VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON TITUS IL 11-14. 199
the cliristian's glory ; now it is covered and veiled, and therefore now the christian passeth under censures and reproaches ; thus was Christ in the world and we must be like him, but then all shall be discovered. A garden and a field differ little in winter, so doth a christian and other men till the great imperial day of Christ, then shall we put on our best robes. Yea, this happiness in a great part is hidden from ourselves. If we hearken to sense and present experience, there is not such a miserable sort of people in the world as God's dearest servants are ; 1 Cor. XV. 19, ' If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.' It is true by the perspective of faith we may have a glimpse now and then. Holy meditation strikes out and opens a window into the new Jerusalem, and we have some sight of it. A young heir doth not know the particulars of his estate, neither do we exactly know the happiness of our portion and inheritance in light.
2. It informs us what cause we have, not only to be patient, but to be thankful during the time of our pilgrimage here, while we are liable to sin and sorrow ; we may bless God aforehand. That is one reason why God hath revealed these things before we come to enjoy them, that we may give thanks for our hopes. Abraham, when he had only a grant and a promise of Canaan, not a foot of land actually possessed, there he built an altar, and offered sacrifice and praise, Gen. xiii. 17, 18 ; so this is one effect of the certainty of faith, it beginneth the life and work of heaven, and can praise God before enjoyment. ' Though we be subject to sin and misery here, yet, in despite of sense, faith will praise God and rejoice in him before we enjoy him. Thus the apostle blesseth God for his hopes : 1 Peter i. 3, 4, ' Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.' Certainly we may bless God where God blesseth us ; our blessing is but the echo of his : Eph. i. 3, ' Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.' And therefore we have cause to bless him for our hopes as well as our enjoyments, for the best of our portion is to come ; therefore, whenever we think of eternity, we should presently fall a blessing of God, however it be with us for the present.
To this end let me show you how much we expect, and how much we are engaged to every person of the Godhead.
[1.] How much we do expect. There is freedom from eternal tor- ments, and possession of eternal glory : 2 Thes. i. 10, ' Even Jesus, who hath delivered us from wrath to come.' Wrath present is nothing to wrath to come. Now God manageth all things by creatures, and no creature is sufficient to manifest all God's wrath. Those everlasting flames that are the portion of the damned, this is that from which we are delivered. We tremble at the name of hell ; what should we do at the sense of these torments that are without end and ease ? The grips of conscience for an hour, how terrible are they. Then what is it to lie under the wrath of God for ever and ever ? We were involved in the same guilt, in the same polluted mass with others, therefore we might be bound up in the same bundle, to be cast into hell as well as
200 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeR. XV.
tliey. Why are we taken and others left to perish ? Oh ! bless God for this, that we are as brands plucked out of the burning ; we are bound up in the same guilt and misery ; Zech. iii. 2, ' Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire ? ' Though you feel the smart of the rod upon your backs, remember this is nothing to hell, damnation, and wrath to come ; and this is given to prevent that : 1 Cor. xi. 32, ' When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.^ What cause have we to bless God, that we may think of hell as a danger that we have escaped by Christ. But then for hea- ven, the positive part of this blessedness, you have a right, though not an actual enjoyment. Sometimes heaven is said to be kept for us, and sometimes we are said to be kept for heaven : 1 Peter i. 5, ' Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.' Christ holds heaven in our right, in our stead, and in our names, and we are kept by the power of God for heaven. Again, heaven is prepared for us: Mat. xxv. 34, ' Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit a kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' And we are prepared for heaven : Eom. ix. 23, ' And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory.' V