The Catechizing of Families, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Of the Life Everlasting.
Qu. 1. WHere is it that we shall live when we go hence?
A. With Christ in Heaven, called Paradise, and the Ierusalem above.
Q. 2. How is it then that the Souls of Men are said sometimes to appear on Earth? Is it such Souls, or is it Devils?
A. Either is possible: For Souls are in no other Hell than Devils are, who are said to be in the Air, and to go to and fro, and tempt Men, and afflict them here on Earth: But when it is a Soul that appeareth, and when a Devil, we have not acquaintance enough to know: But though God can for just Causes let a blessed Soul appear, as Moses with Henoch and Elias did on the Mount, and perhaps Samuel to Saul, yet we have reason to suspect that it is the miserable Souls of the Wicked that oftenest appear.
Q. 3. But how come Devils or Souls to be visible being Spirits?
A. Spirits are powerful, and dwell in Airy and other Elementary matter, in which they can appear to us, as easily as we can put on our Cloaths. Fire is invisible in its simple uncloathed substance; and yet when it hath kindled the Air it is visible Light.
Q. 4. Why then do they appear so seldom?
A. God restraineth evil Spirits, and keepeth them within their bounds that they may not either deceive or trouble Mankind: And the Spirits of the just are more inclined to their higher Nobler Region and Work: and God will have us here live by Faith, and not by seeing either the heavenly Glory or its Inhabitants.
Q. 5. But it seems that we shall live again on Earth, for it is said, that the new Jerusalem cometh down from above, and we look for a new Heaven, and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness?
A. It greatly concerneth us to difference certainties from uncertainties. It is certain that the Faithful have a promise of a great reward in Heaven, and of being with Christ, and being conveyed into Paradise by Angels, and are commanded to lay up a Treasure in Heaven, and there to set their Hearts and Affections, and to seek the things that are above where Christ is at Gods right Hand; and they desire to depart and be with Christ as far better than to be here, and to be absent from the Body, and be present with the Lord: so that the Inheritance of the Saints in heavenly Light and Glory, is certain. But as to the rest, whether the New Earth shall be for new Inhabitants, or for us; and whether the descending Hierusalem shall be only for a Thousand Years before the final Judgment, or after for perpetuity, or whether it shall come no lower than the Air, where it is said, That we shall be taken up to meet the Lord, and so shall ever be with him, or whether Earth shall be made as Glorious to us as Heaven, and Heaven and Earth be laid together in Common, when separating sin is gone; These matters being to us less certain, must not be set against that which is certain. And the new Ierusalem coming down from Heaven, doth imply that it was first in Heaven, and it's said, that it's now above, and we are come to it in relation and foretast, where are the perfected Spirits of the Just, as it is described, Heb. 12. 22, 23, 24.
Q. 6. But some think that Souls sleep till the resurrection, or are in an unactive potentiality for want of Bodyes.
A. Reason and Scripture confute this Dream. The Soul is Essential Life, naturally inclined to Action, Intellection and Love or Volition, and it will be in the midst of Objects enow on which to operate: And is it not absurd to think that God will continue so noble a Nature in a state of idleness, and continue all its essential Faculties in vain, and never to be exercised? As if he would continue the Sun without Light, Heat, or Motion. What then is it a Sun for? And why is it not annihilated? The Soul cannot lose its Faculties of Vitality, Intellection and Volition, without losing its Essence, and being turned into some other thing. And why it cannot act out of a Body, what Reason can be given? If it could not, yet that it taketh not hence with it a Body of those corporeal Spirits which it acted in, or that it cannot as well have a Body of Light for its own Action, as it can take a Body (as Moses on the Mount) to appear to Man, is that which we have no reason to suspect.
2. But Scripture puts all out of doubt, by telling us, that To die is gain, and that it's better to be with Christ, and that Lazarus was comforted in Abraham's Bosom, and the converted Thief was with Christ in Paradise, and that the Souls under the Altar and in Heaven pray and praise God, and that the Spirits of the Iust are there made perfect: And this is not a state of sleep. It is a World of Life, and Light, and Love, that we are going to, more active than this Earthy, heavy World, than Fire is more active than a Clod. And shall we suspect any sleepy unactivity there? This is the dead and sleepy World: And Heaven is the place of Life it self.
Q. 7. What is the Nature of that heavenly Everlasting Life?
A It is the perfect activity and perfect fruition of Divine communicated Glory, by perfected Spirits and Spiritual Men, in a perfect Glorious Society, in a perfect Place or Region, and this Everlasting.
Q. 8. Here are many things set together, I pray you tell them me distinctly.
A. 1. Heaven is a perfect Glorious Place, and Earth to it is a Dungeon. The Sun which we see is a Glorious place in comparison of this.
2. The whole Society of Angels and Saints will be Perfect and Glorious. And our Joy and Glory will be as much in participation by Union and Communion with theirs, as the Life and Health of the Eye, or Hand is in and by union and communion with the Body: we must not dream of any Glory to our selves but in a state of that union and communion with the Glorious Body of Christ. And Christ himself the Glorified Head is the chief part of this Society whose Glory we shall behold.
3. Angels and Men are themselves there Perfect. If our Being and Nature were not Perfect, our Action and Fruition could not be Perfect.
4. The Objects of all our Action are most Perfect: It is the Blessed God, and a Glorious Saviour and Society, that we shall see and love and praise.
5. All our Action will be pefect: Our Sight and Knowledge, our Love, our Joy, our Praise will be all perfect there.
6. Our reception and fruition will all be perfect. We shall be perfectly loved by God, and one another, and perfectly pleasing to him, and each other; and he will communicate to us and all the Society, as much Glorious Life, Light and Joyful Love, as we are capable of receiving.
7. And all this will be perfect in duration, being Everlasting.
Q. 9. O what manner of Persons should we be if all this were well believed? Is it possible that they should truly believe all this, who do not earnestly desire and seek it, and live in joyful longing hope to be put into possession of it?
A. Whoever truly believeth it, will prefer it before all Earthly treasure and pleasure, and make it the chief End and Motive and Comfort of his Soul and Life, and forsake all that stands against it rather than forsake his hopes of this. But while our Faith, Hope and Love are all imperfect, and we dwell in Flesh where present and sensible things are still diverting and affecting us, and we are so used to Sight and Sense, that we look strangely towards that which is above them, and out of their reach: it is no wonder if we have imperfect desires and joy, abated by diversions, and by griefs and fears, and if in this darkness unseen things seem strange to us; and if a Soul united to a Body be loth to leave it, and be uncloathed, and have somewhat dark Thoughts of that state without it, which it never tryed.
Q. 10. But when we cannot conceive how Souls act out of the Body, how can the Thought of it be pleasant and satisfying to us?
A. 1. We that can conceive what it is to Live and Understand, and Will, to Love and Rejoice in the Body, may understand what these acts are in themselves, whether out of a Body or in a more glorious Body: And we can know that nothing doth nothing; and therefore that the Soul that doth these acts is a Noble substance, and we find that it is invisible. But of this I spake in the beginning.
2. When we know in general all before mentioned, that we shall be in that described Blessedness with Christ and the Heavenly Society, we must implicitly trust Christ with all the rest, who knoweth for us what we know not: and stay till possession give us that clear distinct conception of the manner, and all the circumstances, which they that possess it not, can no more have, than we can conceive of the sweetness of a Meat or Drink which we never tasted of: And we should long the more for that Possession which will give us that sweet Experience.
Q. 11. Is not God the only Glory and Ioy of the Blessed? Why then do you tell us so much of Angels and Saints, and the City of God?
A. God is all in all things; of him, and through him and to him are all things, and the Glory of all is to him for ever. But God made not any single Creature to be happy in him alone as separate from the rest; but an Universe which hath its Union and comunion. I told you as the Eye and Hand have no separated Life or Pleasure, but only in Communion with the whole Body, so neither shall we in Heaven. God is infinitely above us, and if you think of him alone, without mediate Objects for the ascent and access of your Thoughts, you may as well think to climb up without a Ladder: We are not the Noblest Creatures next to God, nor yet the most Innocent: We have no access to him, but by a Mediator: And that Mediator worketh and conveyeth his Grace to us by other subordinate means: He is the Saviour of his Body, which is the fulness of him that filleth all: If we think not of the Heavenly Ierusalem, the glorious City of God; the Heavenly Society and Joyful Chore that praise Iehovah and the Lamb, and live together in perfect Knowledge, Love and Concord, in whose Communion only we have all our Joy; to whom in this Unity God commnicateth his Glory; and if we think not of the Glorious Head of the Church, who will then be our Mediator of Fruition, as he was of Acquisition: nay, if we think not of those loving blessed Angels that rejoiced at our Conversion, and were here the Servants, and will be for ever the Companions of our Joy: And if we think not of all our old dear Friends and Companions in the Flesh, and of all the Faithful, who since Adam's Dayes are gone before us, and if we think not of the attractive Love, Union and Joy of that Society and State, we shall not have sufficient Familiarity above, but make God as inaccessible to us: Delight and desire suppose attractive suitableness: Inaccessible excellency draws not up the Heart. I thank God for the Pleasure that I have in thinking of the Blessed Society, which will shortly entertain me with joyful Love.
Q. 12. But may not [Everlasting] signifie only a long time, as it oft doth in Scripture, and so all may be in mutable Revolutions, as the Stoicks and some others thought?
A. 1. What reason have we to extort a forced sence against our own Interest and Comfort, without any warrant from God? 2. The nature of the Soul being so far Immortal as to have no Inclination to its own death, Why should we think it strange that its felicity should be also everlasting. 3. It can hardly be conceived how that Soul can possibly revolt from God and perish, who is once confirmed with that sight of his Glory, and the full fruition of his Love. Whether Nature be so bad as to allow such a revolt? If the Devils had bin as near God, and as much confirmed in the Sight and Sense of his Love and Glory, as …e Blessed shall be, I can hardly conceive how they could possibly have fallen.
Q. 13. How may I be sure that I shall enjoy this Everlasting Life?
A. I told you before, 1. If you so far believe the Promise of it as made by God, and purchased by Christ's Righteousness and Intercession, as to take this Glory for your chief felicity and hope, and to prefer it before all Worldly Vanity, Pleasure, Profit, Honour, or Life to the Flesh, and to make it your chief care and business to seek it, and rather let go all than lose it, and thus patiently wait and trust God's Grace in Christ and his Spirit, in the use of his appointed means unto the end; it shall undoubtedly be yours for ever.