Doct. They shall be accounted worthy to enter into the kingdom of God who diligently and steadily pursue after it. By way of explication —
First, What is meant by the kingdom of God ? There is a twofold kingdom of God — the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory. The kingdom of grace is the gospel estate now set afoot in the world. Now for this kingdom they might be said to suffer ; that is, to promote it in the world, or because they had entered into it ; but rather it is taken for the kingdom of glory, spoken of Mat. xxv. 34, 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you,' &c. And they are said to suffer for it, that is, that they may enter into it.
Secondly, How counted worthy ? There is a threefold worthiness — 1. Dignitas eqaalitatis, a condignity or worthiness of exact propor- tion : Luke x. 7, 8 The labourer is worthy of his hire.' This exact worthiness is justice-proof, not only from the paction and covenant, but from the intrinsic worth of the action itself. There is cequalitas rei et pacti. What I bargain for is my due. But when there is besides the bargain a proportion between the labour and the hire, we claim and challenge it not only by virtue of the bargain, but as a reward due to the work for its own sake. Now there is such a distance between God and the creature, his reward and anything that we can do and suffer, that no creature can make God his debtor : Kom. viii. 18, ' For I reckon that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared wit,h the glory which shall be revealed in us.' And when we have done all and suffered never so much, eternal life is a gift, and the mere fruit of his grace : Kev. ii. 10, ' I will give thee,' &c.
2. There is dignitas convenientice, aptitudinis aut decentice, a worthiness of decency or becomingness. This consists not in a perfect exact proportion, but some congruity or fitness. This is also twofold — a fitness in point of order and a fitness in point of preparation.
[1.] A fitness in point of order. So they are worthy who are con- veniently qualified according to God's order : Kom. viii. 17, ' If sons, then heirs, joint-heirs with Christ ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we also may be glorified together. So 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12, ' If we
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be dead with him, we shall also live with him : if we suffer, we shall also reign with him : if we deny him, he will deny us.' It is meet and convenient, or agreeable to Christ's wisdom and love, that he should own his faithful servants, and since they are willing to take his cross, that they should share with him in his crown ; as David, when crowned at Hebron, made his followers captains of thousands, hundreds, and fifties. So also Kev. iii. 4, ' They that have not defiled their garments shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.' They observe God's order, who maketh fidelity to Christ, in doing and suffering his will, to be the way to their glory and blessedness.
[2.] In point of preparation. We read, that as heaven is prepared for us, so we are prepared for heaven : Rom. ix. 23, ' Vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory;' and Col. i. 12, 'He hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.' It is the wisdom of God to put all things in their proper places, both in the order of nature and grace ; as fishes in the sea, beasts on earth ; so holy and heavenly creatures, whose hearts are weaned from the world, and whose hopes and desires are wholly carried to another and better world, and are willing to endure all things to obtain it, that they should be placed in heaven, for which he hath prepared them. And persecutions are one means which serve to fit and prepare the godly for heaven. As the hewing or squaring of stones fitted them to be set in the temple at Jerusalem, so are we squared, fitted, and made meet to be set in the heavenly temple. Things that suit are in the lan- guage of scripture called worthy : ' Worthy of repentance,' Mat. iii. 8, Acts xxvi. 20, Phil. i. 27, Eph. iv. 1, &c.
3. There is dignitas dignationis, the worthiness of acceptance, when God for Christ's sake is pleased to count us worthy, and to take our carriage in good part though there be many failings. So Luke xxi. 36, ' Watch ye, therefore, and pray, that ye may be counted worthy to stand before the Son of man.' And so here, ' counted worthy ; ' that is, pronounced worthy by divine dignation to enjoy the kingdom of God. None deserve this, though some are admitted out of God's benignity and faithful promises and gracious acceptance.
Thirdly, What is diligent and self-denying pursuit ? I put in both terms, because we must not only do what is good, but suffer what is evil.