Looking Unto Jesus, Book 10 · Chapter 1 · Section 7
SECT. VII. Of Chriſt and his Saints going up into heaven, and of the end of this World.
7. FOR Chriſt and his Saints going up into heaven, and ſo for the end of this world: no ſooner are the Reprobates gone to their place, but the Saints aſcend; now Chriſt ariſeth from his judgment-ſeat, and with all the glorious company of heaven, he marches towards the heaven of heavens. Oh what a comely march is this? what ſongs of triumph are here ſung and warbled? Chriſt leads the way, the Cherubims attend, the Seraphims wait on, Angels, Arch-angels, Principalities, Powers, Patriarches, Prophets, Prieſts, Evangeliſts, Martyrs, Profeſſors, and Confeſſors of God's Law and Goſpel following, attend the Judge, and King of Glory; ſinging with melody, as never ear hath heard, ſhining with Majeſty as never eye hath ſeen, rejoycing without meaſure as never heart conceived. O bleſſed train of Souldiers! O goodly Troop of Captains! each one doth bear a palm of Victory in his hand, each one doth wear a Crown of Glory upon his head; the Church Militant is now Triumphant; with a final overthrow have they conquered Devils, Death, and Hell; and now muſt they enjoy God, Life, and Heaven; ſometimes I have with much wonder and admiration beheld ſome Regiments paſſing our ſtreets; but had I ſeen thoſe Roman Armies when they returned Victors, and made their ſolemn Triumphs in the ſtreets of Rome, oh then how ſhould I have then admired? never was the like ſight to this of Chriſt and his Army in this World. O the comely march they make, through the sky, and through the Orbs, and through all the Heavens, till they come to the Heaven of Heavens! were ever ſo many gliſtering Suns together in one day? was ever ſo many glories together on this ſide the Kingdom of glory?Cant. 6.10. not to ſpeak of Chriſt, or his Angels, O who is ſhe that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, and terrible as an Army with Banners? are not in the head of theſe Regiments Adam, and Abel, and Noah, and Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob; and all the Patriarchs and all the Prophets, and all the Apoſtles? And (if thou art a Saint that readeſt this) art not thou one Son appointed by God amongſt the reſt to follow Chriſt? here's enough to fill thy heart with joy before-hand; as ſure as yond Sun now ſhines in the Firmament ſhalt thou that believeſt paſs by that Sun in its very orb, and by reaſon of thy glory it ſhall loſe it ſhine? oh then what ſpreading of beauty and brightneſs will be in the heavens as all the Saints go along! what lumps of darkneſs ſhall thoſe glittering Stars appear to be, when all the Saints of God ſhall enter into their ſeveral orbs and ſpheres? and thus as they march along higher, and higher, till they come to the higheſt, at laſt heaven opens unto them, and the Saints enter their Maſters joy; what is there done at their firſt entrance, I ſhall diſcover another time; only for a while let us look behind us, and ſee what becomes of this neather World.
No ſooner Chriſt and his company in the Empyreal heaven, but preſently this whole world is ſet on fire; To this prophane Authors ſeem to aſſent, As,
1. Philoſophers, eſpecially the Stoicks were of this mind. Humor primordium, exitus ignis, ſaid Seneca: Moiſture was the beginning, and fire ſhall be the end of this World. And ſpeaking of the Sun, Moon, and Stars; mark (ſays he) whatſoever now ſhines in comely and decent order, ſhall at laſt burn together in one fire.
2. The Poets grant this; Lucan ſpeaking of thoſe whom Ceſar left unburned at the Battel of Pharſalia; Hos Caeſar populos ſi nunc non urſerit ignis, uret cum terris. If fire ſhall not now burn theſe, when Heaven and Earth, and all ſhall burn, then muſt they burn.—Ovid in like manner, Eſſe quoque in fatis—quo mare, quo tellus—ardeat. A time ſhall come, when Sea, and earth, and all the frame of this great World ſhall be conſumed in flame.
3. The Sybills grant this, to which the Roman miſſal ſeems to allude, joyning them with the Prophet David, though I know not by what warrant. Dies ira, dies illa, ſolvet ſaeculum in favilla, teſte David cum Sybilla.
A day of Wrath, a day of fire,
So David with the Sybills doth conſpire.
But to wave all theſe, one Text of Scripture is to me more than all theſe. 2 Pet. 3.10. The Heavens ſhall paſs away with a great noiſe, 2 Pet. 3.10.and the elements ſhall melt with fervent heat, the earth alſo, and the works that are therein ſhall be burnt up. Hence all our Divines agree, that a fire ſhall ſeaze on the Univerſe; only ſome difference is amongſt Divines, whether the World ſhall be wholly annihilated, or renewed by fire? Jerome and Auguſtin, and many after them ſay, the end of this fire is for purifying and refining of the Heaven, and Earth; for all corruptible qualities ſhall be burnt out of them, but they in their ſubſtance ſhall remain ſtill: if we ask them, to what end ſhall this neather world be renewed? ſome ſay for an habitacle of the reſtored Beaſts; others for a fitter accommodation of men,†Mundus in melius immutatus aperte accommodabitur, hominibus in melius immutatis. Auguſt. de civit. Dei. l. 20. c. 16. and the glorified Saints; others for a perpetual Monument of God's Power and Glory. Polanus and ſome of our Moderns are of Opinion, that*Polan. Syntag. l. 6. c. 70. Theſe Heavens and this Earth when purified with thoſe fires, and ſuper-inveſted with new endowments, they ſhall be the everlaſting habitations of the bleſſed Saints. But on the contrary, others are of the other opinion, that all the World with all the parts and works (except Men, Angles and Devils, Heaven, and Hell, the two manſions for the ſaved and damned) ſhall be totally and finally diſſolved and annihilated. And of this opinion were Hilary, Clement, and all the ancients before Jerome; and of our Moderns not a few. For my part I rather incline this way, becauſe of the many Scriptures that are ſo expreſs, I ſhall only mention theſe.Job 14.12. Pſal. 102.25, 26. Iſa. 34.4.—Man lyeth down, and riſeth not till the heavens be no more.—Of old thou haſt laid the foundations of the Earth, and the Heavens are the works of thy hands, they ſhall periſh, but thou ſhalt endure. All the hoſts of heaven ſhall be diſſolved, and the heaven ſhall be rolled together as a ſcroll, and all the hoſt ſhall fall down as the leaf falleth from the Vine, Rev. 6.14.and as a falling fig from the fig-tree. To which propheſie John ſeems to allude, And the heavens departed as a ſcrowl when it is rolled together, and every Mountain and Iſland were moved out of their places. Again,Mat. 24.36. 2 Pet. 3.10. heaven and earth ſhall paſs away (ſaith Chriſt) but my Word ſhall not paſs away—The day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night, in the which the Heavens ſhall paſs away with a great noiſe, and the Elements ſhall melt with fervent heat, the earth alſo, and the works that are therein, 1 John 2.17.ſhall be burnt up.—And the world paſſeth away, and the luſts thereof; but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever.—and I ſaw a great white Throne, Rev. 20.11.and him that ſate on it from whoſe face the earth and heaven fled away, and they was found no place for them. Now I would demand, whether being no more, as Job; and periſhing, as David; and rolling together, and falling down like a withered leaf, as Iſay; and paſſing away, as our Saviour, and Peter; and flying away, as John; do not include to utter abolition? If to theſe Scriptures I ſhould add one reaſon, I would argue from the end of the Worlds Creation; was it not partly for the glory of God? and partly for the uſe of man? now for the glory of God, the manifeſtation of it is occaſioned by the manifeſtation of the world unto man; if man therefore ſhould be removed out of the world, and no creature in it be capable of ſuch a manifeſtation, what would become of his glory? And for the uſe of man, that is either to ſupply his neceſſity in matter of dyet, phyſick, building, apparel; or for his inſtruction, direction, recreation, comfort, delight; now when he ſhall attain that bleſſed eſtate of enjoying God, and ſeeing God face to face, theſe ends or the like muſt needs be fruſtrate. This argument is weighty, and we need no more. Only we ſhall hear an Antagoniſt's objections and give them their anſwers, and ſo conclude.
The Texts more eſpecially objected againſt this opinion, are two; the firſt is that in Rom. 8.21.Rom. 8.21. The creature it ſelf ſhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God: here (ſay the…) is an earneſt expectation, attributed to brute Creatures, that they ſhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God. But I anſwer, that no immortal being of the brute creatures is here promiſed, but only a ſimple deliverance and diſmiſſion from the ſervitude they were in, to ungrateful men. The Birds, Beaſts, and Fiſhes, do now ſuffer for our dyet; Horſes, Mules, and beaſts of that nature do now groan under the burthens of our pleaſures, or neceſſities; their annihilation therefore to them muſt needs be a kind of deliverance; and at laſt they ſhall be delivered at the time of the glorious liberty of the Sons of God; the Text will bear it thus.†foreign pro foreign 1 Cor. 10.2. as, ſometimes foreign pro foreign. Rom. 4.11. 1 Cor. 2.15. So Chryſoſtome expounds it foreign. foreign pro foreign, The Creature ſhall be delivered by the glorious liberty of the Sons of God. (i.e.) When ſuch a deliverance comes to men, theſe ſhall be freed from their ſervitude by being not at all, having done all the buſineſs for which they were ordained, or created.
The ſecond Text is that in 2 Pet. 3.13.2 Pet 3.13. We look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth Righteouſneſs. Theſe words (ſay ſome) imply a purging, rather than aboliſhing; a taking off the corrupt qualities only, not the ſubſtance. But I am of another mind, and if I muſt give my ſenſe of the place, I ſay—
1. Negatively that by new heavens and new earth, is not meant renewed heavens and earth;2 Pet. 3.7, 10 is it not punctually in the ſeventh verſe, that the heavens and the earth which are now, are reſerved unto fire againſt the day of judgment? and doth he not deſcend unto particulars in the tenth verſe, that the heavens which are now, ſhall paſs away with a great noiſe? 11, 12.that the Elements ſhall melt with fervent heat? and that the earth alſo, and the works therein ſhall be burnt up? and doth he not infer thereupon in the eleventh and twelfth verſes, that all theſe things ſhall be diſſolved? and in the thirteenth verſe, that we are therefore to look for new heavens, and a new earth? diſſolution mends not a fabrick, but deſtroyes it; how then ſhould that which is diſſolved be ſaid to be reſerved, and let ſtand? ſurely if Peter had thought of this refining only, ſome words of his would have intimated ſo much. The end of theſe creatures was for man's uſe, and man uſing them no more, to what end ſhould they be reſerved? to ſay for a monument of what hath been; or for the habitation of the Saints; or for an out-let for the Saints, deſcending ſometimes from the higheſt heavens to ſolace themſelves here below; are but groundleſs ſurmiſes, and deſerve no anſwer at all.
2. Poſitively, by new heavens, and a new earth, is meant the heaven of heavens, and place of glory. Now theſe heavens are termed new, not in regard of their new making, but of our new taking poſſeſſion of them for our new habitation; and they are called heavens and earth, becauſe they come in ſtead of that heavenly covering, and that earthly habitation which we now enjoy; ſo that the Text may well bear this paraphraſe, we look for new heavens (i.e.) the ſupreme court of God's preſence, and a new earth, (i.e.) a new habitation for us; which ſhall infinitly exceed the commodities and happineſs of theſe heavens and earth which we now enjoy, thus John in his Revelations.Rev. 21.1. And I ſaw a new heaven and a new earth, for the firſt heaven, and the firſt earth were paſſed away, and there was no more Sea. This new heaven, and new earth is the place or habitation prepared for the bleſſed Saints and people of God. A new heaven, where the Moon is more glorious then our Son, and the Sun as glorious as he that made it, for it is he himſelf, the Son of God, the Son of righteouſneſs, the Son of Glory; a new earth, where all their waters are milk, and all their milk honey; where all their graſs is corn, and all their corn is Manna; where all their glebe and clods of earth are Gold, and all their Gold of innumerable Carats; where all their minutes are ages, and all their ages Eternity; where every thing is every minute in the higeſt exaltation as good as can be. Of theſe new heavens, and this new earth, I can never ſay enough, not know enough, till I come there to inhabit it. Something only we ſhall diſcover of it in our next Sections; for now are the Saints entred in with Jeſus Chriſt.
Ʋſe.Only one word of uſe; Chriſtians! what's the matter that we are ſo buſie about this world? why look about you, not one of theſe viſible objects ſhall that day remain or have a being; thoſe houſes wherein we dwell, theſe Temples wherein we meet, this Town, this Country, this Iſle, and the Seas and waters that ſurround it, ſhall be all on fire, and conſume to nothing; the Sea ſhall be no more, and time ſhall be no more, or if we look higher, yond Sun, and Moon, and Star, ſhall be no more; that glorious Heaven which rolls over our heads, ſhall be rolled together as a ſcrol, Iſa. 34.4. Iſa. 51.6.and all the hoaſt ſhall fall down as a leaf falleth from the Vine, and as a falling Fig from the Fig-Tree:—the heavens ſhall vaniſh away like ſmoak (ſaith Iſaiah) comminuentur in nihilum (as Hierome reads it) they ſhall be battered into nothing. Alas! alas! what do we toyling all the day (it may be all our life) for a little of this little, almoſt nothing—earth? you that have an hundred, or two hundred, or a thouſand Acres, if every acre were a Kingdom, all will be at laſt burnt up; ſo that none ſhall ſay here was Preſton, or here was London, or here was England, or here was Europe, or here was the Globe of Earth on which men troad: let others b…aſt as they will of their inheritances, but Lord give me an inheritance above all theſe viſibles; heaven ſhall remain, when earth ſhall vaniſh; that Empyreal Heaven, thoſe ſeats of Saints, thoſe manſions above, prepared by Jeſus Chriſt ſhall never end, but for my riches, lands, poſſeſſions moveables, goods, real or perſonal, they will end in ſmoak, in nothing; what? wilt thou ſet thine eyes upon a thing that is not? Prov. 23.5.upon this the primitive Chriſtians took joyfully the ſpoiling of their goods, it was but a loſs a little before the time, and they knew in themſelves that they had in heaven a better, and an enduring ſubſtance. O let this be our care! here we have no abiding City, but O let's ſeek one to come, even that one that will abide for ever and ever, Amen.