A Prospect of Heaven, Treatise · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
II. THis glory of the Saints ſhall be when all the droſſie part of the Earth, and all the works that are therein ſhall be burnt up; when all the heaps and mines of Gold and Silver ſhall be conſumed to the laſt dram; when all Cities, Towns and ſtately Edifices ſhall be deſtroyed; when all the outward pomp and glory of the World ſhall be burnt to aſhes; when the high Mountains ſhall melt under the feet of the Lord, and the Valleys ſhall be cleft as wax before the ſire, and as the Waters that are powred down a ſteep place, Mich. 1.4. Then ſhall all the dwellers on earth be diſſeized, and turned out of their Poſſeſſions, then muſt Kings for ever part with their Thrones, Crowns and Scepters, and the greateſt Rulers on Earth lay down their Authority at the feet of Chriſt: then ſhall the high and lofty ones be brought low; and many great Captains ſhall call to the hills and mountains to fall upon them, and hide them from the face of him that ſitteth upon the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, Rev. 6.10. Then ſhall all Trades and Occupations in the World ceaſe every where, and all deſire and ſtudy of purchaſing and gaining ſhall be at an end: then ſhall the Sea at that time ſhew the greateſt rage and fury, and the Waves thereof be ſo high and furious, that it ſhall ſeem as if they would utterly overwhelm the whole Earth: now at ſuch a dreadful time as this, when they that had their portion in the things of this life muſt be ſtript of all, and leave all for ever, then ſhall God's Children take full and everlaſting Poſſeſſion of the Houſe of their heavenly Father, in which are many Manſions; and this highly advanceth the felicity of the Saints, becauſe it cometh ſo ſeaſonably to them. Give a man an houſe well furniſhed, when his own is plundred and burnt, and the whole neighbourhood is undone, and all the Countrey round about is laid waſte, and made deſolate, how pleaſant is it! and when the whole World ſhall be in a flame, and all things in it are conſuming to aſhes, then to be put into the poſſeſſion of the World to come; when our earthly habitations are burnt, then to have a building of God, an houſe not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens, what an inconceiveable happineſs is it! A word in ſeaſon, ſaith Solomon, Oh how good is it! Heaven is ſweet at any time, but Heaven at ſuch a time as this, Oh how good, how unſpeakably good is it! St Paul 2. Tim. 4.7. ſaith, I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, finiſhed my Courſe, henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteouſneſs, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge ſhall give unto me at that day: on that day when the verieſt Earth-worm that now creepeth upon the ground ſhall be convinced that there is nothing in the World worth the having: the… to be put into the heavenly Manſions in the day of the Worlds funerals, and to enjoy an enduring ſubſtance in the day of the Worlds conflagration, no tongue of Men or Angels is able ſufficiently to ſet forth the height of this bleſſedneſs.
III. It ſhall be at ſuch a time, when the Devil and all his Inſtruments, the Enemies of God and his People, ſhall be caſt into outer Darkneſs, and ſwallowed up of everlaſting Deſtruction, when their day ſhall wholly end, their glory be finiſhed, and their proſperity be utterly extinguiſhed and overthrown, when they ſhall be for ever ſeperated from God the fountain of all bleſſedneſs; of which Separation, Chryſoſtome thus ſpeaketh; That if a thouſand fires of Hell were joyned together in one, they ſhould never be ſo great a pain to the Soul, as it is for the Soul to be ſeparated (in this wiſe) for ever from Almighty God. We read Iſa. 14.9, 10. That the Kings and Potentates of the Earth ſeem to be brought into rejoycing at the fall of Lucifer, viz. the King of Babilon, when he was brought low: it was matter of triumph to the Children of Iſrael, that the Lord ſaved them from the hand of Pharaoh, and the Aegyptians that purſued them to the red Sea; and that Iſrael ſaw the Aegyptians dead on the Sea ſhore, the Waters covering the Chariots, the Horſemen, and all the Hoſt of Pharaoh that came into the Sea after them, that there remained not ſo much as one of them; the Children of Iſrael walking upon dry Land in the midſt of the Sea, the Waters being a wall to them on the right hand, and on the left: Exod. 14.28, 29. Was it not a great priviledg for Noah to ſit ſecure in the Ark above the Waters, that covered the tops of the higheſt Mountains, at the ſame time when the whole World of the Ungodly were drowned, and buried in the Flood? what then may we conceive the happineſs of the Saints will be, when they ſhall be advanced to the heigth of heavenly glory, when their Enemies ſhall be overwhelmed with the depths of ſhame and miſery? what encouragement may this be to us to raiſe our hearts Heaven-ward, and to have our affections ſet on things above, while the hearts of Worldlings are rooted in the Earth, that at the ſame time when their end ſhall be deſtruction, we may be put into the poſſeſſion of eternal glory? ſhould not we be as unwilling now to have fellowſhip with them in their unfruitful works of darkneſs, as we are deſirous to be in Heaven when they ſhall be caſt into Hell fire?
IV. It ſhall be at a time when all the labours, ſorrows, and ſufferings of the Saints ſhall be at an end: Write, ſaith a Voice from Heaven to St. John, 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, Rev. 14.13. They ſhall then be eaſed from the toileſome and troubleſome travels of this Life, being tranſlated from this worlds vanity into Heavens felicity, where ſhall be neither labour in action, nor pain in paſſion, where they ſhall be neither annoyed with pinching cold, nor parching heat: and as ſleep is a reſting and refreſhing to our weak frail and weary bodies, ſo our bodies being laid down in the bed of our Graves, they ſhall reſt and be free from all ſickneſs and ſorrow, weakneſs, wearineſs, and all work, and whatſoever elſe are fruits and effects, yea puniſhments of ſin, and attendants of this life: yea the Saints, after they have wearied themſelves in ſtriving againſt ſin, in ſubduing corruption, after they have ſpent themſelves in the work of the Lord, and after the Enemies to piety have tyred out themſelves with malice, ſcoffs, reproaches ſlaunders, perſecutions; they ſhall reſt from all their labours and ſufferings in perfect peace and bleſſedneſs, and the fruit, comfort, and reward of their works ſhall follow them, and abide with them for ever: They ſhall then arrive at a ſafe harbour, after a dangerous paſſage through Shelves, Storms, Rocks, and Pirates, which then ſhall be ſo much the more welcome to them: Read St. Pauls Catalogue, 2 Cor. 11.23. And think how ſweet Heaven will be to one that hath had ſuch a hard paſſage thither: Through labours more abundant, ſtripes above meaſure, many priſons, chains, fetters, whippings, ſcourgings, ſhipwracks, deaths, journeyings, perills of Waters, Robberies by his own Countrey-men, by the Heathen. True it is, he gives in a large bill of his charges, as it were; but when he cometh to ſpeak of his wages, he makes nothing of his labours and ſufferings in compariſon of the reward, 2 Cor. 4.17. For theſe light and momentany afflictions do work out for us an exceeding eternal weight of glory. The higheſt Mountain in the World is very light in compariſon of the whole Earth; even ſo are the greateſt afflictions of the greateſt ſufferers in compariſon of the glory of Heaven. It is ſaid of Iſachar, Gen. 49.15. That he ſaw that reſt was good, and that the Land was pleaſant, therefore he put his ſhoulders to labour, and became ſervant to Tribute: So I may ſay, the reſt and glory of the Saints is good, but the Land that brings forth this reſt, will be beſt and moſt pleaſant to them after all their labours and ſufferings are fully ended; then to receive this glorious reſt, will be moſt ſweet unto them, and moſt ſeaſonable.
Were Heaven nothing elſe but an Haven of reſt we know how welcome the one is to a Sea ſick weather-beaten Traveller: and by that we may conceive how welcome the other will be to a Soul that hath been long toſſed in the Waves of this troubleſom World, ſick of its own ſinful imaginations, and tyred out with outward temptations: the happieſt Soul that ever hath ſailed over this Euripus, in the beſt Ship, in the moſt healthful body that ever was, never had ſo calm a paſſage (ſaith a good Divine) but that it hath had cauſe enough often to wiſh it ſelf on ſhoar.Sa. Ward on the life of faith in death. Is there any Palace or Tower here ſo high or ſtrong, that can keep diſeaſes from the body, or cares, ſorrows, fears, or Satan's aſſaults from the Soul? were there but ſuch an Iſland (as ſome have dreamed of) here on earth, that might free mens bodies or minds from diſquiet but for the time of this life, how would people ſtrive to dwell there? Certainly, in this heavenly Countrey there ſhall be perfect tranquillity to all the Inhabitants thereof. Oh how will it raviſh the hearts of the Saints when they have finiſhed their courſe, and are come to the end of their race; oh how ſweet will Heaven, and how glorious will the Crown of Immortality be to them in the end? If Seamen when they have been many moneths upon the Sea, where they have encountred with many dreadful ſtorms and boyſtrous tempeſts, and have been often in danger of drowning and ſhipwracks, when they ſhall at laſt deſcry but a Creek of Land, do leap for joy, and cry out, Oh Land, land, we are nigh to ſuch a Coaſt where we would be; then much more thoſe that have run the Chriſtian race, and have run over Mountains of difficulties, and encountered with many tryals and tentations, and at laſt have run them all down, and are come in ſight of the Promiſed Land, of the Heavenly Canaan, how will their hearts then leap for joy? crying out, Oh, here is the Land of promiſe; here is Heaven that bleſſed place; here is the Kingdom we have ſo often prayed for, Lord, let thy Kingdom come; here is the Crown we have run for: then will a Chriſtian ſay, had this race that I have run been much longer, and more tedious then it was, and ſhould I have met with a thouſand dangers and difficulties more then I have done, they had been nothing to this glorious Crown. Brethren, a few moments in Heaven will make you amends enough for all your watchings, praying, faſting, for all your labours of love, for all the time you have ſpent in the ſervice of God; be therefore faithful to the death; he that endureth to the end ſhall be ſaved.