cleerly discerned But God is a good of infinite excellency containing all things which the Saints can desire and is cleerly discerned by them therefore he most strongly draws their affections to himself They shall in Heaven see so much excellency in God and be so fill'd with his love that their hearts shall be full of holy flames of love toward him there shall be nothing either within them or without them to draw away their love from God or lessen or cool their affections toward him all things that they shall see or hear or understand shall serve to fill them with his love and keep up and confirm their love in the height of it for ever they shall be so fully like to God that it shall be impossible for them not to love him perfectly God shall dwell in them and they shall wholly possess him and they shall dwell in God and he shall wholly possess them they shall be knit to each other in mutual love to all eternity The principal employment of the Saints in Heaven is to love God and all the vertues in Heaven are useless except charity and enjoyment which is the rest of love and is also its recompence saith S. Augustine for as desires do disquiet lovers when they possess not what they long for so being now in the possession of him whom they love they are satisfied The love of the Saints in Heaven is much perfecter than ours upon the earth whatever pains we take to love God on earth our love is never without some notable defect to enfeeble it iâ— is blind because faith that enlightens it is as one saith a candle whose lamp is alwayes surrounded with a cloud or smoak it is faint and drooping because we possess not the supream good we passionately affect and being separated from him we are as well his Martyrs as his Lovers Here our love is also divided because self-love is not yet extinguished and the greatest Saints if they mannage not their intentions well do rob God of all the love wherewith they indulge themselves In brief it is almost ever interested we love not God so purely as not to seek our own pleasure with it when we seek his glory and we are more earnest with God for riches and honours than for heavenly graces but the Saints in glory have not one of these imperfections in their love their love is not blind because they love him whom they see and the brightness of glory that illuminates them is a ray dispelling all the darkness of their understandings it languisheth not as ours doth nor spends it self in its longings because they possess what they love and being intimately united to God are eternally inseparable from him their love is not divided because self-love enters not into the celestial Jerusalem but is quenched by the flames of true charity finally it is not interested because God's glory is the end of their desires yea in Heaven it self they seek not so much their own happiness as his glory SECT II. 11. AS the Saints shall love God entirely so they shall love each other in the Lord they shall see the Image of God shining cleerly and gloriously in each other and so shall love God in each other and each other in God Peter shall admire Christ in the glory conferred on Paul and Paul shall admire Christ in the glory conferred on Peter The Saints shall find themselves all agreeing in God and so among themselves they shall see nothing in any of their brethren but what shall be most lovely nothing to estrange their hearts or damp their affections they shall not be capable of any touch of envy for every one of them shall be full of glory and blessedness And albeit some have higher degrees of glory than others yet this causeth no emulation or jealousie among them The variety of the world as one observeth is one of its rarest ornaments the flowers which checker a walk do embellish it the Stars which make an hundred several figures in the firmament do set a lustre upon its beauty neither doth any thing make a Countrey more pleasant than the diversity of the parts that compose it the riches and glory of a state dependeth upon its diversity if all subjects were of the same condition there would neither be diversion for strangers nor accommodation for the naturals The ornament and profit of the body politique appeareth in this agreeable mixture of rich and poor Artists and Husbandmen Souldiers and Merchants Magistrates and Ministers but here is the mischief that attends it that this variety of conditions which begets its beauty breeds envy and jealousie among the subjects for as their goods are not common because their conditions are different one is jealous of what another possesseth Great men are apt to be proud and to despise their inferiours Men of low degree are envious and murmure at those that are above them But in Heaven the difference of degrees produceth their beauty and giveth no occasion of envy or jealousie the Crowns of glorified Saints are proportionable to their labours and sufferings for Christ They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the Sun Dan. 12. Peace bears rule among all the Inhabitants of Heaven love which uniteth them renders their contentment common though the justice that rewardeth them maketh their condition gradually different Every one is glad of anothers happiness and without interesting in any one they find that the felicity of particulars contributeth to that of the publique In Heaven love is in its full perfection Ludovic granat Meditat. the property whereof is to cause all things to be common there all the elect shall be more straitly united to one another than the Members of one and the same Body because all shall participate of the same spirit which gives unto all one and the same being one and the same blessed life What is the cause why the members of one and the same body have so great an unity and love one to another is it not because they are all partakers of one and the same form one and the same Soul giveth the same being and life to them all Now if the spirit of a man hath power to cause so great an unity between the members that are so different in Offices and Natures is it any wonder if the Spirit of God Almighty by whom all the Elect do live which Spirit is as it were the common soul to them all should cause a greater and more perfect unity among them especially considering that the Spirit of God is a more noble cause and of a more excellent vertue and power and gives also a more noble being now if this manner of unity and love do cause all things to be common as we see in the members of one body who rejoyce every one at each others felicity as its own what delight then shall each one of the Elect take in the glory of all the rest considering that he shall entirely
came in the form of a Servant among the Jews who expected his coming in Princely pomp it was also the many troubles he endured for our sins because he was Crowned with a Crown of Thornes and had not a Crown of Glory upon his Head therefore his glory did not appear the carnal and blind Jews thought the promised Messiah when he came would not be thus miserable and so generally hated as Christ was thus when the wicked see godly men almost overwhelmed with troubles and even buried in the Gulf of outward calamities and look upon them as of all men the most miserable and despicable they presently think there is no glory in an holy life The miseries of the Saints are publique their advantages walk in the dark men see what they suffer but doubt of what they hope for and in the judgment of Infidels their Religion passeth for an imposture because the good things it promiseth are invisible but the evils it threatens are sensible and present We are saith August August Psal 36. like those great Trees which during the sharpness of the Winter are naked of all their leaves their life is enclosed in their roots their vigour is retired into their Sap and all their Soul and vegetation they have is hid from the eyes of the beholders but their death is conspicuous every branch publisheth it and all the mischiefs the Winter hath brought upon them are so many arguments to make us doubt of their life Thus it is with God's Children they are dead and they are alive but their Life is in a Cloud their Death manifest the persecutions they suffer the temptations they encounter the conflicts they undergo perswade wicked and unbelieving persons that their Life is but a languishing and doleful Death but their vigour is over-shadowed their glory is hid with Christ in God and as the Spring must needs return to convince the ignorant that a Tree that hath lost its leaves in the Winter is not dead so must the general Resurrection happen to assure the unbelieving World that the Life of a Christian persecuted by the World is hid with Christ in God 2. Because there is no outward excellency in grace therefore their glory cannot appear to wicked men nothing pleaseth a carnal eye but external excellency and grace hath little of that St. James Jam. 2. tells us That gay clothes and a gold Ring is in more esteem then Faith but Christ goes contrary to the World Cyrus in his speech to his Soldiers told them that were Footmen if they would follow him he would make them Horsemen he told them that were Horsemen if they would follow him he would set them over Chariots if they were Rulers of Villages he would give them Cities if of Cities he would make them Rulers of Provinces Christ Preached otherwise He that will be my Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross let him deny his honours and become base for my sake let him deny his riches and become poor for my sake let him deny his life and become miserable what happiness what glory is there will a wicked man say I can see no excellency in Piety if this be the portion of God's Children Grace indeed is like the Ark which within was over-laid with pure Gold and a pot of Manna was in it but the out-side was covered with Badgers-skins and Sheep-skins so grace is inwardly overlaid with pure Gold cloathed with glory and within it there is a pot of Manna even joy unspeakable Yet because the outside of grace is covered with Badgers skins and wicked men do judge according to the outward appearance therefore the inward excellency and glory thereof doth not appear to them 3. Because wicked men think that holy men because they are miserable in this life belong not to God and that their miseries here are but the fore-runners of eternal sorrows It is a good saying of Mercer Hoc est ingenium Mundi ut quibus videt deum extrinsecus maledicere maledicit quibus extrinsecus benedicere benedicit Mercer This is the guise of the World that it thinks those to be cursed of God whom he seems to cross with outward troubles and to think that they are the only blessed men whom he seems to bless with outward things Wicked men think that the love and hatred of God appeareth in outward things and that because all things go well here and every thing succeeds according to the desires of their hearts they verily presume that God by these outward dispensations intends no less then their eternal happiness and because they see that very often trouble upon trouble falls upon the godly they think they are Hypocrites and so God will deal with them to all Eternity Alas the World is blind the God of this World hath blinded their eyes that the future glory of God's Children doth not appear to them they little think that where the godly man's misery endeth there the happinesâ— of the wicked endeth and where the wicked m◠〈◊〉 misery beginneth there the hapâ—â—◠〈◊〉 th◠〈◊〉 â—â—ginneth It is Peter Martyr's 〈…〉 â—icked are called the inhabitant◠〈…〉 therefore are compared to 〈…〉 â—odly are called So journers and 〈…〉 â—â—nderers in a strange land and 〈…〉 â—â—â—ared to the Planets the Pl◠〈…〉 West to East in a contrary moâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—rs do set where the Planets riâ—e 〈…〉 â—icked and the godly that move i◠〈…〉 the one riseth where the oâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—th the glory and happiness 〈…〉 then the glory of th◠〈…〉 â—appiness doth appear SECT II. .2 THE glory of the Saints doth not yet appear to themselves it is not yet manifest what they shall be the fullness and perfection of their glory and happiness cannot be comprehended by them they must enter into their Master's Joy before they can fully see what glory belongeth to them God must make them perfectly glorious before their glory will appear Josua might have spies from Canaan that might bring with them a bunch of Grapes but yet they could not shew him the abundance of Vineyards the Rivers of honey and milk till he came into Canaan to possess it so God's Spirit may bring joy and comfort from Heaven and make the Sons of God to taste of Heaven as Josua did of the delicacies of Canaan in the Wilderness or the Spirit of God may open a cranny that the Sons of God may peep through and behold a glimpse of their future glory but their eyes can never be so fully opened while they are in the flesh as to behold the greatness of their glory and the perfection of their happiness Gorran Our glory is like a candle held in our hands covered with our fingers through which but a little of the light can be seen Indeed in some sort our glory is revealed in the Gospel in that we know that it shall be but the fullness of it is sealed up to the day of Redemption then shall it appear what the
go to receive his reward With this consideration Hilarion speaks to his trembling Soul upon his Death-bed Hieron in vit Hilar Egredere Anima cur times egredi go forth my Soul go forth depart out of this prison of pain into a place of pleasure hast thou served Christ these seventy years and dost thou fear to take thy wages now thou hast done thy work Let this therefore be matter of shame to us that we have done so little work considering the greatness of the reward as a holy dying Martyr said I am exceedingly grieved that being now to receive so great a reward I have done so little work Truly O Lord thou art great above all gods and great is thy reward for thou art not great August in Soliloq and thy reward little thou art the rewarder and the reward of eternal happiness it self saith St. Augustine SECT VII Sheweth that Heaven is the place where God shall give his People a kind welcome and loving entertainment HEaven is also the place where God will most affectionately receive all his Children to himself with much love and tenderness of affection at the last day they shall be received into the arms of his embraces Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory Psal 73.24 that is thou shalt receive me with a most vehement and ardent affection When the prodigal Son was but coming towards his Father when he was yet afar off his Father ran toward him and fell upon his neck and kissed him now this is but a shadow of that full and glorious reception of the Saints to himself when God shall make them all glorious and receive them without spot or wrinkle if this Prodigal returning from his Harlots and coming in his rags was thus acceptable and welcome to his Father Oh what abundance of love will God then express to his Saints at the last day when they shall be all cloathed in long white robes and be received into the perfection of glory Mark what is said to the faithful Servant Well done thou good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Matth. 25.23 Then will the Lord Jesus most affectionately say to all his Servants Enter my dear Friends and receive your consolation enter Servants and receive your wages enter my Children and take possession of your patrimony and inheritance enter my Brethren and receive your portion and all ye that have fought the good fight and kept the faith and offered violence to the Kingdom of Heaven enter ye and take your Crowns He doth not say Come toward it and look upon it with a greedy desire and earnest longing after your happiness but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come into the joy of thy Lord take part and possession of it with abundance of delight and satisfaction The soul of man in this World is capable of more pleasure then the eye or ear yea then all the senses can bring in to her our soul can drink up all the pleasures at one draught it can presently swallow them up but the joys of Heaven do exceed the desires of our souls therefore saith Christ Enter thou into thy Master's joy he doth not say let the joy of thy Master enter into thee it is to shew that the joy of our glorious condition doth infinitely surpass the largest capacity of our souls though they be stretched to the uttermost So at the last day Christ will say to the Sheep on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World Matth. 25.34 The first word is Venite Come it is the voice of the Bridegroom that saith Come Come to me my Spouse that where the Husband is there the Bride the Lamb's Wife may be that where the Head is there the Members may be where the Father is there the Children may be where the Master is there the Servants may be where the Prince and Captain of our Salvation is there his Fellow-Souldiers may be When Christ was going out of the World he chears up the hearts of his Disciples with these consolatory words Let not your hearts be troubled in my Father's House are many Mansions I go to prepare a place for you and if I go I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there you may be also John 14.1 2. See how much affection Christ expresseth in these words if Christ said when he was upon Earth Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you take my yoke upon you and you shall find rest to your souls Matth. 11.28 29. then much more will he retain the same sweetness of affection when he cometh to sit down in his Judgment-seat Christ is as it were a Servant among his People Luke 22.27 I am among you as he that serveth He condescendeth to serve his People he went to Heaven in Person to prepare a place for them and he will come again in Person to receive them thither True it is he will do it with a glorious Train of Angels yet he will come himself and take them home to his Father's House that where he is they may be also and then will he receive them with much affection Come my Love my Dove my Spouse my Undefiled where hast thou been so long all this while out of my presence come ye into my bosome which is now wide open ready to receive you If Jacob's and Joseph's meeting were so unexpressibly comfortable when they had thought never to have seen the faces of each other after so long a distance Oh what shall the joy of that last day be and how shall those noble souls rejoyce yea leap for joy to whom these soul-ravishing words are spoken Come ye blessed of my Father all the Musick in Heaven and Earth will not so ravish them as this voice will do Now though they were the out-casts of the World Heaven gates shall be set wide open for their reception the King of glory will bid them come and welcome the Spirit and the Bride say come c. Come ye blessed of my Father the World hath cursed you but God hath blessed you yea and you shall be blessed Come ye and inherit a Kingdom I have heretofore told you of a Kingdom promised you a Kingdom you have often prayed for Lord let thy Kingdom come come now my dear Friends I am come to put you into the possession of that Kingdom I will make you all Kings and you shall reign with me for ever Great reason there is for us to think that God will take home all his People to himself with abundance of affection at the last day they are the Sons and Daughters of the Lord God Almighty and will not our heavenly Father receive all his Sons and Daughters to glory with a most
the manner But now see the curious zeal of the Soul it will not only have a Body again but in a precise society it will have only its own again not any other new created Bodies but the same numerical and substantial Bodies shall rise again and be re-united to their proper Souls 1 Cor. 15.53 54. Phil. 3.21 Job 19.26 27. St. Paul saith This corruptible shall put on incorruption and Christ shall change our vile Bodies And Job saith in his flesh he should see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me There may be some general alteration in respect of their stature deformities superfluities c. to a glorified perfection but still it shall remain the same essential Body and good reason there is for it 1. The justice of God requireth that the same Body which hath been instrumental in the actions of righteousness or unrighteousness should be rewarded or punished The Godly must receive their rewards according to what good they have done in these Bodies 2 Cor. 5.10 It were injustice that this flesh should be killed and that should be crowned that the same Body in which we served God wherein God was glorified Absurdum Deo indignum ut haec caro lanietur illa vero coronetur ut corpora quae in via sacta fuerint membra Christi in patria aliis suffectis in eorum locum arcerentur Tertul. de Resurrect cap. 56. which suffered for God and was for Christ exposed to all the injuries indignities and torments of wicked Persecutors should be eternally laid up in the dust and another Body should be created to receive the reward due to the Body in the grave 2. Because if God should not raise the very same Bodies of his People in which they lived and served God in their generation then God shall not deal so honourably with the dead Saints as with those that shall be found alive at Christ's coming for their very same Bodies shall be delivered from the bondage of mortality and corruption into incorruption and immortality 3. Because Christ who is the pattern of the resurrection did not rise in another Body but in that in which he was fastened to the Cross in which also after his death appeared the prints of the nails in his hands and the holes in his side John 20.27 Therefore Christ after his resurrection for the cure of Thomas his unbelief whose faith lay in his fingers bids him put his finger into his hands and side and not be faithless but believing It seems those scars remained in Christ's Body after his resurrection Vulnerum signa virtutum insignia Aquinas else how could Thomas see and feel them as he is willed to do But these scars were no blemishes in his Body then they were no signs of defect but ensigns of Victory For as that worthy and renowned Captain Caius Marius being on a time accused of Treason in the Senate tore his clothes and shewed his wounds and scars and slashes he had received in the Wars in the service and for the safety of his Country saying Quid opus est Verbis Vulnera clamant What need is there of my Words my Wounds cry loud enough So Christ might shew his pierced Side goared Hands and Feet not only to shew that it was the very same organical Body of his that was crucified on the Cross but also to shew his love to his People and what he did and suffered for them And when the eleven Disciples were gathered together at Jerusalem Jesus appeared to them and they being affrighted supposing they had seen a Spirit he said unto them Why are ye troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts Behold my hands and my feet it is I my self a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me to have Luke 24.39 40. A Spirit hath not parts members and dimensions as I have therefore you may be sure being infallibly taught by your sense that it is my very Body which you see in which I long conversed with you suffered and was buried which is now truly risen again Whence as Theodoret saith he proveth it was his true Body that was crucified on the Cross that was now raised from the dead 4. Should not the Saints rise with the same Bodies it were no resurrection but a new creation Moreover the same Souls do rise unto Grace from the death of Sin to the life of Righteousness which is called in Scripture the first Resurrection Rev. 20.6 therefore the same Body shall rise unto Glory in the second Resurrection 5 Consider that Death in Scripture is called a Sleep a Dream and the Resurrection an awaking from Sleep Psalm 17. ult therefore as the same Body that lies down to sleep at night awaketh in the morning so the same Body that lies down to sleep in the dust shall awake and rise again in the morning of the Resurrection Hence we see that the Soul will have its own numerical Body again for the preserving of such numerical identity there shall be wonderfully restored the substantial union which is but formally distinguished from the parts united there shall be restored a personality and lastly the native temperament which doth contain the individuating dispositions whereby such a matter hath a peculiar appetite to such a form which matter by vertue of such inclination remains as formerly the same though it may be varied by extension as when the Infant shall be raised into a Man the person shall be enlarged but not multiplied Object But that of the Apostle may be objected who saith That flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 Resp St. Paul speaks of corruptible qualities of flesh and blood not of the substance of it Identitas formae in quacunque materia consistit q. ex identitate formae consequitur identitas materiae cum materia nullam per se habeat actualitatem sed esse suum accipit à forma Numerica identitas non continetur in sola identitate primae materiae nudae sed etiam identitate corporis humani Durand sent 4. distinct 44. plura de resurrectione Vide Synops purior theol disput de resurrect as is manifest in the last clause of the verse neither doth corruption inherit incorruption But flesh and blood by the Almighty power of God may be without corruption as the Body of Christ was after his Resurrection incorruptible immortal and spiritual not converted into a spirit but to the distinction of a living body that must be maintained by food Luke 24.39 This then may confute those that deny the identical resurrection of the Body and affirm that our Bodies at the resurrection must be aerial of a more subtil nature not consisting of flesh and members such were divers of the Anabaptists of Germany and Socinus with his Followers who call into question this Article of our Creed Credo resurrectionem carnis I
ever they shall see God in all his workings to eternity What a ravishing thing would it have been Burr in Beatitud if any of us should have been admitted into the presence of God and there to have seen what God hath done from the beginning of the World to this day but when this World shall be at an end as it will shortly be God and his Saints will then remain everlastingly and they shall be for ever with the Lord and they shall be there where they shall see what God will do for ever 5. They shall see the infinite love of the infinite God of which now they have but a taste they shall then clearly understand that love of God which is the spring of all spiritual blessings in heavenly things out of which they were elected to holiness eternal life and glory that love out of which Christ himself as a Mediator and Redeemer issued and out of which all things were given them that appertain to life and godliness that love which prevented them in their lost condition which turned the eye of God's compassion towards them when they lay in their blood that love which issued out a pardon of all their sins from the Court of mercy which lengthened out the patience of God toward them when they lingred in their sins Then shall they know fully where this love was bred and that none but the eternal love and delight of the Father could have outed so much love then shall they see themselves over head and ears drown'd in many obligations to his infinite love 6. They shall see him as the Fountain of light and wisdom as the only wise God as the Father of lights in whose light themselves see light from whose face all those beams do shine whereby their Souls are filled with heavenly wisdom they shall see clearly that God is light filling Heaven with his brightness and glory and fixing the eyes of all the Angels and Saints upon him as an object infinite altogether lightsome and lovely They shall behold that infinite wisdom of God which created Heaven and Earth which great piece of workmanship had nothing but nothing for its materia how all the different parts whereof it is composed had the same original and how this vacuum by the word of God brought forth the Heavens with their Constellations the Earth with all its Fields the Sea with all its Rocks how the Heavens and Earth were created in an instant though there went six days to their disposal The Saints in Heaven shall also understand that wisdom of God which in all ages hath governed the World and directed all creatures to their courses and motions how this admirable work hath endured numberless ages contrary to the Laws of Nature which suffereth that soon to perish which she is not long in forming Then shall the mysteries of Providence be fully opened and we shall see the Births in the Womb of Providence which on Earth are invisible to us then shall we understand all the ways circuits lines turnings of Providence and see how Christ hath steered the helm of Heaven and Earth when means have failed and men and times have changed They shall likewise know that wisdom that hath ordered the sins of Men and Devils to holy ends never intended by the Actors which hath over-reached the craftiest devices of the Serpent and his Seed They shall likewise behold that manifold wisdom of God that contrived the whole method of mans Redemption and Salvation the very Master-piece of Divine wisdom that wisdom that hath given light to the blind wisdom to the foolish and abundance of light to those that sate in darkness and in the shadow of death and which made those that were darkness to become light in the Lord. This shall be matter of admiration to Men and Angels that the great God should condescend to look on such vile Sinners so far below the free love and majesty of the most High Then shall the Saints understand all the counsels of God concerning themselves from all eternity when they shall be admitted into the House of God they shall not only see what God himself is but they shall see his heart his will and all his ways and glorious contrivances for their salvation 7. They shall see him as that God who is truth it self they shall exactly discern how every promise of his every prophesie delivered by his spirit to the Churches and recorded in his word is fully accomplished not one failing or falling to the ground and that whatsoever God promised or bound himself by covenant to perform though it seemed difficult or long before it was fulfilled yet it came to pass at last in its appointed time Oh the sweet satisfaction which the Saints in Heaven shall find in the full contemplation of the truth of God every way manifested and so gloriously verified in and upon themselves in keeping them by his power unto salvation in preserving them to his heavenly Kingdom in guiding them by his counsel and bringing them to glory when they shall see that all the art malice skill and power of Men and Devils could never frustrate nor make void the least tittle of God's sacred truth 8. They shall see him as a God infinite in holiness of perfect purity they shall with great delight look directly into that overflowing fountain of holiness which hath streamed into so many thousand Souls which hath washed so many unclean hearts from their filthiness which filleth all the Saints and Angels in Heaven with perfect holiness then shall they behold those fair hands as I may speak that stooped to wash such black-skinned and defiled Sinners and purged away the filth of the Daughter of Sion If the Egyptians for many ages have had a great desire to find out the fountain of that River Nilus which by his yearly inundations watereth the Land in that hot climate having no showres of rain and maketh it abundantly fruitful Oh then how shall glorified Souls rejoyce to be brought to the Spring-head of holiness which hath watered so many barren Souls and made them bring forth the fruits of the Spirit 9. They shall clearly see him as an all-sufficient God they shall see that rich treasury opened out of which all that good was given which was received by any or all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth The Lord by many notable instances of his own glorious works Job 38.22 convinced Job of ignorance and posed him by a multitude of interrogations among the rest saith he Hast thou entered into the treasures of snow or hast thou seen the treasures of hail But in that state of glory not only this holy man but every one of the Saints shall be admitted to view the treasures of God's all-sufficiency out of which all good things concerning this life and the life to come have been and shall be dispensed and distributed among the Creatures life breath all things grace and glory grace of justification grace of
this life and they shall also have an everlasting enjoyment thereof 2. They shall likewise rejoyce in the good things of the mind and chiefly in the perfection of all their graces and that cleer knowledg they shall have of all things which shall wonderfully delight them They shall also be much affected with joy from the consideration of the evils and dangers as well temporal as eternal which they shall then perceive themselves to have escaped from the danger whereof they shall see themselves to be secure for ever and beholding the horrible fire of Hell and the numberless multitudes of those that are cast into everlasting burnings and the danger to which themselves were exposed how shall their hearts be fill'd with joy upon the meditation of God's infinite mercy by which they were saved from everlasting destruction and carried in safety into the Port of eternal blessedness 3. They shall likewise rejoyce in the glory of their bodies when they shall perceive their bodies to shine as the Sun to be swift as it were like lightening to be like a Spirit immortal incorruptible impassible 4. They shall rejoyce in the amiableness of their habitation seeing themselves now translated from Earth to Heaven into the glorious Kingdom of Heaven into the Paradise of all delights into the Region of light into the Vision of peace into the Land of the living into the celestial Jerusalem into the place of the Blessed a place abounding with all delights and with all good things and void of all discommodity grief and sorrow out of every one of these good things of their own ariseth to them unspeakable joy SECT III. FUrthermore they shall rejoyce every one in the good things of each other and in the felicity of all their companions for they shall most ardently love all as the Sons of God and their own Brethren and Sisters and fellow Heirs and withall they shall rejoyce in their splendour glory excellency wisdom vertues blessedness as in their own and that much more than any Parent in this life can rejoyce in the felicity of his Children or one Friend in the prosperity of another Quest But with what affection shall the Parent and the Child the Husband and Wife and one Friend greet another in Heaven Sol. We must not surely imagine that any of these conjugal or paternal affections which had their consummation on Earth can be of any use in Heaven nor that there shall be any return of by-past and mortal affections towards Friends Kindred and Children but as the body must put on incorruption and immortality e're it can be a fit companion for the Soul so must the soul likewise be devested of all such desires as are apt again to wed it to earthly and transitory delights before it can be received into the blessed communion of the Saints and as the Soul shall assume the hand the eye and every member of the body unto a participation of glory without soliciting them again to undergo the fore-past drudgeries in the flesh so the Father and the Child and one Friend may behold another without the intimation of such duties or any resultance of such mortal desires as are implied in those relations But as the Soul is permitted to resume its own body rather than another and reason exacts it should gratifie that flesh whose inmate it had been rather than another so likewise those persons whom some nearer relations had formerly united may be conceived to retain so much partiality in the dispensation of their joy as in the first place to rejoyce that they are again united in the participation of glory excluding none from being an argument of their joy but preferring some in the order of their rejoycing but it may be that this affection must comply with the justice of the divine bounty and that we shall there bestow a greater measure of our joy where he hath been pleased to confer a greater portion of his glory It would seem unreasonable that the Soul alone should inherit that glory which was procured perhaps by the torments and sufferings of the body as in holy Confessors and Martyrs and the same reason which makes the Soul and Body sharers of the same happiness begets a mutual claim among the Saints to each others joy for one man may be a powerful Instrument of another's blessedness the Father's care may preserve the Child and the piety of the Son may enflame the Father the Mothers tears may reduce the perverted Son the believing Husband may save the unbelieving Wife and one Friend may with happy success instruct admonish rebuke and pray for another Now is it more reasonable to think that these immortal benefits and obligations shall be promiscuously and undiscernably swallowed up in the Sea of glory or to say that these parties whom it may concern shall see each other face to face some gratefully rejoycing that the Instruments of their Salvation like Stars of a greater magnitude are more eminently glorious others alwayes rejoycing in beholding their labours so highly bless'd as to have procured the endless bliss of their fellow-creatures Our Saviour tells us what joy there shall be for the conversion of a Sinner in the presence of the Angels who by reason of their nature are strangers to us if Angels who are in the presence of God and but of a remote alliance to us be as it were turned aside from the contemplation of the chiefest good to behold with joy a repenting Sinner shall not men who are of the same stock and lineage be much more allowed some expressions of joy suitable to the greatness of the wonder when they behold one another no longer repenting Sinners but glorious Saints In those parts of the world near the Line where the Sun is near them all the year they are said to have no Winter the Earth and Trees being alwayes green as in a perpetual Spring so the Saints in glory upon whom the face of God and Christ shall shine for ever shall never see one cloudy day one winters night nor feel any sorrow or discomfort but shall enjoy a constant plenitude or fulness of joy as a perpetual Spring for ever To conclude the frame of their bodies and spirits the place of their abode their company the objects which they shall see and hear all things within them and without them shall concur to make their joy compleat and to cause their hearts to rest in everlasting peace CHAP. XXVI SECT I. AS for the affection of desire it shall have no place in Heaven the infinite sweetness which the Saints shall tast in God and Christ and in the love of God and Christ shall abundantly satisfie them and leave no place for desire their perfect enjoyment of God shall admit no hungring or thirsting after further delights they shall find it is enough they shall be fully satisfied but never cloyed nor satiated Whence S. August saith August Tract 3. in Joâ—n such shall that delight of beauty in
is it spoken but of the Saints who suffer by the gift and grace of God are members of Christ and Temples of the holy Ghost even of those sufferings wherein they suffer with Christ of which St. Ambrose Ambrose Epist 22. saith to shew the meaning of the words here in hand he is altogether glorified who in suffering for him suffereth with him and that the Apostle may exhort us to sufferings he addeth that all these things which we suffer are too little and unworthy that for the pains thereof so great reward of good things to come should be returned to us CHAP. III. Sect. 1. A description of Glory MY purpose from this Text God assisting me shall be to discourse at large of the glory of Heaven that glory which he hath laid up for his Saints and with which he will Crown them hereafter albeit in this world they are debased vilified and put to shame yet hereafter they shall be glorified Here in the first place let us consider what glory is Glory What glory is taâ—â—â— properly doth note unto us that high esteem which any have of some special worth and excellency in others or of some notable acts wrought by others So the glory of God is that high esteem and account which men and Angels do in their apprehensions entertain of the excellency majesty goodness power perfection and al-sufficiency of God especially that which the Saints and Angels do conceive of him whose apprehension of Gods excellency and infinite perfection is mixt with an entire love of God When we discern a special excellency in a person whom we entirely love this will enlarge our apprehensions in discerning the excellency of such a person He that loveth the Lord sincerely will see more glorious excellencies then another yet even the enemies of God cannot so shut their eyes but that many of them even against their wills shall have a glorious esteem of the Lords excellency Exod. 9.27 Pharaoh could not but discern a glorious excellency of power and Justice in the Lord when he saw his hand so heavy and his stroakes so multiplyed upon him and his people The malignity of their Spirits against the Lord doth ecclipse the brightness of the glory of God shining unto them but yet it cannot altogether darken it The utter darkness that is in the bottomless pitâ— cannot hinder but that the glory of God's Power Wisdom and Justice shall appear to the Devil himself and he shall be forced to entertain an high esteem of his excellency and perfection although there doth not one glimps of his love and favour shine there So the glory of the Saints properly is that high esteem which others have of the excellency which God hath put upon them and of the graces of God shining in them But I take it it is more often used in Scripture for such glorious excellencies as do deserve or cause such an high esteem of those in whom they are So of St. Stephen it is said That he saw the glory of God Act. 7.25 That is a glorious brightness and representation of Gods presence which could not but cause an high and glorious esteem of so excellent a Majesty in all beholders There are glorious excellencies which God in this life hath begun in his children in which sence glory is taken for the foundation of that which is properly called glory for that which produceth glory or causeth an high esteem in the hearts and minds of others so that this is glory radically whereas an high esteem following hereupon is glory formally and properly Now then take glory in this sense for any glorious excellencies in any person we must distinguish a main and mighty difference between the fullness of glorious excellency which is originally in the Creatour and that degree of glorious excellency which is derived to the Creature His glory is his own the glory of the Creatures is not their own but borrowed it is the glory of God shining in them Now this glory which the God of all glory hath put upon the Creatures is of divers kinds as we may learn from the Apostles words 1 Cor. 15.40 41. The glory of the Celestial is one and the glory of the Terrestial is another There is one glory of the Sun and another glory of the Moon and another of the Stars for one Star differeth from another in glory So there is a glory in unreasonable and a glory in reasonable and intellectual Creatures 1. In unreasonable there is a glorious excellency splendor and brightness put upon the Sun Moon and Stars as in that former place The very Flowers of the Field have some glimpse of glory put upon them Behold the Lillies of the Field saith our Saviour I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of them Matth. 6. There was more glory in the native beauty of a Lilly than in all the lustre which art and cost was able to weave into King Solomon's rich and royal Robes So those passages Job 39.19 20. which the Lord uttered with his own mouth for Job's conviction and humiliation do serve to shew some degrees of glory and excellency wherewith the Lord had adorn'd and beautified divers of the bruit Creatures as among others the Horse where ye must conceive that he speaks of a prime one for shape and spirit Hast thou given the Horse strength hast thou clothed his neck with Thunder canst thou make him afraid as a Grashopper The glory of his nostrils is terrible he paweth in the vally and rejoyceth in his strength he goeth on to meet the armed men He mocketh â—t fear and is not affrighted neither turneth back from the sword The quiver ratleth against him the glittering spear and the shield c. Now as the Sun shining upon the Earth or upon a Wall or the like maketh it shine and glister and communicateth its glory to it and yet it is the brightness of the Sun we know and not of the Wall so these glorious excellencies in any degree appearing in the Creatures is the glory of God and not of the Creatures 2. On the other side there is a glory of reasonable or intellectual Creatures and first of Angels who are full of glorious excellencies Secondly of Men who may have glorious excellencies in them of divers kinds Natural Civil Spiritual Natural viz. an eminency of endowments in body and mind Civil extraordinary abilities for managing of publick Affairs in Peace and War and notable atchievements or performances of this kind Such eminency was in Saul Nebuchadnezzar Alexander the Great Julius Caesar and these things made them glorious in a degree But as the Apostle saith in another case the glory of the Terrestrial is one the glory of the Celestial is another so all this is but Terrestrial glory it is Spiritual and Celestial glory which here we are to speak of a special eminency and glorious excellency in spiritual and heavenly things bestowed upon
still keeps its splendor but when the Cloud is gone we see it So Christ in regard of his Deity had this glory always it was hidden from him in regard of the infirmities which he took upon him as sufferings death c. Now Christ our Head being glorified all his Members that suffer with him shall also be glorified together they are now glorified in capite and when Christ hath prepared places for all his Members then he will take them home to his Father's house Christ is now preparing their glory and fitting their heavenly Mansions he is decking their Crowns of Righteousness he is trimming their Robes Christ is now in his own Person glorious but Christ mystical is not glorious it is in a suffering condition there are many of his Members that are not yet brought home to God Christ hath a care of his mystical Body as of his natural Body he gave his natural Body to redeem his mystical Body therefore as he is glorious in his natural Body so he will be glorious in his mystical Body for St. Paul saith he shall come to be glorified in his Saints The Son of God rose gloriously out of his Tomb and after he had given assurance of it to his Apostles he was taken up into Heaven to reign there eternally with his Father the Angels made a part of his Triumph his Body that was pierced with the nails rent with stripes torn with thorns was set at the right hand of his Father on a Throne whose Ornament was Justice and the Foundation Mercy as one well noteth His mystical Body shall receive the like glorious entertainment the Saints shall be admitted into the Society of the Blessed and reign in Heaven with the Angels Those Members that have suffered in the quarrel of Jesus Christ shall be freed from all miseries and reign in glory everlastingly with their Head that the blessedness of Jesus Christ may have its accomplishment and he may be as happy in his Members as in his Person Jesus Christ and his Members are united in their sufferings on earth and by a necessary consequence we may be assured they shall be so one day in their glory in Heaven To this end Christ prayed for his Church to his Father when himself was upon earth The glory which thou gavest me I have given them Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me John 17.22 24. It is observable that in other things when Jesus Christ speaks to his Father it is with so much respect that he seemeth rather a Servant then a Son but when he asks that his Members may reign with him in glory it is with so much liberty of speech that his Request is rather a determination then a Prayer Volo Pater Father I will that where I am there my Servants may be CHAP. V. Of the quality of the Saints glory NOw that I may set forth the nature of the Saints glory you are to know that there is no specisical or essential difference between our gracious and glorious estate as there is no specifical or essential difference between the Corn of the First-fruits and that of the whole Harvest only some accidental differences as there is no specifical difference between a Child and a grown Man they have both the same essential parts and principles there is only an alteration of degrees not of parts gradus non variat speciem Now our present estate is our Infancy our future estate is our Man-hood for the present the Children of God have glory given them godly Men are for the present glorious the Scripture calls them nothing else but blessed yea even then they are blessed when the world looks upon them as most miserable when shame reproach and trouble is cast upon them then doth the Spirit of glory rest upon them they having grace bestowed upon them have glory Glory is nothing else but the splendour the brightness of grace Vita gratiae nihil est aliud quam aetas infantilis gloriae he that is gracious is glorious We shall have the same individual Bodies and Souls after the Resurrection as we have in this life only some alteration in respect of some new qualities as in our first Resurrection from the death of Sin to the life of Righteousness there is no transmutation of the essence but an alteration of the qualities or a super-introduction of new qualities by which we are said to be new Creatures 2 Cor. 5.17 not in quantity but in quality so in Heaven we shall become new Creatures in respect of what we are now and those very qualities which do principally concur to the constitution of our happiness in Heaven are in some measure communicated to us in our first regeneration now we have drops then rivers of delights Psal 36.8 both the same in nature This will be the more evident if we examine wherein our happiness hereafter doth consist and compa ing it with our present estate Our spiritual and supernatural blessedness consisteth in the fruition of such an object as is perfectly all-sufficiently and principally good which is only God therefore it standeth in our perfect union to and communion with God the faculties of the soul being by the Almighty power of God dilated extended and enlarged so far as to be as it were capable of the fulness of God and by the perfect operations of the understanding will and affections united to God in all their actions and when these natural weak and vile Bodies of ours by the same hand of Omnipotency are transfigured and transformed into spiritual powerful and glorious Bodies and so united to the Soul then are we come to the perfection of our blessedness the properties of which blessedness are First That it is everlasting Secondly That we shall discern it so to be And thirdly That as it fulfilleth the largest desires of our hearts so we shall be extraordinarily affected with it and perpetually affected to it and incessantly desirous of it our glory consisteth not in having what our weak Souls can now wish for but what they can desire when they are gloriously corroborated and enlarged So that now you see there is no specifical or essential difference but only a gradual or circumstantial difference between the state of grace here and the state of glory hereafter for Regnum coeleste est Dei contemplatio glorificatio Gregor Nazianzâ—n Orat. contr Arrian celebratio cum Angelis communis saith one of the Fathers who commonly describeth the state of the blessed to be nothing else but the full and perfect accomplishment of such spiritual blessings as are already begun in us and in part already communicated to us when God shall by a most perfect and immediate irradiation of the understanding and sanctification of the will and affections to know love and delight in God and transformatâ—on of the Body into the likeness of Christ's effect
Saints are Therefore in Jude ver 6. the day of Judgment is called the Great Day especially because it shall be a day of great Light now it is Light that makes the day and the more light the more day now in this day of Judgment there shall be abundance of light a full discovery of things and persons then shall the happiness of the Saints be more fully manifest and things shall really then appear as they are the greatest discoveries here are imperfect to that which they shall be on that day then God shall make it appear to all the World who are and who are not the Sons of God then shall all hidden things be made manifest Luk. 12. 2. That is the time for the declaration of the righteous judgment of the Lord Rom. 2.5 SECT III. THE excellent glory of the Saints is hidden from them for these reasons Reas 1. Because God would try his Children whether they would trust him or no. Whether they would believe his promises of happiness and cast themselves upon God for the accomplishment of his promises of eternal happiness Where were faith if God should make their future glory to appear to them otherwise then by promise that they shall be glorious Should God take his Children and carry them up upon a Mount as he did Moses and there shew them their future glory or take them up into the Third Heaven as he did Paul and there let them enjoy the beatifical vision how should faith be the substance of things hoped for how should faith then be the evidence of things not seen what are the things the Saints hope for is it not life everlasting is it not unspeakable glory is it not their compleat happiness and are not these the things that are not seen if these things were in view already if these things did appear to them as the Sun how could faith be the substance of things hoped for how could it be the evidence of things not seen no God will not here suffer their glory to appear but will have them live the life of faith in his promises of glory and eternal happiness before he will open Heaven to them and give them an actual possession of the heavenly Mansions and set the glorious Crown of Righteousness upon their heads Reas 2. Because God would try whether we would be content to suffer for him and to do any thing for him whether we would be willing to deny our selves to become the objects of scorn and contempt whether we would walk in his ways though they are somewhat ruggid and hedged in with sharp thornes whether we as Moses would chuse rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season whether we would prize the reproaches of Christ above riches more then the Treasures of Egypt and be content with his promise of future glory If the future glory and unspeakable happiness of God's Children should for the present be made manifest if God should open the windows of Heaven as he did to Stephen when he was to be stoped and let us see the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God having Crowns of glory in his hands and Robes of honour and Palms of Victory in his hands to bestow upon such as would endure reproach for his Name-sake and suffer any thing whatsoever God calls them to there is no question but the sight of this glory would make us all ready to be stoned with Stephen to be sawn asunder with Isaias to be imprisoned with Joseph to suffer with the people of God with Moses then we should esteem every reproachful contempt for Christ's sake more precious then the fairest Jewels but God doth not suffer our future glory to appear because he will try if men will suffer for him and do his will and trust themselves for glory hereafter they that will sing the Song of Moses and of the Lamb in the next life must swim through the Sea of glass mingled with fire in this life Rev. 15.2 Every one that looks for glory in the next life must make account of the Cross more or less in this life the way to Heaven is strewed with Crosses and we must think it rather an honour then a labour to follow Christ our Master as Alexander's Souldiers followed him through Mountains of Snow Reas 3. Because a future manifestation of their glorious happiness will make more for the glory of Christ then if it did now appear 2 Thes 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that do believe at the day of Judgment That day of horror that day of shame is the day of the manifestation of the glory of Christ and of the glory of the Saints of God then Christ will be wonderfully glorified in the glorification of his Saints and then Christ shall be admired in all them that do believe The Angels all the Saints the Wicked and the Devils themselves will be filled with admiration and be astonished at the infinite love of Christ in bestowing such glory upon all Believers Wicked men will be astonished at it and admire Christ in their glory when they shall see those poor contemned men among them to be so glorified above their expectation what will wicked men say what is yonder man in Heaven I did scorn him I did despise him upon the Earth What will another say Is that man in Heaven I saw him burnt at a Stake I saw this man imprisoned that man banished this man worried that man cast out of all that he had and now behold their glory behold their happiness They will see and wonder at it to see what glory and honour Christ hath cloathed them with then will they cry out we never thought to see such poor despised wretches whom we accounted the off-scouring of the world to be in such glory so likewise how will the Saints themselves admire Christ how will they stand wondering at themselves that they should be so glorious so happy how will they admire the love of Christ that should freely bestow such unspeakable love upon them then will the Saints say to Christ Lord what am I that thou shouldest thus honour me what glory dost thou cast upon such a worm as I am Lord I have suffered but little for thee I have done nothing for thee that thou shouldest thus glorifie me Reas 4. Therefore their glory doth not yet appear because the Sons of God while they are in these earthly houses are not fit for such glory mortality is no fit subject to have immortal glory to be put upon it these mortal Bodies of ours are not fit to be invested with the Robes of incorruptible honour yea these Bodies of ours wherein sin liveth are not fit to enjoy communion with God who is of purer eyes then to behold any unclean thing no there must be a dissolution of these earthly tabernacles mortality
must be swallowed up of life this corruptible must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortality then and not before shall the surpassing glory of the Saints appear as Christ saith we must not put new wine into old bottles nor patch an old garment with a piece of new cloth thus Christ will not put the soul-ravishing joys of Heaven into these old bottles nor will he patch up these fading perishing Bodies with the glory of Angels Reas 5. That he might quicken their desires after their glory that our hearts may pant after those Water-brooks those Rivers of Pleasure that we may cry out with Monica the Mother of St. Augustine in her ravishing contemplation of Heaven volemus in Coelum volemus in Coelum let us fly let us fly into Heaven or as Austin himseâ—f fontem vitae sitio esurio I thirst I greedily long after the fountain of life CHAP. VII Sect. 1. ALbeit the unspeakable glory of Believers be for the present hidden yet in due time it shall be revealed Colos 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Before Christ shall appear in the brightness of his glory we shall not but when the time of his appearing in glory shall come then shall all the Saints manifestly appear with him Quest Here it may be demanded What is the glory that shall be revealed Resp 1. The glory of God himself God will manifest and display his glory before them we shall see God as fully and clearly as we are capable by God's immediate communication of himself to us without any external means 1 Cor. 15.24 God will be all and in all that is God the Father Son Holy Ghost will then reign immediately over his Church by himself without any outward means and will fill his Church with his own light life love and glory It is a disputed case whether we shall see God with our bodily eyes it is answered that the Essence of God being purely spiritual cannot be seen with bodily eyes and God is styled by the Apostle absolutely invisible Again the Angels behold the glory of God and the Souls of the Saints now in Heaven see him but have not eyes therefore the sight of God is rather an act of the mind then of the Body intellectual knowledg not corporeal light But though we shall not with our eyes see the Divine Essence yet the Divine Essence will abundantly manifest it self in the Humane Nature of Christ now glorified to our eyes they shall see him God in him his Attributes in him in this life the Ordinances are a Glass to give us the sight of God in Heaven the Humane Nature of Christ is a Glass to give our bodily eyes the sight of God 2. The glory of Christ shall be revealed his glory as Head of the Church as Saviour of the Body to which he is united his glory as Judge of the World shall be revealed it is said of him that he shall appear in glory Colos 3.4 and that he shall come in his own glory and in the glory of his Father and in the glory of his holy Angels Luke 9.26 and his appearing to judge the World is called a glorious appearing Tit. 2.13 His first appearing was mean the second shall be glorious SECT II. THe Reasons that the appearing of Christ shall be glorious are these 1. Because God hath appointed Christ to judge the World therefore Christ will in the latter day appear gloriously whom God appointed to be the Saviour of the World him hath God appointed to judge the World John 5.22 Christ is God's Delegate to judge the World God will have his Judge to appear in glory Earthly Kings will have their itinerary Judges to appear in pomp and to judge Malefactors they appear both in terror and honour how do all the Gentry give their attendance how are they attended with Spear-men and the Trumpets sounding before them and are invested with Robes of honour Thus God will have his Judge of all the World to appear in glory upon his Tribunal and therefore chargeth all the Angels of Heaven to attend his glorious Majesty chargeth the Arch-angels to sound the Trump to awaken the sleepy Prisoners in the Grave the dark Prison of Death think ye what a glorious appearance it will be If Peter was amazed at Christ upon Mount Tabor when he saw but a glimpse of his glory at the Transfiguration what appearance will that be when Christ shall come in the brightness of his glory and all the Angels and Saints with him cloathed in brightness of glory 2. Because Christ will be glorious before those that did dishonour him Christ did appear to men in the form of a Servant then he was a despised a rejected Christ then was he crowned with a Crown of Thorns and had no better Sceptre then a Reed then was he a reviled a buffeted Christ the malicious Jews did most contumeliously spit on his face and every Sinner would contradict oppose and persecute him then was he a crucified Christ a Man of sorrows and of shame every one looked upon him as a despised Man none would own him for the Son of God yea the Jews did accuse him for Blasphemy for telling them that he was the Son of God therefore Christ will appear in glory one day to the horror and terror of these men that did thus blasphemously abuse him that was King of Kings that did reject him that came to save them that so Christ might be glorified before them and upon them in taking vengeance on their Souls and Bodies then those that did mock at him put a Crown of Thorns on his head a Reed in his hand shall see he was Heir of a better Crown then the Crowns of the greatest Kings and Emperors then they that did contumeliously spit upon and buffet him in scorn shall see they did this to one whom the Angels reverence he will make Kings to throw down their Crowns and Scepters to his feet then those that scorned and despised him shall see that verily he is the Son of God 3. Because glory is terrible the more glorious Christ appears at the last day the more terror will be upon the wicked therefore the glorious appearing of Christ to judge the World is called the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 6.11 If the sight of one Angel in glory be terrible what will the sight of Christ be who will appear ten thousand times more glorious then all the Angels be if godly men that had good consciences were so horribly affrighted at the appearance of an Angel in lesser glory how will wicked men that have accusing consciences be afraid at the beholding Christ's glorious appearance if holy men were so amazed at good tidings because brought to them by a glorious Messenger how will wicked men be amazed to hear the sentence of condemnation pronounced against them by the Lord of glory To see God in Christ is the
be as Assistants of Christ they shall assist as so many Justices with Christ who is the Lord-chief-Justice of Heaven and Earth 2. Approbando They shall approve and applaud his judgment they shall sit on Thrones of Everlasting glory and shall as Gods Assessours give their voices and consents unto his just Judgment against the Wicked 3. Testificative They shall bring in evidence against the Wicked so that all their mouthes shall be stopped The godly shall then be heard to speak and shall say to Christ Lord this is the man that hated me scoft at me persecuted and oppressed me 2. It will make much for the Saints glory that they shall appear glorious in the open sight of the whole world The Saints shall see the Damnation of the Wicked and the Wicked shall see the glorious Salvation of the Saints and their happiness their appearing with Christ in glory will make much for their glory Quia unumquodque ex comparatione contrarii magis cognoscitur Because every thing is more known by comparing it with that which is contrary to it The misery of War sheweth us the happiness of Peace The blackness of darkness commendeth the comfort of Light So the misery of Hell will make Heaven the more glorious Angels shall then admire at the glory of the Saints He that confesseth me before men him will I confess before the Angels that is glorifie him before them Luk. 12.8 saith our Saviour Moreover the godly themselves shall mutually admire one anothers Glory and admire Christ in one another Peter shall admire Christ in the glory conferred on Paul and Paul shall admire Christ in the glory conferred on Peter they shall mutually rejoyce in each others glory as here on Earth they do mourn and grieve for one another in afflictions in Heaven they shall rejoyce in one another's glory Mat. 8.11 Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Sitting at Table sheweth mutual delight in one anothers society Christ will have his Saints to behold the Damnation of the Wicked that so they might admire the free grace of God and glorifie his Name that he should deliver them from so great Damnation Luk. 13.28 And God will have the Wicked to behold the glory of the Saints that so the Wicked may in vain miserably torment themselves with envy at the surpassing glory and happiness of the Saints and that they may also curse and torment themselves with inward grief that they should be such fools as to lose such glory as the Saints do enjoy then will they cry out Oh we might have had those Crowns as well as they but now we must have the vials of Wrath powred upon our heads instead of having Crowns of glory set upon them we must now keep company with Devils and Infernal Fiends in Hell when we might have enjoyed communion with God and his Angels in Heaven CHAP. VIII 1. IS there unspeakable glory to be revealed in the Saints hereafter then be not troubled at your present state whatever it is O ye righteous let not your present mean obscure base condition in the World trouble your hearts but lift up your heads because of the glory which shall be revealed be not troubled at the shame of the Cross be not terrified with the rage and cruelty of ungodly men at any time fear none of these things because it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdom of glory Bid afflictions welcome for glories-sake bid reproaches welcome for glories-sake let this comfort thy Soul in all abasements and pressures yet I shall be glorified the World is pleased to reveal their malice in me but my God will reveal glory in me the World reveals their hatred against me but my God will reveal his love in me how despicable soever I am at this present yet I shall appear in glory You know the glory of Christ was hidden for thirty three years though he was the Lord of glory yet how despicable and contemptible was he all men scorn'd him rejected him mocked him persecuted him but now he is in glory and will one day appear in glory to the World put case thou shalt pass as many years in reproaches and afflictions yet thou shalt appear in glory together with Christ and thou dost at present but drink of the same Cup the Lord of glory drank of before thee Ye that are afflicted for Righteousness sake what cause have ye to count it all joy for if any have more abundantly revelations of glory in them undoubtedly they have who have abounded in sufferings for Christ This should work in us a blessed contempt of all the torments and cruelties that Hell or Earth can invent or execute a few hours in Heaven will make amends for all the tortures of this life were every torture an Hell to us Oh the perfection beauty glory and transcendent excellency of those joys which shall be revealed in that day 2. The consideration of the revelation of this glory may fortifie our Spirits against all fears and dangers though the thing feared be not present yet fears are many times present with us there is enough in this consideration to raise our hearts above fears the hope of this revelation heightens a Christians courage gives him the Almighty for his second and makes him Triumph over all his fears and overcome all difficulties this hath so fortified many Saints and Martyrs that they have even laught at Tyrants and Devils the greatest cruelty being not able to ravish from them what they loved the hope of eternal glory will strengthen the heart against the worst of fears and dangers which the worst of times and men can threaten were this hope well kept up it would carry a believer through a whole Sea of trouble and the rougher the Sea proved the nearer would the Soul be carried to the Haven 3. This likewise may strengthen the hearts of God's Children against the present snares which Sin Satan or the World can lay before them since there shall be a Revelation of glory in us what Soul is there that is prevented and engaged with the love of God that may not see good ground to disdain all the offers that a sinful world can make him to ensnare his Soul as Abraham did not only reject the offers of the King of Sodom but did it with disdain Gen. 14.23 The most high God was Abraham's portion therefore he would not be beholden to a wicked King for any thing no not so much as a shoe-latchet he would not be so injurious to the possessour of Heaven and Earth so when a child of God is tempted to that which is evil with present honours profits and preferments in the world this will make him with a holy disdain to refuse these proffers that the World and the God of the World make unto him because of the glory that shall be revealed in him the promises of the World
vehement affection and take them home to his own House after a tedious pilgrimage in the World wherein they have met with harsh unkind usage How did Jacob tender Benjamin that he would not let him go from him till he was forced to it and saw the necessity of it but his joy is not exprest upon his return because he heard that his beloved Joseph was alive and when he saw the Waggons and Charets that Joseph had sent to fetch him and his family into Egypt Oh then it is inconceivable and inexpressible with what affections our heavenly Father will take home his Children to his everlasting habitations when they are of full age and ready to receive their inheritance Moreover they are the temples of the holy Ghost and with what abundance of love think you will God receive the Saints when they are perfumed all over with sweet odours from Heaven with all the graces of God's Spirit The Spirit here is the source of all Divine gifts for being the prime radical donation of our heavenly Father there is no grace he confers upon us which bears not the image of this first and prime gratuity the Spirit is the pandora through which all other blessings are bestowed upon us Now the Spirit is given to sanctifie those whom Christ hath redeemed and to preserve them to God's heavenly Kingdom whom Christ had purchased and delivered from everlasting destruction God manifested much love to his People on Earth in that his Spirit dwelling in his Saints when it was often grieved by them yet would not leave nor quit his old habitation what abundance of love then will he express to them when he shall find nothing in them that is contrary or displeasing to him Besides the Saints are espoused to the Lord Jesus Christ and that great day wherein they are to be received to glory shall be the full consummation of the Marriage Oh what abundance of love will the Lord Jesus express to his Bride when she shall be brought home to him after a long time of separation one from another With gladness and rejoycing shall they be brought unto the King and enter into the Kings Palace Psal 45.15 Though the Church sigh here below she knows her Beloved will keep his word that having had a part in his sorrows she shall have a share in his heavenly triumphs Oh how shall the countenance of the glorious Son of righteousness chear the hearts of God's People at the last day with abundance of joy when he that is an universal Friend shall supply the place of a gracious Lord of a loving Father and act the part of a loving Brother Tu mihi qui conjux pariter scaterque paterque Tu Dominus tu Vir tu mihi Prater eris Ovid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian in Epictet of a Head of a Husband of a Root and be every thing to us Methinks the serious consideration hereof should be a forcible attractive to draw Sinners to Christ and to cause them to receive him into their hearts by faith whatsoever offers the Devil can make them or whatsoever entertainments they may have from the World they are not worth a naming to the magnificent and sumptuous entertainment that the Lord Jesus will give to his Spouse at the last day Oh what a Feast will Christ make for all his Children when he shall bring them all together into the House of his Father and if that word be too strait into the City of the great King and if that be too strait into the World to come where there shall be room enough for them all What comfort may the meditation hereof afford to you that are poor Christians that are now the out-casts of the World know ye though the World exclude you yet Heaven will receive you though the World afford you no house-room but shut you out of doors yet the everlasting Gates shall be opened to you and God shall take you into his own House yea into his own Bosome ye have a Father in Heaven his House is richly furnished and there you shall be sumptuously and royally entertained though the World refuse to feed you with the crumbs that fall from their tables yet you shall eat and drink with Christ at his table in his Kingdom yea he shall be your meat and drink who is the bread of life and the well-spring of Salvation the Lord will think nothing he hath too dear for you but you shall have part with Jesus Christ and share with him in all his enjoyments I have read of Cyrus who never liked any dish of meat but he sent a part of it from his table to his Friends he loved most yea sometimes the very bread and meat he had upon his own trencher with this kind and friendly salutation Cyrus tibi ista quod ipsi fuerint jucundissima King Cyrus sends you this because he likes it best himself and holds it to be most choice and dainty So the Lord will entertain his People with his own glory and felicity whereupon St. Bernard hath this expression Non aurum pollicetur Dominus the Lord doth not promise gold nor silver nor pretious stones but himself he will be their substantial joy and everlasting comfort What tongue or pen is able to set forth that large and kind entertainment that God will give to his Children on that day when they shall see the Lord Jesus like a faithful Shepherd conducting all his Flock to the Fold which was ordained for them before the foundations of the World were laid when they shall see him like a valiant General and triumphant Conqueror riding in the Heavens in the head of his troops and glorious train who shall follow him with Crowns on their heads and Palm branches in their hands Oh the shoutings oh the songs of joy and vollies of praises and Hallelujahs that shall fill the World in that great and glorious day when Jesus Christ shall come in his own glory and in the glory of his Father and of the holy Angels Luke 9.26 CHAP. XV. SECT I. Of the substance of the Saints glory HAving spoken of the circumstances let us now consider more particularly the substance of that glory and blessedness which the glorified Saints shall possess in their souls and bodies and first in their bodies but before I speak of that glory which God will put upon the bodies of the Saints I shall speak of that which goes before it and leads unto it viz. the resurrection of their bodies However God's Children are subject to death as well as others yet they shall be raised again to a state of blessedness and their bodies shall be re-united to their souls For 1. God hath decreed it and it shall certainly come to pass John 6.39 40. Christ saith This is the Father's will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day and this is the will of
sanctification preventing grace subsequent grace exciting grace confirming grace strength against temptation support under afflictions help in extremities relief against seeming impossibilities faith repentance love hope c. they shall see the Spring of that River of God's pleasures and of those living Waters which have refreshed so many thirsty Souls when they seemed ready to perish Oh how would it tickle the vain curiosity of many men to be admitted to the sight of the rich treasures of great Princes and to have their Cabinets filled with the rarest and most sumptuous Jewels unlocked before their eyes Alas they are not so much as common stones of the street in comparison of the treasures of God's all-sufficiency which the Saints shall behold in Heaven SECT II. FUrthermore as the Saints in Heaven shall see what God is in himself so they shall perfectly and fully see what God is to themselves here is the happiness of the beatifical vision not only to know that God is infinitely gracious in himself but that he is also infinitely gracious to us not only to know that God is goodness it self bonum summum the chiefest good but also to know God is our chiefest good our happiness Then the Saints will all say to God as Job did when he had that familiar conference with God Job 42.5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee So when we come to Heaven every one of us will say Lord I have heard thy Ministers say that thou art a merciful a gracious God I have heard thy Word to proclaim thee to be a Lord a Lord God gracious and merciful a God pardoning sin and forgiving iniquity and now mine eyes see thee now I plainly see that thou art such a God as indeed thou art I tell you this is one main part of the beatifical Vision not only to see what God is in himself but to see clearly what a good God he is to us this is the happiness of all the Saints this is the fulness of joy which is in the presence of God this is the rivers of pleasure which are at God's right hand Suppose the Devils and damned Spirits should know what God is in himself that he is the God of grace the God of mercy the God of glory alas they would but little bless themselves in the knowledg of God because God is not thus to them it is their woe of woes because they know that God is to them a consuming fire devouring burnings and an angry Judge To know a thing and not to possess that thing is no happiness at all to know there are riches in the bottom of the Sea doth nothing rejoyce a man but to possess those riches to know there are rich treasures of all good things and not to have any part in that treasure what comfort hath a poor man in the knowledg of that It is true what Chrysologus saith of the rich Man in Hell Dives magis uritur Lazari gloria quam proprio incendio Chrysolog The glory of Lazarus doth more torment him then the fire of Hell It is no comfort to him to see Heaven and Lazarus in Abraham's bosome and himself to be thrust into Hell This brings joy to the heart of man when he knows a thing and seeth it to be his own There are three things that make a man glad 1. When a man hath that which he loveth 2. When that which he hath and loveth is the best thing 3. When a man knoweth that he hath and that he loveth is the best thing All these things are in the beatifical Vision The Saints enjoy that which they love viz. God then God is the best thing among all the treasures of good things nothing to be compared to God Likewise the Saints do know that they do enjoy God that God is their God and what God is in himself that he is to them this is that which will satisfie all the Saints when they shall awake out of the dust They also shall see all things in God it is a true Theorem among the Schools Videntes Deum omnia vident in ipso those that see God shall see all other things in him And the reason that they give is this because the Divine essence is the representative object of all things Fulgentius makes this comparison Fulgentius his comparison God saith he may not unfitly be compared to a glass look as in a glass we see three things we see the glass it self then we see our own self in the glass then we see other things in the glass too so in God we shall see Deitatem nosmetipsos caeteraque see God see our selves see all other things besides Now this knowledg will not be a comprehensive knowledg of God we may be studying God to all eternity and yet we shall never be able to comprehend him God is infinite and our understandings are finite it is impossible for an infinite object to be confined within the limits of a finite being Aquinas gives this good rule Divina essentia tota videtur quia est simplicissima partibus carens sed non totaliter Aquinas We shall see the whole essence but as most simply void of all composition but we shall not see him wholly we shall have large and clear apprehensions of God but no comprehension As Cardan told them that asked of him What God was Tunc Deus essem if I were able to tell you what God is I my self should be a God We should all be Gods if we could comprehend God SECT III. THe Saints in Heaven shall also behold the Lord Jesus as he is God the same God with the Father and the Holy Ghost More particularly 1. They shall have a perfect knowledg of him as God and Man as Mediator between God and Man they shall not only see the Lord Jesus with their bodily eyes but they shall also discern his incomparable excellency with the eye of their inner man they shall then understand the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God they shall clearly see into the mystery of the hypostatical or personal union of God and Man which is now so little understood by us they shall then see the God-head filling the Manhood with glory and majesty dwelling in it substantially they shall behold how the nature of man was raised unto an infinite height above all created nature and joyned to the Deity in the word hypostatically and substantially they shall see how God is truly and properly Man and how Man is truly and properly God which naturally no created understanding can comprehend they shall then clearly behold that wonderful conjunction of the Son of God and of the Seed of Abraham in one Person and shall see the Man-hood exalted far above all Principalities and Powers 2. They shall behold him as the Author and Finisher of their Faith as the Sacrifice for their Sins as him who was their wisdom righteousness
love every one of them as well as himself CHAP. XXV SECT I. Of the joy of glorified Saints what it is and to what it extendeth it self OUt of love floweth joy which openeth and enlargeth the heart upon the enjoyment of God and Glory the beatifick joy is as sublime supernatural and wonderful as the beatisick Vision of God and Love it self is for these are altogether equal and commensurate among themselves as well by intensive perfection as by eminency of nature or specifical perfection so much do the Saints love as they see and so much do they rejoyce as they love The chief object which delighteth the Saints is of infinite goodness beauty and sweetness comprehending in it self the goodness beauty and sweetness of all things and this joy of the Saints doth so far surpass all worldly joys which are taken in either by the sense or understanding as the Vision of God in Heaven doth excell all the knowledge we have here upon earth and as much as an infinite good doth exceed a finite good for that joy is infinitely greater and sweeter than all the joyes of this life I say infinitely so that although all the joyes of the world and all the delights of the senses which may be had in this life should be gathered together in one and should be augmented never so much yet could they never be equalled with the joyes of glorified Saints because this joy is of an higher kind viz. Divine and the sweetness of it is of a far other nature than the sweetness of earthly joyes This will the more evidently appear if we consider the eminency variety and stability of the good things in which the Saints in glory do rejoyce 1. First and above all things they do rejoyce in the intrinsecal good things of God which are infinitely abundant in him viz. because they see him to be of infinite power wisdom and goodness they see him to be eternal and incomprehensible they see him to be the Author of all things the end of all things the preserver of all things they see all good sweetness and blessedness most abundantly contained in him and their joy is the greater because they see him possess all these things after a most eminent manner for as they love God incomparably more than themselves so do they rejoyce more in those eminencies that are in him than in all their own blessedness If the joyes that the Saints have here in this vale of tears be many times unspeakable and far greater than all worldly joyes how incomparably greater then shall their joy be when it shall be said to every faithful Soul Enter thou into thy Masters joy Math. 25. Then they shall as it were enter into an ocean and abysse of joyes and therewith shall be compassed about on every side and dwell eternally in it 2. They shall rejoyce in all the extrinsecal good things of God They shall rejoyce in that glory which God hath from the perpetual praises benedictions and thanksgivings of all his Saints they shall rejoyce in that glory which accrueth to him from the salvation of his elect Children and from the torments of the wicked which they do and shall suffer in the Prison of Divine Justice to all eternity and all this joy of theirs ariseth from their love to God as when a Kings Son rejoyceth in the wisdom power riches and glory of his Father without having any respect at all to his own profit or honour but meerly out of love to his Father and for his Father's sake Of this joy Anselm thus speaketh so much as any one loveth another Quoniam quantum quisque diligit alterum tantum de bono ejus gaudet Anselm Proso log Ca. 25. so much he rejoyceth in his good and as in Heaven every one will incomparably love God more than himself and all others with himself so he will rejoyce more in the blessedness of God than in his own happiness and of all others with him As for their joy it shall be most full and abound a perpetual feast of marrow and fatness in God's presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 S. John saith That which we have seen and heard that we declare unto you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ and these things write we unto you that your joy may be full 1 Joh. 1.3 4. This seems to assure us that Christians in this life may have a fulness of joy through communion and fellowship with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ viz. a fulness of eminency not of perfection such a fulness of joy as surpasseth all sinful and worldly joyes such as overcometh all worldly losses and sorrows how much more in the life to come shall their full enjoyment of God cause in them an absolute and most perfect fulness of joy as much joy as their hearts can hold their hearts also being enlarged and made capable of abundance of joy unspeakable and full of glory they shall have joy then not that shall overcome all sorrow onely but they shall be altogether free from all mixtures of sorrow never a cloud of sadness or discontent shall ever in the least measure eclipse or darken their joy what are all our terrene joyes they are but as a dream to this fulness of joy that is in the presence of God in Heaven SECT II. MOreover besides this which is also unspeakable although inferiour to those beforementioned 1. They do rejoyce in their own happiness which as it is very great so shall their joyes be multiplied accordingly and first of all and above all they shall rejoyce in this that they are come to the sight and possession of God and are made partakers of his glory and blessedness for if mortal men in this life having found a great treasure or coming to possess a rich inheritance or having obtained a Kingdom they looked not for or some earthly and frail good which yet draweth a thousand cares with it and lasteth but a short time are so exceedingly affected with joy that they are not able to contain themselves and are even transported beyond themselves with an extasie of joy with what joy then think you shall the Saints be affected when they shall come to the possession of an infinite good which excludeth all sollicitude and wherein all riches all honours all dignities all beauty all sweetness and whatsoever the mind of man can desire is most abundantly contained and that which addeth to this joy is that they shall see the possession of this good to be most firm and sure and to abide for ever without any change or alteration therefore upon a double account their joy shall be incomparably greater than all the joyes of this world viz. because the good which they shall possess shall be infinitely greater and more sublime than all the good things of
which then they shall enjoy they shall never be afraid of losing God Christ Heaven Happiness but shall be secured to all eternity which is the Crown of this glorious liberty of the Children of God It is a sore thraldome to be perplexed with fears of losing our enjoyments it imbittereth all our joyes it is death to a worldling to think he must die and leave all his riches honours friends delights much more will it be a very Hell to the afflicted if they should be afflicted with the fears of losing Heaven but no such fears or thoughts shall at any time during eternity perplex the hearts of the Godly it casteth out all such fears they shall see it is impossible for them to lose what they do possess Notable is that phrase Luk. 16.26 Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed that if the glorified would get out of Heaven they cannot come to the damned and the damned cannot come out of Hell to Heaven God hath fast bolted the gates of Heaven and Hell with an everlasting decree CHAP. XXVIII Of the eternity of the glory of Heaven II. THe second adjunct of this glory is the perpetuity of it it shall be everlasting this is abundantly witnessed in the Scriptures I give to them eternal life saith Christ and they shall never perish Joh. 10.28 He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life Joh. 5.24 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life Rom. 2.7 it is called eternal life eternal glory eternal salvation 2 Tim. 2.10 Hebr. 5.9 Hebr. 9.15 The Hebrews when they did speak of eternal life they would speak in the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vitae not vita lives not life implying eternity Quest Here it may be demanded how the blessedness of the Saints is made perpetual endless everlasting Adam was made perfect after the Image of God perfectly blessed perfectly holy and yet he fell both from holiness and happiness this blessed estate of his seemed to have been of very short continuance yea many of the Angels which were more excellent and glorious than man and had none to tempt them yet left their habitation and fell from this blessed estate how then cometh it to pass that the happiness of man shall be everlasting Resp For answer hereunto if I should say that they shall see God face to face and so shall be filled with God and so all occasions of sin and revolting from God shall be prevented and they shall be so abundantly satisfied in God and so invincibly strengthened and confirmed by God dwelling in them that nothing shall so far prevail over them as in the least degree to withdraw their affections from God I see not how this might suffice for doubtless the Angels that kept not their first estate did thus see and enjoy God yet they fell totally and finally Therefore the sole reason is the will of Almighty God his infinite goodness his eternal love toward them according to which he hath made a covenant of grace with them in his Son by his promise and oath assuring them of eternal life and this immutable will and love of God declared in the infallible truth of his gracious promise and covenant is a better and firmer assurance than the highest perfections and excellencies that any meer creature is capable of yea a child of God here on earth having the least measure of true grace mixt with many corruptions almost stifled with the body of death opposed discouraged discountenanced by a wicked and ungodly world assaulted by all the powers of darkness and with numberless temptations is in a safer condition for perseverance and is better assured to hold out to eternal life because of the verity of God's promise and the firmness of his covenant grounded upon the rock Christ-Jesus than one that were by creation perfectly upright and happy if his holiness and happiness were only in his own keeping and not established upon this everlasting foundation the will of God and the infallibility of his promise This being the cause we may also conceive divers holy ends for which as he doth preserve every child of his by his effectual working power unto salvation so having brought them thither he will for ever preserve them in his Heavenly Kingdom As I. That he may have some of the lost seed of Adam to be everlasting Monuments of his rich grace who to all eternity shall be real demonstrations of his infinite love and unspeakable mercy and goodness in redeeming justifying sanctifying cleansing and preserving them II. That he may be to eternity praised for his glorious victories over all his enemies that when the Devil and his Angels have used the utmost of their craft might and malice when the hands of the world have been hot and smoking with the blood of the Saints and their hearts sick with blasphemy and malice against Christ and his followers when sin hath thrown out its most deadly poyson or when death hath been devouring Man-kind so many ages yet shall the Almighty power of God be so prevalent over all as to make and everlastingly to keep his elect in a blessed state and he in them and they with him shall celebrate an eternal and most glorious triumph in the Kingdom of Heaven III. That Jesus Christ may be eternally honoured as a Redeemer God the Father will have the fruit of his Son's purchase to be perpetual and everlasting he will magnifie the infinite value of that price which Christ hath paid the infinite vertue of that blood which Christ shed for the redemption of lost souls by establishing his ransomed ones in everlasting happiness therefore it is said He shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that do believe 2 Thes 1.10 Christ is now very admirable and glorious in the hearts of his redeemed ones who are illightened with saving knowledge who have an experimental taste in themselves of the efficacy of his blood and the fruit of that redemption which he hath wrought But oh how admirable and glorious shall he then appear when they shall enjoy the fulness of his redemption in an unchangeable state of blessedness for evermore IV. That he may have everlasting objects of his love to whom he may communicate his goodness sweetness fulness whom he may enrich with the treasures of his Kingdom feast with his love beautifie with his salvation and adorn with the brightness of his glory for ever and this is that wherein the infinite goodness of God delighteth even to give forth and to communicate it self such is his blessedness and perfection that it is beyond all possibility of addition he can receive nothing from any but delighteth to give and communicate and as he is an everlasting fountain of blessedness so he will have everlasting vessels of honour into whom fulness of blessedness may stream and
torments have not power to destroy our souls they can never have power to deprive us of Heaven 2. That which can never separate us from God can never shut us out of Heaven let us be sure that God is ours and we may be sure that Heaven is ours our sins may separate us from God Isa 59.2 but our sufferings our afflictions shall never separate us from him you may remember that heroical challenge of S. Paul Rom. 8.35 What shall separate us from the love of Christ There be three things to be noted in that challenge 1. That the godly are subject to all those evils that the Apostle there reckons up he reckons up seven in all and still that which cometh after aggravateth that which went before Tribulation or trouble that 's the first but to be in trouble and in anguish too in anguish to be driven into persecution and banishment in banishment to suffer hunger and nakedness with these to be in continual peril and danger after all to dye violently by the sword these are great evils all of them and all of them exceeding one another and yet it is certain the godly are subject to all of them 2. That in these evils the main end that the Devil aims at is to separate God from us and us from God as may plainly be seen in Job's case where the Devil laid all the load he could upon him and all to set God and him at variance to make him to blaspheme God and God to forsake him 3. That yet the anchor of our safety is so firmly cast as that no such tempests as these shall ever cause such a Shipwrack in vain shall the Devil ever labour by any of these cords to pull God and us asunder they shall not make the faithful for their parts to shrink any whit from him nay they will rather stick the closer to him as wind puts not out the fire but rather kindleth it so that same wind of affliction which is sent out to blow upon them it shall not be a means to put out but rather to kindle the fire of their love God on the other side for his part will never the sooner forsake them nay he is so far from forsaking his Children in afflictions as he doth then draw the nearer to them Perhaps they are not alwayes so sensible of his presence but afraid that he hideth his face away yet certain it is he is then ever at hand and near unto them ready to do by them as Christ did by Peter in the storm as soon as they begin to sink to put his hand under them and to save them from drowning David saith God hath compassion on us as a Father hath compassion on his Children now Fathers have most compassion on their Children when they see them in most trouble and distress if natural Fathers have so God our Heavenly Father cannot then be void of the bowels of affection when he seeth us in affliction and distress God doth then pity us and those are infallible arguments of his love toward us now if troubles and afflictions cannot separate God's love from us sure they cannot shut up God's Kingdom against us but notwithstanding all the hardships they make us to suffer for the time yet when we have been tryed we shall receive the crown of life CHAP. XXXI Setteth down a cordial to them that are in affliction and a Preparative to them that are not A Twofold use may be made of what was laid down in the precedent Chapter and it concerns them that are in affliction and them that are not for them that are in affliction a cordial of unspeakable comfort for what can more comfort an afflicted soul when he seeth how all earthly joyes have forsaken him and that he is every day fain to eat the bread of sorrow and to mingle his drink with tears what can more comfort him than to know and to be assured that yet for all this he is never the farther from God never the farther from Heaven the world powreth contempt upon him but God hath not cast him out of his favour his outward man peradventure is weakened and decayed but his inner man is safe and untouch'd Earth hath denyed him peace and comfort but in Heaven there 's laid up for him a crown of blessedness This was it that gave Job comfort and made him Victor in stercore made him sing Songs of Triumph even when he was sitting on the dunghill his substance was gone his Children were slain his Wife tempted him his Servants scorned him his enemies insulted on him his Friends forsook him the Devil was a scourge to him God himself seemed to hide his face from him yet for all this saith he I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall see him at the last day there is no comfort in the world comparable to this so we may be sure to come to Heaven at the last no matter though we go thither in a a whirlwind and a fire no matter whether a smooth way or a rugged Better go a fowl way to a Banquet than a fair way to a Gibbet The reward we look for in Heaven is sometime compared to a reaping to a harvest now you know when the corn is sown once before we come to reap it it suffers a great deal of hard weather many dashing rains many nipping frosts many biting winds yet none of all these do hinder the harvest they make the corn never the worse either for ripening or reaping in due season we shall reap as the Apostle saith notwithstanding all these Afflictions are to us while we are living in the world as hard weather to the corn while it is growing in the field they nip us they pinch us they blow cold they beat hard upon us yet they shall not spoil us of the harvest we look for they shall not bereave us of the least of those sheaves of joy that lye a ripening for us but in due season we shall reap the full crop into our garners let this then be a cordial to all that are in affliction Let it be also a preparative for those that are not prepare your selves O Christians for the patient bearing of all trials that God shall send upon you by laying up before hand this comfort and assurance that no trials shall rob you of your crown Object Peradventure you will object that yet they have done so by some extremity of affliction hath driven them into extremity of despair so instead of receiving the Crown of life they have caused their portion in the second death Resp Affliction hath not caused this but the ill use that hath been made of affliction we are to judge of affliction as we are to judge of prosperity they are either of them good or evil according to the good or evil use that is made of them it 's certain that some that are in prosperity shall come to Heaven yet their prosperity is not the cause
made in mercy the performance thereof dependeth upon the fidelity of the promiser not upon the merit of the worker the promise is sure not according to our merits but according to his mercy therefore go to God and say Lord thou hast promised to bestow the Crown of glory upon all that come unto thee Lord we have thy word there is a promise wherein thou hast caused me to hope Be it to thy servant according to thy Word CHAP. XXXIII SECT I. Sheweth how a man may know whether he hath a title to Heaven Quest BVt here peradventure thou may'st demand how shall I know whether the promise of eternal life belongeth to me or not Sol. I answer first dost thou love God the promise of giving the crown of life is made to them that love him Jam. 1.12 He that is the best lover is the best and most accomplished Christian it is not so much what thou doest or what thou sufferest what thy actions or what thy sufferings are as what thy love to God is so then the greatest Saint is not barely he that hath done most or suffered most but he that loveth most as it was said of Mary Magdalen Luk 7.47 that many sins were forgiven her because she loved much If thou hast true saith it will be the fountain of thy love to God who believing God to be such and so merciful to to thee it swalloweth up thy affections and draweth out thy love and devotion toward him which is not unfelt in us but by the feeling thereof in our selves we gather a further confirmation and assurance to our selves that we are beloved of God both which S. Bernard well declareth saying that the love of God breedeth in the soul love toward God and by feeling it self to love it is also out of doubt that it self is beloved now if thou art one that lovest God thou maist conclude thou art beloved of him for we love him because he loved us first and therefore thou hast an interest in the crown of life which God hath promised to them that love him True it is sometimes it is said it shall be given to such as the Lord loveth his love to us that is it that shall set this glorious crown upon our heads The Apostle Eph. 2.4 speaking both of our Sanctification and Salvation makes God the Author of them both and in God the cause of both the riches of his mercy and the greatness of his love God who is rich in mercy through his great love wherewith he hath loved us hath raised us up together and made us to fit together in Heavenly places So S. John saith it was God's love to us that he sent his onely Son to us in him to give us life and salvation herein was the great love of God manifested towards us in that God sent his onely begotten Son into the world that we might live through him 1 Joh. 4.9 Yet S. James tells us the crown of life shall be given to them that love the Lord as if it were not so much his love to us as did graciously vouchsafe it as our love to him that did deservedly merit it But these may both stand together the promise of eternal life may be said to belong both to those whom the Lord loveth and to those that love the Lord for first this love of God to us and our love to him do alwayes go together like fountain and stream seed and fruit fire and light cause and effect whensoever his love takes hold upon us it generates and begets in us love toward him again We read of Solomon that he was named Jedidjah because he was the beloved of the Lord 2 Sam. 12.25 and we likewise read of him 1 Kings 3.3 that he loved the Lord he was the beloved of the Lord and he loved the Lord God's love working upon him it wrought in him again love toward God now they that are beloved of God and they that love God they have both of them the promise of eternal life God's love to them is properly the cause of it their love to him that 's onely the Seal of it What S. John saith of the love of our Brethren the same may we say of the love of God We know by it that we are translated from death to life 1 Joh. 3.14 which life is a token of assurance by which we know we shall be saved The cause of our salvation is in God's loving us our loving of God is a token only by which we know we are sealed up unto salvation SECT II. 2. ARt thou Holy thou hast hence good ground and reason to expect whatsoever reward God hath promised unto holiness Being made free from sin and become servants unto God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 6.22 Are ye pure in heart they onely shall see God Math. 5.8 Are ye holy in life then shall you see the Lord Hebr. 12.14 Beware how thou dost go on in any sin answer thy lusts thy temptations thy wicked company that seduce and entice thee to sin as Solomon answered Bathsheba when she desired Abishag for Adonijah let him take my Kingdom too so say thou to thy lusts to thy temptations to thy wicked company if you beg my company then take away my Kingdom too take away my glory take away my happiness too take heed of laying down thy head in the lap of any lust as Sampson did in the lap of Dalilah What said she to him The Philistines be upon thee Sampson So if thou sufferest thy self to be deceived by thy lusts by thy sinful pleasures I will not say the Philistines be upon thee but all the Devils in Hell be upon thee it may be thou expectest Angels to carry thee like Lazarus into Abraham's bosome and the evil Angels will take thee and hurry thee into Belzebub's bosome nothing but sin will make thee uncapable of glory it is only Christ and interest in Christ by saving faith and grace and holiness that can fit thee for glory that can make thee capable of glory and happiness we must be gracious here otherwise we shall never be glorious hereafter consider the nature of this glory which God will communicate to his Saints it is pure glory therefore it is necessary that the subjects which must receive it be pure also God will put pure glory into pure vessels What ado had Queen Esther before she was brought to the King Est 2.12 She was to purifie her self a whole year before she could attain to be Queen six months with oyl of Myrrh and six moneths with sweet Odours then she was brought to the King shall an earthly Prince expect such exact purification before he will bestow his honours and shall not God expect our purifying our selves before we come and sit upon thrones of glory can we think that God will cloath our Bodies of sin with Robes of glory and that God will put the pure white
have no hope such as are all that are imbued with those Epicurean principles of the Soul's Mortality and it's resolution into nothing such mens sorrow finds no case because that good whose absence they bemoan in their opinion is irrecoverably lost and to shake hands with a dying friend is with them as much as to bid them everlastingly farewel But a Christian's tears like drops from a cloud may sometimes fall they must not like a River be alwayes running He may sorrow because he is parted from some good suppose from a loving friend bur this sorrow must be tempered with this hope that he shall see his friend again and that good which as yet continues the object of his sorrow while considered as stoln and taken from him must after a while become the subject of his hope and comfort being put in mind that God who for a time laid it out of his sight will restore it back again unto him This the Apostle alloweth to be his meaning by bidding us comfort one another with these words for if otherwise it would fully answer the Apostle's meaning to say it is enough that God raise those that sleep to glory though he exile them from a mutual knowledge of each other Then let us see what comfort this interpretation can afford to a pensive and lamenting Soul which may suggest unto it self on this wise God will restore my friend unto himself but not to me he will bring back the Jewel into the Cabinet but will lock it up from my sight he vvill restore the thing but not repair my loss and it seemeth all one to me to lose him in an eternal nothing and not to be allowed to know that he is a glorious somthing now what comfort can we place in such a meditation This perswasion of a restauration to a mutual knowledge of each other containeth also some advantages and motives to a Godly life for the fear of being eternally divided from those I sincerely love on earth will draw me to an imitation of their sanctity if herein they be exemplary or give me the courage to lead them into the way if their course be irregular and exorbitant for those who unfeignedly desire to meet at the journeys end will study to preserve each other in the way and they who would wear the same crown of rejoycing in the presence of Christ will assist each other here that they perish not in the agony and conflict it gives an edge and sharpness to those affections which are employed for each others good when we consider that that heat and fervency which they spent in desire and travel for one another shall be turn'd into an excess and extremity of delight in each other The Egyptians embalmed the Carcasses of the dead to preserve them if it were possible through all the parts of time being guided by an opinion that so long as the body continued undissolved the soul would not forsake the earth but continue hovering about the place where the bodies lay in like manner the Souls of men which by many kinds of association may be united into one masse and heap and as it were become parts of one another will continue the more vigilant and active for each others everlasting welfare so long as they are perswaded against an eternal divorce and dissolution and do contrarily believe they shall be rewarded by a sense of each others happiness and that that union which is among themselves as of one member to another shall not be dissolved but perfected by that union which shall unite them to Christ as to their Head and through him unto God CHAP. XXIII Of the perfection and purity of the wills of glorified Saints IN the next place I will shew how the wills and affections of glorified Saints shall be raised to a fulness of glorious perfection now it is evident God must be first gloriously united to the Soul and her powers before she can by her understanding see and by her will and affections love and embrace God in Heaven God shall be immediately united to the very nature of the Soul her self which is chief in man yea formally man which can be no otherwise done than by a glorious change and immutation made in the Soul it self by communicating to her by grace a glorious and perfect estate of participated eternity which is the root and foundation of all that most glorious exercise about which the Saints in Heaven are conversant This being so the wills and affections of glorified Saints shall be perfectly pure and holy without the least tincture of defilement they shall be holy as God is holy not infinitely holy but perfectly holy without mixture of any thing contrary to holiness their wills shall suit and meet exactly in every thing with the pure and holy will of God they shall will what he willeth and nothing but what he willeth their wills shall give full consent to the will of God in all things There shall be compleat holiness in the will our wills like to the will of Christ shall be altogether conformable to the will of God we shall fulfil the will of God the conformity of our wills to God is the glory of our wills which in this life are like Nebuchadnezzar's Image partly clay partly gold here we are partly regenerate partly unregenerate but in Heaven we shall be all gold all holy glorified Saints shall never find any grudgings of their old diseases sin and corruption in them in the least degree they shall see themselves perfectly cured of all the sicknesses and distempers of their Souls they are no longer constrained to resist the motions of the flesh because this Rebel is subdued and losing in the resurrection what ever they drew from Adam in their birth they have now none but just and holy inclinations the Spirit of a glorified Saint is now no longer busied to maintain a war against sin because this monster cannot set its foot within the gates of Heaven he groaneth not now under the revolt of his passions his will cleaves to God as strongly as he can desire CHAP. XXIV SECT I. MOreover the affections of the Saints in glory are much enlarged and are most quick and lively our affections in this life are subject to distractions but then they shall be composed and rightly placed 1. In Special the Saints shall love God with all their hearts Sicut magnes impetum quendam imprimit ferro quo illud ad magnetem trahitur ei se arctè jungit ita Deus clarè conspectus impetum quendam imprimit animae quo ipsa potentissimè in illum trahitur Lessius de summo bono Ca. 11. with all their souls with all their strength from the cleer contemplation of God presently there ariseth in the blessed a love which most powerfully draws them unto God and the greater any good is that is propounded so much the more strongly doth it draw the affection to it especially if it be