more then all the rest we not onely burthened pressed down and wearied with the many actings of sin and surrounded about also and invironed with the dwellings thereof in us in this body of death which though sometimes it lie still ready as an Armie round about us in readinesse to ambush and come upon us we know not how where nor when like a lurking serpent still waiting to sting and suddenly surprize us which body of death made St. Paul though otherwise a man of an invincible courage to master vanquish and overcome all afflictions and make a tush and light matter of them as sorrowing saith he yet alwaies rejoycing as having nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 being a strong man to master these and all other crosses yet cry out on this as too hard for him Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death But in heaven there shall be no more sorrows crying tears or cause of complaints Our death will be the death of this body of death no sorrow or shame or complaints in heaven no ambushes of sin can lie there nor Serpent shall creep in into that Paradice to seduce us anymore we shall for ever be freed from this body of death and have a body like unto Christs glorious body In all which respects and many more these meditations and impressions of eternity of glory in the life to come maketh such reflexions upon us to make us to sigh and groan earnestly to be cloathed with our house which is from heaven unlesse in Some Cases when Beleevers otherwise very good men cannot thus sigh and groan to be cloathed with this their house which is from heaven Which may appear both in regard of others and our selves First for others Many beleevers are contented to spare this Sighing and Groaning at least suspend the same Because they would live to do more good unto others to see some fruit of their labours and seed sown how it growes to see the prosperity of the Church as David did Psal. 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour of thy people visite mee with thy Salvation that I may see the felicity of thy chosen and rejoyce with thy people and glory with thine inheritance And some also as St. Paul are very able to comfort and help others and therefore are sparing to Sigh and Groan for this heavenly house because they may be profitable unto others as Paul though in regard of himselfe he could have been contented to have flowne into heaven yet in regard of Others he armed himself with that wonderfull self denial to be contented to live for their sakes And so also may many other good Christians linger and draw back from earnest groaning after this heavenly house in regard of Others Parents sometimes would live to see their children bred and brought up in the fear of God and see the prosperity of other friends and are not so earnest in Sighing and Groaning after their Dissolution Secondly For our selves Wee may draw back from Death and Sighing and Groaning after this heavenly house to be cloathed therewith in divers cases First When we want the comfortable Assurance of our Salvation and when our Evidences of heaven are so slurred and blotted that we cannot read the same or have forgotten them Then we cannot sigh and groan after this heavenly house until we are able more clearly to read our evidences And Secondly We are sometimes ignorant of the Glory Excllency and Eternity thereof and so we cannot sigh and groane earnestly for the same which we are ignorant of and know not and yet for all this may be good Christians and Beleever though they fail and come short in these meditations And Thirdly When for our humbling the Lord is pleased sometimes to set our sins before us and therewith the wrath due unto them then not daring to looke God in the face they dare not look on death to encounter that and so are far from sighing and groaning after this heavenly house as wee see in David a holy reconciled man after Gods own heart yet Ps. 38.4 when God suffered his sins to stare him in the face he then complains Mine Inquities are gone over my head as a heavy burthen they are too heavy for me and so prays Ps. 39.19 Stay thine hand from me that I may recover my strength before I go hence be not Now a sense of sin and wrath now and then being given unto the Saints they cannot then groane earnestly to be cloathed with this heavenly house Fourthly And again We are sometimes to bustle with the delights and pleasures of this world which steals away our hearts from sighing and groaning after this heavenly house which makes that with so much adoe we are drawn away from wallowing in them as we see in Lot a good holy man yet what adoe was there to draw him away from Sodome that whilest he prolonged the time he was in a manner pulled out of it and when he was pulled away from it yet he makes intercession for Zoar which was one of those Cities that his soul might live Gen. 19.20 And sometimes again Fifthly The soul is as it were in prison and off hooks as a door off the hinges with strong and many amazing distractions so as the soule is not it self nor able to look after heavenly things having much adoe to wrastle after these encumbrances when it is unfit to sigh and groane earnestly after heavenly things yea not to mannage earthly comforts as it fell out with the children of Israel Exod. 6.9 that though Moses told them excellent things of the Egyptian bondage and captivity yet it is said there That they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of Spirit and for cruel Bondage So that vexations of earthly encumbrances and wants are great impediments unto this sighing and groaning earnestly after heavenly things in this our house which is from heaven And sometimes also in regard that our Accounts are not ready we shrink and draw back again being loath to encounter death Lastly in this case we make no hast but shun death and sighing and groaning after this heavenly house because we look on death under wrong notions and apprehensions and therefore run from it as Moses fled from his staff when it was turned into a Serpent untill God quiet our spirits and bid us to take it up again shewing us that there is no danger in it and making us in love with it For indeed Death is a part of the Saints portion 1 Cor. 3 22 all things are yours saith he whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or life or death whether they be things present or things to come all are yours c. what great matter is this for death to be ours O yes a great matter as it is ordered as the Grave is sanctified and perfumed by Christ and as it were an inlet unto Glory being the
behind them great impressions of humility as Ierem. 33.9 he sheweth the effect of Gods wonderfull favours shewed unto them And they shall fear and tremble for all the goodnesse and for all the wealth that I shew unto this City O saith Isaiah when he had seen the Lord upon his Throne Woe is me for I am unclean c. for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Isa. 6.5 and when God according unto Iobs wish drew near to confer with him then he could say I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eyes seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 4 2.5 This is the first That humility imprints and leaves upon the soul The second is Thankfulnesse these two accompany one another I am lesse then the least of all mercies saith David and Psal. 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me as though there were not enough to render I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord even now in the presence of all his people And thus not onely the spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God but also is pleased now and then to shew himself with more immediate stronger ravishing joies and testimonies of Gods favour as it were immediately from heaven ravishing the soul and giving it here some taste in an extraordinary manner of its future eternall joies so much as mortality is capable of whereof some of the Saints have most experience at their first conversion in such a taste and measure as perhaps they never attain in all their life or seldome the like again in degree And yet as the Sun in heaven though sometimes it hath flashes of extraordinary brightnesse heat and shining when it doth not alwaies shine alike in brightnesse during the clouding damps and eclipses thereof is still the same and lightens the whole world with its height though it do not shine forth with its glorious beams being the same in it self successively never leaving us without some light so the spirits residence in the renewed soul is still the same in himself and us though he shine not forth in our night seasons alwaies alike with his beams upon us for our comfort yet the light thereof shed abroad in the whole parts and powers of the soul still enlightens and upholds the life of Grace in us in its life and being shining out brightly upon us again with its comfortable beams when the storms tempests and mists are gone which occasioned these clouds and damps and when we are so weaned from sense and feelings that we are contented to live by faith and to wait the Lords leisure for his extraordinary favours for then we are best fitted to receive extraordinary favours and mercies from God when we are contented to sit down Saint-like at his feet and to be contented of his allowance whatsoever Deut. 33.2 so that his constant residence with the Saints is ever one way or other firm and perpetuall according unto Christs promise never leaving them comfortlesse altogether manifesting and revealing himself unto them in all their exigents according unto his infinite wisedome for their good making all things work for the best unto them Rom. 8.28 and all his works in his dissertions ebbings and flowings returns manifestations witnessing lesse and more darkly or more clearly alone or with our spirits making all beautifull in time when all the ends of our crosses shall meet together Eccles. 3.11 bringing meat from our eaters and strength from our strongest crosses bringing his marvellous light out of our darknesse and separating the light from the darknesse as at the Creation Gen. 1.4 so in this new Creation which he is a perfecting like the morning light that it may shine more and more untill the perfect day Prov. 4.18 so at his good pleasure and at our need bringing all our comforts unto our remembrance Iohn 14.26 yea and inhansing and raising the estimation taste and price of them daily in his flesh and new Revelations for our joy and comfort 1 Cor. 2.10 all which things are wrought by one and the self-same spirit as Paul speaks distributing to every man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12 11. and guiding them with his counsel until he bring them unto glory Psal. 37.24 And thus not onely We know and Know that we know that this knowledg of our assurance of a better life to come is not counterfeit by Gods spirit witnessing with Our spirits that we are the children of God sometimes in a more high lofty and rare immediate strain of ravishing joy by himself as it were from heaven and alwaies when he pleaseth to join with the witnesse of our spirits sometimes again in a sweet more often and lasting manner unto the end The difference being That the former is a more strong and vehement ravishing joy comming and felt rarely upon extraordinary occasions and hard trials making short abode with us at the time heavens feasting days of extraordinary favours The other by turns in some divers degrees and measures sweet more temperate very sure and holding out with us oftner in those his reports and manifestations unto the end so ballancing the excessive vehemency and measure of the former in its more mild lasting continuance in the latter And thus at length by the assistance of this blessed spirit we are drawing near to view this matchlesse Building not made with hands but eternal in the heavens But O! who is sufficient for these things what tongue of Men or Angels can shew forth the same wherefore O thou great Architect of wonder who thunderest with thy voice and canst do mighty things which we know not who hath made the earth by thy power established the world by thy wisedome and stretched out the Heavens by thy discretion who measurest the waters by thy fist who hast comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure weighed the mountains in a weight and the hills in a ballance who canst make weight to the winds and weigh the Waters by measure Thou before whom all nations are as nothing and lesse then nothing and vanity before whom the mountains tremble and the hills melt at whose sight the world is burned up and all that is therein O thou who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain like a molten looking glasse and hath spread them out as tents to dwell in who hast commanded all their armies counting the stars and calling all the hosts of them by their names who leadeth the blind by a way that they have not known making darknesse light before them O do thou take us by the hand and lead us along unto this heavenly building of thine making darknesse light before us who are ignorant how to pass along in these heavenly Labyrinths pave us a passage in this unpaved way opening our eyes and apprehensions to see and understand some of the wonderful things
good subjects submitting themselves thereunto that they should have a pardon of all their sins and inherit eternall life having freedome to come and drink freely of the water of life Of all which and a great deal more the spirit convinceth us of Because Christ our surety is at liberty having paied all our debts and returned in our nature and flesh into heaven now set down at the right hand of the father pleading our cause and making good there his purchased redemption by his continuall intercession for us in heaven putting sweet incense and odors into our prayers that they may be accepted But this is not all for yet a main thing remains though we be convinced of the forementioned two things yet here are The sons of Anak to be encountred with Principalities and powers to wrestle against strong oppositions within and without us of the world the flesh and the Divel concerning our continuance and holding out unto the end in all these tumults we are to passe through and war against so many dangerous enemies Here then in the next place comes that third conviction of the Spirit to convince our best judgements that our fears are in vain and that we shall notwithstanding all the rubs in our way overcome all and triumph over all as Christ our head hath done for us so shal we conquer all in him as it is Rom. 8. nay that in all these things we are more than conquerours in him who hath loved Us For the Prince of this world is judged meaning that as a condemned man hath no power no sentence no voice no freedome but is limited bound and manacled so is it with the Divell who is judged chained and fettered up from hurting us and therefore that Christ as he is the Author so he will be the finisher of our faith Heb 12.2 And that Christ will no fail nor be discouraged untill he bring forth judgement unto victory that is plant in us such a victorious sanctification in the soul which shall overcome all adverse powers in its way betwixt us and heaven This is that third Conviction of the spirit where with the two former going on in a holy frame of sanctification in newnesse of life then our souls are soundly seasoned then are we rightly qualified to know that which is the second thing propounded That we may come to know and he assured of a future glorious estate to come which knowledge our Saviour calleth life eternall Iohn 17.2 To know God thus revealed in the high perfections of Jesus Christ in a Practical way which we may certainly attain unto as it is clear by the whole currant of the Scriptures and those many gratious promises and many trials of the same interest we have in set down to examine our selves by al which were in vain if no such certainty of our future estate to come were attainable But to name a few trials onely passing by the Promises which are so aboundant We know By these signs as of having the spirit of Christ or else to be none of his Rom. 8.9 In our not walking after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 Of our being new creatures 2 Cor. 5.17 Of endeavouring to purifie our selves even as he is pure 1 Iohn 3.3 Of having heavenly mounted affections where Christ is at the right hand of the father Colloss. 3.1 Of being translated from death to life becaused we love the brethren 1 Iohn 4 13. Of loving one another v. 17. By conformity with him in his sufferings Rom. 6.5 Of putting on the Lord Jesus and making no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 Of being partakers of the Divine nature in being full of gratious goodnesse having eschewed that corruption which is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1.3 whereby and many other the like Trials whereunto gratious exceeding rick and precious promises are belonging True like God himself we may come to know and have assurance of a future glorious estate to come in the heavens having these and other the like qualifications all of them branches of The new Creature as witnesses of the truth of our sanctification in our renewed estate following upon our justification which if in truth is inseparably accompanied with sanctification spreading it self universally through all all the parts and powers and faculties of soul and body though in every part not totally renewed And then in the next place We may know that we know TWO ways 1 By Gods spirit witnessing with our spirit that we are the children of God Rom. 8 16. 2 By the immediate testimony of the spirit sometimes by it self alone not joining with our spirits or the word Which are both mentioned 1 Iohn 5.7 8. For there are three which bear record in heaven The Father The Son and The Holy Ghost and these three are one and there are three which bear record on earth The Spirit The Water and the Bloud and these three agree in one in discovery whereof it may a little help us in this great businesse To distinguish these witnesses how and when they witnesse The witnesse of Gods spirit from the witnesse of our spirit upon earth and betwixt the immediate witnesse of The Spirit as it were immediately from heaven from the witnesse of the same spirit with our spirits which may help to clear this in shew intricate discovery under correction I take 1. The Witness of our Spirit To be nothing else but The Reflecting Testimony or Answer of a good Conscience in our sincere upright walking according unto the Rules prescribed in the word of God whereof it seems St. Paul speaks Act. 24.15 of his keeping a good Conscience before God and Men because he looked for a Resurrection both of the just and she unjust And Ioh 3. This whole chapter is nothing else but the Witness of his Spirit in his Uprightness and sincerity of his Obedience throughout the Commandements So David Psal. 18.20 he makes use of the Witnesse of his Spirit testifying his Obedience and Uprightnesse And so 1 Sam. 12.3 he makes use of the Witnesse of his Spirit this way unto the people clearing himself from oppression and briberie Whose Oxe or whose Asse have I take Or to whom have I done wrong And the whole Church it selfe is brought in clearing her selfe though she were beaten down into the Den of Dragons as it were and covered with the shadow of death Psal. 44.17 That for all this she had not dealt falsly in the Covenant nor stretched out her hands to looke after a strange God whereby it seems that there is a twofold Witnesse of our Spirit The witness of our Spirit in a Calm The witness thereof in a Tempest The former whereof is without difficulty and ordinary the usuall answer and reflecting testimony of a good conscience directed upon all occasions by the rules of the word when we are not hardly and sore put to it by grievous trials of dissertions damps intermissions of
the spirit and the like with sore long and heavy crosses then our spirits witnesse goes on in a Calm before it come to sore trials But when God seems to frown and lowr upon us the comforts and our refreshing wonted feelings to decay when God seems to beat us with the stroaks of an enemy to fight against us when he seems covered with a cloud that our prayers should not passe through and the spirit with his reports and comforts with draweth himself for a while as Ieremy speaketh like a wafering man that cannot help in a strange land Then our spirits are hardly put to it to hold our and make use of the strength of our spirits witness in those extremities as that instance of the Church named Psal. 44. which was then in a great storm and yet held out with as great strength and it seems David was in a great storm Psal. 77. when yet he communed with his own heart and his spirit made diligent search being hardly put to it to dispute the case of Gods goodnesse unto him ere he come to see his infirmity And Ioh. 19. there it is shewed what a wonderfull strait His Spirit was put to ere he brake forth with that wonderfull admirable expression of his Redeemer ver 23. which instances may serve to shew the exigents our spirits are many times put to in storms ere Gods spirit come to witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Now when the soul is rightly qualified having these internall indowments of obedience and sincerity reflexes of a holy conversation when it believes in these storms and streights and upon believing the heart encounters and closes with the promises joying in them hoping for mercy for all these storms and in middest of these exigents believing one contrary in another then comes usually I say not that it never witnesseth with our spirits but then which were too high a point for me to meddle in 2. The witnesse of Gods spirit witnessing with our spirits To discover his comforts afresh that things and promises beleeved are truly so indeed that we are the children of God that flesh and blood hath not revealed these things unto us but God by the habitation of his spirit that those supernatural endowments and habits of grace we have attained as they are from Heaven so they shall at length bring us thither and that we shall grow in Grace from Grace to Grace and be transformed from Glory to Glory by the self-same spirit 2 Cor. 3.18 Beautifying dayly Gods image in us who hath wrought the same in us and that we cannot nor shall ever perish but hold out unto the end and at length be raised up with all Saints to eternal glory for ever Wherein the spirit elevates and raises the comfort and assurance of The witnesse of our spirit to a much higher degree of assurance and consolation making deeper and more lasting assurance and impressions of our comforts with additions of new joies and by his constant revealing unto us the use and misteries of Christs high perfection and actions when he was upon earth and now in heaven interceding for us at the right hand of the father he doth thereby he dwelling and abiding in us and we having assented unto and beleeved the promises Seal all unto us with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the possession purchased unto the praise of his glory Eph. 1.13 which earnest of necessity must be made good by his constant and perpetuall assistance of us dwelling in us strengthening of us with revelations suitable and seasonable unto all our exigents In which case though the spirit dwell in us witnesse and have sealed us up unto this day of Redemption with an indefesible stamp Yet are not his cleer revelations and discoveries always alike in degrees and measure during then me for we have many interruptions dissertions eclipses of damps sometimes in his retirings for our good after which his testimony revives again with more lasting joys and comforts after his seeming absence and hiding of himself suffering sometimes our support to be By the witnesse of our spirit the water in our sanctification the second of the three concurring witnesses upon the earth and when this water is muddy as oh it is too often so as we cannot comfort our selves thereby having our evidence so blotted that we cannot read it cleerly or forgotten it the suffering us to have recourse unto the third witnesse The blood in justification which is the most lasting and constant with us and wonderfull sure a fountain ever open running alike clear pure water of life never muddie unlesse we by our ignorance and infidelity throw mud therein and trouble it But yet whether the spirit shine clearly in the soul witnessing or whether darkly as he doth many times yet having once sealed and set his stamp on us the print thereof remains sure for ever Of these things at his first possession habitation and entry in the soul he ever assures and makes impression of First That where he is in any measure he always reigns so as sin shall have no Dominion over us 2. That he will not nor may not by his Office being sent for to be our Comforter Testifier of Christ Jesus and Revealer of and Leader of us in all Divine Truths remove his dwelling finally from us though he withdraw his assisting Comforts and feelings of his Presence when we grieve and vex him as friends sometimes withdraw themselves and bar us their presence upon just discontents given when yet the constancy of their love is the same to shine forth as clear or clearer then ever in due time 3. That as when Christ sent him unto us be to our Comforter it was expedient for us Christ in his bodily presence should return to Heaven to shew al his work was done our Redemption finished Principalities and Powers Hell and Death conquered as our Head in our Nature to take possession thereof for us to make continual Intercession for us at the right hand of the Father and to perfume our weak Prayers offering them up with much sweet Odours in the golden Censer upon the golden Altar which is before the Throne Revel. 8.1 2. so that it is expedient for us for him sometimes to seem to make some progress from us and absent himself as it were 1. To chastise our neglects of him and grieving of him 2. Least constancic of his presence should make us like the Israelites loath this heavenly Manna 3. To enhance and raise the price and valuation of his former Presence and Comforts 4. To set an edge upon our desires for his return 5. To inflame our love him the more abundantly at his Return with resolution to hold him faster then ever 6. To grieve him no more as we have done but to study how to cherish him by all means 7. That his fresh renewed joys may far surmount all our
is to look upon 6. The Company we shall enjoy there Ill Company-torments our Spirits much Solomon says that it is better to dwell on the house top than with a contentious woman in a large house And David a holy man was weary of dwelling in Meshec and having his habitation in the Tents of Kedar And in Sodome their unjust conversation did vex Lots righteous soul And Ier. 9.2 He wishes for a Cottage of wayfaring men in the wilderness that he might leave his people being all Adulterers and Rebels rather than to live in such ill company But here in heaven The excellency of the Company far exceeds the building The presence of God himselfe in our Fathers house of Christ and the holy Ghost in Trinity not enjoying them as here onely in our assistance of the spirit but then an hundred times more clearly than now they shall dwell with us and we shall have full and clear immediate Communion with them and so with all the holy Angels who here are said to be ministring Spirits unti us Heb. 1. a very great favour but then we shall see much more clearly into their nature and excellency and know much better what they are and have done for us And so to have society with the Saints the Family of Heaven all of one Nature Will Affection Mind Desire Aim and Endeavour without any crossnes burthen or distemper to one another as here Though as it is said Ezek. 2.6 we dwell here amongst rebels thorns and scorpions yet there shall be no such annoyance where of all things that offend shall none trouble There shall be no Goats in that Fold no no Scorpions to bite no Thorns and Briars in our sides to prick no mockers slanderers or backbiters no tares or darnel or chaffe among that wheat no offensive or unclean thing can or shall enter there all shall be pure and holy Another Consideration is 7. Our employment there This also sets forth the excellencie of this building we shall not be idle there For even in the estate of Innocency Adam was set and appointed to dress and trim Paradise The soul it self is not capable of rest but must have some employment And though it be said Rev. 14. That the dead are fully blessed because they rest from their labours which is onely meant of their irksome toyling upon earth and is not said to bar us from an imployment in heaven suitable unto that estate we shall enjoy there For of those described Revel. 7.13 15. who had made their long Robes white in the blood of the Lamb having gone through many tribulations it is said That Therefore they are in the presence of the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne will dwell among them So that as here it is our duty to serve God continually so there it shall be our honour reward and delight when all other relations services shal have an end to be perpetual spectators actors of so much ravishing excellency all which service shall be done and continued with much freedome and joy and without any pain or wearinesse unto us because as in the Lord Jehovah there is everlasting strength so we shall from him receive everlasting strength and perpetual refreshing from him so as we shal never be weary of our imployment but it shall be our delight joy to serve and praise God for ever For though he hath no need of our service yet we shall thus be perpetually honored delighted by it It shal be our ravishing delightful imployment to serve God in Christ continually The last main consideration of this Building which is a great one 8. The possession and enjoying For this makes up the pitch of all our Blessednesse not the possession onely but the comfortable enjoying of what we do possesse in a joyfull manner For in the middest of riches and abundant outward things yet a man possessed of them may live in want having no comfortable possession of them or quiet enjoying of them as it is one thing to live another thing to live joyfully and as a man may be old and yet not said to have lived long when he hath not injoyed his life comfortably So it is here in all which hath been said of this Building if we injoyed not what we possessed and that fully there were no blessednesse in it This is the Crown of all to injoy what we possesse But there in a speciall manner we shall enjoy the presence of God in Christ with the holy Ghost being present to our sight and understanding fully and clearly unto all eternity On earth the Saints have no Communion or fellowship with the Trinity God in Christ and his blessed spirit but what is joined with distractions and interruptions of their comforts and feelings having times of dissertions and withdrawing of their comforts But it shall not be so in heaven where we shall have a full ravishing intelectual understanding of the blessed Trinity as it is wicked mens misery to he without God in the world who know and can speak many good things but have no true taste and inioyment of the same wanting the heavenly influence and comforts thereof and as in this life it is a Godly mans affliction to want Gods presence being scanted in his favours so there on the contrary it shall be our everlasting blessednesse that we shall fully see and enjoy with all the whole powers and might of the soul with an actual intellectual full sight the fulnesse of God in fruition of the Beatifical vision for ever as it is 1 John 3.2 Dearly beloved now are we the sons of God but yet it is not made manifest what we shall be and we know that when be shall be made manifest we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is It is true indeed that God the father is invisible that no man hath seen God at any time and that he cannot be seen no not with our eyes glorified but we shall have a full clear distinct sight and understanding of the fulnesse of God in the Beatificall vision in Christ Jesus who is said to be the â—uage of the invisible God in whom dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily and in whom the fathers pleasure was that all fulnesse should dwell Colos. 1.15.19 and 2.9 A clear understanding of God in Christ with the fulnesse of an intelectual knowledge that we shall as it were be pitched and rolled upon the continual intuition of the satisfactory fulnesse of that our knowledge and enjoying of that beatifical vision for ever Which it seemeth is that which the Apostle aimeth at 1. Cor. 15.28 And when al things shal be subdued then shal the Sun himself also be subject unto him who did subdue al things under him that God may be all in all So resigning his Mediatorship to live as an heir with us in one body in the beholding
with Oyle of Myrrhe and the other with sweet Odors So this Impression of Eternity shews us that all our life time here is nothing else but our persuming time to fit us with the fragrancie of all heavenly graces and endowments that then willingly and chearfully we may mount up out of the Wildernesse of this world as it is said of the Church Cant. 5.6 perfumed with Myrrhe and Incense and all the Spices of the Merchants fraught with the full fragrancie sweetnesse of all Heavenly Graces And Lastly It makes us that not onely we are not content to sit downe quietly doting on these earthly things on this side of eternity as is said but further It enflames the soul sets it on fire and furnisheth it with grounds and arguments to attain to a habit of sighing and groaning earnestly to be cloathed with our house which is from heaven not onely from the excellencies of all that glory and eminence shewed of this heavenly house which is abundantly enough to make us to long after the same but also in regard of those grievous and heavy pressures and burthens wherewith we are pressed down in this life as what can we name wherewith we are not more or less pressed down or burthened so that that we have just cause to sigh and groan earnestly for this our heavenly house The body it self is a heavy lumpish corruptible body subject to much toil labour and wearinesse which maketh us to sigh and groan much besides the trouble and noisomenesse of so many troops of diseases and sicknesses which accompany the condition of our frail bodies causes of continuall sighing and groaning But in heaven all sicknesses and diseases shal haven an end with perfection of health for ever and the body shall be no more lumpish or heavy as now but a nimble spirituall body Philip 3.21 Where they shall follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth it being heaven wheresoever Christ is or shall shew himself the body then being nimble and spiritual able to mount upwards or downwards backwards or forwards as swift as thoughts are now And then wonderfull weights and pressures we have from others and from our own spirits pressing them down burthens by the Sympathizing with others weeping and mourning with them that weep in prison with them that are imprisoned and so forth of all other miseries bearing a part with them And the bearing with the passions and infirmities of others is also a great burthen to stoop to them and bear with them as Nurses and Parents do with their Childrens infirmities And the wicked conversation of others is also a great burthen unto us for which David Lot and Ieremiah were so grieved and burthened And from others also we endure Slanders and Persecutions of all sorts yea and it is also some burthen unto us That we are not able to do more good unto others and help them in their miseries But in heaven all these things shall have an end all shall love and joy alike all be of one will mind and affection no misconstructions passions distempers mistakings can be there no Slanders Tale-bearers or reports shall vex there no Sorrow Griefe or Want shall be there no objects of our compassion to grieve us all shall have enough with a conversation suitable unto heaven And here our spirits have grievous burthens vexing our spirits and our affections of love and joy are disordered either set on wrong objects or doting too much on earthly things or coming far short in joying or loving of God whom we should joy in with all our might and love with all our strength and delight and can never joy in or delight too much these presse us down as was said of Christ that his soul was heavy even unto death so these depresse us and make us lumpish and as it were rounds his about with sorrow Now a Man that hath a little glimpse of the glory excellency and eternity of this heavenly estate by faith knowing that then all sorrows and tears shall be washed and done away cannot chuse but groan earnestly to be cloathed with its house which is from heaven Because in heaven there shall be no more erring in our affections which shall all be placed on the right object and then there shal be no more fear of doting upon the creature or of the excess degree or measure of our love to God or joying in him whom we cannot too excessively love for as on earth we cannot love him too much so in heaven we shal not be able to love him too little And here our ignorance is great and a burthen to us a great toil and labour to attain knowledge and a burthen to be such non-proficients to profit so little and slowly in search thereof yea having attained a little knowledge then it is a burthen to know so little of that we should know and that so much remains yet to be known we are ignorant of And when our knowledge is here at the height then is our burthen greatest of all because then we most of all see into our own misery and want in knowledge especially in heavenly things so that that falleth out to be true which Solomon saith that he who increaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow But in heaven the soul shal not be capable of any ignorance but as soon as the interposing veil betwixt the soul and heaven shall be removed as soon as this curtain shall be drawn it shal be filled as it were in a moment with perfection of all knowledge more then all this world ever had since the creation were it altogether in one so that now both our ignorance and knowledge when we know are a great burthen unto us and causes of groaning earnestly and sighing for our house which is from heaven Our callings are also some burthen unto us be what they will on way or other there is wearisomnesse or vexation in them and even the ministry it self a great burthen to undergo as Paul speaketh of himself undergoing the care of all the Churches But in heaven no burthens wearisomenesse or pressures shal be in any thing we go about but all done with ease and much facility and cheerfulness Then also there is a bondage of corruption in the wil refractory unto all goodnesse prone unto al evill in all holy duty still going whither our flesh would not which is unruly and untamed so as we have great warring betwixt the flesh and the spirit which is a terrible burthen not to be able to perform that good we would and led captive unto that we would not But in heaven the wil shal be renewed changed and newmolded that there shal be no reluctancy or drawing backe nor the least jot of any inclination to depart from the exact will of God in all things Because by this time we being perfectly holy Gods will and ours must of necessity be all one and so the currant of our affections run for ever in one channell And unto all these
door of life this also is Ours and a great part of our portion one of Christs prime Legacies It seems that Iob had no Crosse or bad apprehensions of Death Job 6.11 What power have I saith he that I should endure or what is my end if I should prolong my life And David he saith Mark the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace Psal. 37.37 and indeed if we look through the Scripture Glasse upon Death it is nothing to a Beleever apprehending it rightly For then we see it to be nothing else but A sleep A peaceable rest A gathering to our fathers and people The funeral day of all our sins and final destruction of all our enemies The gate of heaven as it were Our Coronation day and the Resurrection of all our comforts with which and the like apprehensions we may come as it were to bury death it self The Apostle we see speaking of death he passeth it over slightly mentioneth onely the clothing after it insisting upon that which we shall have when we have put off this earthly Tabernacle And in the Phillipians speaking of Death he passeth over it and mentioneth onely our being with Christ In all these and many more cases too tedious now to insist in the soul cannot sigh and groan earnestly to be cloathed with this heavenly house though otherwise Beleevers and good Christians wherefore in these and the like cases we must not be at quiet with our selves until we have shaken off these lazy pressing down habits of our distempers with holy David chiding our selves as he did his soul Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquietêd within me wait on God for I will yet give him thanks he is my present help and my God But at other times when it pleaseth him to say unto our souls I am thy Salvation when hee anoints our eyes with spiritual eye-salve to see a far off into things invisible when heavens gates are opened unto us by a powerful preaching and opening of the word of truth unto us our beleeving breaking forth into rejoycing when with an enlarged heart we can run the ways of his commandements the feet of them that bring glad tidings being beautiful upon the mountains unto us And Christ comming by them leaping by the mountains and skipping by the hils of our sins to comfort and stablish us when the water of our sanctification is clear and not muddie so as we can read our evidences in brightnesse with many strong reports of the spirit joyning with our spirits when the bloud in our justification runs fully and clearly before us that we can powerfully apprehend the same And when in meditation wrapt a little heaven and heavenly things seem great and glorious unto us and earthly things compared with them mean and contemptible when Christ becommeth that pretious pearl known and beloved above all things for which we are contented to sell all when we have got some sight and assurance of heaven and eternity of glory having been victorious in some sharp crosses trials and afflictions having sacrificed our Isaacs and attained unto some good measure of self denial in uprightnesse and sincerity being humbled Saintlike to sit down at Gods feet and be whatsoever he will have us to be Then then the soul cannot chuse but sigh and groan earnestly to be cloathed with its house which is from heaven And very great reason there is to sigh and groan earnestly for a house of glory such a house as will keep us out of all dangers and supply all our wants This is that cloathing we so sigh and groan earnestly so To be cloathed with our house which is from Heaven of which our Garment cloathing us there is a threefold consideration 1. That cloathing we had in the Estate of Innocencie which covered our shame and nakednesse and which we kept not for sin discovered our shame so that it was quickly lost 2. There is the garment and cloathing of Christs righteousnesse in Iustification and Sanctification consisting in Holinesse and Righteousnesse mentioned Isa. 61.10 called the garment of Salvation and robe of Righteousness cause of great rejoycing to the soul to joy in God being cloathed with the garments of Salvation and covered with the robes of Righteousnesse And 3ly There is under this notion of cloathing the Glory of Heaven understood and looked at Christ his Righteousnesse is indeed a garment of Glory making us all glorious which garment we are now cloathed with I whereunto when there shall be added a tincture of Glory in Heaven then are we cloathed with our house from Heaven for the soul wishes not to be rid of that garment of Grace is now wears but to have it beautified and adorned to the height of all excellencie when it shall be cloathed with a tincture of Glory to make it appear most of all excellent Which glory even Christ himself in the days of his flesh prayed for Iob. 17.5 And now O Father glorifie me with thine own self with that glory which I had with thee before the world was that is that the glory of the Divinity might shine forth joyned with his Humanity as bright as ever Now this cloathing is first a most rich and pretious cloathing above all other cloathing whatsoever exceeding that of the lillies spoken off which surpassed Solomons glory in all his excellency and royalty And the secondly It is a durable cloathing which shall never wear nor wax old but be new and alike fresh for ever as it was said of the children of Israels garments and shoes in their journey unto that earthly Canaan a Type of the heavenly not onely that these did not wear but were as fresh and new as at the first And then thridly It is a lovely garment which shall be perfected with Gods comelinesse and that beauty he shall put upon it mentioned Ezek. 16.14 which if he call it perfect upon earth In how much more perfection of beauty shal this cloathing be in heaven where the fulnesse of glory doth so abundantly shine forth about the Beatificall vision And as for Excellencie so for Vse this garment of glory is such a cloathing as shall cover all our shame and all our nakednesse For if the estate of innocency knew not shame till sin discovered it much lesse shall there be any shame in heaven where this garment of glory so far excels surmountingly our first garment of innocency Such a garment as we shall always keep close about us where no winds troubles or temptations shall be to make us any more in danger to loose our garments as here And then such a garment as shal keep us warm for ever such a house and garment as shall preserve us for ever from all outward incumbrances and troubles supplying all natural wants without naturall helps doing all these things to us so as we shall never have need of them any more A house cloathed
sufferings in his absence And lastly that we might long and groan to be in heaven where we shall enjoy for ever the fulnesse of his presence in all ravishing sense of surmounting joys in the inspection and sight of the beatificall vision for ever 4. In his absence he furnisheth us with variety of arguments enflamed love and spirituall strength in our endeavours in wrastling in prayer for his return then making large increase of our stock of grace beyond our expectation Isa. 60.16 howsoever increasing continuing and perfecting seasonably out of his infinite wisdome in all our vicissitudes and exigents our heavenly race and guiding us with his counsel in all things untill he bring us unto glory All which is for the witness of Gods spirit witnessing with our spirit in the first place That we are the children of God But there is yet further a second thing The immediate witnesse of the spirit as it were from heaven without the joint testimony and joining of the word c. Which is a more strange sudden joy comming and rushing into the soul with a surmounting contentation of delight causing in a fuller manner as it were then within his ordinary witnessing our spirits that peace of God which passeth all undèrstanding Phil. 4.7 With that joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 so that it causeth us as we read of Iacob Gen. 45.27 when he heard overcomming reports of Iosephs safety and entertainment he gave say I have enough Thus we read of St. Augustine in his Confessions that he had felt sometimes such astonishing ravishing joys that if they should have continued he knew not what should be added thereto in the life to come but there complains that they lasted not but vanished away again quickly for indeed the old vessels of our frail bodies were not able to contain such strong new wine but they would crack what a case were the disciples in at Christ transfiguration Mark 9.5 They would have Tabernacles built there they were afraid and knew not what they said And 2 Cor. 12.3 Paul saith of his rapture into Paradice whether in the body or out of the body he knew not God he knows This kind of witnesse and testimony is a sure one and more then all the testimonies of men and Angels when as David prayes Psal. 35.3 God doth therewith say unto our souls I am thy Salvatian This is that white stone of Acquittance accompanied with that new Name written therein which no man knoweth save he who hath it Revel. 2.17 And when God doth give unto any this joy as by the former witness of the Spirit with our Spirits he assures us of our Salvation and future happy estate to come so he doth hereby give unto us as it were Livery and seizing of the Everlasting joys of the blessed and maketh unto us a kind of Heaven upon Earth that as Paul was caught into Paradise and heard words unutterable so a man in this case feels joy unspeakable If we consider the Matter of this joy it is Certain no man can take it finally from us Ioh. 16.22 But if we look unto our apprehensions and feeling of the same with the clear manifestations thereof it comes and goes ebbes and flowes it lost and found We rejoyce in the hope of the Glory of God saith the Apostle Rom 5.2 and this Hope as he afterwards adds maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad by the holy Ghost which is given us If Hope then be an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast pitching within the Vail Heb. 6.19 If many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it Cant. 8.7 It the holy Ghost which is given unto us be not a Brook which may be dryed but a Wel of water springing up unto everlasting life then cannot the water of our joy ever finally fail though many never feel the same in that fulnesse again as at their first conversion and we must acknowledge it to be our own fault in not performance of that which God requireth at our hands that it ebbes and flowes comes and goes so often because as it is written Rejoyce evermore 1. Thes. 5.16 Rejoyce alwayes Againe I say Rejoyce Phil. 4.4 yet we labour not as we ought to be thankfull to maintain this joy being carelesse and ignorant how to recover the sweet sense thereof again when in appearance it is diminished lost and gone And thus not onely We know and may know that we know and be assured of the certainty of a future glorious estate to come for ever but now in he last place How shall we know that this knowledge is no counterfeit Illumination Seeing the Divell can transform himself into an Angel of light as Pharaos Magitians did for a while counterfeit Moses true miracles Exod. 7.11 Of this I suppose there are three sure trials 1. By what goes before it 2. By that which accompanieth the same when it enters into the soul with it 3. By those impressions this testimony and joy leaves behind it upon the soul For the first it is sure that usually long sore and great afflictions and sharp trials usher the same great sufferings and after much striving and wrastling as Iacob obtained his new name Gen. 32.28 after he had power with the Angel by wrastling weeping and prayer Hos. 12.4 2. How it comes into the soul when it comes into the soul it comes always in the ways of Gods Ordinances he will not shew himself but in his own ways otherswise it is not right with fasting and prayer striving and wrastling against sin meditation heavenly conference and the like Or it may come in the consideration of the great works of God as when David saith Psal. 8.3 when I behold thy heavens even the works of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordianed What is man say I c. so this sudden joy and testimony may come into the soul also by good conferences as to the disciples travelling to Emaus when their hearts burned when Christ entred into conference with them Luke 24.32 So this joy may enter into the soul in some such meditations and conferences dwelling upon the excellency of heavenly things compared with earthly Or when as it fell out with Daniel that whilest he was a fasting and praying confessing his own sins and the sins of his people then the man Gabriel whom before he had seen in the similitude of a man chap. 8.16 came and touched him reporting how that his prayer was heard that at the beginning thereof the commandment came forth and saith he I am come to shew thee that thou art greatly beloved Dan. 9.23 Howsoever certain it is that it alwayes comes with the performance of holy duties in Gods ways 3. By what impressions it leaves behind upon the soul Extraordinary favors from God in the sense of the sweet feelings and ravishings thereof intimating Gods love by immediate reports of the spirit still leaves