them they could not mourne Mat. 9.5 But when he told them that he should be taken from them their hearts were filled with sorrow It was one of Luthers three wishes that he might have seen Christ in the flesh Paul preaching and primitive Rome in its flourishing condition Content thy self a while thou precious soul that lovest him and his appearance thou shalt shortly see him with his Father and thy Father and abide with him for ever and thou that hast been ravished with-the sweetness and powerful influence of his spiritual presence in his Ordinances wherein thou shalt in the end of thy dayes drink with him of the wine of the Kindom of God pressed from the clusters of the heavenly Canaan Secondly to be with Christ is to be glorified with Christ and to possess the same glory which Christ hath with the Father Christ chargeth Mary who had the honour first to see him after his Resurrection to forbear his bodily presence saying touch me not for I am not yet ascended unto my Father John 20.17 But goe and tell my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God And being ascended he is set down at the right hand of the Majestie on High Heb. 1.3 Or on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Chap. 8.1 Now Christs throne shall be the Saints throne as he hath promised Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne Christ hath prayed his Father and declared this as his Will to his Father John 17.24 Father I will that these whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me And shall they only be spectators of it shall not the beholding of the glory of Christ in Heaven be as powerful to change the Saints into the same glory as seeing his glorious Image 2 Cor. 4.18 For we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord or as it may be rendred even as by the Lord the Spirit for the Lord is that spirit v. 17. And this is no less then what Christ hath assured us of by his own grant and promise unto us Joh. 17.22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one as we are one To shew you therefore what this glory of Christ is whereof every belâ—iver shall be a partaker with him It is a spiritual and full possession and enjoyment of God himself in perfect union and immediate communion with him For so far as we can discern and understand things so far above us and remote from us in their nature and excellency and as they are revealed unto our capacity in the Heavenly records of Divine writ the glory of Heaven seemeth to be the highest degree of spirituality God is presented unto us to be a spirit John 4.24 And if we cloth the nature of a spirit with the Attributes of God as they are made known unto us by himself it is the highest conception we can have of him For God is a Spirit or a spiritual substance most Holy most Wise Eternal Infinite as that holy and famous writer of ours hath described or defined him The Angels are Spirits or ministring Spirits Heb. 1.14 The Souls of the Saints in Heaven are Spirits the Spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 And if we may judge as we say the body by the foot ex pede Herculem or of the glory of Heaven and of the Soul by the glory of the body as it is already glorified in Christ and others with him or as it shall be glorified after the Resurrection even the body of all beleivers it will appear still that the spirituality of the Heavenly state is the glory of it The Apostle Paul speaking of Christs coming from hence to raise the body and to glorifie it saith Phil 3.21 That he shall change our vile body and make it like unto his glorious body by the power whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself So that look what manner of body for glory Christs body now is in Heaven such shall our bodieds be and what the glory of his body is appeareth by the spirituality of it after his Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.44 It is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body if not in substance yet in quality And if the nature of grace in the Saints on earth be spiritual and the fruits of the spirit in them constituting them a spiritual people Gal 6.1 Whereby they are blessed with spiritual blessings in heavenly places or things it will follow that the state of glory must be a spiritual state for the soul in a higher degreee of spirituality glory being grace consummate as grace is glory inchoate Now the soul is raised unto the glorious degree of perfection and spirituality in the heavenly presence of Christ by being fill'd with the fulness of God and that by comprehending the highth and length and depth and breadth of the love of God which here passeth knowledge but is fully made known in Heaven by the beatifical vision of God himself letting out his love without measure into the soul whereby it is sublimated and transformed into the likeness of God 1 John 3.2 For now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is We shall not see him only in his name his word and works but in his nature not his back parts but his face Now we see through a glass darkely but then face to face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now we know but in part but then I shall know as I am known 1 Cor. 13.12 This is the blessed rewards of the pure in heart that they shall see God and without holiness no man shall see him Thirdly to be with Christ is to be with them that are with Christ and to have fellowship with the heavenly society of Angels and Saints in the presence of Christ Heb. 12.22 23. Ye are come unto Mount Zion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Hierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels and to the general assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to the spirits of just men made perfect First to be with Christ is to have society with all the blessed Angels of God who worship Christ in heaven Heb. 1.6 He saith let all the Angels worship him The sight of Angels on earth did sometimes strike fear into the hearts of Saints and an apprehension of death into them as when Gideon saw the Angel Judges
6.22 When Gideon perceived he was an Angel of the Lord Gideon said Alas O Lord God for because I have seen an Angel of the Lord face to face therefore he thought he must dye as appeareth by the foregoing verses An so Manoah when the Angel appeared unto him did wondrously Judges 13.23 Manoah said to his wife we shall surely dâ—e because we have seen God or an Angel of God for it is said before Manoah knew that he was an Angel of God But some of the Patriarchs and Saints entertained Angels with joy as Abraham did the three Angels in the plain of Mamre Gen. 18.8 who accepted his invitation and did eat before him what he had dressed and provided for them Likewise the two Angels which came to Lot in Sodom Gen. 19.1 He made them a feast and they stayed with him all night Surely that man is greatly honoured of God unto whom in favour he thus sendeth his Angels which the Authour to the Hebrews maketh use of as a motive unto Christians to hospitality Heb. 13.2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares What will that honour be then to the Saints in heaven to be entertained with Angels and to dwell with Angels and to have familiarity and fellowship with an innumerable company of glorious Angels yea with those Angels that have been made ministring Spirits for their good Heb. 1.14 Are not they ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation with those Angels that rejoyced at their conversion Luke 15.10 I say unto you saith Christ that there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Yet this is not all beleivers after death shall not only be and dwell with the Angels in heaven but be also as the Angels Angels of God Math. 22.30 They shall live as Angels without these earthly comforts and comfortable relations they shall neither marry nor give in marriage they shall be like the Angels themselves moving up and down as the Angels and joyning in consort with the whole Quire of Angels in singing Hallelujahs to him that sitteth upon the throne of eternal Majesty Secondly they shall have full and perpetual fellowship with glorified Saints and Spirits of just men made perfect Communion with Saints on earth in Gospel fellowship whereby beleivers enjoy the comfort of the unity of the spirit each with other in spiritual administrations is one of their great priviledges in Christ which the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians to maintain and keep in the bond of peace Eph. 4.1 Which he also urgeth as a motive to the believing Philippians to persevere in mutual love and condord phil 2.1 2. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind Yet there is a great defect in the society of Christians one with another here below besides the intermissions thereof partly through difference in judgement and opinion whereby their affections are in a great measure quenched and withdrawn each from other and partly through corruption of nature and occasional offences depriving them of the mutual benefit and advantage of each others gifts and graces However let not these accidental inconveniences and obstructions beget in you low and mean thoughts of this holy fellowship but remember how your hearts have been warmed your affections quickned your resolutions confirmed and your hands strengthened by the presence and close and spiritual communion ye have had with the people of God in the mysteries of Christ that your esteem may be preserved and your love so far increased as to abound more and more to the precious Sons of Sion and coheirs with you of the everlasting inheritance Considering that ye shall shortly live together with Christ when ye shall enjoy the society of all the faithful that are with him those whom ye have never seen but have loved in the spirit upon the reports of their graces with the Patriarchs and Prophets and the cloud of witnesses gone before you and that shall beleive in Christ to the end of the world and what a joyful meeting will there be of the children of God when they shall dwell together in their Fathers house being made perfectly one as God and Christ are one What a solemn assembly will there be in heaven in the presence of God himself when the whole Church of the first-born shall keep a perpetual Sabbath and God shall be all in all And how magnificent and glorious will be the heavenly Festivals of the righteous in celebrating the marriage of the Lamb when they shall all come together and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God Fourthly and lastly To be with Christ is to have eternal life with Christ for Christ giveth his sheep eternal life and they shall never perish John 10.28 And this is his promise which he hath promised us even eternal life 1 John 2.25 Therefore saith Paul we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 This is no other then the Fathers house which is built upon eternal foundations an everlasting rock the rock of ages the eternal Godhead and the unchangeable essence of God himself is the support of it There is nothing properly eternal but the divine nature for as time is the measure of motion and the continuance of successive and changeable creatures so eternity is the immensurable duration of the immutable essence of God who only is from everlasting to everlasting without shadow of turning or the least variation in being So that the Saints shall receive and enjoy their eternal life and happiness with Christ by the eternity of God himself who is the only true God and eternal life 1 John 5.20 As their life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 So it is communicated unto them through Christ who lived by the Father and now liveth with the Father and that for ever more Rev. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore And because I live ye shall live also John 14.19 Nay beloved this eternal life is begun already in your hearts by the spirit of God in you as a well of water springing up to eternal life John 4.14 By the knowledge of the true God and Jesus Christ which is life eternal John 17.3 And by faith in Christ John 6.47 He that beleiveth on the hath everlasting life But your full possession thereof shall be after the dissolution of the tabernacles of your mortal bodies when ye shall never suffer change more so as to see any weakness or the least inclination to corruption Then mortality shall be swallowed up of life 2 Cor. 5 4 As
fully know and understand the hidden things of eternity and hear such words with Paul in the third heaven which are unutterable and therefore could not tell whither he was in the body or out of the body 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years agoe whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth Such a man one caught up to the third heaven and I knew such a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth how that he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter Hence it appeareth that there is an incapacity in humane nature in the present state thereof to apprehend and express the glory of heaven in the presence of Christ and therefore it is probable Paul was out of the body during this revelation unto him for he repeateth those words twice whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell But which of the two it was at that time it mattereth not so much in that he is so clear in the Text that for the attaining of such a condition he absolutely declareth his desire to depart and to be with Christ which all Christians conclude with him to be far better Thirdly the souls and spirits of the Saints loosed and separated from the body are swift and instantaneous in their motion to their appointed and desired place of bliss and happiness For the motion of Spirits they being without material and corporeal parts cannot be successive and so measured by time and therefore it is in an instant As the motions of Angels from heaven to earth and from earth to heaven are in an instant so the motion of the soul from the natural body to the presence of Christ in heaven is also in an instant But to speak also to every ordinary capacity and to the unlearned as well as learned in such natural principles I shall illustrate this truth by Scripture instances and similitudes The Angel Gabriel was caused to flye swiftly unto Daniel when he was speaking in prayer Dan. 9.21 Where the motion of an Angel is set forth by the notion of the fowles of the air that flye and move exceeding swiftly And because such motions of spirits are not discernable by sense but are only to be conceived by the mind for the help of such a conception I shall propose the motion of body and soul together in some that did visibly ascend into heaven As that of Elijah who ascended up to heaven in the sight of Elisha 2 Kin. 2.11 12. And it came to pass as they still went on and talked that behold there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire and parted them both asunder and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven And Elisha saw it and he cryed my Father my Father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof and he saw him no more We must conceive here that Elijah was in an instant or in the twinckling of an eye transformed out of the natural qualities of his earthly body and changed into spiritual in which condition he was suddenly carried up into heaven And the swiftness of his motion in ascending appeareth in this Scripture in that it is compared to the motion of fire there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire Now fiery motions or the motions of fire are exceeding swift as the motion of light or of lightnings from East to West in a moment He is said likewise to go up to heaven by a whirl-wind The wind is exceeding swift as well as strong in its motion therefore God is said to flye upon the wings of the wind Psal 18.10 And of all winds none so swift as the whirlwind Neither is it to be neglected that Elijah cryed after him my Father my Father as if he were presently taken out of his sight The like instance we have of our Saviour when he ascended up into heaven in the view and presence of his Disciples Acts 1.9 While they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight In both these instances we cannot but imagine that both Christ and Elijah were quickly or in a moment at the end of their heavenly journey And if the motion of a spiritual or glorified body be so swift how much more the motion of a separate soul which is a pure Spirit Finally we may in some degree apprehend the motion of the soul in its essence by the motion of its faculties and how soon the soul can be in heaven and with God and Christ in its thoughts we may judge by the spiritual and sudden ejaculations of the heart whereby heavenly Christians are often and secretly ascending and descending between heaven and earth and God and their worldly imployments Lastly Christ in heaven is the center of all sanctified and gracious souls unto whose presence they tend in their separate motion Though the Divine nature or God-head be the center of all things as the cause and fountaine of all beings yet because the glory of God is not every where alike manifested but in heaven where Christ is personally present even at the right hand of God therefore the terme and center of the souls motion after separation is immediately unto him As Christ is the immediate object and term of our spiritual approaches unto the throne of Grace by whom we have access unto the Father and that by a new and living way conservated through the vail of his flesh So the humanity of Christ being finite upon which our thoughts are first placed doth more easily stay and fix the soul then the infinite essence of the Divine nature which being incomprehensible doth rather swallow up and overwhelm our weak faculties Therefore Bernard opening that Text of Solomon Prov. 25.27 according to the Hebrew from which our translation too much varieth exhorteth Christians not to gaze too long upon the Divine Majestie least they be overcome of the glory as to eat much honey is clogging to the stomack And as the Saints before Christ's incarnation prayed towards the temple the type of Christ where the presence of God visibly manifested did in some measure contract and limit the omnipresence of God to their hearts and apprehensions in worshipping of him In like manner Christ in heaven is the fixed period term and center of the Souls motion and approach to its glorious and heavenly state through whom and with whom we are glorified together as coheirs of God with him Therefore Paul desired to depart and to be with Christ that is to depart unto Christ as the terminus ad quem or center of his soul in departing As Stephen when he was stoned called upon God saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit Acts 7.59 As the stone moveth naturally down-ward to the earth so a gracious soul moveth upward to Christ who is the center of the Saints
soul It is dreadful to consider what a mass and mountainous bigness the sins of a poor carnal wretch arise unto if we lay them together his original sin actual sins sins of omission and commission his secret sins and open and scandalous sins his whole life hath been a trade of sin and whatsoever proceedeth from him is sin the ploughing of the wicked is sin and his prayer is turned into sin And to his own sins personally committed we may add his other mens sins either occasioned countenanced or allowed Now multiply these by their particulars and individuals and measure all by their sinful circumstances and then judge of the guilt of every sinful ma that dieth in unbelief and without pardoning grace through the bloud of Christ Secondly The conscience of every wicked man is awakened immediately after death and dissolution to a continual sense of the guilt of all his sins Natural conscience in carnal men is for the most part peaceable silent in this present life delight custome in sin hardning the heart and searing the conscience which they labour to keep asleep by diverting the thoughts to worldly objects or to satisfie by a formal profession attended with some outward performances But as soon as ever the soul of an unregenerate person is separate from the body this lyon awaketh sleepeth no more the faculties of the soul being alwayes in act and exercise in a separate state whereby his sins shall be alwayes before him and set in order before his eyes upon which his conscience shall reflect continually without diversion or intermission Then the sins you have laboured to forget and cast out of mind shall be brought to remembrance and ye shall ever behold them for which conscience shall charge and accuse you and in the fresh remembrance of them you shall lye down self-condemned for ever This is the worm that never dieth Mark 9 48. But shall gnaw your hearts to eternity Thirdly Hereupon the soul of a wicked man shall tremble at the sight and presence of God That the soul of every man and consequently of the wicked shall see and approach the powerful and immediate presence of God in his Divine nature and essence upon their dissolution is apparent in that the spirit of man is said to go upward Eccles 3.21 And to return to God who gave it Chap. 12.7 As also by the particular judgement immediately consequent upon death whereby God appearing to conscience decideth and determineth the eternal state and condition of every soul preparative to the last and glorious appearing of Christ at the great and terrible day who shall then judge the whole world and the soul and body together For it is appointed unto men once to ye and after this the judgement Heb. 9.27 Which may include this particular judgement after death whereof we are speaking as well as the last and general judgement yet some restrain it to the particular only But in what manner the soul of a wicked man shall see God take in a few words Death being the unclothing and putting off off the earthly house of the body the soul remaineth naked in respect of that clothing which nakedness of the separate souls of the Saints is covered and clothed upon with the glory of their house in heaven 2 Cor. 5.3 In which state of nakedness wherein the souls of the wicked abide the soul must needs be quickly and powerfully apprehensive of God and of any impression and influence of God upon it as the body being naked of its clothing is tenderly sensible of heat or cold and any thing that approacheth unto it For the foul being separate from the body receiveth its object no more through the senses of the body but in an immediate way of discovery of them We know also that the Lord doth sometimes immediately wound the spirit of man while it is in the body by letting fall the drops of wrath upon it and thereby tormenteth it which David calleth the rebukes of God Ps 39.11 When thou with rebukes dost correct a man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth Moreover if the soul being a spirit and separate from the body can converse with spirits as the Saints with Angels and the damned with Devils much more with God the Father of spirits who can discover himself unto them as he pleaseth But take heed of mistaking here for though a gracious and and sanctified soul reconciled unto God hath to do with him as a father in the apprehension of his love through which it hath comfort and joy in communion with him yet it is not so with the sinful soul of that than that dieth in his sins which apprehendeth God only as he appeareth to it in wrath and displeasure for without holiness no man shall see the Lord that is with peace and comfort Heb. 12.14 Now consider ye that forget God can ye see and behold the wrath of his countenance doe ye not tremble in your very thoughts of him Surely the presence of an angry God will make every guilty soul to fear and tremble at his feet when they shall be brought before him by his Serjeant Death The apprehension of guilt and of God together made Adam and Eve to run behind the Trees for fear when they heard the voice of God in the garden Gen. 3.8 Moses though a Favourite yet when he saw the appearance of God in the thundrings and lightnings and earthquakes the smoke and fire heard the sound of the trumpet upon Mount Sinai he said I exceedingly fear â—nd quake Heb. 12.21 When Elijah apprehended God was in the still small voice he wrapped his face in his mantle â—nd went out and stood in the entring of the â—ave 1 Kings 19.13 When Job came to see God with his eyes he abhorred himself in dust and ashes Job 42.6 The judgements of God made holy Davids flesh to tremble Psal 119.120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee I am afraid of thy judgements The glorious vision which Isaiah saw how did it work upon that holy Prophet Isaiah 6.5 When he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne and cryed woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the King â—he Lord of Hosts And if these Saints so eminent for grace and holiness have trembled at the presence of God manifested unto them in love and mercy how shall the unner and ungodly stand in his sight Doest thou beleive there is a God If not thou shalt see and beleive but remember that the Devils beleive and tremble Fourthly The soul of a wicked man thus trembling before God the holiness of God breaketh forth in wrath upon the soul to punish torment it For the soul appearing before God in the guilt of all its sins which are the greatest contrariety opposition against the holy nature of God who