have sin in you you do deserve that all plagues miseries curses deaths should make a prey on your Souls and bodies but glory is altogether undue the meer and free gift of God in Christ your Title to it is of meer grace so shall be your Possession of it meer grace you were Elected to glory Redeemed to glory Called to glory engrafted into Christ by faith and so become heirs of glory before you suffered any thing for Christ True it is God hath made our sufferings a condition of the Promise of glory it is of his own meer pleasure to ordain our sufferings to be the condition of glory I may say of this condition as Naaman's servant said to him murmuring at the Prophet bidding him go wash in Jordan and be clean My Lord if the Prophet had bid thee do a greater thing wouldest thou not have done it how much more seeing he saith wash and be clean so had God required of us harder conditions Go suffer Hell torments for Millions of years and afterward you shall be glorified should not we do it but now when he requireth and commandeth us to suffer afflictions but for this present time but for a moment but for a short life in the World shall not we couragiously and cheerfully suffer with Christ for this present time 7. There is no comparison between afflictions and future glory if we consider the subject of both the subject of afflictions is either our bodies or our estates liberties only outward things not the Soul Caesar himself hath no power over that said the Martyr to his Persecutors So saith our Saviour Fear not them that can kill the Body they can when God permits kill thy Body imprison thy Body spoil thee of thy goods expose thy Body to hunger cold nakedness and such like outward evils but as for thy Soul the wrath the malice of men cannot reach it But now the subject of glory is both Soul and Body unspeakable glory shall be revealed in your Souls and in your Bodies God kills the Souls and Bodies of the Wicked and he will save the Souls and Bodies of his People God will fill the Souls of Believers with knowledg pureness and joy and their Bodies with immortality and incorruptibility and Sun-like splendour so that they suffer but in part but shall be glorified in the whole they suffer but in these vile Bodies which are by nature mortal and because of sin subject to misery but both Soul and Body must partake in glory 8. There is no comparison between them if we regard the measure and degrees of our sufferings and the degrees and measure of future glory no Christian suffereth in the highest degree God is pleased to mitigate their sufferings and to restrain the rage of their Enemies that they cannot they shall not act according to their wills he that suffereth most may suffer more but future glory shall be in the highest degree to the utmost as far as our natures are capable The measure of our sufferings is not full pressed down and running over but the measure of glory shall be full pressed down and running over therefore the Apostle in the same fore-cited place 2 Cor. 4.17 saith that our glory shall be far more exceeding weighty Observe the gradation 1. It shall be weighty when as afflictions in the highest degree are but light 2. Glory shall be exceeding weighty beyond the weight of our afflictions 3. As if this were too little he addeth shall be more exceeding weighty 4. As if this were too little he addeth the word far shall be far more exceeding weighty The Apostle useth these words because he could not express the ultimate degrees of that glory which shall be revealed in suffering Christians the future happiness of Believers passeth all utterance and understanding 9. There is no comparison if we consider how that we suffer but some one or some few evils but in Heaven we shall receive all kinds of goods all kinds and degrees God gives out sufferings by parcels but glory in the gross or lump some he permits to be tortured others to be mocked others to be imprisoned Heb 11.35 36 37 38. others to be stoned some to be sawn in sunder others to wander hither and thither to be destitute of necessaries some suffer one kind of evil others another one doth not suffer all but now their future glory is made up of all that goodness which God in his wisdom knows conducible to make them eternally blessed Oh how great is that goodness which thou hast laid up for them that love thee cries David Psal 31.19 He gives them drops of sorrow seas of joy and comfort he gives them sparks of torment and gives them a Sun full of glory what goodness is in Heaven is for their happiness God placed in Paradise trees of all sorts for Adam's delight Heaven is God's own Paradise there is nothing wanting there for delight and blessedness In a word God himself will be their glory he will be all in all to them his own joy his own glory his own comfort and goodness shall be theirs they shall then need nothing 10. Consider this one thing and you will see there is no comparison between them the afflictions of this present time are common to wicked and godly they suffer the same evils from men but for different causes the wicked suffer as evil doers the godly suffer for doing well The community of afflictions St. Paul brings as an argument to perswade Christians to bear the burthen patiently 1 Cor. 10.13 There is no temptation hath taken you but such as is common to man Look over your afflictions under which you groan and you shall see other men under the same burthen with you But now this future glory is a Believers peculiar portion wicked men may drink of the cup of their sufferings but shall not have one drop of their joys they may endure cruel mockings but shall never share with them in honour that glory is peculiar to the Saints reserved only for Believers makes it the more invaluable Put case the light of the Sun were but for some men and all the rest lived and walked in darkness we should judge the state of such men incomparably comfortable above others the glory of Heaven is peculiar to Believers the darkness of affliction is common to Unbelievers with them in this respect there is no comparison CHAP. XI Vse THis may inform us what cause Christians have to rejoyce according to the Apostle's exhortation when they suffer and fall into affliction after affliction James 1.2 My Brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations Do not only count it joy but count it all joy joy in nothing more then in this joy only in this when ye fall into temptations that is afflictions A strange exhortation to a carnal heart what is it all joy to be mocked reviled persecuted hated imprisoned tortured to have our Bodies bound at stakes should
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
unspeakable happiness of the Saints in Heaven and to behold Christ as a Judge sitting upon the Tribunal will be one of the greatest tormenting punishments of damned men and Devils The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance c. 2 Thes 1.7 8. He shall be revealed from Heaven with his holy Angels there is the glorious Majesty of Christ and in flaming fire taking vengeance c. there is the amazing terrour of his glorious appearing Our Saviour saith Matth. 24.29 30. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the Sun be darkened and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from Heaven and the powers of Heaven shall be shaken and then shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven and then shall all the Kinreds of the Earth mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four Winds and from one end of the Heavens to the other Consider here the Signs foregoing his coming verse 29. the Sun Moon and Stars shall lose their light in a strange and wonderful manner as it were hiding their faces at the coming of the Sun of Righteousness The Stars shall fall from Heaven the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken The higher and more glorious parts of the Creation shall suffer a wonderful alteration at his coming Then shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man Which Musculus and Arelius take to be the Sign of the Cross which should be gloriously displayed in the eyes of the World both for terror to all the Enemies of his Cross and for the joy of all that believe in Christ crucified But others take it for Christ himself shewing himself in the same Humane Nature wherein he suffered now gloriously appearing for the confusion of his Enemies and full redemption of his Servants Then shall all the wicked of all Nations mourn their guilty consciences being surprized with unspeakable horror at the sight of their Judge whom they shall see coming as in a Chariot of Clouds armed with power and shining in glory sending forth his Angels by sound of Trumpet to summons all the Elect that sleep in the dust in any part of the World to come and give their attendance upon Christ their glorious Redeemer In Matth. 16.27 you have the coming of Christ expressed and his acts to be performed at his coming His coming is magnified by the glorious Majesty of his Father wherein he shall appear and those blessed Attendants which should follow him For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels c. Quest But it may be doubted why Christ should be said to come in the glory of his Father sith it shall be his own glory wherein he shall appear Resp It may be said to be the glory of his Father in three respects 1. To shew his unity in Essence with the Father in that he cometh in the glory of his Father he shall come in his own glory according to that of our Saviour I and the Father are one 2. By comparing the Humiliation of his Person here in the flesh with the glory of the Divine Nature shining perfectly in the Father even at that time when it was Ecclipsed and veiled in him by the human Nature so that in this speech he compareth the meaness of a Servant wherein he now appeared with the glory of his Father wherein then he should appear 3. It was the glory of the Father because the Father hath committed all Judgment to him and after this his glorious coming he is to deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father and therefore in the mean time he is said to come in the glory of the Father 4. To which perhaps may be added a fourth That the glory of the Father shineth in the Son who is the Image of God and the brightness of his Father's glory All the glory of the Sun Moon and Stars meeting together are nothing comparable to this glory of the Father wherein Christ shall shew himself at his coming The glory of all Earthly Kingdoms viewed at one Landskip as the Devil shewed them our Saviour were nothing to that fullness of glory wherein our Blessed Saviour shall reveale himself The glory of his abasement was wonderful when the Star lighted the way to his lodging an Angel brought word from Heaven of his Conception and then of his Nativity when the Devil left him and the Victory to him and Angels came to Minister unto him when Devils roared and left their Possessions at his call when Winds and Waves were silent at a Word of his mouth when Loaves and dead Fishes multiplyed upon his blessings upon the Table or between the Teeth of the Eaters when all sorts of diseases gave place and Death it self yeilded up her dead at his command And yet beloved that difference shall be between the glory of Christ at his coming and this of his abasement which is between the glory of the Father and the despised meanness of a Servant Moreover the glory of Christ shall be magnified by the blessed attendants that shall follow him and they are his Angels at that day they shall be employed as his special Instruments in gathering the Wheat into his Barn and binding up the Tares to be burnt with fire unquenchable O faithful Soul how joyfully shouldest thou expect this blessed meeting O how happy will that day be when the holy Angels of Christ shall come to meet thee rising from the Dead and with abundance of joy shall embrace and welcome thee to thine everlasting home While thou art solitary forsaken and despised in the World comfort thy self in expectation of this blessed society with whom thou shalt remain for ever with whom thou shalt joyn in sweetest Hallelujahs and words of Praise to him that sitteth upon the Throne for evermore Ear hath not heard the sweetness of those Songs wherein the Saints shall joyn with those blessed Angels SECT III. THe glory of the Saints themselves shall be revealed they shall appear with Christ in glory 1. Their appearance in glory with Christ in Judgment will make the coming of Christ more glorious and terrible When Earthly Kings will shew the glory of their Kingdom they will always have a pompous train to follow them thus Christ the greatest of Kings delighting to manifest his glory will come attended with glorious Troops of Angels and Saints 2. Because it will make much for the glorifying of the Saints and that two ways 1. Because they shall come as Judges and shall sit upon Thrones Judging the Wicked how will wicked men quake when they shall appear before those godly men whom they hated and derided now the Saints shall Judge the World 1 Cor. 6.2 1. Assistendo they shall
of evils you can suffer for Christ yet what comparison is there between this death and that life which you shall live in Heaven Had you as many lives as hairs on your heads as a Martyr wished he had had you millions of lives to lose for Christ yet the loss of all these are not worthy to be compared to the life which suffering Christians shall live in Heaven put all together and you shall see there is no comparison between your present sufferings and your future enjoyments of good See what Christ saith Mark 10.29 30. There is no man that hath left House or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this time c. There is no comparison between your present losses and present gains your present sufferings and present reward your present reward is an hundred-fold more then all you can lose the grace of God is present the savour of God is present the right to Heaven which Believers have for the present is far above all their present sufferings Now if the reward which suffering Christians have in this life be an hundred-fold better then their sufferings then doubtless their glory in Heaven shall be a thousand-fold more transcendent SECT II. II. THere is no proportion or comparison if you respect the properties of our present sufferings and our future glory 1. There is no comparison between earthly and heavenly things your present sufferings are earthly the goods of which you are spoiled are earthly your liberty your houses your lives your joys your ease are earthly things but your glory is heavenly every part every degree of your future glory is heavenly 2. There is no proportion between that which is transient passing away and cannot endure and that which is permanent enduring your present sufferings are transient they pass away they endure not Athanasius said of persecution Nubecula est quae cito transiret There is nothing more transient and swift then time your sufferings pass away together with time they cannot endure always all you which are the subject of them shall not endure always now your glory is permanent it shall abide and endure when time shall be no more 3. There is no proportion or comparison between a moment and eternity a moment a minute and for ever and ever your present sufferings are but for a moment a short space of time your glory is eternal for ever and for ever your pain and torment is but for a moment your ease and rest is for ever and ever your suffering imprisonment is but for a moment your glorious liberty is eternal you suffer death but for a moment your life is eternal what comparison is there between the twinkling of an eye and eternity You say you have suffered long as Asaph you are plagued every morning you have been in bitterness all your days ever since you began to look after Heaven you have been afflicted from your youth up to your age even to the day of your death Grant all this to be true yet thy whole life is but a moment compared to eternity the sufferings of a thousand years is but a moment to eternity yea millions of years are but a moment compared to eternity nor will they pass for so much if we did but consider what eternity is 4. There is no comparison between light things and heavy between a feather and a rock between chaff and a mountain of lead your present afflictions are light your future glory is ponderous and weighty 2 Cor. 4.17 observe what a most elegant opposition the Apostle makes he opposeth glory to afflictions he opposeth eternal to momentany he opposeth weight to light and he addeth a most transcendent expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we translate it A far more exceeding weight of glory Some by adding some other words do give this sense Our afflictions are out of measure moment any our glory is out of measure eternal our afflictions are out of measure light our glory is out of measure weighty Whatsoever your afflictions are and how grievous soever they are in themselves and how long soever yet they are but light being compared with the glory of Heaven and with the weight of it If you look only on your sufferings and judge of them according to your sense so they are not light but judge of them as opposed to future glory and so they are out of measure nothing 5. Afflictions do not seize on us at all times Christians have their lucida intervalla their moments of ease as well as their moments of trouble their present times of rejoycing as well as their present times and Now 's of sorrowing they even they have their times to sing and dance as their times to weep and mourn Paul had his raptures as well as his pressures David had his time to play on the Harp as times to hang it up and there is no Christian that is afflicted at all times they have their sad Eclipses but now and then but now their glory shall be at all and every moment during eternity they shall have perpetual glory without one moment of shame perpetual joy without one moment of sorrow God will wipe away all tears from their eyes they shall continually sing for superabundant joy of Soul and Body their eyes shall ever see God they shall not see sorrow any more they shall be as the Angels of God who never felt sorrow since their Creation they shall be as very strangers to sorrow as the Damned shall be to joy this present time shall be no more then the afflictions of this present time shall be no more That was an arrogant and false self-deceiving speech of Babilon Lo I sit as a Queen and shall see no more sorrow The godly when taken up into glory shall say it truly now we sit as Kings and shall not see any sorrow no not for a moment whilst eternity lasteth Eternity is nothing else but a perpetual moment of unspeakable and glorious joy and happiness 6. There is no proportion because afflictions are justly due are ye hated of all men ye deserve it and more ye deserve to be hated of God of his Angels for ever Are ye cast by men into Prison into Dungeons ye deserve it and more even to be cast into Hell fire are ye banished from your Countrey friends and acquaintance you deserve that and more ye deserve to be banished from Heaven from your God from your Saviour to Eternity Are ye spoiled of your goods ye deserve it and more even to be spoiled of eternal mercies of eternal Salvation Are your bodies condemned to be burnt or to be cast to Lyons and wild Beasts to tear them to pieces you deserve this and more even to have both body and Soul condemned to Hell fire to be cast to Devils to be devoured ye that sin daily deserve to suffer daily ye that
sanctification and redemption They shall know him as their Pledg and Surety as one that satisfied the justice of his Father and bore all the pains and torments their sins deserved they shall know him as their Head that gave them life and motion they shall know him as their Tutor and Guide that hath led them through their Pilgrimage in this World to the heavenly Canaan they shall then know how he carried a world of Saints over the same Seas they are now sailing in how Christ paid the fare of the ship himself and that not one of them was found dead on the shore They shall know him as a Father that was more tenderly affected with the sorrows and sufferings of his Children then of his own they shall then know how Christ's eye and heart was upon his Spouse making their salvation his end and the measure of his love his rising early his night watching his toyling his sweating his sore and hard travel and all that he might have a redeemed People Then shall they know him as their King Priest and Prophet who offered up himself for them they shall look upon him as one who presented all their prayers to his Father and procured acceptance who taught them the mind of God who came out of the bosome of God and revealed the Father to them who governed them and protected them all their days they shall look upon him as one that brought them through fair and foul ways to his Fathers House The perfect knowledg of these things and the like will abundantly satisfie the Saints in Heaven Then Jesus Christ shall be glorified in his Saints and admired in all that believe 2 Thes 1.10 I. He shall be glorified in his Saints which glory shall result to Christ two ways 1. By putting glory on his Saints in glorifying them he glorifieth himself he manifesteth what a King of glorious state he is what treasures of glory are in him that he can put so much glory on innumerable Saints without any diminution of his own glory all that glory which the Saints enjoy is Christ's originally he is the Fountain they the Cisterns he infinitely full though they are filled with it also they receive grace for grace from Christ and they receive glory for glory happiness for happiness joy for joy from him Christ sheweth the riches of his glory as a King sheweth the riches of his treasury when he can make many rich and he not wax poor but what King can do so excepting Christ the King of Kings 2. He shall be glorified in his Saints that is as Chrysostom expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his Saints Chrysost in 2 Thes 2.10 All his Saints shall with one heart and mouth ascribe to him all the glory of their glory and for their glory Revel 4.10 Then all the Saints will take their Crowns of glory from off their heads and cast them down before the Throne of Christ saying Thou art worthy to receive honour and glory and power He is infinitely worthy in himself because he is God over all but he is also relatively worthy in respect of the Saints because all the glory they have they received from him he purchased their glory he hath brought them to glory he hath glorified his power in making them glorious and he counts them worthy of this glory II. Christ shall be admired in all that believe Wonder and astonishment ariseth ex magnitudine novitate rerum the greatness and strangeness of a thing causeth admiration in all beholders The glory which Christ will put on his Saints shall be exceeding great and exceeding strange beyond all conceit and imagination the heart of man cannot now perceive it but when the eye shall see this glory and the heart shall perceive it Christ will be wonderfully admired in them and by them The glory of his power will be admired in that such poor dust and ashes should be advanced to such an height of glory that he can make his Creatures so glorious They will admire his love toward them in communicating such glory to them they will admire his grace in bringing such worthless Creatures to such glory even from the Dunghil to the highest Throne of glory Moreover they shall clearly understand that great mystery of the Trinity of the Persons in the unity of one God-head and Divine essence which is now so far above the understanding of the sincerest Christian they shall see how the Son is begotten of the Father as the word and wisdom of the Father and abideth in the Father how the Holy Ghost proceedeth from both and abideth in both they shall see how these three are distinguished by a personal propriety so that they are three Persons subsisting in themselves and yet together in number are one essence or simple Deity one power one wisdom one goodness one majesty one immensity one eternity then shall they see how the Father is in the Son how the Son is in the Father and the Holy Ghost in both how all are in each and each in all This is a mystery which here no heart can conceive or tongue express it is as Hilary saith Extra sermonis significationem extra sensus intentionem extra intelligentiae conceptionem no speech can set it forth no sense can sound the depth of it no reason reach the reason of it but in Heaven the Saints shall perfectly understand this great mystery This is the Heaven saith Gregory Nazianzen that I look for Nazian orat contra Arrian that I may have a view of the glorious Trinity and understand that great mystery This truth that hath met with so much contradiction from many blasphemous Hereticks in former ages such as Nestorians Arrians Sabellians Macedonians they shall then most clearly understand SECT IV. GLorified Saints shall also look into the great mystery of godliness with great delight shall they read the Book of Life the eternal Decree of God electing them to Salvation how shall it fill their hearts with joy to look into the original Records of eternity to see into that depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledg of God at which the Apostle made a stand The Apostle was at a stand as one whose stature in that condition of mortality was too low to wade any further into that great deep therefore he cries out Rom. 11. How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out The waters are too deep I can find no bottom for who hath known the mind of the Lord or been his Counsellor But in Heaven the Saints shall fully understand this unsearchable depth viz. how God should so carry on the great designs of the declaration of his pardoning mercy to some and his punishing justice to others and that in both these God was free in his grace and just in his judgments though he neither chose nor called according to works that the damned Creature was most guilty and that God was both severe and
flow from himself for ever that we may see our debt of love to Christ is eternal O how many thousand talents are we owing to Christ and the longer the Saints enjoy the glory of Heaven through millions of ages their debt to the Lamb that sitteth on the throne will be the greater eternal praises can take down nothing of it V. God will have some everlastingly to praise and glorifie his name a consort of Saints his redeemed ones to joyn with his elect Angels in magnifying his name exalting his praise and doing him honour to all eternity Ransomed ones shall sing the Gospel-Song Worthy is the Lamb c. The Gospel-Tune of the Song of free grace shall be for ever sung in that blessed Assembly of the first born whose names are now written in Heaven VI. He will make his Saints everlastingly blessed even for the Angels sake who persevered in their integrity and obedience from the first moment of their creation until now that their joy may be full This may be collected by way of analogy and proportion from that speech of Christ I say unto you that joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth Luk. 15.7 10. and again there is joy in the presence of the Angels over one sinner that repenteth If the Angels do now rejoyce to see their loss in part repaired and that instead of their fellow Angels that fell revolting from God and forsaking them and now fighting against God and opposing them in that Ministery wherein they serve him some of man kind are turn'd unto God by unfeigned repentance and joyned in communion with them according to that of Hebr. 12.22 which is spoken to the faithful ye are come to an innumerable company of Angels I say if the Angels rejoyce in this how shall their joy be filled up to see many thousands of the children of Adam translated to Heaven and confirmed in the full possession of everlasting glory and happiness This being a principal adjunct and qualification of that blessedness and salvation which Christ hath purchased for his people it may serve to rouze up those whose hearts and thoughts are chiefly taken up with such temporal things as are perishing and of a very short continuance S. Paul's practice was quite contrary 2 Cor. 4.18 We look not saith he at the things which are seen which are temporal but at the things which are not seen which are eternal Oh that we could be sensible of this extream folly and learn seriously to consider what it is for an immortal soul that must have an everlasting being and subsistence chiefly to mind take care for and strive for things that last but a short time when it hath the offer of things eternal to surfeit on momentany delights and neglect eternal fulness of joy to seek greedily after uncertain and perishing riches and to neglect the treasures of eternity to affect vain applause from the short breath of dying men and never labour to make sure of everlasting glory to strive to get the friendship of great men carnal persons and neglect to have the eternal love of God assured to them not labouring to enjoy God for ever This may be much aggravated if we take in consideration viz. that the loss of everlasting salvation for the gaining of temporal things is accompanied with everlasting misery and destruction Is not this then extream folly to forfeit Heaven for Earth and not onely to lose everlasting salvation for earthly things but also to bring upon themselves everlasting misery and destruction CHAP. XXIX Of the certainty of the salvation of the Saints Vse 1. HAving spoken of the Circumstances substance and adjuncts of the Saints glory it will now be necessary that I make some use and improvement of what hath been spoken Will God crown his people with glory and is there such a blessed estate reserved in Heaven for them as I have shewed at large This then in the first place may inform us concerning the certainty of the salvation of the Saints The salvation of God's Children is so certain that the Scripture speaks not of it as if it were to come but as if it were already past or present even as if it were now done and not as of a thing to be done it is usual in Scripture to describe those things which God hath certainly determined in such a manner as if they were certainly accomplished So S. Paul speaking of the salvation of the Saints saith Tit. 3.5 according to his mercy he hath saved us not he will do it but he hath done it By grace ye are saved Eph. 2.8 not ye shall be but ye are whom he hath called them hath he justified and whom he hath justified them also hath he glorified Rom. 8.30 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life Jam. 1.12 From the certainty of future happiness the Apostle inferreth and concludeth present blessedness he shall be blessed therefore he is blessed 1. The salvation of the Saints is certain if they look to God or to themselves to God both in respect of his own purpose and of Christ's performance God hath purposed it therefore it shall inevitably come to pass all the powers on Earth or Hell shall never be able to divert it Man's purposes are subject to alteration God's are not Balaam himself could say where he blesseth none can curse Numb 23.23 if God hath said it he will do it if he hath spoken it he will certainly perform it Certain it is also in respect of Christ's performance Christ hath performed all that is necessary and sufficient for our salvation he hath been both our ransome and our purchase ransomed us from Hell and procured for us an inheritance in Heaven He is called the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 for if ye look to the decree and purpose of God he was so or if ye look to the merit and efficacy of his sufferings he was so To all the faithful that have lived from the beginning of the world the suffering and sacrifice of Christ is meritorious and available even to them that lived before Christ came into the flesh as well as to us that live after it as many as are saved are saved by it as S. Bernard wittily speaketh Mors Christi prosuit antequam fuit the death of Christ was profitable before it was 2. The salvation of the Saints is certain also if they look to themselves if they look to what they are aut re aut spe either indeed or in hope that is either to their present estate or their future As to their present estate God hath already so far given it them as he hath certainly given the seal and earnest of it to them they have his Spirit already that is the seal of their adoption the earnest of their salvation and having this they are sure of the other as when a man hath his earnest he is
A PROSPECT OF HEAVEN GLORY A PROSPECT OF HEAVEN OR A TREATISE OF THE Happiness of the Saints in Glory WHEREIN Is Described the Nature and Quality the excellency and certainty of it together with the Circumstances Substance and Adjuncts of that glory the unspeakable misery of those that lose it and the right way to obtain it Shewing also the disproportion between the Saints present Sufferings and their future Glory Many weighty questions discussed and divers cases cleered By William Gearing Rector of Christ-Church in Surrey near Southwark In Regno Caelorum vocabimus videbimus videbimus amabimus amabimus laudabimus id quod erit in fine sine fine Et quis alius noster esset finis quam venire ad regnum cujus nullus est finis August London Printed for Tho. Passenger and Benj. Hurlock at the three Bibles on London-Bridge and over against St. Magnus Church 1673. To the much honoured Sr. WILLIAM TVRNER Kt. and Alderman of the City of LONDON And to Sir JAMES LANGHAM of the same City Knight Grace and Peace be multiplyed Honoured Sirs THe Heathen Philosophers discoursed much of true blessedness yet never knew they what it meant nor wherein it consisted Varro Varro lib. 19. August de Civ Dei cap. 1. Cicer. de finib lib. 1. and out of him S. Augustine saith they were divided into 288 opinions about this one point yet not one true â—mong them all They ran all of them toward his mark but not as they that run in a race â—hey had several Goals but none of them obtained â—he Crown Some of them would have it consist a pleasure so Epicurus thought variety of â—leasure was the only summum bonum the only â—hief good of man but as the Orator said well â—f him it was vox pecudis non hominis the â—oice of a beast not of a man that this was the opinion of the Epicureans is no wonder seeing they acknowledged not the immortality of the soul but thought that the soul died together with the body therefore they placed blessedness in bodily pleasures But the Mahumetans acknowledge the resurrection of the body and after the resurrection the immortality of the Soul and a life that shall never end therefore it is the more to be wondered at that they should place the chiefest good of the life to come in bodily pleasure The Turks in scorn are wont to call Christians dogs but more truely and more justly they may be called Dogs and Swine whose God is their belly and whose chiefest good lieth in eating and drinking and in fleshly delights and pleasures but even Salust In regno voluptatis virtuti non est locus Salust could say that in the Kingdom of pleasure vertue hath no place and the wisest Philosophers have called sensitive pleasures the poison of the mind of the which we must the more carefully beware for that these pleasures are accompanied with a certain sweetness which flatters the Soul at its first approach surprizeth our judgement and charmeth it in such sort as it helpeth to deceive it self These pleasures put out the eye of reason and smother all the seeds of Wisdom and Vertue in man the which they effect more powerfully when they are most violent wherefore a wise man was wont to say that he had rather fall into frenzy than suffer himself to be surprized with pleasures for said he Physicians may cure madness by purging the brain with Hellebore Coesset tabuâ— Human. passion whereas brutish pleasures do deprive man of his judgement without hope of remedy for his infirmity Some again have made blessedness to consist in Honours Dignities Superiorities popular Acclamations and all sorts of preferments but happiness consisteth not in these things these are all very empty things a bladder when it is blown seems to be full when it hath nothing in it but a little thin air a small pin is sufficient to pierce it and empty it of all that is in it so it is with those that love popularity and the praise of men more than the praise of God and receive honour from men themselves in the mean time being strangers to God many of them seem to be full but they are but as bladders full of wind full of vanity a slight occasion is enough to empty them of all their happiness Others would have it consist in wealth and riches So Antisthenes said that he onely was happy that died in the affluence of worldly prosperity but when a man expecteth happiness and satisfaction from these things he findeth nothing less Solomon tells us he made him great works builded houses planted Vine-yards got him Servants and Maidens and had great possessions of great and small Cattel above all that were in Jerusalem before him that he gathered to him Silver and Gold and the peculiar treasure of Kings and of the Provinces c. so he became great and increased more than all that were before him Eccles 2. from v. 4. to 11. Now v. 11. he looks back on all the work and labour of his hands and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and ver 17. he hated life it self because the work that was wrought under the Sun was grievous to him and ver 18. he hated all his labour which he had taken under the Sun therefore these things were far from giving him sound contentment they did rather increase the Disease and make the Soul more restless than before Now if such a one as Solomon that had interest in God did thus far lose that sweet content he had in God by an eager pursuit of these perishing things then much more impossible is it that the soul that never had interest in God should find happiness and contentment in the creature it is impossible for those that neglect the fountain of living waters to quench their thirst at a broken cistern nor can man be made happy by any thing inferiour to himself now all earthly creatures are inferiour to the reasonable soul of man and the substance and faculties thereof doth far surpass all the riches and honours of the world and if man cannot find sound contentment and true happiness in himself it will be in vain to seek it in these things Others there were that came nearest to the point that would have blessedness to consist in vertue and yet alas there were none even of the wiser Heathens that ever knew what true vertue meant and consequently what true blessedness meant They wrote much of some that were excellent among them men renowned and famous for vertue it was said of Cato that he was vertues true image Qui nunquam recte fecit ut facere videretur sed quia aliter facere non potuit who never did any thing well that he might seem to do it but because he could not do otherwise it was also said of him that he was suae fortunae Faber let him live in any time or common-wealth he would make shift
11. A twofold use made hereof Chap. 12. Sheweth how the creatures shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God wherein many questions are propounded and answered Chap. 13. Of the time when the Saints shall be glorified Chap. 14. Of the place of the Saints happiness how Heaven is the house of God and shall be the habitation of the Saints that in this house are many mansions and these sufficient to receive many Inhabitants shewed in three Sections Sect. 4. Sheweth that Heaven is the Throne and Kingdom of God Sect. 5. Sheweth that Heaven is the place where the Saints inheritance lyeth Sect. 6. Sheweth that there they shall receive their reward and what that reward is Some Objections resolved Sect. 7. Sheweth that Heaven is the place where God will give his people a kind welcom and loving entertainment Chap. 15. Of the Antecedent to the Saints glory viz. the resurrection of their Bodies their resurrection proved by seven Arguments Of the personal types of our Saviour's resurrection and the proofs of his resurrection That the same bodies of the Saints shall be raised proved by five arguments An Object answered Chap. 16. Of the glory of the Saints bodies in Heaven Of the clarity agility spirituality impassibility incorruptibility and immortality of glorified bodies and of their sensitive actions and answerable passions which include not corruption And what glorious things may be spoken of the particular senses and parts of the body and of their several objects with the uses that are to be made thereof Chap. 17. Of the blessedness of the Soul before the resurrection when the soul shall remain separated from the body The opinion of the mortalists that the soul dieth or sleepeth with the body refuted Chap. 18. Of the blessedness of the Soul in general shewed in two things Chap. 19. Of the more distinct blessedness of the Soul Of the perfection of the Saints apprehensions and judgments in glory Chap. 20. A description of what things shall be seen in God by the Saints in Heaven and how they shall fully see what God is to themselves how they shall behold the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Man and as the Author and finisher of their faith and how they shall look into the great mysterie of godliness Chap. 21. Of their knowledge of that innumerable company of Angels Chap. 22. Of the Saints mutual knowledge of each other in Heaven Two Objections answered Chap. 23. Of the purity and perfection of the wills of glorified Saints Chap. 24. Sheweth how their affections shall be enlarged composed and rightly placed there Chap. 25. Of the joy of glorified Saints what it is and to what it extendeth it self Chap. 26. Sheweth what affections shall have no place in Heaven Chap. 27. Of the adjuncts of the glory of Heaven that the glorious estate of God's children is a state of liberty shewed in divers respects Chap. 28. Of the eternity of the glory of Heaven Chap. 29. Of the certainty of the Salvation of the Saints Chap. 30. Sheweth that no afflictions shall rob the Saints of their crown of glory Chap. 31. A cordial to them that are in affliction and a preparative to them that are not Chap. 32. An exhortation to Christians to believe the promise of God touching their Salvation and so to lay claim to it Chap. 33. Sheweth how a man may know whether he hath a title to Heaven Chap. 34. Setteth forth the danger of those that are in a state of damnation Chap. 35. An exhortation to offer violence to the Kingdom of Heaven A PROSPECT OF HEAVEN Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us CHAP. I. THE Apostle having set forth the work and wages the duty and the reward of the Sons of God shewing that their work is to suffer with Christ their reward to reign with Christ in glory in this Verse he preventeth an Objection which might arise in the mind of a Believer that might discourage him from suffering valiantly and patiently as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ for it might be objected you tell us of glory but that glory is dearly bought that must cost so many grievous trials and afflictions as we are like to meet with yet this is satisfied by setting forth the pettiness of the afflictions of this life in comparison of future glory Be your afflictions never so many be they as great as grievous as can be imagined and endured yet the glory which shall be revealed in you is far greater then all your sufferings The words are a peremptory conclusion in which we may observe 1. The Person making the conclusion I Paul 2. The Things concerning which the conclusion is made the Afflictions of this life and future Glory 3. The Thing concluded that there is no comparison between the one and the other Now for explication of the words I reckon I Paul that have had great experience of the sufferings of this life we may read a narrative of his sufferings 2 Cor. 11.23 ad vers 31. I also that have had this high priviledg above all the Apostles to be rapt up into Paradise and saw such glory and heard such unspeakable words or things which are impossible for a man to utter with his tongue therefore St. Paul's peremptory conclusion is to be credited Rhem. Test 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I reckon This word importeth not a probable conjecture of the Apostle as the old Translation Existimo and the Rhemists would have it which Erasmus Erasm disliketh because it doth not fully express the sence of it who interprets the word reputo I account or resolve in my mind But the word properly signifieth to decree and determine a thing after much reasoning on both sides therefore many render it statuo I do ordain decree or determine and so it noteth a tried weighed and experienced conclusion proceeding from an infallible spirit and judgment and is a Metaphor taken from such as casting an Account do find what the Sum amounts unto He doth not say I think or it is my opinion but it is my reckoning St. Paul did put afflictions in one seale of the ballance and glory in the other and this he determineth that glory doth by far weigh down all our present sufferings This is the matter of his account he instanceth rather in the passive than in the active obedience of the Saints not because it is more excellent or difficult for an ungodly man may be brought to suffer but cannot truly perform a gracious work but because it is more grievous and painful The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passiones translated sufferings includes all manner of evils which we do or can suffer as reproaches cruel mockings scourgings revilings troubles pains diseases hunger cold nakedness perils loss of liberty and life it self These afflictions are said in the Greek
to be of the time which is now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By this may be understood either generally our life-time or else the whole time of the Worlds continuance as if he should say were all the afflictions that ever have been are or shall be inflicted upon us were they all collected together to fall upon one Christian and were they as an heavy and intollerable burthen to lie upon him so long as the World shall last yet could they not consist with the Saints glory that shall be revealed hereafter Or more particularly it may be taken for the times of the Apostles of the Primitive Church at what time there were the sorest and most raging Persecutions and then they yield us an argument a majori if the sufferings of those times were not worthy then much less the sufferings of any other time Are not worthy to be compared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Grammarians note doth signifie those things which being put in the ballance are of equal weight and poise one to the other and from thence it is taken to signifie worth or worthiness Non siâ—no equipolenti Iâ—â—l Trâ—nsl Non sunt pares Erasm Minime esse pareâ— Beza because there is a full correspondence of value betwixt that which is said to be worthy and the thing it is worthy of and according to this usual signification of the word do we translate here not worthy of the glory c. his meaning is according to the proper signification of the Greek word they are not of equal weight they agree neither in quantity nor quality were the afflictions of this life weighed with the Saints glory hereafter they would hold no weight with them there being no proportion no equipollency between them it is a Metaphor taken from those that put things very light in one scale and things very ponderous in the other which will hold no proportion were the sufferings of this life weighed with the glory to come they would be but light in comparison The vulgar Latin reads the words thus the sufferings of this present time are not condign to the glory to come they say Non sunt condignae passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam Vulg. we should not say they are worthy of the glory but they are not equal to the glory c. now according to their Translation what is condign but equal or comparable in worth whence they take their meritum condigni or ex condigno to be that in value or worth which is equivalent to the reward Therefore Arias Montanus Non dignae passiones nunc temporis ad suturam g oriam Ar. Mont. ad verbum reads it thus the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to the glory to come which what is it but the same to say they are not comparable in worth to the glory to come so that this Translation of ours is approved even by the Papists themselves St. Augustine Nullo modo superbiant sancti Martyres tanquam dignum aliquod pro illius patrae participatione fecerint ubi â—â—terna est vera felicitas Aug. de Civit. â—â—i lib. 5. cap. 18. saith that the holy Martyrs are not to be proud as if they did any worthy matter for the participation of that Country where is eternal and true happiness and alleadgeth afterward for reason hereof these words because as the Apostle saith the sufferings of this time are unworthy of the glory that shall be revealed St. Bernard Bernard in Annunciat serm 1. affirming that the merits of men are not such as that eternal life may be due unto them of right and asking what are all merits to so great a glory for confirmation citeth these very same words and addeth no not if one man did endure them all And Fulgentius Fulgent ad Momin lib. 1. having said that the gift of God's reward doth incomparably and unspeakably exceed all the merits of mans good will and works brings for proof hereof these words of St. Paul in my Text That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared c. With the glory Musculus Muscul ex Chrysost in loc out of Chrysostom observeth that because the Apostle could not find a word expressing that happiness which the Saints shall enjoy therefore he expresseth it by glory which is that which every man affecteth and doth abhor shame and confusion which is contrary to glory the excellency of the Saints future happiness is set forth by this word glory Musculus gives another reason why he mentioneth glory viz. because the Cross of Christ is most ignominious full of shame in the world and therefore that we may despise the shame and endure the cross with Christ he mentioneth glory to run the Race of shame is nothing if glory be at the Goal That shall be revealed Shewing that as yet it is invisible and whatsoever joy and comfort we meet with here this is not the joy the glory that shall be revealed hereafter glory may be revealed and we not partakers of it therefore it is said it shall be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in us or conferred upon us we shall shine as the Sun our glory shall be revealed in the sight of the Sun in the open Air. CHAP. II. IN this Verse thus opened many truths do concur 1. That there is a State of Glory provided kept and laid up for the Saints 2. That this glory is yet unknown not reveal-in us nor fully apprehended by us 3. That there will a time come when the glory of the Saints shall be displaied and revealed 4. That the time of Gods children in this world is a time of afflictions and sufferings that is their portion Luk. 16.25 5. They have not some one cross but many afflictions it is afflictions in the plural number Many are the afflictions of the Righteous Psal 34.19 We must through manifold tribulations enter into Heaven Act. 14.22 6. The afflictions of Gods people are but short and momentary they are but the afflictions of this present time Psal 30.5 6. For a little season they are in heaviness 1 Pet. 1.6 The time of their afflictions is but short but for the time of this life and then all tears shall be wiped from their eyes 7. That the ready way to know the transcendency of Heaven's Glory above the afflictions of this present time is to weigh both in the ballance of right reason 8. That there is no proportion or comparison between a believers present sufferings and his future glory 9. That a right sense of Heaven's Glory will make us to slight all the sufferings of this present time and to have mean thoughts of them in comparison of the future recompence Now when it is said that the afflictions of this present time or the afflictions of this life are unworthy of the glory that shall be revealed of whose afflictions and sufferings
to it An Infant in the day of his Birth may be like the Parents but not equal to them Adam was made in the likeness of his Maker but when he sought to be his equal it was his ruine So great is the difference between likeness and equality that the former the Lord gave him freely but his affecting and seeking the latter was so displeasing to the Lord that he deprived him of the former also so that whereas being like to God he sought to be equal also he became neither equal to him nor like him but contrary to him So in this case the faithful shall be like to Christ but not his equals as the Stars are in some degree like the Sun but not equal in glory and brightness Now 1. Christ being God and Man having two Natures united into one Person each Nature hath a peculiar glory The Divine Nature being infinite incomprehensible eternal the glory of Christ is his very Nature it is infinite incomprehensible and eternal glory it is called light inaccessible The Humane Nature of Christ being a finite being the glory thereof is but finite this glory was given him by his Father God raised him from the dead and gave him glory 1 Pet. 1.21 Our Natures being the same with his Humane Nature we shall be like him in this glory our Natures being capable of the same glory 2. Yet although the glory of Christ's Humane Nature be but as his Nature finite yet this glory doth above all measure exceed all the glory of all the Angels and glorified Saints All the glory of Saints and Angels compared to Christ's glory is no more then all the light of the Stars compared to the light of the Sun The Moon exceeds the other Stars in light but the Sun a thousand times exceeds the Moon and all the Stars and if the Sun be wanting it will be night for all the Stars So one Saint may excel another in glory and the Angels may excel the Saints but yet the glory of the Humane Nature of Christ doth a thousand times exceed the glory of Angels and Saints One reason is because the Humane Nature of Christ is more nearly united to the Divine then Angels and Men the nearer union the greater participation of glory and can there be a nearer union then a personal union such an union is the union between the Humane Nature and the Divine in Christ If a Body that is capable of the light should be united into one substance with the Sun that Body must needs shine more glorious then the distant Stars The Humane Nature is united to the incomprehensible glorious Nature and Essence and therefore far more glorious then all other Moreover that which is the measure of things Quod est primum in unequoque genere est mensura reliquorum must needs be the chief of all those things of which it is the measure that which is the first and chief in every kind is the measure of the rest Now the glory of the Humane Nature of Christ being the measure of our glory must needs excel in glory The Sun being the measure of all the Starry light and all the Stars borrowing their light from him must needs excel the lesser Stars in light Our glory is but a borrowed light it is of his fullness of his grace and glory that we receive grace and glory his human Nature is a vast Cistern full of glory and our Natures are but the smaller vessels receiving glory flowing from this vast Cistern 3. Therefore when the Apostle saith we shall be like to Christ it is meant secundum proportionem non secundum aequalitatem our glory shall be proportionable to his we shall not equal him in glory it is meant quoad partes non quoad gradus we shall have the same glory for substance though not the same in degrees Christ shall so far excel the biggest Vessel of glory as Job in his glorious estate did excel himself when he lay upon the Dunghil full of nasty sores as Solomon in all his glory did excel himself being in his Mothers Womb. 4. Saints shall be like Christ in glory yet notwithstanding one Saint will exceed another in glory God will cloath all his Children alike yet their garments shall be made proportionable for their stature All the Saints shall be vessels of Mercy yet one Saint shall be a larger and more capacious vessel then another Christ in his answer to that curious request of Zebedees Wife Mat. 20.23 implyeth that there shall be degrees of glory and granteth that some shall sit at his right hand some at his left hand in his Kingdom They shall all have the same glory and happiness ratione objecti faelicitatis gloriae non ratione participationis in respect of the object of glory and blessedness but not in respect of participation God in Christ is the object of happiness but in regard of participation of the object one may and shall see more clearly then another In my Father's house are many Mansions saith our Saviour John 14.2 Patris domus is put for one and the same object of glory saith Aquinas Pluralitas mansionum the many Mansions sheweth there are divers degrees of glory And this is his comparison there is but one Centre unto which all things tend but some bodies are nearer to the Centre then other bodies are So God in Christ is the Centre of all our happiness Seneca calleth God Animae Centrum the Centre of the Soul but one Saint tendeth more near to God then another 5. Yet notwithstanding all the Saints shall be full of glory and happiness as Christ Jesus is Christ will give to every Saint his measure of glory Danaeus saith well that there be two things that the blessed Saints want in Heaven Carent omni invidia carent omni rerum ad beatitudinem necessariarum indigentia They want envy one Saint doth not envy another Saint's greater measure of glory because they shall be all full of glory and then there is no want of any thing for whatsoever pertaineth to make a Creature happy every Saint shall enjoy and such fullness of happiness shall he have that nec plus quaerel quam habebit nec minus habere doleit quam habet he that hath the least measure of glory shall seek for no more nor grieve that he hath so little CHAP. IV. Of the reasons why God will glorifie his Children in respect of the Lord himself SECT I. The reasons hereof are as follow 1. GOD hath Predestinated them unto glory 2 Thes 2.13 14. We are bound alwaies to give thanks to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth The Salvation of God's Children is built upon a stronger Foundation then the very Heavens even upon God's Counsel his hand hath written their names in the Book of Life in Characters that cannot be
the everlasting glorification of the whole man Quest But will not this diminish and lessen the excellency of our future estate and make it far less eminent then the Scripture describes it to be 2 Cor. 4.17 and consequently less desirable and the hope and assurance of it less able to solace us against our present sufferings Sol. I answer no for besides the admirable alteration there shall be in our Bodies in respect of their present base condition there shall be a far greater alteration in our Souls though it be not specifical and essential as may appear in comparing the First-fruits with the whole Harvest What is an handful to the whole Crop what is a drop of Water to the whole Ocean what is the light of the Moon and Stars and Candle-light to that of the Sun and yet there is no essential difference between these no more then between a mountain and a mole-hill both having the same common nature God can raise qualities as well as substances to a most eminent and glorious perfection if we in the state of renovation find such comforts as are many times unspeakable and glorious even in this our day of small things that they make us to glory in tribulation and to triumph over the greatest evils in this life how absolute and transcendently ravishing shall our contentment be when we shall be above the reach of all evils and be filled with all perfection Hence we may learn how to conceive of the blessedness of our future estate viz. not to think of it after a carnal manner as if it did consist in eating and drinking sleeping marrying possessing of Silver and Gold and Houses richly furnished and adorned or in a Turkish Paradise in sensual delights and following our sports and recreations but rather in exercises of Holiness and Righteousness in a glorious and heavenly communion with the holy Trinity Saints and Angels as Rom. 14.17 in living a Celestial and Angelical kind of life as Luke 20.35 such as is described Isa 6.2 3. Psal 103.20 Matth. 18.20 Luke 15.7 Luke 2.13 14. A sincere Christian condition and heavenly conversation is an obscure delineation and representation of the happy condition of the glorified and the Saints do even live as it were an Heaven upon Earth they begin to live eternally and blessedly as soon as they begin to be in Christ and if Glory deserveth such great admiration and estimation Grace which is a spark and principle of it can be no mean thing therefore let those that are sanctified in Christ so far magnifie themselves against the insolencies of ungodly men CHAP. VI. Sheweth that the perfect Glory and Happiness of the Saints is invisible for the present SECT I. IN the next place I shall shew you that the full dignity glory and happiness of the Saints is not apparent Now we are the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but when he shall appear we shall be like him c. 1 John 3.2 Our Salvation is hid in this life Our life of glory is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 All the flourishing beauty of the Wine is all the dead time of the Winter hidden in the root of the Vine Christ our Head our Brother our Ausband our Saviour is keeper of the Crown of glory it is hid in Christ for the present therefore it doth not appear and it is hid with Christ in God in God objective because of our happiness principally consisteth in the vision of God or causaliter because all our glory is derived from God or else in God that is apud Deum in the power of God to bestow it at his pleasure there is glory and happiness hidden in Christ for us Upon the meditation hereof the Psalmist cries out Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee how great it is particula admirativa Bruno Nimis supra quam dici potest admirativè cum nimio pondere Bruno interprets it thus How great is thy goodness it is so wonderful that the tongue of an Angel cannot express how great it is but this goodness is laid up it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which thou hast hidden which thou hast in secret preserved so that it is not as yet apparent what goodness it is Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what things God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 This St. Paul spake who in that divine rapture into the Third Heaven saw a flash of the Transcendent glory of the Saints The glorious beauty of Heaven and Earth is the object of the eye yet no eye ever saw such glory our ears hear more then our eyes can see we hear of glorious things done in all parts of the World and yet no ear ever heard of such glory our hearts can conceive more then our eyes can see or ears can hear or we can fancy greater things then can be presented to the eye yet we cannot conceive the glory of the Sons of God Our glory doth not appear we have treasures of happiness but they are hidden in the field our Transcendent happiness is like a curious piece of Arras roled up not put down and exposed to the view of men we are glorious Stars but yet we do not appear above the Horizon the Earth doth interpose it self between us and the set Sun and hides his light from us so these earthy bodies of ours do interpose themselves between us and our glory that it cannot be seen The happy and glorious estate of the Children of God doth not now appear 1. Not to the Wicked the glory and beauty of the Saints in this life is internal and spiritual The Kings Daughter is all glorious within Psal 45.13 They are full of riches of glory and strength but it is in the inner man Eph. 3.16 And so it is not obvious to carnal eyes which if it were it would turn the most sensual Epicures into mortified Saints but the wicked want a spiritual eye to discern spiritual glory Gods people are worth Millions of men but they are Gods hidden ones Psal 83.3 The world knoweth them not because they know not God 1 John 3.1 And as Moses his face when it shone had a vail over it so the glory of grace hath a vail over it that not a glimpse of it appeareth to the wicked much less doth the life of endless glory appear to them These things do hide the glorious condition of the godly from the wicked 1. Their outward troubles their outward mean and base condition obscureth their glory so that wicked men think godliness to be a contemptible thing What hid the Majesty of Christ from the eye of the Jews why was he a man rejected and despised among men it was the baseness of his outward condition that hid the glory of the only begotten Son of God he
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
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
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
Parable would have out-climbed the Cedar they would perswade the World that they were created as the Sun to rule the Day that is over the Clergy and that Kings are but as the Moon to rule over the Night that is say they over the Laity But Popes are no Creatures of God's making Kings are the anointed of the Lord God himself hath given testimony sufficient of their magnificence in that it hath pleased him to change Names with them and taken their Name to himself he is called a King and gives them his own Name in exchange for therefore he hath said they are Gods I urge it the rather because of the inference that followeth for the greater Kings are the greater Christians are for Christians are said to be Kings Rev. 1.6 He hath made us all Kings and Priests unto God And to the meanest and most abject Christian a Crown shall be given infinitely far more excellent and glorious then the Crowns of all earthly Kings 1. In respect of the Soveraignty that belongs to it Crowns are Ensigns of Soveraignty as I hinted before and Soveraignty is a thing much accounted of to be but as the Centurion was would put a spirit of ambition into us that we might have those under us to whom when we say Go they should go when Come they should come when Do this they should do it If we could have not only Persons but Provinces under our subjection and could make our selves Commanders and Rulers over Countries and Kingdoms so that People should serve us and Nations should bow before us this would kindle a great fire of ambition in us it would make one that had the aspiring mind of Absalom to snatch the Crown from his Father's head If we could climb higher yet and get to be not only Soveraigns over divers Provinces as Ahasuerus was but also be Monarchs of the whole World as it is said Alexander was so that the Princes of all Nations should pay Tribute to our Coffers Si jus violandum regni causa violandum Caesar ex Euripide and the People of all Countries bow their knees before our foot-stool this if any thing would enflame our ambition and if at all for a Kingdom one would violate the bonds of Nature or Justice as one long ago was wont to say for such a Kingdom as this he would be provoked to the doing of it Alas Beloved all this is nothing in comparison of the Soveraignty belonging to the heavenly Crown and Kingdom the poorest Saint in Heaven shall be more glorious in Soveraignty then ever Ahasuerus or Alexander were or then ever Adam was when he was Lord of the whole World for look what was said of our Saviour Heb. 2.8 All things shall be subdued all things shall be brought in subjection to him and when it is said all things shall be subdued there 's nothing left out that shall not be subdued the same may be said of every faithful Member of Christ they shall every one have a share in this Rule and Dominion even all things shall be brought under their subjection the very Angels shall then be made subject to them where Christ sits they shall sit whom Christ judgeth they shall judg and as Christ reigneth they shall reign also 2. In respect of the safety that belongs to it there is no Crown so setled upon the head of any earthly Prince as that he can promise to himself perpetual safety under it either safety from sickness and diseases or safety from Adversaries and Enemies either domestical or forreign but that he is in danger of both Kings are as much in danger of sickness as other men for Chairs of State are not Castles of health nor can their Crowns keep their heads from aking they are as much in danger of Enemies as other men nay they more then others every railing Shimei hath a tongue to bark at them every traiterous Sheba will be blowing trumpets of rebellion against them but the Crown of glory shall sit sure upon the heads of the faithful even with as much safety as majesty no sickness shall be able to blast it no Enemy to endanger it St. Paul saith that all our Enemies shall be put under our feet 1 Cor. 15.27 And the Prophet saith All tears shall be wiped from our faces Isai 25.8 3. In respect of the peace and tranquility of it the Princes of the Earth though they have a great many more honours yet they have a great many more burthens then other men their Crowns are thicker stuck with cares then with gems That made one of the Emperours say when the Imperial Robe was brought him to put on Oh nobilem magis quam faelicem pannum Oh here 's a Robe saith he fuller of bravery then felicity 'T is otherwise with the Crown of glory this Crown is as free from troubles as from dangers they that are crowned with it are crowned with peace as well as with honour it shall not disquiet them with cares but give them rest from their labours rest and peace shall ever wait upon them whom God shall vouchsafe so to dignifie as to let their Temples be empall'd with this glorious Crown 4. In respect of perpetuity therefore the Apostle calls it a Crown of Life James 1.12 because they that are crowned with it shall never taste more of death Herein again it differs from all earthly Crowns and excells as much as it differs earthly Kingdoms and Crowns are subject to alteration to dissipation Job tells us that God sometimes looseth the collars of Kings Job 12.13 It was told Saul when he had been a while King over Israel that God had rent his Kingdom from him and given it to his Neighbour 1 Sam. 15.28 But howsoever though the Crown be not translated yet he that wears the Crown must be translated Death will translate the greatest Princes to another place though while they live their Crowns be not translated to other Persons but sit fast upon their own heads but 't is otherwise with this Crown of life there shall be no alteration nor removal at all either from it to us or from us to it when once we shall have it confer'd upon us Were the Kingdoms of the Earth never so full of glory and happiness yet what they want of perpetuity they want of perfect felicity there can be no perfection of blessedness but where there is perpetuity of continuance so there shall be here St. Paul calls it an immarcessible Crown St. Peter calls it an immortal inheritance that shall never fade away 1 Pet. 1.4 It is said of the Bread of life John 6. that he that eats of it shall hunger no more and of the Water of life John 4. he that drinketh thereof shall thirst no more so I may say of this Crown of life whosoever is crowned with it he shall die no more How should the consideration hereof make us to labour for this glorious Crown what a shame is it to see
his Body after his resurrection but retained the essential as longitude latitude circumscription c. SECT IV. BUt will you see the manifold proofs of Christ's resurrection if you will turn over the notes of time you may believe that Pharaoh as about that time of the year when Christ rose from the dead was invaded by an host of waves which conquering his Charets made him without wheels to hurry faster into Hell while Moses led his Israel through the Wilderness of the Sea passing through the shadow of death in the monument of Waters Did not our Lord also leave his Tomb without an equal and contrary wonder then the Waters seemed to be firm rising into Alps as now the Earth was made to quake like the Waters and well might the Earth tremble when the Lord conquered it and forsook it The Angel too made a little Earthquake in the Grave when he removed the mighty Stone with which the senseless Jew tried to oppress our Saviour after death as if he would have sealed him up to an utter impossibility of rising again the Earth now moveth and danceth for his exaltation and the Stones give place to his omnipotency The Angel having opened the Tomb shall we look into the place whence Christ is risen but behold he is not there to be found an Angel supplieth his place which he had conquered to obedience as if he had meant to rest himself in triumph after the conflict of his miracle his rayment white as snow which he did imitate in purity his countenance was like lightning but more wonderful for that 's of so instant a terror that it 's rather the object of our memory then our eye but this with a courteous Majesty was patient to be beheld the terrified Women quickly behold this sight being encouraged by the Angel but first by their innocence the Souldiers beheld it too but with such guilty faintness that they seemed as much to disgrace their sex as their profession disarming themselves at once both of their weapons and souls together they became as breathless carcasses and were rather the Captives then the Keepers of the Grave But now the Women being comforted they receive a commission from the Angel to preach the Resurrection of our Saviour and out of the Tomb they hasten with the confused speed of fear and joy and while they seek the Disciples they find their Saviour himself who comforteth them with his presence and speech and again sendeth them to teach his own Disciples and to shew their obedience to be as quick as their love they depart from Christ to their duty and speedily find Peter and John for their Auditors who no sooner hear the news of Christ's resurrection but they run as fast to the Tomb as the Women ran from it where no sooner are they entered but they perceive Christ's victory over Death acknowledged by the Linnen cloathes his spoils of Death and these spoils too had been divided the Napkin off his head being laid up by it self It seems the Angel at our Saviour's resurrection attended to be a Witness of it to the Women and to leave a testimony of it to the Disciples Thus that he was not stoln away as was given out appears by the inconvenience and leisure of his undressing and by the method of the Linnen which the affrighted policy of the Souldiers did no more touch then observe and they no more observed it then the Women who after the sight of the Angel had their eyes as much amazed as their minds the Souldiers too did more tremble then watch but the Disciples had less fear and more time Besides they learnt somewhat which they were not taught and could now teach the Women this news of the Grave Lo here the Lion of the Tribe of Juda whose Almighty strength vouchsafed to couch under the power of the Grave and lo the greatness of his love hath raised him up from the sloth of the Grave Will ye behold how he was raised behold how the Potter worketh upon the wheel he taketh clay he maketh it a vessel and this vessel being made in the hands of the Potter he makes it again as he best pleaseth Christ was immortal Clay and Earth purer then Heaven when by the wonder of Omnipotency the Creator and Creature were made into one and of one matter did consist both the Potter and his Pot from this broken Clay there did arise the same and a renewed Christ Could any man in this point be yet an Infidel if any could see how he converts them he lets Thomas disgrace himself to a belief and by his distrust mercifully and miraculously encreaseth his faith Can any body doubt he was renewed in a Body of glory when he was full of God had he not a glorious Body whom the doors that were shut when he entered to his Disciples did obediently acknowledge to be the King of Glory though he were patient under Death three days yet since the first part of the first was spent before he died and the last part of the last after he revived there was the number but not the length of three days and thus he made so short a change as seemed rather a sleep then death He rose not sooner lest he might have been thought not to bâ— fâ—lly dead he lay no longer lest he might have been thought to have seen corruption This resurrection of Christ proved him to be true God as his birth life death burial proved him to be true Man It was his own Argument against the Jews Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up again John 2.19 And St. Paul among other things tells us He was declared mightily to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 Methinks this might have stopt the black mouthes of the blasphemous Jews who at the time of his execution bade him come down from the Cross and save himself and they will believe on him Matth. 27.42 which though he would not do yet here he doth a greater matter Plus fuit ex Sepulchro resurgere quam de Cruce descendere Gregor to rise was more saith Gregory to rise again out of his Grave then to descend from the Cross This likewise declareth his dominion over Sin Death Hell and all Enemies Christ therefore died rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living if he had died and not risen again then had he at least seemed not to have conquered and overcome death but to have been foyled in the Field and overcome of Death and then how could he have been the death of Death and the destruction of the Grave and have delivered us from the power of Hell Hosea 13.14 This likewise sheweth us the sufficiency of his satisfaction and him to be an absolute and all-sufficient Saviour whereof we might have doubted had he only died for we think not a mans debts then paid when he or his Surety goes
believe the resurrection of the flesh or body SECT IX SEe here the sacred eagerness of the Soul it will neither lose nor change a dust nor will it only possess but adorn the Body In the day of the resurrection mankind shall feel and express a youthful spring the walking-staff and the wrinckle shall be no more the help and distinction of age and Death it self shall suffer climacterical fates Oh how the wonder will almost out-act faith when the Infant and the Dwarf shall be made a proper man when the limbs exhaled with famine shall be replenished with as much miracle as faith when the Child that left its own Soul before it left the Womb shall in an instant without growth be as big as the Mother when sleep shall be commanded from the eye-lids no more by care but by immortality which shall chase Death out of Nature and with importunate triumph cry out O Earth Earth Earth hear the word of the Lord Thy dead men shall live with their primitive Bodies shall they arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for your dew is as the dew of Herbs The Bodies of the Saints shall then have nothing cleaving to them that may in the least degree impair their blessedness darken or blemish their glory St. Paul saith Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might cleanse and sanctifie it by the washing of water through the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish both in Soul and Body Ephes 5.25 26 27. First it is said He gave himself to it that he might cleanse and sanctifie it by the washing of water through the word and that he might not only cloathe it with his own righteousness made over and imputed to it but also that he might really purifie it by the water of sanctification that he might present it a glorious Church to himself not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing It is one thing to present his Church and each Member of it to his Father a glorious Church in himself as a Mediator cloathed with his righteousness as with a spotless robe of glory but 't is another thing to present the Church a glorious Church to himself which he doth without a Mediator for although there be a Mediator between God the Father and his Church even the Man Christ Jesus yet there is no Mediator between Christ and his Church God the Father looks on his Church mediante Christo but Christ looks on the Church immediately and therefore when he presenteth the Church to himself a glorious Church without spot c. it is evident that the Church shall then be glorious and spotless not only in way of imputation in God the Father's acceptation through Jesus Christ his Beloved but also really and in it self although it shall receive all this from the overflowing fountain of Christ's fulness through the freeness of God's love and the riches of his grace and for the greater consolation of the Saints the Apostle saith when Christ shall present his Church to himself as glorious it shall be without spot or wrinkle no spot of defilement or wrinkle of deformity shall be in it nor the least imperfection for what are wrinkles but signs or effects of natural defect when the moisture of the Body is exhausted or consumed Nature beginning to decay and wanting matter to fill up the Body but then there shall be no wrinkle in the Body or defect in the Soul for both shall have their full measure of glory And to this the Apostle addeth those general terms nor any such thing that he might cut off all conceits of any defect imaginable as if he had said Imagine what you can that may in the least degree impair or lessen the glory of the Church I assure you there shall not be any such thing SECT X. ANd we may most easily remember by whom we rise by remembring him by whom we fell yet if we behold the original of their humanity we shall find they were both without sin and that the first Adam had his best Paradise within himself but when he was fallen by the weakness of the Woman that was made for his help never did Woman prove a strong help to Man before the Virgin-mother of Christ God and Man then though the first Adam had eaten up the fatal Apple the second Adam swallowed up Death he had before made the poor Man take up the Bed of his sickness and walk but he himself was the first that ever took up Death's Bed and walked Yet some before our Saviour borrowed a fantastical resurrection as Saul's equivocal Samuel and some rose again in earnest but to die again in earnest as supererrogating Lazarus that paid to nature one death more then he owed but our Lord Jesus is risen with as much perfection as power and with as much power as love and glory The Poetical Chymick tells us plainly of an Alchymistical man at the Earth's centre who by a spherical diffusion of his vertue doth like a subterranean Sun improve Mettals to a metamorphosis which as it is bold in the Fable so by a devout mithology may be modest in the moral this secret Workman shall be our Saviour whose vertue was dispersed into the bowels of the Grave that at his resurrection he improved Carcasses into Saints who rose with him went into the holy City and appeared unto many as the Witnesses and Attendants of his power of which something hath been already spoken Indeed to advance the head without the members were so unnatural that it were rather like an execution then preferment and it were stranger to see a Captain or Leader without his Souldiers then without his Arms Besides were it fit when the Master is risen the Servant should lie still thus then they were raised as much to holiness as to life it was not only a resurrection but a consecration and Christ was the first-fruits of them that rose he had the precedency both in order and vertue The first-fruits under the Law were the first handful as acceptible as ripe by a bountiful mediation obtaining holiness and entertainment for the rest this first offering did commend it self to the Lord rather by the speed then the quantity the Jew offered this at his own home and it was as domestick as his thoughts being a present of eloquent simplicity which at the same time did honour and overcome the Almighty Oh how our Saviour made this figure solid when at once he conquered for us Death and Heaven as I may so speak He was but the first handful of Corn and yet as powerful as small making all the rest of a like holiness though not of an equal But there were greater first-fruits which the Jews went to pay at Jerusalem and as the first were an offering of humility so those of pomp Those did
more set forth the thankfulness of the Labourer and these the magnificence of the Lord. If you will take the words of the Rabbins whom in story of custom we have no more cause to distrust then to feign they will tell you when the Husbandman carried up those Fruits to the holy City he had a Bull went before him whose horns were guilded and an Olive-garland upon his head this was the picture of his Master's affection and state as if by the impetuous Beast he would express the courage of his joy by guilded horns the riches of his plenty and by the Olive-garland the Crown of peace Behold the displayed Herauldry of his happiness and that it might be increased by applauses a Pipe played before him to charge all to take notice of it until they came to the Mountain of the Lord. Shall not these first-fruits be likewise paid at our great resurrection shall they not be brought to our heavenly Jerusalem the City of the great King shall they not have Angels go before them shall there not likewise be Crowns and shall they not likewise be ushered by the voice of a Trumpet It was the sound that the Jews used at their braver Funerals and may it not then fitly be used when they shall be awaked from their Tombs Till Christ was risen those that were buried were dead but if we once but name him the first-fruits of them that rise let us no more say that they are dead but that they sleep yet all before the resurrection shall not sleep some instead of rising shall be only new dressed by being cloathed with incorruption and so have rather a change of rayment then of life they shall not put off their bodies but their mortality and be made like unto Christ both in the truth of the resurrection and of glory The Eutychian shall then confess that the two natures in Christ are not mixed though joyned and that his Humanity though exalted is not changed the Pythagorean shall then recover the possession and acquaintance of his vagabond Soul the Sadduce shall then rise in that body in which he denied the resurrection of the body and with the eyes of his body see the errour of his Soul the Vbiquitary shall then see that Christ's body may be seen and it shall certainly prove that it is not everywhere by being not in the same grave whence it was risen that is in respect of his corporal presence for otherwise as he is God he was there and in all other places of the World CHAP. XVI SECT I. Of the glory of the Bodies of the Saints in Heaven and first of the beauty and clarity of glorified Bodies BUt now to speak more particularly of the glory of the Body the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15.43 the Body is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory that which is here called glory is by Divines generally termed clarity and this no way varying from the sense of the Apostle for vers 41 42. he saith that the glories of the Saints Bodies in Heaven at the general resurrection shall be different and divers one exceeding another in clarity as one Star differs from another in glory so shall the resurrection of the dead be St. Paul saith in Phil. 3.21 Christ shall change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body This is very admirable that a poor sinful Creature should be so changed transformed exalted as to be like the Son of God in glory Our Bodies now are but as loathsome Carcasses what a vile Body had Job when he sate upon the Dunghil what a vile Body had Lazarus when he lay at the Rich Man's gate full of sores When Children are young break out in the face in hands and body there is no beauty in them so sin breaks out in these mortal Bodies and makes them ugly in God's eyes there are many corporal imperfections in mens Bodies now but when Christ shall appear then our Bodies shall be as his Body beautiful and glorious Tradition upheld by reason teacheth us that he was beautiful without art that the Holy Ghost who formed his Body in the Virgins Womb would have it adorned with comliness he consecrated beauty in his Person when he took our nature upon him though he assumed the pain of sin he would not assume the ugliness thereof and as there was no ignorance in his Soul so was there no deformity in his Body His very types in the Old Testament were all comely David and Solomon the one of which represented his Victories the other his Triumphs were both of them famous for their beauty the Angels took upon them his visage when they treated with the Prophets while they spoke in his name they would appear in his form Jacob had the honour to see him when he wrestled with him before the break of day the three Children that were thrown into the fiery Furnace saw him in the midst of the flames But how gloriously did the face of Christ shine at his Transfiguration Christ's face did shine upon Earth and now in Heaven doth shine like the Sun And our Saviour intimateth that the Righteous shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Matth. 13.43 Lazarus his Body shall be a beautiful Body he shall have no imperfection Sampson shall then have his eyes which the Philistines pulled out Mephibosheth shall not be lame in Heaven there shall be no imperfection in a glorified Body The Scripture mentioneth some Persons eminent for beauty as David Joseph and especially Absalom who though he had a deformed Soul yet for his out-side was without blemish and had no peer among those many thousands of Israel There was none to be so much praised for beauty as Absalom for from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him 2 Sam. 14.25 But the most exquisite earthly beauty is but skin-deep and but like the painting of a rotten post it is but a fresh colour laid on mortality the foundation of it is weak and crasie and therefore it soon fadeth but he that is like to Christ in holiness shall be like to him in heavenly beauty and glory the beauty of glorified Bodies shall be a shining beauty The expression of Divines is thus As Iron when it is heated in the Fire we cannot see the Iron for the Fire it appears nothing else but fiery so in Heaven we shall not be able to see the Body for the glory thereof and as the Air is now fully possessed with the light so shall our Bodies be fully possessed with glory and the Soul full of the light of glory shall be diffused thorow the whole Body Lessius de summo bono lib. 3. cap 5. and all the parts of it according to the opinion of the Learned therefore it behooveth that the whole Body be resplendent according to the dignity of the Soul inhabiting it Yea it is conceived that the glory of the Soul
shall be seen through the Body in such a sort as the life of the Soul is seen and observed in and by the vivacity and liveliness which it imparts by action and motion to the outward visible parts of the Body Dr. Rich. Sheldon of mans last end and not only did the face of Christ shine as the Sun at his Transfiguration on Mount Tabor but also his rayment was white as the light Matth. 17.2 St. Mark addeth that his rayment became shining exceeding white as snow so as no Fuller on earth can white them Mark 9.3 Now his garments did cover his Body yet such was the glory and clarity of his Body that his rayment became white as snow for it became not Christ or the Angels to appear in naked Bodies Cyril Hierosol Catech 18. Cyril of Jerusalem speaking of this point saith The Just shall shine as the Sun and as the Moon and as the brightness of the Firmament And God foreseeing the incredulity of Men Ut Anima ista dum exercet functiones suaâ— in corpore impertit ei colorem totam hanc externam Corporis gloriam ita tum cum Deus erit omnia in omnibus spiritus Christi in nobis habitam induet Corpora nostra gloriosissima quibusque qualitatibus Rolloc in Johan cap. 5. hath given unto little Worms called Glow-worms a shining Body that they might shine therewith that from those things which do appear we might believe what we do expect he that hath made a Worm so to glister will make the Bodies of the Saints much more bright and shining SECT II. Of the agility of glorified Bodies THe Bodies of the Saints in Heaven shall also have a wonderful agility whereby they shall be able to move from place to place with incredible swiftness this agility is a glorious quality whereby the Bodies of the glorified are totally subject to the Souls as to most powerful movers to be moved by them without the least reluctancy or resistance for the Soul shall then as some Learned men say have a most absolute dominion over the Body and by a redundancy and emanation impart to it a glorious quickning and vivacity far beyond that which any mortal Creatures in their bodily heavy parts can have for glorified Souls shall then be made perfect and glorified Bodies shall have more perfect instruments for motion then those which corruptible Bodies usually have and the weight of their Bodies shall not in the least hinder their motion And albeit the same Father saith Certe ubi volet Spiritus ibi protinus erit Corpus that the Body will presently be there where the Soul would have it Yet may we not grant unto the same Bodies any instantanean motion so that in an imagined instant of time they may make any true real corporal motion for time in a proper speech hath no true or real instant either as part or period or end of it self for then a glorified Body must pass thorow the beginning middle and end of a space at once if it move from place to place in an instant which were more then utterly impossible involving a contradiction and would be destructive to the nature of a true Body Yet the motion of glorified Bodies may be very sudden and in so short a time as it were imperceptible Augustine compares it to the Sun-beams August Epist 4â— the which as it were in an imperceptible moment of time do fill this whole Hemisphere with their glorious lustre The Author of the Book of Wisdom saith The Righteous shall shine and as sparks among the stubble they shall run too and fro Sap. 3.7 Whereby some think the agility of the Saints Bodies in Heaven and their facility for motion is figured One saith that its agility will be so great that it will out-pass the winds and lightning it will flie without wings through the spacious Regions of the Air it will walk upon the water and not sink and in a very short time passing from one end of the World to the other will be no longer a clog and torment to the Soul Moreover which way soever they shall move they shall have the glorious presence of God with them in Heaven the Saints live move and have their glorious being in him they live of him by partaking of his glorious life move before him like the holy Angels by a most prompt and ready obedience and are in him being entered into the joy of their Lord. SECT III. Of the spirituality of glorified Bodies A Farther degree of the happiness of a glorified Body is that it shall be spiritual It is sown a natural Body but it riseth a spiritual Body 1 Cor. 15.44 It is called a spiritual Body not as though the Body were changed into the Soul and Spirit for so that which is raised should not be Man consisting of a Soul and Body but a third distinct thing differing from Man it shall not then cease to be a Body it shall change condition but not change nature were its nature changed the mystery of the resurrection of the flesh should be quite taken away and so the same thing that fell should not be raised again Neither is it called a spiritual Body as though the Body after the resurrection were rarified like the Air and Wind as the Eutychians of old affirmed denying glorified Bodies to be palpable but I call it spiritual 1. Because as the Body shall be re-united to the Soul so it shall be perfectly submitted to it as the Spirit serving the Flesh may not unfitly be called carnal so the Body obedient to the Soul is rightly termed spiritual The Soul shall have a more powerful influence upon and dominion over the Body after the resurrection then it ever had or could have in the time of her mortality it shall no longer be the Prison but the Temple of the Soul then the Body shall readily yield to every motion of the Spirit 2. The Body shall be endued with spiritual properties the Bodies of the Saints shall be even as the Angels are now in Heaven they shall be able to live without sleep without eating and drinking without marriage they shall need none of such things as these natural Bodies in this mortal condition do Our Bodies now are but so many clogs to our Souls subject to toyl and weariness but then the Body will have such advantages as will free and clear it from all such corporal imperfections and defections as bodily and corporal substances are obnoxious to the corruptible Body overladeth and oppresseth the Soul and this earthly tabernacle presseth down the mind meditating on heavenly things but in Heaven when the Souls of the Blessed shall see the glory of God and be for ever in the contemplation of him they shall then be freed from all clogs and hinderances that so they may bend themselves with all their might to the contemplation love and fruition of God whose goodness will then be most clearly and fully presented
great glory when you shall see him with trumpets sounding before him and see him with his glorious train with all his glorious Angels as himself speaks Matth. 16.27 to see him sitting upon his Throne of Majesty and the World round about him his Friends the Sheep on his right hand the Goats his Enemies on his left hand what a sight will this be especially if you have then so much interest in Christ as to be placed among the Sheep at his right hand how will it affect you when he shall be always in your eye and never out of your sight If the Queen of Sheba was so stricken with amazement when she beheld the glory of Solomon that there was no more spirit in her 1 Kings 10.5 how will all the Saints be filled with admiration when they shall behold the glory of Christ how did that astonished Queen bless the Attendants of Solomon Happy are thy Men happy are these thy Servants that stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom Alas what happiness is this in regard of the Angels and Saints who stand continually in the presence of Christ in whose presence there is fulness of joy fulness of glory was it such an happiness to hear the wisdom of Solomon what a transcendent happiness is it then to hear the wisdom of Christ who is greater then Solomon I conceive that the glory which three of Christ's Disciples saw upon the holy Mount was but a glimpse of that fulness of glory wherewith he is now silled in Heaven yet that little drop was so affecting that Peter cried out Master it is good for us to be here He was so ravished with extraordinary joy conceived at the heavenly vision that he even lost and forgat himself and wist not what they said Luke 9.33 34. but being overjoyed it appears his wish was inconsiderate and his counsel rash and unadvised Let us build three Tabernacles one for Thee another for Moses another for Elias for these Reasons 1. Because he thought earthly Tabernacles fit habitations for heavenly Bodies 2. Because he conceived not aright of the end of the vision viz. to comfort them in letting them to see as in a glass what Christ's glory and their glory should be which he would have had continued when it must of necessity be intermitted for had Christ continued in this estate he could not have suffered and so our salvation had not been accomplished But while Peter was thus speaking behold a bright Cloud overshadowed them and they feared when they were entering into the Cloud had not this Cloud somewhat abated the glory of the Apparition it had not been possible for these Disciples in the state of mortality to have beheld the countenance of their Master Now if Christ in his Transfiguration while he was on Mount Tabor was so delightful to behold when his Humanity appeared in a glorious form only but for a short time how pleasant will the sight of him be to the godly when they shall see him by perfect vision and enjoy him by full fruition With abundant satisfaction shall the Saints behold the face of Christ in fulness of glory Oh how will it ravish their hearts when they shall see him who gave himself for them who loved them and washed their sins in his blood who being the Prince and Captain of our salvation was content to be perfected by sufferings that he might bring them into glory when they shall see him who died for them and rose again for their justification ascended up into Heaven took possession thereof and prepared a place for them and came again and took them to himself they shall then be even transported with joy to behold their Saviour whom they loved so dearly all their lives but never had the happiness to see before for whose appearance they longed thirsted sighed prayed Come Lord Jesus Oh how will their hearts melt toward him think you when they shall see him Oh this is he that died for me that shed his precious blood for me they will then look thorow him if it were possible and then to think they shall always see him and enjoy him and never be divided from him any more they will then be even ravished into an extasie of joy their sight of him shall be laeta familiaris perpetua joyful familiar and perpetual which is a special part of the beatitude peculiar to the Saints from which the Wicked are excluded Oh happy yea thrice happy are those eyes which shall see the face of Christ whom they shall love perfectly and of whom they are infinitely and eternally beloved What a ravishing sight will it be to behold that Body which was so foully disfigured upon the Cross for our sakes It shall be undoubtedly as St. Bernard saith a thing full of all sweetness and delight when men shall there see and behold a Man the Creator of men and Lord of all things created We are wont to esteem it a singular great honour to our Family to see one of our Kindred advanced to a Crown or dignified with some Princely honour but how far greater honour shall this be to us to see that Lord who is our God our near Kinsman of our flesh and blood sitting at the right hand of God the Father and made King both of Heaven and Earth And if the Members do account that an honour to them which is done to their Head by reason of that strict union that is between the Head and its Members what else shall it be but that every faithful Christian shall account the glory of Jesus Christ their Head as their peculiar glory How should the consideration hereof make every one of us cry out O my dearest Saviour and blessed Redeemer when shall this joyful day come Oh when shall I appear before thy face and be ravished by beholding thy excellent beauty when shall I see that countenance of thine which the Angels are desirous to behold How true concerning the things of the World is that which Solomon saith the eye is not satisfied with seeing Eccles 1.8 and it is as true that in Heaven the eye shall be fully satisfied but not satiated at all with seeing they shall see such glory that they shall desire no greater If Philip on Earth said to Christ Shew us the Father and it shall suffice how much more when we shall see the King of Kings in his glory shall glorified Saints say We have enough Satis Domine satis they shall desire no greater glory yet never be weary of seeing SECT VIII 3. HEreunto I may also add that blessed and glorious spectacle of the general Assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in Heaven those many thousands of Patriarchs and Saints of the old and new World Prophets of the Old Testament Apostles of the New Martyrs faithful Preachers and sincere Professors of the Gospel Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses Samuel David Daniel Joh Peter Paul the great Doctor of
him in his glory Now as it was said of the eye in respect of things seen so it is said of the ear in respect of things heard Neither is the ear silled with hearing Eccles 1.8 it is spoken in respect of things heard here below all the things in the World which are most delightful to it cannot fill it they may tire the ear but cannot satisfie it but in Heaven the ear shall be filled but never cloyed with hearing it shall hear whatsoever is pleasing to it and nothing that is distasteful How should this consideration make us to think the time long till we be out of Egypt and freed from those chains which link us to such shameful services and so unworthy of a Soul ransomed with the blood of the Son of God Alas when will the time come that we shall hear the Canticles of glory when shall we go to the Daughters of Zion to our Country crying out with a loud voice that the spiritual Pharaoh is swallowed up under the Abysses and that all those Troops of Enemies which now pursue us have suffered a dismal shipwrack not under the Waves of the red Sea but under the Lake of Fire and Brimstone and everlasting malediction Oh then let us not suffer the noise and tumult of this World to strike our ears with so many unprofitable extravagant and dangerous discourses but rather let us seal up our ears against wicked words filthy speeches profane and rotten communications idle and foolish jestings and inure them to such as are suitable to those they shall hear in Heaven SECT X. AS for the sense of feeling we may not deny it to be in Heaven for that includes not any corruption and if congruous to sense it is a perfection not a defect of nature and that glorified Bodies be palpable and may be felt that speech of our Saviour after his resurrection makes it clear Handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me to have Luke 24.39 The sense of touching will receive its delights both from the heavenly Air and the soft touch of heavenly Bodies as also from the most inward sense of the best temperament for man being perfectly sound hath a pleasant sense and feeling of the good constitution of the Body As for the smell and taste some think as they are inferiour senses so they are subservient to this mortal state and that there shall be no use of them in a state of glory the taste is for the trying of meats and drinks and it shall be one great part of the Saints happiness not to hunger and thirst any more but to be far above these things being like to the Angels of God to be so replenished with the love and influences of the presence of God as to live immediately upon him in him and by him and not to lead such a weak and frail life as now they do that lean upon the staff of bread and must be underpropped by the creatures But if there be any use of these senses in Heaven it shall be after another manner then now it is the sense of smelling shall then be refreshed with most sweet and pleasant savours not of such vaporous things as we have here but of such as be proportionable to the glory of Heaven In like manner the taste shall be satisfied with incredible sweetness and delights Ludovic Granat Medit. not for the sustentation of life but for the accomplishment of all glory as one noteth And albeit touching the sense of taste some difficulty may arise yet though there be no delicious taste by eating or drinking delicious dainties such as the sensual Epicures of these times make their God notwithstanding it is not absurd to think â—r Rich Sheldon of Man's last end that glorified Bodies by God's appointment shall have some delicious and pleasant moisture resting upon the palate or place of taste that so by such a means that sensible part may have her full content And Lessius saith Lessius de summo bono if the Damned in Hell are most sharply punished in these senses as the rich Glutton that in Hell torments was tormented in his tongue why should not the Saints who have suffered so many things so grievous to the senses in this life receive delight and refreshing in them Concerning all which Laurence Justinian writes thus The flesh of man made spiritual Laurent Justinian lib. de Dicipl Monach cap. â—3 shall abound with delights of divers sorts in all the senses the eye shall be delighted in the lovely sight of the Redeemer when it shall see the King of glory decked with his own comeliness the melodious songs of the Citizens that are above shall not a little delight their ears likewise the fragrant pleasantness of the Celestial odours shall embrew the smelling with a wonderful liquefaction and an unspeakable sweetness of all delectable things shall as it were cram the palate of the mouth and the touch shall abound with delights suitable to it it is requisite that all the members of the Body should extol their Creator in their own way that as they took their beginning from him so also they may bring down the end of their blessedness toward him that God may be all in all And Anselm when he had said that the Damned shall have the greatest pains in all their senses and members addeth in like manner but in a contrary consideration in that life that is to come a certain unspeakable delight shall inebriate good men and abundantly satisfie them with its invaluable sweetness The eyes the ears the nostrils the mouth the throat the hands the liver the lungs the bones the marrow the bowels and every particular member of the Body shall be replenished with such a wonderful sense of delight and sweetness that truly we shall drink large draughts of it in the torrents of delight and instead of the dew of Manna wherewith the Israelites were refreshed we shall be satiated in an Ocean of Nectar and Ambrosia that is without bounds limits measure or bottom O happiness not so much to be spoken of as to be wished and desired and to be purchased if it were possible with a thousand lives had we so many to give for the same SECT XI Vse 1. THe first Use that I shall make of this is to commend unto you that of the Apostle 1 Thes 4.3 4 5. That ye should abstain from fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and in honour as men that seek for glory honour and immortality not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God as those who have hope only in this life who have no entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Flee fornication every sin that a man doth is without the body but he that commiteth fornication sinneth against his own body 1 Cor. 6.18 Other sins are
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
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
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
Heaven be that it shall be alwayes present with thee and yet thou never satiated for if I shall say Thou shalt not be satisfied there shall be an hunger and thirst if I shall say Thou shalt be satiated thou wilt fear a cloying there where shall be neither famine hunger nor thirst nor any tedious cloying to the same purpose Cyprian saith Cyprian de laude Martyrii the Saints shall not onely taste how sweet God is but they shall be filled with a wonderful sweetness nothing shall be wanting to them In Heaven there is no more desire for Christ as a thing absent the thirst being swallowed up in Christ the Soul thirsteth no more Christ being present their desires are satisfied God shall be all in all his presence shall fill and satisfie all the powers and faculties of their Souls Holy David having here tasted of God's sweetness cries out Whom have I in Heaven but thee there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 intimating to us that he that hath God hath enough in God The Soul that possesseth God in this life hath recovered that great loss that fell upon Adam and all Man-kind by fin Man by sin lost God now he that hath God in Christ hath recovered this great loss Man in his first estate had enough by enjoying God now he that recovereth this loss wanteth nothing for he findeth enough in God And although Adam in innocence enjoyed many other things besides God as perfect health possession of the Garden of Eden and full authority over the Creatures and albeit these things were comfortable in a degree in their kind yet man's happiness in that state did not consist in possessing these things but in enjoying God and all the glory and sweetness and any thing that was desirable in all these things was derived meerly and wholly from God Now whatever God doth here give to man by the Creature he will supply in Heaven without the Creature viz. immediately by himself if the streams be sweet how much better is water in the Spring and purer there In Heaven the Saints shall want nothing yet shall they enjoy nothing there but God he will be all to them their drink their food their rest their joy their pleasure the height of all their honour he will be all and more than all unto them Which consideration made a devout man meditating hereupon to cry out Deus meus omnia ah one refreshing of thine Drexel Consider de Aeternit one enjoyment of thee is a sweet refreshing indeed for to enjoy thee is to enjoy the quintessence of all good Thou art unto me O my good God goodness it self rest in my labours pleasure in my grief security in my cares and the only true riches in my poverty thou art my strong Bulwark against all the furious assaults of men thou art my refuge whatsoever evil doth oppress me and finally Thou art all unto me whatsoever I can wish for or desire wherefore then when we come to Heaven we shall not need to seek to quench our thirst with any stream when we have so chrystal a Spring-head or fountain as this where we may lye down and drink our fills in having and enjoying God we shall have whatsoever we can desire then the Lord will wholly frame the hearts of his Children according to his own mind that whatsoever is pleasing to him shall be delightful to them the heart shall then be kept in from wandring any more after vain and sensual delights and the Soul being wholly conformed to God it hath whatever it can desire SECT II. ANd as for the affections of fear and sorrow and anger they shall have no place in Heaven for then they shall be set far above the fear of all evil the Saints being possessed of an infinite good which is God himself for their portion they shall have no cause then to fear any evil there is no evil can hurt them for no evil shall be able to reach them that are in possession of him that is an infinite good they are also possessed of God the infinite good in perpetuity they have him in everlasting possession for otherwise although they need not fear any evil while they are possessed of him yet they might fear the loss of him and their woful separation from him and then they should lye open to all sorts of evils therefore to prevent this fear the Lord hath betrothed them to himself for ever and hath given himself to them in Marriage and that in an everlasting covenant and will never be divorced from them but be theirs for ever and ever The graces of Repentance Mortification Self-denial shall have no place in Heaven which are of great use here in the way to Heaven there shall be no sense of evil to be sorrowed for nor sin to be repented of nothing distasteful to provoke their anger or to discompose those blessed Spirits that are above there shall be a perfect harmony between God and them Neither shall there be any use of those graces of Faith and Hope in Heaven S. Paul tells us Now abideth faith hope and charity these three but the greatest of these is charity why greater than the other but because this abideth immortal for ever In Heaven instead of believing we shall see here the object of faith is things not seen the thing promised but not yet performed now in the life to come when all things that are promised are fully performed to us and possessed by us there is no use of faith in relation to these things So for Hope when all the glory of Heaven is fully enjoyed that the Saints hope for there is an end of Hope in reference to the same things the affection of Hope ceaseth not until the good that is desired and hoped for be obtained and made present but that good thing being had and attained unto then the affection of Hope ceaseth for what we have and enjoy we hope not for Visibile non est objectum Spei Rom. 8.24 25. Therefore saith August Hope is a Child of Faith by which man hopeth from him whom he knoweth for that which yet he hath not Now when the good that we hoped for is obtained Hope doth end and cease Yet notwithstanding although Faith Hope and Patience shall cease in respect of their objects yet they are eternal in respect of their fruits Heb. 6.12 The Apostle stirring up the Hebrews to walk after the examples of those that are now in glory speaks thus Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience have inherited the promises Those things that heretofore were not seen by them but by an eye of Faith they are now in full possession of they do inherit the promises on the other side they have no more sufferings to endure therefore there is no more use of patience but the fruit of those graces which they sought for that they now inherit and enjoy S. Paul tells
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