Secondlj. Wherein they disagree.
1. It is an inheritance not lessened by the multitut?e of co-heirs: God is an infinite portion, that cannot be divided, and sufficeth the whole world. In other heritages many a fair stream is drawn dry, by being dispersed into several channels ; but here the more company, the greater the privilege ; what a happiness is it to enjoy God among all the saints ! The company is ever propounded as a blessing : Mat. viii. 11, ' Ye shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the king- dom of heaven ; ' and Heb. xii. 22, 23, ' Ye are come to an innumerable company of angels,' &c. When God is all in all, he will fill up every vessel. As when the same light is seen by all, the same speech is heard by all, the one doth not see less, nor the other hears less, because another seeth and heareth with him. In the world we straiten others, the more we are enlarged ourselves ; but not then.
2. In other inheritances the father must die, before the son can inherit. Hoireditas est successio in to/um jus defuncli ; death take th away the father, that the son may succeed him. God hath heirs, but no successors ; we do not possess after our Father's death, but with our Father ; he liveth for ever, and we live for ever with him ; we die that we may go to the living God; 'When strength faileth, and heart faileth, thou art my portion for ever,' Ps. Ixxiii. 26. When others must leave their inheritance, we go to ours, then it beginneth.
3. In other heritages, the heirs are designed by name, but here by character. Men are contentious ; every one would say, be is meant in the description ; but here the heirs are not named, but described by certain qualifications, which must be tried by ourselves, warranted by the Spirit, judged and examined by Christ at the last day. Some- times they are termed the called : Heb. ix. 15, ' That they that are called may receive the j^romise of eternal inheritance ; ' by which is meant those which are effectually called, and converted unto God. Sometimes this privilege is settled upon believers, John i. 12, such as do heartily and thankfully accept of Christ, and his grace; and some- times the sanctified, as Col. i. 12 ; and Acts xx. 18 ; such as are dedicated to God, and live as a people set apart for him. All these are sons ; therefore made heirs, qualified, and made capable of this blessed inheritance.
Thirdly, The properties of this inheritance, which set forth the greatness of it.
1. It is a glorious inheritance : Eph. i. 18, ' Tiiat ye may know what is the riches of the glory of the inheritance in the saints.' That inheritance which is appointed for those who are renewed by the Spirit of God, is a glorious inheritance. There is nothing in heaven but what is glorious ; the object of it is the glorious God, whom we shall see, as we are seen : 1 Cor. xiii. 12, especially as he shineth forth in the glorious person of our Redeemer: John xvii. 24, 'Father, I will that
VeR. 17.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 135
those whom thou hast given me may be where I am, that they may behold my glory.' The state of our bodies and souls shall be glorious, Phil. iii. 21 ; the place shall be' glorious, the upper paradise, 2 Cor. xii. 4 ; the company glorious, all the glorified saints and angels ; our employment glorious, Eev. vii. 12, blessing, and praising, and glorifying of God, for ever and ever.
2. It is an eternal and undefiled inheritance : 1 Pet. i. 4, ' To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, tliat fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.' I gather from that place, that it is a celestial and incorruptible inheritance, and so doth exceed all worldly possessions which come from fathers to their children. The things of this world are both defiling and perishing; they pollute us, omnis turpitudo est a mixtura ; when our hearts cleave to the things of this world, they are debased by them to something beneath themselves. But this celestial inheritance doth not corrupt, but purify affections ; these things below make us worse, but cannot make us better ; they are perishing as well as fading : for they decay in our hands ; like flowers they wither in our hands while we smell at them ; but this endureth for ever ; we shall not fail, and to be sure the ever-living God will not fail us.
3. It is a blessed inheritance, — the expression in the text, ' heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.' First, heirs of God. The inheri- tance is the Lord himself, blessed for ever, to be enjoyed by the saints to all eternity. He is the inheritance of his people now : Ps. xvi. 5, 6, ' The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, the lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place ; ' Ps. cxix. 57, ' Tliou art my portion, 0 Lord ; ' and Lam. iii. 24, ' The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him;' see what conclusions are drawn thence, duty, and hope. Much more then will God be our all-sufficient portion : Eev. xxi. 7, ' He that overcometh shall inherit all things ; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son ; ' all things equivalently, all things immediately in God ; God is instead of all, infinitely supplying and filling up the room of all, — riches, honours, contentment, and comforts. If we have God, nothing shall be missed, nothing wanted to make the state of those that enjoy it completely hapi)y. God is all immediately from himself : 1 Cor. xv. 28 ; God shall be all in all, who fiUeth all the desires, and perfecteth all the powers of our souls, of himself, without the intervention of means. Secondly, joint heirs with Christ, we enjoy it by him, and we enjoy it with him.