A State of Glory for Spirits of Just Men Upon Dissolution, Introduction
THere is no point of more moment to All, nor of greater comfort to Saints, than what ſhall become of their Souls when they die: 'Tis our next ſtage; and things that are next, uſe more to affect us. And beſides, it is the beginning, and a taking poſſeſſion of Our Eternity.
That theſe words ſhould aim at this ſelf-ſame thing, cannot be diſcerned, without conſulting the fore-going part of the Apoſtles diſcourſe: and yet I cannot be large in bringing down the coherence, having pitch'd upon what this fifth Verſe contributes unto this Argument; which alone will require more than this time allotted, having alſo very largely gone through the Expoſition of the fore-going Verſes elſwhere: and I now go but on where I left laſt. But yet to make way for the underſtanding the ſcope of my Text, take
The Coherence in brief thus:
In the 16 Verſe of the fore-going Chapter (where the Well-head of his Diſcourſe is to be found) he ſhews the extraordinary care God hath of [Our inward man] to renew it day by day; where Inward man is ſtrictly the Soul with its Graces, ſet in oppoſition unto Our outward man [the Body with its appurtenances] which he ſaith daily periſheth, that is, is in a mouldring and decaying condition.
Chap. 5. ver. 1.
For we know that if our earthly houſe of this tabernacle were diſſolved, we have a building of God, an houſe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
In this firſt verſe of this fifth Chapter, he meets with this ſuppoſition: But what if this outward man or earthly tabernacle be wholly diſſolved and pull'd down, what then ſhall become of this inner man? And he reſolves it thus, That if it be diſſolved, we have an houſe, a building of God in the heavens. And what is the [WE] but this inner man (he had ſpoken of) renewed Souls, which dwell now in the body as in a tabernacle, as the In-mates that can ſubſiſt without it? And it is as if he had ſaid, If this inward man be deſtituted of one houſe, we have another. God that in this life was ſo careful over this inner man, to renew it every day, hath made another more ample proviſion againſt this great change. It is but it's removing from one houſe to a better, which God hath built. As your ſelves (to ſpeak in your own language) if Wars ſhould beſet you, and your Countrey-houſe were plundred and pull'd down, you would comfort your ſelves with this, I have yet a City-houſe to retire unto.
Neither is the terming the glory of Heaven, and that as it is beſtowed upon a ſeparate Soul, alien from the Scripture-phraſe, Luke 16. 9. That when you fail, they may receive you into EVERLASTING HABITATIONS. Death is a failing ('tis your City-phraſe alſo when a man proves Bankrupt) A Statute of Bankrupt comes forth then upon your old houſe (Statutum eſt omnibus ſemel mori) and upon all you have; and then it is that there is a receiving or entertaining that otherwiſe-deſolate Soul into everlaſting habitations, that is, into an houſe eternal in the heavens, as the Text.
Nor yet is the phraſe of terming Heaven A City-houſe, remote neither: for Heb. 11. ver. 13. Abraham and the Patriarchs died in faith, (Mark that!) in faith or expectation of what? He had told us, ver. 10. He looked for a City whoſe Builder is God. What is a City, but an aggregation and heap of houſes and Inhabitants? Multitudes had died afore Abraham, and gone to Heaven, from Adam, Abel, Seth, downwards; and God promiſeth him peace at his death, and a being gathered to thoſe fathers, Gen. 15. 15. There was then a City built, and already repleniſh'd with Inhabitants; and amongſt others, an houſe provided for him, that is, his Soul built of God, and ready furniſhed againſt this removal.
Verſe 2.
For in this we groan earneſtly, deſiring to be clothed upon with our houſe which is from heaven.
In this Verſe he utters the working of the affections of Chriſtians towards their being clothed upon with this houſe; and ſo in order to this enjoyment of it, their DESIRING even to be diſſolved: which Paul alſo utters of himſelf, Phil. 1. Now if the firſt Verſe ſpeaks of the glory of a ſeparate Soul when he calls it an houſe, this ſecond Verſe muſt intend the ſame.
Verſe 3.
If ſo be that being clothed, we ſhall not be found naked.
In this Verſe he gives an wholeſome Caution by the way; and withall inſinuates, why he uſed the word clothed upon, in the fore-going Verſe, thus, ſpeaking of the glory of ſuch a ſeparate Soul, even becauſe it is abſolutely neceſſary that all our Souls be found clothed firſt, and renewed with Grace and Holineſs, and not be found naked at our deaths, that is, nor devoid of Grace, and ſo expoſed to ſhame and wrath, as Rev. 16. 15.
Verſe 4.
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burthened; not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be ſwallowed up of life.
The fourth Verſe gives a genuine and ſincere account, why a Chriſtian doth thus groan, and that after diſſolution it ſelf, in order to this glory; which he ſets out with an accurate diſtinction of their deſires of diſſolutions, in difference from like deſires in all other men: Firſt, Negatively, not for that being burthened we deſire to be unclothed, or diſſolved; that is, ſimply for eaſe of thoſe burthens: nor out of a deſpiſing of our bodies we now wear (as their Heathen Wiſe-men and Philoſophers did, and others do) No. But ſecondly Poſitively, For this, as the top-ground of that deſire, That we would be clothed upon with that houſe (ſpoken of Ver. 1. and that ſtill taken in the ſenſe, ſpoken of in the 2. Ver.) to the end that this mortal animal life which the Soul (though Immortal in it ſelf) now leads in the body, full of ſins, clogg'd with a body of death and miſeries; (each of which hath a Death in it) and ſo it lives but a dying life; that this life may be exchanged, yea, ſwalloed up by that which is life indeed, The onelyonly true Life, the knowing God as we are known, and enjoying him: All which, as to our Souls, is truly performed at our Diſſolution; although the final ſwallowing up the mortality of our bodies alſo, doth yet remain to be accompliſh'd: which will be done at the latter day, at that Change both of Body and Soul, though in reſpect of the Body it will be completed as then more fully.
This Interpretation, and the ſuiting of all the phraſes uſed in this 4th Verſe, to hold good of this Exchange at death, I cannot, through ſtraitneſs of time, give an account of now: I have lately, and very largely, done it elſwhere.
This for the Coherence: I haſten to my Text.