A Prospect of Heaven, Treatise · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII. Of the eternity of the glory of Heaven.
II. THe ſecond adjunct of this glory is the perpetuity of it, it ſhall be everlaſting: this is abundantly witneſſed in the Scriptures; I give to them eternal life (ſaith Chriſt) and they ſhall never periſh, Joh. 10.28. He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that ſent me, hath everlasting life, Joh. 5.24. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing, ſeek for glory, honour, and immortality, eternal life, Rom. 2.7. it is called eternal life, eternal glory, eternal ſalvation, 2 Tim. 2.10. Hebr. 5.9. Hebr. 9.15. The Hebrews when they did ſpeak of eternal life, they would ſpeak in the plural number foreign not foreign vitae not vita, lives, not life, implying eternity.
Queſt. Here it may be demanded, how the bleſſedneſs of the Saints is made perpetual, endleſs, everlasting? Adam was made perfect, after the Image of God, perfectly bleſſed, perfectly holy, and yet he fell both from holineſs and happineſs: this bleſſed estate of his ſeemed to have been of very ſhort continuance; yea, many of the Angels, which were more excellent and glorious than man, and had none to tempt them, yet left their habitation, and fell from this bleſſed estate; how then cometh it to paſs that the happineſs of man ſhall be everlasting?
Reſp. For anſwer hereunto, if I ſhould ſay, that they ſhall ſee God face to face, and ſo ſhall be filled with God, and ſo all occaſions of ſin, and revolting from God ſhall be prevented; and they ſhall be ſo abundantly ſatisfied in God, and ſo invincibly ſtrengthened and confirmed by God dwelling in them, that nothing ſhall ſo far prevail over them, as in the leaſt degree to withdraw their affections from God. I ſee not how this might ſuffice: for doubtleſs the Angels that kept not their firſt eſtate, did thus ſee and enjoy God, yet they fell totally and finally. — Therefore the ſole reaſon is the will of Almighty God, his infinite goodneſs, his eternal love toward them, according to which he hath made a covenant of grace with them in his Son, by his promiſe and oath, aſſuring them of eternal life: and this immutable will and love of God declared in the infallible truth of his gracious promiſe and covenant, is a better and firmer aſſurance than the higheſt perfections and excellencies, that any meer creature is capable of: yea a child of God here on earth, having the leaſt meaſure of true grace mixt with many corruptions, almoſt ſtifled with the body of death, oppoſed, diſcouraged, diſcountenanced by a wicked and ungodly world, aſſaulted by all the powers of darkneſs, and with numberleſs temptations, is in a ſafer condition for perſeverance, and is better aſſured to hold out to eternal life, becauſe of the verity of God's promiſe, and the firmneſs of his covenant grounded upon the rock Chriſt-Jeſus, than one that were by creation perfectly upright and happy, if his holineſs and happineſs were only in his own keeping, and not eſtabliſhed upon this everlaſting foundation, the will of God, and the infallibility of his promiſe. This being the cauſe, we may alſo conceive divers holy ends, for which as he doth preſerve every child of his by his effectual working power unto ſalvation, ſo having brought them thither, he will for ever preſerve them in his Heavenly Kingdom. As,
I. That he may have ſome of the loſt ſeed of Adam to be everlaſting Monuments of his rich grace, who to all eternity ſhall be real demonſtrations of his infinite love, and unſpeakable mercy and goodneſs, in redeeming, juſtifying, ſanctifying, cleanſing, and preſerving them.
II. That he may be to eternity praiſed for his glorious victories over all his enemies, that when the Devil and his Angels have uſed the utmoſt of their craft, might and malice, when the hands of the world have been hot and ſmoking with the blood of the Saints, and their hearts ſick with blaſphemy and malice againſt Chriſt and his followers, when ſin hath thrown out its moſt deadly poyſon, or when death hath been devouring Man-kind ſo many ages, yet ſhall the Almighty power of God be ſo prevalent over all, as to make, and everlaſtingly to keep his elect in a bleſſed ſtate; and he in them, and they with him ſhall celebrate an eternal and moſt glorious triumph in the Kingdom of Heaven,
III. That Jeſus Chriſt may be eternally honoured as a Redeemer: God the Father will have the fruit of his Son's purchaſe to be perpetual and everlaſting; he will magnifie the infinite value of that price which Chriſt hath paid, the infinite vertue of that blood which Chriſt ſhed for the redemption of loſt ſouls, by eſtabliſhing his ranſomed ones in everlaſting happineſs: therefore it is ſaid, He ſhall come to be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all them that do believe, 2 Theſ. 1.10. Chriſt is now very admirable and glorious in the hearts of his redeemed ones, who are illightened with ſaving knowledge, who have an experimental taſte in themſelves of the efficacy of his blood, and the fruit of that redemption which he hath wrought: But oh how admirable and glorious ſhall he then appear, when they ſhall enjoy the fulneſs of his redemption in an unchangeable ſtate of bleſſedneſs for evermore?
IV. That he may have everlaſting objects of his love, to whom he may communicate his goodneſs, ſweetneſs, fulneſs; whom he may enrich with the treaſures of his Kingdom, feaſt with his love, beautifie with his ſalvation, and adorn with the brightneſs of his glory for ever: and this is that wherein the infinite goodneſs of God delighteth, even to give forth and to communicate it ſelf: ſuch is his bleſſedneſs and perfection that it is beyond all poſſibility of addition; he can receive nothing from any, but delighteth to give and communicate: and as he is an everlaſting fountain of bleſſedneſs, ſo he will have everlaſting veſſels of honour into whom fulneſs of bleſſedneſs may ſtream and flow from himſelf for ever; that we may ſee our debt of love to Chriſt is eternal. O how many thouſand talents are we owing to Chriſt, and the longer the Saints enjoy the glory of Heaven through millions of ages, their debt to the Lamb that ſitteth on the throne will be the greater: eternal praiſes can take down nothing of it.
V. God will have ſome everlaſtingly to praiſe and glorifie his name, a conſort of Saints, his redeemed ones to joyn with his elect Angels in magnifying his name, exalting his praiſe, and doing him honour to all eternity. Ranſomed ones ſhall ſing the Goſpel-Song, Worthy is the Lamb, &c. The Goſpel-Tune of the Song of free grace ſhall be for ever ſung in that bleſſed Aſſembly of the firſt born, whoſe names are now written in Heaven.
VI. He will make his Saints everlaſtingly bleſſed, even for the Angels ſake, who perſevered in their integrity and obedience from the firſt moment of their creation until now, that their joy may be full. This may be collected by way of analogy and proportion from that ſpeech of Chriſt. I ſay unto you, that joy ſhall be in Heaven over one ſinner that repenteth, Luk. 15.7, 10. and again, there is joy in the preſence of the Angels over one ſinner that repenteth. If the Angels do now rejoyce to ſee their loſs in part repaired, and that (inſtead of their fellow Angels that fell, revolting from God and forſaking them, and now fighting againſt God, and oppoſing them in that Miniſtery wherein they ſerve him) ſome of man kind are turn'd unto God by unfeigned repentance, and joyned in communion with them (according to that of Hebr. 12.22. which is ſpoken to the faithful: ye are come to an innumerable company of Angels) I ſay, if the Angels rejoyce in this, how ſhall their joy be filled up, to ſee many thouſands of the children of Adam tranſlated to Heaven, and confirmed in the full poſſeſſion of everlaſting glory and happineſs?
This being a principal adjunct and qualification of that bleſſedneſs and ſalvation, which Chriſt hath purchaſed for his people, it may ſerve to rouze up thoſe, whoſe hearts and thoughts are chiefly taken up with ſuch temporal things as are periſhing, and of a very ſhort continuance. S. Paul's practice was quite contrary, 2 Cor. 4.18. We look not (ſaith he) at the things which are ſeen, which are temporal, but at the things which are not ſeen, which are eternal. Oh that we could be ſenſible of this extream folly, and learn ſeriouſly to conſider, what it is for an immortal ſoul, that muſt have an everlaſting being and ſubſiſtence, chiefly to mind, take care for, and ſtrive for things that laſt but a ſhort time, when it hath the offer of things eternal; to ſurfeit on momentany delights, and neglect eternal fulneſs of joy; to ſeek greedily after uncertain and periſhing riches, and to neglect the treaſures of eternity; to affect vain applauſe from the ſhort breath of dying men, and never labour to make ſure of everlaſting glory; to ſtrive to get the friendſhip of great men, carnal perſons, and neglect to have the eternal love of God aſſured to them, not labouring to enjoy God for ever. This may be much aggravated, if we take in conſideration, viz. that the loſs of everlaſting ſalvation for the gaining of temporal things, is accompanied with everlaſting miſery and deſtruction. Is not this then extream folly to forfeit Heaven for Earth, and not onelyonly to loſe everlaſting ſalvation for earthly things, but alſo to bring upon themſelves everlaſting miſery and deſtruction?