The Excellency of the Gospel Above the Law, Treatise · Part 20

The Excellency of the Gospel Above the Law · Treatise · Part 20

p. 518From glory to glory.

Our glory it is not like a torrent that runs a maine for a time, and after is dryed up for ever, grace it is a continuing, and an increasing thing, it continues still, as the streame that it is fed with is an ever-living spring, so is grace, it is fed with the grace in Christ, and he is a never-dying spring, a fountaine, for that grace in him is fed with his divinity, therefore there must be a perpetuall Spring in p. 519Christ, so where Christ hath opened a spring in the heart, hee will feede that grace perpetually.

Vse 2 Let none be discouraged that have grace begun in them, God will goe on with his own grace,Not to be discouraged in the weaknesse of grace. when hee hath begunne a good Worke, hee will finish it to the day of the Lord: Though grace be little at the first, yet it shall not stay there, it growes up we know not how, but at last it is glorious indeed, for till grace be growne, it is little discerned from other things, as betweene weeds and herbes, there i… little difference when they be green, till they be growne, grace is little at the first, as a p. 520graine of Mustardseed, Ierusalem is not built in a day, as wee say of Rome, you have some that are a weaker sort of Christians, that are good, they would faine be in Canaan, as soon as ever they are out of Egypt, and I cannot blame them, but hereupon they are discomforted, as soone as ever they have grace in them, they would have their pitch presently out of spiritual covetousnesse, Oh that I had more knowledge, and more victory, &c. these desires are good, for God puts not in vaine desires into the hearts of his children, but they must be content to be lead from glory to glory, from p. 521one degree of grace to another, Christ himselfe grew more in favour with God and man, as that little stone grew to a mountaine, Dan. 2. so we must bee content to grow from grace to grace, there is a graduall proceeding in the new creature, wee must not be presently in Canaan, God will lead us through the wildernesse, through temptations, and crosses, before wee come to Heaven, many because they see they are farre short of others, that are stronger Christians, therefore they thinke they have no grace at all.

Therefore let those that are on the growing hand, p. 522though they bee short of many that are before them, let them not be discouraged with their overlittle beginnings,God leads his by degrees to heaven. for it is Gods Ordinance & course in this world, to bring his children by little and little through many stations, as they were led in the wildernesse from standing to standing, and from place to place, so God brings his children by many standings to Heaven, and it is one part of a Christians meekenesse, to subject to Gods wisedome in this kinde, and not to murmure, that they are not so perfect as they would be, or as they shall be, but rather to magnifie the mercy p. 523of God that there is any change, in such defiled and polluted soules, that hee hath vouchsafed any spirituall light of understanding, any love of good things, that the bent of their affections are turned to a contrary course, then they were before, that God hath vouchsafed any beginnings, rather magnifie his mercy, then quarrell with his dispensation, that he doth not this all at once, and indeed,It is our owne fault that we are not more perfect. if we enter into our owne hearts, it is our fault that wee are not more perfect, but let us labour to be meeke, and say, Lord since thou hast ordained that I shall grow from glory to glory, from p. 524one degree of grace to another, let me have grace to magnifie thy mercy, that thou hast given me any goodnesse, rather then to murmure that I have no more, and bee content in the use of meanes, and indeavour to grow further, though wee have not so much as others have:Not to be discouraged in seeming interruption of spirituall growth. Nay wee may not be discouraged, because of the weaknesse of grace, but we may not be discouraged with a seeming interruption in our spirituall growth; God sometimes works by contraries, hee makes men grow by their puttings backe, and to stand by their falls: sometimes, when God wil have a man p. 525grow, hee will suffer him to fall, that by his fall he may grow in a deeper hatred of sinne, and in jealousie over his owne heart, and a nearer watchfulnesse over his owne wayes, that he may grow more in love with God for pardoning of him, and grow more strong in his resolution for the time to come, that he may grow more in humility, none growes so much as those that have their growth stopped for a time: Let none be discouraged when they find a stop; but consider that God is working grace in another kind, the Spirit appeares in one grace, when it doth not p. 526in another, it grows in one grace, when it doth not in another; sometime the Spirit will have us grow in humility, as the juyce of the herbes runnes to the roote in the Winter, it is in the leaves in the Spring, it is in the seede in Autumne, as the life, sometime appeares in the plant in one part, and sometime in another, so the Spirit of God appeares sometime in humility, sometime in joy, sometime in spiri…uall strength and courage: Let none bee discouraged over much when they finde a stoppe, for there is no interruption of spirit altogether, and this little interruption is like a sickenesse p. 527that will make them grow and shoote up more, afterwards it spends the humours that hinders growth, there is such a mystery in the carrying of men from glory to glory, that it makes men more glorious sometimes by base sinnes, I would have no man discouraged, therfore, indeed God will worke so, that hee shall wish he had not given him occasion to shew his strength in his weakenes, his glory in his shame, but God,The least beginnings and the perfection of grace have the same name, and why.? where hee hath begunne, he will go through with the worke, and will turne all to good.

And to incourage us, here grace begunne hath p. 528the same name as grace perfect, both are glory, why doth God call them by one name?

To incourage Christians, he tels them that if it be begunne it is glory, not that it is so properly, but if it be begunne, it shall never end, till it come in Heaven, therefore God stiles grace in all the latitude from the highest, to the very beginnings, by the same name, to incourage Christians, if they be within the doore of the Temple, though they be not so farre as those that are in high and glorious places, yet they are going thither to incourage Christians to know that p. 529unavoydably, and undefesably, they shall come to perfection of glory, if it be begunne, and God lookes not on Christians, as they are in their imperfections, and beginnings, but that that in time hee meanes to bring them to, he intends to bring them to glory, therfore he gives grace the stile of glory: As in the creatures, God looked not on the seedes of trees as such, but he looked on them as seedes that he meant to make trees of,Simile. and when God lookes upon his children, he lookes not on them as they are children, but as they shall be perfect men. Doth the wisedome of p. 530God looke on the seedes of trees, as he intends to make them trees, and doth he not looke upon Christians, that are babes in grace, as he intends to make them men, to come to the perfect stature of Christ, he viewes us at once in our beginnings and perfections, all is presented at once to him, therefore he gives one name to the whole state of grace, grace and glory, all is glory, I beseech you therefore, if there be any goodnesse, any blessed change in us, let us be comforted; for he that hath brought us to the beginnings of glory, will never faile, till hee hath p. 531brought us to perfect glory in heaven, and there our change shall rest, there is no further change there, when we are once in our element.

For even as God, when he made man, he rested from all his worke upon the Sabboth,No change in Heaven. man was his excellent peece; so the Spirit of God will rest sanctifying and altering of us, when we are once in Heaven, in that eternall Sabboth, then wee shall neede no changes from glory to glory, wee shall for ever be filled with the fulnesse of God, till which time there is no creature, in the world so changable as a Christian.

p. 532For, first you see hee was made in Gods Image, and likenesse in his state of standing:

After he fell there was a change, to his second state of sinne.

After the state of fall, there is a change to the state of grace.

After that, from one degree of grace to another in this world till hee dye, and

Then the soule is more perfect and glorious, but at the last, when body and soule shall be united, there shall bee no more change, there shall bee an end of all alteration.

So we see that God intends by his spirit to bring p. 533us to perfection, though by little and little, to perfection of glory as farre as our nature is capable, and this shall be at the latter day.

Quest. Why not before? why not in this world?

Ans. Beloved; wee are not capable here of that fullnesse of glory,Why we are not brought to per…ction here. Saint Peter on the Mount had but a glimpse of the glory of Heaven, and he was spiritually drunke as it were, he knew not what he said, we are not capable, therefore wee must grow here from glory to glory, till we come to that perfection of glory. God that gives us the earnest, could make up the bargain here, p. 534if we were capable of it, but we are not.

God will have a differ…nce betweene the millitant, and the tryumphant Church, and will traine us up here, to live the life of faith, till we come to live the life of sight, the life of vision for ever in Heaven.

Doth God by his Spirit, change us by his Spirit to the liken…sse of Christ, from glory to glory, till he have brought us to perfection of glory in Heaven; Oh let us comfort our selves in our imperfections here, we are here lame Mephibosheths, hee was a Kings Sonne, but he was lame, we are spiritually p. 535lame and defective, though we be Kings Sons, Oh but we shal grow from glory to glory, till all end in perfection in Heaven, what a comfort is this in our imperfections? that as every day we live in this world, cuts off a day of our life: for we live so much the shorter, so every day we live, brings us nearer to Heaven, that as we decay in the life of nature every day, so we grow up another way, from glory to glory, till we come to perfect glory in Heaven, is not this a sweete comfort? Let us comfort our selves with these things.

Vse. 3 Againe, if the state of Gods people bee thus p. 536sweet and comfortable, and full of well grounded hopes, that glory shall goe further on to glory, and end in glory. Then why should we be afraid of death?Not to …are death for grace will but end in glory, a meane glorious estate will but even be swallowed up of a truely glorious estate, indeed grace is swallowed up of glory, even as the Rivers are swallowed up of the Ocean, glory takes away nothing but perfects all better by death: why should wee bee afraid of death, we are afraid of our glory, and of the per…ection of our glory.Degrees in the glory of a Christian.

There be degrees of glory, there is glory begunne p. 537here in grace, and there is the glory of the soule after death, and the glory, both of soule and body, for ever in heaven, and these make way one to another. A Christian is glorious while he lives, and hee growes in glory while he lives, he is more glorious when he dyes, for then his soule hath perfectly the image of Christ stamped upon it; but he is most glorious at the day of resurrection, when body and soule shall be glorious, when he shall put downe the very Sunne it selfe, all glory shall be nothing to the glory of the Saints, They shall shine as the Sun in the firmament. p. 538And indeed there will be no glory but the glory of Christ, and of his Spouse, all other glory shall vanish and come to nothing, but the glory of the King of Heaven, and his Queene that hee hath chosen to himselfe, to sollace himselfe eternally with, when the spirituall marriage shal be accomplished they shall be for ever glorious together, why then should we be afraid of death? for then there shall be a further degree of glory of the soule, and after that a further degree of body and soule, when our bodies shall be conformable to the glorious body of Christ, when they shall be p. 539spirituall, as it is in 1 Cor. 15. I beseech you therefore let us learne this to comfort our selves, against those darker times of dissolution, when we shall see an end of all other glory, all wordly glory shall end in the dust, and lie downe in the grave, when we must say that rottennesse is our Father, and the worme our Mother, we can claime no other kinne in regard of our body, yet then we shall be more glorious in regard of our soules, Christ shall put a robe of glory upon us, and then afterward wee shall be more glorious still.

Therefore it is base infidelity to be afraid of our p. 540dissolution, when indeed it is not a dissolution, but a way to glory, we should rather consider the conjunction, then the dissolution, death takes in peeces body and soule, but it joynes the soule to Christ, it makes the soule more glorious then it was before, we goe from glory to glory, our Saviour Christ saith, Hee that beleeveth in mee shall never dye, What doth he meane by that?

Indeed, he shall never dye, for grace shall bee swallowed up of glory, as soone as ever the life of nature it gone, he lives the life of glory presently, so he never dies, there is but p. 541a change of the life of grace, and of nature, for the life of glory.

VVhat that glory shall be at that day,A part of heaven to know the glory of it. it is a part of that glory to know: for indeede it is beyond expression, and beyond the comprehension of our mindes; they cannot conceive it, nor our tongues expresse it, Peter as I sayd seeing but a glimpse of it sayd, It is good for us to be here; he forgot all his former troubles, and afflictions: If such a little glimpse of glory could so possesse the soule of that blessed man Peter, as that it made him forget all his former miseries, and all his afflictions whatsoever, p. 542to be in love with that condition above all others, what shall the glory of heaven be then? shall we thinke then of our former misery and basenesse, and trouble, and persecution? oh no.

Vse. 4 Againe let us be exhorted by this, to try the truth of grace in us,To tr… the truth of our graces. by our care to grow, and proceed further from glory to glory, still to be more glorious in Christianity: beloved of necessity it must be so, let us not deceive our selves in our naturall condition, doe we content our selves that we live a sicke mans life? no, we desire health, when we have health, is that all? no; p. 543when we have health wee desire strength too, that we may encounter oppositions: Is it so in nature that life is not enough but health, and that is not enough but strength too, and is it not so much more in the new creature, in the new nature, in the divine nature, if there be life there will be a desire to have health, that our sicke soules may be more, and more healed, that our actions that come from our facul ies sanctified, be not sicke actions, that they be not weake languishing actions, that we may have healed soules, that God together with pardoning grace, may joyne healing p. 544grace to cure our soules dayly more and more, that we may be more able to performances, and then when we have got spirituall health, let us desire spirituall strength to encounter oppositions, and temptations to goe through afflictions, to make way through all things that stand in our way to heaven; let us not deceive our selves, this will be so, if there be truth of grace, still a further and further desire of grace, carrying us to a further and further endeavour.

The more wee grow in grace, the more God smells a sweete sacrifice from us, that that comes p. 545from us is more refined, and lesse corrupt, it yeelds better acceptance to God.

And then for others, the more wee grow in grace, the more we grow in ability, in nimblenesse and cheerefulnesse to doe them good, and that that comes from us findes more acceptance with others▪ being carryed with a strong Spirit of love, and delight, which alway is accepted in the eyes of men.

The more we grow in grace, the more cheerefull we shall be in regard of our selves; the better we are, the better we may be; the more we doe, the p. 546more we may doe, for God further instills the oyle of grace to give us strength and cheerefulnesse in good actions, so that they come off with delight, our owne cheerefulnesse increaseth as our growth increaseth: In a word you see glory tends to glory, and that is enough to stirre us up to grow in it, seeing glory here which is grace, tends to glory in heaven, wee should never rest till wee come to that perfection, till the glory of grace, end in glory indeede; for what is the glory of heaven but the perfection of grace, and what is the beginnings of grace here, p. 547but the beginnings of glory, grace is glory begun, and glory is grace perfected, therefore if wee would be in heaven as much as may be, and enter further and further into the Kingdome of God, as Peter saith, 2 Pet. 1. Let us be alway adding grace to grace, and one degree to another, put somewhat to the heape still, that so wee may goe from glory to glory, from knowledge to knowledge, from faith to faith, from one degree to another.

Object. But it will be objected that Christians sometimes stand at a stay, sometimes they seeme to goe backe.

Answ. In a word to answere p. 548that,Christians grow when they thinke they doe not. some because they cannot see themselves in growing, they thinke they grow not at all; it is but ignorance, for we see the Sunne mooves, though we see him not in mooving: wee know things grow, though we see them not in growing; therefore it followes not, that because we perceive not our growth from grace to grace, that therefore wee grow not.

But put the case indeed that Christians decay in their first love, and in some grace, there is a suspension of growth, it is that they may grow in some other graee; God sees it needefull they p. 549should grow in the roote, and therefore abaseth them, in the sense of some infirmity, and then they spring out a maine againe, as after a hard winter comes a glorious spring: upon a checke, grace breakes out more gloriously; and there is a mystery in Gods government in that kinde, that God often increaseth grace by the sight, and sense of our infirmities: God shewes his powerfull govenment in our weakenesse, for Gods children never hate their corruption more than when they have beene overcome by it, then they begin to be sensible of it, that there p. 550is some hidden corruption that they discerned not, before that it is fit they should take notice off, the best man living knowes not himselfe till he comes to temptation, that discovers himselfe to himselfe, temptation discovers corruption, and makes it knowne, and then stirres up hatred for it, as love stirres up indeavour, so hatred aversation, and loathing: It is profitable for Gods children to fall sometimes, they would never be so good as they are else, they would not wash for spots, but when they see they are foule indeede, then they goe to wash, but this is a mystery p. 551God will have it so for good ends.

It checkes the disposition of some good people they thinke they have not grace, because they have but a little, this phrase shewes that we have not all at once, God carries us by degrees, from glory to glory, from one degree of grace to another, Gods children when they have truth of grace wrought in them, their desires goe beyond their endeavour and strength, their desires are wondrous large, and their prayers are answerable to their desires, therefore in the Lords prayer, what say we? Thy Kingdome come, thy will be done p. 552in earth as it is in heaven; can it be so in this world? No, but we must pray till we come to it, we must pray till we come to heaven, where prayer shall cease, so the prayers, and desires of Gods people transcend their indeavours their prayers are infinite: hereupon the chiefe thing in conversion being the desire, the turning of the streame of the will, when they finde their will and desire good, and their indeavour to fall short of their purposes, they say surely I have no good, because I have not that I would have, as if they should have heaven upon earth, we must grow p. 553from glory to glory; and thanke God for that beginning, it is Gods mercy that he would worke the least degree of grace in such rebellious hearts as all of us have, that hee would worke any goodnesse, any change, though never so little, God lookes not to the measure, so much as to truth: for he will bring truth to perfection, though it be never so little,Why God brings us on by little and little. let us be comforted in it: and it is Gods government, to bring his children to glory by little, and little that so there may bee a dependance of one Christian upon another, the weaker on the stronger, and that there p. 554may be pitty, and sweet… affections of one Christian to another, and that there may be perpetuall experience of Gods mercy in helping weake Christians, and a perpet…all experience of that which is the true ground of comfort, justification that we… must needes be justified, and stand righteous before God, by Christs absolute righteousnesse, having experience of our imperfect righteousnesse; so a little measure of grace in us is for great purpose, therefore let none bee discouraged especially considering that God whom we desire to please, vallues us by that little good we have, and p. 555esteemes us by that condition he meanes to bring us to ere long, to perfection, so long as we take not part with our corruptions, but with the Spirit of God, and give way to him, and let him have his worke in us, so long be of good comfort in any measure of grace whatsoever.

Vse 5 Againe in that grace is of a growing nature in all changes, and alterations,Not to decay in grace whatsoever we decay in let us not decay in grace, beg of God; Lord whatsoever thou takest from me, take not thy Spirit from me, take not thy stampe from me, let mee grow in the inward man although I grow not in p. 556the world, let us labour to grow from glory to glory though wee lose otherwise, that is well lost, and parted with in the world, that is with the gaine of any grace, because grace is glory: It is a good sickenesse that gets more patience, and more humility, it is a good lo…se that makes us grow lesse worldly minded, and more humble by it, all other things, are vanity in comparison, and that grace that we get by the losse of them is well gayned, grace is glory, and the more we grow in grace, the more we grow in glory. Therefore I bese…ch you labour to thrive that p. 557way, to grow up heavenward, dayly more and more, in our disposition. Beloved, the more grace we get, the more glory, and the more like we are to Christ, and to God, the more we adorne our profession, and the more wee shame Sathan, and his instruments, and stop their mouthes; the more duties come off naturally and sweetely from us, without constraint, it is good for us to be growne Christians, that we neede not be cumbred with corruptions, the more wee grow, the more nimble and cheerefull, and voluntary we shall be in duty, wee shall partake p. 558more of that annoynting that ma…es us nimble in Gods service: There is nothing in the world so glorious as a growne Christian; therefore let us be in love with the state of Christianity, especially with growne Christians, of all things,Christians compared to the best things. he is compared with the best; if he be a house, he is a temple; if he be a plant, he is a Cedar growing up; if hee be a flower, he is a Lilly rising, and growing fresher; if he be a stone, he is a pearle he growes in estimation, and use more and more. Beloved if we had spirituall eyes to see the state of a Christian, of a growne Christian especially wee p. 559would labour above all things to thrive in this way, have we not many workes to doe? have we not many enemies to resist? have we not many graces to perfect? are we not to dye, and to appeare before God? are we not to enjoy the blessings of God purely, and doe not these things require a great deale of strength of grace? oh they doe; therefore labour above all things in the world to behold Gods love in Christ, and to behold Christ, that by this sight we may grow from glory to glory.

And this will make us willing to dye, what p. 560makes a man willing to dye, but when he knowes he shall goe from glory to greater glory, after death is the perfection of glory, then we are glorious indeed, when we are in heaven, a weake sight here by faith changeth us, but a strong sight when we shall see face to face perfectly changeth us, then we shall be like him, when we shall see him face to face.

A wicked man cannot desire death,A …icked man cannot desire heaven. he cannot desire heaven it selfe, why? because heaven is the perfection of grace, glory is, but grace he loves not. Therefore it is a certaine evidence of future glory, for a man to love p. 561grace, and to grow, I say such a man is willing to dye, a wicked man that hates grace, that loves not Christ in his Image, in his children, or in his truth, he hates glory that is the perfection of grace, for peace, and joy, and comfort, they are but those things that issue from grace, and spring from grace, grace is the …hiefe part of heaven, the perfection of the Image of God the perfection of all the powers, to be like Christ, but for peace, and comfort that springs from it, a wicked man loves peace and quiet, but to have his nature altered he loves not that, and if he love not p. 562grace how can hee love glory, there is no man but a Christian, that loves heaven. We are ready to drop away dayly, now to be in a state unchanged, it is a fearefull thing, unlesse we be changed by the Spirit of God, we shall be afrayd to dye, we cannot desire to be in heaven: the v…ry heaven of heavens is the perfection of grace, to see God to be all in all, and by the sight of God to be transformed into his likenesse, it is the chiefe thing in heaven, therefore I beseech you let us labour more and more, to grow in grace, set Christ before us. Let me adde this one …hing, p. 563make use of our patternes among us, Christ is now in heaven, but there will be the Spirit of Christ in his children to the end of the world, and grace is sweetely convayed from those that we live amongst we grow up in grace by growing in a holy communion one with another, Christ will kindle lights in every generation, therefore let us labour to have the spirit of those wee live with given to us, in conversing, to be like Christ in his m…mbers, to love the Image of Christ in his children, and to converse with them, to be altred into their likenesse, this will change us to the glorious p. 564likenesse of Christ more and more.

Those that care not what company they keepe those that despise the Image of Christ in those among whom they live, can they grow in grace?

We shall give account of all the good examples we have had,Account must be giv…n for examples. doth God kindle lights for nothing? we should glorifie God for the Sunne and Moone, and Stars, and other creatures, is not a Christian more glorious than all the creatures in the world? we should glorifie God for grace in Christians, and labour to be transformed to them that we may grow the liker to Christ, that p. 565we may grow more and more glorious, I speake this to advance the Communion of Saints more and more, as wee desire to partake more and more of this grace, and to grow from glory to glory.

Vse 6 Againe, considering that God meanes to bring usTo beare the reproach of Christ. by little and little, by degrees to perfect glory of body and soule, and condition in Heaven to be like Christ, let this make us be content to bee vile for Christ in this world as David said, when he was scorned, I will be yet …ore vile, doe you thinke, I thinke much to shew my selfe thus, for the honour of God, when Michall p. 566scoffed, I will be more vile. Let us bee content to goe out of the campe, and beare the reproach of Christ, beare the reproach of Religion, let the world scorne us, for the profession of Religion, God is bringing us from glory to glory, till hee bring us to perfect glory, and shall we suffer nothing for him? let us bee content to bee more vile, and to beare the reproach of Religion, the very worst thing in Religion, the reproach of Christ, as Moses made a wise choyse, it is better then the treasures of Egypt, the most excellent things in the world, are not so good as the worst p. 567thing in Religion, because reproach ends with assurance of comfort, that God will take away that, and give us glory after: Therefore let us not bee discouraged from a Christian course but goe through good report, and bad report, break through al, to finish our course with joy, as Saint Paul speakes of himselfe.

Vse 7.And doth God bring us from glory to glory, til he have brought us to perfection of glory,To be thankfull for glory beforehand then I be…eech you, let us before hand be thankfull to God, as we see in the Epistles of blessed Saint Paul. and Peter: Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Iesus p. 568Christ, that hath begotten us to an inheritance immortall, undefiled, reserved in Heaven, saith Saint Peter, and so Saint Paul, let us beginne the imployment of Heaven before hand: for why doth God discover to us, that he wil bring us to glory, why doth he discover it to our faith, that excellent state? that we might beginne Heaven on earth, as much as might be, and how shall we doe that? by the imployment of Heaven, what is that? Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Hosts. There is nothing but magnifying, and glorifying of God, there shall be no neede of Prayer, there are prayses alway, p. 569and so much as we are in the prayses of God, and glorifying of God for his mercy, and love in Christ, so much wee are in Heaven before our time: I beseech you, therefore be stirred up in consideration of this, that wee are leading on by degrees, from glory to glory, till wee come to perfection, let us even give God the praise of all before hand: for it is as sure as if wee had it: For one way how things to come, are present is by faith. Glory to come is present two or three wayes already, that may stirre us up to glorifie God before hand.

The glory to come, is p. 5701present to Christ our head, wee in our Husband are in Heaven,In our head. now he hath taken Heaven for us.

And in regard of faith, that is the evidence of 2things not seene: it is the nature of faith,By Faith. to present things to come as present, to fai…h, glory to come is present, present in Christ, and we are part of Christ, Christ misticall, and members, and we in our head, are in Heaven already, and sit there, and to faith, that makes things present that are to come, we are in heaven already.

3And we have the earnest of Heaven,In the first fruites. the first fruites of the Spirit, wee have grace which is glory, p. 571the beginnings of glory, we have the first fruites and earnest: Now, an earnest is never taken away, but is made up by the bargaine with the rest, so the earnest of the Spirit of God, the first fruites, of peace, and joy, of comfort and liberty, to the throne of grace, these are the beginnings of Heaven, therefore be much in praising God, Oh that wee could be so, if wee could get into a frame and disposition to blesse God, we could never be miserable, no not in the greatest afflictions: for thankefulnesse hath joy alway, when a man is joyfull, he can never be miserable, for joy p. 572inlargeth the soule, when is a man most joyfull? but in a state of thankfulnesse, and what makes us thankfull so much as to consider the wonderfull things that are reserved in another world, the glory that God is leading us to by little and little, from glory to glory, till wee bee perfect.