The General Assembly, Doctrine · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Inferences from this Doctrine of Saints being gathered together.
THE Improvement I ſhall make of this Point, ſhall be 1st. for Doctrine, or information of our Minds and Judgments in theſe Ten Inferences and Conſectaries.
1. That God is Omniſcent and Omnipotent known, unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world, Acts 15.18. He is infinite in Knowledge and Wiſdom, that takes account of the meaneſt Creatures, and he is of infinite Power to gather them up; theſe are the Lord's People, and his Inheritance, which he hath brought out by his mighty power and ſtretched out arm, Deut 9.29. As God brought his Iſrael out of Egypt, ſo he laid out the ſame Power in bringing them into Canaan, ſo the ſame Power that converted Sinners, will alſo ſave them, for they are kept by the power of God through faith unto ſalvation, 1 Pet. 1.5.
2. That Jeſus Chriſt is a compleat Saviour, He is able to ſave to the uttermoſt, Heb. 7.25. [foreign] every way, to all intents and purpoſes, Soul and Body in all caſes, difficulties, conditions, in all Diſpenſations: Yet it hath a further meaning, He is able to ſave totally, finally, perfectly and perpetually, ſo as none ſhall need to come after him, to finiſh what he hath begun; yet further, He ſaves, ſo as he ſhall never ceaſe to be a Saviour to all Eternity: For, though he finiſhed his ſuffering Work on Earth, and his crowning Work at the great Day of Judgment, yet the God-injoying Work ſhall be by him, through the Ages of Eternity; as he ſhall be lookt on as the Authour, ſo he will be the Object of their Happineſs, and embrace them in the Arms of his Love for evermore.
3. That Death is not terrible to a gracious Perſon: Its true to Nature it may well be called the king of terrours; Job 18.14.it is a diſſolving of this compound Man, but it is the ſhell and cloathing of the Soul that's laid by, an Elementary compoſition that's diſſolved, the Soul is thereby ſet at liberty and takes its flight into another World, a World of Spirits: A better State then here, Death is but a bridge, a portal that opens the Door to Heaven: Chriſt hath unſtung Death, perfumed the Grave, and made it a means of Manumiſſion into the bleſſed Society of God, Angels and Saints, thouſands better then we are gone, who are we to be exempted? Its no untrodden Path, our beſt Friends are above, let us not be afraid to follow them.
4. That Heaven is a capacious place; all the Saints in the Old Teſtament are gone thither, and Millions in New-Teſtament days, are mounted to Glory, an hundred forty four thouſand of all the Tribes of Iſrael, and a great multitude which no man could number, Rev. 7.49. Moſes and Elias came from Heaven at Chriſt's Transfiguration; Abraham in glory, and all his ſpiritual Off-ſpring, which makes a vaſt number; yet there's room enough left in thoſe extracted Manſions above: How ſmall a point is this habitable World compared with Heaven, where there is innumerable company of Angels and ſpirits of juſt Men made perfect: Heb. 12.22.Yet none refuſed or kept out that are written in the lambs book of life: Heaven is capable of entertaining all the Son's of God, it is a [this foreign] univerſal Receptacle for all Pilgrims and Strangers here on the Earth.Heb. 11.13.
5. No unclean thing ſhall enter Heaven: Nothing that defileth; no Dogs ſhall tread on that golden Pavement,Rev. 21.27. Chap. 22.15. without are dogs, as large as it is, wicked graceleſs Sinners ſhall not creep or croud into it; our Lord keeps the Keys of Paradice in his own Hands, he cannot be guilty of an over ſight, for his Eyes are like a flame of fire, Rev. 2.18.none can give him the ſlip undiſcrep…bly; he knows them that are his, and he diſowns others: For without holineſs no Man ſhall ſee the Lord, Heb. 12.14. Grace and Glory go hand in hand, unconverted Sinners can no ſooner enter Heaven (continuing ſo) then Devils or damned Souls: Perſons muſt be gathered by Converſion, or not gathered by Salvation.
6. Saints glorified, ſhall retain their Intellection and ſome kind of Senſation, as they ſhall intuitively ſee God, know as they are known, Mat. 5.8. 1 Cor. 13 12.diſcern ſpiritual Myſteries more clearly then ever: So they ſhall have ſome kind of ſenſe and feeling, from whence come Love, Joy, Delight; for the Soul wants not the exerciſe of its eſſential Faculties, for want of bodily Organs: Theſe opperations of the Soul in Fleſh, are but imperfect ſhadows of that Intellection and volition above, and ſo of that excellent Senſe and Affections of Love and Joy, which we now cannot clearly conceive of here below: See this fully in Mr. Baxter's Dying Thoughts, page 201.
7. The Saints in Heaven will know one another; as the Diſciples knew Moſes and Elias, and thoſe that never ſaw one anothers Faces in this World ſhall meet together with great content; and this ſhall be no ſmall part of their Happineſs, when they ſhall ſay, there ſtands holy Enoch, righteous Noah, grieving Lot, believing Abraham, upright David, patient Job, penitent Peter, zealous Paul the beloved, lovely Diſciple John, victorious Champions, and my glorious Companions for ever: And we together are perfected and glorified, Oh happy day, bleſſed meeting!
8. The multitudes injoying God in Heaven, will be no diminution of their Joy: Thoſe thouſands of Eyes beholding the Sun, do not extenuate its Light: For the Acts diminiſh not the Object, no more then the King is leſs for his Courtiers beholding him: The King of Heaven can give content to all the Coeleſtial Inhabitants,Pſal. 16.11. Chap. 36.9. all the Saints ſhall bath in this pleaſant River, and drink abundantly of the fountain of life, nor will the different Degrees of Glory beget want or envy in ſuch as have leſs, for every Veſſel ſhall be as full as it can hold: The Coeleſtial Courtiers have all God,1 Cor. 15.28. ſhall be all in all; it is thought, that ſuch as had more Grace, and had done God more ſervice here, ſhall ſhine brighter then others, from Dan. 12.3. 1 Cor. 15.41. But yet there ſhall be no Emulation, nay, they ſhall rather rejoyce in each others Graces and Glory.
9. That in Heaven there will be a mutual and reciprocal exchange of Gifts and Graces: And this will be no ſmall part of their Comfort; O what claſping of Arms! What endearedneſs of Affection! What inlettings into each others Hearts! As the Sun ſhineth on the Stars, ſo the Stars ſhine on each other: God doth abundantly irradiate their Souls, and they comfort one anothers: Not but that there is enough in God to delight them, but this is in ſome reſpect accumulative: The Saints above will look on each others Grace as if it were their own: Yea there will be a mutual Aptitude and Diſpoſition to ſerve each other, and contribute to their Felicity.
10. The ſweet Harmony of Spirits will be inconceivable Melody in Heaven, far beyond the Muſick of the Sphears they talk of: Thoſe bleſſed Inhabitants ſhall be filled with the Spirit, Love, Joy,Gal. 5.22. Peace, then they ſhall indeed ſpeak among themſelves, in Pſalms and Hymns and ſpiritual Songs, ſinging and making Melody in their Hearts to the Lord, Eph. 5.18, 19. Then they ſhall with one Mind and one Mouth glorify God:Rom. 15.6. Not one jarring String in the heavenly Conſort: Their Hearts will be centred on God, and their Lines ſtreight with each other: O bleſſed day when there will be no jars or wranglings, but Luther and Calvin will ſweetly agree, when Melancthon and Zuinglius will ſweetly conſpire to celebrate the Praiſes of our common Lord: O ſweet and bleſſed day.