A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 83 · Part 3 · Section 5 – Section 6
VSE VI. Of Exhortation.
1. Branch. If there be such a glorious Kingdom a coming, then you who have any good hope through Grace that you are the Heirs of this Kingdom, let me exhort you to six things.
1. Often take a Prospect of this heavenly Kingdom, climb up the Caelestial Mount, take a turn as it were in Heaven every day by holy Meditation, Psal. 48.12, 13. Walk about Sion, tell the Towers thereof, mark well her Bulwarks: See what a glorious Kingdom Heaven is, go-tell the Towers, view the Palaces of the Heavenly Ierusalem; Christian, show thy Heart the Gates of Pearl, the Bed of Spices, the Clusters of Grapes which grow in the Paradise of God; say, O my Soul, all this Glory is thine, it is thy Fathers good pleasure to give thee this Kingdom: The Thoughts of Heaven are very delightful and ravishing; can Men of the World so delight in viewing their Bags of Gold, and Fields of Corn, and shall not the Heirs of Promise take more delight in contemplating the Caelestial Kingdom: The serious Meditation of the Kingdom of Glory would work these three effects.
(1.) It would put a damp and slur upon all worldly Glory: Those who stand upon the top of the Alps the great Cities of Campania seem but small in their eye. Could we look through the Perspective Glass of Faith, and take a view of Heavens Glory, how small and minute would all other things appear: Moses slighted the Honours of Pharaohs Court, having an eye to the Recompence of Reward: Heb. 11.26. St. Paul who had a Vision of Glory, and Saint Iohn who was carried away in the Spirit, and saw the holy Ierusalem descending out of Heaven, having the Glory of God in it, Rev. 21.11. how did the world after appear in an Eclipse to them.
(2.) The Meditation of the heavenly Kingdom would much promote holiness in us: Heaven is an holy place, 1 Pet. 1.4. an Inheritance undefiled; 'tis described by Transparent Glass to denote its Purity, Rev. 21.21. The contemplating heaven would put us upon the study of holiness, because none but such are admitted into that kingdom: Heaven is not like Noah's Ark, into which came clean Beasts and unclean; only the pure in heart shall see God, Mat. 5.8.
(3.) The Meditation of the heavenly Kingdom would be a Spur to diligence, immensum Gloria Calcar habet. 1 Cor. 15.58. alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. When the Mariner sees the haven he plies it harder with his Oars; when we have a sight and prospect of Glory, it would make us much in Prayer, alms, watching, it would add wings to duty, and make the Lamp of our Devotion burn brighter.
2. If you have hopes of this Kingdom▪ be content though you have but a little of the World: Contentment is a rare thing, 'tis a Jewel that but few Christians wear; but if you have a grounded hope of heaven, it may work your heart to Contentation; what though you have but little in Possession, you have a Kingdom in Reversion. Were you to take an estimate of a Mans Estate, how would you value it? by what he hath in his house, or by his Land? perhaps he hath little Money or Jewels in his house, but he is a Landed Man, there lies his Estate. A Believer hath but little Oyl in the Cruse▪ and Meal in the Barrel, but he is a landed Man, he hath a Title to a Kingdom, and may not this satisfy him? If a Man who lived here in England, had a great Estate befallen him beyond the Seas, and perhaps had no more Money at present, but just to pay for his Voyage, he is content, he knows when he comes to his Estate he shall have Money enough: Thou who art a Believer hast a Kingdom befallen thee; though thou hast but little in thy Purse, yet if thou hast enough to pay for thy Voyage, enough to bear thy Charges to heaven, it is sufficient. God hath given thee Grace which is the Fore Crop, and will give thee Glory, which is the After-Crop, and may not this make thee content?
3. Branch. If you have hope of this blessed Kingdom, pray often for the coming of this glorious Kingdom, Thy Kingdom come: Only Believers can pray heartily for the hastening of the Kingdom of Glory.
1. They cannot pray that Christs kingdom of Glory may come who never had the kingdom of Grace set up in their Hearts: Can the guilty Prisoner pray that the Assis…s may come?
2. They cannot pray heartily that Christs kingdom of Glory may come, who are Lovers of the World; they have found Paradise, they are in their kingdom already, this is their heaven, and they desire to hear of no other; they are of his mind who said, if he might keep his Cardinalship in Paris he would lose his part in Paradise.
3. They cannot pray heartily that Christs kingdom of Glory may come, who o…ose Christs kingdom of Grace, who break his Laws which are the Scepter of his kingdom, who shoot at those who bear Christs Name and carry his Colours; sure these cannot pray that Christs kingdom of Glory may come, for then Christ will judge them, and if they say this Prayer they are Hypocrites, they mean not as they speak. But you who have the kingdom of Grace set up in your hearts, pray much that the kingdom of Glory may hasten, Thy Kingdom come; when this kingdom comes then you shall behold Christ in all his embroidered Robes of Glory, shining ten thousand times brighter then the Sun in all it's Meridian Splendor. When Christs kingdom comes the Bodies of the Saints that slept in the dust shall be raised in honour, and made like Christs Glorious Body; then shall your Souls like Diamonds sparkle with Holiness; you shall never have a sinful thought more, you shall be as holy as the Angels, you shall be as holy as you would be, and as holy as God would have you to be; then you shall be in a better state than in Innocency. Adam was Created a Glorious Creature but mutable, a bright Star but a falling Star, but in the Kingdom of Heaven is a fixation of Happiness: When Christs Kingdom of Glory comes you shall be rid of all your enemies: As Moses said, Exod. 14.13. The Egyptians whom you have seen to day, you shall see them no more for ever; so those enemies who have plough'd on the backs of Gods people, and made deep their surrows, when Christ shall come in his Glory, you shall see these enemies no more. All Christs enemies shall be put under his feet, 1 Cor. 15.25. and before the wicked be destroyed the Saints shall judge them; 1 Cor. 6.2. Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the World: This will cut the wicked to the heart, that those whom they have formerly scorned and scourged shall sit as Judges upon them, and vote with Christ in his judicial proceedings: O then well may you pray for the hastening of the Kingdom of Glory, Thy Kingdom come.
4. Branch. If you have any good hope of this blessed Kingdom, let this make the colour come in your Faces, be of a sanguine▪ chearful temper; have you a Title to a Kingdom, and sad? Rom. 5.2. We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God. Christians, the Trumpet is ready to sound; an eternal Jubilee is at hand when a freedom from Sin shall be proclaimed; your Coronation day is a coming; it is but putting off your clothes, and laying your head upon a pillow of dust, and you shall be inthroned in a Kingdom, and invested with the embroidered Robes of Glory: Doth not all this call for a chearful Spirit? Chearfulness adorns Religion; it is a temper of Soul Christ loves: Iohn 14.28. If ye loved me ye would rejoyce. It makes many suspect Heaven is not so pleasant, when they see those that walk thither so sad. How doth the heir rejoyce in hope of the Inheritance? Who should rejoyce if not a Believer who is heir of the Kingdom, and such a Kingdom as eye hath not seen. When the Flesh begins to droop, let Faith lift up its head, and cause an holy jubilation and rejoycing in the Soul.
5. Let the Saints long to be in this blessed Kingdom. A Prince that travels in Foreign parts, doth he not long to be in his own Nation, that he may be Crowned? The Bride desires the Marriage day: Rev. 22.17. The Spirit and the bride say, Come: Even so come Lord Iesus. Sure our unwillingness to go hence, shows either the weakness of our Faith in the belief of the Heavenly Kingdom, or the strength of our doubtings, whether we have an interest in it. Were our Title to Heaven more cleared, we should need Patience to be content to stay here any longer.
Again, Our unwillingness to go hence declares, we love the World too much, and Christ too little. Love (as Aristotle saith) desires Union; did we love Christ as we should, we would desire to be united to him in Glory; when we might take our fill of Love, be humbled that we are so unwilling to go hence: Let us labour to arrive at that divine temper of Soul as Paul had, Cupio dissolvi, I desire to depart and be with Christ; Phil. 1.23. We are encompassed with a body of sin, should not we long to shake off this viper? We are in Meseck, and the Tents of Kedar, in a place where we see God dishonoured, should not we desire to have our pass to be gone? We are in a valley of Tears, is it not better being in a Kingdom? Here we are combating with Satan, should not we desire to be called out of the bloody field where the bullets of Temptation fly so fast, that we may receive a victorious Crown? O ye Saints, breath after the Heavenly Kingdom. Though we should be willing to stay to do service, yet we should ambitiously desire to be alwayes sunning our selves in the light of Gods Countenance. Think what it will be to be ever with the Lord, are there any sweeter smiles or embraces than his? Is there any bed so soft as Christs bosom? Is there any such joy as to have the golden banner of Christs Love displayed over us? Is there any such honour as to sit upon the Throne with Christ; Rev. 3.21. O then long for the Caelestial Kingdom.
6. Wait for this Kingdom of Glory. It is not incongruous or improper to long for Heaven, yet wait for it; long for it because it is a Kingdom, yet wait your Fathers good pleasure; God could presently bestow this Kingdom, but he sees it good that we should wait a while.
(1.) Had we the Kingdom of Heaven presently, assoon as ever Grace is infused, then God would lose much of his Glory. 1. Where would be our living by Faith, which is the Grace that brings in the chief revenues of Glory to God; Rom. 4.20. 2. Where would be our suffering for God, which is a way of honouring him, which the Angels in Heaven are not capable of. 3. Where would be the active service we are to do for God? Would we have God give us a Kingdom, and we do nothing for him before we come there? Would we have Rest before Labour, a Crown before Victory? This were disingenuous. Paul was content to stay out of Heaven a while, that he might be a means to bring others thither; Phil. 1.23.
(….) While we wait for the Kingdom our Glory is increasing. Every Duty Religiously performed adds a Jewel to our Crown. Do we desire to have our Robes of Glory shine brighter, let us wait and work; the longer we stay for the Principal, the greater will the Interest be. The Husbandman waits till the seed spring up: Wait for the harvest of Glory. Some have their waiting Weeks at Court; this is your walting time: Christ saith, Pray and faint not, Luke 18.1. so wait and faint not. Be not weary; the Kingdom of Heaven will make amends for your waiting: I have waited for thy Salvation, O Lord, said that dying Patriarch, Gen. 49.18.
VSE V. Comfort to the people of God.
1. In all their Sufferings. The true Saint is as Luther saith, Haeres Crucis, heir to the Cross, Affliction is his Dyet drink, but here is that may be as Bezoar-stone to keep him from fainting; these sufferings bring a Kingdom. The hope of the Kingdom of Heaven, saith Basil, should indulcorate and sweeten all our troubles; 2 Tim. 2.12. If we suffer we shall reign with him: 'Tis but a short fight, but an eternal triumph; this light suffering produceth an eternal weight of Glory; 2 Cor. 4.17. 1. A weight of Glory, foreign: Things which are precious, the more weighty, the more they are worth; the more weight is in a Crown of Gold the more it is worth 'Tis a weight of Glory. 2. foreign, An eternal weight of Glory: Did this Glory last but a while it would much abate and imbitter the Joyes of Heaven, but the Glory of that Kingdom runs parallel with Eternity; God will be as a deep Sea of Blessedness, and the Glorified Saints shall for ever bathe themselves in that Ocean. One dayes wearing the Crown will abundantly pay for all the Saints sufferings, how much more then, when they shall reign for ever and ever; Rev. 22.5. O let this support under all the Calamities and Suffering in this Life: What a vast difference is there between a Believers Sufferings and his Reward; Rom. 8.18. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us. For a few Tears, Rivers of Pleasure; for Mourning, white Robes: This made the Primitive Christians laugh at Imprisonment, and snatch up Torments as so many Crowns: Though now we drink in a Worm-wood Cup, here is Sugar in the bottom to sweeten it; 'Tis your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom.
2. Comfort in Death: Here is that which may take away from Gods Children the terrour of Death, they are now entring into the Kingdom. Indeed no wonder if wicked Men be appal'd and terrified at the approach of Death, they dye unpardoned, Death carries them to the Goal, where they must lye for ever without …ail or Mainprize: But why should any of Gods Children be so scared and half-dead with the thoughts of Death? What hurt doth Death do to them, but lead them to a Glorious Kingdom? Faith gives a Title to Heaven, Death a Possession; let this be a Gospel-antidote to expel the fear of Death. Hilarion that blessed Man, cryed out, Egredere Anima, egredere, quid times? Go forth my Soul, go forth, what fearest thou? Let them fear Death, who do not fear Sin: But let not Gods Children be over-much troubled at the grim Face of that Messenger which brings them to the end of their Sorrow, and the beginning of their Joy. Death is yours, 1 Cor. 3.22. it is part of a Believers inventory. Is a Prince afraid to cross a narrow Sea, who shall be Crowned when he comes to Land? Death to the Saints shall be an usher, to bring them into the Presence of the King of Glory: This puts Lilies and Roses into the ghastly face of Death, and makes it look amiable. Death brings us to a Crown of Glory which fades not away. The day of Death is better to a Believer than the day of his Birth. Death is aditus ad Gloriam, an entrance into a blessed Eternity. Fear not Death, but rather let your Hearts revive when you think these ratling wheels of Deaths Chariot are but to carry you home to an everlasting Kingdom.