The Soul of Man, Part 8 · Doctrine · Proposition 12
PROP. XII. It pleaseth God at some times, even in this life, to give some men the foresight, and foretaste of that Blessedness, which holy separated Souls do now enjoy, and themselves are shortly to enjoy with God in Glory.
SPecimens and Earnests of Heaven are no unknown things upon earth. As the Grapes of Eshcol, so the joy of Heaven may be tasted before we come thither, and these foresights and Praelibations of Heaven are
either 1.
Extraordinary, Or,
either 2.
Ordinary.
1. Extraordinary, for the way and manner; when the Soul is either (1) Rapt from the Body for a short time, in an Ecstasie, when in a Visional way heavenly things are presented to it: Or, (2) When the bodily eye is elevated and strengthened above its natural vigour and ability, to behold the astonishing Objects of the other World.
(1) Of the first sort and rank, was that famous Rapture of Paul, mentioned 2 Cor. 12.2, 3. I knew a man in Christ fourteen years ago, (whether in the Body I cannot tell, or whether out of the Body I cannot tell; God knoweth) such an one caught up to the Third Heaven, &c. *Non constat; an Anima Pauli fuerit tunc à corpore separata, cum ipse id se nescire fatetur. Unde quid illi circae absractionem à sensibus reipsa acciderit, affirmare non possumus: videlicet num mo…tuo Corpore, per separation…m animae, extincti fuerint in eo sensus: vel non mortuo, cons…piti duntaxat. Col…eg. Connimbr. lib. 3. Art. 3. p. 512.Tis questionable indeed, whether the Soul of the Apostle were really separated from his Body, whilst he suffered that Ecstasie: Or whether his senses were only laid as it were a-sleep for that time; he himself could not determine the Question, much less can any other: but whether so, or so; this seems evident, that his senses were for that time utterly useless to him: if his Body was not dead, it was all one as if it had been so, for any use his Soul then made of it.In ecstasi feriari omnes potentias praeter intellectum. A…ulen. In Ecstasies all the Senses and Powers are idle, except the Understanding: his Soul for that time seemed to be disjoyned from his Body, much as a flame of fire, which you shall sometimes see to play and hover at a distance from the Wood, and then catching the Fewel again. Probably this was that Trance he fell into in the Temple when he was praying, mentioned in Acts 22.17.
In this Rapture his Soul ascended above this World, it was caught up into Paradise into the Third Heaven, the place in which Christ's Soul was after his death; and there he heard those foreign unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter: For alas! poor Mortals cannot pronounce the Shibboleth of Heaven; the heavenly Inhabitants talk in no other Dialect; but the Language of Heaven is not properly spoken by any, but the Inhabitants of Heaven. Now, Paul was not admitted into their Society at that time, as he was at his death, but was only a Spectator, a stander by, as the Angels are in the Assemblies of the Saints here on earth. But O what a day was that day to his Soul! It was as one of the days of Heaven; no words could signifie to another man, what he felt, what he tasted in that hour. Such favours will not be indulged to many; he was a chosen Vessel, and appointed to extraordinary Sufferings for Christ, and it was necessary his Supports and Encouragements should be answerable.
Isaiah 6.1, 2. Ezekiel 1.1. Dan. 10.8, 9. Apoc. 1.17.It was no less extraordinary and wonderful a Vision which Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Iohn had: such Representations of God as overwhelmed them, and made Nature faint under them; and no wonder, for if the eyes of Creatures be so weak, that they cannot directly behold such a glorious Creature as the Sun; How much less can they bear the glorious Excellency and Majesty of God?
(2) And sometimes without an Ecstasie, Representations of Christ and the glory of Heaven have been made, and the very bodily eye fortified and elevated above its natural vigor and ability to behold them. Thus it was with Stephen at his Martyrdom, Acts 7.55, 56. Who being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into Heaven, and saw the Glory of God, and Iesus standing on the right hand of God. That this was not a sight of faith, but an extraordinary sight by the bodily eye, is evident from its effect upon his outward man, it made his face shine as the face of an Angel.
2. There are also beside these, ordinary and more common foretasts of Heaven and the glory to come, with which many Believers are favoured in this World. And such are those which come into the heart upon the steddy and more fixed views of the World to come by Faith, and the more raised and Spiritual actings of grace in duty. Believing we rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory, 1 Pet. 1.8. foreign with a glorified joy, or a joy of the same kind and nature with the joy of glorified Spirits; though in an inferiour and allayed degree.
And yet with the allowance of its allay and rebatement, it is like new Wine put into old and crazy Bottles, which is ready to make them fly, and would do so, should they be of any long continuance. Stay me (saith the Spouse) with Flaggons, comfort me with Apples, I am sick of love, Cant. 2.5. The sickness was not the sickness of desires, or of grief; of that she had complained before: But the sickness of Love. (i. e.) She was ready to faint under the insupportable weight of Christs manifested and sealed Love, not able to bear what she felt, pained with the Love of Christ; and the desired cure speaks this to be her Case, Stay me with Flaggons, comfort me with Apples. As if she had said, Lord, support and under-prop my Soul, for it reels, staggers, and fails under the pressure and weight of thy Love. Much like the case of an holy man, who cryed out, under the overwhelming sense of the Love of Christ shed abroad into his heart in Prayer, Hold Lord, hold; thy poor Creature is a Clay Vessel, and can hold no more. Though these Joys bring not the Soul into a perfect Ecstasie, they certainly bring it as near as may be to it.Acts & Mon. p. 811. Mr. Fox tells us of one Giles of Bruxels, a godly Martyr, who in Prison spent most of his time apart from the rest in secret Prayer; in which his Soul was so ardent and intent, that he often forgot himself and the time; and when he was called to Meat, he neither saw, nor heard those that stood by him, till he was lifted up by the arms, and then he would gently speak to them, as one newly awaked out of a sweet sleep. These foretasts of Heaven may from the manner of their conveyance be distinguished
into 1.
Mediate, and
into 2.
Immediate.
1. Mediate in and by the previous use and exercise of Faith, heart-Examination, &c. the Spirit of God concurring with, and blessing of such duties as these, helps the Soul by them to a sight of its interest in Christ and the glory to come; which being gained, joy is no more under the Souls command. I have with good assurance, this account of a Minister, who being alone in a Journey, and willing to make the best improvement he could of that days Solitude; set himself to a close Examination of the state of his Soul; and then of the life to come, and the manner of its being and living in Heaven, in the views of all those things which are now pure Objects of Faith, and Hope. After a while, he perceived his thoughts begin to fix, and come closer to these great and astonishing things, than was usual; and as his mind setled upon them, his affections began to rise with answerable liveliness and vigour.
He therefore (whilst he was yet Master of his own thoughts) lifted up his heart to God in a short Ejaculation, that God would so order it in his Providence, that he might meet with no interruption from Company, or any other Accident in that Journey, which was granted him: for in all that days journey, he neither met, overtook, or was overtaken by any. Thus going on his way, his thoughts began to swell and rise higher and higher, like the waters in Ezekiel's Vision, till at last, they became an overflowing flood. Such was the intention of his mind, such the ravishing tastes of heavenly Joys, and such the full assurance of his interest therein; that he utterly lost the sight and sense of this World, and all the concerns thereof, and for some hours knew no more where he was, than if he had been in a deep sleep upon his Bed. At last, he began to perceive himself very faint, and almost choaked with blood, which running in abundance from his Nose, had discoloured his Cloaths, and his Horse, from the Shoulder to the Hoof. He found himself almost spent, and nature to faint under the pressure of joy unspeakable, and unsupportable; and at last perceiving a Spring of water in his way, he with some difficulty, alighted to cleanse and cool his face and hands, which were drenched in Blood, Tears, and Sweat.
By that Spring he sate down, and washed; earnestly desiring if it were the pleasure of God, that might be his parting place from this World: He said, Death had the most aimable face in his eye, that ever he beheld, except the face of Jesus Christ, which made it so; and that he could not remember (though he believed he should die there) that he had one thought of his dear Wi…e, or Children, or any other earthly Concernment.
But having drank of that Spring, his Spirits revived, the Blood stenched, and he mounted his Horse again, and on he went in the same frame of Spirit, till he had finished a Journey of near thirty Miles, and came at Night to his Inn. Where being come, he greatly admired how he came thither; that his Horse, without his direction, had brought him thither, and that he fell not all that day, which past not without several Trances of considerable continuance.
Being alighted, the Inn-keeper came to him, with some astonishment, (being acquainted with him formerly) O Sir, said he, what is the matter with you? You look like a dead man. Friend, replied he, I was never better in my life. Shew me my Chamber, cause my Cloak to be cleansed, burn me a little Wine, and that is all I desire of you for present. Accordingly it was done, and a Supper sent up, which he could not touch, but requested of the people, they would not trouble or disturb him for that Night. All this Night passed without one wink of sleep, though he never had a sweeter Nights rest in all his life. Still, still, the joy of the Lord overflowed him, and he seemed to be an Inhabitant of the other World. The next Morning being come, he was early on Horse-back again, fearing the Divertisements in the Inn might bereave him of his joy, for he said it was now with him, as with a man that carries a rich treasure about him, who suspects every Passenger to be a Thief; but within a few hours he was sensible of the ebbing of the Tyde, and before Night, though there was an heavenly serenity and sweet peace upon his Spirit, which continued long with him, yet the Transports of joy were over, and the fine edge of his delight blunted. He many years after called that day, one of the days of Heaven, and professed he understood more of the life of Heaven by it, than by all the Books he ever read, or Discourses he ever entertained about it. This was indeed an extraordinary foretast of Heaven for degree, but it came in the ordinary way and method of Faith, and Meditation.
2. There are also immediate Illapses of Heavenly joy into the hearts of Believers at some times; of which we may speak as the Prophet doth of the Dew and Rain, that it tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the Sons of men; a surprizing light and joy like that Cant. 6.12. Or ever I was aware; my soul made me like the Chariots of Aminadab.
There is a witness of the Spirit, distinct from that of Water and Blood, 1 Iohn 5.8. that is, a witness, or sealing which comes not in an Argumentative way, by reasoning from either justification, or sanctification: But seems to come immediately from the Spirit. I know both sorts of Testimones, how clear and sweet soever they are for the present, are liable afterwards to be call'd into question; but certainly during the abode of them upon the Soul, they are no less than a short Salvation, a real participation of the joy of the Lord. And that which makes them so ravishing and transporting, is
(1) The infinite weight with which the concerns of Eternity lie upon the hearts and thoughts of the People of God; nothing lies so near to their Spirits in all the World, as the Matters of Salvation do, and have still done ever since God throughly awakened them in their first effectual Conviction.Nec calor, nec sanguis, nec sensus, nec vox superesset. Ep. ad Melanct. 'Tis said of Luther, there was such a strong impression of God upon his Spirit in his first Conviction, that there was neither Heat, nor Blood, nor Sense, nor Speech discernable in him: though it rise to that height but in few, yet it settles in a deep, serious, and most solemn sense, and Solicitude in all. This heightens the Joy.
(2) The restlessness of the Soul whilst Matters of Salvation hang in a dubious sense, must needs proportionably overflow it with joy when God shall clear it. It was the Saying of one, and is the sense of many more, I have born (said she) seven Children, and they have all cost me dear, yet could I be well content to bear them all over again, for one glimpse of the Love of God to my Soul. This heightens the joy above expression.