The Christians Charter, Chapter 13 – Chapter 18
CHAP. XIII. The Eighth Prerogative Royal.
I Proceed now to the next Priviledge which is to come, viz. The bodies of the Saints shall be enamel'd with glory. In this life the body is infirme, Physicians have much ado to piece it up; it is like a Picture out of frame, or an house out of repaire, every storm of sicknesse it raines thorow. O anima, foreign.quàm deforme hospitium nacta es! How doth the excellent soul oft lodge in a deform'd body? The body is like a piece of rotten wood, diseases like wormes breed there, feavers, plurisies, aches, &c. But this body shall be made glorious at the resurrection, it shall neither have diseases nor defects; Leah shall no more complain of her blear eyes, nor Barzillai of his lamenesse. There are five Properties of the glorified bodies.
1. They shall be agil and nimble: the bodies of the Saints on earth are heavy in their motion, and subject to wearinesse, but in Heaven there shal be no elementary gravity hindering, but our bodies being refined, shall be swift and facile in their motion, and made fit to ascend, as the body of Elias. In this life the body is a great hindrance to the soule in its operation, The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The soul may bring its action against the body, when the soul would flie up to Christ, the body as a leaden lump keeps it down; 'tis vivum sepulchrum: but there is a time coming when it shall be otherwise; the bodies of the Saints shall be agil and lively, they shall be made fully subject to the soul, and so no way impede or hinder the soul in its motion.
2. The bodies of the Saints shall be transparent, full of clarity and brightnesse; as Christs body when it was transfigured, Matth. 17.2. our bodies shall have a divine lustre put upon them: here they are as iron when it is rusty, there they shall be as iron when it is filed and made bright: they shall shine, tanquam Sol in fulgore, saith Augustine, as the Sun in its splendour; nay, seven times brighter, saith Chrysostome: here our bodies are as the gold in the oar, drossy and impure; in heaven they shall be as gold when it spangles and glisters: so cleare shall they be, that the soule may sally out at every part, and sparkle through the body as the wine through the glasse.
3. They shall be amiable; beauty consists in two things. 1. Symmetry and proportion, when all the parts are drawn out in their exact lineaments. 2. Complexion when there is a mixture and variety in the colours, white and sanguine: thus the bodies of the Saints shall have a transcendency of beauty, put upon them. Here the body is call'd a vile body: Vile ortu, in its birth and production:*Phil. 3.21 de limo terrae, of the dust of the earth: The earth is the most ignoble element*Job 30.8.. And vile officio, in the use that it is put to, the soul oft useth the body as a weapon to fight against God *foreign. Rom. 6.13; but this vile body shall be ennobled and beautified with glory, it shall be made like Christs body *Phil. 3.21..
How beautiful was Christs body upon earth, in it there was the Purple and the Lily, it was a mirrour beauty: *Rivet. GenebrardFor all deformities of body issue immediately from sinne, but Christ being conceived by the holy Ghost, and so refined and clarified from all lees and dregs of sin he must needs have a beautiful body, and in this sence he was fairer then the children of men *Ps. 45▪ …. Christs body, as some Writers aver, was so fair by reason of the beauty and grace which did shine in it, that no limner could ever draw it exactly; and if it was so glorious a body on earth, how great is the lustre of it now in heaven? That light which shone upon Saint Paul surpassing the glory of the sunne *Act. 26.13.; was no other then the beauty of Christs body in heaven; O then what beauty, and replendency will be put upon the bodies of the Saints! they shall be made like Christs glorious body.
4. The bodies of the Saints shall be impassible, free from suffering. We read that Iob's body was smitten with biles, and Paul did beare in his body the marks of the Lord Iesus, but ere long our bodies shall be impassible: not but that the body when it is glorified, shall have such a passion as is delightful (for the body is capable of joy) but no passion that is hurtful, as cold, or famine, it shall not be capable of any noxious impression.
5. They shall be immortall: here our bodies are still dying, quotidiè en im dempta est aliqua pars vitae, & cúm crescit vita, tum decrescit *Sen.. It is improper to ask when we shall die, but rather when we shall make an end of dying: first the infancy dies, then the childhood, then youth, then old age, and then we make an end of dying: it is not only the running out of the last sand in the glass that spends it, but all the sands that run out before. Death is a worm that is ever feeding at the root of our gourds: but in Heaven our mortal shall put on immortality. As it was with Adam in innocency, if he had not sinned, such was the excellent temperature and harmony in all the qualities of his body, that it is probable he had not died, but had been translated from Paradise to Heaven. Indeed, Bellarmine saith, that Adam had died though he had not sinned; but I know no ground for that assertion, for sinne is made the formal cause of death *Rom. 5.12.: however there's no such thing disputable in Heaven, the bodies there are immortal, Luke 20.36. Neither can they die any more. Luk. 20.36.If God made Manna (which is in it selfe corruptible) to last many hundred years in the golden pot, much more is he able by a divine power, so to consolidate the bodies of the Saints, that they shall be preserved to eternity. Rev. 21.4. And there shall be no more death: our bodies shall run parallel with eternity.
CHAP. XIV. The Ninth Prerogative Royal.
THE next Priviledge, is; we shall be as the Angels in Heaven, Matth. 22.30. Christ doth not say, we shall be Angels, but foreign as the Angels. Qu. How is that? R. Not only that we shall not die; but, in regard of our manner of worship. The Angels fulfill the will of God.
1. Swiftly.
2. Perfectly.
3. Chearfully.
1. Swiftly: When God sends the Angels upon a Commission, they do not hesitate or dispute the case with God, but presently obey▪ The Angels are set out by the Cherubims, which had wings: this was not to represent their Persons (for spirits have no wings) but their Office▪ to shew how swift they are in their obedience; it is as if they had wings, Dan. 9.21. The man Gabriel (this was an Angel) was caused to flie swiftly: as soone as ever God speaks the word, the Angels are ambitious to obey; now in Heaven we shall be as the Angels.
This is a singular comfort to a weak Christian: alas, we are not as the Angels in this life; when God commands us upon service, to mourne for sinne, to take up the Crosse, O what a dispute is there? how long is it sometimes ere we can get leave of our hearts to go to prayer? Jesus Christ went more willingly to suffer, then we do often to pray: how hardly do we come off in duty? God had as good almost be without it. Oh, but (if this be our grief) be of good comfort, in Heaven we shall serve God swiftly, we shall be winged in our obedience, we shall be even as the Angels.
2. The Angels serve God perfectly: they fulfill God's whole will: they leave nothing undone; when God commands them upon duty, they can shoot to an haires breadth. Alas, our services how lame and bedrid are they? we do things by halves; in stead of using the world as if we used it not, we pray as if we prayed not, we weep for sinne as if we wept not: how many blemishes are there in our holy things? as the Moon when it shines brightest hath a dark spot in it: how many graines should we want, if Christ did not put his merits into the scales? our duties, like good wine, do relish of a bad cask: the Angels pouring sweet odours into the prayers of the Saints, Rev. 8.3. sheweth, that in themselves they yield no sweet savour, u…esse perfum'd with Christs incense; but in Heaven we shall be foreign even as the Angels, we shall serve God perfectly: how should we long for that time!
3. The Angels serve God Chearfully: 'tis their heaven to serve God: when they are singing hallelujahs, they are ravished with holy delight: though being spirits they need no food, yet it is their meat and drink to serve God. As Adam in innocency, if he had stood though he was set to dresse the garden, and should have been imployed in manufacture, yet this labour would have been without paine and travel, it would have been delightful to him. Thus the Angels serve God without lassitude and weariness The joy of the Lord is their strength. When we shall arive at Heaven, we shall in this sense be as the Angels, we shall serve God chearfully, we shall … and not be weary: what a blessed priviledge is this, we that now are accounted foreign *1 Cor. 4.13., as the off-scouring of men, shall be foreign, as the Angels!
CHAP. XV. The Tenth Prerogative Royal.
THE next Priviledge to come is the Vi…dication of Names. Those which have a good Conscience, have not alwayes a good Name. The old Serpent spits his venome at the godly through the mouthes of wicked men: if Satan cannot strike his dart into our Consciences, he will put a dead flie into our Name. The people of God are represented to the world in a very sad manner; how strangely doth a Saint look when he is put in the devils dresse! as those Primitive Christians that were cloathed with Bears skins, and painted with red devils, Iob was represented to the world as an hypocrite, and by his friends too, which went near to him. Paul was called a seditious man; and he suffered in the opinion of some as an evil doer, 2 Tim. 2 9. Wherein I suffer trouble as an evill doer, even unto bonds: he did not onelyonly bear Christs marks in his body, but in his Name. Our blessed Saviour was call'd a deceiver of the people. It hath ever been the manner of the wicked world, to paint Gods children in very strange colours. It is a great sinne to defame a Saint, it is murder; better take away his life then his Name; it is a sinne which we can never make him reparation for; a flaw in a mans credit being like a blot in a white paper, which will never out: The defaming of a Saint is no lesse then the defaming of God himselfe; the Saints have Gods picture drawn in their hearts; a man cannot abuse the picture of Caesar, without some reflection upon Caesars person. Well, either God will cleare his peoples innocency here, which he hath promised, Psal. 37.6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light: thy good Name may be in a cloud, but it shall not set in a cloud; or else at the day of judgement, then there shall be a Vindication of Names.
In this life the godly are called the troublers of Israel, they are seditious, rebellious, what not? but a day is shortly coming when God himselfe will proclaime their innocency. Believe it, as God will make inquisition for blood, so for Names; The Name of a Saint is precious in Go…s esteem, it is like a statue of gold which the polluted breath of men cannot stain; and though the wicked may throw dust upon it, yet as God will wipe away tears from the eyes of his people, so he will wipe off the dust from their Name. The time is shortly coming when God will say to us, as once to Ioshua *Josh. 5.9., I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you: Even as it was with Christ, the Iews rolled a great stone upon him, and as they thought, it was impossible he should rise againe; but an Angel came and rolled away the stone, and he arose in a glorious triumphant manner: So it shall be with the godly, their good Name oft lies buried, a stone of obloquy and reproach is rolled upon them; but at the day of judgement, not an Angel, but God himself will roll away the stone, and they shall come forth from among the pots, where they have been blacked and sullied, *Ps. 68.13as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. O what a blessed day will that be, when God himselfe shall be the Saints compurgator!
CHAP. XVI. The Eleventh Prerogative Royall.
THE next blessed Priviledge, is the sentence of Absolution. Here take notice of two things:
1. The Processe in Law, Rev. 20.12. The books were opened: It is a metaphor taken from the manner of our Courts of Judicature, where there is the whole Processe, every circumstance traversed, and the Witnesses examined: So here, the books are opened, the book of Gods Account, the book of Conscience: now observe another book was opened, which is the book of life; that is, the book of God's Decree, the book of Free-grace, the book that hath our Names written in it, and our Pardon; and the elect shall be judged out of this book: surely the sentence cannot be dismall, when our Husband is Judge, and will judge us by the book of life.
2. The Sentence it self, Matth. 25.34. Come ye blessed of my Father: wich implies two things. 1. The Saints Acquittance: the Curse is taken off, they have their discharge in the Court of Justice and shall have the broad Seal of Heaven, Father, Son and holy Ghost, all setting their hands to the Pardon, and this Christ shalll proclaim. 2. It implies the Saints Instalment. Come ye blessed. As if Christ should say; Ye are the heirs apparent to the Crown of Heaven, Heaven is your freehold; come in ye blessed of the Lord, enter upon possession. And this sentence can never be reversed to eternity; but as Isaac said, I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed. At the hearing of this comfortable sentence, O with what ineffable joy will the Saints be filled! it will be *Melodia in aure, Iubilum in corde. Bern.like musick in the ear, and a Jubily in the heart. Even as Elizabeth once said to the Virgin Mary, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy: so the heart of a believer will leap in him at the hearing of this blessed sentence, and be ready to leap out of him for joy. O what trembling now among the devils, what triumph among the Angels!
CHAP. XVII. The last Prerogative Royal.
THE last Priviledge to come is, God will make a publick and honourable mention of all the good which the Saints have done. This I ground upon three Scriptures, Matth. 25.21. Euge, bone serve, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. The world maligns and censures; when we discharge our conscience they say, ill done; but God will say, well done, thou good and faithful servant; he will set a trophy of honour upon his people, Matth. 25.35. I was an hungred, Mat. 25.35and ye gave me meat; I was a thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye cloathed me, &c. King Ahashuerus had his book of Records, and when he did read in his book, he took notice of Mordecai's good service, and caused him to have publick honour*Esth. 6. Ver. 1, 10.. Be assured, God hath his book of Records, and will openly take notice of all the good service you have done, and he himselfe will be the Herald to proclaim your praises, 2 Cor. 4.5. Then shall every man have praise of God.
I speak this the rather, to encourage you in Gods service. Perhaps thou hast laid out thy selfe for the Cause of God, and thou seest Providence blows upon it, and thou beginnest to think, it was a desperate venture, all is lost. No: thy Faith and Zeal is recorded, thy Name is taken in Heaven, and God will shortly give thee a publick testimonial of honour, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. What a whetstone is this to duty? how should it adde oyl to the flame of our devotion? thou perhaps hast prayed a great while, and watered this seed with thy teares; be of good comfort, thy tears are not lost, God bottles them as precious wine, and it is not long before he will open his bottle, and this wine which came from the winepresse of thy eyes, shall sparkle forth in the sight of men and Angels. Nay, God will not only take notice of what we have done for him, but what we would have done. David had an intention to build God an house, and the Lord did interpret it as if he had done it, 1 King. 8.18. Whereas it was in thy heart to build an house unto my Name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart *1 King. 8.18.. Intentional goodness is recorded, and it shall adde to our Crown.
What a good God do we serve! who would ever change such a Master! it were, one would think, enough, that God should give us wages for our work (especially seeing he gave us ability to work;) but that God should applaud us, Well done! Think how sweet it will be to heare such a word from God, how amazing and ravishing, when he shall say openly, These are the servants of the most high God, these are they that have feared an Oath, that have wept in secret for that which it was not in their power to reform; these are they that have kept their garments pure, that have valued my favour above life, that did rather choose to honour me then humour men: These are they that were willing to wash off the staines from the face of Religion with their blood, and to make my Crown flourish though it were in their ashes. Well done, good and faithful servants, enter into the joy of your Lord. Thus shall it be done to them whom God delights to honour.
These are those glorious things which are to come: I have led you up to the top of the mount, and given you a prospect of Heaven, I have shewn it you at the little end of the Perspective; I shall say of this glory of heaven, as once the Queen of Sheba of Solomons pomp and magnificence *1 King. 10.7., The half of it hath not been told; the Angels here must be silent.
CHAP. XVIII. The first Inference drawn from the Proposition.
Use 1.IT shews us what an high valuation and esteeme we should set upon the godly.Informa. 1. Branch They are, we see, men greatly in favour with God, as the Angel once proclaimed to Daniel *Dan. 9.23.. and they are invested with glorious Priviledges; they are of an heavenly descent, borne of the Spirit; and they are very …, for they are Heires of the Kingdome *Jam. 2.5.. God hath not onelyonly laid out some parcels of land, or divided heaven to them, as Canaan was divided to Israel by lot *Josh. 15. The Tribe of Iudah to inhabit in one Countrey, the Tribe of Reuben, another, &c. God, I say, doth not parcel out heaven thus to the Saints, no; heaven is theirs with all its Perquisites, with all its Royalties. There are no enclosures or Land-marks in heaven: There can be no confinement, where every thing is infinite: Oh what an high value and estimate then should be put upon the Saints! they are heirs! How doth the world respect great heirs? What honour then should we give to the godly! foreign. They are adopted into all the stately priviledges of heaven! It is true, an heir in his young age may be kept short, but how rich is he when he is possessed of the inheritance? how rich shall the Saints be, when God shall poure out of his love, and shall empty all the treasures of glory into them! The Saints are jewels, but their worth and riches, is not known; therefore they are trampled upon by the world. It doth not yet appeare what they shall be: all things are theirs.