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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 20:18:16 GMT -5
Heb. 4:9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God
THE INTRODUCTION
The coherence of the words. The doctrine and method of handling it
propounded."
THE words are an inference from the foregoing part of the chapter,
wherein the apostle doth by illustration and proof make a discovery
to us of the future state of rest for the people of God. He makes use of
a double illustration for this.
1st. God's sacred rest from the works of creation, from the 4th verse.
"And God did rest the seventh day from all his works;" that is, after
God had perfected the invisible and visible world, on the review of all
his works, finding them very good, he took pleasure, he was satisfied
in all those discoveries of his own perfections in the works of his
hands; and this is said to be his rest. God always enjoyed his own
glory and blessedness even from eternity: but this rest here spoken
of, hath respect to the precedent work of creation, and that joyful
reflection that God made upon his own works; because they were
according to the model of his infinite wisdom, he was infinitely
pleased in them. Now this divine rest is produced here as an
illustration of that rest that the saints shall enjoy in heaven, after all
their works done for the glory of God here on earth.
2nd. The second illustration is from the rest that was promised to the
Israelites in the land of Canaan; and the apostle speaks of this in the
first verse, "let us therefore fear, lest a promise being made of
entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."
And in the foregoing chapter he had been treating of this rest. They
were at first harassed in Egypt with cruel oppression, and they were
to pass through a waste and wild wilderness, wherein they were to
have many hard and difficult journeys. To those that did believe, and
obey according to that belief, Canaan was promised as a land of rest.
Now this temporal Canaan was but a type of the heavenly Canaan,
the land above, that flows indeed with milk and honey; that is, where
holiness, and joy, and pleasure, are for ever in perfection. Now, saith
the apostle, the earthly Canaan was to be a representative of that
country above, which is prepared for the people of God. And indeed
this was the wisdom of the Holy Spirit of God, to raise the thoughts
and desires of men by temporal things to those which are eternal.
This is the double illustration. The proof which the apostle urgeth
here, that there is still a rest remaining for the people of God, is from
hence, that after the Israelites were possessed of Canaan, yet the
royal prophet David speaks of another rest, that unbelievers should
be excluded from, and that believers should obtain. "Again, he
limiteth a certain day, saying in David, to-day after so long a time as
it is said, to-day, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts;
for if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not after have spoken
of another day; there remaineth a rest therefore to the people of
God." If you will be obedient to his call, do not harden your hearts,
through infidelity; if you will believe and be holy, you shall come to
this rest, that indeed deserves that name, not like the rest in the land
of Canaan. If indeed he had given them rest, David would not have
spoken of another rest. If we had been possessed of it in the land of
Canaan, David would not have said, if you remain in disobedience
and infidelity you shall not enter into it, but if you be obedient you
shall possess it. But seeing David hath said so, I conclude, saith the
apostle, "there remains therefore a rest to the people of God." The
words that I have read to you do contain that which is the most
powerful and the most comfortable motive to believe and obey the
gospel, and to persevere in it, that can be offered to you, especially
considering the state we are in of strangers, and of a continual
warfare; there is nothing can be more desirable than to hear this, and
that can give more vigor to our souls in the ways of God. There is an
expression of Solomon applicable to this purpose, "as cold waters to
the thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." This is good
news from heaven, the country above, therefore infinitely refreshing
to us in all the heat, trouble and toil that we are engaged in, in this
suffering world; "there remains therefore a rest to the people of
God."
The doctrine that I shall insist upon from the words, is this, there is a
divine and blessed rest that is reserved as a reward to the people of
God. I call it divine, because it is an imitation of God's rest, and it
remains, for it is reserved as a reward. In the opening of this, I will
show you,
I. Who are they that are characterized by this title, the people of God,
and who are qualified for this reward and rest, and have a title to it, and an interest in it.
II. The place of this rest where it shall be.
III. The excellencies of this rest. And then,
IV. Come to the application.
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 20:19:49 GMT -5
I. Description of the People of God.
Who are the people of God, for whom heaven is reserved. They are
such as he hath a propriety in: not upon common accounts only, but
special and peculiar ones, viz. election, special redemption, and
renovation. And such as unfeignedly consent to take him for their
King, and yield a voluntary, persevering subjection to him.
I. FIRST, Consider who they are that are characterized here as heirs
of this divine and blessed rest; and they are called the people of God.
I shall not run forth into a long discourse of all those things that the
scripture speaks concerning the heirs of heaven, and their
qualifications: I shall restrain what I shall say to this title, The people
of God, and this title includes,
i. God's propriety in them, they are his people.
ii. It concludes on their part, 1st. An unfeigned consent to take him
for their King. And, 2nd. A voluntary persevering subjection to him.
i. God's people are those he hath a propriety in; and this I will open
particularly to you.
1. God hath a general right to all the works of his hands, especially in
the reasonable world. You shall find the psalmist saith, in Psalm
100:3. "Know ye, that the Lord he is God; it is he that made us, and
not we ourselves: we are his people, the sheep of his pasture." He
hath an undoubted right in all creatures, both men and angels, as he
is their Creator. But notwithstanding this clear title of God, the
greatest part of the world do not obey him: he hath indeed the right
of a king, but they do not pay him the reverence due to him as a king;
they do not subject themselves to him. And in this respect you must
make a difference between being a king, and reigning over a people:
a prince may have authority over a people, and they may prove
rebellious, and he not reign over them. Now the greatest part of the
world live in this way of rebellious opposition against God. It is said,
Psal. 2:2, 3. "the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed, saying,
"let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from
us." It is not creation that gives that propriety in a people, that they
shall hereby have a title to God's rest: the fallen angels were his sons
by creation: the angels are called the sons of God; but they have
proved rebellious in his own court, and therefore expelled from
thence.
2. The propriety of God in his people, is upon more peculiar and
special accounts.
(1.) To begin with the rise of it; his merciful choosing of them from
eternity to be vessels of grace and glory. God's original title ariseth
from his electing-love; "I have chosen them to be a people to myself."
Isa. 43:20. And our Saviour speaking concerning his apostles, John
6:17. "thine they were, and thou gavest them me." How were the
apostles God the Father's in a special manner? The meaning of that
expression is, they were thine by thy merciful choice, by thy peculiar
electing-love; thine they were and thou gavest them me; to be the
matter of my purchase; to be redeemed and saved by me. You must
know, as it is with earthly kings and their people, they have their
several limits, whereby one kingdom is distinguished from another;
as rivers, mountains, and the like; so the kingdom and people of God
are limited by his election, from the kingdoms of the world, and of
satan. All those upon whom the beams of electing-love shine, those
that God hath chosen from pure mercy, they are his people strictly
and properly, and distinguished from all those that are entitled his
people by an external profession.
(2.) This title of God to his people, as it took its rise from election, so
it is confirmed by his special and peculiar redeeming of them: he
paid a ransom for them out of his own treasury; that is the most
precious blood of the Son of God given for them by the order and
appointment of his Father: and the Lord Jesus was God's servant in
the work of our redemption; and his redemption had respect to the
will of his Father, as the first rise and motive of it; and those whom
his Father gave him, he doth effectually redeem: he not only laid
down a price for them, but all the benefits he purchased by his
blood,, he applieth to them. You know how the apostle challengeth
the Corinthians upon this title. 1 Cor. 6:19, 20. "You are not your
own, ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your bodies,
and in your spirits, which are God's." Mankind was fallen from the
glory of God, and was brought to a state of servile bondage to sin,
and was under the curse of the law. Now though this could not defeat
God of his right, this sin of man could not alienate man from God;
God's title was still entire, notwithstanding; yet nevertheless man
was brought into such a state, that he was incapable to serve God.
Then he was pleased to appoint the life of his Son to be a sacrifice to
redeem mankind from the curse of the law, and to reconcile himself
to them, and free them from the bondage of sin. And this is a title
that cost him more dear than the creating of the whole world; for
that was effected by his word; "he spake, and it was done," saith the
psalmist; but it was not so in the redemption of man, that had sold
himself to sin, and was under the heavy sentence of the law: he was
put to the expence of that which was the richest treasure, the
precious blood of the Son of God. And thus God hath a special people
upon the account of election and special redemption.
(3.) The third title God hath to his people, is from renovation, the
restoring of them to his own image, and the renewing of their
natures, and giving to them heavenly endowments, preparing them
for his service and glory. So you shall find the apostle tells them,
Eph. 2:10. "for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works; which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them." So that as a man hath a right to the house which he builds,
and he is truly the owner of it that finds the materials, and frames
and raiseth the building; so God is the owner of his people; they are
his living and spiritual temple, raised and framed for his praise, they
are his workmanship. As in nature God is obeyed by every rank of
creatures in those actions which are congruous, and suitable to those
principles of operation which he hath put into them. As when the sun
runs its course, and the stars keep their regular motion, and the flux
and reflux of the sea obey God, and all the creatures observe that
order that he hath appointed, and act according to their several
principles of operation. Thus it is with the sensitive world; and so it
is likewise with the people of God, that have a new nature
communicated to them, they are furnished with heavenly qualities to
serve God, and to glorify and enjoy him.
Thus I have gone over three things that evidence God's propriety in
his people; and could you bring it down to yourselves, it would be of
use to you. Election is an object too high for us to see immediately;
we cannot look into the rolls of eternity; but election makes itself
evident, and declares itself in our sanctification: for sanctification is,
as it were, a temporal election; for God chooseth a person when he
makes him holy, and separates him from the rest of the world: Psal.
100:3. "We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." You must
understand it in a political sense: God is our governor, and we must
obey him; you know flocks of sheep have marks upon them, that
separate and distinguish them from other sheep; so the saints have
God's mark upon them. Holiness to the Lord is a visible stamp,
whereby they are distinguished from the world; whereby it is clear
and evident, that he prepares them for his rest above.
ii. On our part, being of the number of the people of God, includes
these things: our unfeigned consent to be his people. When the soul
is absolutely and entirely brought to close with the right of God, and
to confirm his right in us, and to acknowledge it, and to accept of it
cordially and sincerely; then we come to be in the number of God's
people. You find an expression which is directly to this purpose: Psal.
110:3. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." Willing
to what? Willing to acknowledge the sovereignty of God and Christ,
and to yield up themselves to it. In the day of thy power? That is,
when the grace of God, which hath omnipotency going along with it,
shall work upon the heart, and make it willing to own and
acknowledge God in this. There are none but will acknowledge God
in profession and words that they are his: but the greatest part of the
world keep the crown upon the devil's head; they are his servants,
and yield him the throne of their hearts, and he reigns in them: but
those that are the people of God, they do with their hearts
acknowledge his right and title to them, and do most desirously close
with him. In short; as God takes them to be his people, so do they
joyfully and pleasantly yield up themselves to be his servants, and
take him to be their sovereign: if it be offered to their choice, they
infinitely prefer him and his government above all others. This, as to
our believing sense, is the foundation of our relation to God. His
election and choice is a thing without us, and above us; and it
discovers itself by the effects; until we be made a willing people, we
can never discover that he is our King and Lord, and will reward us
with eternal life. That you may not deceive yourselves with a vain
pretence of being God's people; they that are the people of God, will
own him for their King, and be subject to his laws, and subject to
them all, without exception. If there be any duty, God commands you
as a king, and from that title, and if there be any niceness or aversion
in your breasts against it, and you would fain have your obligation to
that duty dissolved, you are none of God's people; for the reserving of
one sin, and the exception of one duty, will make you in a state of
rebellion and enmity against God. Where ever this is, it will make a
person incapable of this rest: though the gospel makes an allowance
for failings, and infirmities, and relapses; yet there is no chancery in
the gospel for any person that retains any sin, and that hath a
prevailing exception in his heart against any command: if you think
there is, you build your hopes upon a fancy. The gospel requires
sincerity; and the very essence of sincerity lies in this, that I
endeavour entirely to comply with all God's will. I may be surprised
into a sin against God; I may by a sudden temptation break a
command.; but if there be not a sincere endeavour to comply with all
the will of God, such a person is God's enemy, and never to be
received in his kingdom. The subjection must be entire and sincere;
"Then shall I not be ashamed" (saith the psalmist, Psal. 119:6.) "when
I have respect to all thy commandments:" that is, his hope shall not
be disappointed at last, so as to expose him to everlasting shame.
There must be a persevering and a constant subjection. Rom. 2:7.
"To them who by patient continuance in well-doing," whatsoever it
cost you, whatsoever difficulty or hazard you are exposed to,
whatsoever you lose. If you do not persevere in well-doing, you can
plead nothing from gospel-promises, to this rest. Rev. 2:10. "Be thou
faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Were it
possible for a man to go on in a course of holiness to the last day of
his life, and he should then break off his course, if he should meet
with a temptation so grateful or terrible as to make him leave off his
obedience to God, he could have no comfortable hope of heaven;
"For he only that endureth to the end shall be saved," And here it is
observable, the scripture tells us, though a man hath lived in a course
of disobedience and opposition to God many years, if he turn to God
at last, and persevere in that return he shall go to heaven: but if he
hath lived an hundred years in obedience and at last fall off he shall
perish for ever. And we find a resemblance of this in the justice of
men. Suppose a person hath done never so worthily for a king and
kingdom, if afterwards he turn rebel, he may justly be cut off for his
rebellion. So if a person fall off from God; all his former
righteousness shall be forgotten; for this rest remaineth only for
those that are the persevering people of God.
II. Heaven is the Place of this Rest.
Heaven the place of this rest. It is stable, and vastly large; very
glorious, and pleasant.
II. I Come now to speak of the place of this rest. It is enjoyed in that
kingdom that is unshaken above. You shall find an expression of the
apostle very fit to my purpose: Heb. 12:28. "Wherefore we receiving a
kingdom that cannot be shaken or moved." It is a proper place for
this rest I am speaking of. The kingdoms of this, world are not move
property compared to any thing, than the sea, which is always
voluble and inconstant, and sometimes so violent, that he which
expects rest there, must contradict both reason and sense. This world
is a seat of change and mutability: but the kingdom above almost
aptly resembled by a sea of glass, Rev. 15:2. "I saw as if it were a sea
of glass." There is no unquiet agitation in a sea of glass, no
disturbance there. The kingdom of heaven is God's sanctuary, where
the God of peace reigns. It is said in the book of Job, Job 25:2. "He
makes peace in his high places." Indeed once there was a disturbance
in heaven; when the angels fell; but that disturbance did not
continue, they were presently expelled from their first habitation;
that is the region of peace.
It is an expression of Seneca, as a piece of poetical bravery, Animus
sapientis est sicut locus supra lunam, semper illic serenum est: the
heart of a wise man is like the place above the moon, all is serene and
calm there.
The lower region is charged with clouds and thunder, which
encounter one another, and make disturbance: but the true rest is
heaven, the celestial paradise above, the New Jerusalem, God hath
fitted and prepared that place for the rest of his people. Although it is
but little that we can speak of the glory of that place, I can raise your
thoughts of it a little, by one consideration which I find in the
prophet Isaiah, chap. 6. When the seraphims were praising God, one
cried to another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the
whole world is full of his glory." That which I apply it for, is this, this
lower world, that is this earth, is full of the glory of God; the earth,
which God hath made the receptacle of birds and beasts. If the earth
that is the wilderness of God's people, and which his enemies enjoy,
is full of the glory of God, pray raise your thoughts by this
consideration:
What is heaven then, and the glory of God's sanctuary above? How
do all his perfections shine there.
If the "earth be full of the glory of the Lord," do not doubt but the
glory of that place, doth contribute to the blessedness of this rest.
Look upon the aspectible heavens, all those great luminaries, sun,
moon, and stars, they are but the frontispiece of heaven: now this is
the rest of the people of God. We cannot now conceive what is the
glory of that rest. The scripture saith something to us of the place of
our future-happiness; it would be a proud curiosity to make such
inquiries into it as we have no foundation for in the word of God: but
there are several things the Holy Spirit in the scripture reveals to us
concerning it: all which will serve to enlarge our apprehensions
concerning that rest and blessedness we shall enjoy in heaven. There
are four which I shall briefly touch upon, and then proceed.
1. The stability of that place, the security of it. It is called, Heb. 11:10.
"A city that hath foundations." There the apostle speaks concerning
the patriarchs that were in an unsettled condition, travelling into a
strange country. It is said concerning Abraham, the father of them,
Heb. 11:10. "He looked for a city which hath foundations whose
builder and maker is God. He dwelt in tabernacles with Isaac and
Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise." Tabernacles were
moving tents, that had no foundations, that might easily be carried
from one place to another: but heaven is a city which hath
foundations. This lower world, and the upper world that is visible to
us, shall either be refined or consumed by fire, notwithstanding all
that exquisite order and beauty that we see in them. The apostle tells
us they are reserved for fire; now whether that fire shall be
consuming, or whether it shall be merely a reforming purifying fire,
we are not certain: though there are some probable reasons that may
induce us to a belief of it that it shall only be a reforming and refining
one. For the apostle tells us, Rom. 8:22. "We know the whole
creation groaneth, and travaileth in pain together until now:" and in
the foregoing verse it is said, "Because the creature also shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of
the children of God." The apostle speaks concerning this world,
which you know hath been defiled and stained by the sin of man.
And St. Peter saith, 2 Pet. 3:13. "We look for new heavens and a new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." This visible form of the
heavens, which is subjected to our eye, shall be destroyed: for thus
the psalmist speaks, Psal. 102:25, 26. "Of old hast thou laid the
foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thy hands;
they shall perish, but thou shaft endure; yea, all of them shall wax old
as a garment, as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be
changed." In the elementary world all things are in a perpetual
change: those things that are so much admired and loved, all those
vain idols that men set their hearts upon, they are all changing and
perishing every day: but now for the heavens and the earth
themselves, observe what the prophet saith, "Thou shalt change
them." We see no cause that would be sufficient to change this
heaven and this earth; the divine power only can do it: but he that
hath made them, will and can easily change them. But for the heaven
of glory, where the saints shall be, that is a city that hath
foundations, there shall be no change there. In the history of the
creation; it is observable, Moses speaks not one word concerning the
making of the supreme heavens, though they may be included in the
visible heavens. He only speaks expressly of this visible world, which
shall be changed. Observe what our Saviour tells us, John 14:2. "In
my Father's house are many mansions." Our habitations in this lower
world are like an inn, or house of progress, that one lies at for a little
time. But heaven is called a mansion, the place of the saint's
residence; there shall be no change, no shadow of change there, but
it shall be kept always by the power of God, as a prepared habitation
for the rest of God's people. Now by the way, this shows how vain it is
for us to expect rest here, in a house that is but propped up for a
while. Therefore we cannot expect rest here. It is spoken of as one of
the prodigies of nature, concerning the kingfisher, that she builds her
nest in the sea, one of the most moveable dements; but that little bird
is instructed by nature to build her nest there when there is a perfect
calm, for the security of its young. But there is no calm in this world,
all things are in a perpetual flux, in a rapid motion. The heavens that
are over us shall be confounded and destroyed, and the stars shall
fall like leaves in autumn, and the fire shall pass upon them all: but
the heavenly kingdom is unshaken, a place that is fit for rest.
2. To show you further how this place is fitted for rest, as the
scripture speaks concerning the stability of it, so it discovers to us its
vastness and immensity. It is a place capacious enough to be the seat
of an innumerable company of angels, and of all the saints of God,
when they shall be united together in one glorious assembly at the
last day. John 14:2. "In my Father's house are many mansions, if it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
Many mansions; there is room in abundance. There is such an
extension, as to hold all the blessed spirits together, so as every one
shall have his particular mansion, every one shall have a place of ease
and rest. When Solomon had built a magnificent temple to God, saith
he, 1 Kings 8:27. "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold,
the heavens, and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how
much less this house which I have built? Will God indeed dwell on
earth?" That is, will he afford his glorious presence with his people in
his temple? Then it follows, "Behold, the heavens, and the heaven of
heavens cannot contain thee." It is spoken with respect to the
amplitude of that kingdom. There are three heavens that the
scripture speaks of; the ærial heaven, that which encompasseth all
the earth and sea. So you read of the fowls of heaven, the birds that
fly in the air.
2ndly, The ethereal heaven, where are the sun, moon, and stars,
And 3dly, There is the heaven of heavens which is called
the third heavens in scripture. Now do but observe this earth, that
contains innumerable inhabitants and creatures upon it, this vast
earth, compared to the starry heavens, is but as one single point; it is
as nothing: and the heaven of heavens encompasseth all the starry
heavens, and hath a vastness that is inconceivable to us. How great it
is, we cannot tell; but we are sure of this, that it is a place built for the
glory of God, and answerable to the greatness of that King. Now this
still falls in with the notion of the rest: every saint shall be a king
there, and have a kingdom large enough to fill all his desires. It is a
fancy of some of the schoolmen, that one of the torments of hell shall
be the narrowness of the place, where the damned shall be crowded
together. I cannot tell whether there is any foundation for such a
notion in scripture, where we read indeed of hell represented by the
greatest torments to sense, as fire and brimstone, and the worm that
never dies: but it says nothing of its being so strait a place. But as for
heaven, that the scripture represents as a very large one. Our Saviour
says, "In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I
would have told you:" if it were not a place large enough for you, I
would have been so faithful to you, as to make a discovery of it. So
that the boundlessness of that kingdom tends to make it a fit
habitation for our rest.
3. The scripture discovers to us the glory of it: and that fore mentioned
place of Solomon is applicable to this purpose: it is called
the heaven of heavens; it is so called by way of excellency and
transcendency; and Christ calls it my Father's house: Christ's Father
is die Father of glory; you know he is particularly called so in
scripture; the Father of glory. So heaven is called God's throne: Isa.
66:1. "Thus saith the Lord, heaven is my throne, and the earth is my
footstool." His throne, that signifies it is that place wherein he doth
manifest himself in his glorious presence. As when a king is seated
upon his throne, it is with all die ensigns of majesty and greatness.
God's throne is that place where he exhibits himself in the most
glorious manner. So it is called God's temple: Hab. 2:20. "But the
Lord is in his holy temple." Heaven is a throne and a temple, a place
prepared with all divine art for the manifestation of God's glory. You
read concerning New Jerusalem, Rev. 21:17, 18. "The building of the
wall of it was of jasper, the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass;
and the foundation of the walls of the city was garnished with all
manner of precious stones." The walls of the city are thus
represented to us by precious stones, because they are most fair and
lively representations of the excellency of that place: but alas! all the
rare marvels of nature are nothing, compared to the glory above. All
the lustre of diamonds, the fire of carbuncles, and the beauty of
pearls, are nothing to the glory of heaven. We are said to be made
meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Light is
the highest comparison that the scripture can make use of, both to
inform us and astonish us with the glory of heaven. When our
Saviour appeared at his transfiguration, it is said, Mat. 17:2. "His face
did shine as the sun, and his garments were white, as the light." This
is the highest comparison in nature, the inheritance of the saints in
light. So on the contrary hell is set forth by a place of darkness,
invincible darkness, the blackness of darkness for ever, for there is a
perpetual night. So heaven is said to be a place of light. Do but
consider what heaven is, when the scripture saith, "The Lord is the
light of it, and God is the glory of it." There is no need there of the
light of the sun, for Christ the Sun of Righteousness sheds abroad an
effusion of transcendent glory, that at the first entrance into heaven
the saint is struck with admiration at the glory of the place: and it is
said in one scripture, "Thy God shall be thy glory." Now is not this
fitted to be a place of rest, a place of light and glory?
4. Heaven this everlasting rest is represented to us in the scripture
under the notion of a place of pleasure, and so it is called a paradise.
So you shall find our Saviour speaking to the thief on the cross that
prayed to him, Luke 23:43. "Lord, remember me, when thou comest
into thy kingdom: Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee, to-day
shalt thou be with me in paradise." The apostle Paul tells us, 2 Cor.
12:4. "That he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable
words, &c." Now this expression is allegorical, and allusive to that
first delicious garden that God prepared to be a seat for innocent
man. The garden of Eden was a place that had in it all things that
were for the support, and comfort, and pleasure of this life; and
paradise is a word that signifies a garden of pleasure. Now heaven is
represented to us by paradise, a place that was made for delight and
joy; and it hath this glorious privilege above this earthly paradise,
that the earthly paradise was not exempted from the poison of the
serpent, that infected man in his head and original, the woful effect
of which we feel to this day: but the paradise above is inaccessible to
all evil, a place framed for delight, no thorns or briars there, nothing
that can afflict or cause sorrow; no, it is the paradise of God, a
paradise in the midst whereof the Son of God is the tree of life, upon
which the saints feed and live for ever. And this is another thing the
scripture speaks of concerning the glory of that place where we shall
have our rest
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 20:38:55 GMT -5
III. The Excellency of this Rest.
Of the excellency of this rest. This is a point which carnal men cannot
relish: it is a holy rest, both as it imports a ceasing from the
dominion and being of sin and temptation: and performance of all
those holy duties which are proper to this state: for which the soul is
exalted to the highest pitch of natural perfection, and has
supernatural endowments, whence result the most exalted
operations,
III. I Shall, in the next place, consider the excellencies of this rest:
and here I shall premise this, that I am about to treat of a subject that
I fear most that are here cannot taste or relish. As for a discourse of
heaven, a carnal man is no more affected with it, than if you should
bring a swine into a curious palace, adorned with all things of art and
industry; to see pictures drawn with exquisite skill in paint, or
statues carved in the most excellent and lively manner; could a swine
take any delight in these things? So without a pure heart, and holy
and heavenly affections, we cannot taste any thing of heaven, or of
this rest prepared for the people of God. If you speak of heaven to a
carnal man, it is just as if a master of philosophy, or the
mathematics, should come and read to an illiterate ignorant man the
sublime notions, and profound mysteries of these noble sciences: no
more can a carnal man relish the things of heaven. If an angel should
come and speak to him, he would say, give me this world, and the
things here below, and keep heaven above. I shall now proceed to
speak of the excellencies of this rest.
i. First, This rest that remains to the people of God is a holy rest; it is
called a sabbath rest.
Now in the opening of this, there are two things considerable.
1. It is a holy rest, in ceasing from sin, as the scripture speaks.
2. It is a holy rest, as it consists in the exercise of all those holy and
heavenly parts of worship which is proper to heaven; and such is the rest of a sabbath.
1. For the first of these; as it imports a ceasing from sin. There is a
threefold freedom and rest from sin. (1.) There is a freedom from the
dominion of sin, and this is that privilege which the saints have in
their measure in this life.
We read our Saviour tells the Jews, John 8:34, 35. "whosoever
committeth sin, is the servant of sin; and the servant abideth not in
the house for ever, but the Son abideth for ever. If the Son therefore
shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." That is the truest and
noblest freedom, to be freed from the servitude of sin, that bondage,
that enslaves our more excellent part, our immortal part, the soul;
that is most royal and excellent liberty; and this is obtained by the
Son of God; that is, if you look upon the state of sin, wherein we are
involved by nature, look upon it as a part of the curse fallen upon
mankind, upon account of his apostacy from God; and so our Saviour
hath purchased this privilege for a believer, that he should be
rescued from this bondage of sin, for sin hath these two great evils
that go along with it; it is not only a provocation to God, exposing a
man to the wrath of God, and making him obnoxious to the divine
displeasure; but sin does also defile and debase the human nature,
and so hath in it the greatest curse that the reasonable creature is
capable of: it makes a man unlike to God, and viler than the earth he
treads upon; and like the brute beasts, it degrades him to the lowest
servility. There is nothing in the world like sin, it provokes God to
give a man over to his own heart's lusts, and to forsake him for ever,
and to pronounce a curse upon him, "he that is unjust, let him be
unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still." Rev. 22:11.
And those that fall under this curse, are under the greatest servility.
The wicked are all his slaves. Take that man that is of the civilest
conversation in the world, till he be sanctified and renewed by Christ,
he is a slave, and under the command of some lust, though it be not
visible to you, and it hath a throne in his heart, and reigns there. "But
now," saith the apostle, Rom. 6:22. "being made free from sin, and
become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the
end everlasting life." Observe, here he speaks concerning the present
sanctified state of the people of God, that are freed from sin, from its
power and reign: whoever is not thus free, he hath no interest in
Christ, nor ever felt the blessed effects of his death. This is one step
and degree to that rest the apostle speaks of in the text.
(2.) There is a freedom from the relics or the being of sin, a freedom
that imports an absolute and complete purifying and cleansing from
all kinds and degrees of sin whatsoever; and this is that which is
meant here. The apostle speaks of this to the Ephesians, "Christ
loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or
any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." Eph.
5:2, 6, 27. This design of Christ's death is carrying on while the saints
are in this world; it is carrying on by the providences of God, whether
prosperous or afflictive, and also by the ordinances of God, and the
Spirit of God, who makes both ordinances and providences effectual
upon the soul. But this entire freedom from sin is only attained when
we come to heaven. And you may observe here the great wisdom of
God, that as sin brought in death, so now with respect to the people
of God, death is that which abolisheth sin, that puts an end to all sin;
he hath made that which is in itself a penalty of sin, to be
instrumental for the entire clearing and purifying the soul from sin.
For when this mortal flesh is laid down in the grave, the soul shall be
cleansed from all remaining pollutions, there shall not be so much as
a spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. In the 12th of Hebrews, where
we have the state of the gospel church represented both as militant
and triumphant: "you are come," says the apostle, "to Mount Sion,
the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and church
of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, and to God the
judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus
the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaks better things than the blood of Abel." The spirits of just
men made perfect, doth signify an absolute and entire freedom from
all sin, which is the greatest imperfection and debasing of the soul.
(3.) There is another freedom from sin, which is in heaven; and that
is a freedom from all molesting temptations, from all things that
might disturb their peace, that might endanger their fall. You shall
find the two Adams, both the first and second, although they were
perfectly innocent, yet they were both liable to temptations; and the
first Adam fell by a temptation, and lost more grace in one moment,
than we can ever recover in this world in all ages. You all know how
cheaply and easily he parted with his happiness, by the subtle
temptation of satan. The second Adam was tempted too by the
wicked one; but saith Christ, "the prince of this world cometh, and
findeth nothing in me." There was no corruption in Christ to work
upon. The temptations of satan surrounded him in the wilderness,
but could not surprise him, they could not fasten any thing upon
him; but yet our Lord Jesus was liable to temptation. But in heaven,
O blessed rest, where the arrows of the tempter can never reach.
There is not only a freedom from sin, and all possibility of that
sinning, but there is a freedom from any thing that might disturb
that blessed rest, as it often falls out in the world; but by the grace of
God, when the saints are tempted, they reject the temptation, and
overcome the tempter. We read of that holy and chaste creature
Joseph, when a grateful temptation offered itself, he refused it with
abhorrence, "how can I do this great wickedness, and sin against
God?" So the heavenly grace God communicates to his people, makes
them victorious over both pleasant and terrible temptations; "we are
more than conquerors" (saith the apostle) "through Christ that hath
loved us." And there is a most divine joy which ariseth in the soul
when we have this testimony of our sincerity, that we resist
temptations. But now in heaven there shall be nothing of this. Here
the people of God keep their innocence, and preserve their purity, yet
they are disturbed by temptations. "I besought the Lord thrice," saith
the apostle when he was buffeted by satan, "there was given unto me
a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of satan buffetted me, lest I should
be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice,
that it might depart from me: and he said unto me, my grace is
sufficient for thee." 1 Cor. 12:7. But in heaven there shell be no
buffeting of satan, so molesting us by temptation. O blessed rest!
when the soul shall be freed from sin, sin which is the greatest evil in
its own nature, the highest provocation to the holy God, and the most
burthensome thing in the world to a holy soul which is a continual
body of death. O blessed rest! when the soul shall be freed from sin,
and all the degrees of it! when the soul shall be raised above all
temptations; when it shall be in the light of God's countenance for
ever, where nothing shall disturb our most joyful exercise in the
serving and praising of God. Do but consider what a happy state this
is; and indeed till you are so far freed from sin as to be out of love
with it, and to hate it, with an irreconcileable hatred, you cannot be
partakers of this privilege, and heaven itself would be no heaven to
you. If you do not look upon sin as the greatest evil, and upon
holiness as the most glorious good, and most desirable excellency,
you cannot he capable of this blessed rest.
2. It is a holy rest, as it includes in it not a bare cessation from sin,
but also an exercise of all those holy and heavenly duties which are
proper to this state of rest. The word that is used here, in the
original, signifies the rest of a sabbath: now the rest of a sabbath, had
two things considerable in it.
(1.) The rest of a sabbath was commemorative of their deliverance
from the Egyptian bondage; and in this respect that command is no
more, as to us: the Jewish rest was a duty enjoined with respect to
their state of servitude, wherein they had been harassed so long in
Egypt, and the rest of that day was in itself a duty upon that account:
indeed the rest that we have now upon the Lord's day, may be typical
of our rest in heaven, but it hath no retrospect on the servility which
the Jews suffered.
(2.) The rest of the sabbath was relative, in order to the performance
of all solemn services which God required on that day. For if you
consider rest in itself, that is, bodily rest, it is a thing not pleasing
and grateful to God in itself; but it hath respect to some more noble
end; that is without interruption they might attend upon the service
of God in the tabernacle, or temple, or other places of worship, where
God was called upon. And so this heavenly rest includes in it the
performance of all those acts of duty, and homage, and thankfulness
which are the immortal work and business of the saints above.
Now for the opening of this to you, the following things are to be
noticed.
In order to this perfect service of God in heaven, the spirits of the
saints are exalted in their natural faculties to the highest degree of
natural perfection, that so they may be prepared for this service.
Their understandings are most clear, and composed: there is the
exaltation of the soul in all its power and faculties, to the highest
degree of natural perfection. This is included in the expression of the
apostle, where he speaks of the heavenly state, Heb. 12:23. "ye are
come to the spirits of just men made perfect."
All these powers and faculties have supernatural endowments, which
are the highest perfection (I spoke of their natural perfections
before) all heavenly graces are infused into the soul, and that in the
highest degree; so that as your jewels of great price are set in the
finest gold, so then the graces of God's spirit are most fully given to
the human soul, when it is raised to its highest perfection. Thus in
the understanding, there is a perfect knowledge of God. Light is that
which is spoken of as the character of heaven; it is called, "the
inheritance of the saints in light;" and so saith the psalmist, "in thy
light we shall see light." In the will and affections there is a most
entire and ardent love of God, which is its highest perfection. In the
whole soul there is that joy and that peace that may make all the
faculties united to glorify God.
(3.) From the soul raised to the highest degree of its natural
perfection; and from those supernatural perfections that are
bestowed upon it, there result the noblest, and purest, and most
exalted operations of the soul; and herein they consist: in the
contemplation of God, and his glorious excellencies, and wonderful
works, and in the continual love and praises of God, the admiring of
him, and the esteeming of his excellencies and works, and in the
continual enjoying of him. Thus the heavenly state is often set forth
by the seeing of God; Matt. 5:8. "blessed are the pure in heart, for
they shall see God:" Heb. 12. "and without holiness no man shall see
the Lord." And it is set forth by the praising of God; Isa. 6:3. "and the
seraphims cried one to another, and said, holy, holy, holy, is the Lord
of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory." And so you shall find,
Rev. 5:13. "every creature which is in heaven, and on earth, and
under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I
heard saying, blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto
him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever, and
ever." This is the work of heaven: and indeed we cannot entertain
any proper conception of heaven otherwise: for observe, the
glorifying the creature is not for itself, but in order to the glory of
God. God doth not take the soul and transport it to heaven, that the
soul should be merely happy in the enjoyment of God, but that God
might be glorified in glorifying the creature. So that you cannot
otherwise conceive of this rest, this divine and heavenly rest. Now
here God acts like a wise and holy God, all his actions terminate in
his own glory. This one consideration of heaven, that it is a holy rest,
is that which makes it unamiable, and undesirable to carnal men. It
is true, such may desire it as a refuge from hell: but they desire it not
as a state wherein they are to be always conversant in the love of
God, and in the praises of God, and the everlasting enjoyment of
him. Carnal men cannot taste it, they have not a proper palate for it:
it can only draw forth the heart of the saints: and yet, let me tell you,
this is the substantial blessedness of heaven.
There is a question among philosophers, whether happiness consists
in our action, or merely in our enjoyment? And we must determine it
doth consist in both. It is not our mere passive reception of the glory
of God that is our happiness, without our active returns to him, our
glorifying him, the Author and Fountain of all
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 20:44:25 GMT -5
IV. The Second Excellency of this Rest. It is a Joyful Rest.
It is a joyful rest. This set forth by the joy of holy men in this life, in
pardon, grace, and hope of heaven. The grounds of this joyful rest;
viz. freedom from all toil in the service of God, from afflictions of all
sorts. Compared to the joy of harvest; and of a victory. Which must
be great, because of the dangerous enemies that are overcome, and
the prize that hereby is secured; and it is an entire, absolute, final
victory.
ii. THE second excellency of our rest in heaven, it this, it is not only a
holy rest, but it is a joyful rest. And for the opening of this, there are
many things which I shall propound to you.
1. Consider the kingdom of heaven hath several degrees. There is a
lower degree of it that is possessed here. You shall find in one
scripture our Saviour tells his hearers, that "the kingdom of God is
within them." And if you compare that scripture with what the
apostle saith, Rom. 14:17. "the kingdom of God is not in meats and
drinks, but in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."
You will find that in this life we have the first degrees of the heavenly
kingdom. We have the first degrees of it as to the righteousness and
holiness of it, and as to the peace and joy of it while we are here. And
therefore we read of the firstfruits of the Spirit, and of the earnest of
the Spirit: that is, the operations of the Holy Ghost, whether the
graces or comforts of the saints here, are the first-fruits and earnests
of the heavenly state. Now this I lay as a foundation, that so I may
raise your thoughts to consider what the joy of the heavenly life is.
Consider, in this life there are three things that are matter of spiritual
joy to the saints, which afford so rich, so replenishing and satisfying
a joy to them, that all the pleasures of the world are dilute and
tasteless to them, and they bear with magnanimity all the troubles of
this world. Let us a little consider them, that so we may thereby exalt
and raise our thoughts to conceive of the glory of heaven. There are
three things that are matter of our joy here.
(1.) Reconciliation with God in Christ, the pardon of sin. This the
apostle particularly instanceth in; Rom. 5:1. "being justified by faith,
we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." The peace
and joy that arises from hence, the apostle tells, Phil. 4:7. "passeth all
understanding," not only with respect to the causes of it, it being
purchased by the obedience and sufferings of the Son of God; but the
sense of it while we are here, exceeds all possible expression; our
understandings cannot find out words large enough to declare the
joyful sense we have of it. For the soul that hath felt what an
intolerable burthen sin is, to have the pardoning mercy of God upon
solid grounds declared to it, it brings down heaven into the soul, it is
a very paradise here. O my brethren, he that enjoys the pardoning
mercy of God by the light of faith, hath a joy unspeakable and full of
glory.
(2.) Another thing that is matter of our spiritual joy is, when the
work of grace is carried on prosperously in the soul. When religion in
its radiancy and vigour governs in our hearts. There is nothing more
joyful to a holy person than this; and accordingly as sin is subdued,
and temptations effectually resisted, and grace doth obtain more
degrees of power within us, proportionably according to the
righteousness and holiness of this kingdom, is always the joy and
peace of it, unless it be in particular temptations. I speak of the usual
course with God's people; this makes the soul willing to suffer the
loss of outward things, if its inward graces thrive and flourish.
(3.) As the favor of God, and the image of God, are the causes of this
joy, so the hope of eternal glory. This the scripture often mentioneth:
Rom. 5:2. "rejoicing in hope of the glory of God." And it is said in
another place, "rejoicing in hope;" and Rom. 15:10. "rejoice ye
Gentiles with his people. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the
power of the Holy Ghost." We have not only joy of present
reconciliation, but of believing that we shall come to the
consummating joy above. I lay this down for raising your thoughts by
this consideration: if that joy that is in the breast of a saint is so
great, that the strength, and virtue, and efficacy of it will make him
despise all that the carnal world so much esteemeth, and endure all
that the carnal world so much fears; then ascend in your thoughts,
and consider what is the joy of heaven; if the earnest and firstfruits of
it will make a christian rejoice, and "glory in tribulation!" Rom. 5:3. I
remember it is the observation of Tertullian in the primitive times,
that when the christian church was under the most terrible
persecution, the very heathen were induced to consider what the
religion was, that fortified men to endure the greatest miseries with
that serenity of soul, with that joy, with that triumph. He observes
that several heathens were induced to consider the excellency of
religion, and to say, certainly this religion is divine, it is the offspring
of heaven, that can make poor creatures endure such troubles with
joy. Now (my brethren) there is as much difference between what the
saints attain and enjoy in this world, and the joys of heaven, as there
is between sipping at a cistern, and entering into the ocean of joy.
Here the joy of heaven enters into the saints, but hereafter they shall
enter into that joy. "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Matt. 25:31.
Heaven is the element of joy, the immense ocean of joy, where the
souls of the people of God are always filled to the utmost capacities.
O consider how joyful that state must be, which so infinitely
transcends and exceeds the joy that the saints have here! And yet the
apostle Paul, who was a man of sorrows, 1 Cor. 6:5. "in stripes, in
imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;"
saith he, "we are as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." He speaks of his
troubles with a diminution, as sorrowful; as if they only touched his
skin, and did not pierce his flesh; but he had his heart full of joy. But
now this fulness of joy, the perfection of it is above. Consider this joy
of heaven, this heavenly rest;
2. There is in it a freedom from all toil which we endure in the service
of God. While we are here below, our bodies are the instruments of
our souls; and though "the spirit is willing, yet the flesh is weak:"
therefore it is requisite there should be an intermission of the most
serious, intent, and most immediate service of God, because our,
sensitive faculties would otherwise be wasted, and sink under the
burthen. He that plays upon a lute is fain to relax the strings, lest by
a constant stretching of them the strings should break. But we shall
cease in heaven from all that labour that is wearisome to our
sensitive parts: for although the bodies of the saints shall for ever be
joined with their souls in the service of God, yet their bodies there
shall be spiritual bodies; "it is sown a natural body, but raised a
spiritual body." 1. Cor. 15:44. Spiritual, not with respect to the
substance of the body, for it is impossible that flesh should be
converted into spirit; but it is a spiritual body, as it is fitted for those
spiritual exercises in heaven, and as it hath spiritual endowments
that qualify it for that state. So that in heaven there shall be no
weariness and no occasion of relaxing us from the service of God, for
the refreshing and recruiting our strength. But on earth no saint can
continue with constancy and invariableness in the discharge of his
duty, but he will waste his strength and spirits, and want
refreshment. Indeed our Saviour did do the will of his heavenly
Father without intermission; but every saint while he is living in the
flesh, needs some relaxation, in order to a more vigorous service of
God: but in heaven, in that eternal rest, we shall be freed from all
that is toilsome and wearying in the serving and glorifying God.
3. There shall be a rest from all those afflicting evils which we are
liable to upon a double account. Either, 1st. Those afflictions that are
attendant upon our mortal state: those afflictions which though they
are not the immediate punishments of sin, yet are the consequences
of sin. It is said, that "man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly
upward:" you know sparks do naturally ascend; so man in this
mortal state is naturally liable to trouble, and many times the most
excellent servants of God are under painful and languishing diseases,
so that they can neither live nor die; how many times are they
exposed to those calamities which swiftly range through the world,
which strike first upon one, and then upon another? Though yet they
are overruled by a superior providence. In heaven they shall be freed
from all that is afflicting, that will any way discompose or distress
their rest. 2dly, Besides these common calamities, there are special
afflictions that the people of God are obnoxious to; while there is any
in this world that hate the image of God, and oppose the glory of
God, his people are liable in a special and peculiar manner to their
rage and fury: for there was no age as yet, but there have been
enemies to the saints as saints: as the apostle saith, "he that loveth
him that begat, will love him also that is begotten of him." So on the
contrary, one who hates him that begat, will hate him also that is
begotten of him. We read, John 12 they had a design to murder
Lazarus, because Christ raised him from the dead; because his divine
power and authority was visible in his resurrection: so many hate the
saints because God hath quickened them to a divine life, that were
dead in sins and trespasses. Do you not see in France at this very
time the spirit of persecution and rage raised against the professors
of the truth, which except God in mercy extinguish, will end in their
ruin? And it is your duty to lay it to heart, and sympathize with them.
But in heaven the saints shall be freed from all this: they are not only
freed from all calamities, but from all persecutions they are exposed
to for the name of Christ. In the next place.
4. They are freed from all sorrowful affections: you shall find the
scripture hath expressions more than once about this. It is said, Rev.
21:4. That "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no suffering, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there
be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." In heaven
there is no shadow of sin, no shadow of sorrow, no shadow of death:
it is the kingdom of life and joy; all tears are dried up there. Now
there are three kinds of tears that flow from our eyes while we are in
this world, which shall all be dried up in heaven.
(1.) Our tears of contrition for our offending God, and for fear of the
divine displeasure. O there is no grief more cordial than this! A holy
soul that loveth God, is never more deeply serious than when he
exercises this affection; because God is displeased and dishonoured,
this is that which pricks their hearts; as we read, Acts 2:27. "The
Jews were pricked to their hearts," when they heard that they had
crucified the Lord of life. Indeed a hardened stupid wretch, in whom
rebellion reigns, he looks upon his sins as a light burden: but a
gracious soul is troubled for a vain thought, for an idle word, or an
irregular action: the reason is, because a saint hath proper
conceptions of the holiness of God, the highest valuations of his
favour; therefore whatsoever is a contradiction to his holy will,
whatsoever eclipseth the light of his countenance, he doth most
deeply and sensibly lay to heart. In heaven it is matter of their joy,
that God hath given them complete victory over all their past sins.
Repentance should accompany the soul to the gates of heaven, but it
shall never enter there. As we read in the book of Esther, concerning
the court of the Persian emperor, it is said that none should come in
mourning into his court; so none are to come to heaven in mourning:
when once they are admitted into that state, immediately sorrow and
sighing fly away. And is not this a joyful rest, when we shall be freed
from all sorrow, the most sharp, and wounding, and deepest sorrow.
In heaven there is no remembrance of God's displeasure against sin,
and therefore no relics of sorrow for it: but the reconciled face and
favour of God, is that which fills them with joy. When the prodigal
was returned to his father, Luke 15. (that is an instance of a
converted person in this life) and confessed his sin penitently and
mournfully, the father calls for the robe and ring, kept a festival, and
received him into his embraces. O conceive what infinite joy there is
in being received into the kingdom of our heavenly Father.
(2.) As in heaven we shall be freed from all tears of contrition, so
from all tears of compassion for the sins and miseries of others. They
shall be all wiped away in heaven. Good men have the tenderest
affections, and are most apt to sympathize with others in their
temporal or spiritual troubles. If a saint could live here without sin,
or any external trouble as to his own person, yet while he lives
among the miserable, and is encompassed with so many spectacles of
woe, so many sad sights, he can never be free from sorrow. Our Lord
Jesus, when he drew near to Jerusalem, and foresaw the dreadful
desolations that were hastening to it, he wept over it. Every saint
hath the same mind and affections that Christ hath, and hath melting
and tender affections, and a compassionate and sympathizing spirit,
with reference to the evils and sufferings of others. Now in heaven all
these tears of compassion shall be wiped away. What sense or
knowledge the spirits in heaven have of human affairs in this world,
is uncertain to us: "It is said Abraham is ignorant of us:" he knows
not our afflicted state here, that is, particularly; but the saints above
generally know that the saints here are in troubles and conflicts, that
the church here is militant. But they that are seated before the throne
of God, are incapable of sorrow, and hurtful impressions of it, from
all the evils that befal others, as Christ himself is. For they live his
life, and they are continually satisfied with his presence: so that it is
impossible they should be touched with any sorrowful sense of the
evils that befal others. Now is not this a joyful rest, when we shall not
only be freed from the sorrow of our own sins, but also from all that
sorrow that the spectacles of human misery might draw from us?
(3.) There are those human tears and sorrows that arise from our
own personal troubles, that are not for sin, but for the punishment of
sin, the troubles that are afflictive to sense. While a man hath a soul
here joined to living flesh, the soul will sympathize with all the
troubles and afflictions of the body: but in heaven God hath prepared
a sanctuary of rest from whatsoever may disturb or afflict us. It is
said concerning the church on earth, there shall be no pricking briar,
no wounding thorn: but this is eminently true of the church in
heaven. So that if you consider the heavenly rest, with respect to the
freedom that shall be from all toilsome labour, and all those sorrows
that arise from afflictive evils, it may give you some apprehension
what the joy of heaven is.
Now this freedom from evil is that which most sensibly discovereth
to us the heavenly joy, while we are in this state, and upon this
account, because human nature in this life is surrounded with evils,
and is more sensibly affected with evil, than it is with that which is
good. The life of man, which is a passage through this world, is fitly
compared to a voyage through a tempestuous sea; and you may as
well reckon the number of waves that impetuously break one upon
another, as you can reckon up all the afflictive evils of this life. There
is not the life of any single person, but there are so many scenes (if I
may so speak) and so many habits and changes in this life, from
mourning to joy, and from pleasure to grief and sorrow, that it
cannot but be a sensible demonstration how desirable it is to be freed
from these things. The truth is, we have here real griefs, but our joys
are empty. Nay, there is nothing that is a temporal comfort, but it
hath a hidden sting in it, and may be an occasion of grief and
discomfort. So that our present life in this is like a labyrinth of
thorns, we walk from one place to another, but still we meet with
thorns: but in the heavenly state above, we are free from all these:
sorrow and sighing are fled away: the first step we take into the
heavenly kingdom, we bid an eternal farewel to grief and sorrow.
Doth not this render this heavenly life very desirable, when we shall
have nothing at all of impressions of things that are evil; when all the
affections shall be in a joyful exercise for ever? This I would have you
frequently to consider of, as one affecting notion of heaven. The
scripture insists upon it to make it desirable to you. Now before I
proceed to speak concerning those things which will be our
substantial joys in heaven (for now I am speaking of freedom from
misery and trouble) there are two considerations whereby the
scriptures represent the joyfulness of this rest, with respect to our
labours, sorrows, and conflicts in this life.
Heaven is such a rest from all our sorrows and sufferings, and from
all our laborious actions in this life, as we take in the harvest, after all
the toil and trouble we have been at in tilling the earth, and
preparing it for the harvest. It is compared in scripture to that joy
that we receive from taking of the fruit of our labours. The psalmist,
when he speaks concerning the afflictions of God's people, hath this
very allusion, Psal. 126:5. "They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless
come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Where
you see the afflicted state of godliness in this life is compared to
sowing in tears; and the rest and recompence after it, is expressed by
bringing their sheaves with joy. Now observe, there is no carnal joy
that ariseth from our labours, that is more sensible than this, when
we partake of the harvest or of the vintage. It is said there, where the
psalmist speaks of carnal joy in its elevation: Psal. 4:7. "Thou hast
put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and
their wine increased." When our labours that are used towards the
earth in ploughing and sowing, harrowing, manuring and watering it,
in order to fruitfulness, succeed in a plentiful harvest, this is a time of
joy. Now our rest in heaven is a partaking of the harvest and vintage
of our labours; and in this respect it is a great joy. If you will believe a
voice from heaven it is so: Rev. 14:13. "Blessed are the dead which
die in the Lord, from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may
rest from their labours, and their works do follow them." Their works
do follow them; that is, they do enjoy a fruitful harvest of all their
works here. They rest from their labours, and have a blessed result
from them in heaven. The holy soul enjoys the benefit of all its
prayers, of all its tears, of all its sincere services to God, of all its love
and charity to men, and of all its earnest endeavours for heaven. The
memory then hath a clear and perfect view of all the services that
were done God on earth. Now the testimony of conscience in this life
is so joyful, that the apostle saith, 2 Cor. 1:12. "For our rejoicing is
this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly
sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have
had our conversation in the world." When the soul comes to heaven,
this testimony of conscience shall be revived and renewed in
perfection; so that conscience that was here our comfort, shall be
there our eternal crown, and we shall enjoy the fruit of all our own
unfeigned endeavours to please and glorify God. Every talent that we
have improved for him, shall be infinitely returned to us. And on this
account the heavenly rest hath respect to the actions and sufferings
of the saints in this life, as the fruit of their labours; so it is a joyful
rest.
5. This rest is a joyful rest, as it is represented to us as a rest that is
the fruit of victory over all our enemies that we contended with in
our way to heaven. When we come to that blessed state, we are then
victorious over them, and so that rest is infinitely joyful. Now the
scripture makes use of this resemblance. We find Rom. 8:37. it is
said concerning the saints in this life, "Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors, through him that loved us." Mat. 12:26. "A
bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not
quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory." Judgment, by that
is meant grace in the soul; it is called judgment, because the work of
grace is carried on in a rational convincing manner. The judgment
leads the will, and the will commands all the inferior faculties: and
"Judgment shall be brought forth unto victory:" grace shall at last be
powerful and victorious over all its enemies. Now there is no joy in
the world that is equal to the joy of victory and triumph. And that
you may see a little what the joy of heaven will be in this respect, do
but consider these things, which make that victory infinitely more
sweet and joyful to the soul.
(1.) The danger we are in from the enemies with whom we do contest
in our way to heaven. The scripture represents them as formidable
because of their enmity, subtilty, strength and great numbers; which
shows how infinite our danger is. They are called by the title of their
chief and regent, the dragon and the roaring lion who hath
innumerable squadrons under him, legions of rebellious spirits that
are always warring against us. They are for their craft set forth under
the title of the old serpent: for their strength they are called
principalities and powers; and spiritual wickednesses in opposition
to flesh, which is an expression of our frailty and weakness: and they
are in combination with innumerable lusts in our own hearts, and
with this world, and they use the allurements and discouragements
of it to overcome us, and make us lose our heavenly prize. Now do
but consider what we are to oppose so terrible, and such numberless
enemies. The scripture speaking concerning the state of man, in
opposition to satan, calleth us babes—"Out of the mouths of babes,
and sucklings hast thou ordained strength." Psal. 8:2. This does first
respect our blessed Saviour, who sprung from so mean an original, as
being a babe and a suckling; and under that name all his members,
the whole church of God in all ages are comprehended; they are but
in a state of human weakness and infirmity, so that we are in
unspeakable danger of being overcome by these enemies. Where the
enemy is potent and cruel, and the strength that overcomes it so
small, how doth it enhance the sweetness of victory! I will give you
one instance of it. The children of Israel were pursued by Pharaoh
and all his chariots of Egypt; there was no passage visible for them;
there was the red sea before them, and a cruel enemy behind them.
Now when God made a passage for them through the red sea, and
when he destroyed all their enemies in their passage, do but read
what was the joyful effect of that victory: "Then sung Moses and the
children of Israel, this song unto the Loud, saying, I will sing unto
the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider
hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and
he is become my salvation, &c. who is tike unto thee O Lord among
the gods, who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises,
doing wonders?" Exod. 15:1–11. The memory of the eminent danger
that threatened them, made them break forth into the high praises of
God, and filled them with the most cordial and sensible joy, to see
that they should be saved from the enemy that was ready to devour
them in such a manner. So in 114 Psal.—"When Israel went out of
Egypt the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, the sea
saw it and fled, Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like
rams, and the little hills like lambs. What ailed thee, O sea, that thou
fleddest? Thou Jordan that thou wast driven back?" These figurative
expressions triumphantly set forth the praises of God for delivering
them from their present danger, when they had the sea before them,
and the Egyptian army behind them. When we come to heaven, and
shall consider how dangerous an enemy we had to encounter with,
how tedious conflicts he had with us, and how it might be said of us
as David said of himself, "There was but a step between me and
death." And God saved us from an enemy without us, and spiritual
enemies within us; then we shall sing the song of Moses and of the
Lamb. So we read of the church when it had rest from antichristian
enemies; "And they sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, saying
great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty" &c. Rev.
15:3. When we shall overcome this spiritual Pharaoh, the devil and
all his hosts, O this will fill us with strange surprising joy, and will
make us magnify the saving mercy of God, and admire his wonderful
power, which saveth us from such enemies. That is one of the
considerations that shows how the rest of heaven will be the joy of
victory, in overcoming dangerous and cruel enemies.
(2.) The second thing is, this joyful rest is also enhanced, if you
consider what that prize is which you have secured and preserved
from these enemies by this victory. Suppose there was a contention
about things of no great value, yet victory is pleasant about trifles;
but much more a cause of joy when it is about things of greatest
moment. When angry and proud kings contend about a province or a
kingdom, it is no great matter, for the whole world is but a miserable
scene of vanity; and if one man had it all, he would be always
unsatisfied. But now consider you are to encounter with spiritual
enemies for your all. The scripture tells us they war against the soul.
1 Pet. 2:11. The soul is our most excellent and eternal part; they war
against your souls and would rob you of your innocence, of your
purity and peace; the prize here is invaluable: these enemies would
rob you of the love of God, which is better than life, for this is that
which they contend for. The apostle speaks concerning our spiritual
enemies. Rom. 8:35. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
And that is the prize they would fain rob us of, the love of Christ,
which is the fountain of all felicity; and the love of God, which is
better than life. These enemies would rob us of his favour, and
expose us to his displeasure. Therefore the prize is so great, our
victory over our enemies must be very sweet. "Hold fast that which
thou hast, that no man take thy crown." It is a crown of life, a crown
of righteousness, an immortal inheritance, that fadeth not away, the
kingdom of heaven. The apostle calls it the "prize of our high calling
of God in Christ Jesus." Now where there is such a perfection of
blessedness, and where it is the soul that is contended, for, how
sweet will the victory be, when all our enemies shall be over thrown,
and we scouted from their assaults.
(3.) Another thing that makes this victory joyful, is this, it shall be
entire, absolute, and final, over all these enemies. As Moses said to
the Israelites, "Stand still and see the salvation of God, which he will
show unto you to-day; for the Egyptians whom you have seen to-day,
you shall see them again no more for ever," Then after their
deliverance, they brake out into a triumphant song. While we are in
this world, we are always in a state of warfare. Now consider what
pleasure there is in victory; a holy soul finds more joy in conquering
one passion, than in gratifying all his passions. There is more
pleasure in mortifying one carnal affection, than in satisfying all our
carnal affections. This victory will end in everlasting songs of
triumph. In this world the enemy will return upon us after we have
conquered him: if you resist him one hour and foil him, he will
assault you the next. It is said, the tempter departed from Christ for a
season. Luke 4:13. But he was so bold and insolent as to return again
upon him. So it is with every believer in this world: our victory is but
single, and the enemy is not quite broken; therefore we should be
always upon our guard and have our graces in a vigorous exercise,
and our armour in readiness. But in heaven the enemies are totally
routed and subdued, and our conflicts and dangers are at an end, for
we shall be molested no more. O how joyful shall this be to us! We
are not able to conceive what greater joy we can receive, than in
getting a final and entire victory over all our spiritual enemies. There
is one scripture very applicable to this purpose, Rev. 3:21. "To him
that overcometh will I grant, to sit with me in my throne, oven as I
also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne". It is
by persevering in the way of holiness, notwithstanding all the
disturbance and opposition that we meet with, that we overcome.
What now doth sitting on the throne signify? It signifies two things,
rest and triumph. To sit down on the throne after victory it signifies
rest and freedom from all the assaults of our enemies and that
triumphant joy, that glory the soul shall then be in: for heaven is a
state of glorious joy, that ariseth from the ruin of our spiritual
enemies. God hath made a poor weak believer to be victorious over
all the opposition that earth and hell could mate against him.
Therefore saith the apostle, "We are more than conquerors." All the
conflicts and oppositions that we meet with shall contribute to our
rest and triumph. O consider these things and seriously believe and
meditate on them, that so the soul may be enlarged and strengthened
with constancy and vigour to go through our spiritual warfare, till we
come to that joyful rest in heaven. There is nothing will make us
more zealous for God and cheerful in resisting temptations, than the
consideration of this everlasting rest. There is a triumphant felicity
shall be bestowed upon all those, that persevere in holiness to the
end of their lives. Thus I have dome with the consideration of this
joyful rest, with respect to the cessation and freedom it gives us from
all our labours, and from all the afflictive evils, and a full and
complete victory over all our spiritual enemies.
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 20:50:34 GMT -5
V. It is a Joyful Rest (continued).
There is a conjunction of all the saints in this rest. Whose society is
highly pleasant, because they are free from all blemishes, and united
in the most joyful work; and exceedingly love each other.
I Shall now proceed to the positive part of substantial happiness. And
the first I shall instance in, is the lowest part of heaven, yet it is that
which will make it very sweet to our apprehensions, viz. The
conjunction of all the saints of God in that blessed rest, and their
communion in that heavenly glory. The communion of saints is one
part of their happiness in this life; and it is a part of our happiness in
the next: you shall find therefore the apostle, when he speaks of the
gospel-state, which comprehends both the militant and triumphant
church, Heb. 12:22. says, "But you are come to Mount Sion, the city
of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels, and to the general assembly and church of the
first-born, which are written in heaven." We have not a more proper
conception of happiness, than for persons to converse with those
whom they love. Do but consider in this present life, how sweet and
pleasant is the conversation of a wise and holy person, and one in
whom there is sweetness of affability: how charming is the
conversation of such a person; how strangely doth it ravish our
hearts! So that when a man meets with such a one, he is like an angel
sent from paradise to him. Now do but imagine with yourselves what
joy must be, when you shall meet with the universal assembly of all
the glorified spirits: when the blessed angels of God, of all orders,
shall be every one your friend: when you shall see all the members of
the Old and New Jerusalem, the church under the Old Testament
and under the New, and shall have the most sweet and intimate
converse with them. There are two things considerable, to show you
how much your joyful converse in heaven will be above what you can
have with the saints here, in the present state: the holiest person on
earth hath his blemishes and imperfections, so that we cannot have
such a clear converse with him, but it may be, sometime or other,
something will be a little irksome, and this may take off from their
amiableness. And we can choose none to be a friend among men, but
we must make an allowance for human frailties and infirmities. But
now in heaven, the image of God hath received his last land; all the
celestial colours are added to it, to give it beauty, life, and vivacity:
their grace is changed into glory, and every saint is a complete copy
of the original perfection of God himself: so the saints in heaven are
all exceedingly lovely, and God loveth them. Therefore there is
reason we should believe that the spirits of just men made perfect,
will add to the loveliness and universal joy of that place; for heaven is
a world of love, the law of love reigns there: faith and hope shall
cease, but love shall reign in heaven: there the saints love God
perfectly, and love one another with an invariable affection. There
they have one heart, and one mind; and therefore how are they
pleased with the happiness of one another, in the happiness every
one enjoys? And they are alt sharers in the happiness of every one.
How doth this make that communion and converse to be more
sweet!
And consider, they are all united in that most joyful work of
worshipping, of glorifying, and praising God; and they are always
inflaming one anothers affections to God. We read that the
seraphims cried one to another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy is the
Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isa. 6:3. They cried
one to another, as if they would inflame each others breast; and that
which is our work here is our happiness there: they are always
joyfully united in the praises of the Lord, who is the King of saints:
they are always singing glory to God that sits upon the throne, and to
the Lamb for ever and ever. Now where there is such loveliness in
every one, where there is such an entire affection, and where they are
all united in so blessed a work; O what a state of joy is there! This is
the state of heaven.
Do but consider what the scripture speaks of this state, and it is
impossible that any one that believes and hopes for this blessedness,
but he should immediately despise the earth, and all those
temptations that would hinder him from obtaining. It is incredible
that any one should hope for this, and not immediately renounce
these vain and sensual perishing pleasures. O let us be purifying
ourselves, and refining ourselves, that we may be made meet for
heaven: this should be the end of your hearing, and it is the end of
my preaching to you.
In short, heaven is that kingdom and that state where love is the law,
and where it rules. So you shall find the apostle tells us, 1 Cor. 13:8.
"Charity never fails; whether there be prophecies they shall fail;
whether there be tongues they shall cease; whether there be
knowledge it shall vanish away, &c." Faith and hope shall give way to
vision and enjoyment, which is in its perfection above. We read of
the love of Jonathan to David, a rare and almost unparalleled
instance, considering the great distance between them; the one being
a prince and an heir to a crown, and the other but of mean
extraction. 1 Sam. 18:1. In heaven the law of love, is obeyed in its
perfection: thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; it is not obeyed
so here; but in heaven there is a complete obedience; they have a love
so complete and absolute to one another, that they unspeakably love
the happiness of one another. If you should say to me now, but the
scripture tells us, there are degrees of glory in heaven, and doth not
that cause some suspicion and jealousy between them? Is there
nothing of discord there? Where some excel others in glory as the
stars of the greatest magnitude excel those that are lesser in glory. I
answer all the saints in heaven are complete according to their
capacities: indeed some are more enlightened and more enlarged in
their enjoyment of God; but they are all complete, they are all kings,
and they all reign with God, they are all heirs of God; what can be
said more of them? Consider further with yourselves; the wills of all
the blessed are in perfect conformity and submission to God's will.
Now it is the will of God, and an effect of his wisdom, that there
should be different degrees of glory; and that order which God hath
established is most equal and amiable in their eye. He that hath the
lowest degree of glory, he is as well satisfied as he that hath the
highest; because it is according to the will of God: in that variety, and
in those several degrees of glory, the order and wisdom of God
appears. I will express this to you by a similitude, that you may all
understand it. As in an instrument of music there are several strings
of different sizes and sounds, some strings have a higher: and
sharper sound, others a lower and graver note; from which variety all
the harmony doth result. Now if the strings of this instrument were
capable of making their choice, every one would be in that place
where it is set, because all the music and harmony ariseth from this
distinction and variety; so every saint in heaven hath that degree of
glory that infinite wisdom hath appointed and therefore he would
choose it because it is according to the divine will and wisdom, and
because in all that variety there is harmony, and beauty, and
sweetness. So that this is not prejudicial to that holy and perfect love
that reigns in heaven, for all is love, and all is joy and peace there.
Now this is one part of the joy of heaven; the "apostle" speaks of it,
Heb. 12:22. "But ye are come to Mount Sion, the city of the living
God, and to an innumerable company of angels, and to the general
assembly and church of the first-born which are written in heaven,
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 21:06:10 GMT -5
VI. The Subject of Joy Continued.
The chief happiness of this rest lies in the enjoyment of God. The joy
of heaven is exceeding great, because it is correspondent to the
majesty and greatness of God; and proportionable to the love he
bears to his people, and to the infinite price of the blood of Christ.
Christ is enjoyed in heaven, and God on whom the saints' love is
entirely fixed, and there God most fully communicates himself to
them, and immediately.
I Shall new proceed to speak of the most substantial part of the joys
of heaven, and that it our enjoyment of Gad himself: all other things
divines express by the accessions and additional joys of heaven; but
the substantial and essential joy therefore is in God himself.
Before I speak of this, there are three consideration which I shall lay
down to raise your thoughts; that though it is impossible that we
should fully understand that joy before we come thither, yet these
may help us by degrees to ascend to a higher apprehension of it.
1. The glory, blessedness, and rest of heaven, is that which shall be
answerable and correspondent to the majesty, greatness, and
magnificence of God, who is the preparer and giver of it: gifts are
usually proportioned to the state and degree of those that give them.
You read in the book of Esther concerning the Persian monarch; he
designed an entertainment for all his primes and servants, and the
powers of Persia and Media, and the nobles, and the princes of the
provinces being before him when he showed the riches of his
glorious kingdom, and the honour of his excellent majesty many
days, even an hundred days; Esth. 1:4, 5. "And when these days were
ended, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in
Shushan the palace, both unto great and small for seven days, in the
court of the garden of the king's palace." You read there how
pompous and great this entertainment was for all his subjects: there
were vessels of gold of different forms and figures; for it is said, "they
gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being divers one from
another) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of a
king." Thus you see what splendour and magnificence there was in
this entertainment. Now consider with yourselves when the king of
heaven will prepare a glory and a blessedness, whereby he will show
the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the honour of his excellent
majesty: O who is able to understand it while we are here below! The
angels above cannot comprehend it. It is observable, that this is
attributed to God's immediate making and preparing, Matt. 25:34.
"Then shall the king say to them on his right hand, come ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world." It was prepared by God before the
foundation of the world was laid. Now those things which are
immediately made by God have the clearest signatures and marks of
his excellent, perfection; there is the most glorious refulgence of his
attributes shining in these things. It is observable, that those things
which God hath made by his command are not so excellent as those
things which he hath made by his hand: he spake the word, and gave
his command concerning other creatures, and they were made, Gen.
1:20. "And God said, let the waters bring forth abundantly; the
moving creatures that have life, and fowls that may fly above the
earth, in the open firmament of heaven. And God said, let the earth
bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping
things, and beasts of the earth after his kind, and it was so. And God
said, let us make man in our own image and likeness, and let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air,
and over the cattle, and over all the earth." Whereas God spake the
word, and others creatures were made by his command: he made
man by his own hand, as the most excellent piece of this lower world.
So heaven and the glory of it is made toy God's own hand, it was
made by God himself, as the expression of his power, greatness,
majesty, and goodness.
2. The next general consideration is this; the glory of God is that
which will bear a proportion to that love of God which he hath to his
people. It shall be a noble expression of that love, and suitable to it.
Now to make you a little to understand the force of this: God hath a
general love to his creatures, and a special love to his children, to
those who are his friends and favourites.
(1.) There is a general love that God bears to mankind in this lower
world, as they have the title of his creatures: that love hath declared
itself in making this world so pleasant an habitation for man as he is
in his natural state. Now pray consider with yourselves; God hath
made a thousand things in this world, which are not absolutely
necessary for the support of our lives, but for the refreshment, and
comfort, and pleasure of them; and this is from his general love to
mankind. How many stars are there that adorn the firmament in the
night? which are a most pleasant, spectacle, but are not so absolutely
necessary for lights. And how many things are there which ate for
pleasure and delight, which are not necessary for the support of life.
(2.) God hath a peculiar love to his children, and that love he hath
designed to glorify in heaven: therefore you shall find, Eph. 1:6. the
great work of redemption, both as to the accomplishment of it, and
the actual bestowing the fruits thereof upon us; the great end of it is
said to be to the praise of the glory of the grace of God; the glory of
his love; that love which warmed his breast from eternity with
thoughts of compassion towards man; this love he will glorify in
heaven; and he hath prepared such glory and joy for them, that they
shall know he will love them like a God in an infinite and
inconceivable manner. Do but a little ascend in your thoughts thus;
'Hath God made a beautiful world, so full of comforts and
refreshment; hath he made this, and given it to rebellious
contumacious sinners, those that live in open defiance of his laws
and government? What then hath he prepared for those that love and
serve him, in the kingdom above?'
3. Consider what that glory and blessedness must be which beers a
proportion to the infinite price of the blood of the Son of God, which
was shed not only to be a ransom to free you from hell, but as a price
to obtain heaven for you: the saints obtain heaven not only by
pardon and by gift, but with respect to the Lord Jesus they obtain it
by purchase; he purchased it for them; "the gift of God is eternal life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23. Our Saviour left heaven,
and endured a life of sorrow here in the world, and submitted to
suffering and dying, that we might obtain heaven.
Now would he who is a just esteemer of things, give such an
inestimable price for that which is not answerable to it? O certainly
this is the highest step that we can ascend to here; heaven is such a
glory, as is worthy of all that which Christ the eternal Son of God,
and Lord of life did and suffered therefore when we have spoken and
thought according to the utmost extent of our minds, how short do
we fall of that excellent and inconceivable glory! These are the
directions I give you to raise your thoughts to consider how great this
glory must be. Now I come to that which the scripture tells us is the
heaven of heavens, and that is the enjoyment of God and Christ.
First, I will speak a little concerning the enjoyment of Christ's
presence: now there may be a double consideration of it.
(1.) As Christ is the eternal Son of God, and possesseth the divine
nature, with all the divine excellencies, and so he and the Father are
one: and in what I shall speak concerning the enjoyment of God, the
enjoyment of Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is included; the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, being the Same in substantial and
essential glory: so the enjoyment of one is the enjoyment of every one
of them: and indeed it is the sacred Trinity that is the fountain at our
happiness, and of that glory that we enjoy in heaven. But 2dly, There
is the consideration of the second person in the sacred and blessed
Trinity, as united to the human nature; so as the glory of the Son of
God shines through the human nature, and is communicated to all
the blessed spirits above: and in this particular consideration I shall
first speak of it. Now this is that which is both the desire of Christ,
and is the most ardent desire of every holy soul, to be with Christ,
and enjoy his presence. You shall see it is the prayer of Christ;
"Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me may be with
me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given
me." John 17:24. They are words so full love and joy, that Christ,
should pray to his father, that they should be with him, and see his
glory, that may both please and astonish us; that it should not
content Christ to be glorified alone, nor glorified with his angels, but
that his poor servants, who here are humbled and loaded with
afflictions, who have been in a mortal dying state, that they should be
raised to his kingdom, and see his glory; it is an argument of the
purest and dearest love that is conceivable. And as our Saviour here
declares the most pure and ardent love to his people, so all those who
are members of Christ have an ardent desire to be with him, and
behold his glory; so you shall find the apostle Paul. "For I am in a
strait between two, having a desire to be with Christ, which is far
better." Phil. 1:23. The apostle represents himself to be in suspense,
being now drawn by two loadstones; the presence of Christ above,
that drew him to heaven; and the good of the church below, that
drew him and pressed him to stay on earth: I would fain be with
Christ, yet I am willing to stay here for the furtherance of your
salvation. Certainly every holy soul, though not in the same degree as
Paul, has a desire to be with Christ, as Paul had; and that desire is a
supreme overruling affection in his soul to be with Christ, to see his
glory; and accordingly the joy of the soul is enlarged when is comes
personally to be with Christ; for this is a rule, according to the degree
of our love, is the strength of our desire; and according to the
strength of our desire is the joy of fruition: this is a rule that runs
through the affections; desire results from love, and takes its fire and
heat from it; and joy is raised and intended according to the degree
of our desire, when we come to possess the desired object. O my
brethren, what joy overflows all the saints above! who are continually
beholding the glory of Christ, and see the Deity shining forth in his
human nature, see him advanced above all principalities and powers:
and that which gives that sweetness of joy to them, is this; they shall
see him thus glorified that died for them, and purchased salvation far
them. This certainly is that which will render the beholding of
Christ's glory infinitely pleasing to us; it was he that did accomplish
it by his own sufferings; he did and suffered what justice required; he
secured the honour of divine justice, that he might exalt the riches of
divine mercy in our salvation.
Therefore I say, consider what infinite pleasure comes to an holy
grateful soul, to see his Saviour thus raised, honoured, reverenced,
and magnified, by all the powers in heaven: to think it is the Lord of
life that gave his life for me that I see thus advanced! And besides
this, the sight of the glory of Christ hath a transforming power upon
all the saints, they are made like him; so that in seeing this glory,
they are glorified with him: for you must know that our Saviour not
only was the meritorious cause of our glory, but also he is the pattern
and the efficient cause of it: so that by seeing him in glory we shall be
made like him, we shall be transformed into his glorious image. It is
an observable expression which our Saviour hath, when he speaks to
those servants that had improved their talents for the honour of their
master; Matt. 25:23. "well done good and faithful servant, thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will make thee a ruler over many
things, enter thou into the joy of thy lord;" thou shalt partake of the
same joy thy master doth. This is that Which makes the saints
unspeakably happy above; they shall be with Christ, they shall be
satisfied with his glory and in their conformity to it: for all the saints
shall be conformed to the human nature of Christ glorified, as to
their pattern and their great exemplar: "who shall change our vile
body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according
to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto
himself." Phil. 3:21. And our souls in heaven shall be conformed to
his glorious soul.
(2) That which is the highest glory of heaven, is the enjoyment of
God himself. Now for the opening of this to you, we are to consider
first that rule I gave you before, that according to our love and our
desire, such will be our joy in possessing the desired good. Now every
saint hath a desire towards God, and a love to him; which I shall
briefly open to you under these two considerations: 1st. That their
love and desire is entirely fixed upon God himself; so that all other
things without him cannot make them happy. The love of the saints
to God is entire to him, as the fountain of that felicity which alone
can make them blessed. You shall find this in David, Psal. 27:4. "one
thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may
dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the
beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple:" where you see that
he fixed his desire upon God, as the sole object of his happiness: for
indeed true happiness is neither absque Deo, nor extra Deum; it is
neither without God, nor out of God; it is in God himself: there is
absolute perfection, where God is enjoyed, who is the spring of
happiness. If you could abstract in your thoughts all the inferior
glories of heaven without God, you would leave heaven without itself.
It is only God's presence which makes heaven. The saints' affections
are entirely set on God; they do not only desire God as the proper
object of their happiness, but they desire him with the strength of
their affections; that is, the full enjoyment of God alone can satisfy
them. They infinitely desire him. Therefore you shall find the
psalmist, when he speaks concerning the ardency of his affections to
God he says, Psal. 42:1. "as the hart panteth after the water brooks,
so panteth my soul after thee, O God: my soul thirsteth for God, for
the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" These
expressions set forth to us in a most lively manner, the ardency of his
desire to enjoy God; his appearing before God, that is meant of the
lower enjoyment of God in his ordinance: he was a banished person,
and could not enjoy God in his tabernacle, the place of public
worship. Now observe, this love and desire of the saints towards God
is infinitely increased in heaven; therefore according to the love and
desire we have towards God, so must be the joy that flows from his
presence.
God doth most fully communicate himself to the saints in heaven. 1.
By revealing all his amiable excellencies to their minds. Therefore it
is said, Matt. 5. "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see
God." They shall see him with an intellectual eye; their
understandings shall see all his glorious perfections, as much as they
can receive of him; and only he that sees God, understands what a
happiness it is to see him. It may be, several of you that hear me,
while I am speaking to you of seeing the Lord, can no more relish it,
than if you should put a cold piece of earth into your mouths; but he
that is a saint indeed, hath some glimmerings of it, and some
foretaste of it. To have a clear view of those divine excellencies which
are the happiness of God himself, which are his natural blessedness;
to see his beauty, the beauty of his holiness, and the glory of his
power, and all his other attributes opened to you in the most
enlarged manner; if our souls were but enlightened, and sanctified,
and raised, this would be very sweet to us: the very hopes of it would
be a heaven to us. Thus the scripture doth represent to us what
heaven is: "without holiness no man shall see God." Seeing God is
the possession of his excellencies, by being brought to see and enjoy
him "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence there is
fulness of joy, at thy righthand there are pleasures for evermore."
Psal. 16:11. God was from eternity a heaven to himself: infinitely
glorious and joyful in himself, certainly then his presence must be a
heaven to the blessed spirits. He that hath the revenues of a king,
may easily discharge the expenses of a small family. If God hath that
infinite excess of happiness to make himself happy, he can easily
make those happy that desire it. 2dly. This shall be accompanied
with the most fervent love of him. Every soul in heaven is inflamed
with the highest degree of love to God, and therefore infinitely
pleased in the glory of God. Now from the sight of that glory, and
that love that he showeth in giving that sight, that love we have to
him is fed, and consequently our joy must always be in its spring-tide
there, because we have the continual presence of God himself. "As
for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied
when I awake with thy likeness." Psal. 17:15. When my soul is
perfected with righteousness and holiness, I shall see thy face and be
satisfied. Whether you understand it of the likeness of God shining in
our glorified Saviour or no, there will be satisfaction flowing from the
discovery and enjoyment of God's perfection in heaven. The wise
man tells us, "the desire accomplished is sweet to the soul." Prov.
13:19. It is the triumph of the soul. Whenever a man hath a strong
desire accomplished, it is the greatest pleasure to him. Do but
consider then, what a paradise there is above, where all the desires
are fully satisfied in God's presence. Do but seriously lay this to
heart, whether is it possible to conceive any thing that is more joyful,
than for the soul to have the most beloved, the most desired, and the
most supreme good in its possession. Thus it is with the glorified
saints above in heaven.
I shall not trouble you with a curious dispute, whether or no we shall
see the essence of God in heaven; for such a discourse would be
above your capacities and apprehensions. The scripture doth
principally insist upon this, when it reveals heaven to us: we shall be
blessed in the presence of God, we shall be happy in the fruition of
him: therefore it is said, Rom. 8:17. "we are the children of God, and
if children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ." And
in the prophecy of Isaiah it is said, that God shall be our glory. And
the prophet Jeremiah, Lam. 3:24. saith, which is principally
accomplished in heaven, "the Lord is my portion, saith any soul,
therefore will I hope in him." Now for us who are here in this lower
world, we have but narrow conceptions concerning the enjoyment of
Gods but die mere the soul understands God, the more it knows what
happiness there is in the enjoyment of him. I would have you
observe, that the more any man understands what this world is, the
less he enjoys it; for the more he discovers the vanity of it, the more
he understands how foolish and deceitful this world is in its promises
of happiness. Therefore Solomon, who had an inquiring mind, and
power and riches answerable to his mind, after he had made a
diligent search into all the honours, riches, and pleasures of this
world, the result is, "all is vanity and vexation of spirit:" he bad a
sickly distaste of all the pleasures and delight he had enjoyed in this
world. But now the more the soul understands of God, the more it
enjoys of God: for it finds the divine perfections to be so immense, as
to be above all that it can express, nay above all it could conceive or
distinctly desire. So that the more God is understood, the more he is
enjoyed, esteemed, and delighted in: and therefore in heaven itself,
where God is understood and loved in perfection, there he is enjoyed
in perfection. And there is great difference between the soul's
enjoyment of God in heaven, and on earth; those that are on earth
enjoy not God so fully, clearly, and satisfactorily, because their
enjoyment of God is mediately; either 1st, by creatures as secondary
causes of comforts, as all things that in the order of nature are
comfortable to us, they are but like cisterns that convey something to
us from God our fountain: or else 2dly, he is enjoyed in his
ordinances, in those sacred appointments wherein he hath promised
to reveal and communicate himself, his grace and comforts to them.
But now in heaven God's excellencies and perfections are
communicated to the creature in a more immediate manner. When
we taste any comfort in the creature, it all comes from God; that
comfort we have in the creature is limited, but it is God that makes it
comfortable, and communicates comfort to us by the creatures. God
is the author of all that good we receive by them. It comes to us from
him. That comfort which comes from God in the creature, is like
liquor put into a bottle, that takes off from its generousness and
richness: so all the comforts that come from God through the
creature, there is a diminution of them as they pass through the
creature. But when we come to enjoy the immediate excellencies of
God, his goodness, power, and holiness, and the like; this will be our
heaven; there is nothing that shall eclipse or allay that comfort. That
which comes from the presence of God immediately, is all pure and
unmixed joy, replenishing and satisfying.
In heaven we shall enjoy God's immediate excellencies by knowledge
and love. There we shall understand his eternity, omnipotence,
immensity, his infinite holiness, and all other perfections, so far as
we are capable of understanding them. And there is one
consideration the scripture adds to what I am speaking; we shall not
only enjoy the perfections of God immediately, so as no creature
shall interpose between God and us, nor these ordinances, which are
lower administrations; but we shall enjoy God without the
interposition of our Almighty Mediator. 1 Cor. 15:28. it is said
concerning Christ our Mediator, "when all things shall be subdued
unto him, then shall the Son himself also be subject to him that put
all things under him, that God may be all in all." I will open this
briefly to you: in our present state we have no communion with God,
but through Jesus Christ the Mediator, reconciling God to us, and
making us acceptable to God. All the spiritual benefits we receive,
they are conveyed to us through Jesus Christ our Mediator; for the
holy and righteous nature of God can have no converse immediately
with an unholy creature. The best saints in the world are unholy in
part; and there can be no converse with God, but through Christ our
Mediator. Now observe, the Lord Jesus Christ hath a supreme
empire delivered him by commission from his Father; and this he is
to manage till the adverse powers are entirely subdued, till the
powers of earth and hell are all broken and vanquished. This is to be
done by Christ as God man. But when after the last day Christ shall
by that supreme act of judgment cast the devils and all the wicked
into hell for ever, and shall enter into heaven with his saints, then
ends the government of Christ. That I may a little open this to you by
a similitude or illustration that you will all understand: it is as if a
king had a great part of his kingdom revolted from him, and those
revolted subjects rising up in rebellion against him, and he hath a
design to recover them by his mercy and clemency, and those that
would not be prevailed with, should be instances of his just severity.
He puts his own son into commission, to invite those that are capable
of mercy, to accept of pardon, and to subdue those that are
rebellious, and obstinately resist his power and authority, and gives
his son full empire for the accomplishment of this design. Now when
he hath by the offers of mercy and pardon won some, and reduced
them to their duty and obedience, and broken and subdued the
rebellious party that continued in their opposition against him, he
delivers up his commission to his father. Thus when our Lord Jesus,
who received a commission from his Father to make overtures of
mercy and pardon to those revolted creatures that were proper
objects of it, and would thankfully accept of that grace that is
rendered to them; and also to subdue and vanquish the rebellious,
and break their power that obstinately and finally oppose and resist
him; when he bath accomplished this, there is no further work for
Christ as Mediator, to reconcile and appease God in heaven: for then
God the Father, Son, and Spirit will glorify die saints immediately; so
that there will be no interposition between a displeased God and
sinners. For as the first creation of all things was from infinite power,
wisdom and goodness of the blessed and glorious Trinity: so in
heaven the felicity of the glorified saints is from the same blessed
Trinity: for there is a concurrence of all the persons of the Holy
Trinity in the happiness of heaven: the Father, Son and Holy Ghost
are equally the fountain of that eternal blessedness the saints enjoy
in their glorified state. O consider how happy the creature must be
when it receives all from God's blessed treasury: when all that the
creature can possibly receive, shall come from God immediately. And
this is that which will cause that joy that is unspeakable and full of
glory. If I would speak never so long on this subject all my thoughts
and expressions would fall infinitely short of it. It is our happiness
that we are incapable of understanding it: so that our incapacity
turns to our advantage: it is infinitely above all we can ask or think,
even this rest that we shall enjoy above with God
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 21:08:17 GMT -5
VII. The Third Excellency of this Rest. It is Eternal.
It is an eternal rest. For God's love is unchangeable to them, and so is theirs to him.
iii. ANOTHER excellency of this rest is this; as it is a holy and a joyful
rest, so it shall be an eternal rest. Eternity is an inseparable attribute
of true and perfect blessedness. Now in heaven there is such a glory
and blessedness, as will not only satisfy all our desires, but will
exclude all our fears. There shall never be any danger of losing it;
nay, there shall never be any fear of losing it. Now for the opening of
this to you, there are only three things I shall touch upon: First, To
prove to you, that it will be an eternal rest. Do but consider, the love
of God that is the cause of it, it is unchangeable. The love of God is
unchangeably set upon his people. Thus saith the psalmist, "thy
mercies, O Lord, are from everlasting to everlasting, upon them that
fear thee." Consider the wisdom of God; it is impossible that he
should change his love towards those that he hath chosen and
consecrated to his service, and to be of his society, and in his
presence for ever. It is impossible that he should change his love,
because he did from eternity foresee what could fall out. There can
be no cause why he should change his affection; for God is not man,
that he should lie; or as the son of man, that he should repent. If one
man love another, there may be something in the person that may
cause his friend to withdraw his affection; but God saw man in the
state of weakness and frailty; and if his love endured us in this
present life, it will continue for ever; for his love is unchangeable and
everlasting. 2dly. Consider this rest is everlasting, because there is no
change shall ever be in those that are glorified. The saints shall
persevere eternally in their love to God. In this world the affections
of holy men to God are like the needle in the compass, though it
tremble and point sometimes to the east or west, yet when it settles,
it turns directly to its beloved pole, that is, the north. So it is with the
saints; God is their pole and centre, their desires, and their whole
souls tend to him. They have some variation, some slips and falls
from God, which may cause him to withdraw from them, and leave
them under a cloud of sorrow: but in heaven holy souls are directly,
fully, and constantly fixed upon God, without the least cooling or
intermission of their affections, God is their exceeding joy, and that
for ever. He is the everlasting object of their love and praise; so that
there can be no cloud there: for God's love is unchangeable to them,
and their love is unchangeable to him; and therefore it is impossible
they should ever be turned from God; for the light of his countenance
directs and governs all their minds and hearts. For consider here
below; do you think any one that is thirsty will leave a clear flowing
spring for puddle water? So it is impossible that holy souls in heaven
should ever turn their affections from God. If God's love be
unchangeable to them, and their love unchangeable to him, what can
change their blessedness? If there were any power superior to God,
that could put an end to their happiness, then they might fear; but all
their enemies are cast into hell, and they have no less than the
infallible promise of Christ to secure them: "because I live, ye shall
live also," saith our blessed Saviour: if God lives and is eternally
happy, we shall be happy for ever. They are in an everlasting
covenant with him, and shall be in eternal communion with him. So
that the rest in heaven is an immortal rest. There shall never be any
diminution of their glory, no interruption of their joy, nor no end of
it: "at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." To conclude
all, we are poor short-sighted creatures; we do understand things by
our senses, and are most affected with those things which do touch them.
Do but consider with yourselves, whatsoever is pleasant to you in the
order of nature, whatsoever it is that may gratify your sensual
faculties, if it were possible for you to take in all those pleasures the
world hath, and strain them all into a cup, and drink them up at one
draught, they are not all comparable to the least degree of that joy
and glory that is above for one moment. If you could live the whole
circle of time, from the first rise of the world to the end of it, and
enjoy all the pleasures that all others have enjoyed in all successions
of ages, they are not to be named with one moment's enjoyment of
God in heaven. As if one person could feel the poison and stings of all
the torments, miseries, and calamities that all men endure in this
world, it were nothing compared to the prepared plagues for the
wicked in hell. If you have reason and faith to exercise your serious
thoughts, nothing deserves your utmost endeavours but heaven. If
you will not be guilty of the most stupid folly, then seek the kingdom
of God, and the righteousness of it.
VIII. The Love of God and the Sufferings of Christ are the Causes of Bestowing this Rest.
The good will of God, and the sufferings of Christ, the supreme
causes of bestowing this rest: yet it is a reward, and in what sense.
Merit excluded by God's absolute right to our obedience, and the
quality of our good actions; which proceed from spiritual powers,
restored by free grace; and are very imperfect; and no benefit to God;
and there is no proportion between them and heaven. The blood of
Christ mingled with them does not make them meritorious.
IV. I shall, in the next place, proceed to prove, that this rest is
reserved as a reward to the people of God; in the opening of this, I will show you,
First, What are the supreme causes of this, that so you may not misunderstand the notion of a reward.
Secondly, That this is a reward for the people of God; in what sense you must take it.
Thirdly, I will prove to you by clear irresistible arguments, that there is a rest remaining for the people of God.
First. There are two supreme causes of this rest the scripture speaks
of: the first is the eternal pleasure and good will of God to prepare
this rest for his people, and to prepare his people for it: so you shall
find; "fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give
you the kingdom." Our Saviour comforts his disciples with this:
where you may observe by the way, that it is not only said to be the
good pleasure of God to give the saints this heavenly kingdom, but it
is attributed to him as our Father: so that our possessing heaven is
not by way of purchase, but gift. We are as heirs, as children of God;
we are not purchasers, but inheritors of it, as the children of our
heavenly Father. To bring this home to your bosoms, it is God's good
pleasure to give this to his children as a Father, he dispenseth it to
his children, and to them alone. There are two things included in the
natural relation of a Father.
1. That he communicates being to a child; he is the secondary author of its life.
2. He communicates that life which he possesseth himself, as to the
kind and nature of it: these two things are essentially requisite to
denominate a man a father. Now that you may know whether you are
the objects of this love of God, he gives it, 1st. To those that are born
of him; that receive a new nature from him, John 1:13. "which were
born not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God." 2dly. This new nature is called in scripture the divine
nature, 2 Pet. 1:4. "whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine
nature." Now there are two characters in this divine nature, whereby
a saint is like to God; that is, the holiness and the immortality of that
nature. 1st. The holiness of it; for God is a holy God, and his life is a
life of holiness: and so all his children, to whom this heavenly
kingdom is designed, are "holy as God is holy in all manner of
conversation." 2dly. That holy nature hath immortality in it: so the
apostle tells us, 1 Pet. 1:23. "being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides
for ever:" that which is bestowed upon us is an immortal seed, that
shall be always springing up till it come to perfection. Bring this
home to yourselves; are you under the good pleasure of God? Are you
sensible of it, that you are heirs of his kingdom and love? It must
arise from hence that you are his children. Consider further, the good
pleasure of God is made here the prime cause that appoints this
eternal kingdom unto his children; the good pleasure of God is that
which dispenseth this glory to them, and at last will put them into
the actual possession of it. It is said to be his good pleasure, his love,
his pure and mere mercy, Jude 21. "keep yourselves in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life." It is a mercy which giveth us glory at the last: it is not only
mercy that appoints it, but it is pure love that giveth us possession of
it. 2dly. The next cause of this eternal rest which the saints have
bestowed upon them is, the Lord Jesus Christ: so you shall find,
Rom. 6:23. "for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord:" where you see still that
eternal life is attributed to God as a free gift. The Greek word
signifies, most gratuitous, most free, undeserved, and the pure effect
of grace. "The wages of sin is death;" that is, it is a righteous
recompence of sin, eternal death: (for you must understand it by the
opposition to eternal life;) eternal death is a righteous recompence of
sin. If you consider that God against whom it is committed, so it
deserves an eternal punishment; but the gift of God is eternal life.
If you consider the sufferings of Christ, or his obedience in those
sufferings, it will appear that to him we owe eternal life: consider
what that death was that he suffered for us, Heb. 2:16. he expiated
the guilt of sin, and dissolved that bond whereby we were obliged to
eternal punishment, the death of Christ did that. If you could
prescind and abstract the sufferings of Christ from his obedience, his
sufferings might only free you from hell. But now the obedience of
Christ was so perfect in itself, and so glorious to God, his obedience
to the death of the cross, whose divine nature had an infinite worth
in it, and whose human nature was spotless holiness, he procured for
us a right to heaven; not only a freedom from ruin, but a right to a
higher glory than was lost in Adam. Therefore we must attribute all
to the love of God in Christ, on the account whereof the apostle
breaks forth into a most solemn acknowledgment, Rev. 1:5. "unto
him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and
hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father; to him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
Now with respect to Christ's redeeming us from hell, and bestowing
heaven upon us, we owe to him homage, worship, and praise for the
heavenly kingdom, and we shall praise him for ever. So that here are
the two supreme causes of this rest, the love of God, and the
purchase of Christ.
Notwithstanding this, the scripture tells us, (and we may safely speak
the words of scripture) that this rest is reserved as a reward to the
people of God; so you shall find that expression, Matt. 5:11, 12. where
our Saviour encourageth the persecuted saints; "blessed are you
when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all
manner of evil against you falsely for my sake; rejoice, and be
exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
Now for the understanding of this, you must distinguish; there is a
double notion of reward. 1st. A reward strictly taken; and so a reward
is a righteous recompence that is given to a person as an allowance
for a due service, according to the proportion of its worth. So you
shall find Deut. 7. God commandeth that we shall not detain the
reward of the hireling, &c. But in this sense heaven cannot challenge
any thing from God as a reward, in a strict sense.
There is a lower sense of a reward, and that, is, when there is a
recompence given for a service that was due, and mean in itself, but
it is given from the bounty and pure liberality and riches of the
rewarder. Now in this sense you must understand it, when heaven is
said to be a reward of the doing or suffering of the saints, because in
the order of giving, it is a reward after our service performed to God:
it hath the nature of a reward, because it hath respect to the service
of the saints; but not as a reward strictly due to that service; and that
will appear if you do but consider,
1st. The quality of the person.
2dly. The quality of the service.
1st. Consider the quality of the person; and here are these things to be considered.
(1.) That God hath an absolute right to all his creatures, so that by
their obedience to him, they can merit nothing. All their power of
acting, and all their faculties are from him. They can deserve
nothing; all is his own, 1 Chron. 29:14. "Of thine own have we given
thee,' saith David: the product of our inward and outward strength;
all our talents are from God. That I may illustrate this by a similitude
that you all understand; the apostle Paul wrote to Philemon, to
prevail with him for a kindness to Onesimus; and it is an epistle very
insinuating, where there is an intermixture of many powerful
arguments. verse 8, 9. "Wherefore, though I might be much bold in
Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, yet for love-sake I
rather beseech thee being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also
a prisoner of Christ, I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I
have begotten in my bonds, which in time past was to thee
unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and me; whom I have sent
again; thou therefore receive him that is mine own bowels." After the
apostle had used all the address of love, he makes use of a strain that
which is the most artificial and powerful, verse 18. "If he hath
wronged thee, or oweth ought, put that on my account." A strange
piece of rhetoric with which he concludes his arguments: "I Paul
have written it with my own hand, I will repay it; albeit I do not say
to thee, how thou owest to me even thine own self besides." It was
but a small return he desired at his hands, considering how much he
owed to Paul; probably he was his spiritual father. Therefore
gratitude might oblige Philemon to answer his desire in this. Had
Paul such a right in Philemon as that he owed himself to him, being
his spiritual father, and an instrument of his conversion in bringing
him to the knowledge of Christ; how much more do we owe ourselves
to God, owe all to him, and therefore can merit nothing of him?
(2.) Another thing, with respect to the quality of our persons is this,
the meanness and vileness of our persons; so that whatsoever comes
from us, cannot possibly merit any thing of God. Abraham was a
great prince, and a man that had abundance of treasure; but when he
speaks to God he abaseth himself, and says, Gen. 18:27. "Behold now
I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, which am but dust and
ashes." And John the baptist, though a person of eminent holiness,
yet when he speaks of Christ, John 1:27. "He it is who coming after
me, is preferred before me, whose shoes' latchet I am not worthy to
unloose." And the blessed virgin who had the honour to be the
mother of Christ, how doth she break forth into praises of the Lord,
with a reflection upon her own meanness, Luke 1:46. "My soul doth
magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour; for
he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; for behold from
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." We are so low,
mean, and contemptible to God, that it is impossible we should
oblige him: the whole world compared to him is but as the drop of a
bucket. Now what a small part are we of that drop? Nay the whole
world compared to him is but as the small dust upon the balance;
nothing yea less than nothing, and vanity. So that there can be no
obligation or merit arising from such creatures as we are.
2dly. If we consider the quality of our actions, it is impossible we
should merit any thing from God.
(1) Because all our spiritual powers are restored to us by the free
grace of God. The apostle Paul saith, "We have no sufficiency of
ourselves, as of ourselves so much as to think a good thought," Phil.
2:13. "For it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do, of his
good pleasure:" so that all our spiritual power and strength is from
God: and it being entirely his, we cannot merit any thing from him.
For all the power and strength we have, we owe it entirely to God and
Christ; therefore John 15:5. our Saviour compares himself to the
vine, and the church to the branches, "I am the vine, and ye are the
branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth
forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing." The branch hath
no power or living juice of its own, but what it derives from the root.
So all our habitual graces, and all our exercise of those graces, is
from God and Christ; therefore there can be no merit on our part.
For, indeed our obligation is increased, by the exercise of graces, and
we are debtors to him by it.
(2.) Do but consider what imperfection attends all our services; so
that were there not a Mediator as well to make our services
acceptable, as to justify our persons, we should be exposed to the
displeasure of God; for the relics of sin stain and defile every service
that comes from us.
The Holy Spirit is the immediate cause of every grace in us; but it is
we that act and exercise grace. Christ is the author and finisher of
our faith; but it is we that believe: the Spirit of Christ is the cause of
our obedience; but it is we that obey; we are the next agents though
he be the supreme cause.
There is a great imperfection in all our services that we perform to
God: in our faith there is much of unbelief; and in our obedience,
there are some degrees of disobedience; all our duties have an alloy,
and such blemishes in them as would expose us to the anger of God,
did not God for Christ's sake, pardon and accept us.
(3.) Our services are of no advantage or benefit to God. "My goodness
extendeth not to thee, but to the saints that are in the earth." Psa.
16:2. If you had the affections of an angel to praise God while you are
upon earth, his majesty and glory would not be increased by all your
praises: for "His glory is above the heavens." If the sun should shine
upon a clear crystal glass, that should reflect the beams of the sun, it
could never reach the body of the sun, so as to increase the light of it:
so it is with us; God shines upon us by his mercies, and we reflect
them back again by our praises and grateful acknowledgments, but
his essential glory is not increased by it; our righteousness doth not
profit him; you can lay no obligation upon him; none but those you
do some kindness to, receive some benefit from you; God's glory is
above all the power of the creature; he is immense, and infinitely
above all our services, we cannot oblige him.
(4.) There is no proportion between what is done and suffered by us
and the glory of heaven, for saith the apostle, "I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared to the
glory that shall be revealed in us." "I reckon," upon due weighing all
things together, it is the result of my judgment, there is no
comparison between the one and the other. When the apostle put
them in the balance with the glory of heaven, the afflictions of this
present life were light and inconsiderable. If sufferings, afflictions,
and troubles are light much more is our obedience. If a father should
see a child write a line after a copy, with an unskilful hand, and give
him a twenty-shilling-piece for that writing, you cannot say this is a
just reward; no, but from his father's love and bounty. So God gives
us heaven for our service here, but there is no proportion between
our doings and sufferings and that exceeding eternal weight of glory;
it is purely from gift and unmerited bounty: though it be a reward in
respect of order, given to us for sincere service, performed to him.
Now the papists do stand stiffly and confidently for a strict reward: it
is true say they, our works and services do not deserve heaven, but
the blood of Christ mixed with them, may make them meritorious. If
you should take the dust of gold and mix it with sand and say it is
worth so much, it is not the sand, but the gold that is to be esteemed
and valued; for the mixture of the sand doth not make the gold of
greater value: so our works mixed with Christ's merits are like gold
mixed with sand. And therefore heaven is given with respect to
Christ's precious blood, and not to our merits. Now it is observable
that the papists, that build their hopes upon this fallacious and
deceitful ground, do also very congruously determine, that it is our
duty to live in doubt of heaven and salvation; for they look upon
assurance as the effect of pride and rash presumption. So that by
their doctrine there is no solid hope of salvation. How much better is
hope and well grounded confidence in Christ, than doubtful fear.
Heaven is bestowed from the rich bounty and liberality of God: it is a
reward that hath respect to the sincerity of our service, and not to the
real worth and value of it. For heaven is a reward that is merited only
by the sufferings and obedience of our blessed Redeemer, who is the
author of eternal salvation, to all those that love and obey him.
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 21:16:20 GMT -5
IX. Proofs that this rest is reserved for the people of God from his immutability justice, special love, and power
This rest is certainly reserved for the people of God; because of the
immutability of God's promise, which promise is agreeable to the
general justice of God, and his special love to his people. The divine
power is their great security. Why it is not given till after a life of
service. This method most honourable to God, because hereby he
tries their faith and love: and most comfortable to them.
I Shall now proceed to show you, that this rest is certainly reserved
for God's people; and that I shall make apparent to you from these
following considerations.
i. The immutability of the word of God, wherein this rest is promised
to his people. There are many promises in scripture, the subject
matter of which is this; that there is a state of blessedness reserved
for the saints. Rom. 2:7. "To them who by patient continuance in
well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life."
Thus the apostle expressly sets forth this rest, which is a variation of
it under several notions; and tells us, if we suffer with him, we shall
reign with him. If we suffer with him, that is, in imitation of his
example, and in obedience to his commands, we shall then reign with
him. Rev. 2:10. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a
crown of life." The heaven is not more studded with stars, than the
scripture with promises of this nature. Now it is true, before the
promise is made, there is an absolute sovereign liberty in God,
whether he will give such a right to the creature: but when God hath
made a promise, be doth (as I may so speak) make himself a debtor
to his servants; though you must not take it in a strict sense, but
there is an obligation lies upon him to fulfil his promise. The apostle
when he gives you an account of the foundation of his faith says, "For
I know in whom I have believed; and I am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed to him against that day;" that is,
I know him to be a holy and true God, upon whose promises I have a
blessed dependence, they all being of infallible certainty. The truth of
it is, the word of God when it is once passed, is a more firm
assurance to us, than we can have, that the sun will rise the next day;
a greater assurance is given to us, than all this regular course of
nature, that is established by the works of his providence; for we
cannot tell when the course of nature shall have its period. But we
have a most uncontrollable assurance for that, which God "who
cannot lie promised before the world began." God cannot deny the
essential perfections of his own nature; therefore he will most
certainly perform his promise. Upon this we may venture our hopes
and our souls, as upon the most calm and clear security: God hath
promised it, and he will do it.
ii. Let us consider those excellent properties in the divine nature
which may still confirm our faith in the promise of God.
1st. This promise of eternal life to his servants is that which is
consentaneous to the general justice of God, "Say to the righteous it
shall be well with him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe
to the wicked it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall
be given him." The general righteousness of God hath so disposed
the distribution of rewards and punishments, that those that fear
him, though indeed they can deserve nothing of him, yet from his
pure love and according to his justice and righteousness they shall
have a reward. The wicked indeed, according to strict justice, shall be
rewarded; so the apostle speaks 2 Thes. 1:6, 7. "Seeing it is a
righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that
trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us;" that is,
according to the holy and righteous nature of God. It is not according
to strict justice, but there is a clemency of God manifested in the
pardon of sin, and his admirable love and bounty in recompensing
the righteous: yet it is consentaneous to his justice that those who
serve him as sons do a father, he will spare them and reward them.
2dly. It is according to his special love. It is not only from general
justice, but special love and goodness is the fountain of this promise.
Pray observe how God deals with his chosen people; the foundation
of all his blessings is love, a love that is free and unmerited, a love
that is rich, and glorious, and liberal; this love proceeds from one
thing to another; God gives, that he may give; he gives his people
grace that he may give them glory. He begins the work of holiness in
them here, he perfects the work he begins, and he crowns the work
he perfects and all from free love. This is the foundation of his
promise, that love that is rich and free and glorious, so that one
mercy to them is the earnest of another, and his promises are so
concatenated that where he gives grace he will give glory.
3dly. The divine power is our great security; that God can and will
accomplish those promises that he hath made to his people. "I am
persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him
against that day." 2 Tim. 1:12. What is the depositum Paul commits
to God? I know divines generally interpret it of his departing soul. A
believer when he comes to die, resigns up his soul (as his Saviour
did) into God's hands. This seems not to be the true meaning of the
apostle here, for while a man hath a soul living in his body, and in his
possession, it cannot suit with the notion of a depositum; for a
deposition is that which is out of my possession and committed to
the hands of another: therefore this depositum is the crown of life
and glory which God hath promised to believers; a believer trusts it
with God. I have trusted my eternal happiness with God, the crown
of life I trust with him. He is gracious and powerful, and can bring
me through all the dangers and temptations and troubles of this
present world to eternal felicity; although they interpose between me
and the divine world, and my body must descend to the grave before
I can obtain life, yet I know divine power can raise me from the dead
and bring me to eternal life and glory.
It is an interesting inquiry, which next demands our attention; why
this rest remains, and shall be given us afterwards. At present it is an
unseen rest, it is above our reach, it remains, saith the apostle, we do
not possess it yet. Why is God thus pleased to dispense and give us
it? I answer;
1. In general; the infinite wisdom of God appears in the order of
giving; observe the expression of Paul, Eph. 1:8. The apostle in these
words hath a respect to the particular foundation of the gospel covenant,
the Lord Jesus Christ. God did in wise manner order that
the honour of his justice might be secured and yet his mercy
advanced. The apostle, speaking of the forgiveness of sins in the
blood of Christ, herein appears saith he the wisdom of God to honour
his justice and holiness, and advance the riches of his grace; the
wisdom of God appears in the whole constitution of the gospel, in
framing the covenant of grace so, that rest and blessedness shall be
dispensed as a future reward, to the people of God, that are obedient
to the death: so that as the combat goes before the triumph; and the
race before the crown, so a life of service and obedience always goes
before the eternal enjoyment of God above.
2. More particularly. It is that which is most honorable to God; and
infinitely comfortable to his people. Honorable to God;
(1.) As he is pleased to honor himself, by the trial of their faith,
which is a grace of that precious nature and importance, that the
apostle Peter tells us, that the trial of it is much more precious than
gold. 1 Pet. 1:7. How honourable is it to the truth and power of God
when a believer doth give credit to his relation of the unseen world,
firmly believing, that there is another life after this; another
happiness that sense cannot discover; as firmly believing this as if he
saw it. What an honourable testimony is this to God, when his word
shall be such a security, that we can venture our all upon it! Abraham
when he had given such an excellent testimony of his faith, believing
the promise of God that he should have a son in his old age, though
he was dead in nature as to generation, it is said, he believed God
and it was imputed to him for righteousness: God esteemed that as a
noble testimony of his faith, and consequently rewarded hint for it.
So those who are clothed with flesh, and are conversant only with
sensible objects in this lower world, when they can give such credit to
the promise of God concerning invisible and eternal things, as to
govern themselves entirely in their lives, with respect to them; this is
giving God as much glory as we are able while we are in this state.
(2.) For the trial of the truth and strength of our love to God, whether
we will prefer the enjoyment of him hereafter before all the pleasure
of this fading world. Love is best discovered by comparison and
choice: when things are presented to your will, and you despise the
allurements of the one, and chose the other, this discovers love.
There are in competition with you the vanities of the world gilded
over, and very pleasing to sense; but God sets against them an
everlasting reward in heaven, the enjoyment of himself as our
portion. Now when in the midst of all these tempting vanities, I
chose God for my portion (Lam. 3:24.) though that choice divest me
of all that fools admire, and that carnal men choose; it declares that
my love to God is cordial and real, is predominant, and hath a pre eminence
above all other affections. How honorable is it to God,
when the creature loveth him above life, and all the comforts of life!
God reserves this reward then, for a trial of our love.
(3.) He is honored by our sincere obedience. Did a present temporal
reward always attend holiness, who could tell whether men served
God for nought or no? You know the devil cast it as a reproach upon
Job, when God had hedged him about, and given him a princely
abundance, and he seemed the happiest man in all the east; as if
Job's obedience to God, was merely the effect of that temporal
happiness he enjoyed. But God is pleased to offer to us an eternal
estate, and this estate is a future one, and an estate that hath many
incumbrances upon it, that must be removed before it be enjoyed.
You must pass through many difficulties on the one hand, and on the
ether; and you cannot come to it without dying; and whether it be a
natural death, or a violent one you cannot tell. Our obedience is from
pure love to his majesty; for the rest that is in heaven, is the
enjoyment of the law of God: so it is pure love that can animate a
Christian to despise all things in comparison of God. Now consider
how honorable our superlative love is to him. It is true it would be
equally bounty for God to take a person to heaven as soon as he hath
formed him; but it is more honorable to God, when we have such a
love to him. And hence it is most comfortable to God's people; and
who would not choose such a way as doth most clearly and
undissemblingly express our love to God?
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 21:21:14 GMT -5
X. APPLICATION of the subject. The first use. How dreadful will be the future state of God's enemies.
Application of the Subject
How sad is the future state reserved for God's enemies. The false
principles and motives of their present peace: false apprehensions of
the mercy of God: future purposes! Plunging themselves into worldly
business and pleasures. A miserable state remains for them. They
shall be deprived of this rest; which alone will be very afflictive,
because they shall perfectly understand what they lose; that this is
owing purely to their own folly, for the sake of perishing vanities.
They shall be in a state of positive misery, directly contrary to the
happy state of heaven; and an eternal one.
IF there be such a rest "remaining to the people of God;" we may
hence infer how sad is that future state that remains for God's
enemies in another world. And these contraries being set together
will illustrate one another. O the heavy doleful state that remains for
those who are rebels against God! It is true, here they may have rest;
they may be quiet and undisturbed in their minds, and sleep securely
in the very shadow of death. But O the fearful awaking they will have
when they come into eternity! O the strange convulsions of
conscience then, and those dreadful disorders and tumults that will
be in their souls! To make this more clear and affecting to you, I will
a little touch upon those false principles and motives of peace and
rest that wicked men have here, which will shortly all be taken away:
and then I will show you what a restless condition they will be in, in
the next life; what an incessant remorse will torture them to the days
of eternity.
As to the false principles of reason, there are some that are very
obvious and very necessary to touch upon. We find that these two
attributes of conscience meet together, a bad conscience and a quiet.
None more secure, none more undisturbed, than those that are in
infinite danger of ruin. And although God tells us, there is no peace
to the wicked, there is no solid well-grounded peace; yet the scripture
tells us in another place, Deut. 29:19. "And it comes to pass when he
hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart,
saying, I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my
heart, to add drunkenness to thirst; the Lord will not spare him, but
then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that
man."
1. I will show you a little the vanity of this peace. Now that which lies
at the bottom of all is this: they have false apprehensions of the
mercy of God. They have a false peace and we cannot rob them of it,
but whatsoever is spoken to them against it, they notwithstanding
still cherish it. It would be a great charity to rob them of this false
peace; but they will flatter themselves, and say, God is infinitely
merciful, and they hope, he will not be so severe as preachers declare
him to be. Nay though the book of God hath threatening and
thundering words against the wicked, yet they are no more afraid of
those threatenings, than a company of boys are of their squibs and
crackers which are of their own making. God is more gracious than
he is represented to us, say they; therefore they will put their souls to
venture. I shall only tell these deceived wretches, that though they
can never enough amplify the mercy of God, for it is infinite; let them
remember, God's mercy is a holy mercy, and a just mercy: and there
are other perfections in God besides his mercy, and that God will
glorify his mercy in a way suitable to his own nature. O vain man,
never be bold upon this attribute, whilst thou hast the character of
one of God's enemies. Observe the Lord Jesus Christ, the meek Lamb
of God, who was made of love and mercy; observe what he saith to
the pharisees, which is applicable to all wicked persons, Mat. 23:33.
"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers how can you escape the
damnation of hell?" With what zealous indignation doth he speak!
Perhaps you may think you are not such sinners as the pharisees. Do
not deceive yourselves; all that are unregenerate are a generation of
vipers, Rom. 1:29, 30. Read that catalogue of sinners being filled
with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity,
whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, &c. Such as these shall never
enter into the kingdom of heaven. You think you may obtain heaven
because you are such as these; but see what is written, John 3:3.
"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God." Consider, I beseech you, in what a solemn
manner our Saviour speaks this to Nicodemus. This Christ himself
the purchaser of divine mercy hath assured us of. What a vain thing
is it to be at rest with false presumption, that a man shall do well
because God is merciful; while he doth not believe what God declares
of his justice and holiness.
2. Another common motive of their rest and quiet is this; press them
to a speedy turning to God, then they will tell you, that they will
secure their title to heaven at some future time. They think they have
time enough yet: they will escape hell by an act of future repentance.
But O dread this and consider the certain shortness and uncertain
continuance of life! O remember if it please thy Judge, thy death is as
near thee, as thy sin that deserves it! Thou canst not have the least
security that thou shalt survive this sermon. Therefore to put off
repentance is such folly and stupidity that no man would be guilty of
in a temporal respect. Were it not commonly practised, one would
think it so absurd a folly, that human nature were incapable of it. We
carry our lives in our hands as David speaks. "There is but a step
between us and death." If sickness should seize you suddenly, how
terrible would it be to have the first death and the second invading
you at once!
3. Another motive and false principle is this; they plunge themselves
into the business and pleasures of the world. Into the business of the
world; all their senses are abroad, not so much as one sense stays at
home to consider their state. They are never left at freedom to think,
what their condition is. Others are dipped in pleasures, and they
follow the vicious stream of their own hearts pleasantly and nothing
disturbs them. It is just as when the wind and tide go together, the
stream is calm and smooth; so while their hearts, and the things of
this world join together, while the current runs one way, they are at
peace. But remember when the wind blows against the tide, all the
waves are tumultuous and impetuous, and break into rage. So there
is a time coming, when this world shall blow contrary to you; then
yon shall be distressed; then there will be time enough for an
uncomfortable remembrance of your folly.
These are some of the false grounds upon which men cherish rest
here, and will not be brought out of the possession of it. But this will
not last long; you may please and ravish yourselves with sensual
delights and dreams till the justice of God awakens you; and in the
next life there is nothing but sorrow and trouble and anguish and
vexation. There is no rest unless you can rest in chains and flames of
fire, and under the gnawings of an eternal worm and the everlasting
wrath of God. If you saw a person upon a rack, his body stretched
and tortured, and all his bones disjointed; can such a one have rest?
then you may have rest in hell! Do you think that one who lies under
the torturing pain of the stone or gout, and every pang cuts like the
very pang of death, do you think that such a person can take any
rest? All the parts of the body and all the powers of the soul shall be
tormented in hell: as they shall feel those torments, fears, and
sorrows, which shall prey upon them in that endless state.
Hence we may infer how miserable will be the state of those that are
strangers and enemies to God. For the blessed rest is only prepared
for God's people. This inference is so well grounded, that it admits of
no doubt, as we find in Rev. 14:13. "And I heard a voice from heaven,
saying unto me, write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord,
from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their
labours, and their works do follow them." Where you see this
blessedness is appropriated to those that die in the Lord. From
whence we have this clear deduction; "Cursed are those that die in
their sins." He that dies in Christ is blessed, for he goes to the
fountain of his life: but he that dies in his sins, carries that heavy
weight with him that will sink him into the abyss of misery. This doth
not respect only those that live in gross sins, those that are desperate
and dissolute; but it is a bar against all those that are unregenerate
and unrenewed. 1 Cor. 6:9, 10. You have a catalogue of notorious
sinners, "Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind;
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." But it may be now
you will bless yourselves in your hearts, to think that you are not of
this number; my brethren, remember what that Lord of life tells you,
John 3:3. with an asseveration, "Verily, verily I say unto thee, except
a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." If you have
not a reformed mind, a reformed will, and reformed affections; and if
your lives be not reformed you can never enter into God's kingdom.
In short before I go to a more particular opening of this, take a
character of those persons he excludes from the reward in these
three particulars.
1st. All those who are contrary to the nature of God who is infinitely
holy shell be excluded from this rest. Wherever there is one sin in
dominion this doth imply a standing contrariety to the nature of
God; whatsoever sin it be whether it is visible to the eyes of men or
no, or whether it is a secret sin, if it hath a throne in your hearts, this
implies an utter contrariety to the nature of God. It is impossible for
such a person to be received into this rest. You may sooner reconcile
night and noon-day, than the presence of God with such creatures.
The truth is, if they could be transported to heaven by divine power,
heaven would be no more heaven to them, in whom there is a
contrariety to the nature of God. To make it sensible to you all; there
is nothing in the world more pleasing and more refreshing than the
light of the sun to a sound eye; for light is that which makes the
whole creation beautiful and pleasing to us; yet there is nothing more
uneasy or more vexing to a sore eye corrupted with humours;
therefore such persons will seek for retirement, make every thing
dark, because the light of the sun will so afflict them. Indeed the
presence of God is a heaven to a holy soul; but to those that are
contrary to his holy nature, it is not so, therefore it is that they are
objects of God's rejection; he cannot take delight in them, and they
cannot delight in him, there being a fundamental opposition in the
nature of God to such sinners, and in them to God; therefore you
may be assured, that all such shall be excluded from this rest.
2dly, The notion of God's people implies obedience. Now by way of
opposition; those that are rebels against his law and government, are
none of his people; those that live in a known violation of his
precepts, are all rebels to him. They may, indeed, own his
government in words, but if it were in their power they would pluck
him from his throne and set up another king, the God of this world.
These are excluded from this rest.
3dly, Those that are not affectionate to God's glory, nor concerned
for his interest in the world, they are none of his people, they are all
to him. Those who, if they can preserve their own private interest, let
the affairs of the church sink or swim; if they can have a flourishing
prosperity in their families, let the cause of God decline or prosper,
they care not; these are none of God's people, they shall be excluded
from this rest.
This being now laid as that which shall direct you in all I speak after,
I shall proceed, and being now to speak to you of the most
unpleasing subject, the torments of hell, I shall only say this, that
were not the subject necessary, it is that which of all subjects a gospel
minister would be most unwilling to speak of. For as God himself
hath prepared and threatened hell for this end, that men might
choose heaven and avoid hell: so none that hath a heart like our
Saviour, but whenever he doth open these treasures of God's wrath
to you, doth it merely upon this account, that you may escape them
and be compelled to turn into the way of life.
This state of misery, which is contrary to the rest I have been
speaking of, the scripture sets forth to us in that manner that may
most affect and arouse us. So the apostle, Rom. 2:7, 8. "To them who
by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory, and honour, and
immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do
not obey the truth, indignation, and wrath, tribulation and anguish
upon every soul of man that doeth evil." Now that which I observe is
this, the Holy Spirit doth by variety of expressions signify to us the
extremity and perfection of that misery that is in hell; he calls it
indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, to enlarge your
apprehensions concerning the perfect misery of that state. As it is
said before of heaven, that it is a state of glory, honour, immortality,
and eternal life; and all to raise your apprehensions, and attract your
desires after heaven; so here you have expressions multiplied to
impress upon you the fearfulness of that state. As in heaven all is
composed, for the comfort, joy and blessedness of the saints; so in
hell all is prepared for the torment and misery of the wicked. All
within them and without them is to aggravate their misery. The
judgments of God in this life, which he lays upon sinners, here in the
day of his patience and clemency, are many times very heavy, and
exceed the strength and courage of men to bear them; but all of them
are nothing to that full vengeance, that complete recompence of sin,
that God shall bring them, in the day of his righteous judgment. We
read Deut. 29:19. an expression of Moses to the Israelites; "And
when it comes to pass he hears the words of this curse, and he bless
himself saying, I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of
my heart, and add drunkenness to thirst: the Lord will not spare him,
but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against
that man." All the judgments of God in this world against sinners, are
but the smoke of hell-fire; no more comparable to the enduring the
torments of hell, than the feeling hot smoke to the burning of hell
itself, as those intermediate comforts which God gives us in this life
are nothing to the consolations, which he will give us in heaven; so
all the temporal evils which the wicked meet with here, are nothing
to the torments of hell. This being laid down in general, I shall come
to open it to you more particularly.
1. The first thing which is considerable is this; the deprivation of this
blessed rest, which none who are enemies to God shall ever obtain.
When the great King shall call the world to judgment, and pass a
sentence upon the wicked, the first part of the sentence will be,
"Depart from me," that is, depart from Christ, who is the fountain of
life and joy, whose presence is the heaven of heavens. "Depart from
me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his
angels." Mat. 25:41. The carnal sinner will think with himself, if it be
but the loss of heaven I shall do well enough, if that be all damnation
signifies, I shall not be much concerned; but now to make you
understand the dreadfulness of this sentence, consider.
(1.) You shall then more perfectly understand what that blessedness
is you lose; and so you shall feel yourselves infinitely miserable upon
this account. Indeed in the present state, the carnal unbelieving heart
despiseth heaven, he looks upon nothing to be substantial, solid
good, but what is sensible to his lower faculties. We preach heaven to
them, which they think is but an airy happiness, a notional thing;
there is no seeing or feeling, or tasting of it. So the carnal wretch
thinks the loss of heaven will be an easy thing. But in the other world
their sight shall be cleared, and their judgments changed, they shall
know what they lose, and that loss will be accompanied with stings of
conscience, and those dreadful tearings of themselves, that it is
impossible to conceive. When Elisha said, thus saith the Lord, about
this time to-morrow, shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a
shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of
Samaria. Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned, answered the
man of God, and said, behold if the Lord would make windows in
heaven, might this thing be? and he said behold thou shalt see it with
thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 1Kings 7:1. I apply it thus; the
damned shall see the glory of heaven, but they shall not partake of it.
They shall see it only to their terror and sorrow. Now to put it in an
ordinary case: if a man hath made a foolish bargain, and after comes
to understand his folly in parting with such a thing, the price and
value of which he did not understand, it will cause troublesome
reflections upon himself. I remember a story, that when Charles the
bold, one of the dukes of Burgundy, took a great city, there was a
jewel found of incomparable value; the soldier that found it sold it
for four florins (about twenty shillings) but after it was sold for many
thousand pounds. If the soldier had known the price afterwards, how
it would have enriched him, it would greatly trouble and vex him,
that he had made so foolish a bargain. The wicked part with heaven
foolishly, and lose it for trifles; but when they come to understand
what a jewel it was, of what incomparable value, it will greatly afflict
them; and the remembrance of their folly will be always grating upon
their spirits and torment them. In hell, shall be "weeping, wailing
and gnashing of teeth" when the wicked shall see "Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, in the kingdom of God, and themselves shut out for ever."
This will cause dreadful tormenting reflections, though now possibly
you may pass it over with slight unconcerned thoughts.
(2.) They will owe this privation to their own folly and wickedness,
and this will be as tormenting as the loss itself. And because this is so
material a thing I will open it to you.
I speak now of those that live under the gospel, they shall not be able
to pretend, that they are ignorant of this rest, and therefore fall short
of it; no, for our Saviour hath abolished death, and brought light and
immortality to light through the gospel Our Saviour hath, as it were,
rent the veil of heaven, and given us a discovery of the glory there.
He did not only reveal heaven to us, but rose from the dead to give us
an argument and an example of that blessedness that all his believing
members shall be raised unto. He hath brought life and immortality
to light, so that there can be no pretence of ignorance. Under the law
they had but as it were a twilight, some faint glimmerings of this
state; but now it is clear and open to all, that there "remains a rest to
the people of God." So that they shall never be able to say, they never
heard of heaven.
Again; as they cannot say they never heard of heaven, so neither can
they pretend it was never offered to them: for in the preaching of the
gospel, there was a continual offer of the kingdom of heaven. The
very threatenings of hell were in order to make men accept of
heaven. All the commands, all the entreaties, all the threatenings of
the gospel centre in this, to make people willing to accept of heaven.
They are all concurrent means, to make you "seek the kingdom of
God and his righteousness." None are excluded from the promise of
God. Whosoever will let him take of the waters of life freely. So that
there is not a bare possibility of obtaining, but a certainty, if you be
not wanting to yourselves, and if you be not rebellious against God;
this will be another aggravation.
(3.) Hell will be increased by this consideration; that although
heaven is revealed and offered to us, it is not offered upon impossible
terms, upon such conditions as the human nature cannot comply
with. No, this cannot be pretended; for whatsoever difficulty there is
with reference to our corrupt affections, or our unprepared hearts,
yet nevertheless the divine glory is so freely and richly offered to men
in the gospel, that if they will accept of it, they shall be conquerors
over all obstacles; God offers his Holy Spirit to them that ask it. "If
earthly parents, who are evil, know how to give good things to their
children, how much more will your heavenly Father give his Holy
Spirit to them that ask it?" Now the Holy Spirit by his assistance, will
make every command easy. He will make the yoke of Christ an easy,
gracious, and benign yoke. Now to make this sensible to you; it is
with a sinner in his carnal, corrupt state, with respect to the things of
God, as it is with a man in a burning fever or dropsy, that cannot
abstain from drink: I cannot forbear drinking, saith he, for I am
almost burnt up; but if a physician comes and tells him, I will give
you a julap that will quench your thirst; now if he refuses it, he dies
voluntarily and wilfully. Men have dropsy desires after the world,
and are inflamed with an insatiable thirst after it; but saith God, I
will give you my Spirit that shall change and purify you from all those
vicious affections that make you thirst after earthly things. Now they
grieve the Spirit of God, resist it, and quench all the holy motions;
they will not comply with it. It is hence evident, that they are guilty of
their own ruin; all this loss of heaven is from their own choice, and
the natural effect of their own perverse wills. The sinner will not be
able to stand under the burden of these thoughts, I have lost heaven
because I would not have it; this will be more tormenting than all the
infernal fiends, that, their loss of heaven is owing purely to their own
folly.
(4.) To show you what a hell it will be to lose heaven, a sinner shall
then reflect for what perishing vanities he lost heaven; he shall be
able to make a true comparison between what he lost, and that which
he lost it for. This is consequent to the former, because he shall know
what heaven is. The great reason why men pursue the things below,
is because they undervalue the things above; they have no esteem, no
taste for them; but then they shall be able to understand what heaven
is. Then it will appear what a wretched bargain they made to part
with heaven for these things. O when the considering soul shall come
to compare things, to think that I have lost the perfections of heaven
for vexing and transient vanities, we cannot conceive the detestation
the soul will have of itself. That the soul which was a spiritual,
immortal being, should for sensual, transient vanities lose heaven!
When you hear at any time of a person mixing with a brute, it raiseth
a disdain in you, and you will count that person the worst brute that
doth so. He that sets his heart upon the world is a more prodigious
monster; he that joins an immortal spirit with spiritual dust. The
soul will aggravate its misery that it brought upon itself for such
mean and cheap vanities.
Again; that which will be an aggravation of this loss of heaven is, it is
then irrecoverable; the day of mercy is expired, God will be justly
inexorable to all their lamentable cries. For the time of his patience
being expired, pure and strict justice takes place, and will exact from
the sinful creature the payment of the rights of it for ever.
2. Now besides this deprivation of the rest of heaven, there is a
positive and contrary state of misery, that those which are rebels to
God shall be plunged into. To open this briefly, consider, that hell is
represented to us in those expressions that have an absolute direct
contrariety to the state of heaven, and all to signify the positive
misery of that place. For example; heaven is said to be an inheritance
of light; 1 Cor. 12. Hell is said to be a region of darkness, perpetual
darkness, Jude, 13. you have an expression so strong and full, that
nothing can exceed it; "they are wandering stars, to whom is reserved
the blackness of darkness for ever." O that thick and disconsolate
darkness that shall never be refreshed with the least star, no, not
with one spark of light; blackness of darkness, darkness that may be
felt, like that in Egypt. Heaven is said to be a place of joy; "in thy
presence there is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand there are
pleasures for evermore." But in hell there is weeping, and wailing,
and gnashing of teeth. All which are expressions of desperate sorrow.
Sometimes in scripture heaven is set forth by springs of refreshing
water; so you have an expression which may be applied to heaven,
Rev. 7:17. "for the Lamb in the midst of the throne shall feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of water." It signifies both
refreshment and abundance of that refreshment that is in heaven.
It is said that hell is a lake that burns with fire and brimstone; where
the damned shall be drowned in flames, and burned in streams for
ever. A strange expression, a lake that burns, &c. In heaven the saints
shall be always praising and glorifying God, they are filled with joy,
and it breaks forth with overflowing thanksgivings. But in hell there
is blaspheming God, and cursing the Holy One, that is blessed for
ever. So it is said concerning those that are punished in hell, Rev.
16:10. "and the fifth angel poured forth his vial upon the seat of the
beast, and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they gnawed their
tongues for pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of
their pain and their sores, and they repented not of their deeds." Ver.
21. "And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone
about the weight of a talent, and they blasphemed God because of the
plague of hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great" Hell is the
region of misery, they blaspheme God there for the extremity of their
torment.
It is said of heaven, it is the saints' rest; they have a sweet and calm
repose in the enjoyment of God. There a believer can say, "return to
thy rest, O my soul." But in hell they rest neither night nor day, but
they are under continual tormenting reflections on their own
wickedness and the extremity of God's wrath. They have no interval
nor space of ease. They are always upon the rack; torn and miserable
in their own sense for ever. The scriptures set forth the possitive
torments of hell thus; and all this shall be for ever; the door is sealed
upon them and their state is unchangeable, and they are continually
restless, not only under the impressions of their present torment, but
by the foresight that this shall never have an end. O this is the very
hell of hell! O saith the forlorn wretch, if I could but live again, and
have a trial, whether I would repent or no, or, O if I might at length
die, and have an end of this torment, then hell would cease to be hell.
But all their wishes shall be ineffectual, for they shall never have any
ease or end. You cannot think they can free themselves by power. All
the armies of darkness cannot resist the powers of an infinite God:
our Saviour hath an expression applicable to this purpose, "bind
them hand and foot, and cast them into utter darkness;" which
implies, they have no power either to escape or make resistance. This
is that which makes hell to be so terrible, after the damned have run
through millions of years, the sum they owe to God's infinite justice
is entire, they have made no payment yet. It is impossible to think of
this without horror, that then a person shall be entirely and eternally
miserable. I remember what I have read, of one that was an impious
atheist, who was struck at last with an ulcerous distemper that run
throughout his body, and filled him with noisome vermin
accompanied with the most cruel pain, that he was ashamed and
afraid of society, and he retired into a private room; and when one
asked him how he did, he put his finger or thumb through the hole of
the door and bid has friend take notice and see how it was filled with
ulcers and vermin, saying, just as this is so it is with my whole body.
So the damned shall be miserable in all parts. Dives begged for a
drop of water to cool his tongue, when he was tormented in the
flames. It is not to be understood as if his tongue only was
tormented, but by that we may make a judgment, how miserable he
was in every part. But will not God change the sentence at last, when
the damned creature has endured ten thousand years of torment?
No, God will not repent nor retract his sentence. Not to speak of the
desert of sin, nor the justice of God in it, that they preferred misery
before heaven and happiness, they cannot complain of his justice in
their punishment; because though these wretches are in perfect
misery, yet their hearts are not changed to love a holy God; they are
blaspheming and filled with rage against a holy God: they are
continual objects therefore of his hatred, not only for their sins in
this present life, but for that cursed enmity that is still in their hearts
against him. As the most holy and powerful Judge, they eternally
hate him; and they are the proper objects for his holiness, and
justice, and power to work upon for ever. And they are not only
objects of his hatred, but of his scorn and derision, "he will laugh at
their calamities and mock when their fear cometh." If you believe the
scripture, it is a wonder that any of you can live in an unrenewed
state one day or hour. There is nothing more amazing than this, that
any man that hath so much faith, as to believe an eternal hell, and
hath not any love to God and holiness should be quiet one hour! Men
will not part with their beloved sins though hell attends them. I
remember reading of one who had a voracious appetite, that when he
had meat laid on the coals to be broiled for him, he would snatch it
up greedily, and eat the flesh and burning coals together. So some
persons are set upon their lusts, though the coals of hell fire cleave to
them. And if there was not a terrible Judge to punish them, they
would create a hell to themselves by reflecting upon their sins, which
will bring them torment and anguish, and horror for ever.
Thus from what I have spoken yon may see something of the doleful
state that the enemies of God shall be cast into. And this may be a
powerful persuasive to you to flee from the wrath to come, and to
seek after the kingdom of heaven.
The sum of all is this; they are entirely and eternally miserable, they
shall in hell be dead to all the joys and hopes of life; nay to all the
hopes of dying, but alive to all the agonies, to all the torments of
death for ever.
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 21:22:26 GMT -5
XI. The Second Use. Learn the Vanity of this World.
We hence learn to understand this world with all its allurements:
which can afford us no true content, as appears from the testimony
of God, and the experience of man: nor is it of a permanent
continuance. The sudden change that death makes will cause a
quicker sense of misery in hell.
I Shall now pass on to the second use from this doctrine of the divine
and blessed rest of the saints in the next world, which is this: from
hence we may be instructed how to disparage this world with all its
temptations, with all its allurements, whereby it deludes and
destroys the souls of men.
There is a necessity to make use of the revelation of heaven and to
compare this world with it, to take us off from its inviting efficacy;
because that which diverts us from heaven, from seeking the
kingdom of God and his righteousness thereof is this world. This is
the great temptation that the devil makes use of unto that end. And
the world hath this advantage from its being present. It is the
expression of the apostle, Gal. 1:4. "who gave himself for our sins,
that he might deliver us from this present evil world." The world is
that which we converse with, it is that which is hourly incumbent
upon our senses. And so you shall find the force of that temptation
upon Demas, the apostle puts it upon this, "Demas hath forsaken us,
having loved this present world." And the great disadvantage that
heaven has, is this, because it is a state that is future. And distance in
time hath the same effect that distance in place hath. Distance in
place makes objects of immense greatness as nothing to us; it lessens
the angles of the eye so, that stars of the first magnitude are but like
glittering spangles and sparks of light, though one of them be sixty
times bigger than the whole earth. Though heaven is so glorious a
blessedness, yet men look upon it at a vast distance, and so it lessens
their esteem of it. And though God hath made such a revelation of
this blessed state, that if reason ruled us we should abhor all things
in comparison of it; yet because it is not at hand, lower things prevail
with men, which are visible to their senses.
Now I shall endeavour to make a right comparison between this
world and this heavenly blessedness, and show you what heaven is,
and by a just deduction, I shall show you that there is nothing but
folly and madness, or something worse, that can possibly incline the
heart of men to neglect heaven, and pursue the world. Let us but
consider and compare heaven, this eternal rest I have been speaking
of, and this world, in these two respects, and you shall see, if you put
them in the balance of the sanctuary, how light this world is, and
how that exceeding eternal weight of glory will turn the scales; and
accordingly you shall choose and pursue the things above. Heaven I
told you consists in two things, to sum up what I then spoke: it is a
state of perfect satisfaction, and a state of eternal satisfaction. Psal.
17:15. "As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be
satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." What this likeness is,
whether or no it be the essential glory of God, or whether it be that
glory that eminently shines in the human nature of the Son of God,
or whether it be that likeness of God, that shall appear in every saint,
in every one of the blessed; take it as comprehending all these, "we
shall be satisfied with God's likeness," in the next state, which is a
state of true life; and in the eternal exercise of all the faculties of life.
Now compare this world and heaven in both these respects, and you
will see an infinite disproportion. First, for the world and all its offers
to us cannot afford us true content: and, Secondly, if it could, we
have no permanent continuance; and you shall see in both these
respects how incomparably heaven exceeds it.
1. This world can afford us no true and perfect content. And for this
we have both the testimony of God, and the universal testimony of
mankind. We have God's testimony in his word; so that if you will
believe him that knows what is in the creature, and that put into it all
those degrees of comfort and goodness that are in it; if you believe
him he tells you that all worldly things have but the appearance of
happiness, 1 John 2:16. All that is in pleasure, riches, honour, is but
vanity in masquerade, vanity gilded over with the appearance of
happiness, and men are deceived with false titles and empty names.
There is no such thing as true pleasure, true riches, and true honours
in this world. These are too high titles for things below the moon; all
the colour and false appearance of these things is maintained by
those solecisms in language which ate current in the world. We call
them riches and pleasures and the like, but in truth they do not
answer those names. Therefore the heart is still empty and full of
anguish amidst all these things. Nay the very senses are not satisfied
with them. "The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled
with hearing." Eccl. 1:8. All this world cannot fill the emptiness of the
eye, or the ear. Pray do but consider the wise and tender mercy of
God to us, that he hath made these things, although necessary for the
support of the present life, and some way refreshing and ornamental,
yet nevertheless he hath not given them such a degree of good as
shall satisfy the soul of man. What is the reason of it? It is his wise
love. Wise love, that you may seek for happiness in himself. He hath
declared what the world is, that you may not be deceived with it; he
hath made it to be empty and unsatisfying, that you may seek for
happiness in himself. I remember an observation of a philosopher,
speaking of the wisdom and goodness of divine providence in making
the winds in this natural world, that so they may be instrumental to
men's discovery of foreign parts, that they may not be confined to the
country where they are born.
The application is easy: the desires and affections in man are as the
winds. God hath given you these desires to make you seek after
heaven. The affections are given to us, that not being satisfied with
this world, we may seek after the world that is future.
Now what the wise man saith concerning riches, is applicable to all
other things in the world, "wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is
not?" Upon that which doth not answer the title of it? You may call it
substance, but it will never satisfy you. Will you set your hearts upon
the world, which can never answer your affections, that can never
give you true and perfect joy, where you cannot obtain rest for your
souls? This should make you to seek earnestly after the kingdom of
heaven. It is true, if there were not a revelation made of this
happiness, all the arguments that I shall use would be of no effect; if
you were as the heathen world, upon whom, the Sun of
Righteousness never rose, who never had a state of immortality and
blessedness revealed to them. If you did think that because the soul
and body are born together and live together, therefore they shall die
together: that when one shall be resolved into the dust, the other
shall vanish into the air; then it were wisdom for you to make the
best of what you have at present. But when God hath promised us a
heavenly and eternal rest, for a person to make the world his
happiness, it is just as if a person should have the purest meats, and
should choose to feed upon husks; or should pitch upon acorns,
when he hath the choicest fruits of the earth to eat of.
Now to express this to you by a familiar and plain similitude,
suppose that the moles, which are blind naturally, and never saw the
light of the sum, nor the beauty of this visible world, if they keep
their holes, and think there is no better state, and feed upon mean
and bitter roots, and think there is no better food, you do not marvel
at it. But if you see the birds of the air that behold the light of the
sun, and feed upon sweet and pleasant fruits; if you should see them
run into the holes and caves of the earth, you could not but wonder.
If a heathen confine himself to the things of this lower world, and
make them his happiness, he is like a blind mole that knows no
better things to feed upon and delight himself with than these
perishing pleasures. But for christians, those that pretend to believe
and expect a heavenly eternal rest, that they should mind this world
so as to neglect heaven; it is the most amazing prodigious folly. For
both reason and sense tell them that this world cannot give them
true content. And we have the concurrent testimony both of God and
man, for all persons must grant it, there is no true and perfect
satisfaction here.
2. Suppose there were, there is no permanent continuance of it. It is
an inseparable adjunct to all our enjoyments here, they are but
temporal, they are but for a short space. For you are liable to one of
these two things, either you shall have your end shortly, or they shall
have their end. With reference to all you enjoy and possess, you shall
have your end in dying; or your riches and enjoyments shall make
themselves wings and fly away from you, before you leave the world.
However, they shall not attend you one step beyond the grave, not
one, not one moment beyond death.
Where sense is so convincing, one would think we should need no
other argument to make us lay it to heart. 1 Cor. 7:31. "For the
fashion of this world passeth away," where the apostle intimates the
vanity of it, it is but a fashion, it is but a shadowy happiness, there is
but a mere appearance. This fashion passeth away, and what should
more cause our undervaluing of it than this? Suppose it were greater
than it is in its own nature, yet if it be always in a fleeting posture, if
the most substantial happiness here is but like a heap of snow before
the heat of the sun, like a shadow that flies away at noon-day-light. If
it be but the shadow of a shadow, or less, if one would speak any
thing more diminutively; how great a folly is it to set our hearts upon
it? Of Christ's kingdom it is said there shall be no end; but this world
is always in a flux, always lapsing, and tending towards its period.
I remember Seneca speaking of his master Attalus, that which cured
him of the inordinate love of the world, was the sight of the triumphs
of Rome, where there was all the magnificence, and splendour, and
grandeur of the world made most conspicuous: after he had stood
some hours in seeing all, saith he, 'I have seen all this pomp and
magnificence put in such order, and passing slowly along, yet it is all
gone; and why should I esteem and love this which is so transient
and momentary? Why are we struck with wonder and amazement at
this? It is but a vain pomp, and passeth away; the scripture tells us
so, "the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof; but he that doth
the will of God abideth for ever." 1 John 2:17.
Let me tell you further, upon this account that is so short, and an
eternal state follows it, that there is no such unhappy person in the
world, as he that is happy here, because of the sudden change that
death shall make in him from his present pleasure to everlasting
misery. This is that which will double his misery.
As I remember it is an observation of physicians, that there is
nothing more destructive to health than the sudden change of the
seasons, when we pass from extreme cold to extreme heat. O the
sudden change from the pleasures of this world to everlasting
torment, will double the misery. Remember when you live in the
world, shining in pomp, and flowing in pleasures, and enjoy the
greatest prosperity, and have the strongest bodies, and the firmest
health, you may be struck with death suddenly; but suppose you do
not die suddenly, but have the preface of a sickness before your
dissolution; yet when the physician comes and speaks but a few
words of some cold hope, that there is only some possibility of your
recovery, it is like the sentence of death to you. But when you are
ready to depart, and your soul sits trembling upon your lips, and you
are ready to take your flight, you have nothing to pitch upon but
heaven or hell. Now since this world is so shadowy and short an
enjoyment, shall this take you off from seeking heaven? One would
think it impossible that the reasonable creature should be guilty of
such folly. Bring this down to yourselves, if this world is that which
makes us neglect heaven, let us learn to disparage this world, by
comparing it with the eternal world, that so we may seek the things
that are above.
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 21:29:04 GMT -5
XII. The Third Use. The Hope of this Rest Should Fortify us Against Present
Afflictions
This rest should fortify us against all the afflictions of this present
life, whether they be chastisements, or persecutions.
SINCE there is a divine and blessed rest hereafter for the saints of
God, it should fortify us against all those afflictions and calamities
that befal us in this present world; First, against all those afflictions
that befal us as chastisements from God, those which are designed
for preparing us for this blessed rest, and these are most usual. And
Secondly, those afflictions which we suffer for righteousness sake.
1. Those afflictions that are chastisements of us not for righteousness
sake, but with respect to sin. There are two considerations which will
render them tolerable to us: (1.) Consider they come from the love of
God, though that love be displeased. Rev. 1:17. "As many as I love I
rebuke and chasten." O it is a dreadful state, when God doth take
away his rod from a person, as one that is incorrigible! if God once
say, "why should they be smitten any more, they will revolt more and
more?" It is the most terrible word next to that of, "go ye cursed." But
when God doth afflict in order to make us better, when he doth
correct us for our good, O this sweetens the cup. When I have this
argument, I am part of God's paternal care, and under his gracious
providence, that he doth not leave me unchastised in sin. But which
is more particularly to my purpose, because these chastisements are
in order to an eternal rest, they are to purify us, and to prepare us for
that rest. When he is pleased to put his people into the fire, it is to
refine them, and burn up their dross; it is to make his image more
bright and shining upon them, and that is the principal cause; I
speak with reference to God, it is his love, though displeased that
afflicts them. So then the issue of all, shall be the eternal enjoyment
of God in heaven, how should this make God's people willing to bear
his present displeasure, when God's rod is upon his children; it is
more powerful to convince them, for thereby he makes them sensible
of the evil of sin, which only can bar their entrance into heaven; he
takes their hearts off this world, which would turn them from
heaven. When you are under the sharpest afflictions, you may
comfort yourselves with this, that there is a blessed repose in the
bosom of God, when you shall enjoy his favour without eclipse or
interruption. I speak this to the people of God that labour to have his
chastisements sanctified and effectual upon them. The very belief of
this is able to sweeten all the afflictions that we can meet with here.
It is an expression of the apostle; "rejoicing in hope." Rom. 15:13.
"The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing."
2. Especially those sufferings that are endured for righteousness
sake, are not only made tolerable, but easy and amiable to us. I shall
tell you that which at first you may think a paradox, but is an eternal
truth; he is the happiest man in the world that suffers most for God,
and receives least of his reward here: because of the degrees of glory
that are reserved for such a one hereafter, which shall infinitely
recompense all that he suffereth here. There are two scriptures that I
shall set before you for this purpose. Rom. 8:18. "For I reckon that
the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared to
the glory which shall be revealed in us." "For I reckon," as if he had
said, I have made a strict search into it, I have thoroughly examined
the matter, I have, upon a just computation of the future glory, found
that it is incomparably above our present sufferings. Who is it that
saith this? It is the most afflicted person in the world, and one that
had such a sight of heaven while he was here, that he did, as it were
walk by sight. As the Israelites sent spies into the land of Canaan, to
give them an account of the fruitfulness of that good land; so Paul
was as it were, sent from earth to heaven to discover it, and give us
an account of it. "For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time
are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in
us." All the sufferings of this life are moderated and allayed by the
sense of God's favour to his people, and they are all but for a time.
Therefore you find Paul instancing in this very case, 2 Cor. 4:17. "for
our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Where you see the
opposition is made both in the degree and duration of those things.
All the afflictions of this world they are but light and momentary; but
it is an eternal weight of glory. And will not infinite and eternal glory
support us under short and light afflictions? I know many times they
are very heavy to sense, and very afflictive. But then faith and hope
represent to the soul, and give assurance of this eternal rest, which is
a great support to the soul. The more tempestuous the sea is, the
more sweet will heaven be. Therefore comfort yourselves under all
your afflictions that you suffer for Christ's sake.
XIII. The fourth use. This rest affords consolation to the saints in their conflict with death.
This rest affords strong consolation to the saints in their conflict with
death. Death considered as it either affects nature, or is an inlet to
heaven. The saints must undergo it, that the relics of sin may be
extinguished; as a means to bring them to glory; because they must
run the race before they have the prize; that there may be a
distinction between the present and future state; that divine power
may be glorified in their resurrection. A threefold temper of spirit
with which a saint should die; with submission to the will of God,
with joy from a consciousness of his own sincerity, and a prospect of
heaven. It is very dishonourable for a saint to be unwilling to die; it
argues a great defect in his faith and love, and too great a value for
this world.
IF there be a blessed rest remaining for the saints in the next world,
this will afford strong consolation in their conflict with death, that
universal enemy of mankind. For this is now by a merciful
providence of God appointed to be a means of conveying them to the
possession of this rest. Therefore the saints should meet death, not
only without those terrors and fears which naturally we are liable to
upon that account, but with joyful affections, as the psalmist said, "I
was glad when they said, let us go up to the house of the Lord." So
when the compassionate call of God by death shall sound in the ears
of a christian, that he should come up to this rest, he should receive
that call with joy.
It is otherwise with wicked men; to them death is (and ought to be)
the king of terrors. And in truth it is the saddest sight in the world,
when one who hath lived a careless life, neglecting God and his soul:
when such a one dies with the same indifference as if he was going to
sleep, without any solicitousness or concernment about his future
state. It is often thus, that an affected security in this life is punished
with an inflicted security at death. It is often so that the sinner goes
from an inward darkness to outer darkness.
On the other side it is sad to see an awakened and terrified sinner
die; when one that hath lived in a course of sin, and God by the cold
hands of death attacks, and seizes upon him to bring him to
judgment; and conscience begins to take courage, and speak to the
sinner, and tell him what his state is; and his fear presently turns
into despair. This is a most dreadful sight, to see a man that hath
lived as if he should never die, to die without any hope of living in
another world.
But to see one that hath been a sincere servant of God, one that hath
lived a life of holiness, to see this person joyful upon a death bed:
when the fainting flesh sinks under the weight of a disease, to see the
soul supported and raised with the blessed hopes of heaven, it is
certainly the most comfortable sight in the world. Nothing is so
honourable to religion; nothing so encouraging and consolatory to
those that are round about such a person; nothing so much discovers
the power of godliness as to see a servant of God not only die in
peace, but to die in triumph. As I remember Bernard tells us of his
brother, I was called (saith he) to see a miracle, to see a man
triumphing in death, and over death. O this is that which makes
religion to be so valuable. This is that which is the way to convert
sinners indeed.
To improve this part of the application, I will, First, show how we are
to consider death; Secondly, upon what account tins dispensation is
continued to the saints, that they cannot obtain heaven but by dying;
Thirdly, with what frame and temper of mind it becomes them to
receive death; Fourthly, how dishonorable a thing it is for the
people of God to be unwilling to die.
1. Show how we are to consider death. Death may be considered two ways
(1.) as it affects nature, as it dissolves the vital intimate union
between soul and body, and separates those near and dear friends; so
it hath an aspect that is unpleasing to us. Considered thus in itself,
death is so far from being an object of ones desire, that our blessed
Saviour who was a person holy, harmless, undefiled, who never had
an irregular passion, yet when he drew near to death, he prayed,
"Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me." There was an
aversion to death in the human soul of Christ. You must understand
it thus: his death was attended with all those circumstances, that
made it truly formidable. Take an instance in one of the holiest
persons that ever was in the world, and that is Paul, 2 Cor. 5:4. after
he had expressed his desire to be in heaven, "for in this we groan
earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from
heaven." In the fourth verse he tells us, "for we that are in this
tabernacle do groan being burthened, not for that we would be
unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of
life." If it were possible, and if it were matter of a lawful wish, a saint
would not desire to be unclothed, but have this body of flesh changed
into an immortal body. But if heaven be obtained by dying, if God
will take off this vile garment of flesh, that he may put the royal robe
upon us, we must be willing to be unclothed.
(2.) Consider death as a means to bring us to everlasting blessedness:
so it is the proper object of our desire. Phil. 1:23. "Having a desire to
depart and be with Christ which is far better; yet nevertheless to
abide in the flesh is more needful for you." I desire to depart, at my
being present in the body, implies being absent from the Lord. So the
apostle desired to be divested of this body that he might see Christ
face to face. Though all the saints of God have not such wings of fire
as the apostle had, such ardent affections to be with Christ, yet where
there is a renewed nature, there will be a tendency and an inclination
towards it, that so they may be with God and Christ which is far
better, and in this respect the nature of death is changed to the
people of God. It is an enemy to nature; but considered by this
merciful order of the divine providence, as it is a means to bring us to
heaven, so it is reconciled to us. Prov. 14. "If a man's ways please the
Lord, he will make his enemies to be at peace with him." So if your
ways please him, he will make death, your last enemy to be a friend
to you; and it will be the best and most blessed friend to remove us
from this sinful world to the enjoyment of the most holy and blessed
God. 1 Cor. 3:22, 23. "All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos,
or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present or things
to come; all are yours, and you are Christ's and Christ is God's."
Where you have the scale of subordination the gospel makes; Christ
is God's, and you are Christ's, and all things are yours.
There is such an intimate union between God and Christ, and Christ
and believers, that all is theirs, whether life or death; death is for
their advantage: Phil. 1:21. "for to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain;" but to a carnal man, death is the greatest loss, he loseth all his
good things in this world, and his hopes of all good in the next. He
loseth whatsoever he values here, and what is valuable in the next
life. Death is to a carnal man a fiery stinging serpent, it wounds him
and delivers him to eternal death. But to a saint death is an
advantage, it brings him to the enjoyment of God, and the blessed
spirits above. And further there is an expression, that is most
remarkable to this purpose, to show that the nature of death is
changed to a believer, that which in itself is the doom of the law and
curse and punishment of sin, yet the death of a saint is of most
precious account in God's sight; Psal. 116:15. "precious in the sight of
the Lord is the death of his saints." God never looks upon his people
with a more tender compassionate eye, than in a dying hour: suppose
their death be attended with all the circumstances of ignominy and
scorn, and contumely in the world, it is most precious to him.
Now if it be said, if this be necessary in order to the making of death
desirable to us, what is the reason that God doth by dying bring the
saints to heaven? he could if he pleased, change all, as those that
shall be found alive at the coming of Christ at the last; God could, if
he pleased change them by his infinite power, and give them a
blessed immortality instead of death. This leads me to remark,
2. What is the reason of this dispensation, why death is continued to the saints? For these reasons.
(1.) God is pleased to continue death in the world to saints and
believers, because by this he would extinguish all the relics of sin;
which are principally seated in the carnal and sensitive faculties.
Death is a mark of God's displeasure against sin, and he continues it
so to be to the end of the world to all his people, that he may make
death instrumental to abolish sin, that so no root or fibre of it shall
remain. It is true, God could abolish it by his infinite power
immediately; but he doth it this way to declare what an evil thing sin
is. As soon as the soul is separated from the body it is presently freed
from all the taint and defilement of sin (I speak now of the saints.)
The body indeed falls to the grave, and God will at last recompose
that in honour and glory, and in a state of perfect purity. But this way
he hath chosen to extinguish the relics of sin by death. Suppose that
a piece of plate be battered and soiled extremely, so that neither the
fashion nor the lustre of it remains, a goldsmith will melt this down
and put it into a new figure and form. Thus it is with the body of a
saint, it is like a piece of plate soiled and battered by sin, and God
melts it down in order to its being refined and made meet for a
glorious state.
(2.) Death is a means to bring us to glory; it is the way that our
Saviour went in before us; he ascended into heaven by the grave, and
is an example of our glorification; "our vile body shall be changed by
Christ," that it may be "fashioned like unto his glorious body,
according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things
to himself." Phil. 3:21. We must be the food of worms, and lie in that
place which is called the land of forgetfulness. When our Redeemer
ascended into heaven, he took the grave in his way; and he hath
perfumed the grave, and made it a bed of rest to his people.
(3.) Another reason why death is continued to the saints, is, because
this is the order of the divine wisdom in the gospel, that none should
receive the prize but those that run the race. Therefore till we have
run that race that is set before us by our dying, which is the
accomplishment of it, we have not a right to the crown. "None are
crowned," saith the apostle, "but those that strive lawfully;" and in
our encountering death, the last enemy, we declare our love to God:
for "whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." And till we overcome
death we are not qualified for the crown of righteousness, life, and
glory: therefore God dispenseth his reward after we have persevered
in his service. For he hath chose this way to give heaven to us.
Although it is a most free favour and gift of his love, and the richest
liberality of his hand; yet it is after we have glorified him by
perseverance, and that dying as well as living.
(4.) God continues this dispensation to the saints that they shall
come to heaven by death; that he may distinguish between the
present state and the future. If every saint and holy man should be
glorified after such a term of years and ascend to heaven as our
Saviour did, we should not then walk by faith, but by sight; and so
there would be no distinction between this and the next state. It is
ordered by God in the gospel, that we should live by faith. God is
therefore pleased to reserve that glory for the saints in the other
world, and they must pass to it by dying. He will try their faith, and
exercise their reason too, whether they will believe him upon his promise.
(5.) Another reason why God continues death to the saints in all ages
is for the greater glorification of his power in raising their dead
bodies at the last day; when all that have lain in their repositories for
so many ages; all the saints whose bodies have been resolved into
their elements, and scattered abroad, in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, shall all be re-animated and reunited to their souls, and
made possessors of God for ever. The resurrection of the body is a
miracle almost equal to the creation; for it is the raising a glorious
body out of matter most unprepared and indisposed. The apostle
tells us, our Saviour shall come to be "glorified in his saints, and
admired in all them that believe," 2 Thes. 1:10. the angels themselves
will then be struck with a noble wonder, to see springing out of the
dust innumerable glorified bodies. So when the apostle speaks
concerning the resurrection of the just, Phil. 3:21. "Who shall change
our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,
according to the working of his mighty power, where-by he his able
even to subdue alt things to himself." With what an emphasis doth he
speak of the divine power that shall raise our bodies? Thus I have
opened to you the reasons why God is pleased by dying to bring his
saints to their everlasting rest.
3. Let us now see with what temper and frame of spirit it becomes
the people of God to leave this world. There are three things to which
I shall advert.
(1.) That which is the lowest degree of grace is this, a saint should die
with submission to the will of God, with an acquiescence in the will
of his Father. There may be some stormy affections in our nature,
considering death as a natural evil; yet nevertheless, when we
consider it is God that gave life and it is God that takes away life, our
death should be with resignation and yielding up ourselves to God.
Observe that most passionate story concerning Abraham's offering
up Isaac. He was commanded to sacrifice his son. Consider what a
hard work it was for Abraham to offer up his son, and for his son to
be offered up. Yet we do not read of the least reluctancy either in
Abraham or Isaac; for there was a superior consideration both in the
one and in the other, that silenced all the motions of nature.
Abraham complies with God, and Isaac readily yields up himself to
be sacrificed by his father. When God signifies his will to us, that we
must die, whatever are the next causes of it, they are but
instrumental to his providence, and therefore it becomes us, with the
greatest willingness, to resign up ourselves to God. Indeed when a
wicked man dies, his soul is often rent from him by an act of violence
and force. O how unwillingly doth he go! for what is the hope of the
hypocrite, when God shall take away his soul; that is, take it away by
storm. But a gracious person should deliver up his soul to God. "Lord
now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." How voluntarily doth he
commend and resign up his soul to God! if you should say it is true, I
am willing to yield up my soul to God, but I am afraid to die: many of
the most holy servants of God are most sensible, even in a sorrowful
manner, of their appearance before the great tribunal, and the
account they are to give to the Father of spirits; and this makes them
unwilling to die. To that I shall only say thus much; it is a very sad
case, though the soul is safe as to its eternal interest, if there be an
uncomfortable apprehension of our being in danger, yet even then it
is the duty of the creature to submit. This is a duty that must never
be violated. You may pray indeed with earnestness, as David, "O
spare me a little that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and
be no more." Psal. 39:13. And this is becoming the servants of God.
But if God by his providence show it his will they should die,
submission to his decreeing providence is entirely their duty; and
this is the lowest step that we can go.
(2.) To ascend higher; it becomes a saint to receive death not only
patiently, but joyfully, as it is that which shall bring him to the sight
of God, to the perfect love of God, to the enjoyment of the blessed
society above: I say a saint should receive death joyfully. It is that
which is the end of his faith, and of his hope; and that which if he be
a true saint, hath been the supreme object of his desire, for in truth,
no man can pray in sincerity, "thy will be done and thy kingdom
come," but in that very petition, he desires God to fit him for heaven,
and to take him to it. Therefore he should receive death joyfully when
ever it comes. We read in the 42 psalm, a very passionate expression
of David, "My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I
come and appear before thee?" He was then banished from the
tabernacle. How much greater reason have we to say, O when shall I
appear before God in his temple above, and see his unveiled glory,
and love him as much as I am capable of loving? O consider when the
body dies, the soul is not oppressed in its ruins, but is delivered by it.
The soul hath an immediate entrance into glory, and a full
possession of the kingdom prepared for it. And O the joyful reception
that the holy soul hath when it comes to heaven. Therefore with what
joy should it go thither: it is welcomed by its God and Jesus Christ,
the fruition of whom is its blessedness for ever. Christ will pronounce
the blessed sentence and say, "Well done good and faithful servant
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," O what an ecstacy will a holy
soul be in when it hears those life-breathing words from the mouth
of Christ! All the angels and saints above, have, as it were, an
overflowing joy, when the people of God are brought safe to the
everlasting kingdom. You know when there is a great fleet of ships,
that are all designed for one harbour and port, some come in before
the other into the harbour; how do they welcome the rest that come
after! What expressions of joy, what caressing and feasting between
friends, when they are safely arrived in the same harbour! This is a
little emblem of the joy that is above. With what triumphant joy do
the saints welcome one another after they are passed through these
dangerous seas, the troubles and temptations of this wicked world,
and are arrived safe to the bosom of God. But you will say there are
many of the people of God, that do not feel this joy when they come
to die. I answer it is their own fault. They do not only lose a privilege,
but they neglect a duty. It may be, that they have not lived with that
holy care, and circumspection, and accuracy as becomes those that
made it their business to finish their course with joy. Yet
nevertheless the saints of God, where there is true grace, though they
may experience fears, and doubts, and troubles, yet their happiness
is secured. It is with them as it is many times with a setting sun, that
is obscured with thick vapours; but it ariseth in the morning in a
beautiful horizon. So many a saint may set in a cloud, and be afraid
of appearing before God; but when they come into the other world,
they are received with joy and triumph. We should labour so to live,
that we may die joyfully. There are two things which are causes of joy
to the dying saints.
1st, A reflection upon a life sincerely spent in the service of God,
though attended with infirmities and failings. For thus saith the
apostle, 2 Cor. 1:22. "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our
conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly
wisdom, but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the
world." The reflection upon a life that hath been pleasing to God in
the main course of it, and a conscience sprinkled with the blood of
Christ, O it makes death desirable, it makes a man joyful in death.
And this joyful reflection upon our past works, is an imitation of
God. For when God looked back upon his works of creation, and saw
that they were all very good, he rejoiced in them, he delighted in the
review of them; then he appointed a sabbath, and a day of rest, so
when a christian looks back upon a life regulated by the gospel
according to that acceptance that God declareth there; O the peace
and joy that is in the soul!
2dly, Another cause of a Christian's joy in death, is the prospect of
eternal blessedness that is before him: it was the saying of a holy
man in a dying hour, there is no man can overcome death, but he
that looks beyond death. Now a christian by faith looks through the
dark cloud; he sees that when the natural life shall be extinguished,
the spiritual life shall come to its perfection. This prospect makes the
saints joyful. I read of the famous astronomer Hipparchus, one
speaks in praise and admiration of him; O the divine wisdom of
Hipparchus, he freed the world from a double darkness and
inconvenience, of ignorance and fear, when he discovered the causes
of the eclipses. For the people thought that they should lose the sun
and moon when there was an eclipse of them. Thus death is an
eclipse; it eclipseth this natural life for a time: but he that hath an
enlightened faith and hope of an eternal rest, knows a better life shall
be restored to the body, and the soul shall enter immediately into the
possession of eternal life. Therefore although the body of a saint may
sigh and groan for the pangs and agonies it endures in a dying hour,
yet he can rejoice and lift up his head, because the day of his
redemption draws nigh.
(3.) It becomes a saint not only to die joyfully, but thankfully, with
solemn praises to God that he will be pleased to take him to himself.
"Father I will, saith Christ, that those whom thou hast given me, may
be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory." This may
make a saint to die triumphantly, considering that divine grace hath
made him persevere to the end. For perseverance is that which
qualifies him for heaven, and entitles him to it by the promise,
"Those that patiently continue in well-doing, shall have honour,
glory, immortality, and eternal life." O with what thankfulness
should a saint of God leave the world, seeing God hath pleased to
fortify his spirit against all those temptations that have ruined so
many souls, and to keep his love alive acting and governing in the
breast of a saint, and that he is pleased to take him immediately to
himself. A saint should die with hymns of praise in his mouth, and
begin his heaven here. It is observed, that when great rivers near the
sea break forth and overflow the banks, the sea meets them and
mixeth with them: so when a saint ascends to heaven, many times it
descends to him and refresheth him in his dying agonies. A dying
saint should begin the work of praise here, that shall be his
employment and blessedness for ever. We are never more indebted
to God, than when we come to die. When he hath carried us through
a sinful tempting world, and hath conveyed us safe to eternal felicity.
Thus I have shown you how it becomes a saint of God to die. O that
you would labour so to die, for it will be your unspeakable advantage.
I am sure you will be of my mind then, unless you are under a fatal
stupidity, and a damnable delusion. You will wish you had prepared
yourselves to die comfortably. O that we could despise all the terrors
and allurements of this world, that we may die a happy death!
4. I shall show you how dishonorable a thing it is for the people of
God to be unwilling to die; how it doth reflect upon them and argues
that which should be matter of continual sorrow and grief.
(1.) It argues a strange defect in his faith. We have a double
apprehension of death, the apprehension of nature, and the
apprehension of faith. Indeed in the apprehension of nature, there is
nothing to sweeten it, considering it in itself. He that looks upon a
dying or dead person merely with a carnal eye, will see matter
enough of dread; to behold a body labouring under agonies, and
either painful or languishing distempers; to see it, as we read of the
possessed person in the gospel, sometimes cast into the fire, and
sometimes into the water; sometimes it may be in a burning fever,
and sometimes in a cold sweat; here is nothing to make it desirable.
To see a dead body, pale, cold and stiff, without motion or life, this is
still matter of terror. But if you look upon it with the apprehension of
faith, it gives you another prospect of it. For death is that which is
ordained by the Father of mercies, to put us into a state beyond
dying. In the apprehension of faith, death is so far from wanting
consolation, that it is the greatest consolation in the world to a
believer, because faith tells him that after death we shall sin no more;
weep no more; and be above all afflicting evils. Faith assures a
believer that his soul shall immediately enter upon a blessed
immortality as soon as he leaves the body. It shall be transported by
a guard of angels, those immortal warriors, through the devil's
kingdom, safely to eternal rest. And for the body that indeed falls to
the dust; but faith assures me, that this shall be transformed and
made like unto Christ's glorious body, and shall be re-united to the
soul, and be its consort in everlasting happiness.
We read in the book of Leviticus, concerning the house that was
infected with the fretting leprosy, God ordered that it should be
pulled to pieces and demolished: and we read of the order of God
concerning the tabernacle, that it should be taken down when it was
to be removed. Now the death of the wicked man, and the saint may
be compared to these two, as to the difference of them. When a
wicked man dies, his body is like the house infected with the leprosy,
all the parts of it, after being pulled down are thrown into ruins and
rubbish with execration. But when a saint dies, his body is taken
down as the tabernacle was, with a great deal of care, to be preserved
till it be raised a glorious temple, for the Spirit to dwell in for ever.
Now since faith giveth us an assurance of these things what a
dishonour is it to a christian, that he should be unwilling to die. We
read of the disciples, that when our Lord came unto them upon the
waters, they said it is a spectre, it is a spirit: they could not bear the
apparition: but our Saviour said unto them, "Be not afraid it is I;" It
is I that am your merciful Saviour. A strange thing that we should be
afraid of death! It is Christ that comes by death to take us to himself.
The reason why a saint dies, is this, because Christ will have those
souls, which cost him so dear, to reign with him in glory above, that
he may obtain his purchased possession. Do but then consider with
yourselves, how dishonourable it is to a christian, one that hath
made it his business and work to glorify and please God; what a
shame it is to be unwilling to die! It argues as if there were some
relics of infidelity in him too powerful for his faith. Is it not a shame
to a christian to read what is reported concerning a philosopher
among the heathens, when Antigonus the emperor threatened to put
the philosopher to death; threaten this, said he, to your insolent
courtiers, that are softened with sensuality, for I am prepared for
death. Is it not a shame to a christian that he should not be above the
fear of death, when a heathen philosopher speaks thus with courage
and bravery, unmoved at the threatenings of it? What a shame it is
for a christian to be afraid of death, when God hath given him
assurance, that there is eternal rest above.
(2.) It argues the coldness of our love to God and Christ. Love is an
affection of union; it is that which is always aspiring and acting in
desire, after the full fruition of the person beloved. And if there be
the least degree of holy love in the soul, it is that which causeth it to
ascend in its desires towards God, to be with him. You know as soon
as the fire is kindled, the sparks will be ascending, and the flame
arising; so where there is a sincere love to God and Christ, it is
always in a tendency and inclination towards him. Therefore in the
New Testament you have this as the universal common character of
christians, they are those that, "Love the appearance of Christ." This
is their character. And pray do but consider how this coldness of our
love that I am now speaking of, is aggravated upon one account: our
Saviour had such a love for us, that he left the bosom of his Father,
the throne of his glory, and descended into this lower state of misery
for us, that he might redeem us from iniquity, and recover us from
our lost and undone condition. And shall not our love make us
willing to ascend to him where we enjoy him in glory? When the soul
is divorced from the body it is immediately united to Christ, married
to him for ever? Shall we not be willing to leave this world, that we
may be united to him that loveth us? How can we pretend to the love
of Christ, and not have this inseparable effect of it, earnest desires to
be with him? Certainly this consideration should make us ashamed,
that we live so patiently in this world, that we are not always under
earnest longings and languishings to be with Christ above, that he
may "Kiss us with the kisses of his mouth, whose love is better than
wine;" and that we may enjoy his love which is infinitely sweeter
than all the festival entertainments of this world. Did the love of
Christ make him willing to come from heaven to earth to suffer for
us; and shall not our love make us willing to ascend to heaven to
reign with him? I know what I am now speaking, does no more affect
a carnal heart, than if I were offering him a stone for food. But I
speak to those that have this holy fire in their breasts, and that
sincerely love Christ. Methinks it should make us ashamed, to be
indifferent whether we continue still in the world, or go to heaven.
3.) It argues too great an attachment to the world; and how
dishonorable is this to the Christian. As if his heart were glued to
these things; as if they were his chief happiness! I do not wonder if I
see a carnal man that is rich and lives in pleasure, if he be unwilling
to die. What our Saviour tells of the young man in the gospel, is true
of such, "He went away sorrowful from Christ, for he had great
possessions." For such a man to leave the world sorrowful, that hath
his heart here, and his happiness here, I do not wonder at it. It is a
bad exchange that such a one makes. But for the man that hath a title
to an eternal kingdom, to be unwilling to die and leave this world,
surely argues a great degree of carnality in his breast, that he should
be so taken with these trifles of time, these empty vanities, and that
he should be so unwilling to go to that place, where there is the only
true treasure, and the only true pleasure and delight, and perfect
satisfaction!
Consider how very dishonourable it is for a christian to be unwilling
to die, therefore let us labour constantly to conquer this aversion to
death, this fear of it; the truth of it is, there is no excuse that a holy
man can bring for his unwillingness to die; but indeed the very
excuse increases the fault. If you say you are not yet prepared to die,
therefore you fear death; it is your own fault that you are not every
day prepared, seeing there is a strict and peremptory command of
Christ to partake of the symbolical representation of his sufferings, if
you neglect to come, and say, you are not prepared; why are you not?
It is a guilty neglect of your souls that you are not prepared for this
blessed ordinance. It is not your pretence of unpreparedness will free
you, if you neglect and disobey this charge and command of your
heavenly Father. So if you are unwilling to die and unprepared it is
your fault that you are not ready for death. All those that are united
to Christ and have an interest in him, and have mortified their lusts,
O let them not be unwilling to die. Indeed many of those that walk
holily and humbly, and are conscientious christians, are many times
afraid to die; I do not deny this. Sometimes it is with them in
reference to the fears of death, as it is with one that hath wasps
humming about him that have lost their sting; they may terrify him
but cannot hurt him. Death to a saint is like a wasp that hath lost its
sting, it may make a humming noise about him, it may raise trouble
and fear in him for a time, but cannot really hurt him. Now to such I
shall only say this; where there is a sincere humble soul, that hath
made it its business to please God, although many infirmities and
many sins have attended his performances (which the best saints are
guilty of) nevertheless do but consider, what the gospel saith
concerning our Saviour, it tells you he is your Judge; he that valued
you so much as to give his life for you; he is your Judge; your
Advocate is to pass sentence; and shall we not be willing to appear
before him that is our Saviour? Shall not the ransomed with joy give
up themselves to their Redeemer?
It is a terrible consideration to appear before an infinite God, but this
is a comfortable consideration, that his goodness is answerable to his
greatness. That I may allude to that scripture, that respects the saints
coming to the throne of grace, saith the apostle, "Let us come boldly
to the throne of grace," Heb. 4:16. So I may say, let a saint go boldly
to a throne of glory; with boldness, calmness, and joy let the saints
deliver their souls lip to Christ!
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Post by Admin on Jun 30, 2024 21:35:39 GMT -5
XIV. The Fifth Use. The Subject Affords Comfort in the Death of Holy Friends
This affords comfort in the death of holy friends.
THE next use of the point is this; if there be an eternal rest
remaining for the people of God, then this affords us solid comfort in
the death of our dearest friends who die in the Lord, and who are
ascended to enjoy this rest. It is one of the tenderest trials in the
world, when God takes from us our dear relations and beloved
friends. There is nothing more affects humanity, nothing more
wounding, than when those we value, love, and esteem, and delight
in are taken from us. Now the apostle gives this direction, 1 Thes.
4:13. "But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them that are asleep, that you sorrow not even as others which have
no hope; for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Indeed for
the heathen, that looks upon death as a gulph that swallows a man
for ever, there might be sorrow to part with their dearest relatives;
but for the saints that believe an eternal state, and have a well grounded hope
that those that are near them, either in consanguinity
or affection, are removed from this land of darkness to the
inheritance of the saints in light; they should not be dejected, nor
overwhelmed with sorrow.
A dying believer should speak to his friends, as Christ did to his
disciples, "If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I am going to
my heavenly Father." They are going to a place where they shall
never be in danger of losing God, or their souls. We should refresh
ourselves with consideration: though our departed friends are dead
to us, they are alive to God in their better part; they are now
infinitely and eternally happy. I shall apply by way of illustration for
this part of the argument, that which we read concerning Jacob and
Joseph; Jacob, you know, was overwhelmed with sorrow at the
apprehension of Joseph's death; when he saw Joseph's garment torn
and covered with blood, Gen. 37:33. he said, "It is my son's coat, an
evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph without doubt is rent in pieces.
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sack-cloth upon his loins, and
mourned for his son many days." He thought a wild beast had
devoured him, when at the same time, Joseph, the beloved son of his
father, was seated next to the throne of Pharaoh in the rich kingdom
of Egypt, and made governor of the land. We are wounded many
times by the apprehension that our deceased friends are torn in
pieces by death, this fills the channel always with new sorrow, when
we reflect upon it. But remember, if they were saints they are
reigning in a better kingdom than that of this world. Your holy
friends, you mourn for them as if they were torn in pieces by death,
when they are reigning at God's right hand; "In whose presence there
is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand, there are pleasures for
evermore." Therefore dry up this current of tears that you shed for
the departed servants of God.
XV. The Sixth Use. Exhortation to Prepare for this Rest.
Exhortation to prepare for this rest. General rules for it; to purify
ourselves more and more, and perfect holiness in the fear of God;
whereby our title will be clearer, and our assurance more joyful.
Special rules, to fix our choice on this eternal rest as our portion;
frequently and seriously think upon it; keep up earnest desires after
it, and a lively hope of it; and strictly observe the Lord's Day.
BY the way of exhortation to you all, to prepare for this eternal rest.
It is at a distance from us, though the distance be but small from
many of us. And there is a great deal of difficulty attending it; but the
excellency and the glory of it is that which will justify our greatest
pains and diligence in labouring for it. It is our Saviour's counsel,
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all
these things shall be added to you," Mat. 6:33. Therefore seek it first.
As we read the first part of God's creation was a heaven, "In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth." An empyreal
heaven, the heaven of heavens was the first part of God's creation.
And as it was the first part of God's work, so let it be the first part of
our work to obtain a title to it, and be qualified for it. Thus saith the
apostle Paul, Phil. 3:13, 14. "Brethren, I count not myself to have
apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting, those things which
are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I
press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus." "I press towards the mark;" what vehement contention
and earnestness do these words signify? So the apostle, 1 Tim. 6:19.
"Charge those that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded
nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who
giveth us richly all thing to enjoy, and that they do good, and be rich
in good works, &c. laying up in store for themselves a good
foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on
eternal life." And our Saviour tells us, "The kingdom of heaven
suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." All these scriptures
I adduce to show you, with what vigour, and diligence, and zeal, you
should labour for an eternal rest.
Now in the management of this,
I. I shall lay down some general rules how you should prepare for an eternal rest.
II. Then some special rules for the government and conduct of yourselves for the obtaining of it.
1. The first general rule is this in order to your preparation for this
eternal rest: let it be your constant care to purify yourselves from all
filthiness of flesh and spirit, 2 Cor. 7:1. saith the apostle, "Having
therefore these promises; dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God." What is that promise? It is this in the 18th verse of the last
chapter, "I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." O cleanse yourselves from all
pollution of flesh and spirit. Under the law no person was permitted
to enter into the tabernacle but those that were legally cleansed. He
that should go to sacrifice with his legal uncleanness died for it. O
consider what is that legal uncleanness to the uncleanness of sin?
What is the touching of a dead body? What is this? It hath no guilt in
itself, no moral turpitude in it. God for wise reasons enjoined it, and
expected obedience to it, that a man that was thus typically unclean
should not enter into the tabernacle. But O consider, one that hath
the uncleanness of sin shall not enter into the temple above, he must
be purified. Thus saith the psalmist, "I will wash my hands in
innocency, and compass thine altar, O Lord." He speaks of the
material altar; how much more should we be pure, holy, and
undefiled, if we enter into the tabernacle above? We read in the book
of Esther, 2 chap. 12. "Of the virgins that were prepared twelve
months for king Ahasuerus." The time that we are in this world is but
as it were the months of our purification for the cleansing us from
sin, that we may be fit for heaven. Let it be your constant serious
work to be cleansing yourselves, and purifying your hearts, Jam. 4:8.
saith the apostle, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you:
cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
If you would have God draw near to you, and if you would
draw near to God, you must cleanse your hands, and purify your
hearts; you must not only be free from sins of crimson guilt, that
natural conscience will take fire at; but you must be cleansed from all
inward affection to sin, if you will appear before God here; much
more if you will appear before him above: 1 John 3:3. "And every
man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure."
There cannot be a rational hope of heaven without purification:
because the promise that doth secure heaven to the saints, hath
always this condition with it, only those that are holy shall see God.
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man
shall see the Lord." "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see
Gad." There cannot be a well-grounded hope of heaven without
purification. And because every day we are so apt to contract
defilement, let us purify and cleanse ourselves every day by the
application of the blood of Christ, and watch over ourselves, that not
so much as a vain thought, or an irregular action be allowed by us.
We must be always cleansing ourselves, John 13:4. it is said, "Our
Saviour arose from supper and laid aside his garment, and took a
towel and girded himself. After that he poured water into a bason,
and began to wash his disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel
wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter, and Peter
said unto him, thou shalt never wash my feet; Jesus answered him, if
I wash thee not, thou shalt no pert with me. Simon Peter saith unto
him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head: Jesus
saith unto him, he that is washed, needeth not save to wash his feet,
but is clean every whit." These words are an allusion to the fashion of
the country where they walked in sandals, and their feet were apt to
contract soil; and when they came to any house this was part of their
entertainment to wash their feet. The moral is this, he that is
sanctified by the Spirit of God and purified, needs not such a change
as one that is unconverted, but every day he contracts defilement,
and therefore needs to wash himself every day with the blood of
Christ. We should use a strict care and regard to ourselves, for we
contract defilement every day while we are in this world: that part of
holiness called mortification is to be carried on continually, lest sins
and lusts cleave to us. We should never cease carrying on this blessed
work till it come to perfection, because it is a necessary preparation
to our living with God above. There is no unclean thing shall ever
enter into the New Jerusalem. We must therefore so labour to live,
that when we come to die, "We may be found of God in peace,
without spot, and blameless," without the least rebellious affection
against him. This is that which will make death comfortable, and will
cause us to triumph over it with the blessed apostle, 1 Cor. 15:55. "O
death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of
death is sin, the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be to God that
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." If sin be
pardoned and mortified, death hath lost its sting. Therefore I
beseech you, let this be your constant work, to be purifying
yourselves from all hypocrisy and all carnality, and all kinds and
degrees of sin, and to attain to an unspotted holiness here.
2. To cleansing from sin, add the positive duty of perfecting holiness
in the fear of God: every day be aspiring after a complete conformity
to God, and obedience to him, and to his holy will. This is always in
conjunction with the former. The crucifying of the body of sin, and
the quickening and vigour of the new man are inseparable. For sin is
crucified by the power of grace, and by the vigorous actings of it. So
that we must labour that every grace (so far as is possible for us) may
receive its consummate degree here; not only that it be in us in truth,
but in a degree of eminency, and to exercise those graces for the
glory of God. The holy apostle doth make this inference that I am
now speaking of, when he had been speaking of the glory of the
resurrection, 1 Cor. 15. ult. "Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye
steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as you know your labour is not in vain in the Lord." This
abounding in the work of the Lord is according to the sphere and
compass wherein we are placed. We must always be diligent, active
and zealous in the service of God; we must neither abuse our talents,
nor neglect them, but be always improving them for the glory of God,
and the good of our own souls, and the souls of others; and this, that
we may be the more prepared for the eternal rest. And I would have
you consider, that there is not the meanest christian, that is of the
lowest rank, and of the smallest account in the world, but may
abound in the work of the Lord according to these circumstances,
and that place wherein he is, and may glorify God eminently. I
remember it is the exhortation of the apostle, and it is worthy your
notice, speaking concerning servants, Titus 2:9. "Exhort servants to
be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all
things, not answering them again, not purloining, but showing all
good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in
all things." Servants then were slaves, in the lowest degree of
bondage, comparatively to what our servants are; yet they might by
their good fidelity adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all
things; they might glorify God eminently in their low estate, and so
prepare themselves-for this heavenly rest. I may illustrate this by an
instance or two. Suppose a statuary, one that is an excellent sculptor,
be employed to carve a statue, whatsoever the materials be, he may
use as much skill in carving upon an ordinary stone as upon the
finest marble. So whatsoever thy condition is in the world, thou
mayest glorify God in it, and bring praise to his name, and show as
excellent graces as he that sits on the throne. For our glorifying of
God hath respect to that place wherein we are set, it is with respect to
those circumstances wherein we are. As our Saviour speaks
concerning the poor widow that cast her "two mites" into the
treasury, she gave more than those that threw in their costly gifts,
yea, though they had cast in a talent; for she threw in and gave all
that she had. It was esteemed more because of her zealous affection.
Thus we may glorify God in a low estate. To give you another
illustration. There are fruit trees of several kinds, and some fruits are
more valuable than others; that tree that brings forth abundance of
fruit according to its kind, is a valuable tree. As that which is laden
with apples, though there be other trees which bring a more excellent
fruit, yet this is an excellent tree in its kind. So a christian that doth
adorn that place wherein God hath set him, brings honour to God by
diligence in his place, and prepares himself for the heavenly glory.
There are two things that are proper for us to consider with respect
to excelling in grace. 1. Hereby we shall make our title to heaven
more clear, have a more joyful assurance of it. For let me tell you, a
great light discovers itself to a weak eye. Where grace is in its
radiancy and lustre, it discovers itself to the soul. Whereas many holy
saints of God, who have the truth of grace, yet because it is in them
so strong and powerful, have not the comfort of it. If you abound in
grace, you shall have an abundant entrance into God's heavenly
kingdom. One that hath true grace, his title to heaven is safe and
certain, but not so comfortable as one that hath higher degrees of
grace. Let me apply one expression of scripture to this purpose,
Ephes. 1:12. "That we should be to the praise of his glory who first
trusted in Christ; in whom also that after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession."
Suppose a man contract a bargain with you, and give a small earnest,
except you be assured of his fidelity, you will be apt to fear he may
leave it and lose his earnest, but if he give you a great earnest, he is
kept from breaking his covenant and agreement with you. If God give
you his Spirit, it is an inviolable earnest that you shall come to glory;
for God will not lose the earnest of his sanctifying Spirit in the least
degree. But the more the Spirit appears in its holy operations in the
soul, we have a richer earnest, and a more blessed confirmation that
we shall come to heaven. Therefore this labouring to excel in
holiness, and aspiring and endeavouring to be eminent according to
our places, gives us the most comfortable hope that we shall be for
ever with God in heaven.
Let me give you one instance of this, and compare it with an instance
in the Old Testament: we read of the apostle Paul, who always had a
triumphing evidence of his being saved, he challenges heaven and
earth, Rom. 8:38. "For I am persuaded, that neither life, nor death,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall
be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord;" and in another place he tells us, "I know whom I have
believed, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to
him against that day;" and when he comes to be sacrificed, he saith, 2
Tim. 4:7, 8. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith: henceforth is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at
that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing." Do you think this was the exclusive privilege of Paul as
an apostle? No, for he takes in all believers as sharing with him in
this privilege. The Spirit of God to a believer, doth witness with his
spirit that he is a child of God; and this he doth by an illustration of
those graces, which constitute him to be a son of God. We read that
the apostle had a triumphant joy in the fruit of his admirable
holiness and fidelity to God; saith he, "I know nothing by myself;" he
neglected no part of his ministerial work, that he might thereby
honour God; and from thence did spring that blessed hope that he
should be with God in heaven for ever. Compare this instance of Paul
with that of David, who was an inspired prophet, a man after God's
own heart, a man of extraordinary revelations; but walking
carelessly, he fell into presumptuous sins; O what depth of horror
and perplexity was he sometimes in? "My sins are more in number
than the hairs of my head, and mine iniquities are gone over mine
head, as an heavy burthen, they are too heavy for me; I am troubled,
I am bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the day long." Psal. 38:4,
6. And how doth he earnestly beg of God to restore the spirit of joy to
him, Psal. 51:11, 12. "cast me not away from thy presence, take not
thy Holy Spirit from me, and uphold me with thy free Spirit." So that
a prophet, if he neglect to glorify God, may fall under such unquiet
fears as may render his life a kind of death to him. A saint should
labour to be always (as the apostle Paul was) aspiring after the
perfection of holiness. Phil. 3:14.
3. Let us glorify God abundantly in our several places; for then we
shall have a more ample rich reward, and the greater degree of glory
above. There are some thrones in heaven which are higher than
others, and brighter crowns, and more excellent degrees of glory;
therefore "he that sows sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he
that sows liberally, shall reap liberally." He that is abundant in the
work of the Lord, the blessed rewarder will proportionally reward
him in the future state.
II. I shall now proceed to the special rules.
1. Fix your choice upon this eternal rest as your portion. As we read
of Moses, when he was to depart from the children of Israel, this was
his last and most affectionate counsel to them, Deut. 30:19. "I call
heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set
before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life,
that both thou and thy seed may live." So I say, choose this eternal
rest as your supreme, good and happiness, without which you are
undone for ever, and without which you had better never have been
born, or been in the lower rank of creatures. But you will be ready to
think that there are none but what will choose it. But pray consider
what a choice it must be; it must be with all those conditions, and
with all those difficulties, that attend this state, and are annexed to it.
It is not choosing heaven and happiness abstractly, and only to have
a desire to enjoy this blessed state, and to say, I will take this for my
happiness; unless you consider the terms and conditions of it; now in
short the terms are these: you must despise all things in comparison
of it: you must suffer all things that are evil in the world, all that flesh
and blood calls evil, if God by his providence call you to it, that you
may attain it: and for the good things of the world, take life and all
the endearments of it, and all the ornaments of life, riches, honours,
pleasures, friends, and relations, these must be all hated,
comparatively, when eternal life comes in competition with them; for
our Saviour tells us, Luke 14:26. "if any man come to me, and hate
not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and
sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." It is
true, it is not meant as if God commanded an absolute hatred of
them; but there must be such a love and choice of heaven above
these things, that whenever they come in competition, you must
reject them as if you hated them: although there is a regular love to
them allowed, it is but in subordination to Christ, who is the supreme
object of our affections. The stars are in the heavens in the day as
well as in the night; but their light is suspended when the sun
appears, they have no light as to our perception: so God allows us to
have a natural love to our father, mother, &c. yet whenever they
come in competition, all these affections must be suspended. You
must love Christ and heaven above them all; though you must still
retain a love to those comforts and mercies that God hath given unto
you; yet you must hate and despise all in comparison of Christ; and
as the apostle saith, "if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with
him." Whatsoever may be objected to you to divert you from
following Christ and pursuing heaven, you must in the resolution
and habit of your souls despise it, and prefer Christ and heaven
before it. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of
life." Rev. 2:10. Be faithful in that covenant which God hath made
with you in the gospel, whatsoever befal you; though it be the loss of
life itself you must be willing to submit to it, that you may obtain
heaven. When there is such a choice of heaven, it will have a blessed
command and influence upon our whole lives. Now for your comfort
consider these words of Christ, Luke 10:42. "but one thing is needful,
and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken from
her." O if your choice of heaven be sincere, firm, and constant,
heaven shall never be taken from you; if all the powers of darkness,
and wicked men conspire together, they cannot take from you eternal
life; they may take away your temporal life; but this shall bring you to
that life that is eternal.
2. Exercise your thoughts frequently and seriously upon this eternal
rest. The apostle you shall find, 2 Cor. 4:18. declares what it was that
gave him courage; "while we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen
are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." While
we are here in this lower world, and our souls confined to flesh, we
are not able to conceive of heaven, according to its excellency and
glory; we are not able to form proper conceptions of it, such as are
answerable to its greatness and worth. But God hath been pleased to
make such a discovery of heaven to us in the world, and in such fit
and effective representations, that we may exercise our thoughts
comfortably upon it. When Moses came from conversing with God
on the mount, there was such a lustre on his face as dazzled the eyes
of the Israelites; they were not able to see the face of heaven upon the
earth, they could not bear it, and though he put on a veil, that they
knew it was Moses. So the admiring amazing beauty of heaven we
cannot see it unveiled; God hath therefore thrown a veil over it, and
he hath through that veil discovered so much of the glory of heaven,
that we know it is the most glorious state and the supreme happiness
of the soul. Therefore we should entertain our souls with such
representatives of heaven, as what the scripture makes, to set forth
the joys of it. The scripture saith, "it is an eternal feast." It is said, we
shall "sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of
God." It is an allusion to the manner of their entertainments. You
know a feast is made for love and joy, and friendship. So this is an
eternal feast, the souls of the blessed are always delighting
themselves in God and one another. And then again, to represent the
glory of heaven, the scripture expresseth it to you under the notion of
a kingdom, which is the highest degree of earthly glory; and it is
called an everlasting kingdom, and a crown of life; and all this to
show us that it is the highest dignity that the reasonable nature is
capable of. Then to show the riches of this kingdom, it is called the
"incorruptible inheritance" that shall never fade; nay, to comprehend
all together, the scripture tells us, "we are heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ." We shall enjoy God in heaven, who is the infinite
and inefficient fountain of all good. So that now take into your
thoughts, as distinctly as you can, what the joy of heaven is, and what
the riches and glory of it are. Then be diligent to serve and glorify
God, and prepare for heaven. I know all christians are not fit for
meditation, that being so exalted a duty, and heaven so sublime a
subject. Yet still there may be an ascent of our thoughts towards it,
according to the several representations.
By meditation and serious thoughts we taste and see the goodness of
God; and we may enter into that rest, while we are here, by our
serious and frequent thoughts of it.
3. Keep up in your souls lively and earnest desires after it. It is the
character the apostle gives of all christians, 2. Tim. 4:8. they love
Christ's appearing: "Henceforth (saith the apostle Paul) is laid up for
me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge
shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing." But you will say, the bitterness of death is
not passed. How shall we come to heaven without dying. Let me tell
you, the desires of heaven, in a saint, are superior to all his earthly
desires. For this desire of heaven, is an overruling one. When
Simeon, by an oracle, was told, that as soon as he should see Christ
he should die, Luke 2:26. he did not delay his going to see Christ. It
is said, "he came by the Spirit into the temple." His desires were
drawn forth to see Christ; and how warmly did his desire beat for
heaven, that as soon as he had seen him he might depart and be with
God for eve. "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace
according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." And
the apostle tells us, Rom; 8:21 "the whole creation groaneth and
travaileth until now; and not only they, but we ourselves also which
have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies."
They that have received the firstfruits of the Spirit, by experience
know what a blessed thing it is to have the favour of God, and they
are inwardly breathing and longing after the full enjoyment of him in
heaven. Their adoption, that shall be declared with all solemnity and
glory at the great day. "The redemption of their bodies;" that is, the
final accomplishment of their redemption: they that have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, they long after it.
4. Always preserve your hopes of heaven lively, and powerful in your
souls. Hope is a grace that hath a most admirable influence upon the
christian life. Faith and hope are twins, they prosper together. They
are those two graces that are influential upon all other graces, and
they will make a christian do any thing, or suffer any thing for God. It
is the hope of heaven that always purifies us, that makes us with joy
encounter all the allurements and terrors we meet with in the cause
of God. The scripture compares it to armour, and makes it one of the
chief parts of the spiritual armour, the breastplate of hope and love.
It is that which defends us against all the fiery darts of satan and
wicked men. Indeed if we deface the seal of the Spirit, and blur our
evidences, it will make us act in the service of God, just as a limb out
of joint; that is, neither with strength nor comeliness. But if we act
grace lively, it will give continual vigour to us in God's ways, and
make us wait for the salvation of God. As we read of Jacob, when he
was blessing his sons, he breaks out into a rapture, "I have waited for
thy salvation, O Lord." This hope will make us wait for salvation till
God is pleased to give it. If I have hope, as an anchor, it will make me
outride all storms, and cheerfully to endure all troubles for the
obtaining of salvation.
5. and Lastly, If you would prepare for eternal life, O then be careful
to keep the Lord's day holy. For the sabbath here is a short
abridgment of our eternal rest: it is, in truth, an anticipation of it.
Heaven, I told you, is a sabbath rest, it is such a rest as implies the
most noble, excellent, vital and joyful exercise of the soul in the
entire service of God. And that person that accounts the sabbath-day
honourable, and esteemeth it his delight, and says as David, "a day in
thy courts is better than a thousand; I had rather be a door-keeper in
the house of my God, than reign in the tents of wicked men:" he that
looks upon this sacred time as his privilege, that spends this whole
day in the service of God, either in the solemn assembly, and public
society of God's people, or in his family, or in his closet, and most
secret addresses to God, he is preparing for the eternal sabbath
above. O what a sad indication of a carnal heart it is to dislike this
holy day.
One that looks upon the Lord's day as a melancholy interruption of
his carnal pleasures, and saith, "when will the sabbath be ended?" as
those carnal wretches among the Jews, hath no affection for God and
his service. But they that spend the Lord's day in heavenly exercises,
and with holy affections, and pass from one day to another, from
hearing to prayer, and from prayer to holy conference, and can
entertain their souls with God, and enjoy communion with him in
these duties: it is a blessed evidence that they are prepared for the
heavenly glory, and for the enjoyment of God in this eternal rest. The
soul by the duties of this holy day, and the instruction it receives
thereon, is made fit for an eternal communion with God above. What
is heaven? Do not deceive yourselves; it is not such a rest as a carnal
heart imagines. Heaven is the enjoyment of the divine presence, and
consequently the joyful exercise of all our faculties upon God, with
regard to his excellencies and perfections, our admiring of him, and
loving him, and praising him, and magnifying him with the highest
veneration, and with the most inflamed exercise of love, delight and
joy, and all those holy affections which will be our work and
blessedness in heaven: so much as you exercise of these, so much of
heaven you have in you here. Therefore make the Lord's day your
joy; and let every hour of this sacred time be dedicated to God. When
the sabbath comes, welcome it with the most joyful affections,
remembering that the Lord's day here, will prepare you for the
eternal sabbath above: and if you be in the Spirit of the Lord upon
the Lord's day here, you shall have the Spirit of the Lord to rule and
govern you, till you come to the kingdom above, where you shall
enjoy this eternal rest that remains to the people of God.
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