(2d) In happiness ; for there is as much fruition of God as we are capable of : Kom. viii. 18, ' Glory revealed in us.' There God is all, here there is no room to receive him, no faculties to behold his glory, no means to convey it.
2. The comfortable adjuncts of it.
[1.] The place, which is very glorious. The pavement and nether part, we cannot look upon it without wonder ; but the seat of the blessed is much more glorious, as the holiest of all exceeded the out- ward court. Here we are in the place of our service ; how pleasant soever our seat be, there is inconvenience, a mixture of winter and summer, sickness and health, life and death ; it is a middle place between heaven and hell, and hath a mixture of both. The best con- tentments are mixed with dregs, but there is pure contentment without any sorrow at all.
[2.] The company : Heb. xii. 22, 23, ' But ye are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angejs, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect/ Besides God, and Christ's human nature, there are an innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect. Heaven is no solitude ; there is company enough, good and blessed company. What a joy will it be to behold Christ's glory, angels and archangels ministering to him ; to see the first parents of mankind, Adam and Eve, and the blessed patriarchs ! Mat. viii. 11, ' They shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Enoch and Elias, the two persons that were translated into heaven in an extraordinary way. See Paul with his crown of righteousness upon his head ; our friends with whom we mingle souls. Between this blessed company there is great love ; every one is loving, and every one is lovely. The apostle telleth us that when faith and hope cease, love remaineth ; not only as terminated on God, but as terminated on the saints. They shall not only love God above all, but love one another with a most pure and perfect love. They shall love God more than themselves, and others as themselves. As the loops of the tabernacle did couple the curtains one to another, so dear love unites the glorified saints. No more strife between Luther and Zuinglius, Hooper and Eidley, Calvinists and Lutherans ; not to come nearer home, and mention those invidious names which are set up as flags of defiance to divide us into several herds and factions. And as mutual love, so there will be mutual honouring one another, and rejoicing in one an- other without envy, according to the honour God puts on them. Their will is perfectly conformable to God's, rejoicing in each other as their
VSB. 21.] SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS I. 21. 195
own. Those two querulous words, mine and thine, will no more set us at variance ; for one hath not the less comfort because another hath more ; as a great multitude hear a speech, one hears not the less because another hears it with him ; or the sun shines on a multitude, every one hath all ; or as in a chorus of voices, every one is partaker of another's voice as well as his own. Neither are they set together as mute spectators and mere strangers. There is a communion between the blessed spirits. Paul when he was rapt into the third heaven, heard apprjTa prj/xara, unutterable words, words not tit to be uttered, 2 Cor. xii. 4, which is not lawful or possible. He doth not speak so much of what he saw, but heard. God revealed himself to Moses by sight, Exod. xxiii., to Paul by hearing. We cannot intrude into those secrets, to know what and how this communion is maintained ; but somewhat we may guess at ; holy and gracious conferences concerning the wisdom of God, his decrees, the works of his power, the riches of his grace, the fruits of Christ's death ; as in Christ's transfiguration, Luke ix. 31, ' They appeared in glory, and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.' To meet with holy prophets, and tell them now all is come to pass, now all hazards and dangers are over, certainly a sweet communion it will be ; as travellers when they come into their inn talk of the dirtiness of the way. Only here now I shall inquire whether the saints know one another in heaven, fathers their children, and children their fathers, husbands their wives, friends their acquaintance ; yea, those that never saw one another's faces ?
Ans. Yes, but not after the flesh, in a carnal natural way: Mat. xxii. 30, ' They neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.' But they rejoice in one another in a spiritual way, as they are related to Christ. Though it be a double contentment to see that our relations do increase the number of blessed spirits, it is not to be imagined there will be a perfect oblivion of all things. Memory is not abolished, but perfected ; for those that never knew one another in the flesh shall then know one another. Adam knew Eve in the state of integrity, though he never saw her before : Gen. ii. 23, ' And Adam said, This is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.' So when restored to a perfect state ; the disciples knew Moses and Elias, though they had never seen them, Mat. xvii. 3. We shall be suddenly enlightened to know them in that great council of souls; being of the same company, we shall know our fellows. In that parable of Dives and Lazarus, Luke xvi., there is a representation of the everlasting estate. Abraham knew Lazarus, and the rich glutton knew him in Abraham's bosom. Ministers shall have knowledge of souls they have gained to Christ : 1 Thes. ii. 19, ' For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing ? are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ? ' Such as were converted, edified by him. Such believers are welcomed to heaven by the poor whom they have relieved : Luke xvi. 9, ' Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations.' Angels do not only know themselves, but all the elect whom they are to gather from the four winds, Mat. xiii. 41. It is more probable they shall know one another.