One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 134
SERMON CXXXIV. Of immediate Enjoyment of, and Communion with Chriſt in Heaven, as the Complement of mans happineſſe.
JOH. 17.24.
Father, I will that they alſo whom thou haſt given me be with me where I am.
THE next thing conſiderable is the object matter of this Petition, which is two-fold.
1. To be where Chriſt is. 2. To behold the glory which the Father had given him.
Let us Conſider the firſt particular, To be with Chriſt where Chriſt is, and Auſtin doth well obſerve, that he doth not pray, They may be where he is, for though a man be wretched and miſerable he is where Chriſt is, but not with Christ, as (ſaith he) a blinde man may be where the light is but not with the light: It's therefore added, to be with him where Chriſt is, and that denoteth the gracious and happy enjoyment of him: Some underſtand it of Chriſts gracious preſence here vouchſafed to beleevers, but the context doth more genuinely comprehend the former; For our Suviour was now to be no longer in this world, and beſides the expreſſion of being with God and Chriſt in the Scripture-ſence is proper to that eternal felicity and glory, which they are made partakers of, only the doubt may be if it be underſtood of glorious preſence with Chriſt, why Chriſt ſpeaks in the preſent tenſe, where I am: Some anſwer, that this is to be underſtood in reſpect of his divine nature, by which he was alwaies glorious; Others underſtand it ſpoken in the preſent, becauſe he was very immediatly to be glorified every way, and then it may well be received; There are ſome who make this Argument, that this muſt be underſtood of a glorious preſence, not a gracious, becauſe (ſay they) of a gracious preſence the phraſe alwaies is, God is with us, but of a glorious preſence We are with God,Obſerv. The greateſt part of our happineſſe that we ſhall have in heaven lies in this, that then we ſhall be with Chriſt, and have immediate communion with the Lord. but though this may be admitted as the moſt common expreſſion, yet ſome few inſtances may be ſhewed to the contrary; Therefore the former Reaſons eſpecially if we adde the words following, That they may behold my glory, which ſeem to be exegeticall of what went before, will evidence that we muſt underſtand the ſence of that happy eternall preſence with Chriſt in heaven.
Obſ. That the greateſt part of our glory and happineſſe, which we ſhall have in heaven, lieth in this, that then we ſhall be with Chriſt, and have immediate Communion with the Lord; Though we are apt to look upon the happineſſe of heaven as it freeth from all pains and torments, as it delivers us from the curſe and vengeance of God, yet that which is indeed the ſublime and chief part of our happineſſe, is that we ſhall there have an immediate enjoyment of God and Chriſt; It's aſſerted as a Truth, that the greateſt miſery in hell is in the poena damni, not in the poena ſenſus, and Chryſoſtome conſidering that dreadfull Sentence pronounced, Depart ye curſed into everlasting fire, makes theſe words depart to be farre more terrible then eternall fire; The doctrine of heaven and hell was not ſo fully and evidently preached in the Old Teſtament as in the New, yet even then we have David thus breaking forth into an holy paſſion, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and whom in earth in compariſon of thee? Pſal. 73.25. Whom in heaven but thee, implying, that heaven would not be heaven if God were not there, and that in heaven he looketh not to Angels or Saints there but God himſelf; Now though the happineſſe of heaven be deſcribed from other particulars, yet that this is the ſum of all may appear from theſe two places, Phil. 1.23. where you finde Paul in a divine perplexity and heavenly ſtreight whether he ſhould deſire to live or die, and although for the Churches good he is contented to live, yet abſolutely and ſimply his deſire was to depatt, and why? becauſe this was to be with Chriſt, which is farre better; So then this was that which ſo moved Paul to be no longer in this world, viz to be with Chriſt; No doubt Paul had many godly Friends, in ſeeing whoſe faces and enjoying their company he took great delight, and this he often expreſſeth, but all theſe are nothing to Chriſts Company; Thus to godly hearts, though it be a great comfort to enjoy their Wives and Children, yet when raiſed by grace they can preferre the company of Chriſt above all. The ſecond place is 1 Theſſ. 47. when the Apoſtle in a divine and raviſhing manner had treated on the Reſurrection, then he mentioneth this as the ſumme and Complement of all our felicity, that we ſhall be with the Lord for ever; To be with the Lord, and to be with him for ever comprehends ſo much that the heart can never ſuck out all the honey of it.
Of immediate communion with Chriſt in heaven Conſider theſe things.But let us not with Moſes ſtand afar off and behold the glory and ſweetneſs of this Land, but let us enter into it, and theſe things are conſiderable.
Firſt, That we deny not but the happineſſe of Heaven may be amplified from ſeverall other particulars beſides our preſence with Chriſt, ſuch as the enjoying of Angels and Saints, for a ſtate of happineſſe is the aggregation of all good thing deſirable, but yet that which is the Sun among the Stars, That which is the principall and great happineſſe is that we ſhall then more perfectly know and enjoy God and Chriſt; It's true indeed moſt Divines do yield that we ſhall there know our godly Friends, and ſhall greatly rejoyce in their ſalvation and happineſſe, yet ſo that all theſe lines will meet in God as the center, that all theſe ſtreams will be emptied into the Ocean, ſo that though Heaven hath unſpeakable priviledges, and every thing therein is glorious, yet that which is the Heaven of this heaven, the glory of this glory is the enjoyment of Chriſt himſelf; It's Gods preſence that makes heaven to be heaven.
Secondly, We are to know that the Schoolmen whom Divines follow ſpeak of a twofold happineſſe, beatitudo objectiva, and formalis, an objective happineſs, and this is acknowledged to be only God himſelf; There is no other object that can make the ſoul happy but God only; As the ſtars cannot diſpell darkneſſe, and make light but the Sun only; The other is called beatitudo formalis or ſubjectiva, and that is the internal perfecting of all the faculties of the ſoul with ſuch perfect grace that they are able to carry us to God in a moſt perfect manner, and the glorifying of the body with all thoſe admirable qualities that the Scripture ſpeaks of, ſo that when we ſay Chriſt in heaven is our happineſſe, we ſpeak of the objective happineſſe not the formall, That object in the enjoyment whereof, the glorified Saint is made eternally happy, is Chriſt only.
Thirdly, Conſider that even in this life we are with Chriſt, and Chriſt is with us; Though (as you heard) to be with Chriſt is moſt commonly the expreſſion of glory, yet it may ſometimes denote our gracious preſence here, for thus, though Chriſt be in Heaven, yet he is ſaid to dwell in our hearts by Faith, Eph. 3. Therefore we muſt needs in this life be with him, now this is the beginning of that glory we ſhall have hereafter, He that beleeveth, hath Eternal life, Joh. 3. not only de jure, but doth actually poſſeſſe ſome beginnings of it; The Transfiguration Peter was in, and the extaſie Paul ſpeaks of were forerunners of Heaven, and although the godly may not have ſuch an extaticall raviſhing ſence of it, yet the Lord doth many times beſtow on his people a taſte of this joy whereby they rejoyce with joy unſpeakable and full of glory, whereby they are above the world, and can deſpiſe all earthly comforts comparatively; Auſtin and Bernard do ſometimes ſpeak their experience of this upon their ſouls, and no doubt but the Martyrs who were to ſuffer ſo bitterly for Chriſt, were had up into the Mount of Transfiguration before they were carried to Mount Calvary, Crus nihil ſentit in ligno, quando animus eſt in coelo.
In the next place let us Conſider the Grounds why Chriſt or Gods preſence in heaven is that which makes the happineſſe of a glorified beleever.The grounds why Gods preſence in heaven is that which makes the happineſſe of a glorified beleever.
And 1. Becauſe in Chriſt or God there is all fulneſſe to make us happy, he is objectively all what the ſoul can deſire; If Chriſt be repreſented in this life all to the Church, when yet we have but the glimpſes of him, how much more in Heaven when we ſhall have the full enjoyment of him; Therefore wonder not if having of God there be our happineſſe, for he is the univerſal good, he is that bonum in quo omnia bona, as Paul ſaid having a Revelation from God, this was enough, and that thoſe who were pillars could not adde unto him, ſo much more may it be ſaid in this caſe, having full poſſeſſion of the Lord Chriſt himſelf, no comfort or content any other way can adde one cubite to that ſtature of happineſſe.
2. Chriſt is not only objectively full of that which may make happy, but he is alſo efficiently communicative of it, For ſuppoſe God be a Fountain ſufficient and inexhauſted, yet as long as it is a Fountain ſealed up, as long as there is a ſtone upon the mouth of it that cannot be rolled away, ſo long we are not able to come at any refreſhment; God is alwaies able to make us happy to the utmoſt, he might vouchſafe us an heaven in this world, but he is a free Agent, and communicateth himſelf as he pleaſeth; Now it hath pleaſed him while we are in this life to communicate himſelf by degrees; This Fountain is diſpenſed by drops, but in Heaven there will God communicate himſelf as far as the creature is able to receive him: Then this Sun will not be under any Cloud, then there will not be any complaints why the Lord doth hide his face or withdraw himſelf.
3 Heavens happineſſe lieth in Chriſt, becauſe then the ſoul is made a prepared and ſutable ſubject for him; All pleaſure and delight ariſeth from the conveniency of the object with the faculty, for if there be contrariety or diſſonancy then inſtead of happineſs, there is nothing but miſery; Now in Heaven the the whole ſoul will be ſo perfected with Grace that it cannot delight in any thing but ſuch an holy God: What is the reaſon that in this life a wicked man hateth God, and refuſeth his will and law, but becauſe of his contrariety to him, and on the other ſide a godly man though he have but imperfect and inchoate grace, yet he preferreth Chriſt, and loveth him before Father and Mother, and every thing that is dear, all this ariſeth becauſe there is ſome ſimilitude between God and him, he is born of God, and partakes of the divine Nature, and ſo by this means delighteth and rejoyceth in God, but if the green Tree be thus ready to burn in love with God, what ſhall the dry Tree do?
4. Chriſt is the chiefeſt happineſſe in Heaven, becauſe he being chiefly beloved, there is obtained the neareſt Union with him: It's not the place of Heaven but the perſon in Heaven that a Chriſtians love is fixed upon; Hence ſome ſome have not been afraid to ſay, That Chriſt with a godly man though in hell yet would make hell no hell, for when the ſoul cometh to enjoy that which is moſt beloved, then all further deſires and diſtractions muſt ceaſe, then the ſtone is come to its center; Then the fire of love hath aſcended as high as it can go, then it ſaith Sufficit, I have enough; Now all the while the Church is on Earth ſhe conflicts with deſires after Chriſt, hence are thoſe vehement Petitions, Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly, The Spirit and Bride ſay Come, Rev. 22.17, 20. If then theſe deſires be turned into actuall enjoyments, and it's no longer Come Lord Jeſus, but he is come, then there muſt needs be all matter of joy and rejoycing, he that drinketh of this living water in this life ſhall never thirſt more, Joh. 4. viz. with a total thirſt, So as to be weary of Chriſt and deſire ſome other Object, how much rather will this be true in Heaven; Then it's impoſſible to be weary, to be deſirous of ſomething elſe beſides God, for there love is joyned to the Object as fully and as nearly as poſſibly it can be; As Philoſophers ſay the matter of the Heavens deſireth no other form, whereas in ſublunary things it conſtantly doth, and all becauſe of the actuality and perfection of that form, Thus it muſt be with the glorified Saints in Heaven, They can never be glutted, never complain, as they did of Manna by the conſtant uſe of it, but God is as richly, as delightſomely enjoyed by every Saint in Heaven to all Eternity as at the very firſt entrance into Heaven.
But you will ſay, May not I then deſire Heaven as a place of happineſſe? Is it hypocriſie and inſincerity to deſire that ſtate of glory? Muſt it be Chriſt only there? The Anſwer is, That is in the principall and firſt place to be deſired, but yet ſecondarily Heaven as it is our happineſſe and our glory may be fought after, for which many Texts might be brought.
Ʋſe of Exhortation, To moderate all thy deſires to this life and the Comforts therein; What makes Death ſo grievous but to part with ſo dear a Husband, ſo dear a Friend, ſo ſweet Children; Oh remember Chriſt is above all and dearer then all, So that if Faith were lively in repreſenting Chriſt to us we ſhould need even patience to live, as you ſee it was with Paul, we ſhould finde it to be to our great loſſe to be enjoying Friends while we might enjoy Chriſt; But on the contrary the wicked mans miſery is to be trembled at, for there Chriſt ſaith, Father, I will that where the devil and his Angels are to be tormented to all Eternity, that thoſe alſo be with them.