A Prospect of Heaven, Treatise · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
SECT. I. Of the joy of glorified Saints, what it is, and to what it extendeth it ſelf.
OUt of love floweth joy, which openeth and enlargeth the heart upon the enjoyment of God and Glory: the beatifick joy is as ſublime, ſupernatural and wonderful, as the beatiſick Viſion of God, and Love it ſelf is; for theſe are altogether equal and commenſurate among themſelves, as well by intenſive perfection, as by eminency of nature or ſpecifical perfection: ſo much do the Saints love as they ſee, and ſo much do they rejoyce as they love. The chief object which delighteth the Saints is of infinite goodneſs, beauty and ſweetneſs, comprehending in it ſelf the goodneſs, beauty and ſweetneſs of all things: and this joy of the Saints doth ſo far ſurpaſs all worldly joys, which are taken in, either by the ſenſe or underſtanding, as the Viſion of God in Heaven doth excell all the knowledge we have here upon earth, and as much as an infinite good doth exceed a finite good: for that joy is infinitely greater and ſweeter than all the joyes of this life. I ſay infinitely, ſo that although all the joyes of the world, and all the delights of the ſenſes (which may be had in this life) ſhould be gathered together in one, and ſhould be augmented never ſo much, yet could they never be equalled with the joyes of glorified Saints, becauſe this joy is of an higher kind, viz. Divine, and the ſweetneſs of it is of a far other nature than the ſweetneſs of earthly joyes. This will the more evidently appear, if we conſider the eminency, variety, and ſtability of the good things in which the Saints in glory do rejoyce.
1. Firſt, and above all things they do rejoyce in the intrinſecal good things of God, which are infinitely abundant in him, viz. becauſe they ſee him to be of infinite power wiſdom and goodneſs, they ſee him to be eternal and incomprehenſible, they ſee him to be the Author of all things, the end of all things, the preſerver of all things: they ſee all good, ſweetneſs and bleſſedneſs moſt abundantly contained in him; and their joy is the greater, becauſe they ſee him poſſeſs all theſe things after a moſt eminent manner; for as they love God incomparably more than themſelves, ſo do they rejoyce more in thoſe eminencies that are in him, than in all their own bleſſedneſs. If the joyes that the Saints have here in this vale of tears be many times unſpeakable, and far greater than all worldly joyes, how incomparably greater then ſhall their joy be, when it ſhall be ſaid to every faithful Soul, Enter thou into thy Maſters joy, Math. 25. Then they ſhall as it were enter into an ocean and abyſſe of joyes, and therewith ſhall be compaſſed about on every ſide, and dwell eternally in it.
2. They ſhall rejoyce in all the extrinſecal good things of God: They ſhall rejoyce in that glory which God hath from the perpetual praiſes, benedictions, and thankſgivings of all his Saints; they ſhall rejoyce in that glory which accrueth to him from the ſalvation of his elect Children, and from the torments of the wicked, which they do and ſhall ſuffer in the Priſon of Divine Juſtice to all eternity: and all this joy of theirs ariſeth from their love to God: as when a Kings Son rejoyceth in the wiſdom, power, riches and glory of his Father, without having any reſpect at all to his own profit or honour, but meerly out of love to his Father, and for his Father's ſake: Of this joy Anſelm thus ſpeaketh: ſo much as any one loveth another,Quoniam quantum quiſ que diligit alterum, tantum de bono ejus gaudet. Anſelm Proſo log. Ca. 25. ſo much he rejoyceth in his good: and as in Heaven, every one will incomparably love God more than himſelf, and all others with himſelf; ſo he will rejoyce more in the bleſſedneſs of God, than in his own happineſs, and of all others with him.
As for their joy, it ſhall be moſt full and abound, a perpetual feaſt of marrow and fatneſs; in God's preſence is fullneſs of joy, and at his right hand pleaſures for evermore. Pſal. 16.11. S. John ſaith, That which we have ſeen and heard, that we declare unto you, that you alſo may have fellowſhip with us, and truly our fellowſhip is with the Father, and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt; and theſe things write we unto you, that your joy may be full, 1 Joh. 1.3, 4. This ſeems to aſſure us, that Chriſtians in this life may have a fulneſs of joy through communion and fellowſhip with God the Father, and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt, viz. a fulneſs of eminency, not of perfection; ſuch a fulneſs of joy as ſurpaſſeth all ſinful and worldly joyes, ſuch as overcometh all worldly loſſes and ſorrows: how much more in the life to come ſhall their full enjoyment of God cauſe in them an abſolute and moſt perfect fulneſs of joy, as much joy as their hearts can hold? their hearts alſo being enlarged, and made capable of abundance of joy unſpeakable and full of glory: they ſhall have joy then, not that ſhall overcome all ſorrow onelyonly, but they ſhall be altogether free from all mixtures of ſorrow; never a cloud of ſadneſs or diſcontent ſhall ever in the leaſt meaſure eclipſe or darken their joy: what are all our terrene joyes? they are but as a dream to this fulneſs of joy that is in the preſence of God in Heaven.
SECT. II.
MOreover, beſides this, which is alſo unſpeakable, although inferiour to thoſe beforementioned.
1. They do rejoyce in their own happineſs, which (as it is very great) ſo ſhall their joyes be multiplied accordingly: and firſt of all and above all, they ſhall rejoyce in this, that they are come to the ſight and poſſeſſion of God, and are made partakers of his glory and bleſſedneſs: for if mortal men in this life having found a great treaſure, or coming to poſſeſs a rich inheritance, or having obtained a Kingdom they looked not for, or ſome earthly and frail good (which yet draweth a thouſand cares with it, and laſteth but a ſhort time) are ſo exceedingly affected with joy, that they are not able to contain themſelves, and are even tranſported beyond themſelves with an extaſie of joy; with what joy then (think you) ſhall the Saints be affected, when they ſhall come to the poſſeſſion of an infinite good, which excludeth all ſollicitude, and wherein all riches, all honours, all dignities, all beauty, all ſweetneſs (and whatſoever the mind of man can deſire) is moſt abundantly contained: and that which addeth to this joy is, that they ſhall ſee the poſſeſſion of this good to be moſt firm and ſure, and to abide for ever, without any change or alteration: therefore upon a double account their joy ſhall be incomparably greater than all the joyes of this world, viz. becauſe the good which they ſhall poſſeſs, ſhall be infinitely greater and more ſublime, than all the good things of this life, and they ſhall alſo have an everlaſting enjoyment thereof.
2. They ſhall likewiſe rejoyce in the good things of the mind, and chiefly in the perfection of all their graces, and that cleer knowledg they ſhall have of all things, which ſhall wonderfully delight them. They ſhall alſo be much affected with joy from the conſideration of the evils and dangers (as well temporal as eternal) which they ſhall then perceive themſelves to have eſcaped, from the danger whereof they ſhall ſee themſelves to be ſecure for ever: and beholding the horrible fire of Hell, and the numberleſs multitudes of thoſe that are caſt into everlaſting burnings, and the danger to which themſelves were expoſed, how ſhall their hearts be fill'd with joy, upon the meditation of God's infinite mercy, by which they were ſaved from everlaſting deſtruction, and carried in ſafety into the Port of eternal bleſſedneſs?
3. They ſhall likewiſe rejoyce in the glory of their bodies, when they ſhall perceive their bodies to ſhine as the Sun, to be ſwift as it were like lightening, to be like a Spirit immortal, incorruptible, impaſſible.
4. They ſhall rejoyce in the amiableneſs of their habitation, ſeeing themſelves now tranſlated from Earth to Heaven, into the glorious Kingdom of Heaven, into the Paradiſe of all delights, into the Region of light, into the Viſion of peace, into the Land of the living, into the celeſtial Jeruſalem, into the place of the Bleſſed, a place abounding with all delights, and with all good things, and void of all diſcommodity, grief and ſorrow: out of every one of theſe good things of their own ariſeth to them unſpeakable joy.
SECT. III.
FUrthermore, they ſhall rejoyce every one in the good things of each other, and in the felicity of all their companions; for they ſhall moſt ardently love all as the Sons of God, and their own Brethren and Siſters, and fellow Heirs, and withall they ſhall rejoyce in their ſplendour, glory, excellency, wiſdom, vertues, bleſſedneſs, as in their own, and that much more than any Parent in this life can rejoyce in the felicity of his Children, or one Friend in the proſperity of another.
Queſt. But with what affection ſhall the Parent and the Child, the Husband and Wife, and one Friend greet another in Heaven?
Sol. We muſt not ſurely imagine, that any of theſe conjugal or paternal affections, which had their conſummation on Earth, can be of any uſe in Heaven, nor that there ſhall be any return of by-paſt and mortal affections towards Friends, Kindred and Children: but as the body muſt put on incorruption and immortality, e're it can be a fit companion for the Soul; ſo muſt the ſoul likewiſe be deveſted of all ſuch deſires, as are apt again to wed it to earthly and tranſitory delights, before it can be received into the bleſſed communion of the Saints: and as the Soul ſhall aſſume the hand, the eye, and every member of the body unto a participation of glory, without ſoliciting them again to undergo the fore-paſt drudgeries in the fleſh; ſo the Father and the Child, and one Friend may behold another without the intimation of ſuch duties, or any reſultance of ſuch mortal deſires as are implied in thoſe relations.
But as the Soul is permitted to reſume its own body, rather than another, and reaſon exacts it ſhould gratifie that fleſh, whoſe inmate it had been, rather than another: ſo likewiſe thoſe perſons whom ſome nearer relations had formerly united, may be conceived to retain ſo much partiality, in the diſpenſation of their joy, as in the firſt place to rejoyce, that they are again united in the participation of glory, excluding none from being an argument of their joy, but preferring ſome in the order of their rejoycing: but it may be that this affection muſt comply with the juſtice of the divine bounty, and that we ſhall there beſtow a greater meaſure of our joy, where he hath been pleaſed to confer a greater portion of his glory. It would ſeem unreaſonable that the Soul alone ſhould inherit that glory which was procured perhaps by the torments and ſufferings of the body, as in holy Confeſſors and Martyrs; and the ſame reaſon which makes the Soul and Body ſharers of the ſame happineſs, begets a mutual claim among the Saints to each others joy; for one man may be a powerful Inſtrument of another's bleſſedneſs; the Father's care may preſerve the Child, and the piety of the Son may enflame the Father; the Mothers tears may reduce the perverted Son, the believing Husband may ſave the unbelieving Wife; and one Friend may with happy ſucceſs, inſtruct, admoniſh, rebuke, and pray for another. Now is it more reaſonable to think that theſe immortal benefits and obligations ſhall be promiſcuouſly and undiſcernably ſwallowed up in the Sea of glory, or to ſay that theſe parties whom it may concern, ſhall ſee each other face to face; ſome gratefully rejoycing that the Inſtruments of their Salvation, like Stars of a greater magnitude are more eminently glorious: others alwayes rejoycing in beholding their labours ſo highly bleſs'd, as to have procured the endleſs bliſs of their fellow-creatures. Our Saviour tells us, what joy there ſhall be for the converſion of a Sinner, in the preſence of the Angels, who by reaſon of their nature are ſtrangers to us: if Angels, who are in the preſence of God, and but of a remote alliance to us, be as it were turned aſide from the contemplation of the chiefeſt good, to behold with joy a repenting Sinner, ſhall not men who are of the ſame ſtock and lineage, be much more allowed ſome expreſſions of joy (ſuitable to the greatneſs of the wonder) when they behold one another, no longer repenting Sinners, but glorious Saints.
In thoſe parts of the world near the Line, where the Sun is near them all the year, they are ſaid to have no Winter, the Earth and Trees being alwayes green, as in a perpetual Spring: ſo the Saints in glory, upon whom the face of God and Chriſt ſhall ſhine for ever, ſhall never ſee one cloudy day, one winters night, nor feel any ſorrow or diſcomfort, but ſhall enjoy a conſtant plenitude or fulneſs of joy, as a perpetual Spring for ever. To conclude! the frame of their bodies and ſpirits, the place of their abode, their company, the objects which they ſhall ſee and hear, all things within them and without them ſhall concur to make their joy compleat, and to cauſe their hearts to reſt in everlaſting peace.