The Christian Warfare Part 2, Book 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
That heauen is a place most glorious; and of our blessed societie with the Saints, Angels, and our Sauiour Christ.
ANd thus hauehave I (though but in darke maner)§. Sect. 1. That the heauen of heauens shall bee the place of our happines, which is most beautifull and glorious. described the ioyes of heauen, both which concerne the excellent condition of our owne persons, and also those things which are about vsus. VntoUnto which we may now ad the excellencie and glorious beautie of the place where, and of the society with whom, wee shal inioy al this happinesse. And first for the place of our happinesse, it is not the earth, aire, or firmament, wherein the starres are fixed, but the heauenHeb. 7. 26. of heauens, or the supreme and highest heauen, into which Christ as hee was man ascended, and so was made higher then all the visible heauens, as the Apostle speaketh;2. Cor. 12. 2. which is also that which the Apostle Paul calleth the third heauen, into which he was taken vp. Howsoeuer some think that after the resurrection, the blessed saints shal not be confined to any place, but hauehave the vse both of heauen and earth for their habitation, in both which they shal enioy the presence of God, and al diuine and heauenly happinesse. The which their opinion they ground vponupon those places of Scripture, where it is not onelyonly said, that there shal bee newa Esa. 65. 17. and 66. 22. Apoc. 21. 1. heauens and new earth; but also that therein shal dwel righteousnesse, that is, the holy and iust who shal execute righteousnesse,b 2. Pet. 2. 13. and that the saints being cApoc. 5. 10.made kings shal reigne vponupon the earth. But concerning this point I can determine nothing; only let vsus know this to our ioy and comfort, that wheresoeuer the situation of this seat of blessednesse shal be, it is certainely most glorious and maiestical. Neither must we thinke that the Lord hath onelyonly prouided for vsus goodly and rich furniture, but also stately palace… and glorious mansions. For if earthly kings will hauehave habitations answerable to the greatnes of their maiesty, wherein they keepe their chiefe residence; then how glorious and ful of stately maiesty is this heauenly palace, which is the chiefe seat of the King of kings, where he communicateth himselfe to his chiefe nobles and courtiers, the holy Angels, and blessed Saints? But hard and impossible it is to describe in a liuely maner, the excellencie and statelinesse of this glorious mansion, and city of the saints, in al the particulars thereof; only this we may conclude, that it is; first, of most large and almost infinite extent and circuit, seeing it is to be the seat and habitation of innumerable Saints and Angels, vntounto the maiesty whereof is required that it be most ample and spatious, that they may hauehave liberty and roome enough. For as it is one part of the wickeds disgrace and punishment, that they shal be thrust together in a straite roome, and like stincking tares and noisome weeds bee crusht together, and tied inMa…. 13. 30. bundles that they may bee cast into the fire: so contrariwise it is more then probable, that the seat of the blessed is most ample and spatious, that so it may bee the more glorious, stately, and magnificent. And this appeareth also by euidence of reason: for if the visible heauens be so many and innumerable degrees greater then the earth; then how much more ample and spatious is the heauen of heauens, which doth inclose and compasse them; as they doe the aire and earth? Secondly, we may be assured that this place is most holy and pure, seeing it is the seat, not only of the holy Saints and Angels, but also of the Lord, who is holinesse it selfe. For if that place of his temporall and momentanie presence, when as he appeared vntounto Moses, was holy; how much more holyExod. 3. 5. are the heauens, which is the place of his continuall residence? In respect of which purity and holinesse it wil not admit of any impure guest; for as it is said, no vncleane thing shall enter in thither, neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination Apo…. 21. 27.and lies. Finally, we may be assured though wee cannot describe it according to it worth and excellencie, that it is a place most glorious and maiesticall. For if the Tabernacle when God gaue some such visible signes of his presence, as the people in their frailty and mortality were capable of, was filled with glory; how ful of glory and maiesty are theExod. 40. 34. highest heauens, where God keepeth his chiefe residence, and manifesteth his glory and greatnesse, in a farre greater measure to his Saints and Angels, which are incorruptible and immortal? And this royal excellency being in it selfe ineffable and vnconceiueable; the Apostle describeth accordingApoc. 21. 10. 11. to our weake capacitie, by such visible and earthly things as are most precious and glorious. And first he saith, that this new Ierusalem and city of God, is ful of Gods glory, and her shining like vntounto a stone most precious, and as a Iasper stone, cleere as crystal: that it hath a wall great and high, and twelue gates, and at the gates twelue Angels; that it is both in length and in bredth twelue thousand furlongs; that the building of the wall of it was of Iasper, and the city of pure gold, like vntounto glasse, cleere and transparent, pure and glorious: that the foundations of the wall of the city are garnished with all maner of precious stones: the first foundation of Iasper, the second of Saphire, the third of Calcedonie, the fourth of an Emerald, the fifth of a Sardonyx, the sixth of a Sardius, the seuenth of a Chrysolite, the eight, of a Beryl, the ninth of a Topaz, the tenth of a Chrysoprasus, the eleuenth of a Iacynth, ye twelfth of an Amethyst. That the twelue gates were twelue pearles, and eueryevery gate of one pearle, and the street of the city pure gold, and like shining glasse. All which if it be to bee vnderstood (as some would hauehave it) of the glory of the Church here on earth, when as Iewes and Gentiles shal be ioined together before the comming of Christ to iudgement; it is no lesse forcible to proue that the heauen of heauens is a place most glorious; for if there be such glory, beautie, and maiesty in the Church militant, how innumerable degrees shal it be increased and inlarged in the Church triumphant? if there be such excellency to be seene on earth, what shal wee thinke of the heauen of heauens? And surely, if these outcases of this emperial heauen, the starrie firmament, daily subiect to our view, bee so glorious? how much more maiestical is that place reserued for Gods saints? If the roofe of our prison and earthly habitation be so curiously vaulted, and so richly garnished and bespangled with bright shining lights, and beautiful starres; what workmanship, what maiesty, and incomparable excellency may we expect in the palace of the great king, and the heauenly habitation of the Saints and Angels? If the very porch and first entrie bee so stately and glorious; how full of maiesty, beautie and glory, are the chiefe roomes, and the presence-chamber of this great and glorious monarch of heauen and earth.
VntoUnto this glory and happinesse of the place, we may adde§. Sect. 2. Of the great felicity which we shall hauehave in the society of the saints and Angels. Mat. 8. 11. that felicity, ioy and contentment which wee shal take in our companie; for first, wee shall hauehave the societie and fellowship of the Saints and blessed Angels, according to that of our Sauiour Christ, many shall come from the East and West, and shall sit downe with Abraham, and Isaac, and Iacob, in the kingdome of heauen. And because there shal bee perfect louelove and charity among vsus, eueryevery one louing another as themselues, and reioycing as much in their happinesse and felicity as in their owne; hereof it wil come to passe that according to the innumerable number of the Saints and Angels, so infinitely shall our ioyes be doubled and redoubled; and that which one hath not of this glory and happinesse in himselfe, because he is not capable of it, hee shall inioy it through his perfect louelove in the rest of this holy and heauenly society; they being mutually one to another storehouses and treasuries of these euerlasting ioyes, to keepe for their vse and comfort, that which themselues cannot containe and comprehend. So that this ioy of louelove and perfect charity, shall infinitely exceed al other heauēly ioies which belong peculiarly vntounto any one; seeing therby eueryevery one perfectly enioyeth all the happinesse and blessednes of the whole society of the Saints and Angels, whose glory as it is most excellent, so their number numberlesse. Now if these heauenly ioyes bee so vnspeakeable and so incomprehensible in eueryevery one, that he can scarce containe them, how shall we be ranished with ioy and delight, when wee shall communicate in the glory and happinesse of so great a multitude? And if there be such ioy and sweet content on earth, whilest two or three liuing in all prosperity, dearely louelove one another, who notwithstanding louelove imperfectly, and spend the least part of their time in their mutuall fellowship with their beloued friends; what infinite ioy and reioycing shall there be, when all the saints shal be ioyned in their hearts with the bond of perfect charity, and in their persons in a neere fellowship and society, neuer againe to be separated and diuided? Neither shal heere (as in the earth) propriety vntounto these spiritual ioyes, and heauenly treasures be any cause of difference, by reason that the ones hauing them, is the cause why others want them; seeing all these vnualuable riches, and vnspeakeable happinesse shal lie out in common, for the vse and comfort of al the inhabitants. And as al shall ioyntly enioy this kingdome of glory in an holy communion, so eueryevery one shall enioy it wholly to himselfe; euen as the sun serueth for the vse and benefit of the whole world; & yet eueryevery one indued with sight inioyeth it wholly, as though no other were partner with him. And therfore because the ones hauing of this heauenly ioy and blessednesse, is so farre from hindring of another, that contrariwise through that communion and perfect louelove which is amongst them, eueryevery one enioyeth anothers happinesse, and so by this fellowship hath his ioyes infinitely multiplied; from hence will spring vnspeakeable ioy in one anothers louelove, and vnconceiueable louelove by reason of this ioy.
But here it may bee demanded, whether in this heauenly§. Sect. 3. Whether we shall in heauen know one another. societie, we shall know eueryevery one their earthly friends, kindred and acquaintance. To which I answere, that it were better if we would learne to know, and to bee assured, that wee our selues shall be happie members of this heauenly societie; for what will it profit a man to know, that the Saints shall hauehave this knowledge one of another, if he be ignorant of the meanes whereby he may come to be in this number? Secondly, I answer, that if this particular knowledge, which here we so much desire, would after that manner which we desire it, any whit aduance our ioy and heauenly happinesse; then most certainely we shall attaine vntounto it, and shall eueryevery man know his neere & deare friends, as wife, husband, father, mother, sisters, brethren, children, and familiar acquaintance, seeing nothing shal be wanting to that felicitie and blessednes, which may make it perfect and compleate; and contrariwise if it will not, we hauehave no reason greatly to desire it. Finally, I answere more plainely and directly, that in the heauenly ioyes, we shall all know, and knowing louelove one another, but yet not after a carnall and worldly manner. The former point is more then probable; for being plentifully indued with Gods spirit, and hauing thereby our minds illuminated with all knowledge and spirituall wisdome, we shall be inabled to know, not onelyonly those who hauehave been formerly of our acquaintance, but euen strangers, whom we neuer saw. For if Adam before the fall, had his mind so inlightned withGenes. 2. 23. wisdom and knowledge, that he knew Eue, and from whence she came, at the first sight; and if the Apostles accompanyingMatth. 17. 4. Christ in his transfiguration, and hauing but a small beginning, and a little tast of their glorification, were able thereby to know Moses and Elias, whom they had neuer seene: And (as some adde) if Diues (as it is in the parable) knew Abraham, Luk. 16.and Lazarus in his bosome in so great a distance; then how much more shall they, who are perfectly glorified, and indued with all knowledge, through the illumination of Gods holy spirit, know all their friends and kindred, with whom formerly they hauehave been acquainted? But yet this knowledge, both in respect of the cause and manner thereof is not worldly and carnall, neither shall we know them by their outward shape and fauour; for this is impossible, in regard of the great difference betweene a bodie mortall, and immortall, earthly and glorified, which, as I said, shall bee freed from all blemishes and imperfections, either of age or stature; nor by the helpe of our naturall memorie, which in such length of time, and greatalterations, which in the mean time shall happen, must of necessitie faile vsus; but by that diuine illumination of Gods spirit, which maketh acquaintance and strangers all alike knowne vntounto vsus. In both which respects, the Apostle Paul saith, that from henceforth we know 2. Cor. 5. 15.no man after the flesh; yea, though we had knowne Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Whereby is meant, that the knowledge which we hauehave one of another, is not in outward and worldly respects, but diuine and spirituall, as we know them in Christ, by the inlightning of the spirit. And the like also may be said of our louelove towards them, which shall no more be, in regard of our earthly kindred, acquaintance and friendship, all which shall be abolished, but in respect that they are the members of Iesus Christ, copartners of the same ioyes, and fellow members vnited one to another by the same spirit. Neither shall we more reioyce in the societie of our earthly kindred and acquaintance, or better louelove them in these earthly respects; for this would not augment and increase, but diminish and detract both from our louelove and ioy; seeing this shall be the perfection of them both, to be towards all in the highest degree, louing and reioycing in the happinesse of eueryevery one of Gods Saints, much more then the tenderest mother can louelove her child, or wife her husband, and as much as they louelove themselues, and reioyce in their owne happinesse. And if there bee then any difference in our louelove, it shall bee in diuine and spirituall respects, euen as our louelove shall be diuine and spirituall, namely, as we shall more louelove them, who hauehave greatest excellency of gifts, and measure of glory, hauing a more perfect apprehension of God, and that heauenly blessednesse, and the greatest proportion of that holy spirit, which shall be the bond of our vnion, and cause of our louelove.
But as we shall hauehave knowledge of all the blessed Saints,§. Sect. 4. That it shall be a great part of our heauenly happinesse to inioy the companie of our Sauiour Christ. and louing them as our selues, shal hauehave great ioy in their societie: so especially shall we know our Sauiour Iesus Christ, louing him aboue al the rest, yea, and more then we louelove our selues, and taking vnconceiuable ioy in that vnion and communion, which we shall hauehave with him, in all that glory and happinesse, wherein he shall be farre preferred before all the sonnes of men. Of this speciall knowledge of Christ, himselfe speaketh. Father (saith he) I will that they which thou hast Iohn 17. 24. Vers. 3.giuen me, be with me, euen where I am, that they may behold my glorie which thou hast giuē me. Yea, in this knowledge of him, he placeth a chiefe part of our heauenly happinesse, saying,Iob 19. 25. 27. that it is life eternall, to know God, and whom be hath sent …esus Christ. Of which happinesse, holy Iob assureth himselfe, where he saith, that he was not onelyonly sure that his Redeemer liued, but also that he should see and behold him with his bodilie eies. By which knowledge of Christ, and fellowship with him, we shall hauehave inestimable ioy and comfort; for if Iohn the Baptist sprang for ioy in his mothers belly, at the presenceLuke 1. 14. of Christ in his first conception; if his earnest desire to see Christ in the flesh, made old Simeon wish the prolongingLuke 2. 29. 30. of his life; and hauing obtained his desire, and seene Christ his saluation, was most willing to depart in peace: If the eies of the disciples were blessed by Christs owne testimonie, becauseLuke 10. 22. 23. they had seene that, which many Prophets and Kings had desired to see, and yet could not, to wit, the Sauiour of the world clothed with our humane nature, and but in the estate of a seruant, despised of men, and contemptible in the world: And finally, if Peter, Iames, and Iohn, seeing but some smal sparkes of his glorie and maiestie in his trans…iguration,Matth. 17. 4. were so rauished with delight, that setting aside all worldly desires, they wished only the continuance of this ioy; then what inestimable pleasure, comfort, and reioycing shall wee hauehave, when we shal continually behold our Sauiour Christ in his glorie and maiestie, adorned in his kingly attire, accompanied with his blessed Saints and Angels, and sitting at the right hand of his Father, like a triumphant conquerour, hauing subdued and troden vnderunder foot all his and our enemies? especially considering that wee shall not be bare beholders onelyonly of his glorie and happinesse, but shall communicate with him, as members of his bodie, in all his ioyes, and bee made partakers of all his glorie. O what rauishing ioy shall then possesse our soules, when as wee, who hauehave long been contracted to our Lord and husband, shall see that blessed time come, when we shall hauehave that roiall marriage between him and vsus solemnized in the presence of God and his holy Angels, and shall hauehave the fruition of him, and all his happinesse, when as wee shall not bee able to determine, whether the glorious maiestie, or the vnmatchable louelove of our deare husband shall exceed one the other? What delight and comfort shall we then feele, when wee poore contemptible members, base, and inglorious in the world, shal be vnited to our most glorious head, Iesus Christ, and by vertue of this vnion with him, shall also be glorified, and communicate with him in all his felicitie, and heauenly ioy? O how shall at this day our hearts and soules be able to containe that pleasure and delight, when wee shall hauehave so neere societie and fellowship with our blessed Sauiour and Redeemer, who hath loued vsus so dearely, that when we were bankrupts to Gods iustice, he became our surety, and discharged our debt to the vtmost farthing? when we were enemies, he wrought our reconciliation; when wee were condemned, hee procured our pardon; when wee were the slaues of sinne and Satan, hee powerfully redeemed vsus; and when we were in the state of condemnation, and the very firebrands of hel fire, he brought vsus into the state of saluation, and made vsus the sonnes of God, and coheires with him in all his glory and heauenly happinesse. All which hee effected by humbling himselfe to the state of a seruant, when he inioyed with his Father all glorie and maiestie, and by suffering miseries and afflictions, hunger, wearinesse, griefe, and worldly contempt skornings, reuilings, buffettings, scourgings; and finally, that sharpe and shamefull death of the crosse, and his Fathers heauie displeasure, much more bitter and intollerable then all the rest of his bodily sufferings. O how then shall we reioyce in his louelove, and in louing him againe, for all his grace and goodnes extended vntounto vsus?