A Prospect of Heaven, Treatise · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the quality of the Saints glory.
NOw that I may ſet forth the nature of the Saints glory, you are to know, that there is no ſpeciſical, or eſſential, difference between our gracious and glorious eſtate, as there is no ſpecifical or eſſential difference between the Corn of the Firſt-fruits, and that of the whole Harveſt, only ſome accidental differences: as there is no ſpecifical difference between a Child, and a grown Man; they have both the ſame eſſential parts and principles, there is only an alteration of degrees, not of parts, & gradus non variat ſpeciem: Now our preſent eſtate is our Infancy, our future eſtate is our Man-hood; for the preſent the Children of God have glory given them; godly Men are for the preſent glorious: the Scripture calls them nothing elſe but bleſſed; yea, even then they are bleſſed, when the world looks upon them as moſt miſerable; when ſhame, reproach and trouble is caſt upon them, then doth the Spirit of glory reſt upon them; they having grace beſtowed upon them, have glory. Glory is nothing elſe but the ſplendour, the brightneſs of grace; Vita gratiae nihil eſt aliud quam aetas infantilis gloriae: he that is gracious, is glorious. We ſhall have the ſame individual Bodies and Souls after the Reſurrection as we have in this life, only ſome alteration in reſpect of ſome new qualities; as in our firſt Reſurrection from the death of Sin to the life of Righteouſneſs, there is no tranſmutation of the eſſence, but an alteration of the qualities, or a ſuper-introduction of new qualities, by which we are ſaid to be new Creatures, 2 Cor. 5.17. not in quantity but in quality; ſo in Heaven we ſhall become new Creatures in reſpect of what we are now, and thoſe very qualities which do principally concur to the conſtitution of our happineſs in Heaven, are in ſome meaſure communicated to us in our firſt regeneration; now we have drops, then rivers of delights, Pſal. 36.8. both the ſame in nature.
This will be the more evident, if we examine wherein our happineſs hereafter doth conſiſt, and compa ing it with our preſent eſtate. Our ſpiritual and ſupernatural bleſſedneſs conſiſteth in the fruition of ſuch an object as is perfectly, all-ſufficiently, and principally good, which is only God; therefore it ſtandeth in our perfect union to, and communion with God; the faculties of the ſoul being by the Almighty power of God dilated, extended and enlarged ſo far, as to be as it were capable of the fulneſs of God, and by the perfect operations of the underſtanding, will and affections, united to God in all their actions: and when theſe natural, weak and vile Bodies of ours, by the ſame hand of Omnipotency are transfigured and transformed into ſpiritual, powerful and glorious Bodies, and ſo united to the Soul, then are we come to the perfection of our bleſſedneſs; the properties of which bleſſedneſs are, Firſt, That it is everlaſting. Secondly, That we ſhall diſcern it ſo to be. And thirdly, That as it fulfilleth the largeſt deſires of our hearts, ſo we ſhall be extraordinarily affected with it, and perpetually affected to it, and inceſſantly deſirous of it; our glory conſiſteth not in having what our weak Souls can now wiſh for, but what they can deſire when they are gloriouſly corroborated and enlarged.
So that now you ſee there is no ſpecifical or eſſential difference, but only a gradual or circumſtantial difference between the ſtate of grace here, and the ſtate of glory hereafter; for Regnum coeleſte eſt Dei contemplatio, glorificatio, Gregor. Nazianz…n. Orat. contr. Arrian.& celebratio cum Angelis communis, ſaith one of the Fathers; who commonly deſcribeth the ſtate of the bleſſed to be nothing elſe; but the full and perfect accompliſhment of ſuch ſpiritual bleſſings as are already begun in us, and in part already communicated to us, when God ſhall (by a moſt perfect and immediate irradiation of the underſtanding, and ſanctification of the will and affections to know, love and delight in God, and transformat…on of the Body into the likeneſs of Chriſt's) effect the everlaſting glorification of the whole man.
Queſt. But will not this diminiſh and leſſen the excellency of our future eſtate, and make it far leſs eminent then the Scripture deſcribes it to be, 2 Cor. 4.17. and conſequently leſs deſirable, and the hope and aſſurance of it leſs able to ſolace us againſt our preſent ſufferings?
Sol. I anſwer, no; for beſides the admirable alteration there ſhall be in our Bodies, in reſpect of their preſent baſe condition, there ſhall be a far greater alteration in our Souls, though it be not ſpecifical and eſſential, as may appear in comparing the Firſt-fruits with the whole Harveſt. What is an handful to the whole Crop? what is a drop of Water to the whole Ocean? what is the light of the Moon and Stars, and Candle-light, to that of the Sun? and yet there is no eſſential difference between theſe, no more then between a mountain and a mole-hill, both having the ſame common nature. God can raiſe qualities as well as ſubſtances to a moſt eminent and glorious perfection; if we in the ſtate of renovation, find ſuch comforts as are many times unſpeakable and glorious, even in this our day of ſmall things, that they make us to glory in tribulation, and to triumph over the greateſt evils in this life, how abſolute and tranſcendently raviſhing ſhall our contentment be, when we ſhall be above the reach of all evils, and be filled with all perfection?
Hence we may learn how to conceive of the bleſſedneſs of our future eſtate, viz. not to think of it after a carnal manner, as if it did conſiſt in eating and drinking, ſleeping, marrying, poſſeſſing of Silver and Gold, and Houſes richly furniſhed and adorned, or in a Turkiſh Paradiſe, in ſenſual delights, and following our ſports and recreations; but rather in exerciſes of Holineſs and Righteouſneſs, in a glorious and heavenly communion with the holy Trinity, Saints and Angels, as Rom. 14.17. in living a Celeſtial and Angelical kind of life, as Luke 20.35. ſuch as is deſcribed Iſa. 6.2, 3. Pſal. 103.20. Matth. 18.20. Luke 15.7. Luke 2.13, 14. A ſincere Chriſtian condition, and heavenly converſation, is an obſcure delineation and repreſentation of the happy condition of the glorified; and the Saints do even live as it were an Heaven upon Earth; they begin to live eternally and bleſſedly, as ſoon as they begin to be in Chriſt: and if Glory deſerveth ſuch great admiration and eſtimation, Grace, which is a ſpark and principle of it, can be no mean thing; therefore let thoſe that are ſanctified in Chriſt, ſo far magnifie themſelves againſt the inſolencies of ungodly men.