But as the spirits of just men made perfect know no remissions in the degree, so neither any intermissions in the acting of their grace : " They shall serve him day and night in his temple,'' Rev. vii. 15. You that would purchase the continuance of your spiri- tual comforts but for a day, with all that you have in this world, will there enjoy them at full, without any intermitting, through eternity.
5. If the best hearts on earth be at any tune more than ordi- narily enlarged in spiritual comforts, they need presently some humbhng providence to hide pride from their eyes. Even Paul
• Sape in libro experienticE legimus quomodo a corde nostra relinquimur : Nunc est no- biscum, nunc alibi; mmc evolat^ nunc recwrit : in sola lubricitate manet. Bern.
A TftEATlSE OF THE SOUL OF MA\*. 51
himself must have a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him. Bernard could never perform any duty with com- fortable enlargement, but he seemed to hear his own heart whis- per thus, Bene fecisti^ Bernarde^ O well done, Bernard.
But, in heaven the highest comforts are enjoyed in the deepest humility ; and the entire glory is ascribed to God, without any unworthy defalcations. Rev. iv. 10. They put not the crown upon their own heads, but Chrisf s : Tliey cast down their own crowns, and fall down at the feet of him that sitteth upon the throne.
6. All assemblies for worship in this world are mixed ; they consist of regenerate and unregenerate, living and dead souls : This spoils the harmony, and allays the comfort of mutual com- munion. In a congregation consisting of a thousand persons, Ah! how few comparatively are there that are heartily concerned in the duty ? But it is not so above. There are ten thousand times ten thousand, even thousands of thousands before the throne, loving, adoring, praising, and triumphing together, and not a jarring string in all their harps.
7. Here the worship of God is impure, mixed, and adulterated by the sinful additions and inventions of men. This gracious souls groan under as a heavy burden, sighing and praying for re- formation ; as knowing they can expect no more of God's presence, than there is of his order and institution in worship. But, above, all the worship is pure, the least pin in the heavenly tabernacle is according to the perfect pattern of the divine will.
8. We have here duties of divers kinds and natures to per- form. All our time is not to be spent in loving, praising, and de- lighting in God ; but we must turn ourselves also to searching, watching, and soul-humbling work. Sometimes we are called to get up our hearts to the highest praise, and then to humble them to the dust for sin and judgments ; one while to sing his praises, and another while to sigh even to the breaking of our loins ; But the spirits of just men made perfect, have but one kind of em- ployment, viz. praising, loving, and delighting in God. There IS no groaning, sighing, searching, or watching-work, in that state.
9. The most illuminated believers on earth have but dark and crude apprehensions of Christ's intercession-work in heaven, or of the way and manner in which it is. there performed by him. We know indeed that our High-priest is for us entered within the vail, Heb. vi. 20. That he appears in that most holy place for us, Heb. ix. 24. That he there represents his sufferings for us to God, standing before him as a lamb that had been slain, Rev. v. 6. That he offers up our prayers with his incense to God, Rev. viii. 3.
52 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAK.
But the immediate intuition of the whole performance, by the person of Christ in heaven, the beholding of him in his work there, with the smiles and honours, the deHght and satisfaction of the Father in his person and work. Certainly, this must be a far dif- ferent thing, and what must make more deep and suitable impres- sions upon our hearts than ever the most affecting view of fliem by faith at this distance, could do.
10. In such ravishing sights and joyful ascriptions of gloi-y to him that sitteth upon the thi^one., and to the Lamb for evermore^ all the separated spirits of the just are employed and wholly taken up in heaven^ as they come in their several tijnes thither ; and will be so employed in that temple-service unto the end of the worlds when Christ shall deliver up the kingdom to his Father, and thenceforth God shall be all in all.
The illustration and confirmation of this assertion we have in these two or three particulars.
(1.) That all the spirits of just men, from the beginning of the world, until Christ's ascension into heaven, did enter into heaven, as a place of rest, as a city prepared for them of God, Heb. xi. 16. and did enjoy blessedness and glory there. But yet there seems to be an alteration even in heaven itself, since the ascension of Christ into it, and such an alteration as advanceth the glory thereof both to angels and saints. " Heaven itself (saith one * who is now there) ' was not what it is, before the entrance of Christ into the sanc- ' tuary for the administration of his office. Neither the saints de- ' parted, nor the angels themselves, were participant of that glory « which now they aie. Neither yet doth this argue any defect in ' heaven, or the state thereof in its primitive constitution ; For
* the perfection of any state hath respect unto that order of things ' which it is originally suited unto. Take all things in the order
* of the first creation, and in respect thereunto, heaven was per- ' feet in glory from the beginning, &c.
' Whatever was their rest, refreshment, and blessedness ; what- ^ ever were their enjovments of the presence of God, yet was there ' no throne of grace erected in heaven, no high-priest appearing ' before it, no lamb as it had been slain, no joint ascription of « glory unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb < for ever;' -f- God having ordained some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect, Heb. xi. 40.
Now both the angels and saints in heaven, do behold Christ in his priestly office withhi that sanctuary ; a sight never seen in hea- ven before.
* Dr. Oven's Cliristologia, p. 158 — Z55.
I PriusQiiam ad nostra tempora preventum est. Camero.
' A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN. 53
(2.) This frame of heavenly worship will continue as it is unto the end of the world, and then another alteration will be made in the manner of his dispensatory kingdom ; " For then he must de- " liver up the kingdom to God, even the Father ; and then shall " the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things <* under him, that God may be all in all,'' as the apostle speaks, 1 Cor. XV. 24, 28. So that as the present state of heaven is not, in all respects, what it was before Christ's ascension thither ; so after the consummation of the mediatorial kingdom^ and the gather- ing of all the elect into glory, it will not in all respects be what now it is.