hypostatical union, Col. ii. 9., " In nion of saints will be illustrious. him dwelleth all the fulness of O what a blessed time will it be the Godhead bodily." Through when those who have prayed, Christ's humanity, as through a wept, suffered together, shall rebright mirror, we may see some joice together! We shall see the beams of the Divine Majesty saints in their white linen of shine forth. Put a back of steel purity, and see them as so many to a glass, and you may see a face crowned kings: in beholding the in it: Christ's human nature is as saints glorified, we shall behold a back of steel put to the divine an heaven full of suns. Some move nature; through this we may see the question, whether we shall God; and then our capacities know one another in heaven? shall be enlarged to a wonderful Surely our knowledge shall not degree, to receive this glorious be diminished, but increased. It object; and we shall not only see is the judgment of Luther and God's glory, but some of his Anselm, and many other divines, glory shall be put upon us. Non that we shall know one another, tantum aderit gloria, sed inerit, BERN. A beggar may behold the glory of a king, and not be the happier; but Christ's glory shall be ours, 66 we shall be like him," 1 John iii. 2. shine by his beams. We shall 3. We shall, in the kingdom of heaven, enjoy the society of "an innumerable company of angels," Heb. xii. 22. yea, the saints of all ages, whose faces we never saw; and, when we shall see the saints in glory without their spots, viz. their infirmities, pride, and passion, this will be a glorious sight. We see how Peter was transported when he saw but two prophets in the transfiguration, Mat. xvii. 3.; but, what a blessed sight will it be when we shall see such a QUEST. But is there not glorious company of prophets, enough in God to fill the soul with and martyrs, and holy men of delight? Can the sight of angels God! How sweet will the add to the soul's happiness? music be, when they shall sing What need is there of the light of together in concert, in the heatorches, when the sun shines? venly choir! And though, in Ans. Because the divine es- this great assembly of saints and sence, the sight of angels is de-angels, "one star may differ from sirable; much of God's curious another in glory," yet no such workmanship shines in the angels; weed as envy shall ever grow in the angels are beautiful, glorious the paradise of God; then there creatures and as the several | shall be perfect love, which, as it strings in a lute make the har- casts out fear, so also envy; mony sweeter, and the several though one vessel of glory may stars make the firmament brighter, hold more than another, yet every so the society with angels will vessel shall be full. make the delight of heaven the 5. In the kingdom of heaven greater; and we shall not only there shall be incomprehensible see the angels with the glorified joy. Aristotle saith, "joy proeye of our understanding, but ceeds from union." When the converse with them. saints' union with Christ is per 4. We shall, in the kingdom of fected in heaven, then their joy heaven, have sweet society with shall be full; all the birds of the glorified saints; then the commu-heavenly paradise sing for joy. 1 Kings vi. 32., the doors of the holy of holies were made of palm-trees and open flowers, covered with gold: an emblem of that victory and that garland of glory which the saints shall wear in the kingdom of heaven. When all the titles and ensigns of worldly honour shall lie in the dust,-the mace, the silver star, the garter,then shall the saints' honour remain. What joy when the saints shall see the great gulf shut, and know that they are passed from death to life! What joy, when they are as holy as they would be, and as God would have them to be! What joy to hear the music of angels, to see the golden banner of Christ's love displayed over the soul, to be drinking that water of life which is quintessential, and is sweeter than all nectar and ambrosia! What joy when 7. We shall, in the kingdom of the saints shall see Christ clothed heaven, have a blessed rest. Rest in their flesh, sitting in glory is the end of motion; heaven is above the angels! Then they centrum quietatimum anima, the shall enter into the joy of their the blessed centre where the soul Lord, Mat. xxv. 21. Here joy doth acquiesce and rest. In this enters into the saints, in heaven life we are subject to unquiet mo'they enter into joy.' O thou tions and fluctuations, 2 Cor. vii. saint of God, who now hangest 5., "We were troubled on every thy harp upon the willows, and side:" like a ship on the sea hav minglest thy drink with weeping, ing the waves beating on both in the kingdom of heaven thy wa-sides; but in the kingdom of ter shall be turned into wine; heaven there is rest, Heb. iv. 9. you shall have so much felicity, How welcome is rest to a weary that your souls cannot wish for traveller! When death cuts The sea is not so full of asunder the string of the body, water, as the heart of a glorified the soul, as a dove, flies away, and saint is of joy; there can be no is at rest. This rest is when the more sorrow in heaven than there saints shall lie on Christ's bosom, is joy in hell. that hive of sweetness, that bed of perfume. more! 6. In heaven there is honour and dignity put upon the saints. 8. The saints shall, in the A kingdom imports honour. All kingdom of heaven, have their that come into heaven are kings; bodies richly bespangled with they have, 1. a crown, Rev. ii. 10. glory; they shall be full of clarity Dabi tibi the crown of life; coro- and brightness. As Moses' face na est insigne regiæ potestatis. shined that Israel were not able This crown is not lined with to behold the glory, Exod. xxxiv. thorns, but hung with jewels; it 30. The bodies of the saints is a never-fading crown, 1 Pet. shall shine seven times brighter v. 4.-2. The saints in heaven than the sun, saith Chrysostom have their robes; they exchange they shall have such a resplen their sackcloth for white robes, dency of beauty on them, that Rev. vii. 9., " I beheld, and lo, a the angels shall fall in love with great multitude, which no man them; and no wonder, for they could number, clothed in white shall be made like Christ's glo robes !" Robes signify their rious body, Phil. iii. 21. The glory, white their sanctity.-And, bodies of saints glorified need no 3. They sit with Christ upon the jewels, when they shall shine like throne, Rev. iii. 21. We read, Christ's body. (2.) A visible beholding the glorified body of Jesus Christ. (3.) A glorious vision of saints and angels. (4.) Dignity and honour, the crown, and white robes. (5.) A blessed rest. QUEST. 2. What are the properties or qualifications of the kingdom of heaven? 9. In the heavenly kingdom is | nion with good, who is the ineternity; 'tis an eternal fruition, exhausted sea of all happiness. they shall never be put out of the throne, Rev. xxii. 5., “ They shall reign for ever and ever." It is called "the everlasting kingdom," 2 Pet. i. 11., and "an eternal weight of glory," 2 Cor. iv. 17. The flowers of paradise, of which the saints' garland is made, never wither. If there could be a cessation of heaven's glory, or Ans. 1. The glory of this kingthe saints had but the least fear dom is solid and substantial; the or suspicion of losing their feli- Hebrew word for glory signifies city, it would infinitely abate and a weight, to shew how solid and cool their joy; but their kingdom weighty the glory of the celestial is for ever, the rivers of paradise kingdom is. The glory of the cannot be dried up, Ps. xvi. 11., worldly kingdom is airy and ima"At thy right hand there are ginary, like a blazing comet, or pleasures for ever more. The fancy; Acts xxv. 23., Agrippa kingdom of heaven was typified and Bernice came with great by the temple, which was built pomp, with a great fancy; Job with stone, covered with cedar xxvi. 7., The earth hangs like a overlaid with gold: to shew the ball in the air, without any thing fixed permanent state of glory, to uphold it. The glory of the that kingdom abides for ever. heavenly kingdom is substantial, Well may we pray, Thy king- it hath twelve foundations, Rev. xxi. 14. That which God and angels count glory, is true glory. dom come of 66 Having spoken of the kingdom grace, and how we may know that kingdom is set up in our hearts, I am next to speak of the kingdom of glory, or heaven. 1. What is meant by the kingdom of heaven. 2. What are the properties of this kingdom. 3. Wherein this heavenly kingdom excels all the kingdoms upon earth. A. 2. The glory of this kingdom is satisfying, Ps. xxxvi. 9., "With thee is the fountain of life." How can they choose but be full, who are at the fountainhead? Ps. xvii. 15., "When I awake, I shall be satisfied with thy likeness," i. e. when I awake in the morning of the resurrection, having some of the beams of thy glory shining in me, I shall be satisfied, Job xxviii. 14., The creature saith concerning satisfaction, "It is not with me." If we go for happiness to the creature, we go to the wrong box; only heaven's glory is commensurate to the vast desires of an immortal soul. A Christian bathing himAns. 1. It imports a blessed self in these rivers of pleasures, freedom from all evil.-2. It im- cries out in divine extacy, plies a glorious fruition of all have enough!" The soul is never good. (1.) Immediate commu-satisfied till it hath God for its 4. When this kingdom shall be bestowed. 5. Wherein appears the certainty and infallibility of it. 6. Why we should pray for the coming of this kingdom. QUEST. 1. What is meant by the kingdom of heaven? portion, and heaven for its haven. | dungeon, Mat. xxii. 13. Fire, Dissatisfaction ariseth from some but no light. The kingdom of defect, but God is an infinite heaven is a diaphanum,—all emgood, and there can be no defect broidered with light, clear as in that which is infinite. crystal. How can there want A. 3. The glory of heaven's light where Christ the Sun of kingdom is pure and unmixed; Righteousness displays his golden the streams of paradise are not beams? Rev. xxi. 23., "The muddied,―omnia clara, omnia ju- glory of God did lighten it, and cunda,-there, that gold hath no the Lamb is the light thereof." alloy; no bitter ingredient in A. 7. The glory of this kingthat glory, but pure as the honey-dom is adequate and proportiondrops from the comb; there grows a rose without prickles, the rose of Sharon; there is ease without pain, honour without disgrace, life without death. able to the desire of the soul. In creature fruitions, that which doth commend them, and set them off to us, is suitableness; the content of marriage doth not lie either in beauty or portion, A. 4. The glory of this kingdom is constantly exhilarating and re-but the suitableness of disposition. freshing; there is fulness but no surfeit. Wordly comforts, though sweet, yet in time grow stale; a down-bed pleaseth a while, but within a while we are weary, and would rise. Too much pleasure is a pain; but the glory of heaven doth never surfeit or nauseate; the reason is, because, as there are all rarities imaginable, so every moment fresh delights spring from God into the glorified soul. The excellency of a feast is when the meat is suited to the palate: this is one ingredient in the glory of heaven, it exactly suits the desires of the glorified saints. We shall not say in heaven, here is a dish I do not love! There shall be music suits the ear,-the anthem of angels; and food that suits with the glorified palate,the hidden manna of God's love. A. 8. The glory of this kingA. 5. The glory of this king-dom will be seasonable. The seadom is distributed to every indi-sonableness of a mercy adds to its vidual saint. In an earthly kingdom the crown goes but to one, a crown will fit but one head: but in that kingdom above, the crown goes to all, Rev. i. 6. All the elect are kings. The land is settled chiefly upon the heir, and the rest are ill-provided for; but in the kingdom of heaven, all the saints are heirs, Rom. viii. 17., "Heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." God hath land enough to give to all his heirs. 4. 6. Lucid and transparent. This kingdom of heaven is adorned and bespangled with light, 1 Tim. vi. 16. Light is the glory of the creation, Eccl. xi. 7., "The light is sweet." Hell is a dark beauty and sweetness; it is like apples of gold to pictures of silver. After an hard winter in this cold climate, will it not be seasonable to have the spring-flowers of glory appear, and the singing of the birds of paradise come? When we have been wearied, and even tired out in battle with sin and Satan, will not a crown be seasonable. QUEST. 3. Wherein the kingdom of heaven infinitely excels all the kingdoms of the earth? Ans. 1. It excels in the architect; other kingdoms have men to raise their structures, but God himself laid the first stone in this kingdom, Heb. xi. 10. This A kingdom is of the greatest anti-ness. Kingdoms on earth are for quity; God was the first king and the most part unholy; there is a founder of it; no angel was wor- common sewer of luxury and unthy to lay a stone in this building. cleanness running in them; kingA. 2. This heavenly kingdom doms are stages for sin to be acted excels in altitude; it is higher si-on, Isa. xxviii. 8., "All tables tuated than any kingdom; the are full of vomit." But the kinghigher anything is the more ex-dom of heaven is so holy that it cellent; the fire being the most will not mix with any corruption, sublime element is the most noble. Rev. xxi. 27., There shall enter The kingdom of heaven is seated into it nothing that defileth. 'Tis above all the visible orbs. There so pure a soil, that no serpent of is 1st. The airy heaven, which is sin will breed there; there is the space from the earth to the beauty which is not stained with sphere of the moon. 2d. The lust, and honour which is not starry heaven, the place where are swelled with pride. Holiness is the planets of an higher elevation the brightest jewel of the crown Saturn, Jupiter, Mars. 3d. The of heaven. cælum empyræum, the empyrean A. 5. The kingdom of heaven heaven, which Paul calls the excels all other kingdoms in its third heaven; where Christ is, pacific nature; 'tis regnum pacis, there is the kingdom of glory a kingdom of peace. Peace is the situated. This kingdom is so glory of a kingdom; pax una trihigh that no scaling ladders of umphis innumeris melior. enemies can reach it, so high king's crown is more adorned that the old serpent cannot shoot with the white lily of peace, than up his fiery darts to it. If wicked when it is beset with the red men could build their nests roses of a bloody war. But where among the stars, yet the least be- shall we find an uninterrupted liever would shortly be above peace upon earth? Either homebred divisions, or foreign invasions, 2 Chron. xv. 5., “There was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in." But the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of peace; there are no enemies to conflict with; all Christ's enemies shall be under his feet, Ps. cx. 1. The gates of that kingdom always stand open, Rev. xxi. 25., "The gates shall not be shut at all:" to shew that there is no fear of an assault of an enemy. The saints, when they die, are said to enter into peace, Isa. lvii. 2. There's no beating of drums, or roaring of cannons; but the voice of harpers harping, in token of peace, Rev. xiv. 2. In heaven, "righteousness and peace kiss each other." Ps. lxxxv. 10. them. A. 3. The kingdom of heaven excels all others in splendour and riches; it is described by precious stones, Rev. xxi. 19. What are all the rarities of the earth to this kingdom, coasts of pearl, rocks of diamonds, islands of spices? What are the wonders of the world to it, the Egyptian pyramids, the temple of Diana, the pillar of the sun offered to Jupiter ? What a rich kingdom is that where God will lay out all his cost! Those who are poor in the world, yet, as soon as they come into this kingdom, grow rich, as rich as the angels; other kingdoms are enriched with gold, this is enriched with the Deity. A. 4. The kingdom of heaven excels all other kingdoms in holi A. 6. The kingdom of heaven CC |