The Christian Warfare Part 2, Book 3 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
Of the happinesse of the soule in the ioies of heauen, and wherein it consisteth.
AAnd thus we see in part, the excellency of these§. Sect. 1. That all defects and wants in the soule shall be perfectly supplied. heauenly ioyes, by the names and titles which in the Scriptures are giuen vntounto them. Now we are to speake of the parts of these ioyes, which are principally two: the first is the absence of all euill, the second is the presence of all good: for when we hauehave freedome from all those euils which trouble vsus, and hauehave the fruition of all good things which may comfort and delight vsus, then, and then alone, can we truly bee said to hauehave attained vntounto blessednesse. The former of these the Grecians signified by that name which they gaue vntounto it, as though he alone were blessed, who was exempted fromEustathi… foreign dictum scribit foreign the power of fate and death, and freed from all miseries and calamities; the other the Hebrew name implieth, for being a word in the plurall number, it signifieth (as the learned Hebricians obserue) that there onelyonly is true blessednesse, where there is a pluralitie and confluence of all good. Seeing therefore the Scriptures plainely teach vsus, that whosoeuer attaine vntounto these heauenly ioyes shall be truly and perfectly blessed; from hence it followeth by necessarie consequence, that all those who shall be partakers of these ioyes, shall also be perfectly freed from all euils which might any way hurt or molest them, and also fully replenished with all manner of good, which may benefit and delight them. For there (as one saith) is infinite ioy, mirth without mourning▪ health without sicknesse, a pleasant way without labour▪August. Soliloqu. lib. cap. 35. light without darkenesse, life without death, all good without any euill. Where youth neuer waxeth old, where life knoweth no end, where beautie neuer decaieth, where the fire of louelove neuer cooleth, where health neuer is enfeebled, where ioy neuer decreaseth, where griefe is neuer felt, where grones and lamentations are neuer hard, where nothing sorrowfull is euer seene, where ioy still aboundeth▪ where no euill is euer feared, because there our chiefe good is inioyed, which is to behold the face of our God, who is infinite in all vertue and perfection. Whosoeuer then is a citizen of this new Ierusalem, and made partaker of this heauenly happines, he shall be perfectly freed from all those euils, with which this fraile life is so much molested, and indued with al good, and inriched with all blessings and benefits, of which in this world, we are so destitute and naked. Now the euils vntounto which in this life wee are subiect, are either priuatiue, consisting in the absence of those things which are good; or positiue, consisting in the presence of those things which are euill; and both these respect, either the soule, or body alone, or the whole person. The defects and wants in the soule in this life are diuers: as first, the want of knowledge in the vnderstanding, whereby we might know God and his will, that we might obey it, and our selues also; which we were indued with in our creation, but lost it by the fall of our first parents. VntoUnto which we may adde the want of conformitie in our wils to the perfect will of God, the want of strength and abilitie in our memories to remember that which is good, & that which God reuealeth vntounto vsus concerning himselfe, or his will. And finally, the want of Gods image, chiefly consisting in wisdome, righteousnesse and holinesse; which is vtterly defaced by our fall, and these excellent graces of God cleane blotted out. All which, as they are in part renewed by our regeneration in this life, although it be in great weaknes, imperfection, and corruption; so shall they bee perfectly restored (and that in farre greater excellencie, then they were in our creation) in the life to come. For then shall wee perfectly know God, and know our selues, according to that measure of knowledge which a creature is capable of; then shal our wils be so perfectly conformable to the will of God, that we shall take our chiefe delight to serue and please him; then shal wee remember all his mercies and goodnesse, especially those which concerne our creation, redemption and glorification, that we may laud his name, who hath been so gratious vntounto vsus: in a word, then shall the image of God be perfectly renewed, and wee shall bee indued with all true wisdome, holinesse and righteousnes, as we shal more clearely declare hereafter.
And as al the defects of the soule shall be supplied; so are§. Sect. 2. That the soule shall be freed from all corruption, and first, the …nderstanding from ignorance and cur…sitie. there many euils and corruptions, from which it shall bee deliuered: as for example, the vnderstanding is exceedinglie blinded with ignorance, so as wee naturally neither know God nor our selues, what is true happinesse, nor the meanes to attaine vntounto it. And as we are as blind as moles in spiritual and heauenly things, so wee hauehave little knowledge in things natural and ciuil; and yet such is our folly, that though in these maine points, the knowledge whereof is necessary to saluation, we are so blind and ignorant, that our whole life were too little and too short, to bee employed in the searching out of them, yet are we readie to neglect these, and to spend our time in the discussing of curious questiōs, of which the end of knowing, is only to know them, they hauing no further vse or profit. But in the kingdome of heauen we shal be freed, both from this ignorance and curiositie; for we shal be endued with the knowledge of God, and in him we shal know al things; and therefore our curiositie also shal ce…se, as being needlesse, seeing we shal be fully satisfied with al wisdome and knowledge, as it shal better appeare hereafter. Now if in this life ignorance be such a grieuous burthen, that men who hauehave so much sense as to feele their miserie, are content to spend their whole time, and euen to consume their strength, that they may be eased of it; and if Philosophers hauehave been so rauished with a dim sparke of knowledge, which was first kindled by the light of nature, and after blowne vponupon, and encreased by their owne labour and industrie, that in comparison thereof they hauehave contemned al the riches, pleasures and preferments in the world: and if we Christians illuminated by Gods Spirit, take such ioy and comfort in our knowledge, which is but in part; wherby we see darkely as through a glasse, yt we deseruedly prefer it before al the world and the vanities thereof; how shal we then reioyce, when being admitted into these heauenly ioyes, the scales of ignorance shal fal cleane from our eyes? how shal our hearts be cheared, whē being deliuered from this Egyptian darknes, we shal in this heauenly Goshen, hauehave the light of knowledge & truth clearely shining about vsus, hauing not the least mist or cloud to hinder our sight, from beholding the brightnes of Gods goodnesse and glorie? and if such a smal sparke of this knowledge, be so pleasant and delightful, what wil it then be when this light shal be so encreased, that it shal match the Sunne in his ful strength? if our darkenes1. Cor. 13. 1…. and dim sight, as through a gl…sse be so esteemable, what shal that be, when we shal see face to face?
So also our wils shall in the life to come be freed from all§. Sect. 3. That our wils shall be freed from their peruersenes, and be made conformable to the will of God. euill, and that both in respect of their impuritie and corruption, and also in regard of their impotencie and imperfection▪ In this life they are peruerse, stubborne, and rebellious; most backward to any thing which is good, and prone vntounto all euill, and in stead of conformitie betweene them and the will of God, there is such flat opposition and repugnancie; that the very knowledge of that which God requireth, is a sufficient motiue to make vsus will the contrarie, and his prohibitions set a maruellous edge on our appetites to do that which we know he hath forbidden: but in the life to comeRom. 7. 8. all this corruption and peruersenesse of our wils shal be taken away, and they being made wholly conformable to the will of God, shal not wil any thing which is euil and sinful, but that only which is iust, acceptable, and pleasing in his sight: yea then all our desire shall be to glorifie God, to praise and serue him, not as we do heere, with great reluctation, conflicts and oppositions, but with a ful and perfect consent, freely, and with much more alacritie and cheerefulnesse, then euer we tooke in following our owne lusts and the pleasures of this life; so that as our Sauiour Christ speaketh of himself, it shall be more pleasing vntounto vsus then our meate and drinke, when here we are most an hungred, to do the wil of our heauenlyIohn 4. Father. And that which ought chiefly to comfort vsus, our wils shall be most free, but yet inclinable onelyonly to chuse that which is good; like the wil of God himself, who though he most freely willeth, yet he neuer willeth any euil, his wil being the perfect rule of all Iustice; so that we shall not only not chuse any euil or sinne, but not hauehave any inclination or abilitie to make such choice, both because our sanctification shal be then most perfect, which is now imperfect and onelyonly begun; whereof it wil come to passe that we shal hauehave a perfect hatred of sinne, and a perfect louelove of righteousnesse and holinesse; and also because our wils shal neuer be forsaken of God, and left to themselues, but shal alwaies be so effectually, and powerfully ruled and gouerned by the most wise and iust wil of God, that it shal not be possible for them to erre, or to digresse any whit out of the way of iustice and truth. In which respect our wil shal not be like vntounto Adams, arbitrarie to good or euil, or mutably and changeably good; but like Gods wil, most immutable and constant in al goodnesse, righteousnesse and holinesse, so as it shal be altogether impossible vntounto vsus, either to wil that which God nilleth, or to nil that which he willeth: the which immutabilitie in goodnesse, shal not then be grounded on our owne strength and abilities of nature, for then had we cause iustly to feare, that we might like Adam be againe circumuented by Satans subtilties; but it shal hauehave this firmenesse and immutabilitie from Gods eternal louelove and election, which is immutable, and on his gratious and neuer failing promises, which (as the Apostle saith) are Yea and Amen, subiect to no change or alteration: for hee who hath promised that our ioyes shal be eternal, hath consequently vndertaken to preserue vsus from falling into any sinne, which would cut off our happines, & ruine our ioy. To this purpose one of the anciēts speaketh no lesse excellently then fitly; The first free wil (saith he) which was giuen to man, when he was first created in righteousnesse and holinesse, was that he was able not to sinne, but withal that he could also sinne if he would: but our free wil in heauen shal be much more powerful then this, in that it shal hauehave no power to sin; but this shal be the giftSicut prima immortalitas fuit, quam peccando Adam perdidit, posse non mori, nouissima erit non posse mori: ita primum liberum arbitrium posse non peccare, nouissimum non posse peccare. August. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. of God, and not by the power of our natural faculties: for it is one thing to be God, and another thing to hauehave participation and communion with God: for God in his owne nature cannot sin; but he who is partaker of God, receiues this power from him, that he cannot sinne, &c. For as the first immortalitie which Adam lost by sinning, was to be able not to die, but his last shal be, not to be able to die; so the first free wil was, to be able not to sin; but the last free wil shal be, not to be able to sin; for our willing of righteousnes and holinesse, shal be alike vnloseable with our felicitie, &c. The other euil from which our wils shal be freed, is, impotencie and inabilitie, to effect that which they wil; for in this life although they do with al earnestnesse desire many things; yet they are not able to atchieue them, because they are not agreeable and conformable to the wil of God, and therefore he crosseth and frustrateth them: but in the life to come they shal be effectual and powerful in atchieuing whatsoeuer they desire, because they are in al things agreeable and subordinat to the wil of God, and consequently do most surely attaine vntounto their ends; seeing there is no power in heauen or in earth, which is able to crosse and defeate the wil of God, his wil being most wise and immutable, and his power omnipotent and vnresistable. To which purpose the same Author (asAugust. de Spiritu & Anima. lib. cap. 64. it is ascribed vntounto him) saith, that because our wils are one and the same with Gods wil, therefore we shal be after a sort omnipotēt, in bringing our wils to passe, as God also is omnipotēt: for as God can do whatsoeuer he wil do by himself, so shal we do whatsoeuer we wil do by him, because we shal wil nothing else, but that which he also willeth, and he also willeth whatsoeuer we will and desire, and whatsoeuer he willeth that must necessarily come to passe; seeing he is most powerful and omnipotent to effect his wil. Now if worldly Princes and potentates account it a chiefe part of their regal happinesse, that they may hauehave their wils; though in truth they are as often crossed herein as inferiour persons, partly through the repugnancie and opposition of their owne passions and desires, and partly through the discrepancie and contrarietie of their state affaires, and of the things themselues which they desire to effect: & though when they hauehave their wils they receiue thereby little comfort and contentment, because oftentimes being led by passion, they are opposed to the reuealed wil of God, reason, and euen the light of nature, which worketh in them both afore and after their wils are accomplished, grieuous conflicts betweene their wil and their conscience, terrors, feares, and many troubles of mind: how infinitly more happie shal the poorest Saint of God be in the kingdome of heauen, when in al things which they can desire they shal hauehave their wil, without any crosse or opposition; and it being wholly conformable to the wil of God, and to the rule of holy reason, shal also hauehave in accomplishing of it, ioy, peace and ful contentment, not only because it is done, but also because God and their owne reason and conscience approue the doing of it?
The like also may be said of our memories, for whereas in§. Sect. 4. That our memories, and consciences shall hauehave in them no imperfection or corruption. this life we cannot imprint in them any good thing, but presently it wil be blotted out, nor blot out any ill thing once written, but that our corruption like aqua fortis wil do out the liturature and staine, and so renue it, that it wil againe become legible; in the ioyes of heauen we shal be freed from this corruption; and our memories shal become faire tables of such an holy making, that they wil easily receiue the writing and impression of Gods wil, imprinted in them by the finger of his Spirit, neuer againe to be blotted out; and contrariwise wil not by any possible meanes, receiue the print or impression of any euil, but whether it be sin or punishment it shal vtterly be done away and forgotten, so farre forth as the remembrance thereof would bring vntounto vsus any vexation or discomfort: for howsoeuer we shal forget both our sins and miseries, as they hauehave been dishonorable to God, and causes vntounto vsus of griefe and sorrow; yet shal we so far forth remember them, as they may make vsus in al louelove and thankfulnes to laud and magnifie our gratious God, for his merciful and meruailous deliuerance of vsus from all these euils: and therefore (as it is distinguished) we shal be mindful of our passedAugust. de Ciuit. Dei. lib. 22. cap. 30. euils in respect of our rational knowledge, and facultie of vnderstanding; but vtterly forgetful of them in respect of our sense, feeling and experience: euen as we see the skilful Physition knoweth al diseases of the bodie in his skil and theory; but in respect of his owne sense and experience, is ignorant of al those, which he neuer suffered. Finally, our consciences in the fruition of these heauenly ioyes shal be freed from al their corruptions, vntounto which in this life they are subiect; as from their impuritie, stupiditie and sleepines; or their terrible accusations, horrors, and feares; and being full of ioy and peace, in regard that al our actions and endeauours shal be most holy, righteous, and agreeable with the wil of God, they shal only obserue our hearts, affections, and actions, (not as in this life to preuent their disorder, and digressions, that they may recal and reclaime them) but that taking notice of their perfect conformitie with the wil of God, and approuing them, they may thereby continually renue our ioy and comfort, and minister matter vntounto vsus of praysing and glorifying God, for preseruing vsus in this puritie and holines. O how much therefore will this adde to our heauenly ioyes, when we shal forget al, which being remembred might molest and trouble vsus; and retaine al those good things in perfect memorie, the remembrance whereof may bring vntounto vsus any ioy and contentment? how happie and blessed shal we be, when our consciences shal leaue off to accuse and terrifie vsus; and be only exercised in iustifying vsus, and in giuing approbation to al our actions?
And these are the defects of our soules, which shal then be§. Sect. 5. Of the excellent faculties and qualities wherewith our soules shall be beautified and adorned. supplied, and the euils from which they shal be deliuered: which being vnderstood, we shal not need to speake much of those good things, and of the excellent parts and qualities, wherewith they shal be beautified and adorned, seeing there is the same reason of contraries, and the one being knowne, doth by direct opposition shew the nature and qualities of the other. In a word therefore, as our soules shal be freed from ignorance, so they shal be endued with heauenly wisdome, whereby they shal know God in that perfection, that the creature is capable of, the high mysterie of the Trinitie, and of the vnion of Christs humanitie to the diuine nature, and of the faithful vntounto Christ: and this knowledge shal not then be darke, and as in a glasse, like our dim knowledge in this life, but cleare and perspicuous, and as it were face to face, it shal not then be in part only, but whole and perfect; for then shall we know, euen as we are knowne. In this1. Cor. 13. 9. 10. 11. 12. life we lie as it were in a dungeon of darknesse; and al the comfort that we hauehave is, that the light of Gods truth, whereby the eyes of our minds are illightned, with some smal and dim knowledge of God, shineth vntounto vsus, as thorow a little chinke or hole: but when we attaine to heauenly happinesse, and enioy the glorious libertie of the sons of God, then shal we be compassed about with light, as with a garment, and our minds shal receiue perfect illumination, and fulnesse of knowledge. Finally, we shal not attaine vntounto this diuine knowledge, as in this life, with paines and excessiue labour, whereby we consume the bodie to enrich the soule; neither yet by secondarie and inferiour meanes, as namely, the hearing, reading, and meditation of the Word, and the vse of the Sacraments, through which we see after al our studie and industrie but darkly, and as it were thorow some dim glasse; but we shal hauehave it with all ease and facilitie by the immediate illumination of Gods holy spirit, whereby being inlightened, we shall see all things cleerely, and without vaile or shadow, seeing at this day there shall be no ministerie of man or angell, but God shall be all in all. So also our soules1. Cor. 15. 28. shall be indued with perfect holinesse, whereby we shall be inabled …o performe all good duties vntounto God, that so wee may euerlastingly glorifie him; and with perfect righteousnes, whereby with like perfection wee shall performe all duties of louelove and iustice, which we owe to one another, to our mutuall ioy and vnspeakable comfort. But because this holinesse and righteousnesse belong nor to the soule alone, but vntounto the whole man, I will referre them to their proper place.