MY scope is to raise up your hearts to heaven, and to consider that great glory which God [Page 2] hath prepared for them that love him, to open and describe heaven, whereof there are many uses both to those that are in the state of nature, and those that are in the state of grace. There is nothing more powerfull with the wicked for to bring them to Christ, nothing more proportio­nable to a principle of selfelove: and likewise to the godly, that they may willingly and with cheere­fulnesse passe through the afflictions of this life, that they may passe through the evill world with their hearts raised up to heaven. The Apostle from the 17. verse to the end of this chapter sends it in, beating [Page 3] this upon the hearts of Gods people in steeling their hearts and raising them up against tribulati­ons, and among the rest this is one incouragement, to consider the joy which shall not onely be revealed to us but in us, which we shall be made partakers of. Brethren▪ the consideration of Heaven which is so little thought on by us Christi­ans, this I would lay open to you: the excellency of which glory, that we may more clearely behold, man may looke upon many things, but I will onely name two:

First comparatively, and this the Text leades us un­to, For I reckon not the suffe­rings, [Page 4] &c. Secondly, sim­ply as it is in it selfe.

1 First of all to know this great glory, let us compare it with all other things, with all the goods the creature can afford, with all the things here below, which our hearts dote so much upon, as pleasures, honours, riches, beauty, &c. they are not to be compa­red to it, it transcends all the glory of this world, all the good things wee are capeable of, one leafe of this Tree of Life, I say, one leafe of it, better than all the fruits that grow in this world, Revel 22. Out of the bowels of this earth are raised gold, silver, pearles, and precious stones, which [Page 5] serve but for the materials of the wals of this City and for paveing the streetes of it, The most glorious things this World hath, serve I say, for the gates of the Temple. If the outside be so glorious, consider how glorious must the inside be, how beautifull must it be within. why, no crea­ture this world hath is worthy so much as to sha­dow it, all the creatures be swallowed up with this glory, even as a drop is swallowed up with the Ocean: Take Salomon in all his royalty, the most magnificent, rich, and glo­rious Prince the World ever had, he lived indeed at the best rate, he had the [Page 6] very quintessence of them all, in so much that a Queen her selfe was amazed to see his great glory, yet let me tell you, this Salomon which is now in heaven, 10 thousand times exceeds all the glory and pompe hee had on earth, I say the glo­ry hee hath now exceeds it infinitely: I say, the glory he hath now in heaven ex­cels that glory hee had on earth, being on his Throne in all his royalty, even as much as he did then excell himselfe when hee was in his mothers womb; we see then the good things of this life are not worth talking of, they come farre short, they are not worthy to be compared together.

2 In the second place, com­pare this glory with the af­flictions we suffer here, and it doth as the Apostle saith, waigh them all downe, not onely the afflictions which befall one man but all men, I say, all of thē be they what they will be, and lay them in one ballance, & Heaven & its glory in another, & it will waigh them all down, even as a grain of sand will bee weighed downe of the whole World. There is no reckoning to bee made of them in respect of heaven, and yet one of these af­flictions will eclipse all the good we enjoy here, be­ing afflicted we take no pleasure in all our worldly contentments: Therefore [Page 8] wee see that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy to be compa­red to the glory which shall be revealed in us.

In the third place, to3. Com. make a further demonstra­tion of this to you: There is a joy which Gods people are capeable of in this life; the joy of the holy Ghost, which is unspeakeable and glorious, one drop of which transcends infinitely all the joy the creatures can afford us: my brethren have you ever heard of this joy? have you ever tasted of it? hath God ever raised your hearts to see it and his glo­ry, if you have but tasted, as the Apostle saith, how good the Lord is, you shall [Page 9] say with David, Psal 4. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me. Thou hast put gladnesse into my heart more than in the time when Corne and Wine and Oyle in­creased. This is the joy which comes fresh from the fountaine: My bre­thren marke well what I say, the Divell himselfe when he transformes him­selfe into an Angell of light affords more comfort to the heart of an hypocrite than the World can doe: why then how much more doth the joy of the holy Ghost which comes from a true fountaines, if it be shed abroad in your hearts: And hence it was, that the Martyrs suffered so [Page 10] willingly, & ran through so many persecutions, and yet the glory which is in Hea­ven, if it be compared to this, infinitely transcends it. The joy which shall be revealed swallowes up all these joyes which we have here, even as the sea swal­lowes up mole-hils, it is nothing in comparison of Heaven, it is but as a drop to the Ocean, and yet one drop of this joy of the Holy Ghost is more excel­lent than Oceans of world­ly comforts. All the joyes of this world is but as a drop to the Ocean, for infinite drops will make a Sea, but infinite worlds will not make heaven, but indeed infinite drops of [Page 11] this joy will make heaven, because, it is of the same nature; yet this, I say, is not comparable to the joyes in heaven, why? its but the earnest penny of our inhe­ritance, 2 Cor. 5. 5. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfe same thing is God, who hath given unto us the ear­nest of the Spirit. GOD doth fashon and prepare his people here at the revenewes of their joyes, which shall come in hereafter, all that the Holy Ghost makes us partakers of in this life is but as a sixe pence in respect of the whole payment of glory, wee shall have in Heaven, Phil. 1. 14. Which is the [Page 12] earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of our purchased possession unto the praise of his glory. This my brethren is but as a penny to the dowry of the Queene of Heaven, which the Saints the Bride of Heaven are to enjoy. The Scriptures calls it no more but the sealing of the holy Ghost, the earnest of our inheritance. Indeed, it is of the same nature with the great summe of which it is an earnest; for you know an earnest differs from a pledge in this, a pledge is of another kinde, but the earnest of the same kinde with the payment. And so the joy of the holy Ghost is of the same kinde [Page 13] with that which is layd up for us, but it is but an ear­nest, and there is difference in the manner of producing it, whatsoever we have here as our earnest is but from the light of faith, we cannot see Christ from whom we have it, we only beleeve on him as hee is absent; wee never saw him, and yet this workes a joy unspeakeable and glo­rious▪ 1 Pet 8. Whilst we apprehend him by faith, it is but as absent from him: Therefore wee are alwaies con­fident, 2 Cor. 5. 6 knowing that whilst wee are at home in the body, wee are absent from the Lord, and if we have such joy in his absence, and seeing but a small glimpse, [Page 14] or cranny of light com­ming to us by faith; if this I say, be so glorious, what will it then be, when to see him as he is, to see him top to toe, to be in the presence of him, in which is fulnesse of joy? By faith we see him but not all, and this causeth joy unspeakeable and glo­rious, what then to see him in perfection, and have his presence the fulnesse of it, whose presence in the least degree of it goeth farre be­yond all the sight of him, we have in the highest de­gree of faith, yea in all the degrees of faith, and yet the least degree of faith excells all the joy the World can give, and there­fore doe but thinke with [Page 15] your selves what Hea­ven is.

Compare it with those4. Com. joyes, and that glory the Saints that are in Heaven enjoy, which infinitely transcends both the good things of this world, & the joy of the Holy Ghost, and yet there is a glory to bee revealed after the day of Judgement that will trans­cend the joy of the Saints, now mark the comparison. The least drop of joy here that comes from the holy Ghost transcends the joy of the world, the joy the Saints in Heaven now have as much transcends this joy of the holy Ghost as it doth that of the world, yet after the day of Judgment, there is a fuller treasure of joy, [Page 16] to bee broken up. And therefore let this raise up your hearts to conceive of the exceeding waight of glory laid up for the elect, the Saints who are now in Heaven at the Well head of comforts, who bathe themselves in these Rivers of pleasures, why they have and are cape­able of more joy than we can conceive of, one Saint in heaven my Brethren hath more glory and joy in his heart, than all the joy that is on earth, and yet at the latter day, their glory will as farre tran­scend that they have now even as it doth ours upon earth, I may say of their condition as the Apostle doth, Heb. 11. 40. God ha­ving [Page 17] provided some better things for us, that they without us should not be made perfect, while the Saints are without their fellowes they are not come to the highest degree of perfection, Heb. 12. 23. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in Hea­ven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, There is a perfection to be given them which they yet have not when all their fel­low Saints, all their fellow brethren, when the whole number of the faithfull are together then shall a new treasure of glory bee bro­ken up, 2 Thes. 1. 10. Who shall come (saith the text) to [Page 18] bee glorified in his Saints and to bee admired of all those that beleeve, we doe usually admire a thing whē our expectation is excee­ded, now the Angels and the soules of the glorified Saints in Heaven, they have seene and enjoyed many glorious things already, and they looke for farre more glorious things, but yet he will bring forth a glory at that day beyond their ex­pectations; he will not one­ly be admired by wicked men, but all that beleeve shall admire this, he will then put them to a new a­mazement: Let now the consideration of this glory raise up your hearts to seeke for it, that so such an [Page 19] unvaluable and great price may not passe out of your hands, even the exceeding great riches of glory layd up for us. Againe, stand agast at the love of God, that hath prepared such glory for you: thus much comparatively. Now se­condly, let us consider it simply as it is in it selfe, and because things are best knowne by their causes we will begin with them.

And first▪ of all the effici­ent1. Cause. cause of this great glo­ry, & that is the great God of Heaven & Earth, whose Greatnesse and Glory wee cannot comprehend, but only by his works, he is the efficient cause of Heaven, and all its glory, he built [Page 20] this great City, and all his workes shall bee like him­selfe: If King Ahashuerus make a feast, he will make it like a King, much more the King of Kings will pro­vide for his servants whom hee feasts, hee made a World, and how glorious is it, but if he make a Hea­ven, thinke with your selves what a Heaven it will be: The Scriptures (Heb. 11.) commend this to us, comparing the 10 and 16 verses together, For hee looked▪ saith hee, for a City (speaking of Abraham) which hath foundations, whose buil­der and founder is God; and then verse 16. God is not a­shamed to bee called their God for he hath built for them a City, [Page 21] marke the reason; In the first place it is said to bee a City whose builder and founder is God, God is the Artist of it, he shewed his art in it: in this building of heaven, God shewed himselfe an Artificer: in­deed God hath made other great works, as the World; but he hath shewed no art upon this in comparison of Heaven: The heavens which we see, are but the seeling of this Heaven which God hath prepared for his Saints, and yet they are very glorious, but yet he hath bestowed no cost in comparison, hee hath shewed no art on it in re­spect of Heaven; he hath bestowed all his cost on [Page 22] this, in making heaven hee shewed himselfe an Ar­tificer. And would you know the reason of it? it is because Heaven is his standing house, Kings you know use to enrich their standing houses, they be­stow more cost upon them than others: This World my brethren, is not a house that hath foundati­on, but it was builded by God as a stage upon which when men have acted their parts, it is to be throwne downe; it is set up for a few thousand yeares which are nothing to him, and then hee meanes to pull it downe, hee will then burne it; but Heaven is Gods standing house, his [Page 23] Pallace, and therefore consider what great cost God hath bestowed on it. Againe, it is said to bee a City prepared, Matthew 25. 24. Come yee blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the World: Hee speakes as if GOD had beene a great while in making Hea­ven; GOD hath beene long in contriving it, nay further, saith Christ, I goe to prepare a place, as if it were still in finishing, as if it were not yet fini­shed, not but that all GODS workes are per­fect from the beginning, but it is spoken after the manner of men, that [Page 24] wee might expect great glory, for which there is such great preparation, and saith he, if it were not so, I would have told you; thinke what you will think of it, and it will be answe­rable, God will fulfill it. Heaven is a City prepared, if there be but preparation for a Coronation of an earthly King a moneth or a quarter of a yeere, there are great things expected, and yet more is shewed; but now God hath beene alwaies in preparing Hea­ven, he hath beene making of it from the beginning of the World; David laid up materials for the Tem­ple, and Salomon builded; so God prepares Heaven [Page 25] and Christ builds it. And therefore consider with your selves, there are great things to be found, expect what you can and it shall be answered. And thus you see God hath made a Heaven with a foundation, he hath beene long in pre­paring of it, hee set up the World in sixe daies, but he hath beene setting up Hea­ven, as I may so say, sixe thousand yeeres, and ther­fore let this raise up your hearts to consider what a waight of glory God hath layd up for those that love him.

Secondly, consider the2. Cause. materiall cause of it, why it is Christ the Lord of glo­ry, Christ Jesus himselfe [Page 26] hast purchased it for us in his blood, he hath laid the foundation of it, his blood was layd out for it, hee spunne this thred of glory out of his owne bowels, and therefore we may well argue the greatnesse of this glory, seeing that his blood hath obtained it, 1 Eph. It is there called the riches of the glory of his inheri­tance, all the inheritance that Christ hath hee distri­butes it unto the Saints: this is said to be a purcha­sed possession; why, now my brethren thinke with your selves, what shall be the revenues of glory pur­chased by his death. Think what a large possession the blood of Christ will pro­cure, [Page 27] consider with your selves what this will a­mount to, and this is Hea­ven, Heaven it the revenues of Christs blood. Thinke, I say, what glorious Hea­ven it must needs be which Christs blood hath pur­chased for us. This is that hee aymed at in laying downe his life for us, Justi­fication, Adoption, and Sanctification, they are but the way to Glorification, they are but the subsidies of it, wee are justified, a­dopted and sanctified all to this end, that we might bee glorified: consider therefore what Christs blood will be worth, what the revenues of it will come to: and therefore [Page 28] what hath beene sayd of Heaven, let it move you, and worke upon you: If I should single out any man present, any particular man in this Congregation, as our Sa­viour did the young man in the Gospell, and bid him forsake all, and hee shall have Treasure in Heaven, if hee would forsake the Righteous­nesse of the Law, and his owne conscience with­in himselfe, beloved this was a great offer: Now I single out every man here present; why, con­sider with your selves, you all stand arrested before GOD, you de­serve to bee accursed, [Page 29] and to bee eternally so, yet if you will leave all your iniquities, repent, and beleeve, you shall have glory in Heaven. Me­thinkes now you should lay hold on this offer, and thinke no strictnesse too much, so you could get Heaven. If you were Merchant▪ like men, you would not let Heaven, this precious Heaven passe you▪ you would lay hold on it, and spend all you had to get it▪ and to be made partakers of those unvaluable trea­sures▪ and thinke with thy selfe thou canst not bid enough for it: Cor. 1. 14. Strive and runne, so runne that you may attaine, [Page 30] and every one that stri­veth for the mastery is temperate in all things, now they doe it that they may have a corruptible, but we an incorruptible crown, and if men bee so carefull here on earth to obtaine temporall preferments, much more then run to get that preferment which of all other is the chiefe, even everlasting happinesse in Heaven, its for Heaven an incorruptible Crowne, for Heaven that transcends all other things, and thinke with your selves how it will trouble you if you come short of your prize, what a fearefull and sor­rowfull voice will it be to you, who can expresse your [Page 31] anguish, when you heare Heaven and your Crowne is parted from you: it was a pittifull saying to Nebu­chadnezzar, thy kingdome is departed from thee; much more to us then, to heare that we have lost Heaven, how will it astonish thee to heare Christ say, Heaven and thy Crowne is depar­ted from thee, thou must be turned to Divels for ever, this will be thy condition to the end; it is our duty to speake unto you, wee can but exhort you, wee can doe no more, Math. 10. 14. If they will not retaine it, saith he, shake off the dust of your feete as a testimony against them. If yee looke not to your selves in this life, this [Page 32] will be the event of it. Oh how will it fret you to the heart; what inutterable perplexities will you be in, when you see others follow Christ to his glory, and you your selves have that curse denounced against you, Goe you cursed, &c. Alasse then it will bee too late to get Heaven: oh! what terrour and amazement, what bit­ter anguish to thinke Hea­ven came neere unto me; it was offered me, and yet because I would not part with some darling sinne, some beloved corruption, some base lust I have lost my interest in it, I must not partake of those rivers of pleasures in Heaven. This certainely will be the issue [Page 33] except here, whilst you have space, you make sure this Crowne to your selves by Faith and Re­pentance.3. Cause.

I proceed in the third place, to the exemplary cause, and the greatnesse of this glory appeares from this, and this is the glory of Jesus Christ him­selfe; consider. the great glory of the Lord of glory is the neerest patterne of it, and therefore in Scripture that glory the Saints shall have in Heaven is said to be like his, wee shall be like the Lord of glory, hee is not onely made the efficient and meritorious cause, but also the ex­emplary cause of this [Page 34] glory, what can bee said more then this, we shall be made like to Christ Jesus, who is the Lord of glory, the eye of all things, the first-borne of every living creature, in whom all ex­cellencies remaine, and all fulnesse dwels; oh then, what infinite glory to bee like what Jesus Christ now is! why, thou shalt bee made like to him, Iohn 17. 24. That they may behold my glory which thou hast given me: but that is not all, though this was sufficient to make us happy: A beggar may behold the glory of a King, and bee never the happier for it, nay bee more sad in his thoughts, because none of his glory [Page 35] reflects upon himselfe, but saith our Saviour, Iohn 17. 22. The glory which thou gavest mee, I have given them, that they may bee one, even as wee are one; we shall weare the same kinde of glory which Christ weares, and hee weares all the glory both of Heaven and earth about him at all times, what kind of glory shall wee then weare? We shall be made like unto his glorious body. As we were all borne like Adam▪ so wee shall be made like Christ▪ wee are said to be predestinated, to be made conformable according to the Image of his sonne, so that as wee were predesti­nated to be made like him in grace and sufferings [Page 36] here, so likewise in glory, wee see here but as in a glasse the glory of Christ, and yet are changed into the same Image from glory to glory, 2 Cor. 5. last, But we all with open face beholding, as in a glasse the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord: If we seeing him here upon earth as an holy and a righ­teous man, conceive and have such glory in him: consider brethren what that shall be when we shall see him as he is, what a com­fort will that be, when we shall see him face to face in Heaven▪ and be made par­taken of his glory, we shall be like him, 1 Iohn 3. 2. Be­hold [Page 37] now wee are the sonnes of God, and it doth not yet ap­peare what wee shall be, but wee know that when hee shall appeare, we shall be like him.

4 In the fourth place, let us consider the matter of this glory, both Materia in qua & circa quam, the obiect and subject of this glory. And first, the object of this happinesse, why it is not a­ny other creature, but God himselfe, no creature in Heaven and Earth is the matter of our happinesse, but God himselfe will be made happinesse to us, he will not onely be the effici­ent cause, but the mate­riall cause of our happi­nesse, Gen. 17. He sums up [Page 38] all in himselfe, I will bee an al-sufficient God unto thee, he promises himselfe, not heaven separated from himselfe, but he will give us his owne glory, he doth not onely promise us great and glorious things to bee created by him, but hee himselfe will be our Hea­ven, Psalm. 73. Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and there is none that I desire on earth, besides thee, marke the phrase, indeed there are all other things here on Earth which we may stand in need of, but saith David. though I have neede of them, why yet none of them all I desire besides thee. God alone made Da­vid happy, for indeed God [Page 39] himselfe makes Heaven, though there were neither Saint nor Angell: indeed they are all there, but wee need nothing but God and Christ to make us happy of this glorious City which is the forerunner of Heaven if it be not Heaven it selfe, yet of that glorious condi­tion which indeed is the immediate forerunner of Heaven, Revel. 21. 23. The City had no need of Sunne or Moone to shine in it, for saith he, The glory of God did lighten it and the Lambe is the light thereof: why, my bre­thren, though there be ma­ny glorious things in Hea­ven, though there be the fruition of the company of Saints and Angels, yet that [Page 40] is not it which makes us happy, but God is our hap­pines. Indeed the glorious societies of the glorified bodies of Saints is very de­lectable and ten thousand times excels all the delights of creatures here below, yet I say, we have no need of them to make us happy: it is but overplus, God him­selfe and Christ Jesus make our Heaven & happinesse. Thinke now my brethren with your selves what Hea­ven is, are you all able to consider what it is to have God to be our happinesse? It is impossible for you to conceive it, and for me to expresse it, I can no more reveale what God will doe to you, then this light can [Page 41] reveale the light of the Sunne which can bee knowne by no light but its owne. In the first place God containes all things, all manner of divine per­fections are bound up in him. The pleasures of this earth are scattered here and there, and there­fore the soule goes wan­dering up and downe from one creature to another, from one flower to ano­ther, because some part of his happinesse is in one, some part in ano­ther, but my brethren, in God we have all happines summed up, and wrap­ped together, all our de­lights are together in him, Revel. 21 7. He that overcomes [Page 42] shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and hee shall be my sonne: Consider with your selfe that God him­selfe can but inherit all things, and indeed he is all things, and if we have God for our God, wee shall in­herit all things hee will be meate and drinke, wife, husband, and whatsoever else unto us, he will be all things to us himselfe, and therefore it is said, 1 Cor. 14. 18. That at the day of Iudgement, when Christ shall give up the kingdome, then all things shall bee put under him, that God may bee all in all; which implies two things: First, that God himself will be our happinesse, hee will be happinesse enough, for [Page 43] he is all in all. Secondly, That hee will be all unto us in a more transcendent manner than the glory of the creatures. I may com­pare these joyes of Heaven to those receipts which containe the very spirits of things, the very life and quintessence of things ex­tracted out, a little quanti­ty whereof, as much as will lie on a knives point is of more vertue and efficacy to work upon a mans body (because they are the spi­rits) than a great quantity of all other drugs: so now these contentments which God gives are the very spirits of comforts which will adde more happinesse than all the drugs of world­ly [Page 44] pleasures can administer unto us, for all the happi­nesse that could bee had here, nay further all the happinesse God could cre­ate to men as men here on earth, are but as one drop to the bottomlesse Ocean of Gods glory: and yet this fals short, this is too scant a comparison: for I say; infinite millions of drops will at length make an Ocean, but ten thousand millions of the glories of this World cannot make up one drop of the glory which is in God. Thus God will be all things to us, and all things in a tran­scendent manner. Againe thirdly God will poure out himselfe unto us, he will [Page 45] give us cōmunication with himselfe of this his infinite happinesse, he will poure out all his glory unto us, Ephes. 3. 19. That yee might be filled with all the fulnesse of God, which will give all com­fort; open thy mouth wide, he is able to fill it, for one drop of God will fill thee full▪ I will fill thee with ful­nesse & fulnesse of the best kind: oh! what ineffable comfort will this be, when the vessels of mercy shall be throwne into this bottom­lesse sea of glory. Therefore doe but thinke with your selves what a happinesse this will be when you shall be made partakers of Gods glory, of all the blessednes that is in God, for although [Page 46] he cannot giue us his glory essentially, yet it shall as truly seeme to make us happy as it doth to make him glorious. Fourthly, we shall be made one with him, they are Christs owne words, Iohn 17. 21, 22, 23. That they all may bee one, as thou O Father art in mee, and I in thee, even that they may bee also one in us, that the world may beleeve that thou hast sent mee, and the glory that thou gavest mee I have given them, that they may be one as we are one I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. My brethren, what is it that makes God [Page 47] happy, but God himselfe, and yet what is that which makes Christ so happy, but that he is equall with God the Father? Now if God make himselfe happy, how happy shall wee be then when wee communicate with God in this his hap­pinesse. To bee one with him then must needs make us happy, indeed wee can­not bee one with him as Christ is, for hee is the brightnesse of his glory, the expresse Image and cha­racter of his person, he is the naturall Sonne of God, and of the same nature with God, but we shall be made one with him so far as the creature is capeable of, and the next union to [Page 48] that which God and Christ have one with another we shall have, that they may bee one even as wee are one. And againe, being made one with God, we shall rejoyce in all that God rejoyceth in, that God is so glorious a God it shall make thee glorious, thou shalt have all those joyes by revenues of which hee now lives in Heaven, thou shalt rejoyce more in Gods happinesse than in thine owne, the more happinesse riseth to God, the more riseth to thee: that which is the matter of GODS glory shall bee the matter of ours; it is the nature of love, that it rejoyceth in the love of the person beloved, [Page 49] Iohn 14. You are my friends if you doe whatsoever I command you, Ioh. 3. And ther­fore saith Iohn, in that he in­creaseth, I must decrease, in this my joy is fulfilled; Our Saviour saith also to his Disciples, If ye loved me, you would have reioyced because I said, I goe to the Father. Now my brethren, if wee shall rejoyce in the same God rejoyceth in, both in that joy which is intrinsecus with­in him, and in that joy which is extrinsecus where­by hee delights in all his workes and providence, if both these I say, shall be in us, how glorious shall wee be? Iohn 15. 11. Christ saith, These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remaine [Page 50] in you, and that your ioy might be full. And this is not to be understood of our Sa­viours joy, of the hopes he had of them, but that the joy which is in Christ shall be in us, that my ioy, saith he, may be in you, 25. Matth. 25. We shall enter into our masters joy. Rom. 5. 2. And reioyce in the hope of the glory of God, and not onely so, but we ioy also in God, through our Lord Iesus Christ, wee shall not onely rejoyce in a crea­ted glory which hee shall bestow upon us, but fur­ther wee rejoyce in Gods owne glory; I should come to shew you the subject of this glory, namely the soule of man: But my brethren, I will first make some short [Page 51] use of this which hath beene spoken: Let us there­fore take God for our por­tion, whatsoever else be­comes of us, whatsoever befals us, let what will come, what afflictions, what throbs, what miseries or crosses will come, Heaven will make amends for all, for thy pleasures of sinne, and worldly contentments God will be better to thee than all: put them all in one ballance, and God with that glory he will bestow on you in another ballance, and hee will over-waigh them all, they are not wor­thy to be compared to this glory, this was it that made the Martyrs runne through so many persecutions and [Page 52] tortures & that with cheer­fulnesse, they tooke God for their portions, so they had him they cared not what became of their bo­dies: For, saith Paul, Wee looke not to things which are corruptible, but to things which are eternall: And because it is probable, yea and more then probable, that there are degrees of glory in Heaven, that God will re­ward every one according to their workes: why then doe not onely content your selves to goe to Hea­ven, but endeavour to serve God more, that you may have great glory in Hea­ven, be abundant in good workes, hoord up good works, according to which [Page 53] glory shall bee waighed to you in Heaven: let not plea­sures hinder thee of the least degree of glory, for to have but one pearle added to thy Crown is more than the whole World: commit therefore no sinne that might hinder your attai­ning of glory, for what though God pardon thy sin? yet thou loosest glory, thou mightest have gotten whilest thou wast in com­mitting it, the least shred of which glory transcends all the glory of the World.

Now wee come to the subject of this glory: the Materia in qua, the Vessell which shall re­ceive this infinite masse of glory, and that [Page 54] is the soule, it is called the salvation of our soules; the soule which will hold so much is the vessels of this glory, the body shall be ex­ceeding glorious, but the soule is the receptacle which must receive this glory, Rom. 9. 23. And that hee might make knowne the ri­ches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which hee had before prepared unto glory; And S. Pe­ter calleth Christ the salva­tion of our soules, the end of your faith the salvation of your soules: My brethren your soule, howsoever you value it, is capeable of more glo­ry than this world can af­ford, the pleasures of which will fill your soule no more than one droppe [Page 55] will fill a Cisterne, or a little shower the place where the Ocean stands, Eccles. 3. 11. Now it is said, that in this life God will put a World into the heart of man, and yet all that World will not fill it; why, my brethren your soules are narrow in this life, in respect of that they shall bee hereafter, they hold but little in re­spect of that they shall hold in Heayen, they are but little bladders which there shall bee blowne up, they are but dunge bladders in respect of that they shall be in Heaven hereafter, which may appeare in this: Salo­mon had a very large heart, he had as many notions in him as the sands of the sea [Page 56] shore for number, and yet the soule of the least child in heaven, happily but new come out of his mothers wombe exceedes all the knowledge which Salomon had on earth: our soules are capeable of more joyes than the senses can give, they are not able to satisfie it, it will drinke up more glory even in one houre, than the senses can provide in many hundred yeeres, it will drinke them all up at one draught. My beloved, your senses cannot let in the King of glory, such narrow gates cannot receive such infinite great glory, Psal. 24.

In Heaven the doores of your hearts shalbe opened, and when those dores are [Page 57] open, I say, the everlasting dores of your hearts are open, they cannot containe this glory, you must bee contained in it; Enter, saith Christ, into thy masters ioy: If the joy of the holy Ghost in this life passe all under­standing, and beleeving, wee reioyce with joy unspeakeable, and full of glory: how much more in the world to come, shal our joyes passe all understan­ding, when wee shall have fruition of Gods presence, which is life it selfe? My brethren your soules have two great gulphs, viz. the understanding and the wil, which must and shall bee satisfied: Now saith Salo­mon, The eye of the body is [Page 58] not satisfied with seeing, it can comprize halfe the World in it, and if the eye of the body be so hard to be satisfied, much more the eye of the soule, and yet in Heaven this shall be satisfied, this gulph shall be satisfied, Psal. 17. 15. I shall bee satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse, hee was to lay his head in the grave for a while, but hee should arise when the Heavens shall bee no more. As Iob said, I shall see him againe, so David, I shall awake and then I shall bee satisfied with thy likenesse. Iohn 14. 18. Show us the Father, saith Philip, and it sufficeth us; you will say, if you could but see God, it would suffice, and indeed [Page 59] you may well say so, for the sight of God will suffice you, why you shall see God, Iohn 17. 24. for Christ doth desire this especially, those that are his to make thē happy, to be with him, to behold his face: Father, I will that they also that thou hast given me to bee with mee where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me. So Math. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, they shall bee able to behold him: If the Queen of Sheba who had seene so much glory before, and be­ing a Queene had partaken of so much glory in her selfe, if she, I say, was so a­stonished, so amazed that shee had no spirit in her [Page 60] even to see Salomons wise­dome, and to see his mag­nificency in honour, and riches, how much more shall the glory of God ra­vish us, part of which wee never saw, no not the glimpse of it: oh! how wilt thou bee amazed with joy when thou shalt see his glo­ry, and see him as hee is, when wee shall know as we are knowne, and GOD knowes us as farre as can bee, 1 Corinthians 13. 12. For now wee see through a glasse darkely, but then face to face; now wee know but in part, but then we shall know even as we are knowne, all our sight of him here it is but as in a glasse. Now what a great difference is it to looke up­on [Page 61] a man who is behinde us, and to turne our face and to looke truely and sted fastly upon him? why there is infinitely more dif­ference betwixt that light wee have of God by faith on earth, and that perfect light of him, and fruition of his glory, which wee shall have in heaven: why as I said before, the eye of a mans body as it is but a small thing, and the apple of it much smaller, and yet by the helpe of the sunne, it is able to take halfe the World into it at once: how much more shall the eye of our un­derstanding conceive infi­nite joys pastour apprehen­sion here when it hath the [Page 62] light of Gods glory shining about it, Psal. 36. 8, 9. They shall bee abundantly satisfied with the fulnesse of thy house▪ and thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures, for with thee is the fountaine of life, in thy light shall wee see light: when as the Sunne of glory comes to shine a­bout us we shall even draw God into our soules; and thus you see the first gulph shall be filled.

The second gulph of mans soule is the will, thou hast a will and amongst all the affections of it, love is most comfortable, now that shall be fully satisfied wee shall be satisfied with Gods loving kindnesse, for (Psal. 73.) all other affecti­ons [Page 63] bring paine with them, but love is alwaies com­fortable, Phil. 2. 1. If there bee any consolation of Christ, if any comfort of love: Wee love things here on earth that cannot love us againe, as money riches, and the like, how much more shall wee love love it selfe? Indeed, as Salomon saith, The love of friends is very delectable, Pro. 27. 9. Oyntment and per­fume rejoyce the heart, so doth the sweetnesse of a mans friend by hearty counsell: The same testi­fies David, in his lamenta­tion for Ionathan, 2. Sam 1. 26. I am distressed for thee my brother Ionathan, very pleasant hast thou beene [Page 64] unto me; Thy love to me was wonderfull, passing the love of a woman: but I say, though the love of friends bee great, Ionathan excee­ding lovely, yet they are not so lovely as God, it cannot be affirmed of them, that they are love it selfe as God is: on then! how pleasant will it bee when this vase affection of love shall bee satisfied! GOD will come into us and dwell with us, and doe but thinke what a pleasant thing it is to have the great God of Heaven and Earth to dwell together with the creature in unity, to have him who is love it selfe to dwell in us from all eter­nity; it is said (1 Pet. 1. 8.) [Page 65] Whom having not seene you love, in whom though you see him not, yet beleeving you re­ioyce with ioy unspeakeable and glorious: Why if that bee a cause to make you rejoyce so unspeakably, how much more joyfull will you be when you enjoy his pre­sence, not onely to kisse him through the lattice, as here we doe enjoying one­ly his presence through his ordinances, but to lie in the bosome of his love, to bee enfolded in those everla­sting armes of his mercy, to be loved of love it selfe, to be made partaker of all his goodnes, and Gods love is free, he loves us w^th out any cause in our selves: why thē brethren cōsider with your selves, what is the height, [Page 66] depth breedth, and length of Gods love to bee filled with all fulnesse of God (Eph. 3. 8.) Oh what a bot­tomelesse sea of Gods love shall we be slung into, one droppe of which is better than the gold of Ophir, yea surpasseth the whole earth.

In the last place, I will endeavour to shew the fi­nall cause, and demonstrate the greatnesse of Heaven, by this, that both the finis cui, and the finis cuius, that is the end why God hath prepared, all this glory, and the persons for whom: Who is it for that God hath beene from everlasting preparing glory? Is it not for his Saints? Is it not for [Page 67] his friend and spouse? Is it not for Sion (Heb. 12.) But you are come into Mount Sion, and into the City of the living God, the heavenly Hierusalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels, to the generall assembly and Church of the first borne, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant, and to the blood of the sprinkling that speakes better things than that of Abel: God hath re­served Heaven for us, Hea­ven is made for the fea­sting of his first borne, he hath in heaven all his chil­dren [Page 68] about him, there shall bee called a generall as­sembly of them, one will not bee away: you know parents they be­stow the most cost when they have their children all at once together, they respect no cost, looking at the joy, which is set before them: they have joy unspeakeable in the presence of their chil­dren together, and there­fore at times of rejoy­cing men will send for their children home: Now, my brethren, God will have all his Chil­dren home, hee will have a generall invitation, the great Congregation of the Elect shall bee cal­led [Page 69] together, hee will have them all home, and therefore hee must needs make great provision: con­sider what he hath vouch­safed to wicked men, the worst of men, beloved these runne away with the blessings of the World, e­ven such as God hath set himselfe against to hate with an eternall hatred, why then thinke with your selves what hee hath pre­pared for those that love him, whom with an e­verlasting love hee hath loved in his Sonne, for his Sonnes sake which is as great as himselfe; certain­ly hee will communicate himselfe to the uttermost: I say, then thinke with your [Page 70] selves what God hath pre­pared for those that love him.

Secondly, consider the end for which this is, and that is, to manifest his owne glory, hee truely hath had a great deale of glory out of this World already. The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Fir­mament sheweth his han­dy worke; hee hath had a great deale of glory out of this World by justifying poore sinners, and sancti­fying their hearts, and also by punishments inflicted upon wicked men, but all this is nothing to that glory he meaneth to have, not comparable to that he will have in Heaven, 2 Thes. [Page 71] 3. 10. When hee shall come to be glorified in his Saints and bee admired of all them that beleeve: Wee thinke wonderfull things of God, and yet all our thoughts shall come farre short of the excellency of his comming, he will come beyond our expectation, hee will come to purpose, to be admired of all them that beleeve. The matter of Gods glory, the reve­nues of it must come out of you, the chiefest of his glory, as for the manifestation of his glory, it must come forth of that, he will come to be glorified in his Saints, hee will then shew how glori­ous a God he is, by ma­nifestation [Page 72] of his glory, it must come forth of that, he will come to be glori­fied in his Saints, hee will then shew how glorious a God he is, by manifesting what glorious creatures he hath made: it is not a lit­tle glory that will content GOD, it is not a little glory that will content a King when hee meaneth to take state, Rom. 1. Hee will glorifie himselfe as God, or else he would ne­ver have begun, he would never have gone about it, unlesse he meant to doe it to the utmost. And in what doth this his glory consist? why, in making us glori­ous, and the manifestation of his glory, as hee is God, [Page 73] comes from us. It is true in­deed, Gods essentiall glory can not bee added unto us, but the manifestation of his glory shall arise to us, we shall have it communi­catively, as when you see the Sunne reflect upon the waters, though you see not the Sunne it selfe, yet you see as perfect a manifestati­on of it, as if you should see the Sun it selfe. So likewise, though you cannot have Gods glory essentially, yet you shall have it perfectly communicated to you, ma­nifested in you, 2 Cor. 8. 23. And therefore the Saints are there called, the glory of Christ; now thinke with your selves, God hath had infinite vast thoughts of [Page 74] glorifying himselfe, there hath beene a fountaine of thoughts in him for that cause, and that unceasing spring which hath runne in GOD from all eternity must needs make a vaste Sea, and who must be the vessels that must goe into this, into whom all this must be emptied? are they not those that love him, those that hee hath loved with an everlasting love? why then, doe but thinke with your selves how un­utterable are the joyes we shall have in Heaven. I would adde something more to it, if any thing more can bee added to it; and if I but mention the properties; they will fur­ther [Page 75] adde to this glory and make it abound. He name no more than those wee have already laid downe to our hands, 1 Pet. 1. 45. Elect to an inheritance incor­rupted and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, revealed in the last times.

In the first place bre­thren,1. Pro­perty. it is an inheritance the deed of which runnes for ever to him and his. The subtillest Lawyer that is, yea such an one as can almost finde a knot in a bulrush shall not be able to picke the least hole in your evidence: it is an inheri­tance to which every one of you shall be heires and shall have an everlasting possession in it: it is not [Page 76] in Heaven, as it is in this world, where the elder brother is onely heire, and goes away with the inhe­ritance, when many times the yonger are beggars; but in Heaven it is not so, for there we shall be all heires and coheires with Christ: & the reason of it is, because it is called the inheritance of the Saints, 2 Col. 12. Giving thankes unto the father, who hath made us meete to bee par­takers of the inheritance of the Saints in light. Why my bre­thren, now you know light is such a thing as is com­mon to all, so that if there were ten thousand times more men in the world then there is, they might enjoy it; neither [Page 77] doth any envie at the light another hath; why, Hea­ven is an inheritance of the sonnes in light which wee shall be partakers of; there shall be no envying of one anothers happinesse and light in glory: why my brethren, you may be all heires; yea you shall bee all heires, there are no younger brethren▪ Againe, why alasse in this life the li­vings we possesse, the inhe­ritance of them passeth from one to another, from the father to the sonne; yea and further, all the evidence they have will bee burnt one day, they will be made voide at the day of judgement, the whole world will be burnt [Page 78] and what will become of their inheritance?

But now secondly, this2. Pro­perty. inheritance is eternall incor­ruptible, 1 Cor. 5. 1. For wee have, if this earthly house of our Tabernacle be dis­solved; we have, I say, a building with God not made with hands, eternall in the Heavens. An inheritance, my brethren, that will be for ever: why, now thinke what eternity is, and thinke of it againe, it will even amaze your thoughts. E­ternity is that which mul­tiplies our joyes here upon earth: to enjoy a thing ma­ny yeeres is our greatest joy, if we can so enjoy it there lies our comfort, hence those words of the [Page 79] rich man in the Gospell, Soule take thy rest, for thou hast goods laid up for many yeeres. What a happinesse is it, not onely to enjoy an inheritance many yeeres, but for ever; goods layd up for ever? what a mercy is it that they are for ever? the eternity of them addes to our joyes, it was a re­joycing to David, that God would give him a King­dome; but more, that hee would prepare a King­dome to his house a great while, 2 Sam. 7. 18 19. Then went King David and sate be­fore the Lord and said; Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? and was this yet a small thing in thy [Page 80] sight oh Lord God, but thou hast spoken of thy servants house, for a great while to come. David tooke it for a great favour, that God would bestow a Kingdome upon him, and yet, saith he, this was but a small thing in thy sight: what was it a small thing to give a Kingdome? No, but there was ano­ther thing more than a Kingdome, and that was, that his posterity should sit on the Throne for a great while, this made the mercy the greater; if Heavens glory should last but for a few daies or yeeres, it were worth more seeking after than all the things of this World: wee make a great strife for [Page 81] momentary trifles in this world, but Heaven shall last for ever: it hath an everlasting evidence, it shall never have an end: the day thereof is for a long day, for it is for eter­nity and a day. Againe, Da­vid was to die himselfe and to leave the glory of his Kingdome to another, yet he tooke it for a great fa­vour and mercy, that it was promised to his house for a great while; but now in Heaven we shall never die; we shall possesse our King­dome in our owne persons to everlasting: the pleasures and riches wee enjoy here must go to others. The rich man in the Gospell sings to his soule: Soule thou hast goods in [Page 82] store laid up for many yeares; eate, drinke, and take thy rest: but marke the answer, Thou foole, this night shall thy glory be taken from thee. Now in Heaven it is farre other­wise, we shall never be de­prived of our glory: why, let not the least thought of jealousie come into our mindes. For this in the next place is incorruptible, and not onely incorrupti­ble in it selfe, but also in those that enjoy it, wee shall bee ever with the Lord, we shall be the per­sons themselves The King­domes of this world were brave places if they might have no end, the Kings of them exceeding happy if they might never die, but [Page 83] live alwaies: but alasse, though they live like Gods, they shall die like men. Now in Heaven there is no such thing, there is no dying nor talke of dy­ing, but mortality shall bee swallowed up of im­mortality; wee shall enjoy those inexhaustible Ri­vers of pleasures to eter­nity.

Now wee come to the3. Pro­perty. next property. It is incor­ruptible and undefiled, 1 Cor. 5. 25. All the comforts wee have in this life are mixt with sinne, yea with the impotency of sinne and misery; so that one saith well to this purpose; Though the joyes of a King be many and greater [Page 84] than others, yet they have as many sorrowes atten­ding upon them as joyes, and if not crosses, yet sinne the greatest crosse of all, if men bee sensible of it; but Heaven is undefiled, there is no anguish, no griefe, no teares, no sor­rowes, but joyes to all e­ternity. There shall be no vexing Canaanites to trou­ble you, neither outward nor inward enemies, Isa. 35. And the ransomed of the Lord shall returne and come to Sion with songs, and ever­lasting ioy shall bee upon their heads: they shall obtaine ioy and gladnesse, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away: here the guilt of sinne afflicts us, the punishments due [Page 85] unto the same affright us, one man is troubled with a lust which hee would faine master, another man cries out with the Apostle, O miserable man that I am, &c. Qualmes come over many mens hearts for the guilt of sinne; and how many throes have they before they can get sinne aban­doned! another is vexed with some tormenting ma­lady and grievous sicke­nesse in his body; but in Heaven we shall bee freed from these sorrowes, there shall be neither soule nor body sicke, Isa. 33. 24. And they in Heaven shall not say, I am sicke, the people that dwell therein shall bee forgiven [Page 86] their iniquity: there shall be no thought of the pardon of sinne, for the inhabitants that dwell therein shall bee forgiven their iniquities: that is, those sinnes which they have committed in this life shall bee forgiven there. There is no thought of sinne in Heaven, there they shall be everlastingly buried in ob­livion.

Obiect. But you will say, this glory may wither and de­cay; it may waxe old and decline.

Answ. There is no fading in Heaven, for with God there is no variablenesse, no not so much as shadow of chan­ging. The glory of King­domes decay daily, and Monarchies fall; as the Ro­man [Page 87] Empire, what a glori­ous Monarchy was it! but now it is come almost un­to a bare title. But in Hea­ven there is no decaying, no failing, there is alwaies a full spring-tide without ebbe. That infinite masse of glory which thou shalt receive at the last day thou shalt keepe for ever: after as many millions of yeeres expired as there are haires on thy head, it shall bee as bright as it was on the last day, and the reason of it is because of Gods pre­sence, wee shall be present with him who is the foun­taine of life, whose streams of glory must needes issue to eternity, for at his right hand is fulnesse of joy, and [Page 88] rivers of pleasure slow from him for evermore: so long as God fades not, Heaven will never fade: when God himselfe fades, when that fountaine can be dryed up, then those rivers of pleasures shall cease flowing, but that is impossible, for hee is the Well of life: What is the reason that precious stones decay not, but that there is no drosse or corruption in them? as the Diamond being pure in it selfe, fades not away, but alwaies keepes a lu­stre and splendour in it, whereas other base stones that have drosse in them soone decay and moulder away. In like manner [Page 89] though this World have drosse in it, and by reason of that perish, yet in Hea­ven there is no drosse of sin or corruption, and ther­fore it cannot fade.

Why now you will say againe, grant all this you have said before, yet I doubt I may be bereaved of it: it may be taken a­way from me by violence, for Kingdomes in this life are taken away, Kings deprived of their dig­nities.

Why, but there is no feare of this in heaven, it is kept for you sure enough, no mothes of corruption to make you sin, no violence of Satans temptations to make you fall: The divell [Page 90] and sinne crept into Para­dise, but neither of them shall come into Heaven; (Matth, 6. 20.) Lay up treasures for your selves in Heaven where neither moath nor rust doth corrupt nor theeves breake in and steale.

But you will say againe, if I could once get thither, I had no cause to feare, I should never fall if I were once in heaven; but I feare the vilenesse of my owne heart, I feare I shall be defi­led with my corruptions and by Satan: and as David said, I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul; I am afraid I may perish hereafter, though I now be in the state of grace, I may fall, and ne­ver come thither.

But looke further, it is said, It is reserved for you who are kept by the power of God to salvation; you are kept for it, Christ hath reserved it for you, who saith further, Of those which thou hast given mee, I have not lost one. If all the power of the Creatour lie for it, you shall not lose it: but it doth; therefore you shall not lose it. And lastly, thou shalt not stay long for it, thou shalt not bee a probationer, but till thy death at the far­thest; it is laid up ready for thee, a Crowne of glory waites and staies for thee: but now all these things are shewed, this is the mi­sery, that wee will not be­leeve, In my Fathers house, [Page 92] saith he, there are many man­sions. If it had not beene so, I would have told you, he will not deceive us, beleeve him on his word, we use to beleeve the pro­mise of a man we judge saithfull, much more let us credit God who is truth it selfe. Therefore as ever we would be partakers of these joyes, and have part and portion in these eter­nall comforts: let the be­leefe of them bee stedfast, and though there be ma­ny uses to bee made of this, yet this is the chiefe, that wee would believe this truth: Indeed you believe, but I say unto you beleeve, and againe beleeve: those that entered [Page 93] not into the promised Land, entered not, be­cause they did not beleeve. This is the cause that men perish and enter not into Gods rest, I say therefore believe God, seeing hee hath fulfilled all his pro­mises, hee hath not failed in one promise since the beginning. The Land of Canaan he gave according to his promise long be­fore (1 King. 8. 23.) Lord thou keepest Covenant and mer­cy with thy servants (verse 26.) Blessed bee the Lord that hath given rest to his peo­ple Israel, according to all that hee promised by the hand of his servant Moses: If he hath promised that ten Kings shall destroy the whore [Page 94] as indeed hee did, she shall be destroyed, hee will not faile in his promise, he hath spoken, and hee will make it good, he is abundant in mercy and truth, yea hee will bee better than his word. Let me speake there­fore to you that are yet in the state of nature, who still delight in your sins: if you beleeved these things, sure­ly you would not dote on your sinnes as you doe; it would make you utterly a­bandon them: and also let mee say something to you whose eyes God hath ope­ned, who are in the state of grace; surely if you labou­red more and more to pet­swade your selves of this, you yould not bee so glued [Page 95] to the world as you are; it would make you like men of another World, you would be transformed and be even as if you were in heaven. Let then all your carriage and manner of conversation bee here, as if you were in your heritance, let all your thoughts be in heaven, let your hearts take possession of this incorrup­tible Crowne, whilest your bodies are on earth.