That the fulness of this joy cannot be in us whilst we tabernacle in bodies of flesh, is as plain. When Moses desired a sight of that face which the spirits of just men made perfect do continually be- hold and adore, the answer was, " No man can see my face and " live," Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19, 20, q. d. Moses, thou askest a great thing, and understandest not how unable thou art to support that which thou desirest : should I shew thee my glory in this com- pounded state thou now art in, it would confound thee and swal- low thee up. Nature, as now constituted, cannot support such a weight of glory : A ray, a glimpse of this light overpowers man, and breaks such a clay vessel to pieces ; which is the reason why the resurrection must intervene betwixt this state and that of the body's glorification.
And it is not to be doubted, but one main end and reason why these foretastes of heaven are given us in the body, is to embolden
118 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN.
the soul to venture through death itself for the full enjoyment of those delights and pleasures. They are like the grapes of Eshcol to the faint-hearted Israelites, or tne sweet wines of Italy to the Gauls, which, once tasted, made them restless tiU they had con- quered that good country where thev grew, Rom. viii. 23. " We " which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves do *• groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, viz. the redemp- " tion of oui* bodies.""
Well then, reflect seriously upon these sweet tastes that you have had of God and his love, in your sincere and secret addresses to him, and converses ^rith him. What a holy forgetfulness of all things in this world hath it wTought i How insipid and tasteless hath it rendered tlie sweetest creature enjoyments ! W^hat willing- ness to be dissolved for a more full fruition of it ! God this way brings heaven nigh to your souls, out of design to overcome your reluctancies at death, through whicli we must pass to the enjoy- ment of it. And after all those sights and tastes, both of the truth and goodness of that state, shall we still reluctate and hang back, as if we had never tasted how good the Lord is ! O, you may justly question, whether you ever had a real taste of Jesus Christ, if that taste do not kindle coals of fire in your bosoms; I mean, ardent longings to be with him, and to be satiated with his love.
If you have been privileged v. ith a taste of that hidden manna, with the sight of things invisible, with joys unspeakable, and full of glory, and yet are loth to be gone to the fountain Avhence all this flows : certainly you herein both cross the design of the Spirit in giving them, and cast a vile disgrace and reproach upon the bles- sed God, as thinking there is more bitterness in death, than there is sweetness in his presence. Yea, it argues the strength of that unbehef which still remains in your hearts, that after so many tastes and trials as you have had, you still remain doubtful and hesitating about the certainty and reality of things invisible.
O, what ado hath God with his froward and peevish children ! If he had only revealed the future state to us in his word, as the pure object of faith, and required us to die upon the mere credit of his promise, without such pawns, pledges, and earnests as these are ; were there not reason enough for it ? But after such, and so many wonderful and amazing condescensions, wherein he doth, as it were, say. Soul, if yet thou doubtest, I will bring heaven to thee, thou shalt have it in thy hand, thy eyes shall see it, th)^ hands shall handle it, thy mouth shall taste it : How inexcusable is our reluctancy .''
Jrg: 6. If slwuld greatly for t'lfi/ the people of God against the fears of dissolution, to consider that death can neither destroy the
A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAK. 119
he lug' of their sends by annihilation, nor the hopes and expectations ihey have of blessedness, by disapptointment and frustration, Prov, xiv. 32. " The righteous hath hope in his death."'
Though all earthly things fail at death (upon which account dying is expressed by failing, Luke xvi. 19) yet neither the soul, nor its well-grounded hopes can fail. The anchor of a believer's hope is firm and sure, Heb. vi. 18. It will not come home in the greatest storm that can beat upon the soul. For (1.) God hath foreknown and chosen them to salvation before the world was, 1. Pet. i. 2. " And this foundation of God standeth sure, having this " seal, The Lord knoweth who are his," 2 Tim. ii. 19. His de- crees are as firm as mountains of brass, Zech. vi. 1. (2.) God hath justified their persons, and therein destroyed the power of death over them, 1 Cor. xv. 55, 5Q, 57. " O death where is thy sting ? " O grave where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin, the " strength of sin is the law." If all the hurtful power of death lies in sin, and all the destructive power of sin rises from the law ; then neither death nor sin, hath any power to destroy the believer, in whom the righteousness of the law is fulfilled, Rom. viii. 4. namely, by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to them, in respect of which they are as righteous, as if in their own persons they had perfectly obeyed all its commands, or suffered ail its penalties. Thus death loseth its sting, its curse and killing power over the souls of all that are in Christ. (3.) God hath sanctified their natures, which sanctification is not only a sure evidence c^ their election and justification, 2 Thess. i. 5, 6. Rom. viii. 1. but a sure pledge of their glorification also, 2 Cor. v. 4, 5. Yea, (4.) He hath made a sure, and an everlasting covenant with believers ; and among other gracious privileges thereby conferred upon them, death is found in the inventory, 1 Cor. xiii. 21. Death is yours ; to die is gain to them : It destroys their enemies, and the distance that is betwixt Christ and them. (5.) He hath sealed them to his glory by the Holy Spirit, Eph. iv. 30. So that their hopes are too firmly built to be destroyed by death ; and if it cannot destroy their souls, nor overthrow their hopes, they need not fear all that it can do besides.
Arg. 7. It may greatly encourage and embolden the people of God to die, considering that though at death they take the last sight and view of all that is dear to them on earth ; yet then they are admitted to the first immediate sight and blessed vision of God, which will be their happiness to all eternity.
When Hezekiah was upon his supposed death-bed, he com- plained, Isa. xxxviii. 11. "I shall see man no more, with the inha- " bitants of the world.*" We shall see thenceforth these corporeal people no more. We shall see our habitations and dwelling-places
120 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF UA^.