One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 136
SERMON CXXXVI. Of the State of Glory, Shewing what it is to behold Christs Glory in Heaven.
JOH. 17.24.
That they may behold the glory, that thou hast given me.
IN theſe words is contained the final cauſe or end of our Saviours Petition in behalf of his Diſciples, He praieth that they may be with him in Heaven, and why? That they may behold the glory, which the Father hath given him; In which words take notice of the Act, the Object, and the Cauſe of it; The act is, that they may behold, ut videant, ſaith Auſtin, non ut credant, becauſe Eternal viſion in Heaven is the reward of faith here on earth; Here it's believing, in Heaven it's beholding; Although there are ſome that limit the ſence to this life, as if here they were by the experience of Faith to behold the glory and majeſty of Chriſt as Mediatour, but the context doth principally relate to the enjoying of glory in Heaven; Others they obſerve, Non dixit ut habeant ſed ut videant, he did not ſay, That they might have, but that they might behold, for Chriſts glory is incommunicable, but the word is not to be limited, for it comprehends
1. To behold and ſee, and that immediatly, oppoſite to the way of faith and knowledge which we have of God in this life, which is but darkly.
2. It denoteth▪ fruition and enjoyment of this glory, for we ſhall be glorified with Chriſt, and thus the word videre is often uſed for frui, To ſee life is to live, To ſee death is to die, To ſee the Kingdom of Heaven is to enjoy it, So that the godly ſhall not be meer idle Spectators of this Glory, but they ſhall be taken into fellowſhip with it.
3. It denoteth all the effects and conſequents of ſuch a beholding of this Glory, which are infinite delight, and joy, Immortality, and Eternity, So that there ſhall never be any end of it, all this is comprehended in ſeeing▪ but the greater Queſtion is about the glory that is mentioned; What is underſtood by that, and ſome relate it to that infinite and incomprehenſible Glory, which he hath as God, but generally it's underſtood of that Glory which he hath as Mediatour, for ſo the Father after his ſufferings did infinitely exalt him, and give him a name above all names, So that Chriſt as Mediatour is glorified in a tranſcendent manner by God, So that Chriſt hath his eſſential glory as God, and his Mediatory glory as Mediatour; Now theſe two kindes of glory do not differ really,Doct. The great end of our being in heaven is to behold and enjoy the glory of Chriſt. but only in ſeveral waies of adminiſtration, for he that is Mediator muſt needs alſo be God.
Obſ. That the great end of our being in Heaven is to behold and enjoy the Glory of Chriſt; As the Queen of Sheba took a long journey to behold the glory of Solomon, which did ſo raviſh her that her ſpirit even fainted within her, which yet was but a temporall, fading, and earthly glory, how much more tranſcendent and raviſhing will that heavenly Glory be to us, when we ſhall behold the Majeſty and Greatneſſe that Chriſt ſhall then be in, ſitting upon his throne at the right hand of God, To behold and to be raviſhed with this glory of Chriſt is the great work we have to do to all Eternity, for our Saviours will to have us where he is is not for any want or neceſſity that he had of us, Chriſts glory would have been admired by Angels, though we ſhould never be received into his preſence, but it is for our good ſolely, and certainly, if the Queen of Sheba pronounced Solomons ſervants happy becauſe they were alwaies in his preſence, how unſpeakable ſhall the happineſſe of all beleevers be, who ſhall conſtantly behold and enjoy Chriſts glory.
How much is comprehended in this expreſſion of beholding Chriſts glory.But let us Conſider more largely what was only hinted before, viz. How much is comprehended in this expreſſion of beholding Chriſts glory.
And firſt, There is the immediate ſeeing and looking upon all that Majeſty and Glory which God and Chriſt have; This is often called by Divines Beatiſical viſion, The ſight of God which makes immediatly happy; Now becauſe God is an infinite and ſpirituall inviſible Object, It's diſputed whether we ſhall behold God by our bodily eyes, That with our underſtanding, which are the ſpiritual eyes of the Soul we ſhall behold him, is acknowledged by all, and clear by Scripture, for then we ſhall ſee him face to face, that is perfectly, not as in this world; And as for the beholding of God as a Spirit with our bodily eyes, there are Divines that affirm it, for although (ſay they) it be naturally impoſſible for a bodily eye to ſee a Spirit, yet then God will in a wonderfull manner lift up the eye of the body above that which naturally it can do, even as then God will make it a body without paſſion or heavineſſe, and (as they ſay) the torments in hell, and the flames of fire there do by Gods power work upon the devils and the ſouls of men, though ſpirits, in hell: But it may be a curioſity to determine this, Therefore though it may be doubted whether our bodily eyes ſhall directly behold the glory and majeſty of God, yet conſequentially we ſhall, for we ſhall with our bodily eyes behold Chriſt in reſpect of his humane nature and body which he hath now in heaven, ſo that the Glory which Chriſt as Mediatour hath in heaven is externally viſible, and to be beheld by the bodily eyes of a glorified Saint, So that although God be a Light that no man can approach unto, yet in and through Chriſt we may draw nigh unto this light; Now this happineſſe of the ſouls knowing and the bodies ſeeing of God and Chriſt in heaven muſt be unſpeakable, for there is an excellent conſonancy and conveniency between the faculties and the objects, how farre do men go to ſee objects of worldly glory; It was Auſtins wiſh, that he might have ſeen Rome in her temporal glory, but what is all this to ſee Chriſt ſitting on the right hand of God on the throne of glory.
2. All our happineſſe doth not lie in the meer beholding and ſeeing of God, but in the enjoying of him as our happineſſe and our good; Therefore we are ſaid to be Co-heirs with Chriſt, and to be glorified with him, yea, in the Rev. 3.21. we are ſaid to ſit on the ſame Throne with Chriſt himſelf, not but that Chriſt hath a prerogative in his glory, and his glory is incommunicable, yet in ſome proportion, and according to our capacity, we are made partakers of the ſame glory: Therefore it's neceſſary to take ſeeing for enjoying here, and indeed it cannot be but that the immediate beholding of Chriſt ſhould make men happy, for he is an object filled with all ſufficiency and perfection able to ſatiate and repleniſh the appetite of the ſoul, even to the very utmoſt; Oh therefore how eaſily ſhould we mortifie our hearts as to earthly and worldly glory who would loſe this heavenly glory to obtain that? Let the devil ſhew thee all the glory of this world, but know Chriſt in his word ſheweth thee the glory of heaven, and wilt thou fall down to worſhip the devil rather then Chriſt, ſo that we do not only behold and ſee Chriſts glory without ſome enjoyments, as Moſes did ſee the Land of Canaan but was not admitted into it, but we ſee the expreſſion is, Come thou faithfull Servant, enter into thy Maſters Joy, Mat. 25.23. Not only behold it but enter into it; Oh that our hearts were more affected in this.
3. From the ſeeing and enioying of Chriſt there doth ariſe in the will infinite complacency, joy, and delight; It's diſputed wherher happineſſe be more in the acts of the underſtanding or the will, and ſome conclude that it is principally in the will, becauſe that is an active appetite and predominant in a man, Indeed the whole of a man; Now in beholding of God the whole ſoul muſt needs be ſwallowed up, for God is an object infinitely ſatisfying the knowledge, and alſo repleniſhing the will, ſo that nothing but God can ſatisfie the ſoul, and this happineſſe is the more encreaſed, becauſe God will then widen and enlarge the faculties of the ſoul, that they ſhall be able to know more, to love and delight more then they can do in this life; Therefore our joy here is but a drop to this Ocean, as we know but in part, ſo we rejoyce and delight but in part: Hence it is if God ſhould communicate himſelf to us in this life as he will do in heaven, we were not able to bear no more then the eye can endure the dazeling beams of the Sun, it would be true, that none can ſee God in this ſence and live, ſo that in heaven the ſouls of men will be enlarged to receive more of God then they can do in this life.
4. From this joy and delight in beholding Christs glory, their mouths will be filled with all praiſe and thanks-giving; We reade of Angels and Saints continually praiſing of God in heaven, ſo that whereas many duties will ceaſe in heaven, this of Thankſ-giving will abide for ever, there ſhall be no more the duties of humiliation and mourning, the acts of patience and juſtifying faith will ceaſe in heaven, but the duty of praiſing and glorifying God will continue to all Eternity; And no wonder if praiſe be our only work there, for if upon ſome temporall Deliverance and particular eminent mercies the Church of God hath ſolemnly broken forth into all praiſes of him, how much more in heaven when there is ſuch an univerſall Deliverance from all Enemies that there will be no more tears or fears, There will be no more matter of complaints either from within or without; Oh then that bleſſed time which beleevers ſhall have in Heaven to all Eternity, Nothing to do but with joy and gladneſſe to ſing forth the praiſes of God, and that his Mercy endureth for ever; Oh beloved, how ſhould this make the godly long for and deſire that glory more! Here they are in a Valley of Tears, here they are ſighing, groaning, exerciſed with one care, one fear after another; Thus we are groveling upon the ground while they in Heaven are full of joy and delight; This ſhould teach us to be weaned from theſe things.
5. To the performing of all theſe things there is required a perfect Sanctification of all the parts and the faculties of the Soul, as alſo a full glorification of the body; For without theſe Happineſſe would not be in enjoying of God, Mat. 5. Bleſſed are the pure in heart for they ſhall ſee God; As the Eye corrupted with humours is not able to behold the moſt refreſhing Object with any delight, So neither can a heart defiled with ſin account it any happineſſe to be enjoying ſo holy a God; Therefore there is required a through and perfect Sanctification of the whole man, that it may take full and adequate delight in God; Hence if it were poſſible for the devils and damned in hell to behold all this glory in heaven, yet it would not make them happy; yea, through malice and envy they would be tormented the more; And why ſo?What is that glory which they ſhall behold ſhining in Chriſt. only becauſe they want pure holineſſe within, and being deſtitute of this they cannot delight in the preſence of ſuch holy company.
In the next place let us Conſider What is that glory which they ſhall behold ſhining in Chriſt; We reade of Chriſt in praier, how that in a wonderfull Tranſfiguration his face did ſhine, Mat. 17.2. like the Sun, here was great glory, but yet it's nothing to Chriſts glory hereafter: yea, we reade of Moſes his face, that it did ſhine with ſuch glory that the people could not behold it, Therefore a veil was put upon his face, But in heaven there the glory of Chriſt will tranſcend all theſe, and there will be no need of a Veil, for we ſhall be enabled to behold it: Now this glory of Chriſt in heaven is
1. That eſſential glory which he hath as God, This he never laid aſide no more then his God-head, but as the Sun in a dark gloomy day may not ſend forth its glorious beams; Thus the Lord Chriſt while here upon the earth ſubject to many infirmities, had that divine glory covered for a while, otherwiſe he could not have been in a capacity to ſuffer for us, but when in heaven then all thoſe infirmities are laid aſide, Then the body of Chriſt will not hinder the breaking forth of all his divine glory, This glory then of Chriſt will be manifeſtly ſet forth, for in heaven doth God put forth his more immediate glory.
2. Chriſts Mediatory glory will then alſo be manifeſted, for though Chriſt as God had right to all the glory in heaven, yet he did upon a new and diſtinct title acquire this glory to himſelf, whether indeed this great name given him above all names in heaven and earth being lifted up above all principalities and powers was as an effect or conſequent only of his foregoing humiliation is diſputed, as alſo what this Mediatory glory is, and whether diſtinct from divine is much debated by the Learned; But this is ſure, the Scripture ſpeaks clearly of a wonderfull great Majeſty and power expreſſed by ſitting at Gods right hand vouchſafed unto Chriſt after his reſurrection, Now all this glory we ſhall be made beholders of.
3. We ſhall behold Chriſts glory in a paſſive ſence, that is, all the glory which Angels and Saints ſhall give unto him, for ſo you may reade, That the Elders gave their Crowns unto the Lamb, Rev. 5.8, 9, 10. with all praiſe and glory, for he was worthy; It's unſpeakable to conſider all the glory and praiſe which then ſhall be given unto the Lord Chriſt, by whoſe means they are all made happy, and without whom there had not been one glorified Saint.
Ʋſe of Exhortation, Let the Meditation of this glorious time wean thee from inordinate affections to all humane and earthly glory: Doth a ſtately glorious houſe allure thee? think what is this to the glory in heaven; Do glorious garments and apparell bewitch thee? Say, what are theſe to thoſe glorious robes in heaven? Let this Sun put out the light of the Stars, and let this alſo make thee patient under all loſſes and chaſtiſements.