The Eternal Blessedness of Heaven
Tke eternal blessedness of heaven considered as the perfection of holiness to quicken our desires and endeavours after greater meetness to possess it.
Doth one year after another hasten me to the end of time? And doth the blessedness of eternity depend oo the communications I now Tecevi Iiqtdl
Oad? On the jnrepamtions I now wtke, and tht nM0tiicas I can naw attain, far etcfnal feUcitjr tto tha pretenee of my God and SaTienr? O^ wkh «kil intensenaos of mind should I now prMerale thst rioas object! with what nnweaiiad diligence ahovU I rtin the race that ia set before me, test I faH shott of the incorruptible crown of Kfe I How should ereiy thing be nndervaioed and rejected, that wontd dtvett retard, or binder, me fironi pnrauing this end I Loid be not a stranger to mj sou), in this distant wiider ness state I let me see more of thy tight I ha traaa* formed more into thine image I eKperiencQ mow of thy love I feel more of thy vita) presence and quidcen* ing Spirit I let the divine life in my soul be moit powerful, and the characts of thy likeness be more legibly stamped upon it! by ttie daily esercise of faith, and hope, and holy affections, carry roe through this world till my pilgrim state be over and thou hast brought me to perfect everlasting holiness I ‘and tst the believing forethoughts of it fill all the powess of my soul with joy and wonder, desire and love!
Give me, Lord! to think aright of the heavenly glory, as a confirmed state of positive perfect holiness; of heavenly light, love, liberty, and joy, with the satisfying vision of God in the face of Christ, and his impressed likeness; dwelling for ever in the direct and steady view of his transforming ^ory, with complete conformity of the soul to eternal goodness, truth, and love, as its perfection; esteeming nothing, desiring nothing, but that God and Christ may be glorified, with an entire subjection to his wilt, adherence to him, rest and confidence in him, swallowed op in the love admiration, and praise of God and
ur Lord Jbtui K?tog io joj{ul tifeaiei acU of aiIhjedioti, adoration And acknowladged dependiice; apralUMl to beMd die ^orj of God in the face of Cbtiaty to aee bit blessed image perfect in every one of the eaiot% &€• When all the preseot bliodneea of our nindi the errors of our judgment, the per mpsoDo s s of our will the disorder and rebellion of otr |Ni88iona» the remaining aversion from God, and dfaaftctioo to Uo which in this world we complain o( sfaall ell be done away; the flesh shall no more lust against the spirit; or the law in our members isgaiast the law of our minds; but an everlasting tranquillity and holy peace take place: a peace which plwseth all understanding, without any outward molestation or inward cause of disquiet.
CXir corrupted nature shall no more cast forth mire and dirt as now; we shall have no more vain or widced thoughts; no more sinful fears or foolish hopes; unbecoming heats, unruly desires, sensual in* ip]il2iltions, earthly afifections; feeble, slothful, spiritless duties; dead and heartless prayers, cold thanksgivings, &ek But, as we shall then know God without errors, and see our Lord Jesus face to face, $0 we shall love jiim, without reserve, more than now we can think; and serve him without dulness and distraction, and praise him without weariness; the iqpiritoial actings of our souls shall have no alloy or drosSb And thus shall we be with him, and admire and enjoy him, without end.
Thus, wbea death is swallowed up in victory, and what was imperfect is done away, and what was corruptible and mortal hath put on immortality, God and CJirist sbMU Iw al, in all; and, when il Vs lxv and perfectly so, then it is heaven i the blessedness whereof is inconceivable. A blessed person is not expressed in the singular number by the Hebrews, but in the abstract and in the plural. Beatitudes,’ instead of * blessed,’ because the blessings are as many and great as they have powers and capacities to partake of blessedness; so will it be in heaven: a word, though commonly used, as little understood as holiness, which is one of the greatest mysteries in the world; but will hereafter be fully and delightfully understood by the blessed saints, as the malignity and intrinsic evil of sin shall be by the damned spirits.
Oh! that I might now feel more of this heavenly life, begun and carried on in my soul, by a farther participation of his holy image and conformity to his will! by more vital effects of his indwelling Spirit in my soul, forming it to be a temple to himself, for his own dejightful residence! that, forgetting that which I have received, I may still be covetous and desirous of more; forgetting what I have attained, I may press on with a holy eagerness and fervency towards the mark I
When I seriously examine my own heart, had I nothing else to prove the weakness of my grace, and the sinful remainders of unbelief, but the low desires, and the few comfortable thoughts, the seldom joyful prospect of this blessed state; how sad an evidence were it of my low attainments, that I breathe with no more impatience after that blessed holy rest, in the enjoyment of God and Christ, and labour no more in preparing for it! when we profess to believe that all the desires of our souls should be fixed on hiiDy and filled with hiin» as our infinite and supreme good; and all the expectations of faith and hope swallowed up in endless admiration, gratitude, and joy ;^ being fully satisfied and at rest in the presence and vision of God, without the least inclination or desire of change. And, by consequence.
There will he no need of novelty, as now, to give a relish to our happiness. All happiness in this world is by comparing a man’s present condition with his past, or with that of some inferiors. But the intrinsic good, felicity, and joy, of heaven, will need no such foil to set it ofi*; no such comparison to make it prized. The blessed spirits will never lose the lively sense of that low and miserable condition from which they were raised to so great a glory; and so will ever equally rejoice in the happiness of their translation and wonderful change: and what was at first delightful will for ever be so; and not be disdained or lessened by a continuance, as it happens in this world, from the emptiness, shallowness,, and. vanity, of the creature. An affectation of vanity, and a desire of change, proceeding always from a sense of want. But holy souls shall never be weary of seeing, loving, and enjoying, God; his blessed presence will afford us undecaying and endless satisfaction; pleasure never to be interrupted or abated, and never to cease. The blessed object is absolutely infinite, and so will be always new to a finite under* standing; and continual fresh communications, from his infinite fulness, must needs make our subjective happiness to be always new, and eternally such.
LfOt me, by such thoughts, quicken and excite my diligent endeavours, after a greater meetue^ .o €v- jay 90 great a bliss. And, to that «iid, whether any of those happy Mmls) who hmve finished their course and obtained their prize, <de now regret their utmost diligence, patience, and persevenanee, during their short abode here, te eeoure the hiessedness of an endless life no, t»o, they ere far from repeiAing the time they spent, the trouble they were at, the care they used, the difficulties they met with, the sttfiertngs they endwred, to conflict with the world and the flesh, to resist temptation, to WAtch or their hearts, and words, and ways, to work oat their salvation to please God and be feithfal to him, ftc They find, to their unspeakable comfort, and «¥er ksting joy, that heaven makes amends for all they could do or -suffer, in order to their coming thither. Yea, they find that they were not diligent, and humble, and patient, and cipcumspect enough. That tjiey did not love God, and seek his glory, redeem their time, and improve all their talents and opportunities of doing and receiving good, and give up themselves entirely to prepare for heaven, to that degree they should have done. They find, by the transcendency of the blessed recompense, that it deserved infinitely more than the most active, sealoos, Christian upon earth did ever do in order to it.
Lord! quicken my resolutions and endeavours by such thoughts as these. Inspire my sluggish, carnal heart, with holy light, and life, and eeal, and fsrvour! that, “looking to the things which are not aeen which are «temal, I may Jay up a good foundation against the li£e to come, and so lay hoU of eternal Ji£s i”
Bnt, jdasi how much have I neglected great duty of holy meditation! how little skill and expe* rience have I in it I bow tameless and insipid oftentimes are my thoughts of God I how confused and unsteady I how little pleasure or advantage have I by contemplating bis highest excellencies! Yet, methinks, could 1 retain but the same awakened, lively, thoughts of heaven and eternal life, which sometimes I have had; might I continually feel the sweet and sacred influence, as for a little season I have sometimes felt it; how little, how very a nothing, would all this world be to me 1 how comparatively weak its strongest and most alluring snares to draw me off from God I with what an unshaken mind could I refuse and resist them I with what an unconcerned indifference could I look upon all its most charming glory!
Could I maintain such a frame of spirit as 1 have sometimes had for a little while, in the serious contemplation of divine mysteries, in fervent prayers, and other solemn duties of religion; when the acts of faith were strong and lively, my heart set on fire with love to God, and holy breathings after him; admiring his matchless grace to fallen sinners, and to my soul in particular; when he brought me to the very suburbs of heaven, (though, alas I how seldom!) by the delightful thought of what the blessed spirits above enjoy, in being where Christ is, and beholding his glory; when I was ready to say, within myself, ^’ It is good to be here; this is no other than the gate of heaven; oh 1 when shall mortality be swallowed up of life!” but, when I thought at any time to fix and settle in such sweet contemplations bow quickly did my lazy V^ik’iix^
F heart fly off! how soon did the flame decay and die away! how soon did I find myself fallen down to earth again; sunk down from the bosom of my Lord, presently forgot myself and heaven, to dwell among the pots, and embrace a dunghill! It was not on my own wings, O Lord! that I soared so high; but, I hope, by the breathings of that holy Spirit of light and love, who bloweth when, and where, and how. long, he listeth; who gave me, at any time, any such first-fruits of the Spirit; who convinced me of the certainty of the heavenly inheritance, by a lively believing foresight of it; who made me earnestly desire the wings of a dove to be gone, and appear before God in Zion; made me pant and groan to be delivered, and to be with God and Christ, with inexpressible desire and joy, inconceivably mixed with sighs and groans: O my God! let not this experience be only such a taste of the powers of the world to come as is consistent with final apostacy! only the seeming zeal of the stony ground, the rapturous joy of a hypocrite! from the power of imagination and a heated fancy; from the working of mere natural self-love; upon mistaken apprehensions of God, and a false opinion of heaven; but, by the holy effects, let me be assured, of the cause and principle, that’ it was of God.
Teach me, from the sweetness of a spiritual communion with God now, in any of his appointed ordinances, to argue with myself what that most ravishing satisfaction will be, that the enjoyment of God in heaven will afford the soul. Our holiness is now imperfect to what it shall be; and therefore, our consolation, peace, and joy, is but in part, and incomparably less than we are assured it will be when we shall be admitted to behold the glory of the Lord. It is now, at most, but as the break of day to the lustre of the meridian sun. But, if in this low imperfect state, we can sometimes obtain so near a view of his glory, and feel such sweet communications of hia grace, how much more of this consolation and joy is reserved to heaven! If, in this pilgrim state, the gifts, and graces, and comforts, of the Holy Spirit are so refreshing, O! what hath God prepared beyond the grave for those who love him! If now he sometimes shed abroad his love in our hearts, after such a manner, how much better shall I love him, and feel the influence and evidence of his love to me, when I shall be with him, and see him face to face? If the apprehensions of this future blessedness do now encourage, raise, and animate, my drooping soul, O! what shall I know and see, and how shall I rejoice, when the veil is removed! If a sacramental communion with God and Jesus Christ be sometimes so sweet and so affecting, what will the blessed communion with God and all his saints above amount to! when I shall sit down with all the children of God, in the presence of the bridegroom, at the last great supper of the Lamb, in glory! If the earnest of our inheritance be so reviving, what will be the full possession of it! If the hopes of that glorious day, by holy meditation, be so transporting, what will be the end of our faith and hope! If a grape or two in the wilderness be such a cordial, what will be the whole vintage in the land of promise!
Shall I, after all this, forget my own experience,
f2 and ran from God and heaven to embrace or seek a perishing toy! shall I hide myself with Saul among the stuff and lumber of this world, when God is calling me to a glorious crown! Art thou, O my soul! a king’s son, an heir of heaven, an expectant of such great felicity, and yet stoopest so low! hope for heaven, and yet grasp this earth, and hug the vain appearances of earthly good! hope to be like to God, (and oh! how glorious a hope is that!) to partake of his image, and live eternally with him, and yet be solicitous, anxious, and disquieted, about honour, and money, and temporal interest! and mightily concerned about the momentai gratifications of the flesh and the enjoyments of this world 1 Art thou a pilgrim and stranger here, and travelling home to the heavenly country, and yet eager and passionate about earthly things? Should a heart, that is set upon heaven, (or may be so, and ought to be so,) burn with such common fire! and neglect the inconceivable riches, and pleasures, and immortal honours, of the other life, and the dawnings of that glory upon my soul by the foretastes of it in this! How great is the disproportion between the heavens and the earth! how vast the circumference of the one, and how small a point the other! how mifny thousand miles doth the sun travel in the heavens, while it passeth but one inch upon a dial! oh that my affections were carried to heavenly things with a swiftness somewhat answerable to the glorious object. And let their motion to earthly things be rather slow and insensible, like that of the sun on a dial. Since I profess to believe and wait for the heavenly glory, should I not live as seeking such things, as expecting such a gtoty? Aikl are careless and indifferent thoughts, sleepy, heartless prayers, faint and weak endeavours, becoming in such a case? Shall I not mend my pace, and double my diligence, in my preparatory work, when I can believingly foresee the blessed recompense! waiting for that everlasting light of the Sun of Righteousness, which no eclipse shall ever darken or obscure; for that eternal glorious day which shall never be closed with an evening. When I shall sec the face of God In Christ, and be like him, participate more of his image, rest in his love, and dwell for ever in the light of his countenance, according to the prayer and promise of my blessed Saviour.
And ought not such a prospect to sweeten the bitterness of all our intermediate sufierings! We sre now oftentimes in heaviness and sorrow, but eternity will be enough for an uninterrupted joy. When we shall exchange all our troubles for -everlasting rest, our prisons for perfect liberty, our poverty for the riches of God; darkness for light; discord for love; deformity for beauty; our weaknesses and present languishings for strength and vigour; folly for wisdom; disgrace for glory; sickness and pain for eternal ease and health; the animal for the angelic life; imperfection and pollution for consummate holiness; our sighs, and tears, and sorrows, and complaints, for triumphant, everiasting praise; our’ losses, affronts, disappointments, perplexities, fears, groans, and death, for crowns and sceptres, hymns and hallelujahs, light and life, and bliss unutterable! and such great things are fit for us to hope but too great to be now «tlcpa«AV] ‘^oKkr derstood and talked of; while “we know but in part, and see through a glass darkly.” Yea, it seems as if it were not lawful to utter them, and now they cannot be expressed or fully known; “For eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive that prepared glory!”