Participation and Fruition of that which is called the Felicitating Good the best Good I did not say an adequate Good for that strictly taken does sometimes denote that which does but just correspond to the thing But O! the Happiness the Blessedness of the Soul that is interested in this God and this Christ There shall be more than he can receive more than enough for him a fulness for all the rest of the Heavenly Society Fourthly The last thing I shall mention as Consequent upon and perhaps Constitutive of this Blessedness is a full Contentation a Complacential Repose of Soul in the Delights which arise from all this to a Holy Soul My Friends when the Soul hath a View of God of his Holiness Purity and Goodness that doth enamour it that doth draw out and enlarge the Affections towards him when this Soul is grown up hereby unto a resemblance of God and perfected Participation of him can it choose but have Rest and Repose in him The School-men are puzzled for a Notion of this Rest this satisfying Repose as I understand it here they can get no higher than an Acquiescence or Resting of the Appetite in the appitible thing and such a pleasedness in its Portion that it will look no where else for another a better O my Friends the Blessedness of this state which our Lord is gone to prepare for us and which they are received into that dye in him hath all this and a great deal more than this that might be expressed and yet at last our highest Expressions nay our most refined Conceptions are at a loss in this Paul that was there was not able to utter what this Blessedness was which some translate not fit not lawful to be spoken and 2 Cor. 12. 4. others not possible to be spoken to us in our imperfect state it doth not appear yet what we shall be No not to inspired Men but we shall be like him resembling God and Christ in their imitable Perfections Wicked Men are so Foolish that though they walk after the Inclinations of their own Hearts they think they may go well enough to Heaven but it is far otherwise If these Men were not Fools to themselves they would think it so but it is otherwise Philosophically speaking since there is no proper suitableness between the Faculty and Object which can only yield Pleasure between God and Men and so there is no Capacity in them for this Blessedness Though I have spoken to the Name and Thing which we call Blessedness as it does cannote an Abolition of all Evil Natural and Moral and of that satisfying Repose or Felicity in its several Ingredients which either constitute or at least result from the Fruition of this Blessedness 2. Let us a little consider the Determination or Limitation of it the Word we translate From henceforth from the different Position of it in various Copies hath caused a considerable Variation in the Sence Those that make it the last Word of the first Clause with our own Translation Blessed are the Dead that dye in the Lord from henceforth would have them Blessed from the Time and Season of their Death Others that make it the first Word of the next Clause From henceforth that they may rest from their Labours and their Works follow them would have them blessed from the Sufferings they endured The Traceing this in all its Niceties is not to be entred upon before this Assembly and it would signifie little if I may bring it which way soever taken to much the same Sence The Word Henceforth may refer to the Calamities and Persecutions under which they were or it may relate to the Death of those that dye in the Lord and why not to both and if it were reckoned to the latter it will still I conceive come to the same thing That they may cease from their Labours and their Works do follow them from henceforth from the time of their Departure that are in Jesus not to exclude the other they are blessed in him Next that they are so blessed the Spirit of God hath given two Evidences which I left for Reasons of the Proposition they are blessed and cannot but be blessed when they dye in Jesus For First They Cease from their Labours The Translation seems perplext That they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them It looks not at first view very like a Reason But if we may take the Greek Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text which we Translate That they may for a Conjunction Causal as Grammarians and Lexographers allow us to do in other Cases and Translate it Because both Clauses run smooth as Reasons of the Doctrine They are blessed because they do or may rest and because their Works do follow them Man that is born of a Woman is of Job 14. 1. very short Continuance of few days and full of trouble They often have sighing sobbing Hearts grieved Souls this is a sighing sobbing troublesome World and they have it from within from rebelling Passions they feel it is Labour and Sorrow to grapple with these What from Afflictions and what from Sin it 's all Labour and Sorrow Now for a Man that is deeply afflicted by these Calamities whether of Sin or Afflictions it 's a comfortable thing for the weary to be at Rest Come Souls take Courage remember that though you walk with many a sorrowful Heart after your Lord groaning under an Evil Nature of your own and the Evil Influence it hath upon you your Devotions to God and Conversation with Men yet you shall be blessed when you dye in the Lord all this shall be done away at once Secondly Their Works do follow Acts 10. 4. them Indeed they go also Before them but I say their Works do follow them not barely to be their Continued Imployment there though that may be true the Change of their Place will make but a Gradual Change of the most Noble Part of their Imployment here they shall Love and Praise God there as they did here but at a more Easie Elevated Rate They must needs be blessed upon that account the Nature of this Blessedness as far as we can pry into it tells you that they cannot but be happy Men that see that love and enjoy God and rise to such a satisfaction of Mind therein that they want no more than what they have they drink of such Rivers of Pleasure that they are satisfied with them There is somewhat Emphatical in the Text Their Works do follow them their Works shall follow with them as the Original is more strictly rendred A Metaphor taken from People that are crouding in at some Narrow Passage they that are coming after press and croud in with them there is a kind of Struggle among them O the Works of Humanity Charity and Piety which they have exercised themselves in shall follow them they shall croud in with them Neither bring I it so
low as the Learned Grotius does that their Good Works Nay add the Influences they shall have on others shall follow them be notify'd to them with Sweetness and Joy in the Reflection upon them I say though this be true it is not all because I find Holy Men shall have a Recompence according to what they have done Christ hath told us He that giveth a Cup of cold Water in his Name shall not lose his Reward O holy Soul I tell thee to thy Comfort that many of those Works of Piety and Charity that have made thee to abhor thy self for the Meanness and Imperfection of them where the allowed Hypocrisie of thy Heart spoiled them not these shall be set in an acceptable View And therefore that Soul must needs be blessed that hath been doing and getting Good in this imperfect state and now shall be crown'd with a Recompence according to what it hath done tho' not for it in a Meritorious Sence And then shall you discern the difference between him that is righteous and him that is wicked him that serves God and him that serves him not Maâ— 3. â—â— And thus much for Explication To show what it is to Dye in the Lord for him or interested in him what you are to understand by Blessed both as to Name and Thing and for Confirmation shewing what Reasons and Evidences there are in the Text that such shall be so blessed and must needs be so Time calls me to the Application Is it so my Friends Come Stâ—â— up your Thoughts a little Is it 〈◊〉 that They are blessed that dye in thâ— Lord That the dead that dye in thâ— Lord as well as those that dye foâ— the Lord are blessed from henceforth Blessed in the Removal of all Evâ—â— in the Enjoyment of all such Goodâ— Felicitating Good such a Good in sucâ— a manner that is beyond Expressionâ— beyond Conception and full of Glory Is this that which belongs to everâ— one that dyes in Jesus that they reâ—â— from their Labours and their Workâ— do follow them How Easie and Natural would the Application of it bâ— to our Deceased Friend a Person 〈◊〉 that Excellent Spirit one that wâ—â— so early in Christ a young Disciple one that walked so closely with Christâ— in the Course of a Useful and Wellâ— ordered Conversation one that diâ— drive on Designs for live to him as well as in and upon him and one that took so much care with so good Effect to clear up her Evidences and Title to him in whom she lived and in whom she hoped to dye But how Natural and Easie soever this might be I must restrain my self wholly in it since if I should speak but what I know I should militate against the settled Opinion of the Dead declared to me and often to others against Elegies and Funeral Encomiums as things that seldom do good but often harm and against the Desires and especial Directions of the Living which I have a just Deference for who know her Works praise her in the Gates and know she 's above our Praises and also in some Degrees against my own Sentiments and Ordinary Practice as you know and therefore being herein restrained let 's try if we can make any other Improvement of it if not to the Honour of the Dead yet to the Advantage of the Living And pray let not any of you thaâ— stand so uneasily here have cause to say when you go away Well I have got no good by this Providence by this Sermon I have heard the Funeral Sermon of a very Useful Person a good Woman who lived desired and dyed greatly lamented but I am never the better for it I know here is one thing wanting that we cannot have in our Assemblies that is very affecting to many the sight of the Deceased's Hearse and that we do not follow them to the Grave and see them laid in the silent Dust and left there which often begets very serious Thoughts how certainly we must shortly follow after them and be used as they are used And tho' these Thoughts wear off too soon with the most yet they have some Influence for the time and give the Word deeper Impressions on the Hearts of Careless Professors However under all the Disadvantages we labour let you and I joyn let 's do our Parts ot make some good use of this Useful Doctrine and this Doleful Providence First By way of Information Secondly By way of Exhortation Thirdly By way of Consolation As Time will permit First Then is it so that They who dye in the Lord are blessed do rest from their Labours and have their Works thus following of them First See here a High Demonstration of the Divine Good-will to such Souls It was an amazing Kindness God should employ his infinite Wisdom in Contriving a way to raise up fallen Man to himself by Jesus Christ to fit and succeed Means of Grace to bring them into Christ to make them meet for his Blessedness Oh! but what was it to admit them into it fully and satisfyingly to possess them of it and that too when Death had done its worst What Dye and yet be blessed this had need be told from Heaven that it might gain Credit What to Rest from their Labours and receive Recompence of their imperfect Works who cannot read Matchless Love in all this and who that lays it to Heart can choose but adore it and study to make Returns for it Canst thou repent of any thing thou hast done and suffered for him that hath so loved thee Canst thou think any thing too hard too Self-denying he puts thee upon who will treat thee thus Some of thy Work is now thy Wages but who can tell what thy Reward shall be when fully possest Oh! the Kindness this springs from Oh what manner of Love is this Labour to love as thou art loved Secondly See here a Demonstration of the Wisdom of these Holy Souls that live in Christ that live to him that they may dye in him and be blessed by him Let the foolish World that makes light of Christ that prefers present perishing Trifles to a Saving Union to him and Interest in him put the Brand of Fools and Fanaticks upon them for making so much adoe about these Matters yet these Men shall shortly see and say your way was not your Folly but Wisdom was with you tho' they themselves had played the Fool and shall have Cause and Leisure to tear and torment themselves for ever for this their Folly Nay Madness of Folly in neglecting this Blessedness and abandoning the way to it Lift up thy Head O thou Revil'd Soul that which these Men call thy Folly shall be found by God and Men by bad as well as good Men to be thy truest Wisdom that on which thou mayest justly value thy self under all the Contempt they pour upon thee Abide by thy Wisdom tho' Fools call it Folly better be called a Fool than be one to
from it sufficient to fill and satisfie the Soul much less determine with them the way and manner in which either is done lest by taking upon me to be wise above what is revealed I talk as foolishly as they about these Matters which are above our Reach We shall as the Apostle says See him as he is not in 1 Cor. 13. 14. 1 Joh. 3. 2. the highest sense of that Phrase in an adequate comprehending way which is absolutely imcompatible to a Finite tho' Glorify'd Nature The Creature must be God or he cannot so see him it may be enough or Modest Minds guided by the sure Duct of plain Revelation to say it â—hall be a Glory that excelleth as the 2 Cor. 3. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostle assures us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory What â—n Heap of Emphatical and Hyperâ—olical Words are amast together to give but an Umbrage of so great a 1 Pet. 1. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessedness so bright a Glory an Excellent Magnificent Glory but it is yet to be revealed It is not it cannot be fully revealed 'till enjoyed we know not yet what it or we shall be but we shall be like him have a Blessed Resemblance of him share in Joy with him and who can wish for better than the Joy of his Lord which he enjoys and hath prepared for us to enjoy that we shall enter into tho' 1 Joh. 3. 2. it cannot fully enter into us Paul that saw it could not fully discover it to such Mortals as our selves Christians you that have had any of the Views Relishes and Fore-tastes of Heaven in Ordinances you can tell that when your Hearts have been drawing nigh to God humbled and debased before him lifted up to him drawn out after him you have receiv'd such Notices of the Goodness Mercy and Kindness of God to your Souls that it hath been highly pleasing to you hath it noâ— been a Grief to you that you have seen no more of it that you so sooâ— lose the the sight of it that you cannot keep up this delightful frame from Ordinance to Ordinance where you desire and design to converse with God This that is the Object of the Beatifick Vision is that which when displayed upon the Soul agreeably to the Excellency of the Object and Subject renders the Soul happy that enjoys it Secondly It carries with it a Dilection or Love to so amiable an Object as the Blessed God and the Holy Jesus not to mention our Holy Friends there which cannot but leave delightful Relishes upon the Holy Soul and the more thou knowest of thy God the more thou lovest him and if thou complain of an Heart straitned in thy Love to God I will tell thee that thy Faith doth not deal well with thee that it does not give thee plainer Views of this God for if thou didst know him better thou wouldst love him better When thou gettest any of this in his Ordinances dost thou not find thy Heart charmed with him To set this in a clearer Light this Love Amor est â—â—mplacentia boni dilectio addit rationis dilectum as Moralists speak imports a Complaisance of the Person loving in the Beloved the Genuine Properties and Effects of this Love are reckoned to be 1. Assimulating of the Lover to the Object beloved Every Lover feels a bent of Heart to conform himself to the Mind and Pleasure of his Beloved 2. A Vnion of the Lover to the beloved Object be it who or what 〈◊〉 will Love formally taken is a kinâ— of Union of the Lover with the Beloved and causeth the Lover to desire as much as may be to be onâ— with the Beloved which causeth 〈◊〉 perpetual Desire of its presence with it 3. An Inhesion or Adhesion of the Lover in or to the Beloved It will not be parted from it without an uneasie Violence he thinks of thirstâ— after and lays up his Heart with it so that the Lover's Heart dwells in the Beloved is taken up there more than at Home According to thaâ— Saying which derives from the Wisdom of Plato That this Soul is as it were dead to its own Body and lives in another agreeable to that other Observation It 's more where it loves ' than where it lives And what is true of Love in General is easily applicable to this Divine Love this Love of God For where all that is lovely is found by the Holy Prepared Soul in God this best Good it cannot but love and take Complacency in him delight to please him be most strictly united to and be one with him would not be parted from him and how great a Portion of Blessedness doth this administer to the Soul that hath in all this its Heart's Desire Oh! Fervent Lover it shall be as thou would'st have it in all this and more thou canst not wish Thirdly There is also resulting from all this A Participation of this Felicitating Object For Vision is not without this Participation to use the Words of an Excellent-Person He that Mr. How on Blessedness beholds partakes what is represented is impressed Thou dost not only see somewhat of God now and love him a little now but in doing so thou canst find that there are some abiding Impressions of God upon thy Heart some of his Divine Likeness renew'd upon thy Soul and how much better will it be there where thou shalt see him more clearly and love him more fervently and enjoy him more perfectly Sin is the Disease of the Soul and it can never be recovered to any tolerable degree of Health Ease or Comfort 'till the Likeness of God is recover'd upon it Therefore this is that which Ordinances are designed for here thou shouldst attend Ordinances to this Holy and Divine End that thou may'st carry away Impressions upon thy Heart of a God-like Temper of Mind a God-like Disposition to love as God loves and hate as God hates and be in all things like minded to him O this is that that is the true End of them but when thou dyest in the Lord thou shalt have such a Participation of God such Divine Impresses from God that shall clear thee of all those Infirmities and Diseases that Sin hath infected thee with then thou shalt have nothing to do but to delight thy self in the Lord thy God and this shall be thy unwearied endless Pleasure Well Soul is it not worth while to part with thy dearest Lusts for this Christ seeing if thou wilt get into and dye in him thou shalt be admitted to share with him in a fuller Participation of him and receive the Benefits purchased by him Remember thou canst not be happy without Participation of this Likeness and Love of God but in this thou mayest As this Blessedness does import a Separation from Evil and Knowledge of Love to
must render it I must do it as I can because I can do it no better Viz. Oh the Blessednesses of that Man not Blessed Adjectively and in the Concrete but Blessednesses Substantively and in the Abstract not Blessedness in the Singular Number but Blessednesses in the Plural and O the Blessednesses A compleat Complication of them in that Soul that lives in Christ walks in him and dyes in him and though Philologers are not certainly agreed Whether it be a Noun Substantive or Adjective Plural containing all kind of Felicity or an Adverb or Interjection Well is it for that Man Happily is he Provided for Yet they seem agreed that which soever it be and one they generally think it must be it hath the force Habet affluentiam omnium bonorum vel omnium bonorum aggregatione perfectus Modis omnibus accumulate beatus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multum gaudens Others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à vehementiore gaudio of a Pathetick Joyful Acclamation and then they come much to one as the Learned Drusius hath it He is abundantly and every way blessed beyond Expression I have the rather Noted this because the Seventy Translate the Hebrew Word which we render Blessed by the very Original Word in my Text which Philologers derive from Words importing Great Joy Joy unspeakable and as I may say full of Glory It does denote that a Soul in Christ when he dyes shall have such a Blessedness and Joy such a fulness of Joy and Pleasure that he shall neither want nor wish for more But not to stay upon the Name which was to lead us into the Thing Let us see what we can say of it And O! how gladly would I commend the Blessedness of this State to you that I might commend this Dear and Blessed Jesus to you Verily Sirs you could never set so light by this Jesus as you do if you did but know the Worth of him if you knew your Need of him and what you should have by him If I fail in this I shall avail you little The dead that dye in the Lord are blessed Which does denote First A Separation a Removal of all that is Evil and Distressing There shall when thou dyest in the Lord be a Separation from all Evils Natural and Moral that are so great a part of thy Distress here Every one feels the Evil of Afflictions every one can complain of this Plague of the Heart every one hath his own Body of Sin and his own Burthen I do not know any is without one you do not feel mine nor I yours but I feel one and you another Oh! what a Complaining World is this Sickness Pain Calamity Losses of Relations Crosses on the one Hand and Moral Evil which is the greater Evil on the other Hand the Evil of Sin Dwelling and Working in us The Tender-hearted Soul that hath a new Nature in it that is set against Sin hath a very tender Sense of the Evil of that Sin that dwells in it and is an implacable Enemy to it I am sure it made Paul pour out more Complaints than all his Stripes and Stoning Irons and Imprisonment did Where do you hear him complain how adverse how miserable soever his Case was as he does on this Occasion O wretched man that I Rom. 7. 24. am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Sin fate uneasie upon his Spirit tho' it was not Reigning and Allowed but Unallowed and Hated Well Soul bear up if thou be but heartily come to Jesus if thou art but one of those that are willing to follow this Lamb whithersoever he goes I can tell thee Good Tydings of Great Joy it cannot be long e're thy Blessed Jesus will deliver thee from all this thy Anguish Vexation and Miseries shall all be done away All thy Sweat thy Labours shall cease all Tears be wiped from thine Eyes and all Sorrows done away with the Causes of them and though thou art now conversant with a Sluggish and Sleepy and Hypocritical Heart thou knowest not what to do with it thou bringest it to Ordinances and God in them to better it and this without any great and good Effect hitherto Bear up Soul this Holy Jesus hath undertaken for thee thou art in him and thou shalt dye in him from henceforth thou shalt not feel the Temptations the sinful Workings of a Naughty Heart Oh! that will be a Joyful Change to a Holy Soul that is under the Tender Sence of these things here This is one part of the Blessedness as it denotes an Abolition of and Separation from the Evils of this Life both Natural and Moral from that of Affliction and that of Sin which tho' it be rather Negative than Positive yet it is that without which positive Blessedness cann't be enjoyed None can be fully happy with so much Misery hanging about him and pressing upon him Methinks therefore it should be Joy to Holy Souls to wait for and expect such a day when Sin and Sorrow shall be fully done away and shall be known no more for ever Secondly I must tell you it does denote A fruition of the most felicitating Good the best Good that the Soul is capable of the Blessed God that Summum Bonum that the blind Heathens fought after so long to so little purpose Eustachius in his Excellent Ethicks and our other Masters in Ethicks when they write of this tell us that Felicity or Blessedness is either Objective or Formal Objective Felicity denotes no more but God the Object but Formal Felicity denotes more Some kind of Union to Communion with and Injoyment of this Felicitating Object and this is as it were to be made one with it They commonly place it in two things give me leave to put it in three or four 1. It lyes in the Contemplation of this delightful Object 2. In a Delightful Love of it 3. In a Participation or Enjoyment of it 4. In a Contentation in it When the Soul shall be let into this State it will be a State of Possession and Fruition which as far as I can understand is imported in these four Words First Knowledge or Contemplation The People of God shall know him in another manner than now they do It is called Seeing of God and the Beatifick Vision What sensible Views God will give them to gratifie their Bodily Eyes when they are re-united to their Souls we cannot tell tho' it seems rational to think all our Powers even the lowest of them shall be suitably employed but it will be an intelligible or an intellectual Vision a rational Discovery of the Excellency of this God and his Christ which gives Rise to this Happiness which the Spirits made perfect shall be everlastingly employ'd to view and contemplate with intense and pleasurable Applications of Mind I dare not herd with those bold Presumers that dare to determine whether it be the Divine Essence that is thus view'd immediately or some Created Glory flowing