So that, when we come to heaven, we fhall be ready to fay of it as the Queen of Sheba did of Solomon's wif dom and profperity, that half of it had not been told us; that the felicities and glories of that state do far exceed all the fame which we heard of them in this world: for who can fay how great a good God is? and how happy he, who is the fountain of happiness, can make thofe fouls that love him, and those whom he loves? In this imperfect ftate we are not capable of a full reprefentation of thofe glories: We cannot now fee God and live. A full defcription of heaven, and of the plea. fures of that state, would let in joys upon us too big for our narrow capacities, and too strong for weak mortali ty to bear. We are now but children, and we speak as children, and understand and think as children concern. ing thefe things; but in the other ftate we fhall grow up to be men, and then we fhall put away these childish thoughts. Now we know but in part: but when that which is perfect is come, that which is imperfect shall be done away. Now we fee through a glass darkly, (iv aiviyuarai, in a riddle); but then we fhall fee face to face: now we know in part, but then we fhall know even as alfo we are known, 1 Cor. xiii. 9. 10. 11. 12.; as the apoftle difcourfeth excellently concerning this very matter. No fooner fhall we enter upon the joys of the other world, but our minds fhall be raised to a strength and activity as much above that of the moft knowing per fons in this world, as the thoughts of the greatest philofopher and wifeft man upon earth, are above the thoughts of a child or a fool. No man's mind is now. fo well framed to understand any thing in this world, as our understandings fhall then be fitted for the knowledge of God, and of the things that belong to that state. In the mean time, let us blefs God that he hath revealed fo much of this happiness to us, as is neceffary to excite and encourage us to feek after it. II. The fecond thing to be confidered concerning ous future happiness, is the way and means whereby we may come to be made partakers of it. And that, in fhort, is, by the conftant and fincere endeavours of a holy life, in and through the mercies of God in our Lord Jefus Chrift, Chrift indeed is the author of our falvation, falvation, but obedience is the condition of it. So the apoftle tells us, that Chrift is the author of eternal falvation to them that obey him, Heb. v. 9. It is the grace of God in the gospel which brings or offers this falvation to us; but then it is by the denying of ungodliness and worldly lufts, and by living foberly, and righteously, and godly, in this prefent world, that we are to wait for the bleed hope, Tit. ii. 11. 12. Our Saviour promifes this happiness to the pure in heart: Bleed are the pure in heart, for they fhall fee God. And elsewhere the fcripture doth exclude all others from any fhare or portion in this bleffednefs: fo the apostle affures us, that without holiness no man fhall fee the Lord, Heb. xii. 14. And holiness is not only a condition, but a neceffary qualification for the happiness of the next life. This is the force of St John's reafoning, We fhall be like him, for we fhall fee him. To fee God, is to be happy; but unlefs we be like him, we cannot fee him. The fight and prefence of God himfelf would be no happiness to that man who is not like to God in the temper and difpofition of his mind. And from hence the apostle in. fers in the next verfe, Every man that hath this hope in. bim, purifieth himself, even as he is pure. So that, if we live wicked lives, if we allow ourselves in the prac tice of any known fin, we interrupt our hopes of heaven, and render ourfelves unfit for eternal life. By this means we defeat all the defigns of God's grace and mercy towards us; and falvation itself cannot fave us, if we make ourselves incapable of that happiness which God offers. Heaven is in fcripture called an inheritance among them that are fanctified, and the inheritance of the faints in light fo that it is not enough that this inheritance is promifed to us, but we must be qualified and prepared for it, and be made meet to be made partakers of it. And this life is the time of our preparation for our future ftate. Our fouls will continue for ever what we make them in this world. Such a temper and difpofi tion of mind aș a man carries with him out of this life, he fhall retain in the next. It is true indeed, heaven perfects thofe holy and virtuous difpofitions which are. begun here; but the other world alters no man as to Mis main ftate: He that is filthy, will be filthy ftill; and and he that is unrighteous, will be unrighteous ftill. If we do not in a good degree mortify our lufts and paffions here, death will not kill them for us, but we fhall carry them with us into the other world. And if God fhould admit us fo qualified into the place of happiness, yet we fhould bring that along with us, which fhould infallibly hinder us from being happy. Our fenfual inclinations and defires would meet with nothing there that would be fuitable to them; and we fhould be perpetually tormented with thofe appetites which we brought with us out of this world, because we fhould find nothing there to gratify them withal. For, as the apoftle fays, in another fenfe, the kingdom of God is not meats and drinks, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. The happiness of heaven confifts in fuch things as a wicked man hath no guft and relish for. So that if a covetous, or ambitious, or voluptuous man, were in heaven, he would be just like the rich man in hell, tormented with a continual thirst, and burnt up in the flames of his own ardent defires; and would not be able, amidst all the plenty and treasures of that place, to find fo much as one drop of fuitable pleasure and delight to quench and allay that heat. So likewife our fierce and unruly paffions, if we fhould carry them with us into the other world, how inconfiftent would they be with happiness? They would not only make us miferable ourselves, but be a trouble to all those with whom we fhould converfe. If a man of an envious and malicious, of a peevish and paffionate temper, were admitted into the manfions of the bleffed, he would not only be unhappy himself, but would disturb the quiet of others, and raise storms, even in those calm regions. Vain man! that dreameft of being happy, without any difpofition or preparation for it. To be happy, is to enjoy what we defire, and to live with thofe whom we .love. But there is nothing in heaven fuitable to the defires and appetites of a wicked' man.. All the joys of that place, and the delights of that ftate, are purely fpiritual; and are only to be relifhed by those who have purified themfelves, as God is pure. But if thou be carnal and fenfual, what are these things to thee? What happiness would it be to thee to fee God, and to have him Ser 8. him always in thy view, who was never in thy thoughts; to be tied to live for ever in his company, who is of a quite contrary temper and difpofition to thyself, whose prefence thou dreadeft, and whom, whilft thou waft in this world, thou couldst never endure to think upon? So that the pleasures of heaven itself could fignify no good or happiness to that man who is not fo difpofed as to take pleasure in them. Heaven is too pure an air for corrupt fouls to live and breathe in; and the whole employment and converfation of that place, as it would be unfuitable, fo would it also be unacceptable to a senfual and vitious perfon. . From all this it appears, how neceffary it is for us to prepare ourselves for this bleffed ftate, by the conftant and fincere endeavours of a holy life, and by mortifying every luft and inordinate paffion in our fouls: for till this be done, we are not meet to be made partakers of the felicities of the other world. And thus I have done with the first thing implied in this phrafe, of having our converfation in heaven, viz. the ferious thoughts and confiderations of heaven, or the happinefs of that state; and of the way and means whereby that happiness is to be attained. Secondly, The having our converfation in heaven, does imply likewife the effect which those confiderations ought to have upon our hearts and lives. As, 1. To convince us of the vanity of this world. God hath on purpose made this world troublesome and uneafy to us, that there might be no fufficient temptation, to reasonable and confiderate men, to take them off from the care and thought of their future happinefs; that God and heaven might have no rival here below; that there might be nothing in this world that might pretend to our affection, or court us with any advantage, in comparison of everlasting life and glory. When we come to die, and eternity fhall prefent itfelf to our serious and waking thoughts, then things will put on another face; and thofe things which we valued fo much in this life, will then appear to be nothing worth; but thofe things which we neglected, to be of infinite concernment to us, and worthy to have been the care and endeavour of our whole lives. And if we would confider these things in time, while the opportu nities. nities of life and health are before us, we might be convinced at a cheaper rate, and come to be fatisfied of the vanity of this world before we despaired of the happiness of the other. 2. To make us very active and industrious to be as good, and to do as much good as we can in this life, that fo we may be qualified and difpofed for the happinefs of the next. Men are ufually very induftrious for the things of this life, to be rich and great in the world: did we but value heaven half as much as it deferves, we fhould take infinitely more pains for that. So often as we confider the glories that are above, how does it accufe our floth, and condemn our folly, that we are less concerned for our fouls, than most men are for their bodies that we will not labour half fo much for an eternal inheritance, as men ordinarily do for these corruptible things? Let us remember, that we are hafting apace to another world, and that our eternal happiness now lies at the stake. And how fhould it quicken our endeavours to have fuch a reward fet before us, to have crowns and fceptres in our eyes? Would we but often represent to our minds the glorious things of another world, what fervours fhould we feel in our hearts? we fhould be all life, and spirit, and wing; and fhould do God's will, almost with the fame readiness and delight, as the angels do, who continually behold the face of their Father. The confideration of heaven, and the firm perfuafion of our future happiness, should actuate all the powers of our fouls, and be continually infpiring us with new vigour in the ways of holiness and virtue. How fhould this thought fwell our refolutions, and confirm our purposes of obedience, that if we have our fruit unto holiness, our end will be everlasting life? 3. To mitigate and lighten the evils and afflictions of this life. It is no great matter how rough the way be, provided we be sure that it leads to happiness. The incomparably greater good of the next life will, to a wife and confiderate man, weigh down all the evils of this. And the fcripture tells us, that there is no comparison between them: The Juffering, of this prefent time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be VOL. L revealed |