The Marks of the Children of God and their Comforts in Affliction, Chapter 1
Of the great and incomprehenſible felicitie of the euerlasting life promiſed to the children of God.
CAP. 1.
SAint Paul hath verie aptlie ſet forth vntounto vsus the incomprehenſible excellencie of the felicitie of the childrē of GOD, ſaying, That the eye hath not ſeene, 1. Cor. 2.9.the eare hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for thoſe that louelove him. According to this ſentence, Saint Augustine, tending to the ſame butt, ſaith of the goodnes of grace:Aug. Enarrat. 2. Pſal. 26. Tom. 8. Let your hearts goe beyond all that you are able to comprehend, and ſtay not your ſelues at the greatnes and excellencie of it which you imagine: but ſay, yet this is not it; for if it were it, it could not enter into thy thought and heart. This happines then cannot bee comprehended by vsus according to the greatnes and excellencie of it, ſo long as wee dwell in theſe earthlie manſions,2. Cor. 5.1. 1. Cor. 13.9 where we knowe God but in part and darkly. Notwithſtanding, ſeeing the ſame Apoſtle addeth, that the holie Ghoſt who ſearcheth the moſt deep things of God,1. Cor. 13.12. hath giuen vsus ſome reuelation:1. Cor 2.10. Seeing alſo he praied to God for the Epheſians; That he would open the eyes of their vnderſtanding,Ephe. 1.18. that they might knowe, what is the hope of their vocation, and what are the riches of the glorie of his inheritance among the Saints: we ſhould be too vnthankful to God, and enemies of our owne comfort, if wee ſhould make curteſie or refuſe to vnderſtād that, which it pleaſeth him to reueale vntounto vsus by his word. Now, in it this felicitie is oftentimes ſignified by the promiſe of life euerlaſting, and not without reaſon. For in our felicitie,Life euerlaſting comprehendeth the felicitie of the childrē of God. two poynts may and ought ſpeciallie to bee conſidered: firſt, the greatnes and excellencie of the good thing: ſecondlie, the long continuance and ſurenes of it. Now, both the one and the other is noted by theſe words, life euerlasting: For by life is ſignified the greatnes of the felicitie, and by euerlaſting, the infinite length of it. As touching life, wee may conſider three degrees as wel in the bodie,Three degrees of life to the body and to the ſoule. as ſpeciallie in the ſoule. The firſt degree of life as touching the ſoule,The firſt degree of life. is ment by this peace of conſcience, and ioy of the holie Ghoſt which wee receiue and feele, being reconciled to God in Ieſus Chriſt.Rom. 5.1. And this peace and beginning of life, ſurmounteth al vnderſtanding,Philip. 4.7. as Saint Paule doth witnes, & God his children doo feele. And indeed it is a thing rauiſhing our ſoules with ioye vnſpeakable, when GOD maketh the brightnes of his face to ſhine vponupon vsus: As alſo Dauid ſheweth,Pſalm. 80. whē he asketh ſo oft of God this grace, for a full meaſure of all felicitie. As touching the bodie, the firſt degree of life lieth in this, that the afflictions of it be not onlie mitigated, & made light by this life of the ſoule reconciled to God, and feeling ioye through the brightnes of his countenance,Rom. 8.27. Heb. 12.6. but alſo are conuerted (being the fruits of the louelove of God towards vsus) into ſaluation and glorie. The ſecond degree of life may bee conſidered in the ſeperation of the ſoule and the bodie,The ſecond degree of life. the which improperlie (as touching the faithful) is called death. For euen as touching our bodies, although they goe to rot in the earth, yet being then deliuered, and free from all ſicknes, from hunger, thirſt, heate, cold, and from a thouſand other torments, which of their nature are a kind of death, they goe to reſt in their beds,Eſay. 57.1. as Eſai ſaith; and being deliuered from their labours and trauailes,Apoca. 14.13. they are bleſſed, as Saint Iohn ſaith. And this reſt proceeding from the fauour of God, cannot properlie be called death, but is to them a kind of life. But ſpeciallie the ſoule thē entreth into the poſſeſsion of the ſecond degree of life. For being deliuered from the bodie, ſhe is carried vp by the Angels into the boſome of Abraham, Luk. 16.22 Luk. 23.43and into Paradiſe with Ieſus Chriſt, exempted then from ignorance, from incredulitie, frō miſtruſt, from couetouſnes, ambition, enuie, hatred, feare, terrour, luſtes, and from all other paſsions, vices and corruptions which are deadlie in thē, which alſo bring forth the fruites of death. And contrariwiſe, is then fully ſanctified, victorious, and aſſured againſt Satan, Hell, ſinne and all other enemies: waiting after that, with great ioye, for the accompliſhment of her glorie in the reſurrection of her bodie. The third degre,The third degree of life. ſhall bee at the glorious comming of Ieſus Chriſt, when our bodies being awaked out of their ſleepe, they ſhall riſe againe all renued, bodies incorruptible,1. Cor. 15.42. ſpirituall and immortall,Philip. 3.21 yea faſhioned like to the image of the glorious bodie of Ieſus Chriſt: And ſo being ioyned together againe to their ſoules,1. Theſſ. 4.17. they ſhall be together caught vp into the clowdes before our Lord Ieſus Chriſt in the ayre,Ephe. 4.10. Ioh. 14.2. Ioh. 17.24. and exalted aboue all the heauens, into the houſe of God our father.1. Theſſ. 4.17. Then alſo ſhall be the accompliſhmēt of the life of our ſoules reunited to their bodies, being together where Ieſus Chriſt is, and with him, as members of his bodie, his brethren, and his ſpouſe, vnited to him, & by him, to God the fountaine of life. And by this vnion inioying a communitie in all his goods, and of this incorruptible inheritance,1. Pet. 1.4. which can neither faile nor fade away, referued for vsus in heauen. Then ſhall God wipe all teares from our eyes,Reue. 21.4. & death ſhall be no more, neither ſhal there be any ſorrow, crie or trauaile any more. All theſe old things ſhall be gone away: God ſhall make all things new. Then ſhall we be before the throne of God,Reue. 7.14. and ſhall ſerue him night and day in his Temple, and ſhall be led by the Lambe to the liuing fountaines of waters.Reue. 19.7. Then ſhall be the day of our mariage with the Lambe, when being clothed with pure & bright raiments, wee ſhall ſit at his mariage banquet. Then ſhal we be like vntounto the Angels. If our bodies ſhall ſhine then as the Sunne,Matth. 22.30. what ſhall the brightnes of our ſoules be?Matth. 13.43. Then our pilgrimage being finiſhed, we ſhall be indeed the citizens of this heauenlie and holie Ieruſalem,Bern. meditation. 9. which ſhall bee all of pure gold like vntounto the cleere glaſſe:Reue 21.18. hauing the foundations of the wall garniſhed with pretious ſtones: whereof alſo the twelue gates, are twelue pearles: which hath no need of the Sunne, nor of the Moone to ſhine in it, becauſe the brightnes of God ſhall be the light of it, and the Lambe him ſelfe ſhall be the candle of it. O how happie ſhall the citizens be, that ſhall liue in ſuch a Citie? See then what good things are ſignified by life euerlaſting, and the three degrees of it. But Saint Paul lifteth vsus vp yet higher into the contemplation of this life which wee ſhall inioy after the reſurrection. Then,1. Cor. 15.24. ſaith Saint Paule, Ieſus Chriſt ſhall giuegive vp his kingdome vntounto God his father, as if he ſhould ſay: Father, behold thoſe whom thou haſt giuen to me before the foundation of the world: they were loſt, & thou diddeſt ſend me to ſaue them: I hauehave redeemed them with my bloud; thou haſt appoynted me King ouer them: they are my kingdome which I hauehave gotten, and which I hauehave ſo guided and gouerned, that hauing ſanctified and deliuered them from all their enemies, I hauehave brought, giuen and preſented thē vntounto thee, that hauing as touching my ſelfe, accompliſhed the worke & charge which thou haddeſt enioyned me, frō this time forth, thou maieſt be king raigning immediatlie in them, and filling them with all happines and glorie. Then ſhall there be no creature either in heauen or in earth, that ſhall hauehave any domination or Lordſhip. There ſhall bee neither King nor Prince,1. Cor. 15.28. neither Maſter nor Lord. There ſhall bee neither father, mother, husband nor wife. There ſhall be neither Prophet, Doctor, Miniſter nor Paſtour. There ſhall be neither riches, nor eſtates. All the enemies alſo of Ieſus Chriſt ſhall bee deſtroyed for euermore, death being ſwallowed vp into victorie, and Satan with his angels, and all the reprobate being caſt into the bottomleſſe pit. Contrariwiſe, the Elect being fullie ſanctified, ſhall bee lifted vp both in bodie & ſoule aboue all the heauens. The worke of Chriſt ſhall be finiſhed. And all being done.Reue. 21.6. The verie ſame offices which Chriſt hath receiued, & ſhall exerciſe for the accompliſhment of our ſaluation, to be a King, a Prieſt, and a Prophet, and to ſit at the right hand of God, ſhall ceaſe, but ſo, as the fruites and the incomprehenſible benefits gotten by thē vntounto the church, ſhal euer abide to his euerlaſting glorie. But what ſhall that be then? God the Father, the Sonne, and the Holie ghoſt, one onlie God ſhall be immediatlie all thinges, both in this man Chriſt, and in all vsus the members of his bodie. The Godhead (I ſay) ſhall be in the man Ieſus Chriſt and in vsus, King, Prince, father, riches, life and glorie. To be ſhort, all things, & ſuch a heape of happines and felicitie, that as ſundrie veſſels caſt into the ſea are full of water, ſo as they can neither want, nor hauehave more: So this ſea of Diuinitie being all things in vsus al, we ſhall be filled and ſatiſfied with life & glorie, ſo as we can neither want, nor receiue more. Then ſhall we not onlie taſt how ſweete our God ſhall be,Pſal. 34.9. but we ſhall be filled and throughlie ſatiſfied with his ſweetnes moſt wonderfull.Cipri. de aſcē. Chriſti 1. Cor. 15.18. Then ſhall the ſonne himſelfe be ſubiect to the father, to wit, as touching his humanitie: but that ſhall be for the increaſe of his glorie, and our felicitie. For the ſonne of man abiding ſtill vnited to the ſonne of God,Auguſt. lib. 80. quaeſt. 69. & lib. de trinit. 1. cap. 8. and then ceaſing the gouernement which he ſhall hauehave vntill the reſurrection, God ſhall in ſuch ſort be in this ſonne of man, and in vsus, that the maieſtie and brightnes of the diuinitie then raigning immediatlie, ſhall cauſe the difference between the diuinitie of Chriſt,Ihe. 17.22. and his humane nature ſubiect vntounto it to appeare. But as the principall glorie of the ſonne of man,Phil. 2.7. is to be vnited vntounto the ſonne of God in one perſon, and that this his diuinitie ſhall be for the moſt part as it were, hid vntil that day, and that then it ſhall bee fullie reuealed: how much more the diuine maieſtie of the ſonne of God, ſhall cauſe the ſubiection of the ſonne of man to appeare, ſo much the greater ſhall appeare the glorie of this ſonne of man vnited in one perſon to the Godhead then raigning in his full maieſtie and glorie. As (if a mā may find any thing neuer ſo little to repreſent this high myſterie) wee may conſider, that the felicitie and glorie of the brethren of Ioſeph was ſo much the greater,Gen. 47. that by the greatnes of Ioſeph, exalted to the gouernment of Aegypt, they were ſubiect vntounto him, and there appeared a great difference between Joſeph and his brethren, not by the diminiſhing of them, but by the increaſing of Ioſeph, his brethren hauing this happines and honor, to be the brethren of Ioſeph, ſo much more great and honorable, by how much, the greatnes of the maieſtie & glorie of Ioſeph, made their ſubiection more to appeare. And this is it that may in ſome ſort be noted in the church. For although that now, her ſubiection and the difference appeare betweene her, gathered and compoſed of ſinfull men, hauing their ſanctification and their life of their head Ieſus Chriſt: and betweene him verie GOD, and perfect man ſitting at the right hand of God the father almightie: yet as then, the more great the glorie of Chriſt ſhall appeare, ſhewing himſelfe immediatlie with his diuine maieſtie in his brightnes: ſo much the more clearelie ſhall the ſubiection and difference of the Church appeare, not by diminiſhing the happines and glorie of it, but by the increaſe of the glory of her head, brother and bridegrome: The Church hauing this happines & honor, to be, and ſtil to abide vnited vntounto Chriſt, making with her this new man, whereof Saint Paule ſpeaketh,Ephe. 2.15. yea ſo much the more happie & glorious, by how much the excellencie of the maieſtie and glorie of Chriſt, the ſonne of man with vsus, ſhall exceed in greatnes, being vnited to the ſonne of God, ſhining then with the Father and the Holie ghoſt, one onlie GOD in his diuine maieſtie. Hereof alſo it followeth, that our chiefe felicitie ſhalbe to behold this glorie of Chriſt. And indeed this is that benefite and happines which he asked for vsus of God his father, ſaying: Father,Ioh. 17.24. my deſire for thoſe whome thou haſt giuen me, is, that they bee where I am, and that they may ſee my glorie. And what glorie? That we ſhould ſee him,1. Ioh. 3.2. as he ſhall bee in maieſtie incomprehenſible as touching his Godhead, and conſequentlie in ſoueraigne glorie as touching his humanitie vnited to this diuine maieſtie. Behold alſo how this ſhall be accompliſhed which is written,1. Cor. 13.12. that wee ſhall ſee God face to face for the accompliſhmēt of our felicitie. Which that we may the better comprehend,Ioh. 15.11. Ioh. 16.24. Matth. 25.21. we muſt finallie conclude, that the fruit thereof, ſhall bee this, ioy full and perfect, which Chriſt hath promiſed vsus, promiſing further, to make vsus enter into the ioye of our Lord.Aug. in manuel. cap. 35. Saint Augustine in a certaine meditation (which is inded both holie and heauenlie) ſheweth verie excellentlie, how great this our ioy ſhall be, and that ioy of our Lord which we ſhall enter into. Hauing diſcourſed of the euerlaſting felicitie of the children of God, thus he ſaith. O heart humane, poore & needy, O hart exerciſed with miſeries, & almoſt cōſumed of thē, what ſhould thy ioy be, if thou haddeſt the full inioying of the aboū dāce of theſe good things? Aske of thy ſoule if thou were capable of the ioy, which thou ſhouldeſt feele of one ſuch felicitie. But if beſides, any other whō thou loueſt as thy ſelfe, ſhould inioye the ſame happines with thee, ſurelie this ſuperabounding ioy which thou ſhouldeſt feele of thine own happines, ſhould it not be twiſe doubled, for the glorie & the ioy of him whō thou loueſt as thy ſelf, & for whoſe happines, thou ſhouldeſt bee as ioyfull as for thine owne happines? Now, if there were two, three, yea a great nūber inioying the ſame happines with thee, whom alſo thou louedſt as thy ſelfe, thou ſhouldeſt feele as much ioy for the happines of each of them, as for thine owne happines. What then ſhall be in this perfect charitie, when wee ſhall louelove all the bleſſed angels, and all the elect, louing euerie each one of them euen as our ſelues, and being no leſſe ioyfull of the felicitie of each of them, than of our owne? Surelie if neuer a one of the elect ſhall be capable of his owne ioy for the greatnes of it, how ſhall he bee capable of ſo manie ioyes for the happines of ſo manie of the elect, for whom he ſhall feele as much ioy, as for his owne? Loe what it is Saint Auguſtine ſaith. But yet how much ſhall this ioy be augmented for the happines, felicitie and glorie of this elect of God, in whome wee our ſelues hauehave been elected, who hauing died for the elect, ſhall ſanctifie, preſerue and lift them vp into heauen to the inioying of this felicitie? who is not onlie man holie and iuſt, but alſo true God, eſpeciallie beholding him in his glorie, to bee vnited in one perſon to the Godhead then ſhining in his Maieſtie. Surelie if wee, louing other elect as our ſelues, ſhould hauehave as much ioy of the happines of each of them, as of our own, what ſhall be the ioy that we ſhall receiue of the happines and glorie of this ſoueraigne Elect Ieſus Chriſt, whom by good right we ſhould louelove more than our ſelues? See then more than a ſea of ioy proceeding from the happines of the ſeruants of God. Let vsus now vnderſtand the great deapth of ioy which we ſhall feele, entering into the ioye of our Lord. The cauſe why wee ſhould louelove God (ſaith Saint Bernard) is God him ſelfe.Bernard in tract. de diligendo deo. And the meaſure which wee ought to keepe in this louelove, is to louelove him without meaſure, and ſo, infinitlie. But according to that wee knowe him,1. Cor. 13.12. we louelove him. But now we knowe him, but in part, and as it were in darknes; euen ſo very little and obſcure is the louelove which we beare him. But when wee ſhall knowe him as he is, wee ſhall louelove him according as he is. What ſhall our louelove bee towards him then,1. Cor. 15.24. when Ieſus Chriſt hauing giuen ouer his kingdome to God his Father, God the Father, the Sonne, and the Holie ghoſt one onlie God,1. Cor. 15.28. ſhall bee all things, in this man Ieſus Chriſt, and in vsus? and when wee ſhall knowe him as hee is, beholding the brightnes of his face, and his Godhead then raigning immediatly in vsus, & filling vsus with all happines? Without doubt this contemplation of the glory of the diuine maieſtie ſhal bring forth in vsus an infinite louelove towards God. Now (to returne to the meditation of Saint Augustine) if according to that we louelove each one, wee ſhould reioyce of his happines. Then as in this bleſſed felicitie each one of vsus ſhall louelove God without compariſon, more than himſelfe, and more than all the Angels and elect with vsus: ſo ſhall we feele more ioy without compariſon of the bleſſednes and glorie of God, than of our owne, or of al the Angels and the elect with vsus. And if then wee ſhall louelove God with all our heart, with all our ſoule, with all our vnderſtanding: yet ſo as al our hart, al our vnderſtanding, and all our ſoule ſhall not be capable of the excellencie of this louelove: Surelie wee ſhall ſo feele ioy with all our heart, with all our vnderſtanding, and with all our ſoule, as yet all our heart, al our vnderſtanding and all our ſoule ſhall not bee able to comprehend the fulnes of this ioye. Howſoeuer it bee then, that this full ioy, yea more than full, through the greatnes of it (whereof all our heart, all our vnderſtanding, & all our ſoule ſhall not be capable) cannot enter into vsus: It ſhall remaine that we, (filled with the ſea of ioye of the felicitie of the Angels, and of all the elect) ſhall enter into this great deapth of ioye proceeding from the contemplation of the glorie of our God. And this ſhalbe the ioy of the Lord,Matth. 25.21. into which all his faithfull ſeruants ſhall enter. Now, when this felicitie ſo great, and ioy incomprehenſible, ſhall indure ſo manie yeares as there bee drops of water in the ſea,Of the eternitie of the life to come or graines of ſand in the whole earth, yet ſhould not this be a perfect happines. For howſoeuer the continuance ſhall ſeeme to vsus infinite, yet the end will once come. And indeed the drops of water, and the graines of the ſand are numbred before God. But this our felicitie and ioy ſhal laſt without end. Such ſhall bee the life euerlaſting: As alſo Saint John ſaith,Apoc. 22.5. 1. Tim. 1.17. we ſhall raigne in heauen world without end. We ſhall bee the kingdome of that immortall king whom Eſai calleth the father of eternitie,Eſai. 9.6. who hath promiſed life and immortalitie to thoſe that ſhall beleeue the Goſpell.2. Tim. 1.10. Alſo death ſhall then bee ſwallowed vp into victorie. The author and prince of life,1. Cor. 15.45. hauing vanquiſhed the diuell,Act. 3.15. who had the rule ouer death, ſhall make vsus partakers of the life that is euerlaſting. And as we ſhall be vnited to the fountaine of life,Heb. 2.14. Apoc. 21.6 ſo ſhall it run in vsus eternallie. For as the fountain of this life which we ſhall inioy, hath no beginning, ſo the life that procedeth from it, ſhall hauehave no end. The merciemercy of GOD (ſaith S. Bernard) is from eternitie to eternitie vppon thoſe that feare him; from eternitie, becauſe of the predeſtination; to eternitie, becauſe of the glorification: The one hath no beginning, the other hath no ending. This therefore ſhall be a happines incomprehenſible for the greatnes, and infinite for the eternitie of it. Behold alſo how we ſhall then inioy a ful and perfectioy,Ioh. 16.22. which ſhal neuer be taken away from vsus. Now, this life is promiſed and aſſured to all the children of God, in as much as they are heires of God the fountaine of life,Rom. 8.17. Pſal. 36.10. Ioh. 14.6. Ioh. 3.15. & coheires and members of Ieſus Chriſt, who is the way, the trueth, and the life: who alſo hath ſo oftē proteſted, that whoſoeuer beleeueth in him, he hath life euerlaſting.Ioh. 6. Let vsus conclude then, that the children of God are truelie and onlie bleſſed, being aſſured to inioye this great and incomprehēſible happines of life euerlaſting, which is purchaſed, promiſed, and kept for them in Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.