VOL. XIX. G
98 SERMONS UPON REVELATION I. 5, 6.
beauty, and as great a fruition of his godhead as we shall be capable of, in a state of full contentment, joy, and blessedness.
5. If there be a temple in the other world, then there are priests, and there will be a ministration ; but now heaven is often represented as a temple. As the temple under the law was a type of Christ, in whom the fulness of the godhead dwelt bodily, and a type of the church, in which God manifesteth his power and presence ; so also it was a type of heaven, and so frequently applied. As in the temple there were three partitions, the outward court, the holy place, and the holy of holies; so is there the airy heaven, the starry heaven, and the heaven of heavens, as it is called, Acts iii. 21, ' Whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things ; ' and the third heaven : 2 Cor. xii. 2, ' I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, such an one caught up to the third heaven.' This third heaven, the seat of God and of the blessed saints, is often called ' the holiest,' with re- spect to the type in the temple or sanctuary. Therefore that is called ' a worldly sanctuary,' Heb. ix. 1, and ' holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true ; ' that is, heaven itself, ver. 24. The earthly or worldly sanctuary was the throne and palace of God, residing as a king in the midst of his people, which figured or shadowed a more excellent throne and palace, which is heaven, where God doth manifest his presence in a far more glorious manner. Well, then, iu this temple must we minister, and be admitted to a nearer attendance upon God.
6. One great part of our sacrifices and oblations remaineth everlast- ingly to be done by ns, and that is the sacrifice of praise and thanks- giving ; it is a great branch of the thank-ofierings of the gospel : Heb. xiii. 1.5, ' By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.' And in heaven they cease not. Prayer suiteth more with our imper- fect state, when we are compassed about with divers infirmities and necessities ; but the angels praise God, and so do the blessed spirits. We shall then have a fuller sense of the mercies and goodness of God, when our redemption is full and complete, and a clearer sight of his excel- lencies when we see him face to face. Here we do but tune our instruments, and prepare for the work of heaven, but then we perform it. We are here but as learners, when we see God by faith, and under- stand a little of the love of Christ, but then as practisers. Therefore certainly to be kings and priests unto God doth not respect the present life only, but our ministration in the heavenly temple. There is a ' for ever ' always affixed to the doxologies of the saints, to show that now they do but begin in the work which they shall complete hereafter.
7. The scriptures do plainly express that our service is not ended with our lives, but, as we still stand in the relation of creatures to God, so we still glorify him and serve him : Eev. vii. 14-16, 'And he said nnto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb : therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in the temple. And he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them, and they shall hunger no more, nor thirst any more,' <fec. There is the explanation of the mystery of being washed in Christ's
SERMONS UPON REVELATION I. 5, 6. 99
blood, and made kings and priests unto God. This office tliey chiefly perform when they come to enjoy their happiness before the tlirone of God and in the heavenly temple. And what is the work there ? They serve him day and night ; they do not their service then by fits and starts, but constantly. A type whereof were the priests under the law, who, in their courses, were admitted day and night to be in the temple : Ps. cxxxiv, 1, ' Bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.' But what was done by many in their turns is now done by the same persons continually ; for they are never weary, and there is no intermission in their service. And God always dwelleth amongst them ; they shall not be at a distance from God, nor he at a distance from them ; but they shall still enjoy his company, as dwelling in one house with him ; for there shall not be sin nor sorrow any more, and then shall they praise God cheerfully. This will be our work when we are admitted into the most holy place.
8. As heaven hath the notion of a place, a temple, so our estate in heaven hath the notion of a day or time wherein our priesthood is to be solemnly exercised; for it is called cra/3/3aTfo-/xo?, a sabbath or rest : Heb. iv. 9, ' There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.' A sabbath is for holy rest, not a time of idleness, but to be religiously employed ; so this glorious eternal rest, which is prepared for and pro- mised to believers, is not passed over in ease and idleness, but in acts of worship and adoration. It is a rest from toil and labour, but not from work and service. On the sabbath-day the sacrifices were doubled ; the priest had more to do upon that day than any other ; so in our everlasting sabbatism, we serve God after a more perfect manner than now we do. On the sabbath, a special delight and rejoicing in God was to be raised : Isa. Iviii. 13, 14, ' If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words : then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father ; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.' So in our eternal rest shall we delight our- selves in his presence.