of God, then how do the spirits | the iron in the fire is made fiery,

yet remains iron still, so the saints, by beholding God's majesty, shall be made glorious creatures, yet creatures still.

of just men made perfect see God? This sight of God will be very glorious, as when a king on his coronation-day shews himself in all his royalty and magnificence. A. 4. Our seeing of God in A. 2. We shall corporally be- heaven will be unweariable. Let hold the glorified body of Jesus a man see the rarest sight that is, Christ. And if it be a pleasant he will soon be cloyed; when he thing to behold the sun, Èccl. xi. | comes into a garden, and sees de7., then, how blessed a sight will licious walks, fair arbours, pleait be to behold the Sun of Righ-sant flowers, in a little while he teousness,-to see Christ clothed grows weary; but it is not so in in our human nature, sitting in glory above the angels! Solomon saith, "the eye is not satisfied with seeing," Eccl. i. 8., but sure the eyes of saints will be satisfied with seeing that orient brightness which shall shine from the beautiful body of Christ. It must needs be satisfying, because through Christ's flesh some rays and beams of the Godhead shall display themselves. God's excellent majesty would overwhelm us; but through the vail of Christ's flesh we shall behold the divine glory.

of

heaven; there is no surfeit,-ibi nec fames nec fastidium, BERN. The saints will never be weary their prospect, viz. of seeing God; for, God being infinite, there shall be every moment new and fresh delight springing from God into the souls of the glorified.

2d. The second thing implied in our enjoying God, is our loving of God. It is a saint's grief that his heart is like the frozen ocean's-that he can melt no more in love to God: but in hea ven the saints shall be like seraphims, burning in divine love. Love is a pleasant affection; "fear hath a torment in it," 1 John iv. 18. Love hath joy in it: to love beauty is delightful; God's amazing beauty will attract the saints' love, and it will be their heaven to love him.

3d. The third thing implied in enjoying God, is God's loving us. Were there glory in God, yet, if there were not love, it would much eclipse the joys of heaven.

A. 3. Our seeing God will be transforming. We shall so see him as to be in some measure assimilated and changed into his image, 1 John iii. 2., "We shall be like him." If, when Moses was with God on the mount, and had but some imperfect sight of his glory," Moses' face shined," | Exod. xxxiv. 35., how shall the saints glorified shine, being always in God's presence, and having some beams of his glory put upon But "God is love," 1 John iv. them ? "We shall be like him." 16. The saints glorified One that is deformed may look love so much as they are loved. upon beauty and not be made What is their love to God's? beautiful; but the saints shall so What is their star to this sun? see God, as that sight shall trans- God doth love his people on earth, form them into his likeness, Ps. when they are black as well as xvii. 15., "When I awake, 1 comely. They have their impershall be satisfied with thy like- fections; O how entirely will he ness." Not that the saints shall love them, when they are without partake of God's essence; for as" spot or wrinkle!" Eph. v, 27.

cannot

1. This is the felicity of heaven, | those glorious saints which we to be in the sweet embraces of never saw before. It must be so; God's love; to be the Hephzibah, for society without acquaintance -the delight of the King of is not comfortable, and of this Glory; to be sunning ourselves opinion were St. Austin, Anselm, in the light of God's countenance. Luther. And indeed the scripThen the saints shall know "the ture seems to hint so much to us; love of Christ which passeth for, if Peter in the transfiguration knowledge," Eph. iii. 19. From knew Moses and Elias, whom he this glorious manifestation of never saw before, Mat. xvii. 4, God's love, will flow infinite joy then surely in heaven the saints into the souls of the blessed: shall know one another, and be therefore heaven is called "en- infinitely delighted in each other's tering into the joy of our Lord," company. Mat. xxv. 21. The seeing of God, the loving of God, and being beloved of God, will cause a jubilation of spirit, and create such holy raptures of joy in the saints, as is unspeakable and full of glory, 1 Pet. i. 8. In deo quadam dulcedine delectatur anima, imo rapitur, AUG. Now the saints spend their years with sighing; they weep over their sins and afflictions; then their water shall be turned into wine, -then the vessels of mercy shall be filled and run over with joy,then they shall have their palmbranches and harps in their hands, Rev. xiv. 2., in token of their triumph and rejoicing.

3. The third thing comprehended in glory, is perfection in holiness. Holiness is the beauty of God and angels; it makes heaven. What is happiness but the quintessence of holiness? Here a Christian's grace is imperfect; he cannot write a copy of holiness without blotting. He is said to receive but primitias Spiritus, the first fruits of the Spirit,' grace in fieri, Rom. viii. 23.; but at death believers shall arrive at perfection of grace; then this sun shall be in its meridian splendour; then shall they not need to pray for increase of grace, for they shall be as the angels, their light shall be clear as well as their joy

2. The second thing compre-full. hended in glory, is the good so- 4. The fourth thing in glory, ciety there. First, There are the is dignity and honour. They angels; every star adds to the shall reign as kings; therefore light, those blessed cherubims the saints glorified are said to will welcome us to paradise. If have their insignia regalia,—their the angels rejoiced so at the con- ensigns of royalty, their white version of the elect, how will they robes and their crown, 2 Tim. iv. rejoice at their coronation! Se- 7. Cæsar, after his victories, in condly, There is the company of token of honour, had a chair of the saints, Heb. xii. 23., "The ivory set for him in the senate, spirits of just men made perfect." and a throne in the theatre; the QUEST. 3. Whether shall the saints, having obtained their vicsaints in glory know each other? tories over sin and Satan, shall be Ans. Certainly they shall; for enthroned with Christ in the emknowledge in heaven shall pyrean heaven. To sit with not be diminished but increased. Christ denotes safety; to sit on We shall not only know our the throne, dignity, Ps. cxlix. 9., friends and godly relations, but "This honour have all the saints."

our

5. The fifth thing in glory, is the harmony and union among the heavenly inhabitants. The devil cannot get his cloven foot into heaven; he cannot conjure up any storms of contention there; there shall be perfect union. There Calvin and Luther are agreed; there is no jarring string in the heavenly music; there is nothing to make any difference, no pride or envy there. Though one star may differ from another, one may have a greater degree of glory, yet every vessel shall be full. There shall the saints and angels sit as olive-plants round about their Father's table in love and unity. Then shall they join together in concert,-then shall the loud anthems of praise be sung in the heavenly choir.

6. The sixth thing in glory, is a blessed rest, Heb. iv. 9., "There remaineth therefore a rest." Felix transitus a labore ad requiem. Here we can have no rest; tossed and turned as a ball on racket, 2 Cor. iv. 8., "We are troubled on every side." How can a ship rest in a storm? But after death the saints get into their haven. Every thing is quiet in the centre; God is centrum quietativum animæ, as the schoolmen, "the centre where the soul doth sweetly acquiesce." A Christian, after his weary marches and battles, shall put off his bloody armour, and rest himself upon the bosom of Jesus, that bed of perfume; when death hath given the saints the wings of a dove, then shall they fly away to paradise and be at rest.

a manna as doth not breed worms, If the saints' glory in heaven were but for a time, and they were in fear of losing it, it would eclipse and embitter the joys of heaven. But eternity is written upon their joys; the garland made of flowers of paradise fades not, 1 Pet. v. 4. I have read of a river which they call the dayriver, in which time it runs with a full torrent, but at night it is dried up. Such are all earthly comforts; they run with a full stream all the daytime of life, but at the night of death they are dried up. But the saints glorified shall drink of the rivers of pleasure for evermore, Ps. xvi. 11. Eternity is the heaven of heavens; in fine gaudium erit sine fine, BERN. The joys of heaven as overflowing, so everflowing.

QUEST. 4. When do believers enter upon possession of glory?

Ans. They pass immediately after death into glory. Some hold, with the Platonists and Lucianists, that the soul dies; but many of the sober heathens believed the soul's immortality. The Romans, when their great men died, caused an eagle to be let loose, and fly about in the air, signifying hereby that the soul was immortal, and did not die with the body. Christ tells us the soul is not capable of killing, Luke xii. 4., therefore not of dying. And as the soul doth not die, so neither doth it sleep in the body for a time; if the soul be at death absent from the body, 2 Cor. v. 8., then it cannot sleep in 7. The seventh thing in glory, the body. There is an immediate is eternity, 2 Cor. iv. 17., " An passage from death to glory; it is eternal weight of glory."-1st, but winking, and we shall see Glory is a weight: the Hebrew God, Luke xxiii. 43, "To-day word for glory (quod significat shalt thou be with me in parapondus) is a weight. God must dise." By paradise is meant heamake us able to bear it.-2dly, ven. The third heaven into An eternal weight. Glory is such which Paul was rapt (which all

hold to be the heaven of the that he thought he was born only blessed) was called paradise, 2 to behold it. What should we Cor. xii. 4. Now saith Christ to contemplate but celestial glory, the thief on the cross, To-day when we shall see God face to shalt thou be with me in para- face. David was got above the dise." His body could not be ordinary sort of men, he was in there, for it was laid in the grave; the altitudes, Ps. cxxxix. 18., “I but it was spoken of his soul, am still with thee." A true saint that it should be immediately af- every day takes a turn in heaven; ter death in heaven. Let none his thoughts and desires are like be so vain as to talk of purgatory; cherubims flying up to paradise. a soul purged by Christ's blood Can men of the world so delight needs no fire of purgatory, but in looking upon their bags of gold, goes immediately from a death- and fields of corn, and shall not bed into a glorified state. the heirs of heaven take more delight in contemplating their glory in reversion? Could we send

forth faith a spy, and every day view the glory of the Jerusalem above, how would it rejoice us, as it doth the heir to think of the inheritance which is to come into his hand shortly?

Use 3d. Consolation.

This is

Use 1st. See what little cause believers have to fear death, when it brings such glorious benefits: to me to die is gain!" Why should the saints fear their preferment? Is it not a blessed thing to see God, to love God, and to lie for ever in the bosom of divine love? Is it not a blessed thing to meet our godly relations that which may comfort the in heaven? Why should the saints in two cases.-1. Under saints be afraid of their blessings? their wants; they abound only Is a virgin afraid to be matched in wants, the meal is almost unto the crown? Now is but spent in the barrel,—but be pathe contract, at death is the tient till death, and you shall marriage supper of the Lamb, have a supply of all your wants, Rev. xix. 9. What hurt doth you shall have a kindom, and be death, but take us from among as rich as heaven can make you. fiery serpents, and place us among He who hath the promise of an angels? What hurt doth it do, estate, after the expiring of a few but to clothe us with a robe of years, though at present he hath immortality? Hath he any wrong nothing to help himself, yet comdone him that hath his sackcloth forts himself with this, that shortpulled off, and hath cloth of gold ly he shall have an estate come put upon him? Fear not dy-into his hand, 1 John iii. 2., "It ing, ye who cannot live but by doth not yet appear what we shall dying!

be. We shall be enamelled with Use 2d. You who are real saints, glory, and be as rich as the anwhose hearts are purified by faith, gels.-2. A true saint is (as Luspend much time in musing upon ther) hæres crucis; but this may these glorious benefits which you make us go cheerfully through shall have by Christ at death. our sufferings. There are great Thus might you by a contempla- things laid up in store, there is tive life, begin the life of angels glory coming which eye hath not here, and be in heaven before seen, we shall drink of the fruit your time. Eudoxius was so af- of the vine in the kingdom of fected by the glory of the sun, heaven. Though now we drink

in a wormwood cup, yet here is which exceed our faith, and may sugar to sweeten it. We shall be better felt than they can be taste of those joys of paradise expressed.

OF THE RESURRECTION.

JOHN v. 28, 29;-Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Arg. 3. In respect of God's jus tice. If God be a just God, then he will reward the bodies of the saints as well as their souls. It cannot be imagined that the souls of believers should be glorified, Argument 1. By scripture, and not their bodies; they have John vi. 44., "I will raise him served God with their bodies,up at the last day." Isa. xxv. their bodies have been members 8., "He will swallow up death of holiness, their eyes have in victory;" that is, by delivering dropped tears for sin,-their our bodies from the captivity of hands have relieved the poor,