given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory; a ........ always were, and ever will be heard. 8. In effectual vocation, the people of God are called to this glory: hence the apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to lay hold on eternal life; to look for it, expect it, and believe that he should enjoy it; adding this as a reafon or argument, whereunto thou art also called; and fo is every one that is effectually called by the grace of God; and therefore are under obligation to walk worthy of him who bath called them to his kingdom and glory: and they may be affured, that the God of all grace, who bath called them into his eternal glory by Jefus Chrift, will bring them to the enjoyment of it; for he is faithful who has called them, who also will do it; whom he called them he also glorified; between effectual vocation, and eternal glory, is an infeparable connection. 9. Not only the grace of the Spirit of God in regeneration and conversion, which is the faints meetnefs for glory, and evidence of it, proves a future state of blifs and glory, fince it is a well of living water Springing up unto everlasting life; but the Spirit himself is given them as an earnest of it, even he is the earnest of their inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, and by him they are fealed unto the day of redemption; and as fure as they have received the earnest, they shall enjoy the inheritance, or be poffeffed of eternal life. 10. The defires of the faints after the heavenly glory, and their afsurance of it, which at leaft fome of them have in this life, and at the hour of death, have no small weight in them for the confirmation of this truth. Often do they defire, with the apostle Paul, to depart out of this world, and be with Chrift, which is far better"; far better for them, and moft eligible by them; they choose rather to be abfent from the body, that they might be prefent with the Lord'; and what strong affurance have fome of them had of their future happiness? as the patriarchs of old, who died in faith, not only of the Meffiah's coming, and of the bleffings of grace by him, but of their belonging to that city whose builder and maker is God, the apostle there is fpeaking of: fo fays David, Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory'; and the apostle Paul ipeaks not only for himself, and in the name of minifters of the word, his brethren, but in the behalf of all the faints; we know, that after death, we have an boufe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens and how many precious faints, martyrs, and confeffors of Jefus, with others, when they have been about to leave this world, have cried, Glory, Glory, Glory, as having fight of it, and fully affured of their going to it? Now though this, with an infidel world, may be reckoned dream and enthusiasm; yet, along with the evidence before given, will leave no room for a truly gracious foul to doubt of such a state. And agreeable to all this, according to divine revelation, it appears to be matter of fact, that good men as foon as they depart from hence are immediately with Chrift; that those that die in him are from thenceforth bleffed, from the moment of their death, and rest from their labours, and their works follow them"; that angels stand around their dying beds waiting to do their office; and as foon as the foul is separated from the body, efcort it through the regions of the air to the heavenly bliss; fo Lazarus, when he died, was at once carried by angels into Abraham's bofom; and the penitent thief that fuffered on the cross was that day with Chrift in paradife . But I go on, II. To defcribe this glorious ftate. This I confefs is a task fitter for an angel than a man, or for a glorified faint in heaven than for a poor, frail, mortal, finful creature on earth. However, I shall make an attempt, though it be but a feeble one, under the direction and guidance, and with the affiftance of the facred fcriptures; and which I fhall endeavour to do, First, By obferving thofe images by which the heavenly glory is represented; images which are taken from things the most grand and striking, of the greateft worth, value, and efteem among men. 1. It is represented by an house; but such an one as is not to be found any where on earth, a building of God, an boufe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; it is not of this building, or of man's; it is built by him that built all things; it is an house whose builder and maker is God, and not man: there have been many men that have been famous for their skill in architecture, and many fine buildings have been erected by them, which have perpetuated their memory to many ages; fuch as the temple built by Solomon, rebuilt by Zorobabel, and repaired by Herod; concerning which the difciples faid to Chrift, Master, fee what manner of ftones, and what buildings are here! But, alas, what were those buildings to this we are speaking of! they were the holy places made with bands, which were the figures of the true; this the true holy places themselves, not made with bands; not with the hands of men, but with the hands of God; not an erection of mens works, but the effect of divine grace, the pure, freegrace-gift of God through Jefus Chrift our Lord: this houfe is in the heavens, and is opposed to the earthly houfe of our tabernacle; to thefe houses of clay which have their foundation in the duft; and it is called our house which is from heaven › being entirely of an heavenly kind and nature, and it is eternal: fome men build. their houfes here on earth in fuch manner, that they fancy they will continue for Mark xiii. t. • Luke xvi. 22. and chap. xxiii. 43. Phil i. 23. Rev. xiv. 13. P2 Cor. v. 1. ; ever, W ever, to all generations; but thefe, either through length of time, fall to decay, or are demolished by an enemy, or confumed by fire, or tumbled down by an earthquake; but this heavenly house always abides, and all the apartments in it are everlasting babitations": to which may be added, that this is Chrift's Father's bouse, in which are many manfions ; not only which he has built, but in which he dwells, and where he will have all his children; and it is our Father's house as well as Christ's, which makes it ftill more endearing and a roomy one it is; there are many manfions, dwelling-places of reft, peace and joy in it; many, for the many ordained to eternal life; for the many juftified by the obedience of Chrift; for the many for whom his blood was fhed for the remiffion of fins;. for the many fons he brings to glory; yea, here is room enough for the innumerable company, chofen, redeemed, and called out of every kindred,, tongue,, people, and nation. 2. It is called an inheritance. This enlarges the idea; for though, with fome an inheritance may be but a fingle house, a mean cottage, a small pittance; yet with others, it is an affemblage of wealth and riches: it confifts of many houses, farms, estates, and poffeffions, of gold and filver, jewels and precious stones. Heaven is often spoken of as an inheritance, in allufion to the land of Canaan, which was distributed by lot for an inheritance to the children of Ifrael: hence, fays the apostle, in whom, fpeaking of Chrift, we have obtained an inheritance, or a lot *; an inheritance by lot; not that it is a cafual thing, fince it follows, being predeftinated according to the good purpose of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will; but because every faint has his lot, part, and portion in it; for it is an inheritance of the faints in light, and among all them which are fan&tified. There are many things in which Canaan, and the heavenly glory agree, I have. not time to attend to now; only would obferve, that the Ifraelites were brought into the poffeffion of their inheritance, not by Mofes, but by Joshua; fo the faints are brought to heaven, not by the works of the law, or their obedience to that, but by Jefus, the great captain of their falvation. Heaven is also called an inheritance, in allufion to inheritances among men, which are not acquired by labour and diligence, nor purchafed with money, but bequeathed by relations and friends, and are tranfmitted from father to fon. So the heavenly glory is not obtained by the works of men, though they naturally think they must do fome good thing to inherit eternal life; nor is it to be purchased; if a man would give all the fubftance of his houfe for it, it would utterly be contemned: it is bequeathed to faints by their heavenly Father, whofe good pleasure it is to give them the kingdom; and this he gives by will, by testament, and which comes to them by, upon, and through the death of the teftator Jesus Christ. And it folely belongs to children, if children, then heirs; not to fervants, no not the miniftering spirits, who minister for them who shall be, or rather who are heirs of falvation, or fhall inherit it; much less to the children of the bondwoman, or to strangers; only to those who are predeftinated to the adoption of children, or are fellow-citizens with the faints, and of the houshold of God. This is an inheritance which is incorruptible, whereas all earthly inheritances are corruptible things; but this cannot be corrupted by any thing, by fin, or any thing elfe, and none but incorruptible perfons fhall enjoy it; it is undefiled, and will ever remain fo, and none that defileth, or is defiled, shall ever poffefs it; it fadeth not away, nor the glory of it, as earthly inheritances through length of time do; it is referved in the heavens, safe and secure, for all the heirs of it; and they are kept by the power of God for it; it is an eternal inheritance, out of the poffeffion of which the right heirs will never be ejected. 3. The glory of the faints in heaven is expreffed by a city, which still more enlarges the idea of it; a city whofe builder and maker is God, and fo infinitely beyond any thing of this kind on earth; a city which has foundations, more than one, the everlasting love of God, the unalterable covenant of grace, and the rock of ages, Jefus Chrift; fo that it ftands firm and immoveable, and cannot be shaken and thrown down, as fome cities of late have been by earthquakes 4: here no city is continuing, but in length of time falls to ruin; but this always abides the glory of it cannot be expreffed and defcribed by men; the defcription of the city of the new Jerufalem feems to be hyperbolical, and to exceed belief; the figures by which it is fet forth are bold and strong; as that its wall is of jafper, its foundations precious ftones, its gates of pearl, and the streets thereof of pure gold, transparent as glass; and yet as bold and strong as these figures are, they fall fhort of fetting forth the true and real grandeur of it. 4. The heavenly ftate is fignified by a kingdom; higher still, and gives a more exalted notion of it. and nominal ones; they have a kingdom now which lies in righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost'; and they are heirs of another, a kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world; a kingdom and glory, or a glorious kingdom, to which they are called and fitted for in effectual vocation; an everlasting kingdom, into which they will be introduced when time fhall be no more with them; a kingdom that has all the regalia belonging to it. a Rom. viii. 17. d Heb. ix. 15. which carries the idea of it Saints are kings, not titular cannot be moved, and which The eq Peter i. 4. • Τις μελλονίας κληρονόμειν σωτηριαν, Heb. i. 14. e Heb. xi. 10. d As Lisbon and Mequinez lately, and many others, fhaken and damaged in divers places, and in almoft all parts of the world. See Matt xxiv. 7. e Rev. xxi. 18-21. f Heb. xii. 28. Rom. xiv. 17. The glory of this ftate is fometimes expreffed by a crown, and is called a crown of life, even of eternal life, and will be enjoyed for ever; a crown of righteousness, which will be given by the righteous judge in a way of righteoufnefs, and according to the rules of justice; a crown of glory that fadeth not away; not like the garlands or crowns given to conquerors in the Olympic games, to which the allufion is, which were made fometimes of flowers and herbs, that foon withered away; they ran, they ftrove to obtain a corruptible crown, we an incorruptible one: the fame is alfo expreffed by a throne, another enfign or emblem of the glory of a kingdom; a throne of glory, or a glorious throne, to which the faints are raised from the dunghil1 to fit upon and inherit, even the fame throne Chrift himself fits upon; for, fays he, to him that overcometh will I grant to fit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am fet down with my Father on bis throne'. How glorious and magnificent muft this state be! 5. It is fet forth by every thing that is pleafing and grateful to the mind, or ftriking to the fenfes, and by fuch things as exceed all the enjoyments of them in this world. Here the faints will fit down with Chrift at his table, and drink new wine with him in his Father's kingdom; here they will pluck and eat of the fruit of the tree of life, which ftands in the midst of the paradife of God; that tree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits, yielded every month, the leaves of which are for the healing of the nations; here they will drink of the river of divine pleasure, that pure water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb; here they will fee what eye hath not feen, hear what the ear hath not beard, nor have entered into the heart of man': the eye of man has feen many things on earth very grand and illuftrious, and what have been very entertaining to it; but it never faw fuch objects as will be feen in heaven : the ear of man has heard and been entertained with very pleafing founds, very delightful mufic, vocal and inftrumental; but it never heard fuch mufic as will be heard in heaven; the heart of man can conceive of more than it has either seen or heard; but it never conceived of such things as will be enjoyed in the world above. Secondly, Our conceptions of the heavenly glory, at least of the greatness of it, may be aided and affisted by confidering the epithets given unto it. It is reprefented as an unfeen glory, as confifting of things not feen", which are eternal; which faith and hope for the present have only concern with: faith is the fubftance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not feen "; we have not so much glimpse of this glory but by faith; and hope is waiting for it, as fomething yet unfeen: hope that is feen is not hope, for what a man feeth, why doth VOL. I. Rev. ii.11. 2 Tim. iv.8. 1 Peter v.4. I Cor. ix. * Luke xxii. 18, 30. Rev. ii. 7. and chap. xxii. 1, 2, Heb, xi. 1. be h 25. 11 Cor. ii. 9. 1 Sam. ii. 8. I i Rev. iii.21. 2 Cor. iv.8. tu |