die they shall rest from their labours and their works shall follow them therefore they are and must needs be thenceforth blessed Yea that I may descend to and instance in a few particulars here such as die in the Lord must needs be truly though not compleatly blessed and happy immediately after death for they shall then be blessed with perfection in respâ—ct of their S uls with the comfortaâ—le sociâ—ty of the blessed Angels and Souls of just men made perfect and which is more still than all these with a clearer more immediate and never more to be interrupted enjoyment of God and Christ 1. Such as die in the Lord will be immediately after death blessed with perfection in respect of their own Souls their Souls shall be then no longer clog'd down with their bodies But shall be elevated and exalted to their just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the highest pitch of perfection that they are in their separated Estate capable of and that in all the powers and faculties of them as to instance and but to instance in them 1. Their understandings shall be then extraordinarily enlarged and enlightned to see into those mysteries of nature and divinity which are now hid from them Now I see saith the Apostle through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know but in part but then I shall know even as also I am known 1 Cor. 13.12 The good mans understanding shall then be nevermore deceived or mistaken shall never more be troubled with misconceivings or misapprehensions all those mists of ignorance and errour which do now so much cloud his mind shalâ— then be scattered and blown over all those groundless fears and scruples which by reason of the weakness of our understandings and the imperfection of our knowledge do now so rack and gravel tender hearts shall then be laid aside for ever abandoned all those laborious studies controverted problems and polemical disputes which do now steal away so much of our time all to so litle purpose shall then have their final decision and full determination and the meanest understanding of them that are dead in the Lord shall then probably be able to confute the now ignorant sentiments of the learnedest Scholars And as their understandings so 2. Their wills shall be then Perfected with a perfect and indefective Holiness with an exact conformity to the divine will and with a perfect freedom from all servitude to sin they shall then be no more troubled with doubtful choise but with a perfect freedom shall steadily embrace the chiefest good and shall find it too as easie to do good as to will and desire it as one expresseth it And as their wills so 3. Their affections too shall be then all composed and placed aright and that too by an unalterable regularity in which too they shall receive the greatest content and satisfaction All those furious waves which do now many times rage in Mens hearts by reason of the turbulency of their passions and affections and do make them too too often like the Seas to foam forth their own shame shall then be reduced to an Everlasting calm Ye all those peevish passions and brutish affections which do now so often dethrone Judgment Conscience in Mens hearts and set the whole world as it were on a sire shall then be for ever cashiered and abandoned And we shall love fear desire delight and rejoyce in nothing but what is good And as their affections so 4. Their memories also shall not then be idle or useless but they shall perfectly remember the miseries that they were in the rock and shelves the dangers that they have escaped as likewise the mercies and good things which they met with here on Earth and all to inhance and heighten the worth of their Happiness and present enjoyments in Heaven Thus 1. Such as die in the Lord are immediately after Death blessed for they shall then be blessed with all that perfection which the nature of the Soul will admit of in its separate Estate 2. They are Blessed for they shall then be blessed too with the happy Society of the blessed Angels and of the Souls of just Men made perfect ye are come saith the Apostle Heb. 12.22 23. speaking indeed of the members of his militant Church in the dayes of the Gospel upon Earth and therefore it s much truer of the members of his Triumphant Church in Heaven unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem aâ—d to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the nâ—w Covenant 1. Then such as die in the Lord shall after their death be immediately blessed with the Society of the blessed Angels ye are come to an innumerable company of Angels and how sweet and comfortable how pleasing and taking their Society is the Saints in Heaven can only tell us but doubtless it is very lovely and amiable they being all creatures of such a noble Extract and of such an Heavenly make as they are 2. They shall then be blessed as with the Society of the Blessed Angels so with the Society of the Spirits of just Men made perfect as the Apostle tells us in the place fore-quoted this tends not a little to the making up of their Happiness The of God are Excellent persons even whiles they are here upon Earth The righteous saith Solomon is more Excellent than his Neighbour Prov. 12.26 And my delight saith David is in the Saints those Excellent ones upon Earth Ps 16.3 Their company even in this life is very taking and pleasing notwithstanding that by reason of that Body of Death which they carry about with them here they are even loaded with many imperfections which may and do breed sometimes real grounds of distaste to those that converse with them But O how excellent are they in Heaven How pleasant and taking will their company be there when they shall be disburdened of all these when they shall be made perfect as then they will be And shall all joyn together with one heart and with one voice to Offer up Everlasting Halelujahs to God and to the Lamb that hath reâ—â—emed them as we are told they shaâ—l and will Revel 19.1 2 3 4. But then 3. And lastly which is still more than all this the Dead that die in the Lord are immediately after their death though not compleatly yet truly blessed because they then shall be blessed with the blisful fruition of God and Christ they shall come then as to thâ— Spirits of just Men made perfect so to God tâ—e judge of all and to Jâ—sus the Mediator of the new Covenant as the Apostle assureth us in that place so often mentioned Heb. 12.22 23 24. According also to that of our Saviour to the penitent
blessed for straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to everlasting life and few there be that find it as our Saviour tells us few alas in comparison of those that miss of it but that such of those dead are happy or blessed that die in the Lord which is the second thing to be opened viz. what it is to die in the Lord And there is some variety amongst Expositors about the interpretation of this phrase Some there are that tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put here for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that to die in the Lord in this place is to die propter Dominum or Domini causa for the Lord or in the Lords cause in defence of his Truth against Antichrist as the Holy Martyrs did and they quote several parallel places of Scriptures where the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Lord is to be so taken to confirm what they say as Rom. 16.12 and Ephes 4.1 and do moreover alledge the context and the occasion of these words for this sence of them Others there are that take these words in their proper sence as not confined to the martyrs only to such as die for the cause of Christ and do seal his Truth with their Blood but as belonging to all that die in the faith and fear of the Lord and so to die in the Lord with them is to die in his faith and fear in his love and favour as all good men do and they do quote also several places of Scripture to confirm this sence of theirs where this phraze is so used as Rom. 16.7 salute Andronicus and Junia which were in the Lord before me saith St. Paul that is which were believers which were in the faith before him 1 Thes 4.14 If we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus i. e. which die in Jesus will God bring with him and to mention no more places to this purpose see Ver 16. of the same Chap. The Lord himsâ—lf saith the Apostle shall descend from Heaven with a shout wiâ—h the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first the dead in Christ i. e. those that die in the faith of Christ as all true believers do interested in him in his love and favour The words in my Text may be taken I humbly conceive in both these Senses and though possibly the first sense given of them may be primarily intended in it yet the second is in no sort to be excluded for though the Martyrs and such as die for the truth and cause of Christ may have the greatest share in this blessedness as being most capacitated for it and most deserving of it yet such as die in the faith and fear of Christ as all good men do are blessed as well as they and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab hoc tempore henceforth as we render the Original which brings me to the second thing observable in my first general viz. 2. The circumstance of time whence this blessedness doth in a more especial manner commence comprized in this word henceforth Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord henceforth Not but that the dead that died in the Lord were blessed before this time alwaies blessed and that too from the very first moment of their dying whatever the Papists talk to the contrary in defence of their Purgatory and Limbus Patrum but that they were so now in an especial manner when this Book I mean of the Revelations was written in that they would by this means be as it were housed and secured from that severe storm of persecution which then hung over the Church of Christ and which was to be raised by the Beast and Antichrist against the saints and servants of God but so much shall suffice for the explication of the first thing observable in my Text the Assertion here laid down touching the happy estate and condition of such as die in the Lord in these words of it blessed are the dead that die in the Lord henceforth I come now to the Second general viz. 2. To the Confirmation of this Assertion in the remainder of my Text and we have it confirmed to us Three wayes 1. By a voice from Heaven I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the Dead c. 2. By the Testimony of the Holy Spirit upon the earth Yea saith the Spirit 3. By the reason of the thing or the ends that are given here why good men die That they may rest from their Labours and that their Works may follow them 1. Then we have this assertion here confirmed by a voice from Heaven I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me write Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord henceforth We read in the Scriptures of several Voices that have been heard from Heaven to confirm us in the Principles of our Religion and in the Articles of our Creed The voice heard from Heaven by St. John in my Text was to Confirm him and us in the last Article of our Creed touching the Happiness of the dead and the glorious estate of the triumphant Church in the life to come and what greater confirmation can we desire to establish us in any truth than a voice from Heaven since a voice from Heaven tells us that the dead that die in the Lord are blessed we have no reason in the world to doubt of it For who can know who are in Heaven and what is the estate and condition of those that are there better than those that are in Heaven or have come from thence as this voice did we have no better way to know what is done in China or in the East-indies or how happy the Inhabitants of those Countreys are Than by talking with one that hath been in those parts or is come from thence we have no better way to know what is done in Heaven and how happy they are that are got thither than by talking with and hearing of those that live there or have come from thence and therfore I say since the blessedness of those that die in the Lord hath been confirmed to us by a voice from Heaven we have all the reason in the world to believe it But then 2. We have this truth confirmed to us as by a voice from heaven so also by the testimony of the holy spirit upon earth I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord henceforth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea saith the Spirit viz. the Divine Spirit or the Holy Ghost as the word Spirit doth often import in this Book and in other Books of the sacred Scriptures as if the voice or he that uttered the voice had said to St. John 't is not only I who am but possibly an Angel a fellow-creature of thine a bare messenger sent from Heaven to
that look out at the Windows are darkned in a fourth the Dâ—ughters â—f Musick are brought down Physâ—cians tell us of hundreds of diseases at leasâ— that are thus Incident to Mans Body and by reason of these he spends his Days many times in Pain and his Nights in Sorrow But here is the comfort of good Men death will be a remedy against them all It will deliver them or set them at rest from them all there shall be saith St. Joâ—n Speaking of the New Jerusalem no more Death nor any more Pain Râ—vel 21.4 As the Blind Martyr told the Lame when they met at the Stake yâ—â— may throw away your Crutches now if you please Dâ—â—th will â—uâ—e us both you of your Lameness and me of my Blindness The great Physician of Souls the Lord Jesus Christ will by Death cure all the Diseases and remove all pains from good Mens Bodies And consequentially they shall then be at rest from all sufferings with respect to the Body 2. They shall be at rest too then from all sufferings with respect to the Soul Many and Sore are the sorrows and troubles of a Christian in this Life in this respect also Sometimes the Afflictions of the good set him on weeping By the Rivers of Babylon we sate down and Wept when we remembred Zion Ps 137.1 viz. The Afflictions and Desolations of Zion and of Gods People that had once lived there Sometimes the Transgressions of the wicked fetch tears from his Eyes Rivers of Waters run down my Cheeks Saith David because wicked Men keep not thy Laws Ps 119.136 Sometimes the Sense of his own corruptions stabs him as it were at the very Heart When they heard this they were pricked in their Heart And said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and Brâ—thâ—ren what shall we do Acts 2.37 And O Wrâ—tched Man that I am cries St. Paul who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Rom. 7.24 Sometimes God hides his Face and he is troubled thou hidest thy face and I am troubled Ps 30.7 And Tears have been my Meat Day and Night whiles they continually say unto me where is thy God saith he Ps 42.3 Thus the Christians whole Life here many times is as it were a field of Sorrows but now Death will set him at rest from them all It will be the Funeral of all his sorrows and the resurrection of all his joys The Day of Death is the good Man's Marriage-day and at that Marriage day of his Christ will turn again as one Expresseth it all his Water into Wine all his Sighing into Singing all his Mourning into Mirth Then indeed shall the ransomed of the Lord return and come to the Heavenly Zion with Songs and Everlasting Joy upon their Heads They shall obtain Joy and Gladness and all Sorrow and Sighing-shall flee away that I may Allude to and Conclude this particular in the Prophets words Isa 35.6 But that is the first reason that is given in my Text why the dead that dye in the Lord are Blessed Because they dye that they may rest from their Labours And that both in respect of all further sinning and all further suffering I come now to the second that is here given us why they are Blessed and that is 2. Because their works shall follow them their works i. e. the good fruits and good eâ—fects of their works or rather the reward of them the great reward that God will then give them though not for yet according to their good works and this is and will be indeed very great so great as that no mortal can declare the greatness of it for Eye hath nâ—t seen nor ear heard neither did it ever yet enter into the heart of man to conceive what great thinâ—s God hath prepared for them that love him As the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 2.9 The Eye of man hath seen wonderful things in nature and the Ear possiâ—ly hath heard of more and as for the heart or mind of man what almost can't that conceive And yet it can no way conceive the greatness of the glory which God hath prepared and laid up in the other world for those that love and fear him in this and yet that hath been and will be still done by all that have love shall die in the Lord therefore all that die in him are and shall be blessed 'T is true indeed this blessedness that I may prevent all mistakes will not 1. Be given out to all alike as there are different degrees of grace upon Earth so there will be different degrees of glory in Heaven There is oâ—e glory of the Sun another glory of the Mâ—on another glory of the Stars for one Star differs from anotâ—er in â—lâ—ry i. e. shines more gloriously than another so also shall it be saith he in the resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15.41 42. And they that be wise saith Daniel speaking of the same thing shall shine as the fiâ—mament and they that turn many unto righteâ—usnâ—ss as the Stars for ever and ev r Dan. 1â— 3 Now there are we know different degrees betwixt the light of the firmament and the light of the Stâ—rs and so there will be betwixt the glory of one Saint and the glory of another in the future life 'T is true indeed all good Men when once got to Heaven shall have glory enough He that hath the least glory there shall have enough to make him unspeakably and unconceivably happy every Vessel of glory shall be full but some shall have more of it thâ—n others as being more capacitated to receive it God will then and there reward every mâ—n accordâ—ng to his wâ—rks as the Scriptures do abundantly assure us Now look as there are diversities of gifts and graces amongst Gods people here upon Earth so there are of works some do and suffer more for God others less and therefore some shall have more glory others less because every mans glory shall be proportionâ—ted according to his works since mens labours are different in this world their reward and glory will be different also in the world to come This happiness therefore I say will not be given out for degrees alike to all 2. Nor secondly will it be consummated or compleated to any till the last day till the general day of Judgment when their bodies shall rise again be reunited to their Souls though good men such as die in the Lord are immediately admitted to happiness after their death yet not to all that happiness that God intends hath designed for them in the other world this is indeed reserved for that great and general day of Judgment so often mentiâ—ned in the Holy Scriptures when Christ to whom the Judgment of the world is committed shall come in the glory of his Father with his Holy Angels to render to every man fully according to his works as you have it Mat. 16 27. But in the interim and as soon as they
Thief Luke 23.43 This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And that of the Apostle to mention now no more in the fifth Chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians from the first to the tenth ver Yea they shall be blessed then with a clearer more immediate and never-more to be interrupted enjoyment of them 1. They shall then be blessed with a clearer and more immediate enjoyment of them here they see God at best 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle phrazeth it 1 Cor. 13.12 Through a Glass as it were in a riddle as the Original primarily imports darkly as our Translators have rendred it but then we shall see him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 face to face Now they know him but in part but then they shall know him even as they are known They shall see him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is as St. John phrazeth it 1 Joh. 3 2. Here the Saints enjoy God indeed but 't is darkly and mediately through the conduits and cisterns of his Ordinances They are in a state of imperfection and so do need the assistance of his Ordinances to help them to a sight of God But when that which is perfect is come as it will be in good measure as you have heard to them that die in the Lord then that which is thus in part shall be done away as the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 13.10 The Sun shall no more be our light then by day nor the Moon our light by night but the Lord God himsâ—lf shall be our Everlasting light and our glory as the Prophet prazeth it Isa 60.19 And as they shall then be blessed with a clearer and more immediate enjoyment of God and Christ So 2. With an uninterrupted Enjoyment of them Whilst we are present in the body saith the Apostle we are aâ—sent from the Lâ—rd We are so be sure many times we enjoy him but by sits and starts we meet with many Interruptions in our Enjoyments of him Now we have him and anon we lose him sometimes we meet with him at an Ordinance and at another time we are forced to go away without him suavis hora brevis mora as one of the Fathers saith a sweet Hour indeed it is but 't is usually but a short one but then we shall enjoy him without any Interruption or Cessation at all We shall ever be with the Lord as the Apostle tells us 1 Thes 4.17 His tabernacle shall then be indeed placed amongst his people and he will remove it no more According to his Promise Rev. 21.7 They shall be before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell amongst them they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sun light on them nor any heat for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters as St. John assureth us Rev. 7.15 16 17. Now Si mediata momentanea Dei visio tantum potuit apportare laetitiae cumulum quantum potuit immediata aeterna saith one If those Beams of Comfort which are reflected upon good Men here by getting now and then a glimpse of God's Countenance in this vale of Tears do so refresh and revive their Hearts as they do What will their Joy be when the Lord himself shall be their constant Sun and everlasting Light If it be so good to draw nigh unto God upon Earth as the Psalmist tells us it is Psal 73. c. if they are so blessed that watch at Wisdom's Gates and wait at the Posts of her Doors as Solomon tells us they are How good will it be then to draw near unto God in Heaven And how blessed are they that wait not at the Door but dwell in that House and that for ever And yet so shall all such as die in the Lord do and therefore they must needs be very blessed But so much shall serve for the Explication and Confirmation of of what is asserted in my Text. I come now to apply it or to inserr from it And so 1. Are the dead that die in the Lord thenceforth blessed then certainly there is another Life besides this and the Souls of Men do not die with their Bodies whatever the Atheist phansieth to the contrary for Nâ—n entis nulla sunt praedicata nullae sunt affectiones nothing can be predicated or said of that which is not But the Souls of the dead that die in the Lord are said to be thenceforth blessed and therefore they must have a Being still and there must be another Life besides this where they are so blessed 2. Then this too lets us see the great Difference betwixt the Righteous and the Wicked betwixt good Men and bad in this other Life for the one are not so happy but the other then will be as miserable 'T is true indeed in this Life many times which is too by the way a good Argument of a future Estate All things come alike to all men there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as Solomon tells us Eccles 9.2 Yea so are the Affairs of this Life ordered many times though they all lie under the dispose of a Divine Providence as that it often happens better to the Wicked than to the Righteous here at least in outward Respects there is saith Solomon A just man that perish th in his righteousness and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his days in his wickednâ—ss Eccles 7.15 Just Abel is slain whilst unrighteous Cain lives and builds Cities profane Esau stays at home and takes his Pleasure whilst pious Jacob is forced to seek his Fortune and to endure much hardship in a Foreign Land Nâ—bal a Man of Bâ—lial Feasts it like a King whilst David a Man after God's own Heart is in great wants and straits Dâ—ves the rich Fool riots it and fairs deliciously every Day whilst poor Lâ—zâ—rus the beloved of our Lord would have been glad of the Crumbs that fell from his Table Yea our Saviour himself that Holy and Just one who did no sin neither was there any guile sound at any time in his mouth is accused condemned and crucified whilst Burrabbas a notorious Murderer is spared released and set at Liberty In short so are the Affairs of this Life ordered many times as that the Unrighteous and Wicked seem here oftentimes so happy as one observes as if they were rewarded for their Impiety and the Righteous and Religious often so miserable as if they were punished for their Innocency but it will be much otherwise in the Life to come then indeed shall men return and discern betwixt the righteous and the wicked betwixt them that have served God and them that have served him not as the Prophet tells us Mal. 3.18