparison and this is the reason why those that are in a phrensie are insensible of what you do unto them because their mindes are taken up about that which they apprehend so strongly as nothing else is minded by them and if there was any object made known to take up the minde of man it must be such great things as these made certain and real to the soul by faith It is a property peculiar to God that though he hath many glorious things that he exercises his wisdom about yet he does minde the least thing the least creature in the world as much as if there were nothing else to minde but no creature can do so no creature can minde great things with intention of minde and yet minde inferior things with any strength of intention too but if he mindes great things with intention other things must be lightly minded An Ecclesiastical Historian tells us of the Christians they did so minde the glory of God and the glory of Heaven as that the pains they suffered were as in the bodies of other men and not in their own bodies It is reported of Archimides who was a great Mathematician that when the City was taken wherein he was and the Warlike instruments of death clattering about his ears and all was in a tumult yet he was so busie about drawing his lines that he did not know there was any danger and heard no noise If such objects as these can take up the intention of the minde so as not to minde other things then much more such an object as eternal life and eternal glory and happiness And therefore that place is very observable in 2 Cor. 4. 16. We faint not in our sufferings because we look not at things that are seen but at things that are not seen We are so intense about Heaven and the glory of God that we do not give a look at things that are seen So in Heb. 11. 15 16. They were not so much as mindeful of that Countrey from whence they came because they sought a Countrey that was better and heavenly It is a notable expression that Basil hath concerning the Martyrs says he They do not look at the danger they are in but at the crown And again he says They do not look at the Officers and Executioners that are whipping of them but they look to the Angels that are giving acclamations and that are encouraging of them As a carnal heart a man that mindes earthly things his minde is so taken up about them because they are an object suitable to him as when all the glory of God and of Christ and of Heaven is set before him he lets it pass without any minding so a gracious heart that by faith can see into the reality of the glory of Heaven and eternal life so taken up with them as not to minde earthly things and that is the third particular Fourthly the respect unto the recompence of the reward hath a mighty power to carry on the soul in a way of suffering because the soul by this comes to see how infinitely well pleased God is with it and with that it undertakes for his names sake in suffering any thing in his cause and this does mightily prevail with a gracious heart If God does but give his command to do a thing this might be enough to shew Gods good pleasure in that action but when with command God reveals such infinite glorious things that he will reward that action withal this discovers more of the infinite good pleasure of God so that the soul in this does not onely see its own happiness but sees the infinite good pleasure of God in it and reasons thus How hath God set his heart upon me And what infinite good pleasure is it that he takes in that I poor worm shall suffer for his names sake when he does not onely tell me it is according to his will but he hath such infinite glorious things to reward that I do except his heart were much upon it taken with it there would never such great and glorious things have been for the rewarding of it but in that these things are so revealed and I in some measure see them I cannot but think God takes infinite delight in these sufferings for his names sake God forbid that any thing in the world should take off my heart from that which I see God takes such infinite pleasure in when a gracious heart shall see God holding forth a crown to set on his head in suffering it sets the soul on fire in suffering for God if thou hadst onely given forth thy command it had been enough to make all creatures obedient to thee but that thou shouldest manifest thy self thus to crown them with this glory and to lay up these treasures of the riches of thy glory for them Who would not do and suffer any thing in thy cause O blessed God! The fifth particular wherein the power of this argument consists is the abundance of sweet that there is in the hope of this reward to fill the heart with joy and peace the more joy and peace the heart is filled withal the more certainly it is able to do great things So Nehemiah tells the people when he would have them rejoyce The joy of the Lord is your strength Neh. 8. 10. When as the heart is strengthned with joy it is able to do mighty things now the hope of these glorious things do mightily fill the heart with joy and so strengthens the heart A man that hath his body strong he can endure cold and bear great burthens that a weak body cannot bear and nothing strengthens the heart more then this joy of the Lord where the heart is filled with it Vessels that are empty will soon be broke with the heat of the fire which they will not be if they be full this hope
and Jesus Christ it seeing that the bottom and ground of all this glorious recompence of reward is in the free and eternal love of God in Jesus Christ that did work about this before the foundation of the world was laid this does mightily enflame the heart with love to God and therefore it wishes as that Martyr did O that I had as many lives as I have hairs on my head to lay down for Christ And it is sorry that it hath no other opportunity to testifie its love to God the soul says I have but this little time to testifie my love to God and I can but testifie little in doing O what a happiness is it that that which I want of testifying my love in doing I have it in testifying my love in suffering Shall a dog that hath but a few crums or bones from his Master be willing to venture his life in defence of his Master and shall not a gracious heart that expects not crums and bones but Crowns and unconceiveable glory in Heaven be willing to venture life for God in the cause of God Ninthly there is a great deal of power in having respect to the recompence of reward to carry on a soul in suffering because according to the things that are apprehended there is the like impression left upon the spirit As a gracious heart apprehending holy things is made holy and apprehending spiritual things is made spiritual and apprehending great things is made great thee is a holy gracious magnanimity put into the heart A man that is lift up on high upon a high Tower or a high Mountain he looks upon things below as little things The apprehension of this glory lifts the soul on high and puts an impression of greatness and glory upon the heart and so causeth an heroical spirit in the heart to look upon all things below as small as the Martyrs though they were weak spirits by nature even women and children yet apprehending such great things they had heroical magnanimious spirits and looked upon their sufferings as small things because they had an impression of the object they beheld left upon their spirits and in some measure were made like it Lastly there is a mighty deal of power in looking to the recompence of reward to help in sufferings because it hath much power to cleanse the heart every one that hath this hope purgeth himself 1 Iohn 3. And hence the Christians in the Primitive times fering Those that write the stories of Egypt report that there is no country in which there are more venemous Creatures then in Egypt and also they write there is no Country hath so many Antidotes to help against poyson so godliness brings with it many troubles and sufferings but then godliness hath much in it to help against troubles and sufferings Thirdly hence we come to see the reason why so many are overcome in a way of suffering and do yield and so basely Apostatize rather then they will go on in a way of suffering for God they have not an eye to look up to Heaven and to see all the glory that is revealed they do not know within themselves that there are such things as it is said of those in Heb. 10. 34. They knew within themselves what they had in Heaven they look upon these things as conceits and imaginations In Phil. 3. 18. the Apostle speaks of some that were enemies to the Cross of Christ but what were they They were men that minded earthly things but says the Apostle Our conversation is in Heaven What was the reason that Demas forsook Paul It was for this present world he was not acquainted with the powers of the world to come and therefore he forsook Paul rather then he would suffer in the cause of God with Paul Certainly those that fall off in the time of suffering are such as never had a taste of the powers to come or have lost it this dew of Heaven hath not faln upon their hearts to moisten them and therefore every suffering does scorch up the root If the root be kept moist though scorching heat come it does not dry up the plant but it is green and flouwere so able to suffer because they had their hearts so purged by faith Acts 15. 9. Take a man that was strong if he have many ill humors in his body all his strength is gone but if the Phisitian gives him something to purge out his ill humors though hee have no Cordials given him to strengthen him yet he is strong and he is able to endure and to do more then before So those spirits that are full of distempered humors that are unsound they can bear nothing undergo no difficulty but when there is any thing to purge the heart and make it clean then it is able to do or suffer more sin lies rotting at the heart and by rotting does weaken a rotten rag hath no strength to bear any thing so those that have old sins lie rotting they can bear nothing The spirit of power and of a sound minde is put together 2 Tim. 1. 7. now the hope of this glorious reward purges the heart and makes it sound and so carries it on in power Now put all these together and no marvel that Moses by having an eye to the recompence of reward could suffer so much many are afraid of suffering hard things in the cause of Christ but you see what will enable you to endure all Now I should apply this in many particulars First If there be such power in this to help to suffering then surely there is power in this to help to service you that know what these things mean be ashamed to complain of any difficulty in any service Secondly hence we see cause much to bless God that reveals such things to us to carry us through sufferings though godliness brings much suffering yet it brings that which will strengthen against sufrishing still It is the dew of Heaven the hope of the glory of Heaven that keeps our root moist and so we shall hold out in the time of suffering It is given as the cause of the seed in the stony ground not come to perfection Luke 8. 6. Because it wanted moisture many froward people in Religion prove like the stony ground they have not moisture this dew of Heaven lies not at their hearts And the reason why many do not hold out is because they want the Anchor of hope In a tempest if there be not an Anchor well fastened the ship will be carried upon the rocks or the sands Now Hope is the Anchor that must hold the soul in all affliction if that hold let storms and winds be never so loud yet the heart will be kept from being split upon the rocks and swallowed up in the sands but many have but a paper Anchor a conceited hope not a strong hope fastned upon the infallibility of God in his word and promises and
therefore they cannot hold out in the time of danger To conclude all we see what will do it what will carry us through sufferings Let us make use of this argument and not look upon the greatness of our sufferings to think my sufferings are greater then others but rather let us look up on high to our God and the greater things that are prepared for us As St. Augustine speaking to a Christian that was to suffer Do not so much attend what punishment thou hast what share thou hast in the whip or in correction but what thou hast in the Testament in Gods Word what is revealed there for tby encouragement And labor to have the light within you or else all will never do though many things have been revealed to your eyes and so you may have light outwardly yet if you have not the inward light this outward light will never strengthen you to hold out And labor for faith to put life in all these arguments that have been spoken of unless faith come and breathe the breath of life upon them they will all lie dead Labor that nothing be between your eye and Heaven and if any thing of the world or vain reasonings shall come between your eye and Heaven labor to remove it keep all clear that upon the turning of your eye you may see beyond the vail and be not onely thinking of these things and make them lively by faith but let your conversation be much in heaven sending up your spirits to heaven and opening your hearts to receive the influence of heaven and then you will be able to endure what God calls you to Who knows what God will call us to God is stirring in the world as if he intended to do some great things in the world and therefore we had need of strong arguments to keep our hearts close to him when many thousand hypocrites shall fall And thus we have finished four things in the opening of this point First that there is a reward for Gods people Secondly how far they may have respect to this reward Thirdly what the reward is Fourthly wherein the power of having respect to this reward lay to undergo any suffering Now the fifth thing that remains is the Application of all that hath been said And if there be such a glorious reward for the people of God then in the first place the offence of the cross is taken away let us be ashamed ever to be hindred in the way of God because of the cross because of any thing we shall suffer in the way of God when as there is such a glorious reward hereafter No storm of the raging Sea should terrifie us considering that everlasting calm that is a coming says Jerome Let no man speak hardly of Gods ways any more I remember I read of St. Augustine before his conversion he said he was convinced of the ways of God but says he I did not like to go through those straits He found the ways of God difficult and that he was like to suffer much and that hindred him and so it does many they see straits they must deny themselves and suffer hard things and upon this they are hindred but let us never be hindred more by this seeing there are such great things revealed of the reward of Gods people hereafter Why should we be so shy of the way afflictions that lead thither is not here enough to pay for all God will not says Lactantius have the path that leads to this immortal blessedness be a delicate path Certainly if any of you should be hindred from the ways of God by any hardship you are like to meet withal how will this confound you when God shall come and say Did not I shew unto you those glorious things I intended for my people and was not all that sufficient to draw your hearts over these difficulties In the Primitive times the offence of the cross was taken away after once they came to be enlightned in such glorious things as these in Heb. 10. 32. Call to remembrance the former days in which after you were illuminated you endured a great fight of afflictions before they were not able to indure that fight of afflictions but after they were illuminated they were so howsoever you might have some hard thoughts of the ways of God before yet now being illuminated having the light of this blessed truth of the reward that is to come revealed to you be willing to endure any fight of afflictions do not look at this stumbling block look up to Heaven and that wil keep you from stumbling When men walk upon the earth if they look upward they may stumble upon stones blocks but it is otherwise in our walking in Religion our looking upwards to heaven does keep us from stumbling Wisdom is on high the way of the righteous is a high way he is lifted above all stumbling blocks by looking at this recompence of reward St. Paul when he had his thoughts about this says he Neither life nor death principalities nor powers nor any thing should be able to separate him from the love of God Secondly if there be such a glorious reward consider that this is a mighty aggravation of the evil of sin that when God hath revealed himself so gracious as to lay up such glorious things for those that walk in the way of obedience for any after this yet to embrace the ways of sin must needs aggravate the horrid and desperate wickedness of mans heart There is evil enough in sin though we should lose nothing by it that it is a disobedience to God a breach of the Law and going against the minde of God but for men to venture upon the ways of sin although they know they shall lose such an infinite good as this is here is not onely desperate wickedness but desperate folly it is a sign that mans heart is desperately set upon sin that he wil go on in sin though it be with the loss of all this glory and these blessed things I remember Ambrose reports of one Theotimus that having a disease upon his body and the Physitian told him Except he did abstain from intemperance drunkenness or uncleanness he was like to lose his eyes his heart was desperately fet upon his sin that he said Farewel sweet light then as if he should say I must have my pleasure in that sin if I must lose my eyes then farewel eyes farewel the light I suppose there is none of you dare reason thus desperately when we come to you in the name of God and speak of some particular sin that your consciences tell you you are guilty of and profess unto you as in the name of God that that way you take cannot stand with eternal life that you must eternally perish and lose all that happiness that God hath prepared for the Saints perhaps none dare say Farewel God and Christ and eternal life and
can be their consciences cannot but accuse them that they undertake the ways of Religion to employ them for no more then for the attaining such low ends Yea many that are now in Heaven and have this glorious reward did not finde so much difficulty in the ways of Religion as many Hypocrites do There are three Reasons for it First that they do is by their own strength and when one comes to perform the duties of Religion by his own strength they are hard to him a gracious heart hath strength from Heaven and from Christ now when a man hath received strength he can do that with ease that was difficult before A man that hath a base unclean heart the ways of Religion must be tedious to such a one as a mans body being corrupted whatsoever he does is tedious to him if he were sound it would not be so tedious and so the ways of Religion are tedious to an hypocrite because he does all in his own strength and his soul is corrupted Besides the ways of Religion are not suitable to his principles but he is fain to force himself to them and all forced things are tedious but a gracious heart goes on in the ways of Religion as suitable to his principles Besides an Hypocrite hath not those comforts as those that are gracious have in their ways they have the assurance of Gods acceptance and the light of God shining upon them which Hypocrites have not so that the ways of God are more difficult to Hypocrites then to the godly and yet they get nothing by them but some base ends and the godly that do not endure so much difficulty get Heaven and immortality and a Crown of glory and all because their ends are different O be sure your ends be right you see what vast difference mens ends may make As if two should go to sea it may be they go out both together and one endures as much tempest and storm as the other and they are at the like charge perhaps yet the one comes home richly laden and the other brings nothing but Cockle shells and a little gravel when he that brought home the Cockle shells and the gravel shall see the difference between him and the other when as they were at like charge and endured the same difficulty how will he be ashamed This is the difference between a gracious heart and an hypocrite both go out in Religion the one makes as much stir as the other and suffers as much disgrace and contempt as the other the one enjoys all the riches of the Kingdom of God the other what does all his profession come to he gains a little respect from some that this body or that body says He is a man of good parts and here is all O miserable voyage that such as these are have made when all their profession comes but to this Yea it may be they do not so much as gain respect from those that are wise and judicious but onely from a company of pratlers that will speak well of you when you please them and when you do not please them they will speak as ill of you like a great blaze that a little fire will make in straw for the present and when it is past you see nothing but a few black ashes so many Professors make a great blaze and a great noise and shew and all that it comes to is that they get a little esteem in the world or like Kites they will flutter up a little but their eye is upon the carrion so many seem to be above in the ayr in the profession of Religion and yet their eyes are upon the carrion they make things below their aym What dishonor is this unto the ways of godliness those ways that are the most precious things in the world all the world is nothing to the profession of godliness and those ways that God hath appointed to lead to such glorious things as these are how are they vilified and abased you do not onely vilifie your selves but you vilifie Gods ways when as they tend to such a glorious end you put them under your base ends If a man were a Nobleman by birth what greater dishonor could be done to him then to make him serviceable to a drudge So the ways of God that are so glorious to make them serviceable to your base ends what dishonor is put upon the ways of God in this Certainly God cannot take it well at your hands to make the meanest creature of God our own civil actions serviceable to our lusts is a great sin but to make Prayer and the Word and the Sacraments and the ways of godliness to be serviceable to our lusts this is most horrible impiety Again how do you pollute that which is holy The way of God is a holy thing and take heed of polluting of it by having such low ends in it Again consider how you do take the name of God in vain the name of God is in the ways of Religion and for you to have no higher ends in Religion but such base ones you take Gods name in vain and God will not hold you guiltless These two men a gracious heart and a hypocrite may be compared to two men that follow the King one that follows the King for some Dukedom and place of Office to obtain some great thing from the King and a begger that knows not the King but runs after him for an alms and if he may have six pence or a shilling he goes away quieted So in the ways of Religion both seem to follow God a gracious heart follows God and knows what God is he knows that God is a blessed God a glorious God and that there are wonderful great and glorious things to be communicated from God to the souls of his people and therefore he follows God for great things for heaven and eternity and glory and immortality an hypocrite he knows little of God and he follows God that he may have a little credit and content for a while and he looks no higher O base ignoble spirits that have no higher thoughts in the ways of God! though we must take heed of high thoughts of our selves yet in the ways of God we must lift up our selves and have high thoughts and high ayms O what difference is there between an hypocrite and a true gracious heart A gracious heart hath high ends for God in the meanest actions in eating and drinking and an hypocrite hath low ends in his highest actions in the most solemn duties of divine worship Secondly those hypocrites are to be rebuked that go on fairly in the profession of Religion and make conscience of secret sins and not onely in shews but really are escaped many pollutions of the world and yet at last lose all for cleaving to some one sin but there is a great deal of difference between a real escaping and true sanctifying escaping many may really forsake
if he should say Do you know whom you serve You serve the Lord the high and mighty and glorious and infinite God and therefore you had need be fervent in spirit do that you do with all your might and power for it is for that God that will do such great things for you As David when he danced before the Ark he did it with all his might Michol not knowing his meaning scorned him in her heart but says he It was before the Lord that chose me before your Fathers house that hath bestowed such mercies upon me and will bestow more mercies and if this be to be vile I will be more vile Carnal hearts cannot endure earnestness and fervency in Gods service as the wilde beasts cannot endure fire so beastly carnal spirits cannot endure fire fervency and zeal in Gods ways but suppose they should oppose you for fervency in Gods ways you might answer them If this be to be vile I will be more vile It is for that God that hath done great things for me and that I hope to receive great things from hereafter eternally Fourthly if there be such a glorious reward be encouraged to be abundant in Gods service this is the Argument of the Apostle in 1 Cor. 15. 58. Be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know your labor is not in vain in the Lord. By that which hath been said you may know your labor is not in vain with the Lord be abundant in service there shall not be one tear nor one sigh nor one prayer lost many say Why do you so much will not less serve The godly do not onely aym at the reward that will require abundance but they would have the heigth of the reward and therefore they think they never have done enough It is an expression of Austin If a man should serve the Lord a thousand years it would not deserve an hour of the reward in Heaven much less an eternity Though it is true the grace of the Lord is glorious and he does accept of his grace as the most glorious thing in the world yet considering what our actions are how much corruption is mingled with them it would not deserve a moment in Heaven and therefore we had need do as much as we can 2 Peter 3. 11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what maner of persons ought ye to be in all maner of holy conversation and godliness We should be ashamed and confounded in our thoughts that we can do no more and if there should be shame in Heaven when the Saints shall see and enjoy so much there would they not be ashamed that they have done no more for that God so glorious in his bounty goodness here Fifthly if there be such a glorious recompence of reward then let us labor to be faithful with God because we have such a good Master that is so good and gracious to us Princes make account they engage the hearts of their subjects that are about them to be faithful with them by their great rewards and by keeping of them in expectation of great things The great things that God hath prepared for us do lay more engagements upon our hearts to be faithful with him Let us not be false to such a God as this is God expects we should be faithful upon this ground Isaiah 63. 7 8. There are large expressions of the goodness of the Lord unto his people and what follows Surely they are my people children that will not lye As if he should say These are a people that I expect should be satisfied with me In Psal 36. 5. there God joyns his mercy and his faithfulness both together As Gods mercies and faithfulness are joyned together so let the hope of Gods mercies to us and our faithfulness unto God be joyned together It was an argument of God unto Abraham I am God All-sufficient and I am your exceeding great reward walk before me and be upright As if he should say You need not go and shark unto any other creature you have reward enough in me therefore walk before me and be upright So by all that which God hath revealed unto you concerning this glorious reward of his people God says You need not go and seek any thing else you need not be sharking up and down after the creature Is there not enough in me to satisfie any creature living The ground why any depart from God in a way of unfaithfulness is because they have distrustful thoughts and think there is not enough to be had in God but they had need shift for themselves another way If we understand this glorious reward and our hearts close with it this temptation could not have power to draw our hearts from it Therefore God is so plentiful in the manifestation of his goodness because his people should not have any shifting thoughts there is enough in God and in the treasures of his grace to make up all Now by that which hath been said be encouraged to go on in those ways in which you have no present encouragement there are many ways in which you have no encouragement from God or men you pray and hear and perform duties and do not finde God come in that way let the reward that is to come be enough to encourage you You do many good things and men are ungrateful and will not requite them well let this quiet you There is a glorious reward to come I remember a speech of Luther That servitude to men though it be to ungrateful men does please God and God says he wil abundantly reward you for it and that should be more sweet to us then all the treasures in the world In Isa 49. 4. says the Prophet I have labored in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain yet truly my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God It is a speech of Latimer speaking of Ministers that would leave their flock because they did no good says he It is very naughtily done we must look to that which God commands us and leave the issue to God Christ saith Follow me me me three times he hath it and not your own lusts let us do our own work and leave the reward with God Though it be a sweet encouragement for the Ministers of God to see something of their labor yet if they do not it is enough to make them go on in a way of obedience for the present because God commands it though there were no reward but when we do obey God and please God for the present and it shall be rewarded so gloriously hereafter let not this be any excuse We can do no good if you be convinced of a duty whether there be good or no good come of it whether there be present encouragement or not it is enough that it shall be gloriously rewarded hereafter Sixthly if there be
have felt the work of God regenerating your souls upon which you have followed me you shall sit upon twelve thrones Some do interpret this place Regeneration the estate of the Gospel and so make it not to be the work of God upon the soul but the work of God upon the world to make a new world as the glorious estate of the Church under the Gospel is called a new heaven and a new earth and so take it Ye that have followed me in this new world ye shall sit upon twelve thrones c. but I rather take it the other way not wholly excluding this they are onely those that follow Christ in the Regeneration that shall have this reward It is called the new birth because there is such a strange change there is a new spirit and a new life put into a man Suppose a rational soul were put into a beast what a change would be in that creature Suppose an Angelical nature were put upon us what a change would there be By the change that is wrought in regeneration there is a greater difference the highest degree of glory in heaven is not so different from the lowest degree of grace here as the lowest degree of grace here is different from the highest excellency of nature because the difference between the highest degree of the glory of heaven from the lowest degree of grace is but a gradual difference but the difference that is between the lowest degree of grace and the highest excellency of nature is a specifical difference Therefore you that hope for glory know there must be a regeneration that work of God upon your souls that must cause a greater difference in you from that you were by nature then there is in the glorified Saints that have the highest degree of glory from the meanest Saint in the world as the reward is a mighty glorious thing so the work of God in preparing a soul for this reward is a mighty glorious work And therefore do not content your selves in every poor slight thought of heaven know heaven lies upon that which is a mighty work of God in you Thirdly if you ever come to Heaven there is a principle of heaven put into your souls here that is a heavenly principle that carries you heavenward I mean the work of God causing you to have heavenly mindes and heavenly hearts Our conversation is in heaven says the Apostle In Cant. 3. 6. the Church is compared to pillars of smoke that ascend upward to heaven Though the Church be black and dark in regard of her infirmities yet it hath a principle to carry it upward to heaven The Saints are compared to Eagles that fly aloft towards heaven though their bodies are not there their hearts and souls are there if our treasures be in heaven our hearts are there already I read of Edward the first who had a mighty desire to go to the holy Land to Ierusalem and because he was hindred and could not get thither he gave his Son a charge upon his death-bed to carry his heart thither and he prepared Two and thirty thousand pound to carry his heart thither So the Saints though they have not their bodies in heaven their hearts are there and they take much pains and are at great charges to get their hearts thither All things in nature have a principle to carry them to their proper place because the place of fire is on high therefore fire hath a principle to carry it on high and because the place of earth is below therefore earth hath a principle to carry it downward So if the place and center of the heart be in Heaven then certainly it hath a principle to move naturally thither to move upward to heaven and therefore that soul that hath nothing but a principle to carry it downward to the earth and to the lusts of it to these things below heaven is not the proper place for such a soul and when the soul goes out of the body it wil not go to Heaven Take earth and close it in a vessel and take fire and put into a vessel open the vessels and let them out and they go both to their places so the souls of men when they are gone out of the body they go to the place whither they had a principle to carry them therefore do not think the principle shall be put into them when you dye but you must have a principle before if your hearts be prest down by earthly things when you dye they will fall down and therefore observe which way your souls work Can you say as in the presence of God My soul works heavenward though I have weights of corruption that would weigh me down yet I have a principle that does work to Heaven But the consciences of many tell them their souls work downward to vanity and sensuality and you have no other principle and therefore when your souls depart they fall downward Fourthly what soul soever hath an interest in heaven heaven is in that soul already The kingdom of God is in them and they have taken hold of eternal life now eternal life abides in them Whom he hath justified he hath glorified already they have the glory of heaven begun you heard what that was In heaven there is the perfection of our natures the image of God shall be renewed now is the image of God begun hath God marked you and set the stamp of his image upon you There is no soul that God does intend to put glory upon but he marks that soul and stamps his image upon it in the work of conversion and says Here is a soul I set the stamp of my image upon because I mark it out to glory if ever you come to Heaven God must see his own Image and Superscription upon you As the Beast set his mark upon men and would suffer none to trade but those that had his mark so God will set his mark upon his people and none shall come into his Kingdom but those that have his mark now a mans Image is upon a thing when by beholding of it I am put in minde of him that it is an Image of so if you have this Image and stamp of God a man that knows God as soon as he looks upon you as soon as he beholds your conversation he is put in minde of God and he says I have heard and read much of God of the holiness and righteousness of God and by this mans conversation I am put in minde of that holiness and righteousness of God the brightness of which I see shining here Again in Heaven you know God himself is the portion of the Saints they have the presence of God What presence of God do you enjoy here Were your souls ever acquainted with the presence of God in the Ordinances What blessed vision have you of God here Those who come to Heaven God gives a sight of himself here
And what union have you with God What union of grace What mystical union between God and your souls And what fruition have you of God Is it God that you enjoy in the creature and God in all things God in the Ordinances and what rest do your souls finde in God though you be tost up and down in regard of the uncertainty of the creature yet is God your rest yea do you enjoy your selves in God the beginning of all these are now for the present And likewise for communion with Jesus Christ what communion and converse is there between your souls and Jesus Christ Is it not a riddle to you Are you delighted in the communion of the Saints Are the Sabbaths your delight as a beginning of the eternal Sabbath you shall keep in Heaven Therefore now do you ask Who shall have Heaven and Who shall ascend into the Mount Those whom the Mount now comes down unto Many hope they shall have God when they dye but surely if God be not so merciful as to give you spiritual mercies for the present he will not be so merciful as to give you eternal mercies hereafter if he do not give you mercies of grace here he will not give you mercies of glory hereafter Fifthly what are the apprehensions that you have of this reward there may be a special note drawn from thence whereby you may see whether this reward shall be yours or no. What is it that you apprehend to be the heighth and excellency of that reward and glory that you expect Is it that spiritual and supernatural good that is in Heaven Do you not apprehend Heaven after a carnal and natural way when you hear speaking of Crowns and dignity and happiness and glory and the like but hath God shewed you that the heighth and top of all consists in those spiritual and supernatural things in the image of God and in communion with God and those things that have been opened are your hearts more after these then after any thing else then it is like that Heaven is for you for these things are kept hid from those that Heaven is not for Sixthly consider what your hopes are for this recompence of reward First where hopes are true they are such as are wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost Secondly they are purging hopes First they are such hopes as are wrought by the power of the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. Certainly hopes of such great things as these must be raised by a great power they are hopes that could never be raised by any natural apprehensions by any work of Reason you have hopes of Heaven and of the glorious reward How came you by them What almighty power of the holy Ghost have you felt that hath raised these hopes If you have no other hopes but those that may spring out of nature natural conceits and apprehensions you are far short of this recompence of reward but this recompence of reward being glorious it hath a glorious principle to raise hopes such hopes as can bear down strong difficulties that shall oppose them the holy Ghost does stretch out the hopes of the soul beyond that which nature can do In the Hebrew that word that signifies hope signifies a line because by hope the heart is stretched out as in a line to the thing it hopes for now the hopes that nature raises is but in a short line and they stretch out the heart but a little way but the hopes that are wrought by the power of the holy Ghost are such hopes as the heart is stretched out very far by them and there must be a mighty stretching out of the heart and that by a mighty power to make it hope for such great things as these that God should bring such a poor worm to such high things as these are Ordinary base drossie hopes that have nothing in them they are not stretched out to these things they have some confused apprehensions and slight opinions about heaven they are loth to think they should be damned for ever and cast from God and therefore they will have some conceits it shall be well with them and they hope well but to have their hearts stretched out to expect these blessed things as the happiness of their souls and as the real substantial and onely good this is by the mighty power of the holy Ghost Secondly they are purging hopes 1 John 3. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure It is a lively working hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God who hath begotten us again to a lively hope As a fountain that hath dirt cast into it it being a living fountain it works and works and never leaves till it hath got the dirt out cast dirt into a puddle and it lies there and putrifies And this is the difference between the sin of one that is natural and one that hath hope of eternal life When sin comes into a carnal natural heart it lies there and putrifies but where sin comes into a gracious heart that hath hope of eternal life such a heart by these hopes are as a living fountain that will never leave working till it be pure again Such a soul as apprehends it self a vessel of such rich and glorious mercies as these do labor to cleanse it self to the utmost if you have a vessel that you put ordinary water into you care not though there be some dust in the bottom but if you will put in some precious liquor you will cleanse it again and again and will not suffer any dust to be there So carnal hearts that do not know what great things God hath laid up for his people that are not vessels of mercy but onely look for some common things they can suffer their hearts to filled with noysom lusts but where the soul does apprehend it self a vessel of mercy such a one as God will fill with these glorious things it would not have any filth and corruption abiding in it In 2 Tim. 2. 21. The Apostle speaks of two sorts of vessels that are in Gods House that is in the Church Vessels of honor and Vessels of dishonor But how shall we know we are vessels of honor or of dishonor if therefore a man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel of honor a vessel of dishonor is an unclean vessel a vessel of honor is a clean vessel If therefore your hopes be such as can stand with any beloved sin against knowledge you are vessels of dishonor And here is the liveliness of this hope if thou hast a hope to be a vessel of honor it purges you from filth and by that purging from filth there comes to be a readiness and preparation to every good work here is such a one as shall ascend up into the holy Hill of God This is the sixth note Seventhly examine what thy claim is whether thy
therefore let us consider whether our works be such as when they come to the tryal shall be found to be stubble and burn There are a great many whose works are like to burn and themselves too Many of the works of Gods people are like to burn but look too your selves for your main and principal works whether they will hold when they are examined by the rule of heaven and shall be rewarded It is nothing what your works are before men the people of God may highly esteem of your works but when they come to be examined in heaven they shall be examined strictly and unless God see a supernatural stamp upon them they will burn and therefore look to your works see whether they be supernatural in the principles in the ends and in the maner of doing of them and examine by these rules the assurance of this reward Mr. Latimer says the assurance of heaven is the sweet meats of the feast of a good conscience In great feasts there are good meats and banquets There are other dainty dishes in this feast and the assurance of heaven is the sweet meats and the banquet Now that we may have the feast of a good conscience made full let us take pains in examining whether this recompence of reward be ours if we did but apprehend this reward to be ours it would make us go on with power in our way whereas now every little thing is ready to turn us aside Again if upon examining by these arguments you finde some comfortable hope that the recompence of reward is yours what concerns you but patience to wait for it and in the mean time to live as those that shall have these things and labor to dye so First patiently to wait St. Iames says The Husbandman waits for the precious seed till the harvest come Though it be precious seed the Husbandman casts it into the earth he is not discontent because he hath not harvest next Week but he is content to let the winter the frost and snow go over it and so we must be content to have many troubles between the hope of the reward and the possession of it We must work in the vineyard of the Lord and endure the heat of the day and not expect our peny till night Mark how the Apostle would have those to walk who have the hope of heaven Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality and eternal life Great things are to be expected and waited for If a man have a great venture at Sea that he expects some mighty profit by he is content to wait two or three years because he thinks it will make amends for all So in your way of merchandizing if a man go and buy a commodity of five or ten shillings he lays down present money but if the commodity come to a great sum of many hundred pounds he does but give something in earnest the great pay is to come many moneths after so when men will bargain with God for their obedience to have credit and esteem in the world yea those men that aspire after the greatest things in the world these are poor trifling matters and God gives them presently but because the Covenant that is between God and Christ so between Christ and us is about great matters and God intends to reward his people with glorious things eternally in the Heavens they have but the first-fruits of them for the present and they must not expect the fulness of them suddenly Great men have two kinde of Servants usually some servants that they hire by the day or the moneth or the year that they shall have so much wages and so their wages is paid them it may be every night or every week other servants have not their wages presently but that which they serve for is the expectation of some great office or living that their Lord should give to them after many years service and therefore they go on in their service though nothing come presently Here is the difference between the men of the world and others I speak of those who live the best lives who are not truly gracious they in some measure are the servants of God they do God some service onely such service as poor laboring men do that are hired in a great mans House that have their pay every week or day so you have your pay every day you have meat and drink and the comfort of the creatures but God hath other greater Servants godly people Christians and though they have not so much pay presently as wicked men have yet there are reversions and some glorious things that they expect hereafter and therefore they go on patiently though for the present they have not so much as others And you have no cause to envy others If there be two Servants in a great mans House the one sees the poor laboring man have his shilling given him shall he envy him and say I have served many years and have not had a shilling No he does not envy him because he expects some great things And so when you see the men of the world have the great things of the world do not envy them because you serve God for greater things Queen Elizabeth she envyed the milk-maid when she was in prison but if she had known what a glorious Reign she should have had for four and forty years she would not have envyed her Wait therefore patiently because the things are great and the longer you wait the greater they will be as it was the speech of the Son of an Emperor says he The longer the Cooks are preparing the meat there will be the better chear meaning The longer he staid for the Empire the greater it would be so go on in your way wait patiently the longer you wait the better it will be at the last and it is sure enough Christ is gone before to take possession and God never so wrought to make any thing sure as he hath wrought for the assuring of the good in the Covenant of grace Yet long after it and desire it In Rom. 8. 21. it is said The creature groaneth to be delivered from the bondage of corruption to come into the glorious liberty of the children of God and therefore we our selves should much more desire it and pant after that time we should cry out with David though with patience When shall I appear before God the living God CHAP. LVI Christians should live and dye as becomes heirs of such a glorious estate SEcondly learn if there be such a glorious reward to live and dye as becomes such glorious heirs this is the Exhortation of the holy Ghost unto us by St. Paul in his Epistle unto the Thessalonians As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you that ye would walk worthy of God that hath called you unto his kingdom and glory
the life of Camillus of the Gauls that after they had once a taste of the sweet wine of the grapes that grew in Italy they inquired in what Countrey such sweet wine was and after they understood where the grape of that wine grew they would never be at rest till they got to that Countrey where such sweet and pleasant things grew I have endeavored in the opening of this point to bring unto you some of the Clusters of Canaan and some of that wine which is to be drunk in the Kingdom of Heaven now if you account it to be sweet and good let not your hearts be at rest till you come at that Countrey till you come to enjoy the sweet and good of that Countrey It is reported of one Adrianus who seeing the Martyrs suffer such grievous things in the cause of Christ he asked what was that which caused them to suffer such things and one of them named that Text Eye hath not seen nor ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what is laid up for those that love God and the naming of that Text converted him and had such an effect as made him to profess Religion and so to profess it as to be a Martyr for it You have not onely one Text named but many have been used about this argument let not all be in vain We read in Mark 10. 17. of a yong man that came running and kneeled before Christ and asked him Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life O that God would move the hearts now of some yong ones that hearing what eternal life means they may now come running to get part in it that that activity and vigor of their youth may be exercised and spent about this What may I do that I likewise may be partaker of eternal life and of these glorious and blessed truths that are here revealed You that are in a poor condition in the world that have little here here are great things for your hearts to make after here are glorious things that are as obvious for you ac for the greatest in the world you cannot expect to have great matters in the earth but here you may expect to have great matters You that are old likewise though you have not been acquainted with the excellency of the Kingdom of God now bless God that you may yet further know more concerning it If a man come to know more of an inheritance that did befal him or of any outward gain then before he is glad that he lived to that time so bless God that you may know yet more concerning eternal life before this life be at an end What is it that your hearts are set upon There are none but their hearts are set upon some good that they apprehend to be good Now what is that good Certainly there is an eminency of all good contained in this It was a charge of God unto Baruch that we read of in Jer. 45. ult Seekest thou great things for thy self Seek them not for I will bring evil upon all flesh and that which I have planted I will pluck up The argument runs thus Seekest thou great things for thy self in any outward matter do not seek them for I am about to bring evil upon my people the time of publique calamity is coming and doest thou seek great things for thy self But when we are about this argument the glory of the Kingdom of God Doest thou seek great things for thy self We cannot say Seek them not God would have his people seek glorious things for themselves seek them to the utmost that possibly you can So follow these things as not to be satisfied with any thing under these God would have his servants to be of such spirits as though content with the least mercies they do enjoy to acknowledge themselves unworthy of them yet not to be satisfied with the greatest things in the world for their portion What will a reprobates portion serve you Certainly the glory of the world if you had it all it were but the portion of a reprobate What will a Dogs portion satisfie you All the things of the world are but Dogs meat so the Apostle calls them in Phil. 3. I account all things in the world as dross and dung or dogs meat and will this satisfie you Is there nothing else for you to seek after First seek the Kingdom of God says Christ and the righteousness of it let that be your first endeavor Strive to enter into the strait gate though it be never so strait yet if it be the way unto life and unto these things strive to enter We have not spoken more then that is real It is a saying of one Neither Christ nor Heaven can be hyperbolized that is there cannot be more said of the excellency of Christ and of Heaven then it is in its self and therefore do not think any thing that hath been spoken is an hyperbole but a real expression of some little glimpse of the glory of the recompence of reward It may be some of your hearts when you hear much of the wrath of God against sin and the dreadfulness of Gods displeasure your hearts are ready to rise and belk and these are hard things and hard sayings and who can bear them but now you have not heard so much concerning that but you have heard of the goodness of God and of the glory of God and of the riches of the grace of God and of the wonderful thoughts that God hath for the everlasting good of mankinde how do your hearts work now Shall your hearts stir when you hear Gods wrath and when you hear of Gods grace shall not your hearts stir then If God does intend good to any soul he will cause that soul to see into the reality and excellency of these things and that all things should be neglected in comparison in seeking after these Consider that God hath given unto you natures capable of these glorious things God might have made you worms or bruit beasts and there would have been an end of you presently you had not been any way capable of these things but God hath made you of such a nature such creatures as ye are capable of the highest excellency that ever any creature that God made was capable of and therefore being of such a nature of such a large extent it concerns you to seek after those things which might fill it they are not little things that can fill large capacities now mans nature an immortal soul is of a large capacity and when the time shall come that God shall discover to any soul what it was capable of how infinitely will it be confounded in it self when it shall know what poor things it sought after and minded Men live here in the world as though they were capable of no other happiness but meat and drink and clothes and
things not seen so that the work of faith is there seen Whosoever speaks of the reward that is in heaven if the glory of the world be not darkned in their eyes it argues there is no true saving faith A second difference is a gracious heart looks upon the reward by some experimental sweet and good that he findes in himself as the beginning of that eternal good he expects whereas others look upon the reward as a thing onely to come unto them hereafter He reads in the word and hears Preachers say so and so he can speak of them but it is not from any experimental sweetness that he findes of the beginning of eternal life wrought in him That place is very remarkable for this in Heb. 10. 34. Knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and enduring substance Other men may know in others in books that there is a reward but a gracious heart knows in himself by that experimental sweetness of the beginning of eternal life that he findes in himself A third difference is The eye that a gracious heart hath unto the recompence of reward is a fixed eye a setled constant eye Another man that is an hypocrite may have a flash of lightning even from heaven it self that may discover something unto him of the glorious condition of the people of God as Balaam Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his This was more then natural I may call it a supernatural work that was upon Balaam yet not saving and gracious It appeared not to be saving because it had not a saving power went with it and it was not constant and so many hypocrites that are unfound when they have enlargement in prayer they may have some flashes of lightning let into their hearts they may have some glimmerings of the glorious things of heaven and as the Holy Ghost speaks in Heb. 6. 5. they may have a taste of the powers of the world to come but a gracious heart hath it not as a flash of lightning but as a constant light that is set up in his soul and as that light which does transform his spirit into light and makes him to be a childe of light Fourthly there is a great deal of difference in this the eye that a gracious heart hath is truly spiritual the other is but carnal A spiritual eye what is that that is he looks at the reward as a spiritual thing a carnal heart looks at it carnally O the flashes of joy to have a crown and a kingdom but a spiritual heart looks at the reward spiritually time is coming when I shall be wholly free from the body of sin and death time is coming when as the image of God shall be made perfect in my soul time is coming when I shall behold the blessed face of God and live to the praise of that blessed God without any intermission joyning with those blessed creatures that are eternally blessing God Now the heart that looks at it thus spiritually and looks at the top of it to be a spiritual good such an one sees the reward after another maner then any carnal heart doth The last difference is the eye of the gracious heart is a believing eye such an eye as he looks upon the glorious and blessed things of heaven as the things that his soul hath an interest in as the things wherein his riches and happiness does consist another may look upon them as glorious things that may be desired but for an eye to be fixed upon the promise so as to be content to venture all upon the bare word of God for such great things so as to count his riches to consist in these things that he hath but a bare word for such a believing eye as this is not the eye of a carnal heart CHAP. XLI What is this recompence of reward NOw the third thing that we are to come to is to shew what this reward is we can but give you a little glimpse of it Whatsoever will be said it will rather even darken it then otherwise in regard of the wonderful excellency of it all the stars in heaven if they were all Suns they would be but a dark shadow to set out this reward and therefore it is reserved to eternity to be known but yet because the Lord hath been pleased to let out a beam of light unto us in his word we shall endeavor to give a little glimpse of it to you so that the hearts of Christians may be revived in their way and they may gather up their feet to go on chearfully in their course having respect with a discerning experimental spiritual fixed believing eye unto the glorious recompence of reward First take all the beauty excellency the sweet and good that there is in all the world if there could be a confluence and extract of the quintessence of all good in all creature in this world and all to be communicated to one man yet it were but as a dark shadow of the glory that is to be revealed Secondly this reward certainly it is that which is beyond all the expression that we have in Scripture of it Great things are spoken in the word but there is more to be revealed and to be enjoyed then is yet revealed in all the Book of God Isa 64. 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him And therefore in 2 Thess 1. 10. it is said Christ shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe Now the cause of admiration it is the sight of something more then was known before that was not thought of and was not understood even then at the first coming of Christ he shall appear in so much glory as he shall be admired as if the Saints should say We heard much concerning Christ and his glory but we never thought that there was so much glory in Jesus Christ as now we finde and therefore we stand admiring at the glory of Christ Thirdly all those consolations those admirable soul-ravishing comforts that the Saints of God have ever had in this world have all been but the first fruits of those glorious things that are hereafter to to be revealed they are but as the Clusters of grapes that that blessed Land of Canaan is so full of Fourthly then all the expressions that man can give of those things that are to be hereafter must needs be but dark resemblances of what shall be revealed hereafter As the infant in the womb knows not what the light the glory and beauty of the world is so we while we are in this darkness know little of the beauty and glory of heaven St. Augustine speaking concerning what we can say of it says It is