The Christians Charter, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. The fourth Prerogative Royal.
LEt the Lucianists and Epicures place their happinesse in this life; a beleevers is in reversion; the golden world is yet to come. I passe to the next Prerogative, which is:
4. The blessed inheritance, Col. 1.12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light. This world is but a Tenement, which we may be soone turned out of; heaven is an inheritance, and a glorious one. Heaven hath no Hyperbole*Coelo non datur Hyperbole.: if the skirts and Suburbs of the Palace, viz. the Stars and Planets be so glorious, that our eyes cannot behold the dazling lustre of them. What glory then is there in the Chamber of presence? What is the Sanctum Sanctorum? Of this blessed place, we have a figurative description, Revel. 21. Iohn was carried away in the Spirit,Rev. 21. and had a Vision of heaven, Ver. 2. That it was the Hierusalem above, is cleare, if we consult with Ver. 22.Vers. 22. And I saw no Temple therein: while we dwell upon earth, there is need of a temple; we shall not be above Ordinances till we are above sinne: but in heav…n, God will be in stead of a temple, He shall be all in all *1 Cor. 15.28. Rev. 21.25. And Ver. 25. There shall be no night there: No City is to be found, not the most glorious Metropolis under heaven, where it is alwayes day: for though some Regions which lie immediately under the Pole, have light for several moneths together; yet when the Sunne with-drawes from the Horizon, they have as long a night as before they had a day: but saith the Text, There shall be no night there: In hell it is all night; but in heaven, the day will be ever lengthening. Now this blessed Inheritance, or Kingdome which the Saints shall possesse, hath six Properties, or rather Priviledges, worth our serious thoughts.
1. Sublimenesse, It is set out by a great and high mountaine, Revel. 21. ver. 10. It is placed above the Aëry and Starry Heaven, saith Musculus; it is the Empyraean Heaven, which Saint Paul calls the third Heaven *… Cor. 12.2.. For the situation of it, it is far above all heavens, where Christ himselfe is *Eph. 4.10. This is Sedes beatorum, the Royall Palace, where the Saints shall dwell. The men of this world are high in power, and in pride; but if they could build their Nests among the Stars, the elect shall shortly be above them; they shall take their flight as high as Christ: here is a preferment worth looking after.
2. Magnificence, It is set out by pearls and precious stones, the richest jewels *Rev. 21.19., If the streets are of gold, what is the furniture and hangings; what is the Cabinet of Jewels? I wonder not, that the violent take it by force, Mat. 11.12. I rather wonder others are no more violent: What are all the rarities of the world to this? the Coasts of Pearle, the Islands of Spices, the Rocks of Diamonds? What a rich place must that needs be, where God will lay out all his cost; where Wisdome doth contrive, and Bounty doth disburse?
Fulgentius beholding the pomp and splendor of the Romane Senate-house cried out, O how beautiful is the celestial Hierusalem, if the terrestrial Senate-house be so glorious! In this blessed inheritance there is nothing but glory; there is the King of glory; *Ps. 24.7.there are the Vessels of glory; *Rom. 9.23.there are the Thrones of glory; *Mat. 19.28.there is the Weight of glory; *2 Cor. 4.17.there are the Crownes of glory; *Rev. 4.4.there is the Kingdome of glory; *1 Thes. 2.12.there is the Brightnesse of glory; *Heb. 1.3.This is a purchase worth getting. What will men adventure for a Kingdome? The worst come to the worst; 'tis but venturing our blood, we need not venture our conscience.
3. Purity, Heaven is set forth under the Metaphor of pure gold, and transparent glasse ▪ Revel. 21.21. The Apostle calls it an inheritance undefiled *1 Pet. 1.4. Heaven is a pure place. It is compared to the Saphyr, Rev. 21.19. The Saphyr is a precious stone, of a bright skie-colour *Caeruleo colore. Plin, and it hath a vertue in it, saith Pliny, to preserve chastnesse and purity. Thus Heaven is represented by the Saphyr; it is a place, where onelyonly the refined sublimated spirits do enter. And Heaven is compared to the Emerald, ver. 19. which (as Writers say of it) hath a precious vertue to expell poison. Heaven is such a pure soile, that as no fever of lust, so no venome of malice, shall be there, with the Emerald; it will expell poison. There shall not enter into it any thing that defileth, Revel. 21. vers. 27. It is a Kingdome wherein dwells righteousnesse, 2 Pet. 3.13. In this lower Region of the world, there is little righteousnesse, They set up wickednesse by a law, Psal. 94.20. and the wicked devours his neighbour, which is more righteous then he, Hab. 1.13. Homo homini lupus. The just man is oppressed because he is just. One saith, There is more justice to be found in hell, then here among men: for in hell no innocent person is oppressed; but here righteousnesse is the thing that is persecuted *Mat. 5.10. A man can hardly tread two steps, but either into sin or into suffering. In this world the law is made *1 Tim. 1.9only for the righteous man. The sinner need not feare any punitive vindictive act of justice, rather he that reproves sinne may feare. Holinesse is the white that the devil shoots at. But heaven is a kingdome, wherein dwells righteousnesse: there is the Judge of the world; who puts on righteousnesse, as a Brest-plate *Isa. 59.17: who loves righteousnesse *Ps. 11.7.. There is the sun of righteousnesse *Mal. 4.2.. There is the robe of righteousnesse *Isa 61.10. There is the crown of righteousnesse *2 Tim. 4.8..
4. Amplitude, The inheritance is sufficiently spacious for all the Saints. The garner wide enough to receive all those infinite graines of wheat that shall be laid in it: and he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the City, &c. The City lieth foure-square, and the length is as large as the breadth, and he measured the City with the reed twelve thousand furlongs *Rev. 21.15, 16.. Or, as I finde it in some Greek Copies, foreign. Twelve times twelve thousand furlongs. Here is a finite put for an infinite; impossible it is that any Arithmetician should number; or Rhetorician expresse these furlongs. It is a phrase only that darkly shadows out the amplitude and largenesse of this celestial City, though there be innumerable company of Saints and Angels in heaven, yet there is infinitely enough roome to receive them, In my fathers house are many Mansions *Joh. 14.2. Some are of opinion that every beleever shall have a particular Mansion in glory. Every Saint shall have his Kingdome, saith Iansenius. We know our Saviour told his Apostles that they should sit upon twelve thrones *Mat. 19.28.. Certainly the Saints shall not be straitened for roome. The continent of glory is wide enough for the most vast sublime spirits to expatiate in.
5. Light, It is called an inheritance in light *…ol. 1.12; foreign. If every star were a Sun it could never shadow out the bright lustre of this celestial Paradise. Light is a glorious creature; what were all the world without light but a dark prison? What beauty is there in the Sunne when it is masqued with a cloud? Lumen actuat colores, saith the Logician: Light doth actuate the colours, and make every flower appear in its fresh beauty. Heaven is a diaphanum or bright body all over embroydered with light, not like the Coelum stellatum, or starry heaven, here and there bespangled with starres, but other parts of it like checquor-work interwoven with darknesse. Here Christ as a continual Sunne shall give light to the whole heaven. The lamb shall be the light thereof *Rev. 21.23.; indeed all other light in comparison of this, is but like the twilight, or rather the midnight. Here alone are the shining rayes of beauty, which every glorified eye shall be inabled both to behold and to possesse; and this light shall have no night to Eclipse it, no snuffers of death to extinguish it; when once the Sunne of righteousnesse hath risen upon the soule it shall never set any more. This is an high Gradation of the glory of heaven, it is an inheritance in light. When the Scripture would set forth the blessednesse of God himselfe, it makes it consist in this, He dwelleth in light *1 Tim. 6.16..
6. Permanency, It is an inheritance incorruptible *1 Pet. 1.4. It runs parallel with eternity: Eternity is a circle, that hath neither beginning nor end; a Sea that hath neither bottome nor b…nks. This is the glory of the celestial Paradise; it abides for ever. The world passeth away *1 Joh. 2.17., 1 Joh. 2.17. Every thing is passing: 'Tis good to look upon the world, as the Heathens did upon pleasure; they looked upon the back-parts of pleasure, and saw it going away from them, and leaving a sting. The world is passing away, but Heaven never passeth; therefore surpasseth evil things (as paine and misery) length of time makes them worse, but good things (as joy and pleasure) length of time makes them better. Heavens Eminency is its Permanency. Things are prized and valued by the time we have in them, lands, or houses in fee-simple which are to a man, and his heirs for ever, are esteemed far better then leases which soon expire: The Saints do not lease heaven, it is not their Landlords house, but their Fathers house: And this house never falls to decay, it is a mansion-house, Iohn 14.2. There is nothing excellent, (saith one of the Fathers) that is not perpetual;Greg. Nazian. The comforts of the world are fluid and uncertain like a fading garland; therefore they are shadowed out by the Tabernacle, which was transient, but Heaven is set out by the Temple, which was fixed and permanent: It was made of strong materials, built with stone, covered with Cedar, over-laid with gold. This is the Heaven of Heaven, We shall be ever with the Lord, 1 Thes. 4. ver. 17. Eternity is the highest link of the Saints happinesse; the soul of the believer shall be ever bathing it selfe in the pure and pleasant fountaine of glory. As there is no intermission in the joyes of heaven, so no expiration. When once God hath set his Plants in the celestial Paradise, he will never pluck them up any more; he will never transplant them: never will Christ lose any member of his body: you may sooner separate light from the Sunne, then a glorified Saint from Jesus Christ. O eternity, eternity! what a Spring will that be, that shall have no Autumne? what a day that shall have no Night? Me thinks, I see the morning-Star appear, it is break of day already.
And this inheritance of glory fades not away, 1 Pet. 1.4. Had it not been enough for the Apostle to have said,1 Pet. 1.4. It is an inheritance incorruptible? Nay, but he addes, It fadeth not away. There is a sacred climax in this▪ the meaning is heaven doth not lose its glosse or vernancy. A Rose may continue in its being when it doth not retaine its beauty. The substance of it may be preserved when the colour and savour is lost: but such is the glory of this inheritance, that it cannot be made so much as to wither but like the flower we call Semper-vivens, it keeps fresh to eternity. Concerning the glory of this blessed inheritance, let me super-adde these foure things:
1. The glory of heaven is ponderous and weighty; It is called, A weight of Glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. Immensum gloria calcar habet. God must make us able to beare it. This weight of glory should make sufferings light: This weight should make us throw away the weights of sinne out of our hands, though they be golden weights: who would for the indulging of a lust, forfeit so glorious an inheritance? Lay the whole World in scales with it, it is lighter then vanity.
2. It is infinitely satisfying; there is no vacuity, or indigency, This Encomium can be given properly of nothing but heaven. You that Court the world for honour, and preferment, remember, the creature saith concerning satisfaction It is not in me. The world is made in manner of a circle, the heart in manner of a Triangle; a circle can never fill a triangle; heaven only is commensurate to the vast desires of the soul. Here the Christian cries out in a divine extasie, I have enough, my Saviour, I have enough. Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures *Ps. 36.8., not drops, but rivers; and these onelyonly can quench the thirst. It shall be every day festivall in Heaven; there is no want at a feast. There shall be excellency shining in its perfection *Id perfectum cui nihil addi potest. Lac. lib. 1. cap 3. The world is but a Jaile, the body is the Fetter with which the soule is bound; if there be any thing in a Jaile to delight, what is the Palace and the Throne, what is Heaven? If we meet with any comfort in Mount Horeb, what is in Mount Sion? All the world is like a Landskip, you may see Orchards and Gardens curiously drawn in the Landskip, but you cannot enter into them; you may enter into this heavenly Paradise, 2 Pet. 1. ver. 11. For so an entrance shall be made abundantly into the everlasting Kingdome, &c. Here is soul-satisfaction.
3. Though an innumerable company of Saints and Angels have a part in this inheritance, there is never the lesse for thee: Here is a propriety in a community; another mans beholding the Sunne, doth not make me to have the lesser light: Thus will it be in glory. Usually here, all the land goes to the Heire, the younger are put off with small portions: In Heaven, all the Saints are Heires; the youngest Believer is an heire▪ and God hath land enough to give to all his heires: All the Angels and Arch-angels have their portion paid out; yet a Believer shall have never the lesse. [Hereditas illa non minuitur copiâ possessorum, non fit angustior numero cohaeredum: Aug. in Psal. 49.] Is not Christ the heire of all things?Augustin. Heb. 1. vers. 2. and the Saints co-heires? Rom. 8. vers. 17. They share with Christ in the same glory. 'Tis true, one vessel may hold more then another, but every vessel shall be full.
4. The soules of the Elect shall enter upon possession immediately after death, 2 Corinth. 5. vers. 8. We are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. There are some that say, the soules of the Elect sleep in their bodies; but the Apostle here confutes it; for if the soule be absent from the body, how can it sleep in the body? There is an immediate transition and passage from death to glory, The soule returnes to God that gave it *Eccl. 12.7.: Christs Resurrection was before his Ascension; but the Saints Ascension is before their Resurrection. The body may be compared to the bubble in the water, the soule to the winde that fills it: you see the bubble riseth higher and higher, at last it breakes into the open aire: so the body is but like a bubble *Jam. 4.14, which riseth from infancy to youth, from youth to age, higher and higher; at last this bubble breakes, and dissolves into dust, and the spirit ascends into the open aire: it returnes unto GOD that gave it.
Be of good comfort, we shall not stay long for our inherirance; it is but winking, and we shall see God. O the glory of this Paradise! when we are turned out of all, let us think of this inheritance which is to come, *Aug.Praemium, quod fide non attingitur; faith it selfe is not able to reach it; it is more then we can hope for: There can be no want, where Christ is, who is all in all, Ephes. 3.11. *Eph. 3.11In Heaven, there is health without sicknesse, plenty without famine, riches without poverty, life without death. There, is unspotted chastity, unstained honour, unparallel'd beauty: there, is the Tree of Life, in the middest of Paradise; there, is the river that waters the garden; there, is the Vine flourishing, and the Pomegranates budding, *Cant. 6.11.there, is the banquetting-house, where are all those delicacies and rarities, wherewith God himselfe is delighted: while we are sitting at that Table, Christ's Spiknard will send forth its smell *Cant. 1.12.. There, is the bed of love, there are the curtaines of Solomon, there are the Mountaines of Spices, and the streames from Lebanon; there are the Cherubims, not to keep us out, but to welcome us into Paradise; there, shall the Saints be adorned, as a Bride with Pearles of glory; There, will God give us abundantly, above all that we are able to aske or think *Eph. 3.20.. Is not here enough? what cannot an ambitious spirit ask? Hamans aspiring heart could have asked not only the Kings royal Robe and the ring from his hand, but the Crown from his head too; a man can ask a century of Kingdomes, a million of worlds. But in heaven God will give us more then we can ask. Nay, more then we can think. An high expression! what cannot we think? we can think, what if all the dust of the earth were turned to silver, what if every stone were a wedge of gold, what if every flower were a ruby, every pile of grasse a pearle, every sand in the Sea a diamond; yet, what were all this to the New Hierusalem which is above. It is as impossible for any man in his deepest thoughts to comprehend glory, as it is to mete the heaven with a span *Isa 40.12, or draine the great Ocean. O incomparable place! Surely, were we carried away in the spirit, I meane, elevated by the power of Faith, to the contemplation of this royal and stately Palace, I know not whether we should more wonder at the lustre of heaven, or at the dulnesse of such as minde earthly things. How is the world adored, which is but a Pageant or apparition! It is reported of Caesar, that travelling on a time through a certaine City, as he passed along, he saw the women for the most part, playing with Monkies and Parrets: at which sight, he said, What? have they no children to play with? So I say, when I see men toying with these earthly and beggarly delights, What? are there not more glorious and sublime things to look after? That which our Saviour saith to the woman of Samaria, If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water *Joh. 4.10; the same may I say, Did men know these eternal Mansions, and what it were to be digging in these rich Mines of glory: would God give them a Vision of heaven a while, as he did Peter, who saw heaven opened, Act. 10.11. how would they fall into a Trance, (being amazed and filled with joy!) and being a little recovered out of it, how importunately would they beg of God, that they might be adopted into this stately inheritance! But what do I expatiate? these things are unspeakable and full of glory. Had I as many tongues as haires on my head I could never sufficiently set forth the beauty and resplendency of this inheritance. Such was the curious art of Apelles in drawing of Pictures, that if another had taken up the Pensil to draw, he had spoiled all Apelles work. Such is the excellency of this celestial Paradise, that if the Angels should take up their Pensill, to delineate it in its colours, they would but staine and eclipse the glory of it. I have given you only the dark shadow in the Picture, and that but rudely and imperfectly. Such is the beauty and blisse of this inheritance, that as Chrysostome saith, if it were possible that all the sufferings of the Saints could be laid upon one man, it were not worth one houres being in Heaven.
Augustine is of opinion, we shall know our friends in heaven. Nor to me doth it seeme improbable, for sure our knowledge there shall not be eclipsed, or diminished, but encreased. And that which Anselme doth assert, that we shall have a knowledge of the Patriarchs, and Prophets, and Apostles, all that were before us and shall be after us, our predecessors and successors, to me seemes very rational; for society without acquaintance is not comfortable, and my thinks the Scripture doth hint thus much; if Peter and Iames, having but a glimpse of glory (when our Lord was transfigured on the Mount) were able to know Moses and Elias whom they had never seen before: how much more shall we, being infinitely irradiated, and enlightened with the Sun of righteousnesse, know all the Saints, though we were never acquainted with them before? And this will be very comfortable. Certainly there shall be nothing wanting that may compleate the Saints happiness.
Now that this glorious inheritance is the Saints Prerogative, I shall evince by two Arguments.
It is so, 1. In respect of the many obligations that lie upon God for performing this.1. Argum…n…. As, 1. In regard of his promise, Tit. 1.2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised. Gods promise is better then any mans bond. 2. In regard of his oath. He who is truth hath sworne, Heb. 6.17. 3. In regard of the price that is paid for it, Christs blood. Heaven is not only a promised possession, but a purchased possession, Eph. 1.14. 4. In regard of Christs prayer for it: Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am. *Joh. 17.24.Now God can deny Christ nothing being the onelyonly favourite. I know thou alwayes hearest me, Joh. 11.42. 5. In regard of Christs ascension. He is gone before to take possession of heaven for us. He is now making preparations against our coming, Joh. 14.2. I go before to prepare a place for you. We reade that our Lord sent two of his disciples before to make ready a large upper roome for the Passeover, Mar. 14.15. So Jesus Christ is gone before to make ready a large upper roome in heaven for the Saints. 6. In regard of the anticipation of the Spirit in the hearts of the godly, giving them an assurance of, and stirring up in them passionate desires after this glorious inheritance; hence it is, we read of the earnest of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 1.22. and the first-fruits of the Spirit, Rom. 8.23. and the seale of the Spirit, Eph. 1.13. God doth not still his children with rattles. Heaven is already begun in a beleever, so that the inheritance is certaine. You see how many obligations lie upon God; and to speak with reverence, i… stands not onelyonly upon Gods mercy, but upon his faithfulness to make all this good to us.
2. Argument.The second argument is in respect of the Union which the Saints have with Jesus Christ. They are members of Christ, therefore they must have a part in this blessed inheritance; the members must be where the head is. Indeed, the Arminians tell us, that a justified person may fall finally from grace, and so his union with Christ may be dissolved, and the inheritance lost. But how absurd is this doctrine? Is Christ divided? can he lose a member of his body? then his body is not perfect; for how can that body be perfect which wants a limb? and if Christ may lose one member from his body, why not as well all by the same reason? and so he shall be an head without a body; but be assured, the union with Christ cannot be broken *Joh. 17.12., Ioh. 17.12. and so long the inheritance cannot be lost. What was said of Christs natural body, is as true of his mystical: A bone of it shall not be broken. Look how every bone and limb of Christs natural body was raised up out of the grave, and carried into heaven: so shall every member of his mystical body, joyned to him by the eternal Spirit, be carried up into glory. Feare not, O ye Saints, neither sinne nor Satan can dissolve your union with Christ, nor by consequence hinder you of that blessed place where your Head is.
Quest. Here it will be asked,Quest. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Psal. 24.3. who shall be a Citizen of this new Hierusalem, which is above?
Answ. The new creature:Answ. this you reade of, 2 Cor. 5. vers. 17. This new creature doth disponere ad coelum, prepare for the new Hierusalem. This is the Divine and curious Artifice of the Holy Ghost in our hearts, forming Christ in us: the same Holy Ghost that overshadowed the Virgin Mary, and formed the Humane Nature of Christ in her wombe, doth work and produce this new creature. O thou blessed man and woman, in whom this new creature is formed! I may say to thee as the Angel to Mary: That which is conceived in thee is of the Holy Ghost: Of all God's creatures, the new creature is the best. Then let me aske, Art thou a new creature? Art thou a scion, cut off from the wilde Olive of nature, and ingrafted into a new stock, the Tree of Life? Hath God defaced, and dismantled the old man in thee? doth some limbe drop off every day? Hast thou a new heart? Ezek. 36. verse 26. Till then, thou art not fit for the new heaven: Art thou new all over? Hast thou a new eye, to discerne the things that differ? Hast thou a new appetite? Doth the pulse of thy soul beate after Christ? It is onelyonly the new creature, which shall be heire of the new Hierusalem. When thou wert sailing to Hell, (for we have both winde and tyde to carry us thither) hath the North and South-winde awaked? Hath the gale of the Spirit blown upon thee, and turned thy course? Art thou now sailing to a new Port? Hath the seale of the Word stamped a new and heavenly print upon thee? Then I am speaking all this while to thee, this blessed inheritance is entailed upon thee.
But if thou art an old sinner, expect that heaven should be kept as Paradise, with a Flaming Sword, that thou mayest not enter: Be assured, God will never put the new Wine of glory into an old musty bottle. Heaven is not like Noah's Arke that received cleane beasts into it, and uncleane *Gen. 7.8.: this inheritance doth not receive all comers. It is only the wheat that goes into Christs garner, what hath the chaffe to do there? this inheritance is only for them that are sanctified, Act. 20.32. Is thy heart consecrated ground? We read that in the time of Ezra after the returne of the people from the captivity, some who were ambitious of the Priesthood, sought the writings of the Genealogies, but they were not found among the numbers of the Priests, therefore they were put by as polluted from the Priesthood *Ezr. 2.62: So whosoever they be that think to have a part in this blessed place, if their names be not found; that is, if they are not new creatures, they shall be put away as polluted from this inheritance.