Meetness for Heaven Promoted, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. What actual meetneſs for Heaven is in the exerciſes of Graces.
2. THE next general head I am to treat of, is to diſcover what is the Souls actual meetneſs for this glorious Inheritance, ſuppoſing the foreſaid habitual meetneſs, both relative and real: For all a Chriſtians work is not done when his ſtate is changed, and he becomes a Saint; nay his work doth but now begin as a Saint, to get into an actual meetneſs for Glory. This, this is the buſineſs of a Child of God: The former hath a remote meetneſs; this puts into a proximate or nearer er capacity for Heaven. The former renders the Chriſtians ſtate ſafe, this ſweet and comfortable. This is the Man that hath ſet all things in order for another world, that hath nothing to do, but to paſs over the Jordan of Death into the Canaan of Heaven; this is the Man that's point blank meet, mouth-meet (as it were) for Heaven, fit to take his flight into another World: Interpreters think this word [foreign] ſufficient, or meet, anſwers to the Hebrew word [foreign dai]. Lev. 12.8. If ſhe be not able to bring a Lamb: [Heb. thus, Her hand find not ſufficiency of a Lamb.] The word is attributed to God, who is, [foreign, God allſufficient, Gen. 17.1.] But as God is ſufficient and ſuitable to all his Creatures, ſo by the ſame Almighty grace he will make Creatures ſuitable to his mind and ends: So then this word is rather to be rendered by [idoneus] meet, then [dignus] worthy; yet worthy in a Goſpel qualified ſenſe. Obſerve it, thoſe judge themſelves moſt unworthy, whom God and Man oft judge moſt fit and worthy, Luke 7.4. They ſaid, he is worthy for whom he ſhould do this; but ver. 6. himſelf ſaith, I am not worthy thou ſhouldſt enter under my roof. And thus it is with a gracious Soul, looking up and ſeeing the holineſs of Gods infinite Majeſty; looking forward and beholding the moment of Eternity, and purity of Heaven; looking inward and backward, and ſeeing his many iniquities and great deformity: Oh, cryes the ſenſible Chriſtian, who is fit for Heaven? Oh how unmeet am I for this glorious ſtate or high honour? Its true, but grace makes of Rebels, Subjects; of Subjects, Servants; of Servants, Sons; of Sons, Heirs; of Heirs he ſo diſpoſeth and qualifieth them, that nothing will content them below this inheritance of the Saints in light; and their Spirits ſhall be ſo ſuited to it that the great God will judge them worthy to obtain that world and the reſurrection from the dead, —to be equal to the Angels, as being the children of God, and the children of the reſurrection. See Luke 20.35, 36. As the Chriſtian by converſion is the Man cut and ſhaped out for Heaven, ſo whiles he lives he is and muſt be ſtill a ſquaring, hammering, modelling for further meetneſs for it; and as God is ſaid to work us for the ſelf-ſame thing, 2 Cor. 5.5. [foreign] by curious contrivances of efficacious grace, to put ſinners into a capacity for glory: As Goldſmiths who burniſh Gold; and Carvers or artificial Ingravers in Wood and Stone, who make one part of their work ſuit and fit another: So alſo Chriſtians themſelves muſt work out their own ſalvation, Phil. 2.12. [foreign] i. e. Leave nothing undone which God hath injoyned you to do in this World, in order to a due preparation for Heaven. This in general is a meetneſs.
More particularly, this actual meetneſs for Heaven conſiſts in theſe four things.
1. A lively exerciſe of ſuitable graces.
2. A clear evidence of our ſpiritual ſtate.
3. A diſpatching work off our hands.
4. A being mortified to time, and a longing to be in Heaven.
1. A lively exerciſe of ſuitable graces: i. e. Such graces as actually capacitate for glory; its true every grace doth qualifie for glory, for grace is glory begun, and glory is grace conſummate: But there are ſome graces that have a direct tendency to, and whereby a Chriſtian doth (as it were) lay hold on eternal life, as the word is, 1 Tim. 6.12, 19. e. g.
(1.) The grace of Faith, which is the ſubſtance of things hoped for, and evidence of things not ſeen. Heb. 11.1. It ventures all upon a promiſe; ſees him that is in viſible, ver. 27. and repreſents Heavenly Objects as cloſe at hand, and embraceth them, v. 13. [foreign] drawing the Object to them, as the word ſignifies: Overlooking or overcoming all theſe worldly viſible Objects. Faith ſpyes ſomething beyond Time or Clouds, of more worth then all the World, and hazards all for the obtaining of it: When Faith is upon the wing, it ſoars above the Sun, and fetcheth down Heavenly objects and incomes into the Soul: It is like the ſpyes, and brings a cluſter of the grapes of Canaan; even Joy and peace in believing, Rom. 15.13. yea, Joy unſpeakable and full of glory; 1 Pet. 1.8. Yea, the loweſt actings of the faith of adherence dare commit the keeping of the Soul into his Creators hands, 1 Pet. 4.19. and is perſwaded, God will keep that which he hath committed to him, 2 Tim. 1.12. And this compoſedneſs is an antedating of Heaven. Alas, faith the poor Chriſtian, I know not certainly how I ſtand for Heaven; I dare not yet ſay my Faith will end in the ſaving of my Soul; but this I dare ſay, God is merciful to ſouls; Chriſt dyed for ſinners; he is faithful that hath promiſed; the Covenant is well ordered, and ſure ſome Souls ſhall be ſaved, and why not I? I hang on his Free-grace, I come with Tears in my Eyes, Confeſſion in my Mouth, Grief in my Heart for my ſins; I am weary of my burden and labour in my travels God-wards, who can tell but. I may find reſt? He hath ſaid, thoſe that thus come to him he will in no wiſe caſt out; I will venture this way: I have tryed all other ways but they are in vain; its but loſing my labour, which I am ſure I ſhall not, if my Faith be but ſincere: This Soul is in the confines of the promiſed Land; and is meet for this Inheritance.
(2.) Hope. As Faith brought Heaven down to the Souls Eye, ſo Hope carries out the Soul to this future enjoyment. This Anchor is caſt into the vaſt Ocean of Eternity, but finds ſure Anchorhold, for it enters into that within the Vail, Heb. 6.19. and this centers the toſſing ſinner on the rock of Ages: It ſees Heaven opened, and it ſelf in Gods time advanced with Lazarus into Abrahams Boſom, and is content at preſent to bear the roughneſs and affronts he meets with in his way, ſaying, theſe things will be mended when I get home: Nay, the Text ſaith, we are ſaved by hope, Rom 8.24. Hope anticipates its revenues, and like a young heir takes up upon truſt, and lives at the rate of that Inheritance he is heir to. Thus the Chriſtian gets everlaſting Conſolation, becauſe he hath good hopes through Grace, 2 Theſſ. 2.16. O ſaith the Believer, Divine Revelations have ſo fully demonſtrated the reality of future Glory, that my Faith no more doubts of it then of going to Bed at night, and why ſhould not my Fleſh (and Spirit) reſt in hope? Pſal. 16.9. Why ſhould not then my heart be glad? Why may not my glory rejoyce? Yea, I will rejoyce in hope of the glory of God, for my hope will not make me aſhamed. Rom. 5.2, 5. I dare venture my hopes and my all in this bleſſed Covenant-bottom. My ſoul, hope thou in God, for I ſhall yet praiſe him, and that for ever. Pſal. 42.11.
(3.) Love: That's a grace that ſhines brighteſt in its proper Orb above; but the more it is exerciſed here below, the more of Heaven: Love reſembles the Soul moſt to God, and raiſeth the Soul to an Heavenly Life: God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1 Joh. 4.16. The Soul that is carried out to God in pure flames of holy love, hath mounted already into the higheſt Region, and bathes it ſelf in thoſe pure ſtreams that raiſe and raviſh the Spirit in a continued extaſie: The more Love, the more fittedneſs for Heaven: If love be increaſed and abound, our hearts are eſtabliſhed unblameable — at his coming, 1 Th. 3.12, 13. Yea, the more Love, the more of Heaven; for what is our love, but a reflexion of Gods love; 1 Joh. 4.19. Oh, ſaith the Chriſtian, I feel the ſweet beams of the Sun of Righteouſneſs warming my heart; methinks thoſe Heavenly ſparks have ſet me in a flame, that when I am Muſing the fire burns; when I am Praying or Praiſing God, my Soul mounts up to my Lord as pillars of ſmoak; and I love to be near him, and to be acting for him. Oh how ſweet is every Love-letter that comes from him! How pleaſant are ſome tokens of love that come from the hand and heart of my beloved! Here is the ſoul that is meet for Heaven.
(4) Humility and Self-denyal. Will you believe it? The lower the Chriſtian caſts himſelf down, the nearer Heaven: But this is a truth; Matth. 5.3. Bleſſed are the poor in ſpirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. God makes his court in the humble and contrite Spirit; Iſa. 57.15. Oh ſaith Chriſtian, this grace have I found in me, that duty is performed by me, this corruption have I mortified; that burden have I born; what ſay I? That I have done this or that? O no, By the grace of God, I am what I am, — I laboured, yet not I, but the grace of God, 1 Cor. 15.10. I dare not ſay any thing is my own but ſin; and what's performed by me is mixt with ſin and imperfection: [Horreo quicquid de meo eſt,] I tremble for fear (ſaith Luther) at any thing that is of mine own: I muſt not depend on mine own Righteouſneſs; O that I may be found in Chriſt! I am nothing, can do nothing, deſerve nothing but Death and Hell: If ever I be admitted into Heaven, it muſt be upon the account of Chriſt; his Merits upon the Croſs; his Interceſſion in Heaven. That's an excellent Text, Rev. 19.7, 8. Let us be glad and rejoyce, and give honour to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made her ſelf ready: But how is ſhe ready? Why, to her was graunted, that ſhe ſhould be arrayed in fine linnen, clean and white; for the ſine linnen is the righteouſneſs of Saints. Indeed its no other then Chriſts Righteouſneſs imputed: This is the upper garment that muſt not only cover our nakedneſs, but the tattered rags of our own Righteouſneſs, whether that relate to a glorious ſtate of the Church on Earth or in Heaven, I diſpute not: But I am ſure its the braveſt ſuit that ſhe can put on, and ſhe will look trim in that only; and woe to them that appear in their beſt inherent Righteouſneſs: Let the proud ſelf-juſticiary ſay, [Coelum gratis non accipiam,] I will not have Heaven gratis, or for nothing, I will pay a proportionable rate for it; then thou art like to go without it, for its not ſaleable Ware; Rom. 9.31. But let a poor ſelf-condemning Publican come and beg Pardon and Heaven for Chriſts ſake, and God will not deny him: For he reſiſteth the proud, but gives grace and glory to the humble, Jam. 4.6.