Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

And therefore hell is described to us by fuch things as affect the fense of feeling, because that is capable of the greatest and sharpeft pain; and the enjoyments of heaven, by the sense of fight, because that is the nobleft of all our fenfes; and the primary and proper object of it is most delightful, and of the most spiritual nature of any corporeal thing.

1. Sight is the noblest and most excellent of all our fenfes and therefore the frame of the eye is the most curious of all other parts of the body, and the dearest to us, and that which we preserve with the greatest tenderness. When the Apostle would fet forth the mighty affection which the Galatians bore to him, he fays, they would have plucked out their very eyes for him. It is the most comprehenfive fenfe, hath the largeft fphere, takes in the most objects, and difcerns them at the greatest diftance. It can, in a moment, pass from earth to heaven, and furvey innumerable objects. It is the moft pure, and fpiritual, and quickest in its operations, and approacheth nearest to the nature of a fpiritual faculty. Of all our fenfes, it carries the greateft evidence and certainty along with it, and the reports of it are the most certain and unqueftionable. Hence we ufe to fay, that one eye-witness is more than ten ear-witneffes. When Job would exprefs to us the most perfect knowledge of God, he does it by fight, Job xlii. 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eyes fee thee; that is, he had a more perfect and clear difcovery of God and his perfections than ever he had before." And, to mention but one thing more, it is that fenfe which is more apt to work upon our affections.

Segniùs irritant animos demiffa per aures,
Quàm quæ funt oculis commiffa fidelibus;

"The things which we hear reported, are not fo apt "to move our pity, or anger, or love, as the things which 66 we fee with our eyes." So that in all these respects, of the dignity and excellency, the largenefs and comprehenfivenefs, the fpirituality and quicknefs, the evidence VOL. VIII.

e

and

and certainty of this fenfe, and the power it hath to raise our affections, it is the fitteft to represent to us the noblet employment and operation of our fouls in the state of glory.

2. The primary and proper object of this fenfe, is the moft delightful, and of the moft fpiritual nature of any corporeal thing, and that is light. The light of the eye. rejoiceth the heart, Prov. xv. 30. Light is fweet, and a pleafant thing it is for the eye to behold the fun, Ecclef. xi. 7. It is the pureft and most spiritual of all corporeal things, and therefore God chufeth to reprefent himself by it: God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

And thus I have done with the second thing I propound. ed to speak to, namely, that thus much in general we cer tainly know of the happiness of our future ftate, that it fhall confift in the fight of God. I fhould now proceed to the third thing, namely, wherein our likenefs to God fhall confift: But this I fhall refer to another opportunity,

SERMON

CLXXXVI.

Of the happiness of good men, in the future ftate.

I JOHN iii. 2.

It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, that when he hall appear, we shall be like him ; for we fhall fee him as he is,

I

The fecond fermon on this text.

N thefe words are four things worthy of our confideration.

First, The prefent obfcurity of our future ftate, as to the particular circumftances of that happinefs which good u en fhall enjoy in another world; it doth not yet appear what we shall be.

Secondly,

Secondly, What we know of it in general; that it fhall confift in the perfect knowledge and enjoyment of God; both which are comprehended in that expreffion, We shall fee him as he is.

Thirdly, Wherein our likeness and conformity to God fhall confift, This we know, that when he shall appear, we fhall be like him.

Fourthly, The neceffary connexion between our likenefs and conformity to God, and our fight and enjoyment of him. The two first of these I have spoken to. I fhall now proceed to the

Third, namely, Wherein our likenefs and conformity to God fhall confift, We know that when he shall appear, we fhall be like him : In these two things, in the immortality of our nature, and in the purity of our fouls.

I. In the immortality of our nature. In this mortal ftate, we are not capable of that happiness which confifts in the vifion of God, that is, in the perfect knowledge and perpetual enjoyment of him. The imperfection of our ftate, and the weakness of our faculties, cannot bear the fight of fo glorious and refplendent an object, as the divine nature and perfections are: We cannot fee God and live. The frailty of our mortal condition is unequal to fuftain fo great a weight of glory; to be fure it is incapable of eternal felicity: Nothing but an immortal nature can be happy for ever. And therefore the fcripture tells us, that when our bodies fhall be raised, the quality and condition of them shall be quite altered, and that our bleffed Saviour fhall, by his almighty power, make a mighty change in them from what they were in this mortal state : Phil. iii. 20, 21. Our converfation is in heaven, from whence alfo we look for a Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift; who fhall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to fubdue all things to himself. And the Apostle tells us more particularly wherein this change doth confift, 1 Cor. xv. 42. It is fown in corruption, it is raifed in incorruption; it is fown in difhonour, it is raised in glory; it is fown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is fown a natural body, it is raised a spi-ritual body. Thefe corruptible, and vile, and weak, and

[ocr errors]

Q2

grofs

grofs bodies which we wear and carry about us för a while, and at laft put off, and lay down in the grave, fhall, by the power of God at the refurrection, be refined and advanced into fpiritual and vigorous, glorious and immortal bodies. Our bodies are now but a tabernacle, a temporary and moveable dwelling, that shall shortly be taken down; but, at the refurrection, they fhall become a fixed and fettled habitation, a house that shall never decay, nor come to ruin. So the Apostle tells us, 2 Cor. v. 1. We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building of God, a house. not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. And when this bleffed change fhall be made, Mortality fhall be fwallowed up of life; for this corruptible muft put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. And there is a neceffity of this, in order to our perfect happiness. For that is not a perfect happiness, which fhall expire and have an end; which it must have, if we were still liable to mortality. And therefore the Apostle is peremptory, that there must be fuch a change, because our bodies, ás they are now conftituted and framed, are utterly inca pable of the happiness of the next life. Ver. 50. Now this I fay, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Where, by flesh and blood, the Apoftle does not mean, as many have imagined, our finful and impure nature; but our frail and mortal nature, confifting of fuch grófs materials as flesh and blood are, for the maintenance and fupport of which, there is continual need of new recruits and fresh fupplies of nourishment by meat and drink. Such a nature as this, which is neceffarily mortal, cannot inherit the kingdom of God, which is a ftate of perpetual and endless happiness. And that the Apoftle means this by the phrafe of flesh and blood, is evident beyond all doubt, from the next words, which he adds by way of explication of what he had faid, This, I fay, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inkerit incorruption. That which is liable to death and corruption, is not capable of immortal glory and happinefs. And therefore our nature muft be made immortal; and immortality makes us like to God, and is an evident teftimony and de

claration

claration that we are the fons of God. We are now the children of God, in refpect of our title to a future inheri tance; but this is hid from the world; but at the refurrection, when we fhall bear the image of his immortality, this will be an evident mark of our being the fons of God. As our blessed Saviour was mightily declared to be the Son of God, by his refurrection from the dead; fo likewife shall his members be declared to be the children of God, by that glorious change that shall be made in them at the refurrection, when this mortal shall put on immortality. Then we are the fons of God indeed in an eminent manner, when we can die no more.

And therefore it is worth our obfervation, that the fcripture gives us the title of the children of God, more efpecially upon this account, Luke, xx. 35, 36. But they which fhall be counted worthy to obtain that world, and the refurrection from the dead, can die no more, but are equal to the Angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the refurrection. And Rom. viii. 19. the refurection is called, The manifeftation of the fons of God. And ver. 21. Our being delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the fons of God. · And ver. 23. it is called, our adoption, or fonship: We ourfelves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, viz. the redemption of our bodies. This is the first thing, wherein our likeness and refemblance to God in our future state of happiness fhall confift, the immortality of our nature, without which we could not be capable of the bleffed vifion of God, and the everlafting enjoyment of him.

II. It fhall confift in the purity of our fouls. Now purity is a freedom from fin, which is the great ftain and defilement of the foul. Before we can he admitted into heaven, we must be quit of all thofe vicious and corrupt inclinations, of all thofe inordinate defires and paffions which defile our fouls, and render us unlike to God. In this world, every good man does mortify his earthly and 1 corrupt affections, and, in fome meafure, bring them into obedience and fubjection to the law of God. But fill there are fome relicks of fin, fome fpots and imperfections in the holiness of the beft men.

Q3

But,

1

« AnteriorContinuar »