reigne then surely the Church of God should not be militant upon earth but triumphant But behold the honour of the Saints they shall be all Kings though I say not in this life all Christs Subjects are Kings therefore you read of 1. Their Royal â—obe Revel 6. v. 11. 2. Their Throne Revel 3 v. 21. To him that overcomes I will give him to sit upon my Fathers throne Perhaps here he had but a poor thatched house but there a Throne 3. Their Crown In this world the Saints weare a crown of Thornes but there a crown of Glory and this crown hath two Properties 1. It is Incorruptible 1 Pet. 5.4 it fades not away it doth not wither but after millions of years is as bright and flourishing as at the first dayes wearing eternity is a flower of the Saints crown 2. It is unmixed it hath no cares woven into it Kings crowns are so weighty in regard of the cares and sorrowes appendant that often they make their head ake Cyrus the Persian King was wont to say Did men but know the cares which he sustained under an Imperiall crown he thought no man would stoop to take it up The Crown Royall though it may be made of pure gold yet it is mixt mettal but the Saints Crown in glory is without mixture it is not mingled with care of keeping or feare of losing oh then let us be willing to suffer for Christ if we beare the Crosse we shall wear the Crown A second Part of the Saints honour is they shall sit with Jesus Christ when he judgeth the world Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world The Saints shall sit with Christ in Judicature as the Justice of Peace with the Judge the Saints are Christs Assessors they shall be with him upon the Bench applauding his righteous sentence O what a glorious Tribunal will that be here the world judgeth the Saints but there the Saints shall judge the world 3. They shall sit nearer the Throne then the Angels the Angels are noble and sublime Spirits but Christ having taken our flesh the knot being tied between the Divine and Humane Nature in the Virgins womb we shall be ennobled with greater honour then the Angels the Angels are Christs friends but not his brethren we are flesh of his flesh He is not ashamed to call them brethren and surely Christ will see them of the blood royall advanced To what Angels hath Christ said Ye are my brethren This honour have all his Saints As the Saints robes in glory shal be brighter then the Angels their 's being only the righteousnesse of creatures but these having upon them the Righteousness of God So their dignity shall be greater O infinite here we are prisoners at bar but there Favourites at Court the Saints shall sit down in glory above the Angels SECT IV. The fourth Priviledge of being with Christ. THe next priviledge is Joy This joy of the Saints proceeds from Union when our union with Christ is perfect then our joy shall be full Rev. 21.4 And God shall wipe away all tears and there shall be no more sorrow 1. There shall be no weeping Jesus Christ hath provided a Spunge to wipe off the tears of the Saints Here the Spouse is in Sable it being a time of absence from her Husband But in heaven Christ will take away the Spouses mourning he will pull off all her black and bloody robes and will cloath her in white robes Revel 7.13 White as it is an Embleme of the Saints purity so it is a type of their joy heaven should not be heaven if there were weeping there hell indeed is called a place of weeping they that would not shed a teare for their sinnes while they lived shall have weeping enough but we never read of weeping in heaven Christ will take downe our harps from the Willows there he will call for his Heralds and trumpeters the Angels those blessed Quiristers shall sing the divine anthems of praise anâ— the Saints shall joyne in that heavenly Consort If it were possible that any teares could be shed when we are with Christ they should be the teares of joy as sometimes we have seene a man weepe for exessive joy Christ will turne all our water there into wine 2. There shall be no sorrow one smile from Christs face will make us forget all our afflictions sorrow is a cloud gathered in the heart upon the apprehension of some evil and weeping is the cloud of griefe dropping into raine but in heaven the Sun of righteousness shall shine so bright that there shall not be the least interposition of any cloud there shall be no sorrow there nor any thing to breed it there shall be no sin to humble heaven is such a pure soile that the Viper of sin will not breed there there shall be no Devil to tempt the old Serpent is cast out of the heavenly Paradise There shall be no Enemy to molest When Israel had conquered Canaan yet they could not get rid of all the Canaanites they would live among them But the Canaanites would dwell in that land But when we are with Christ we shall never be troubled with Canaanites more In that day I may allude to that of the Prophet there shall be no more the Canaanite dwell in the house of the Lord God will keep the heavenly Paradise with a flaming Sword that none shall come neere to hurt Upon all that glory shall be a defence There shall be nothing to breed sorrow in heaven There are two things that usually raise the clouds of sorrow and both shall be removed when we are with Christ. 1. The frownes of great men how ambitious are men of the Princes smile but alas that quickly sets in a cloud and then their comforts are in the wain they are sad but when we are with Christ we shall have a perpetual smile from God the Saints shall never be out of favour Jesus Christ is the great favorite at Court and as long as God smiles upon Christ so long he will smile upon the Saints they having on Christs beauty and being part of Christ. 2. The losse of deare friends a friend imparts secrets friendship is the marriage of affections it makes two become one spirit David and Ionathan tooke sweete counsel together their heart was knit in one now here is the grief when this precious knot must be untyed but be of good cheare if thy friend belong to the election after thou hast parted with thy sinnes thou shalt meet with him and never part If thy friend be wicked though he were thy friend on earth thou wilt cease to be his friend in heaven The pious wife shall not complaine she hath lost her husband nor the religious Parent that he hath lost his childe all relations are infinitely made up in Christ as the whole constellation in the Sunne that great Lamp of Heaven When a man comes to
would survey his blessed Estate cast your eyes upon this text which points to it as the finger to the Diall For all things are yours The text may not unfitly be compared to the Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every moneth there are many precious clusters growing out of this text and being Skilfully improved will yield much fruit In the words we have the Inventory of a Christian All things are your A strange paradox when a believer can call nothing his yet he can say all things are his I have often thought a poor Christian that lives in a prison or some old cottage is like the Usurer who though he goes poore and can hardly find himselfe bread yet hath thousands out at use So it is with a child of God as having nothing yet possessing all things What once the Philosopher said Solus sapiens dives Only the wise man is the rich man give me leave to say only the believer is the rich man here is his estate summed up All things are his Before I come to the words there is an objection must be removed If all things are ours there seems to be a community what is one mans is anothers Answ. The Apostle doth not speak here of civill Possessions Paul did not go about to destroy any mans propriety for though he saith All things are yours yet he doth not say what any man hath is yours Object But is it not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They had all things common Acts 2.44 It is true but first This was purely voluntary non fuit praeceptum sed susceptum there was no precept for it If it be objected that this was set downe as an example to imitate 1. I answer Examples in Scripture are not alwayes Argumentative The Prophet Elijah called for fire from heaven to consume the Captaines and their fifties but it doth not therefore follow that when one Christian is angry with another he may call for fire from heaven Thus the Primitive Saints out of prudence and charity had all things common it will not therefore follow that in every age and century of the Church there should be a common stock and every one have a share 2. I answer Though the Disciples had all things common yet still they held their propriety as is clear by Peters speech to Ananias Whiles it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thine own power It is true in one sense what the Primitive Church had was not their own so much as could be spared was for the reliefe of the Saints thus all things were common but still they kept a part of their estate in their owne hand There is as the Schoolmen observe duplex jus a double right to an estate a right of propriety and a right of charity The right of charity belongs to the poor but the right of propriety belongs to the owner For instance God made a law That a man must not put his sickle into his Neighbours corne We reade that the Disciples being hungry when they went through the fields on the Sabbath did pluck the ears of corne there was charity but they must not put the sickle into the corn here was propriety This I the rather speak because there are some that when God hath made an enclosure would lay all common It was Satan pulled down Iob's hedg The Lord hath set the eighth Commandment as a fence about a mans estate and he that breaks this hedg a serpent shall bite him Thus having taken that objection out of the way I come now to the Text. And it falls into three parts 1. The Inventory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things 2. The Proprietors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are yours 3. The tenure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye are Christs Which three branches will make up this one Proposition Doct. That all things in heaven and earth are the portion and prerogative of a believer A large Inventory All things we can have but all And the Apostle useth an ingemination he doubles it to take away all hesitancy and doubting from faith CHAP. II. The Arguments proving the Proposition THere are two Reasons which will serve to illustrate and confirm the Proposition All things are a beleevers 1. Because the Covenant of Grace is his The Covenant is our Great Charter by vertue of which God settles all things in heaven and earth upon us By sin we had forfeited all therefore if all things be ours the title comes in by a Covenant till then we had nothing to hold by This Covenant is the issue and birth of Gods love it is the legacy of free-grace This Covenant is enriched with mercy it is embroydered with promises you may read the Charter I will be their God And there is a parallell to it I am God even thy God This is a sufficient dowry If God be ours then all things are ours He is 1. Eminently Good One Diamond doth virtually containe many lesser pearls the excellencies in the creature are single and want their Adjuncts Learning hath not alwayes Parentage Honour hath not alwayes Vertue No Individuall can be the receptacle and continent of all perfections But those Excellencies that lie scattered in the creature are all united and concentred in God as the beams in the Sun the drops in the Ocean 2. Hee is Superlatively Good Whatever is in the creature is to be found in God after a more transcendent manner A man may be said to be wise but God is infinitely so Powerfull but God is eternally so Faithfull but God is unchangeably so Now in the Covenant of Grace God passeth himself over to us to be our God I am God even thy God This expression I am thy God imports three things 1. Pacification You shall finde grace in my sight I will cast a favourable aspect upon you I will put off my armour I will take down my Standard I will be no more an enemy 2. Donation God makes himself over to us by a deed of gift and gives away himself to us he saith to the believer as the King of Israel said to the King of Syria I am thine and all that I have This is alvearium divini mellis an hive full of divine comfort all that is in God is ours his Wisdom is ours to teach us his love is ours to pity us his Spirit is ours to comfort us his mercy is ours to save us When God saith to the soule I am thine it is enough he cannot say more 3. Duration I will be a God to thee as long as I am a God 2. Reason All things are a believers because Christ is his Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pillar and hinge upon which the Covenant of Grace turns Without Christ we had nothing to do with a Covenant The
shall see clearly whether Iezabel had more minde to keep a fast or to get Naboths Vineyard then we shall see whether Herod had more minde to worship Christ or to worry him all the secrets of mens hearts shall be laid open Me thinks it would be worth dying to see this sight We shall then see who is the Achan who the Iudas the womens paint falls off from their faces when they come neere the fire before the scorching heat of Gods justice the hypocrites paint will drop off and the Treason hid in the heart will be visible These mysteries will God reveal to us our knowledge shall be clear CHAP. XI The sixth Prerogative Royal. THE next priviledge is Our Love shall be perfect Love is the Jewell with which Christ's Bride is adorned in one sense it is more excellent then Faith for Love never ceaseth 1 Cor. 13.8 The Spouse shall put off her Jewel of Faith when she goes to heaven but she shall never put off her Jewel of Love Love shall be perfect 1. Our love to God shall be perfect The Saints love shall be joyned with Reverence for a filial disposition shall remaine but there shall be no servile feare in Heaven Horrour and trembling is proper to the damned in hell though in Heaven there shall be a reverencing fear yet a rejoycing fear we shall see that in God which will work such a delight that we cannot but love him And this love to God shall be 1. A fervent love we love him here secundùm studium there secundùm actum as the Schoolmen speak Our love to God in this life is rather a desire but in Heaven the smoak of desire shall be blown up into a flame of love we shall love God with an intensenesse of love here our love is lukewarme and sometimes frozen a childe of God weeps that he can love God no more but there is a time shortly coming when our love to God shall be fervent it shall burn as hot as it can the damned shall be in a flame of fire the elect in a flame of love 2. A fixed-love Alas how soon is our love taken off from God! other objects presenting themselves steal away our love Your goodnesse is like a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away In the morning you shall see the grasse covered with drops of dew as so many pearls but before noon all is vanished so is it with our love to God perhaps at a Sermon when our affections are stirred the heart melts in love and at a Sacrament when we see Christs blood as it were trickling downe upon the crosse some love-drops fall from the heart but within a few dayes all is vanished and we have lost our first love this is matter of humiliation while we live But O ye Saints comfort your selves in Heaven your love shall be fixed as well as fervent it shall never be taken off from God any more such beauty and excellency shall shine in God that as a divine loadstone it will be alwayes drawing our eyes and hearts after him 2. Our love to the Saints shall be perfect Love is a sweet harmony a tuning and chiming together of affections It is our duty to love the Saints 1. Though they are of bad dispositions sometimes their nature is so rugged unhewn that grace doth not cast forth such a lustre it is like a gold ring on a leprous hand or a Diamond set in iron yet if there be any thing of Christ it is our duty to love it 2. Though they in some things differ from us yet if we see Christ's image and portraiture drawn upon their hearts we are to separate the precious from the vile But alas how defective is this grace how little love is there among Gods people Herod and Pilate can agree wicked men unite when Saints divide For the divisions of England there are great thoughts of heart Contentions were never more hot love never more cold Many there are whose musick consists all in discords whose harp is the Crosse that pretend to love truth but hate peace Divisions are Satans Powder-plot to blow up Religion Sin brought forth separation and this daughter of separation hath brought forth the grand-childe of division For these things there are great searchings of heart It were not strange to hear the harlot say Let the childe be divided but to heare the mother of the child say so this is sad If Pope Cardinall Jesuite all conspire against the Church of God it were not strange but for one Saint to persecute another this is strange For a Wolfe to worry a Lamb is usuall but for a Lamb to worry a Lamb is unnatural For Christs Lily to be among the thorns is ordinary but for this Lily to become a thorne to teare and fetch blood of it self this is strange How will Christ take this at our hands Would he not have his Coat rent and will he have his Body rent Oh that I could speak here weeping Well this will be a foyl to set off heaven the more there is a time shortly coming when our love shall be perfect there shall be no difference of judgement in heaven there the Saints shall be all of a piece Though we fall out by the way and about the way we shall all agree in the journies end When once the blessed Harp of Christs voice hath sounded in the ears of the Saints the evill spirit shall be quite driven away When our strings shall be wound up to the highest peg of glory you shall never hear any more discord in the Saints Musick In Heaven there shall be a perfect Harmony CHAP. XII The seventh Prerogative Royal. THe next glorious priviledge to come is the Resurrection of our bodies This is an Article of our faith Now for the illustration of this there are three things considerable 1. That there â—s such a thing as the Resurrection 2. That this is not yet past 3. That the same body that dies shall rise again 1. I shall prove the Proposition that there is a Resurrection of the body There are some of the Sadduces opinion that there is no resurrection then let us eat and drink for to morrow we die 1 Cor. 15.32 To what purpose are all our prayers and tears and indeed it were well for them who are in their life-time as bruit beasts if it might be with them as beasts after death but there is a resurrection of the body as well as an ascension of the soul which I shall prove by two Arguments 1. Because Christ is risen therefore we must rise the head being raised the rest of the body shal not alwayes lye in the grave for then it would be an head without a body his rising is a pledge of our resurrection 1 Thes. 4.14 2. Ex AEquo in regard of justice and equity the bodies of the wicked have been weapons of unrighteousnesse and have joyned with the
soul in sinne their eyes have been a casement to let in vanity their hands have been full of bribes their feet have been swift to shed blood therefore justice and equity require that they should rise again and their bodies be punished with their souls Againe The bodies of the Saints have been members of holinesse their eyes have dropped down tears for sinne their hands have relieved the poor their tongues have been trumpets of Gods praise therefore justice and equity require that they should rise again that their bodies as well as their soules may be crown'd There must be a resurrection else how should there be a remuneration We are more sure to arise out of our graves then out of our beds the bodies of the wicked are lockt up in the grave as in a prison that they may not infest the Church of God and at the day of judgement they shall be brought out of the prison to tryall and the bodies of the Saints are laid in the grave as in a bed of perfume where they mellow and ripen against the resurrection Noah's olive-tree springing after the flood the blossoming of Aaron's dry rod the flesh and sinews coming to Ezekiel's dry bones what were these but lively emblems of the resurrection 2. That this resurrection is not yet past some hold that it is past and make the Resurrection to be nothing else but Regeneration which is call'd a rising from sinne and a being risen with Christ and do affirme that there is no other resurrection but this and that only the soul is with God in happinesse not the body Of this opinion were Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2.18 But the rising from sinne is call'd the first resurection Rev. 1.6 which implies that there is a second resurrection and that second I shall prove out of Dan. 12.2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake he doth not say they are already awake but they shall awake And Iohn 5.28 The houre is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Observe Christ doth not say they are come forth of the grave already but they shall come forth Here a question may be moved Whether the bodies of some of the Saints are not in Heaven already then it will seem that their resurrection is not yet to come as we read that Elias was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot and Enoch Heb. 11.5 was translated that he might not see death Answ. I know the Question is controverted among Divines But there are some reasons do perswade me that Enoch and Elias are not yet bodily in Heaven nor shall be till the resurrection of all flesh when the rest of the Elect like a precious crop being fully ripe shall be translated into glory The first is Heb. 11.13 where it is said These all died in faith where Enoch was included Now why we should restraine this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these only to Abel Noah Abraham and not also to Enoch I see no rational ground Quest. But is it not said he was translated that he might not see death How can these two stand together that Enoch died yet he did not see death Answ. This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might not see death I conceive with some Divines the meaning is that he might not see it in that painful and horrid manner as others his soule had an easie and joyful passage out of his body he died not after the common manner of men so saith Peter Martyr Seeing and feeling are in Scripture oft exegetical the one is put for the other as Rom. 7.23 I see a law in my members that is I feel a law 2. My second Argument is 1 Iohn 3.2 It doth not yet appeare what we shall be but we know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he shall appeare we shall be like him We read in Scripture but of two Appearings of Christ his appearing in the flesh and his appearing at the day of judgment Now his appearing in this text must needs be meant of his last appearing And what then then saith the Apostle we shall be like him that is in our bodies Phil. 3.21 The spirits of just men being already made perfect Heb. 12.23 Whence I infer Enoch is not yet ascended bodily into heaven because none of the bodies of the Saints shall be fully made like Christ till his second appearing 3. Besides this may be added the judgement of many of the Fathers who were pious and learned It is not probable that Enoch and Elias should be taken up in their bodies into heaven saith Peter Martyr and he urgeth that saying of our Lord No man hath ascended into heaven that is saith he corporeally but the Son of man that descended from heaven Of this opinion also is Oecolampadius Martinus Borrhaeus and learned Doctor Fulk who in his marginal notes upon the 11th to the Hebrews hath this descant It appeareth not saith he that Enoch now liveth in body no more then Moses but that he was translated by God out of the world and died not after the common manner of men And concerning Eliah the same reverend Authour hath this passage It is evident that he was taken up alive but not that he continueth alive And again because we read expresly that he was taken up into heaven 2 King 2.11 It is certaine saith he that his body was not carried into heaven Christ being the first that in perfect humanity ascended thither 1 Cor. 15.20 Christ is become the first-fruits of them that sleep He is called the First-fruits not only because he was the most excellent and sanctified the rest but because he was the first Cluster which was gathered the First that went up in a corporeal manner into the Seat of the Blessed For my part I see not how Christ could properly be called the First-fruits if Enoch and Eliah were bodily in heaven before him Hence we see that the Resurrection is yet to come 3. The third thing is That at the resurrection every soul shal have its own body the same body that dies shall arise Some hold that the soul shall be cloathed with a new body but then it were improper to call it a Resurrection of the body it should be rather a Creation It was a custome in the African Churches to say I believe the resurrection hujus carnis of this body I confesse the doctrine of the resurrection is such that it is too deep for reason to wade here you must let faith swim For instance Suppose a man dying is cast into the Sea several Fishes come and devour him the substance of his body goes into these fishes afterwards the fishes are taken and eaten and the substance of these fishes goes into several
see the miscarriages of many their Covetousnesse their Licentiousnesse had hee no other Bible to read in but the lives of some Professors hee would turne back again and resolve never to be made a Christian. Pudet haec opprobria nobis What a shame is this Did Christ walk thus when hee was upon earth His life was a pattern of Sanctity You that are Professors your sinnes are sinnes of unkindnesse they go nearest to Christs heart Do you live as those who have hope of things to come is Christ preparing Heaven for you and are you preparing Warre against him Is this your kindnesse to your friend O consider how you wound Religion Your sinnes are worse then others A staine in a black cloth is not so easily seen or taken notice of but a spot in a piece of Scarlet every ones eye is upon it The sinnes of wicked men are not so much wondred at they can do no other theirs is a spot in black but a sinne in a Professor this is like a spot in a bright Scarlet every ones eye is upon it this wounds the honour of Religion The deviation of the godly is as odious as the devotion of the prophane Oh that there were such a lustre and majesty of holinesse in the lives of Professors that others might say These look as if they had been with Jesus they live as if they were in Heaven already Aaron must not onely have Bels but Pomegranates which were for savour as the other were for sound It is not enough to discourse of godlinesse or to make a noise by a Profession What are these Bels without the Pomegranates viz. a life that casts a savour in the Church of God 2. Walk as Christ did in Humility His life was a pattern of Humility He was the Heir of Heaven the God-head was in him yet he washeth his Disciples feet Iohn 13.6 He poured water into a Bason and began to wash his Disciples feet and to wipe them with the Towel No wonder it is said that he came in the form of a servant he stands here with his Bason of water and a Towel nay he did not onely humble himself to the Disciples feet but he humbled himself to the death even the death of the cross Phil. 2.8 Tread in this step of Christ be humble the humble Saint looks like a Citizen of heaven Humility is the vail of a Christian Christs Bride never looks more beautifull in his eye than when she hath on this vail Be ye clothed with humility Humility as it hides anothers error so it hides its own graces grace shines brightest thorow the Mask of humility Moses face shined but he wist not that it shined What are all our duties without humility Incense smells sweetest when it is beaten small when the Incense of our duties is beaten small then it sends forth its most fragrant perfume Humility studies its own unworthinesse it looks with one eye upon grace to keep the heart chearful and with the other eye upon sinne to keep it humble Better is that sinne which humbles me then that duty which makes me proud Humility gives all to Christ as Ioab when he had gotten a victory sends for King David that he might carry away the Crown of it So doth the humble Christian when he hath gotten the victory over a corruption he sets the Crown upon the head of Christ if he hath strength to go thorow duties he writes Christ and free grace upon all I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 You that look for things above let me tell you the way to ascend is to descend the lower the tree roots the higher it shoots up would you shoot up in glory would you be tall Cedars in the Kingdome of God be deeply rooted in Humility Humility is compar'd by some of the Fathers to a Valley we must walk to heaven thorow this valley of Humility Humility is such a precious Herb as growes not in the garden of Philosophy that is rather Humanity then Humility Humility distinguisheth Christs Spouse from harlots Hypocrites grow in knowledge but not in humility Knowledge puffs up 1 Cor. 8.1 'T is a Metaphor taken from a pair of Bellowes that are blown up and fill'd with winde He that is proud of his knowledge the Devil cares not how much he knows It is observable in the old law that God hated the very resemblance of the sinne of pride he would have no honey mingled in their offering Ye shall burne no leaven nor any honey in any offering of the Lord made by fire Indeed leaven is soure but what is there in honey that should offend why no honey because honey when it is mingled with meale or flower maketh it to rise and swell therefore the people of Israel must mingle no honey in their offering This was to let us see how God hated the resemblance of this sinne of pride Be humble 3. Be like Christ in Charity Christs life was a life of charity he breath'd nothing but love he was full of this sweet perfume as his Person was lovely so was his Disposition he was compos'd all of love his lips dropp'd honey his side dropp'd blood his heart dropp'd love You that expect these glorious things to come live as Christ did live in love Oh that this spice might send out its fragrant smell among Christians We know we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren Dost thou love the Person of Christ and hate the picture He that loves him who doth beget loves him also that is begotten There are two Devils which are not fully cast out of Gods own people The devil of vaine glory and the devil of uncharitablenesse Are we not Fellow-Citizens Doe wee not all expect the same Heaven Nay are we not Brethren which should be a sufficient bond to knit us together in amity We have all the same Father God We are borne of the same Mother the Church we are begotten of the same seed the Word We suck the same brests the Promises Wee feed at the same Board the Table of the Lord We wear the same cloathing the Robe of Christ's Righteousnesse We are partners in the same glory the inheritance of the Saints in light And shall we not love There is indeed a blessed strife when the Saints strive for the faith but this is a strife that consists of unity Striving together for the faith of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 You that look for things to come live suitably to your hopes Walke as Christ did that some of his beams may shine in you and his life may be as it were copied out in yours 3. The third duty is If things to come are a Beleevers be content though you have the lesse of things present Having food and rayment let us be therewith content Oh what a rich estate hath a
but because it brings news of her husband Here we enjoy Christ by letters and that is sweet but what will it be to enjoy his presence in glory Here is that which may amaze us we shall be with Christ Christ is all that is desirable nay he is more then we can desire A man that is thirsty he desires onely a little water to quench his thirst but bring him to the Sea and here is more then he can desire In Christ there is not onely a fulnesse of sufficiency but a fulnesse of redundancy it overflows all the banks a Christian that is most sublimated by Faith hath neither an head to devise nor an heart to desire all that which is in Christ onely when we come to Heaven God will enlarge the vessell of our desire and will fill us as Christ did the Water-pots with Wine up to the brim Now this priviledge of being with Christ hath six priviledges growing out of it SECT I. The first Priviledge of being with Christ. 1. VIsion Job 19. ver 26. In my flesh shall I see God the sight of Jesus Christ will be the most sublime and ravishing object to a glorified Saint When Christ was upon earth his beauty was hid He hath no forme or comelinesse the light of the divine nature was hid in the darke lanthorne of the humane it was hid under reproaches sufferings yet even at that time there was enough beauty in Christ to delight the heart of God My Elect in whom my soul delighteth then his vaile was upon his face but what will it be when the vaile shall be taken off and he shall appeare all in his embroydery In him dwels the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 Such glittering beames shall sparkle forth from Christ at that day as will infinitely amaze and ravish the eyes of the beholders Imagine what a blessed sight it will be to see Christ wearing the robe of our humane nature to see that nature sitting in glory above the Angels Ipse Deus sufficit ad praemium 'T is Heaven enough to see Christ. Whom have I in heaven but thee There are saith Musculus Angels and Arch-angels I but they do not make Heaven Christ is the most sparkling Diamond in the ring of glory Therefore the Apostle doth not say I desire to be dissolved and to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heaven but to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Christ because his presence is the heaven of heaven If Jesus Christ be so beautiful here in his ordinances viz. Word Prayer Sacraments they are the beauties of holinesse If there be so much excellency in Christ when we see him by the eye of faith through the prospective glasse of the promise O what will it be when we shall see him face to face When Christ was transfigured on the Mount he was full of glory Mat. 17.2 His rayment was white as the light If his transfiguration was so glorious what will his inauguration be What a glorious time will it be when as it was said of Mordecâ—i we shall see him in the presence of his Father arrayed in royall apparel and with a great crown of gold upon his head Oh look often upon him with a believing eye whom you shall shortly see with a glorified eye That which will adde to the Saints vision and make it truly beatificall is that through Christ the dread and terrour of the divine Essence shall be taken away Majesty shall appeare in God to preserve reverence but withal Majesty cloathed with beauty and tempered with sweetnesse to excite love and joy in the Saints Through the face of Christ as through a bright Mirrour or Crystall the glory of God his wisdome holinesse mercy shall be sweetly transparent We shall see God as a friend not as guilty Adam did who was afraid and hid himselfe but as Queen Esther looked upon King Ahashuerus holding forth the Golden scepter We shall have the smiles of Gods face and the kisses of his lips O what a blessed sight of God will this be surely it will not be formidable but comfortable and to set off this vision the more the Saints shall alwayes be beholding the Kings face while they live here in the world Gods eye is never off from them and in heaven their eye shall be never off from God they shall be ever looking on that blessed object and the more they behold the shining lustre of his glory the more they shall be ravished both with desire and delight God must make us able to beare the sight of all this We are no more able to beare a sight of glory then a sight of wrath but we shall be qualified and made fit to receive these penetrating beames SECT II. The second Priviledge of being with Christ. THe next Priviledge is Union our being with Christ is not only locall but conjugall We shall so behold him as to be made one with him What nearer then union what sweeter Union is the spring of joy the ground of priviledge by vertue of this blessed union with Christ all those rare beauties wherewith the humane nature of the Lord Jesus is bespangled shall be ours Let us compare two Scriptures Ioh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory That is the glory of the humane nature but that is not all Ver. 22. The glory that thou hast given me I have given them Christ hath not his glory onely for himselfe but for us we shall shine by his beames Here Christ puts his graces upon his Spouse and in heaven he will put his glory upon her No wonder then the Queens daughter is all glorious within Psal. 45.14 and her cloathing of wrought gold How glorious will the Spouse be when she hath Christ's jewels upon her Judge not of the Saints by what they are but by what they shall be It doth not yet appeare what we shall be 1 Joh. 3.1 Why what shall we be We shall be like him The Spouse of Christ shall not only be made one with Christ but she shall be made like Christ in other marriages the Spouse changeth her condition but here she changeth her complexion not that the Saints in glory shall receive of Christ's Essence a Socinian errour They shall have as much glory as the humane nature is capable of but though Christ conveys his Image yet not his Essence The Sun shining upon a glasse leaves a print of its beauty there and it is hard to distinguish between the glass and the sun-beam but the glass is not the beam the sun conveys only it's likenesse not it's essence SECT III. The third Priviledge of being with Christ. THe next priviledge is Nobility which consists in Three Things 1. Every Saint shall be a King There are some that aspire after earthly Scepters as if here were the place of the Saints