Rejoicing in the Lord Jesus in All Cases and Conditions, Sermon
THE HOPE OF THE Saints in Heaven.
Coloſ. 1.5.
For the Hope which is laid up for you in Heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the Goſpel.
THis holy Apoſtle being in bonds for the ſake of Chriſt, underſtanding by Epaphras, that this Church (with whom he had taken much pains in the Lord) was in danger to be carried off from the purity and ſimplicity of the Goſpel, by ſome Seducers and falſe teachers, that would ſet up the abrogated inſtitutions of Moſes, with the inſtitutions of Chriſt, makes it his buſineſs to confirm them in the faith that they had received; after the inſcription, and ſalutation, the Apoſtle gives thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, for what he had done for this people, he declares how much they were upon his heart, he could not ceaſe praying for them, and he rejoyced in their faith, and in their love, as you may ſee, v. 3, 4. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, praying alwaies for you, ſince we heard of your faith in Chriſt Jeſus, and of the love which you have to all the Saints; and he ſpeaks of their hope in this 5th verſe, which ſaies he, is laid up for you in Heaven, by hope he doth not mean the grace of hope, as 'tis ſometimes to be taken in the Scripture, but he means the object of hope, or the thing hoped for, as ſometimes hope is to be underſtood, as in Gal. 5.5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteouſneſs by faith. And Titus 2.13. Looking for that bleſſed hope; So as the hope that he ſpeaks of, which is laid up in Heaven, is Heaven itſelf, and the glory and bleſſedneſs of it, that did belong unto them that had laid hold upon Jeſus, and upon eternal life in laying hold upon Jeſus. There are ſome to make out the dependence of theſe words with the preceding, do thus underſtand them; we give thanks unto God for your faith, and for your love, which is an evidence that you have a hope which is laid up in Heaven for you. Some others thus, we are rejoyced in your faith, and in your love, which you have received, and wherein ye ſtand faſt, for the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven. Some others they underſtand the Apoſtle, expreſſing in the fourth verſe, the cauſes and grounds of his giving thanks to God for them, and rejoycing on their account, and that is their faith and their love, which are illuſtrated in the fifth verſe, both in the final cauſe, and alſo in inſtrumental cauſe; the final cauſe is Heaven, and the bleſſedneſs thereof which their faith and their love will iſſue its ſelf in; the inſtrumental cauſe is the word of the truth of the Goſpel by which faith and love have been wrought in them; and by which they were making meet for the heavenly inheritance. It is only a ſhort diſcourſe that I intend upon the words.
The Propoſition from the words is this;
Doct. That the Saints have a hope which is laid up in Heaven for them. They have the glory and the bleſſedneſs of Heaven to ſeed, and to feaſt their expectations upon, whileſt they are here. There is a world beyond this world, where the Saints have their treaſure, where their great eſtate, and their inheritance lyeth. Some things they have here, but truly as the Apoſtle ſaies, 1 Cor. 15.19. If in this life only we have hope in Chriſt, we are of all men moſt miſerable; if that there were nothing more then is to be enjoyed here, if they had not ſomething in reſerve to mend their condition, they were poorly on't; ſaies Chriſt, John 16.33. In the world ye ſhall have tribulation. The Saints have nothing but ſorrows, tryals, temptations, troubles, and afflictions here: But there is a glory which remains, a glory that is in reſerve, that is to be revealed, that is another manner of inheritance then what is poſſeſſed and enjoyed by them here, Col. 3.4. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Chriſt in God. The life of the Saints is a hidden life, God hath hid it from the world; he hath hid their eſtate, he hath hid their riches, he hath hid their glory from the world, they do not know what they are born and entitled to; but when Chriſt who is our life, ſhall appear, then ſhall we alſo appear with him in glory, as for the men of the world you may ſee all they have, for they have their All here. All the portion that God intends to give them, it is poſſeſt by them here, and therefore they are called men, which have their portion in this life, Pſal. 17.14. And thus 'tis ſaid of the rich man in the Parable, Luke 16.25. That he received his good things in this life. And Abraham ſaid, Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedſt thy good things, thou hadſt thy portion, and thy All here; all the comfort, and all the peace, and all the honour; and all the riches, and all the plenty that ever God intends to beſtow upon wicked men, they have it here; but now, beſides all that the Saints have here, they have a hope that is laid up for them in Heaven. They can look beyond, and over things that are ſeen, unto thoſe things that are not ſeen, that is, with a carnal eye; they can look from preſent things that are periſhing, unto ſpiritual things that are eternal, 2 Cor. 4.18. Whileſt we look not, ſaies the Apoſtle 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. We look at thoſe things that are not ſeen, at the unſeen things of another world, and Rom. 5.2. We have acceſs by faith into this grace wherein we ſtand, and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God. We have (ſaies he) peace with God now, which is ſomething of Heaven let down into our hearts, but this is not all, but we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God; and Rom. 8.17, 18. Being Children we are heirs, heirs of God, and Joynt-heirs with Chriſt; and ſaies he, there is a glory that ſhall be revealed, that all the ſufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with it, 2 Tim. 4.8. There 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 to all them alſo that love his appearing. Now ſaies he, that I have fought the good fight, now that I have finiſhed my courſe, now that I am come to the end of my journey, now that I am a going out of the world, and leaving all that I have here, there is a Crown of righteouſneſs which is in reſerve for me, that is juſt ready to be ſet upon my head; and 1 Pet. 1.3, 4. Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, which fadeth not away, reſerved in Heaven for you; It is not known what a Saint is, whileſt he is here in this world, nor yet what a Saint hath; what he hath in reverſion, what he is called to, and what he ſhall be put into the poſſeſſion of, 1 Joh. 3.2. Beloved, now are we the Sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what we ſhall be, but we know that when he ſhall appear, we ſhall be like him, for we ſhall ſee him as he is.
In ſpeaking to this Propoſition, we ſhall ſhew you what Hope the Saints have laid up in Heaven for them. A few particulars we ſhall alittle glance upon for the help of your Faith by the way. But what the Hope of a Saint is, which is laid up in Heaven for him, is that which no man upon Earth is able to tell you. The Apoſtle tells us, 2 Cor. 2.9. That eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him. And the Apoſtle Paul was mounted up into the third Heavens, and when he came down, he tells us that the glory that was there, and the high and bleſſed enjoyments that are there, they were unſpeakable, he was not able to utter them, 2 Cor. 12.4. He was caught up into Paradiſe, and heard unſpeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter; unſpeakable words, unutterable words; he was not able to utter them when he was come down again. He ſays at the 3d verſe, Whether he was in the body or out of the body he could not tell, but when he was come down again, he was not able to tell what he heard, and what he ſaw, when he was in the tranſport; But yet there is ſomething that the Word of Truth hath made known to us, for the reviving of our ſpirits, and the ſtrengthening of our hope whilſt we are in our Journey; and ſome of thoſe things I ſhall briefly lay before you. As,
Firſt, In Heaven the Saints ſhall have the perfection of all grace. Here they have grace, but grace is under-age; grace is in a great deal of weakneſs; grace is mixed with a great deal of corruption, that is, there is a great deal of ſin in the heart with grace; they are not all grace; grace doth not ſtand alone; grace is not in its full ſtrength; grace here is ſo low, and ſo little, ſo born down, and ſo often overtopt with corruption, as that it can hardly be ſeen by another, it can hardly be diſcerned by themſelves: That a Child of God is oftentimes at a loſs to know what to make of his condition; he knows not whether he hath any grace or no. Says Chriſt, Matth. 14.31. O thou of little faith! wherefore didſt thou doubt? The ſame may be ſaid to us all, O ye of little faith! O ye of little love! O ye of little patience! O ye of little humility! O ye of little ſelf-denial! grace is in a great deal of weakneſs here; grace indeed lieth under a growing promiſe, and they that have received but a little, receive it as the earneſt of a great deal, but they have only the earneſt here: But now when they come in Heaven, there is perfection; all their graces are put into perfect ſtrength; there will be no weakneſs in their love to God; there will be no ſhort comings in their ſubmiſſion to the will of God; but in that heavenly ſtate, the Saints are all advanced unto a heavenly ſtature, even unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt, Eph. 3 13. till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt. And Eph. 5.27. That (ſays he) 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. There will be no weakneſs, no imperfection in the new man, but you ſhall be in your full grown ſtate in Heaven, immediately upon your tranſlation; and therefore the Souls of Juſt men entring into Heaven, are ſaid to be in a perfect ſtate, Heb. 12.23. To the general Aſſembly and Church of the firſt born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the ſpirits of Juſt men made perfect. Here you are glad to receive now a little, and then a little, and to be adding by degrees: But there, grace ſhall be ſo compleat, as there ſhall be no room for a further degree, nor for a higher improvement.
2. The Saints have a hope laid up in Heaven, of the glorification of theſe vile bodies. Our bodies are now full of corruption, they are earthly bodies, and they are a great clog and a hinderance unto a ſpiritualized Soul; but there ſhall come a change upon them, 1 Cor. 15.42, 43. So alſo is the reſurrection of the dead; It is ſown in corruption, it is raiſed in incorruption; It is ſown in diſhonour, it is raiſed in glory. Ver. 44. It is ſown a natural body, it is raiſed a ſpiritual body. It is ſown in corruption: Many are the co…upting diſeaſes that our fleſh is expoſable to, whilſt we live; and ſuch infections ſometimes ſeize upon the body, as do ſeparate Lovers and acquaintance far from them; but to be ſure, at death, corruption that ſeizes the body, and makes it ſo loathſom, that near relations cannot bear one another. Abraham cries out, O! Bury my dead out of my ſight; and yet ſhe was the Wife of his boſom, that was bone of his bone, and fleſh of his fleſh, to whom he wanted no love; yet ſays he, Bury my dead out of my ſight. It is ſown in diſhonour, and indeed it lives ſo, for much of the glory, and beauty, and fairneſs of the body of man that was at firſt beſtowed upon him, is loſt. But all the ſcarrs, and all the blemiſhes, and all the disfigurements of our bodies, even all the effects of ſin, ſhall at once be done away, that that which is ſown in diſhonour, ſhall be raiſed in glory; and that which is ſown in weakneſs, ſhall be raiſed in power; and that which is ſown a natural body, ſhall be raiſed a ſpiritual body; it ſhall be ſpiritual in its temperature, conſtitution and complexion; it ſhall be ſpiritual in all its operations. It ſhall be raiſed to glory, and all the robes of mortality, and all the raggs of its vileneſs, they ſhall be left behind. Lazarus, when he roſe out of the grave, he aroſe with all his grave-cloths about him, and he came with them out of his grave, becauſe he was to return again, Joh. 11.44. And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave-cloths; Jeſus ſaith to them, Looſe him, and let him go. The grave had not done with him: This was not the bleſſed Reſurrection that was under promiſe, but he came out of the grave to return again; but now Jeſus Chriſt, when he aroſe out of the grave, he aroſe to return no more, and he left all his grave-cloths behind him, Joh. 20.6, 7. Then cometh Simon Peter, and went into the Sepulchre, and ſeeth the Linnen-cloths, and the Napkin that was about his head. The Grave-cloths, the Napkin, and all that he had about him, was all left behind, becauſe he was to return no more. Now Jeſus he aroſe as the firſt fruits of the Saints, 1 Cor. 15.20. But now is Chriſt riſen from the dead, and become the firſt-fruits of them that ſlept. So as you may ſee in the Reſurrection of Chriſt what ſhall be unto the Saints in their Reſurrection: They ſhall leave all the cloths of their diſhonour, and of corruption and mortality behind them. And Phil. 3.20, 21. Theſe vile bodies of ours ſhall be changed, and made like to the glorious body of Chriſt. Who ſhall change our vile bodies, bodies full of corruption, full of weakneſs, bodies in ſo much diſhonour, they ſhall be changed, and ſhall be faſhioned like to the glorious body of Chriſt. And Rom. 8.23. And not only they, but our ſelves alſo who have the firſt-fruits of the Spirit, even we our ſelves groan within our ſelves, waiting for the Adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies. So that this is another part of the hope that is laid up in Heaven for the Saints, the glorification of their vile bodies. We ſhall have part of that glory and honour upon our bodies, that the Father did beſtow upon that body which he prepared for his Son, when he took our nature: And truly the body of Jeſus Chriſt in Heaven is the moſt glorious creature that is there; and it is a glory which the Saints ſhall admire for ever; they ſhall not only admire it in Chriſt, but admire it in themſelves, as they alſo ſhall be made partakers of it.
3. The Saints have a Hope laid up for them of an everlaſting Reſt. Here is no Reſt in this world, it is full of troubles and toſſings to and fro, like a Ship that is at Sea in a ſtorm; but now in Heaven there is Reſt; Reſt from all the troubles of men, Reſt from all the troubles of Satan, Reſt from all the troubles of ſin; ſorrow ſhall flee from them: All tears ſhall be wiped from their eyes, Rev. 21.4. I ſhall not here tell you how far the Saints may be made partakers of this that is here promiſed, on this ſide Heaven; but to be ſure, 'tis true of Heaven it ſelf. Glad would a Saint be to get into a corner where he might ſit down and be at reſt; but if he take up in this condition, he is preſently diſturbed; if he go into another condition, he finds his troubles follow him; his quarters are continually broken up; he can never be at reſt, but one diſquiet follows another, and one trouble takes another by the heels. But in Heaven there the Saints ſhall be taken into an everlaſting Reſt, 2 Theſ. 1.7. And to you who are troubled reſt with us. He cheers up theſe Theſſalonians to whom he writes, under all the troubles that they met withal from men and Devils, and all their enemies in their way, that were continually diſquieting of their ſpirits; Well, ſays he, Cheer up, to you who are troubled reſt with us. He was abundant in labours, and abundant in ſorrows and ſufferings, but he comforted himſelf with this, that there was a Reſt that remained for him; and not for me only, ſays he, but for you alſo; reſt with us: You ſhall come into the ſame Reſt with us. Miniſters and People that are faithful in Chriſt Jeſus, ſhall all come into the ſame Reſt, a Reſt that none of the troublers ſhall be able to diſturb, Rev. 14.13. Bleſſed are the dead that die in the Lord, from henceforth, yea ſaith the Spirit, that they may reſt from their labours, and their works do follow them. The labours and the pains that you take here, they are very many: We were driven by God into this condition, in the ſweat of our faces to eat our bread; Well, but this is but for this life: You have a Hope that is laid up in Heaven for you, of a bleſſed and a glorious Reſt, wherein you ſhall have freedom from all your labours; you ſhall have freedom from all the diſturbances and preſſures that you have here.
4. There is a fulneſs of Joy that is laid up in Heaven for all Believers. Says the Prophet, Iſa. 66.11. That ye may ſuck and be ſatisfied with the breaſts of her conſolation, that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. If that there be ſuch a time a coming, wherein this may be true of the Saints here upon Earth, it will be much more ſo in Heaven; for Heaven will heighten all; it will heighten all your joy, and heighten all your comfort; and not only heighten the joy and comfort that you have, but that ſucceeding Saints ſhall have when the whole Earth ſhall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord; ſtill there ſhall be a diſproportion between Earth and Heaven. When the voice ſaith, Come up hither, that which follows is, Enter into your Maſter's Joy, Matth. 25.21. Here the Lord, for the bearing up of the hearts of his People, ſends down a little joy into their ſpirits; he ſends down the Comforter unto them, and he comes, and now and then ſpeaks a reviving word; now and then he gives a drop of conſolation, and it may be it is upon the end of the Rod too, and this is counted a great matter; and truly it ſhould be ſo with us. But there is a hope of another manner of Joy, (or other meaſures) laid up in Heaven for you. Joy, it ſhall be the Air that the Saints ſhall breath in; it ſhall be the very Orb that they ſhall move in, the very Elements that they ſhall dwell in; their hearts cannot hold all; it ſhall be overflowing, it ſhall be round about them.
1. The Joy that is laid up in Heaven for the Saints, it is that that ſhall be fully ſatisfying. They ſhall have enough of it, they ſhall be filled with it to the full, ſo as there ſhall be no room for more, Pſal. 16.11. Thou wilt ſhew me the path of life; in thy preſence is fulneſs of Joy, and at thy right hand are pleaſures for evermore. But ſhall the Saints have enough of this? yes, Pſal. 17.16. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteouſneſs; I ſhall be ſatisfied when I awake with thy likeneſs. The Soul hath not its ſatisfaction here; when it hath a little, it is enlarged to bleſs God, but it hath not enough, it would have more ſtill; a little more communion with God: But in Heaven there is ſatisfaction to the full. When I awake, that is in the morning of the reſurrection, when this mortality is blown out of his eyes; when he comes to open his eyes in the other world, then ſhall I be ſatisfied with thy likeneſs.
2. The Joy that is laid up in Heaven is unmixed. Here there is a mixture with your Joy, you have a little joy, and a great deal of ſorrow; you have a little peace, and a great deal of trouble; you have darkneſs with your light, and you have vexation and croſſes with your comforts: But in Heaven there is nothing to croſs, there is nothing to grieve, there is only joy, there is no mixture with your. joy. It will be pure joy.
3. And thirdly; That Joy that is laid up in Heaven will be permanent. It is ſuch as you ſhall ſit down in, and that which you ſhall partake of to eternity. Here your joy is not only mixed with ſorrows, but it meets with great overwhelmings; it is coming and going; it is partaken of here at great uncertainties; but now in Heaven it will be alwaies the ſame.
4. There is in Heaven laid up for you abſolute freedom, and full liberty of Soul in the Service of God. Here 'tis not ſo, when the ſpirit is willing, the fleſh is weak; and how often are our hearts ready to die within us? The Spirit will not hold out; we can hardly watch with Chriſt one hour; bodies tire and ſpirits tire; but now there will be a fulneſs of ſtrength in Heaven, and there will be liberty of ſpirit, proportionable to all ſtrength, and to all grace; the Soul will be in abſolute freedom for God, and the body under an abſolute freedom too, anſwerable unto all the freeneſs of the Soul; now the body is a great clog to the Soul; it is a great hinderance, that you cannot do for God, and you cannot lay out your ſelves for God as you would, but there will be no wearineſs in Heaven in your Spirits, though you ſhall ſerve night and day, world without end: the promiſe is, Iſaiah 40.31. That they that wait upon the Lord, ſhall renew their ſtrength, they ſhall mount up with wings as Eagles, they ſhall run, and not be weary, they ſhall walk, and not be faint. The Saints rejoyce as they can experience ſomething of this here, but the fulneſs of this promiſe will be in Heaven, there you ſhall mount up indeed as with wings, there Soul and Body ſhall be in all liberty in the ſervice of God. Now what would Saints give to have their Spirits in a freedom and full liberty for God but one day; O they would count it a corner of Heaven, if that they could have their Spirits ſet in full liberty for God but one of his daies, that they may ſerve God, and delight themſelves fully in the ſervice of God a whole day. But Sirs, in Heaven you ſhall be fully delighted in the ſervice of God to eternity, all clogs ſhall be taken off from your Spirits.
5. The Saints have a hope laid up in Heaven for them of an eternal abode in the glorious pallace of their Father; here their dwelling is uncertain, they have no ſure dwelling place upon earth; their Landlords ſometimes warn them out of their Houſes, and command them to ſeek a new dwelling; ſometimes God turns them out of their Houſes, they may be driven out of their Houſes here by the Sword, they may be driven out by fire, but the Lord he hath choſen Heaven as the place of their perpetual reſidence, Deut. 1.33. Who went in the way before you to ſearch out a place. The Lord went before Iſrael in the Wilderneſs by Fire, and by the Cloud to ſearch out a place for his People, where they ſhould dwell: Jeſus the fore-runner that is entered into Heaven, he is gone before to ſearch out a place, to chooſe out a place, and to prepare a place for you, John 14, 2. I go ſaith he to prepare a place for you; and this place that Chriſt is gone to prepare, 'tis in the Fathers Houſe, there ſhall the Saints abode and dwelling be for ever; and there is none that ſhall ever turn them out of that Houſe, but to eternity they ſhall peaceably poſſeſs it.
6. In Heaven ſhall be the conſummation of the Marriage between Chriſt and the believer; here the Marriage is entered upon, Chriſt and the believing Soul they are betrothed together, as Hoſea 2.19, 20. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; but the betrothment here is like a young man, when he betroths a Virgin, they live aſunder after they are betrothed, ſo Chriſt and your Souls live aſunder; you are betrothed here by grace, and you come together now and then in an ordinance, and now and then Chriſt lets out of his heart unto you, and now and then you let out of your heart to Chriſt, and now and then Chriſt ſends you a token of his love, and a letter of his love, wherein he gives a manifeſtation of his love, but ſtill you are aſunder; but in Heaven the Marriage ſhall be conſummated, 2 Cor. 5.6. While we are at home in the body, we are abſent from the Lord, and we live aſunder, but ſaies he, when we come to depart we ſhall be with Chriſt, Phil. 1.23. and we ſhall ever be with the Lord, 1 Theſ. 4.17. This is a bleſſed day indeed, that will bring Jeſus Chriſt and your Souls together, never more to be ſeparated, never more to be at a diſtance, never to be out of the preſence of one another more. Communion with God it is ſweet now, and when Jeſus Chriſt lets out but a little of himſelf; O the Soul he cries out, evermore give me of this Bread. O ſaies he, that I were to go down no more, but this communion is clouded, and the ſenſe of it loſt, but when we come to be diſſolved, and to enter into Heaven, then ſaies he, we ſhall be with the Lord.
7. Again; The Saints have a hope laid up for them in Heaven, of enjoying fellowſhip and ſociety with all ſanctified ones in Chriſt Jeſus? Heaven will bring all the Saints together, and keep them in an eternal communion. There are two things that have reſpect to the Saints in Heaven.
1. They ſhall have a full knowledge one of another. And,
2. They ſhall have communion one with another.
1. They ſhall have knowledge one of another: There ſhall be no ſtrangers in Heaven; indeed it is queſtioned by ſome whether the Saints ſhall know one another in Heaven; but truly it is out of queſtion with me, for the Saints ſhall be all of one Society, they ſhall be all of one Company, they ſhall be all of one intire body, and ſurely it is inconſiſtent with the glory of that ſtate, for one member to have no knowledge of another; if that you be of a company here upon earth, let the company be 40, 50, 100, or 500, by abode together, and by converſe, and by reſidence together, and meeting together, you come to have a knowledge one of another; and can it be thought that an eternal abode, together in Heaven, won't give you the knowledge one of another; but the Scripture ſeems very plain and clear in this caſe, in Mat. 17.3, 4. Jeſus there taketh Peter, James, and John, and goes up into an high mountain, and there he was transfigured before them; and indeed it was a little corner of Heaven that he carried them into there; and he brings down Moſes and Elias, and Peter preſently knew them, and he ſaid unto Jeſus, Lord it is good for us to be here; if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moſes, and one for Elias: Peter had never ſeen Moſes and Elias, for they were dead many years before he was born, and yet as ſoon as ever they did appear with Chriſt, Peter knew them, this is Moſes, and this is Elias. Sirs, the knowledge of the Saints won't be decreaſed, but heightned in Heaven; ſome of you it may be lye under mourning of Spirit for ſome of your relations that are gone to Heaven; well, wait but a little while, and you ſhall know them again; But let me tell you, you ſhall not know them after a carnal manner, but after a ſpiritual manner, according to that ſtate, 2 Cor. 5.16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the fleſh. Chriſt ſhall not be known hereafter after the fleſh, and when you come in Heaven, you won't know one another after the fleſh, yet in a ſpiritual manner you ſhall know one another, Parents ſhall know their Children, and Children ſhall know their Parents in a ſpiritual manner, you ſhall know thoſe Servants of God that have taken pains with you here, and helped your Souls on to Heaven. Some of you often think it may be, of Reverend Mr. Armitage, that laboured with you in the Lord, and ſome of you remember Reverend Mr Allen, that was the Lords mouth unto you many years; you that have a hope laid up in Heaven for you, you ſhall follow them in your time and in your order, and know them again, and all the Servants of the Lord from one end of the world unto the other; you ſhall know thoſe that you have known, and you ſhall know thoſe that you have not known, you ſhall know Moſes, and Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, and all the Patriarchs. And then;
2. You ſhall know them ſo as to have communion with them, you ſhall ſit down (which is a note of communion, Mat. 8.11.) with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven; indeed all your knowledge of the Saints, and all your fellowſhip with the Saints, it ſhall all be reſolved into the glorifying of God, ſo as God ſhall be uppermoſt in all, and you ſhall ſee God through all, and you ſhall triumph in God, and ſing praiſes to God through all; yet as glorified Saints together, and as members of the ſame, body; ſo there will be a fellowſhip and communion together in the enjoyment of God, and communion with him.
8. There is a hope which you have laid up for you in Heaven, of Gods being all in all to you; in 1 Cor. 15.18. And when all things ſhall be ſubdued to him, then ſhall the Son alſo himſelf be ſubject to him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. The diſpenſation that Chriſt hath now in his hand, in that he is the Lord of the world, and the government of it ſhall be laid down, when the whole body of believers ſhall be brought home, and all the election of Gods grace brought in; yet then ſhall Chriſt be glorious in the eyes of the Saints, but God then ſhall be all in all; that is, all believers ſhall be placed in the immediate preſence of God, where ſhall be the full diſplay of his glory upon them to all eternity, an immediate and powerful diſplay of the glory of the Divine Majeſty upon their Souls to eternity; here the Saints can ſee the face of God but in a glaſs, 1 Cor. 13.12. For now we ſee through a glaſs darkly; it is but a dim glaſs that we have here to ſee God in, but then ſaies he, face to face. Moſes you know did importune the Lord that he might ſee his glory, Exod. 33.18. ſaies the Lord at the 20 v. Thou canſt not ſee my face, for there ſhall no man ſee me and live; in thy preſent mortal ſtate, ſaies God, thou art not able to bear my immediate glory, but I will cauſe ſome of my goodneſs to paſs before thee, to ſatisfy thee for the preſent; So God he makes ſome diſcoveries of himſelf in the glaſs of ſome Goſpel-Inſtitution, but now in Heaven there is face to face, in the immediate preſence of the Lord, ever to behold his glory. Theſe are ſome of thoſe bleſſed things that are laid up for the Saints in Heaven, that their hopes and expectations ſhould be upon whilſt they are here.
Appl. I ſhall now make a little Application of this.
Uſe 1. If that the Saints have ſuch a Hope laid up for them in Heaven, Then here you may ſee the difference between them and the men of this world, who are taken up with the good things that are here below. They cry out, Who will ſhew us any good? They look for things that are ſeen, and that are pleaſing to the fleſh, and they look no further. O Sirs! how poorly provided are the men of the world, with all their hundreds, and with all their thouſands, when they have all their good things here, and they have nothing to come? Do not you ſee that the portion of God's People is another manner of portion than the portion of the wicked in all their plenty and fulneſs? Says the Prophet, Jer. 10.16. The portion of Jacob is not like them. So the portion of a Saint is not like the portion of a Sinner. Though God hath not made you rich in this world, and hath not given you the fulneſs and the honours that the men of this world do poſſeſs, if you have a Hope laid up in Heaven for you, hath not he dealt better by you? Hagar and her Child they are packt away out of the family with a Loaf of bread, and a bottle of water, and that was their portion and allowance, when the Inheritance was reſerved for Iſaac, Gen. 21.14. So the Lord he gives the good things of this life unto wicked men; he throws them in common unto them, and they are ſent away out of his preſence with them, and when the Loaf is done, and the Bottle is empty, they have nothing more to betake themſelves unto; then they muſt ſit down in eternal miſery. Now under all the ſhort commons that the Saints have here, they have a Hope that is laid up in Heaven. You ſee then that the portion of a Saint is not like the portion of a worldly man.
Uſe 2. See here the dignity and the honour that the Lord hath put upon all his Saints. The worth of a Child of God is not known here; like his Lord and Maſter, he is deſpiſed, and contemned, and reproached; they are men and women of ſcorn and contempt, of ſorrow and bitterneſs in the world; but there is honour that the Lord puts upon them, though the world count them the off-ſcouring of all things, as thoſe Worthies were, of whom the world was not worthy, Heb. 11.36, 37, 38. They had trials of cruel mockings and ſcourgings; yea moreover, of bonds and impriſonment. They were ſtoned, they were ſawn aſunder, were tempted, were ſlain with the ſword; they wandered about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins, being deſtitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. And who were theſe? Theſe were Heirs of Heaven, Children of the Promiſe; theſe were perſons that had a Hope laid up for them in Heaven, and in all their diſgraces and contempts here, were waiting for a glory that was to be revealed. Great honour hath the Lord put upon his Saints, in the Hope that is laid up in Heaven for them.
Uſe 3. If that there be a Hope which the Saints have laid up for them in Heaven, a Hope that will hold, then all of you look into your ſelves, and examine your Hopes, and ſee that you be not miſtaken in them. There is a Hope that will ſtand you in no ſtead. We read of the Hope of the Hypocrite, that is like unto the giving up of the Ghoſt, which is but as the Spider's web, he ſhall truſt to it, and it ſhall deceive him. O Sirs! look well to your Hopes that you be not miſtaken; conſider whether your Hope be laid up in Heaven, whether you have caſt Anchor within the Vail; examine your ſtate and condition, to ſee how 'tis with you, leſt at laſt you ſhould miſs of all this glory that the Saints hope for; and in the examination of your ſelves, look to theſe two things which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of in the verſe before the Text: One is Faith, and the other is Love.
Firſt, Look to your Faith, and ſee whether you have made a true cloſe with Jeſus Chriſt. True Faith it unbottoms the Soul from all things on this ſide Chriſt, and founds the Soul upon Chriſt himſelf. Now if you would know whether your Hope be good, ſee whether your Faith be ſound, have you taken the Lord Jeſus Chriſt for yours? for your Prophet, and for your Prieſt, and for your King? have you made a cloſe with him? and have you reſigned up your ſelves unto him? examine your ſelves about your believing.
Secondly, Examine your ſelves about your Love. When Jeſus Chriſt came to put Peter upon the examination of himſelf, ſays he, Simon Peter, loveſt thou me? Simon, loveſt thou me more than theſe? Doſt thou love me more than all the world beſides? that is Chriſt's meaning, more than his Nets, more than all his employments in the world. So, hath God and Jeſus Chriſt the uppermoſt room in thy heart? are they principal in thy affections? are they more to thee than all the world beſides? doſt thou love God, and love Jeſus Chriſt more than all? Examine your ſelves by your Faith, and by your Love, and take heed that you do not take up in a falſe Hope that will deceive you.
Uſe 4. Again; If that you have a Hope that is laid up in Heaven for you, then comfort your ſelves with this Hope, under all the diſcomfortures that you meet withal in the world. The Apoſtle he makes this uſe of the point, 1 Theſ. 4.18. Wherefore comfort one another with theſe words; With what words? That (ſays he) we ſhall meet the Lord in the Air and ſo ſhall be ever with him. Comfort one another, and comfort your own hearts with theſe words. You meet with many loſſes here, and you meet with many temptations here, and you meet with many afflictions here, trial upon trial, one following another; well, under all comfort your ſelves with the Hope that is laid up in Heaven for you, and ballance all your trials and temptations with the Hope that is in Heaven. And
Uſe 5. In the laſt place; You that have a Hope laid up in Heaven for you, ſee that you walk anſwerable to your Hope. This is expected of you, as the A poſtle tells you, 1 Theſ. 2.12. That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his Kingdom and glory. See that you walk worthy of the Hope that you have received. Have you a Hope laid up in Heaven for you, of ſuch great things as we have mentioned, a Hope ever to be with the Lord? then carry it in a way correſpondent to theſe Hopes, in raiſed frames, breathings and longings of heart after God. The Hopes of an eternal enjoyment of God in the world to come, ſhould fill us with deſires after the enjoyment of God here, in thoſe means, and according to thoſe waies in which he hath promiſed to let out of himſelf to his People. You ſhould be continually preſsing after the enjoyment of God mediately, who have the Hopes of the eternal enjoyment of God immediately. And, ſays the Apoſtle, 1 Joh. 3.3. He that hath this Hope in him, purifieth himſelf even as he is pure. If you have ſuch a Hope, then teſtifie it by laying ſiege to corruption, and by ſeeking to mortifie the body of ſin and death, that you bear about you, and correſpond with your Hopes in preſsing after holineſs, and a growth in all grace; for he that hath this Hope, and he that hath the Promiſe of theſe things, will be perfecting Holineſs in the fear of God. Make it your buſineſs therefore to grow in grace, and to advance in all Holineſs, that ſo you may abound, and that yet more and more in the work of the Lord.