464 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SEE. III.
He will set tlie world a-wondering at the honour he will confer upon those that have honoured him in the world; they shall see him in full glory, sitting upon his throne of judgment, and afterwards at the right hand of his Father for evermore. So that we have honour conferred upon us in the judgment, and shall then abide with him for evermore in a state of glory.
(1.) A relative and adherent glory, as the saints are admitted into a participation of his judicial power : 1 Cor. vi. 2, ' Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world, even angels ? ' They are not only judged, but judges, and that not only of men, but evil angels, who though they had a long time ago a particular punishment on them, yet then they shall have their solemn doom and sentence and whole punishment. And in this judgment the saints shall be associated with Christ. Christ judgeth by way of original authority, but the saints by consent and suffrage, which is a part of the kingdom and dominion which the upright receive in the morning, Ps. xlix. 14 ; that is, in the morning of the resurrection. Those who were slighted, persecuted, and hated in the world, shall then' be owned by Christ, and sit with him on the throne. Here the saints judge and condemn the world by their conversations, Heb. xi. 7 ; there by their vote and suffrage.
(2.) Internal and inherent, viz., the glory revealed in us, put into us. Now it is revealed to us, then in us. Our ear hath received a little hereof, but then it shall be fully accomplished in our persons, in our bodies and souls. The body shall be a glorious immortal body, shining as the sun for brightness ; not decayed with age, nor wasted with sickness, nor needing the supply of food ; in short, freed from all weakness and imperfection, and united to a soul fully sanctified, from which it shall never more be separated, and both together shall be the eternal temple of the Holy Ghost.
2. How it is the fruit of vision ? for so it is given as a reason, ' We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.'
I answer — There is between light and likeness a circular generation, as there is in most moral things ; and on the one side it may be said we shall be like him, therefore we shall see him as he is, and also on the other side, as in the text, ' We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.'
[1.] The first is certainly a truth, that they that are like God shall see God as he is ; such are included within the promise : Mat. v. 8, ' Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' And others are excluded out of it : Heb. xii. 14, ' Follow peace and holiness, with- out which no man shall see the Lord.' And as they are included in the promise, so they are disposed and prepared for the enjoyment of this privilege, by the holy constitution of their souls for the vision and fruition of God. They are suited to this happiness by their love of God and their desire to enjoy him. If they had the happiness of heaven and did not see God, it would not satisfy them. They count it a great mercy to meet with anything of God in the ordin- ances. Now if you can suppose them to come to heaven, and not meet with God there, and Christ there, it would be a trouble to them in their glorified estate. So much as is pure and holy in their soul
VeR. 2.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 465
carrieth them to God, so much as is base, drossy, fetulent, disposeth them to the world and worldly things. Their hearts would be dis- affected and unsuitable to this blessed estate if there were not purity there.
[2.] Vision maketh way for this likeness, which is the thing asserted in the text ; take this likeness either for holiness or for glory and im- mortality.
(1.) For holiness. The work of likeness to God is begun in regenera- tion, and it entereth into the heart by knowledge or sight : Col. iii. 10, ' Renewed after the image of God, by the knowledge of him.' Sight begets likeness; so beholding the glory of the Lord as in a glass, we are changed into his image and likeness, 2 Cor. iii. 18. Now as begun, so it is perfected ; when we see better, we shall become better. If sight doth transform us now, much more will it hereafter, when the veil of the flesh doth no more interpose, and we are no more blinded with the delusions thereof. When things now reported to our faith shall be under view, and not only known by hearsay, but by sight, they must needs make a deeper impression upon us.
(2.) If you interpret this likeness of glory and immortality, the glory of God in Christ is represented to us, and impressed upon us ; for it is represented that we may participate thereof ; and Christ doth appear that we may appear with him in glory, that the whole mystical body may carry a suitableness and conformity to the head. Moses' face shone when he saw God, Exod. xxxiv. 29. How much more will it be so in heaven ! The object is unspeakably efficacious, the act of intuition is full of vigour, and the subject is prepared and fitted to be receptive of it. Christ in his vehemency of prayer was transfigured, Luke ix. 29, having in his natural body a more than ordinary sight of his God : ' As he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered.'