A Prospect of Heaven, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of the reaſons why God will glorifie his Children, in reſpect of the Lord himſelf.
SECT. I.
The reaſons hereof are as follow.
1. GOD hath Predeſtinated them unto glory, 2 Theſ. 2.13, 14. We are bound alwaies to give thanks to God for you brethren, beloved of the Lord, becauſe God hath from the beginning choſen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. The Salvation of God's Children is built upon a ſtronger Foundation then the very Heavens, even upon God's Counſel; his hand hath written their names in the Book of Life in Characters that cannot be blotted out: his grace is the Fountain of their Salvation, and therefore they may expect it from his mercy. God is unchangeable in his decrees: the deſign he hath laid touching the ſaving of his people from all eternity, is not changed in time, nor can all the Powers on Earth hinder the execution of his will. It is impoſſible that any ſhould be Predeſtinate, and not ſaved, ſaith Peter Lombard. Lomb. ſent. Lib 1. Diſſin. 40.Jeſus Chriſt hath ſaid, That he knoweth all his Sheep, that he gives unto them Eternal Life, that they ſhall never periſh, that no man ſhall be able to pluck them out of his hands, John 10.27, 28.
2. God hath called them unto glory. Whom he hath Predeſtinated them hath he called: whom he hath called, them hath he Juſtified: and whom he hath Juſtified, them alſo hath he Glorified, Rom. 8.30. He ſpeaks of it as of the time paſt, as if it were already done: partly, becauſe part of it is preſent, as Peace, Joy, &c. and partly, becauſe it is as ſure as though it were in preſent poſſeſſion, we are called unto glory and vertue; we are called to the obtaining the glory of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt by the Goſpel, 2 Theſ. 2.14. And S. Paul exhorteth the Theſſalonians to walk worthy of God, who had called them to his Kingdom and Glory, 1 Theſ. 2.12. God hath called the Saints out of this World; they are no ſooner admitted into the School of Chriſt, but they learn that the Earth is their baniſhment, and Heaven their Countrey: the end why God calls his people out of the World, is that they might not ſeek for happineſs upon Earth, and that they may make no account of what the wicked do poſſeſs, and thereby ſee that riches and honours are not the portion of the righteous, becauſe God beſtoweth them chiefly upon his enemies: he leaveth the faireſt part of the World to thoſe that perſecute him, to teach his Children that Heaven is their patrimony and Inheritance.
3. God hath prepared Heaven for them: Chriſt at the laſt day will ſay to the Sheep whom he will place at his right hand, Come ye bleſſed of my Father, receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World, Mat. 25.34. When Chriſt was leaving the World, he comforteth the hearts of his diſconſolate Diſciples thus, In my Fathers houſe are many Manſions, if it were not ſo, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you, John 14.2. The glory muſt be incomparable which God hath treaſured up, and been preparing from eternity. Neither doth God only prepare Heaven for his Saints, but he alſo prepareth them for Heaven: he makes them meet partakers of the inheritance among the Saints in light, Col. 1.12. For as wicked men are veſſels of wrath ſitted for Deſtruction, ſo the Saints are veſſels of glory prepared unto glory, Rom. 9.22, 23. The Saints do not preſently paſs from a corrupt to a glorious eſtate, but there is a fitting and an holy preparation cometh between: if a man will wear a Garment, he fits it before he weareth it; ſo God will have his people caſt into a new mould, that he may fit them for Heaven, before he puts them into the poſſeſſion of it.
4. God hath promiſed to beſtow Heaven upon his people: He will give grace and glory, Pſal. 84.11. The Crown of life hath he promiſed to them that love him, Jam. 1.12. Heaven cometh to us by deed, by good aſſurance: there is no better deed then that which is written by the finger of God, and ſealed by the blood of Chriſt, as a judicious Divine well noteth:Dr. Holdſworth Sermoon Jam. 1.12. therefore though we cannot ſee the glory of Heaven in the thing, yet we may ſee it in the Promiſe, Pſal. 50.23. To him that ordereth his converſation aright, will I ſhew the ſalvation of God: he hath choſen the poor of the World, rich in Faith, and heirs of the Kingdom, which he hath promiſed to them that love him, Jam. 2.5. Heaven is a Kingdom engaged to the Saints by promiſe, and they are to look upon it as a promiſed Kingdom, and to judge him faithful that hath promiſed. St. Auguſtin Debtor factus eſt, non aliquid a nobis accipiendo, ſed quod ei placu…t promittendo. Auguſt.ſaith, God is become a debtour, not by receiving any thing from us, but by promiſing all things to us what it pleaſed him: hereupon (ſaith he) we ſay not to God, repay that which thou receivedſt, but pay that which, thou haſt promiſed: let us hold him therefore a moſt faithful debtour, becauſe we have him a moſt merciful promiſer: the promiſe was made in mercy, the performance thereof depends upon the fidelity of the promiſer. Yea, we have not the bare word of God only, but alſo his oath, Heb. 17.18. God willing more abundantly to ſhew unto the Heirs of Promiſe the immutability of his counſel, confirmed it with an Oath, that by two immutable things in which it was impoſſible for God to lye, we might have a ſtrong conſolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope ſet before us: Now he is Jehovah, and will give exiſtence to all his promiſes; and the making good his promiſes to his Children will tend to the greater manifeſtation of God's Glory.
SECT. II.
DIvers reaſons alſo may be given why the Lord will glorifie his people, in reſpect of themſelves.
1. Glory is the great deſign of the Saints, therefore it ſhall be unto them. St. Paul ſets it down as a diſtinguiſhing Character of the Saints from other men, Rom. 2.7. And ſaith, To them who by patient continuance in well-doing ſeek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life, i. e. To them ſhall be eternal Life: This is the main thing that the Saints aim at: ſome of them do differ in ſome Opinions, but in this they all agree, viz. in aiming at everlaſting glory, the glory of the God of glory: therefore the Lord will not ſuffer them to miſs of the main end and aim of their Souls. The Spouſe cries, Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly. Their affections are ſet on things above, their converſation is in Heaven, their treaſure is in Heaven, and Heaven hath their hearts; they ſeldom look up to Heaven, but they ſigh after it, and are afflicted at their baniſhment: grief makes the Heaven-born Soul cry, Wo is me, becauſe my habitation is prolonged.
2. Glory is the expectation of the Saints, Phil. 3.20, 21. and they are ſaid, to rejoyce in hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5.2. Saving hope is a ſiducial and undoubted expectation of eternal glory and happineſs, promiſed to us in the word, and purchaſed by Chriſt for us; or elſe a patient waiting for the manifeſtation of the glory of the Sons of God, when Chriſt ſhall appear; this is the hope that is meant, Rom. 8.23, 24. there waiting, hope, and expectation are the ſame, waiting for the adoption, (i. e.) for the inheritance of glory, to which by our adoption we are intereſted: that look, as the creature is ſaid verſe 19. earneſty to expect, they do as it were put forth their heads, to look for the glorious appearing of the Sons of God; ſo all the Saints do earneſtly expect their future promiſed glory, ſaith Pariſienſis, Guilielm. Pariſienſ.their hopes are altogether taken up with Heaven, they long for this eternal habitation; the moments that ſtop them here below, ſeem ages; the diverſions, illuſions; the pleaſures of the world ſeem torments to them; the happineſs of the world a dangerous temptation. Now the Spirit of God inſpires them with ſtrong deſires of Heaven, points out the glory of the Bleſſed, fills them with hope of the ſhortning of their exile; they live always in their deſire after Heaven, comfort themſelves with the expectation, and by a certain hope taſte the happineſs they ſhall one day be ſatisfied with in an everlaſting enjoyment. Now the hope of a Chriſtian is ſure, and being founded on the promiſes of God, who cannot lye, never deludes the Believer that liſtens to them. Jeſus Chriſt hath given to his People ſuch favors, as whereby he ſtrengthens their hope, for what happineſs they yet enjoy not; the death he ſuffered for us, is an aſſurance of that life he prepares for us: neither can we doubt, ſaith Auguſtine, Aug.that we ſhall not reign with him in glory, ſeeing he was willing to die for us upon the Croſs; for what good things may we not expect, when his death is a pledg of his love, and an aſſurance of the happineſs we look for: he that hath this hope, may boaſt himſelf happy before hand; for Philo Philo Jud.the Jew calls it, the fore-runner of joy, a harbinger pleaſure preceeding the eternal one, an ante paſt of bleſſedneſs.
3. God hath already given them the beginnings of glory; they are ſealed with the holy Spirit of promiſe, which is the earnest of their inheritance, until the redemption of the purchaſed poſſeſſion, &c. Epheſ. 1.13. Here indeed the Saints are Sons, but they are not Heirs inveſted into that bleſſed eſtate they have title to; God reſerves not all their happineſs for the world to come, but gives them ſomewhat here to bear up their ſpirits, to mitigate and ſweeten their troubles in their abſence from their Huſband; and to render them happy in the midſt of their miſeries, he ſheds the graces of his Spirit into their ſpirits with ſo much complacency, that converſing with men, they may reliſh the bliſs and happineſs of Angels. He gives them the Holy Ghoſt as a pledg of that glory which one day they ſhall receive with him: you know an earneſt is for ſecurity of a contract; ſo the Holy Ghoſt doth ſecure us of that bleſſed eſtate we ſhall have hereafter in Heaven. An earneſt likewiſe is part of the bargain, a part of the whole that is ſecured; though it be never ſo little, yet it is a part: ſo it is in the operations of the Spirit upon us, in that peace and joy that it worketh in the heart, it is a part of that peace and joy the Saints ſhall for ever enjoy in Heaven. Moreover, an earneſt is given rather for the ſecurity of the party that receives it, then in regard of him that gives it: ſo God by giving us this earneſt of his Spirit, gives us aſſurance of ſalvation, he makes us thereby to read our Names written in the Book of Life; he takes us into that Privy Chamber where the definitive ſentence of our eternal happineſs is pronounced; he applieth to us the merits of Jeſus Chriſt, and himſelf interpoſeth the caution of his Promiſes; he blots out thoſe mortal diſcontents that labour to throw us into deſpair, advancing our hope by a prelibation of glory; and handles us with ſo much tenderneſs, that he that hath this aſſurance, cannot be made to believe that he can be miſerable in the other world, that hath been ſo happy in this.
The Saints alſo have glory here in primitiis, they are ſaid to have received the first fruits of the Spirit, Rom. 8.23. to aſſure them that they ſhall have a rich harveſt, and a good crop. Look as ſometimes it falls out with wicked men in their merry ſports, God ſends ſome horror of conſcience into them, that like an unwholeſome damp, choaketh all their pleaſure, which is the firſt fruits of Hell, a taſte of the cup of wrath which the damned drink of in Hell: ſo when a godly man is in his ſad dumps, when he is almoſt buried in the gulf of troubles, then God's Spirit doth, as Jonathan, take a little honey upon the top of his rod, and gives it him to eat, which comforteth his fainting ſpirit; the Spirit of God then droppeth a little comfort upon an afflicted heart, gives him a taſte of the rivers of pleaſures, and ſecretly aſſureth him of the favor of God in Chriſt, and that one day he ſhall enjoy communion with him to all eternity; theſe are the very firſt fruits of Heaven.
The godly are already glorified in part, becauſe that wherein eternal life and glory do conſiſt, they have now in part; they know God in part; they do here enjoy God and Chriſt in part; they have now communion with God in Chriſt; and Chriſt is ſaid to live in them, and God is ſaid to make his abode in them: that Soul muſt needs be glorious, wherein God and Chriſt do make their abode. It is true what a holy Man ſaid, a Believer hath Coelum in ſe, & Chriſtum in illo Coelo: A Chriſtian hath Heaven within him, and Chriſt in that Heaven. Where God and Chriſt is, certainly there is Heaven.
4. Becauſe Chriſt their Head is glorified, therefore muſt the Members alſo be glorified; they are united to Chriſt; he is their Huſband, they are his Spouſe: now where he is, they muſt alſo be, as he himſelf tells his Diſciples, John 14. Now is the time of contract only; the time of the Marriage ſolemnity ſhall be at the appearing of Chriſt. Now we are the Sons of God, but it doth not appear what we ſhall be, 1 John 3.2. But when he who is our life ſhall appear, we ſhall alſo appear with him in glory, Coloſ. 3.4. Chriſt in his own Perſon is now glorious: Ought not Christ to ſuffer theſe things, and enter into his glory, Luke 24.26. This glory is given him by God his Father, 1 Pet. 1.21. John 17.24. Now when it is ſaid, God the Father gave him glory, it cannot be meant of eſſential glory, becauſe he had that from all eternity; but by glory is meant, the glory of his Mediatorſhip, and the glory he had after his Reſurrection, wherein we ſhall be made like unto him, ſitting at the right hand of God. Now real glory is given to Chriſt in regard of his Humane Nature, ſo it was manifeſt in time; but in reſpect of his Deity, he had it with his Father before the world was, John 17.5. As the Sun, when there is a Cloud between us and it, the Sun ſtill keeps its ſplendor, but when the Cloud is gone, we ſee it: So Chriſt in regard of his Deity had this glory always; it was hidden from him in regard of the infirmities which he took upon him, as ſufferings, death, &c.
Now Chriſt our Head being glorified, all his Members that ſuffer with him ſhall alſo be glorified together; they are now glorified in capite, and when Chriſt hath prepared places for all his Members, then he will take them home to his Father's houſe: Chriſt is now preparing their glory, and fitting their heavenly Manſions; he is decking their Crowns of Righteouſneſs, he is trimming their Robes. Chriſt is now in his own Perſon glorious, but Chriſt myſtical is not glorious, it is in a ſuffering condition; there are many of his Members that are not yet brought home to God: Chriſt hath a care of his myſtical Body, as of his natural Body; he gave his natural Body to redeem his myſtical Body; therefore as he is glorious in his natural Body, ſo he will be glorious in his myſtical Body; for St. Paul ſaith, he ſhall come to be glorified in his Saints. The Son of God roſe gloriouſly out of his Tomb; and after he had given aſſurance of it to his Apoſtles, he was taken up into Heaven, to reign there eternally with his Father; the Angels made a part of his Triumph; his Body that was pierced with the nails, rent with ſtripes, torn with thorns, was ſet at the right hand of his Father on a Throne; whoſe Ornament was Juſtice, and the Foundation Mercy, as one well noteth. His myſtical Body ſhall receive the like glorious entertainment; the Saints ſhall be admitted into the Society of the Bleſſed, and reign in Heaven with the Angels: Thoſe Members that have ſuffered in the quarrel of Jeſus Chriſt, ſhall be freed from all miſeries, and reign in glory everlaſtingly with their Head, that the bleſſedneſs of Jeſus Chriſt may have its accompliſhment, and he may be as happy in his Members, as in his Perſon. Jeſus Chriſt and his Members are united in their ſufferings on earth, and by a neceſſary conſequence we may be aſſured, they ſhall be ſo one day in their glory in Heaven: To this end Chriſt prayed for his Church to his Father, when himſelf was upon earth; The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them: Father, I will that they alſo whom thou hast given me be where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me, John 17.22, 24. It is obſervable, that in other things when Jeſus Chriſt ſpeaks to his Father, it is with ſo much reſpect, that he ſeemeth rather a Servant then a Son; but when he asks that his Members may reign with him in glory, it is with ſo much liberty of ſpeech; that his Requeſt is rather a determination then a Prayer: Volo Pater, Father, I will that where I am, there my Servants may be.