Part 29

§ 8. (4.) The principal part of this rest, is our nearest enjoyment of God the chief good. And here, reader, wonder not if I be at a loss; and if my apprehensions receive but little of that which is in my expressions. If _it did not appear_, to the beloved disciple, _what we shall be_, but only in general, that _when Christ shall appear, we shall be like him_,[15] no wonder if I know little. When I know so little of God, I cannot much know what it is to enjoy him. If I know so little of spirits, how little of the Father of spirits, or the state of my own soul, when advanced to the enjoyment of him? I stand and look upon an heap of ants, and see them all with one view; they know not me, my being, nature, or thoughts, though I am their fellow-creature; how little then must we know of the great Creator, though he with one view clearly beholds us all? A glimpse the saints _behold as in a glass_;[16] which makes us capable of some poor, dark apprehensions of what we shall behold in glory. If I should tell a worldling what the holiness and spiritual joys of the saints on earth are, he cannot know; for grace cannot be clearly known without grace; how much less could he conceive it, should I tell him of this glory? But to the saints I may be somewhat more encouraged to speak; for grace gives them a dark knowledge and slight taste of glory. If men and angels should study to speak the blessedness of that state in one word, what could they say beyond this, that it is the nearest enjoyment of God? O the full joys offered to a believer in that one sentence of Christ, _Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me_.[17] Every word full of life and joy. If the queen of Sheba had cause to say of Solomon's glory, _Happy are thy men, happy are thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom_;[18] then sure they that stand continually before God, and see his glory, and the glory of the Lamb, are more than happy. To them will Christ _give to eat of the tree of life_; and _to eat of the hidden manna_: yea, he will _make them pillars in the temple of God, and they shall go no more out; and he will write upon them the name of his God, and the name of the city of his God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from his God, and he will write upon them his new name_; yea, more, if more may be, he _will grant them to sit with him in his throne. These are they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb: Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them: The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes._[19] O blind, deceived world! Can you shew us such a glory? This is the city of our God, where _the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. The glory of God shall lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. These sayings are faithful and true, and the things which must shortly be done._[20] And now we say, as Mephibosheth, _let_ the world _take all, forasmuch as our Lord will come in peace_.[21] _Rejoice_ therefore _in the Lord, O ye righteous_, and say with his servant David, _the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance: The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. I have set the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore._[22] What presumption would it have been, once to have thought or spoke of such a thing, if God had not spoken it before us? I durst not have thought of the saint's preferment in this life, as scripture sets it forth, had it not been the express truth of God. How indecent to talk of being _Sons of God—speaking to him—having fellowship with him—dwelling in him and he in us_;[23] if this had not been God's own language? How much less durst we have once thought of _shining forth as the sun_—of being _joint heirs with Christ_—of _judging the world_—of _sitting on Christ's throne_—of being _one in him and the Father_;[24] if we had not all this from the mouth, and under the hand, of God? _But hath he said, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?_[25] Yes, as the Lord God is true, _thus shall it be done to the man whom_ Christ _delighteth to honor_.[26] Be of good cheer, Christian, the time is near, when God and thou shalt be near, and as near as thou canst well desire. Thou shalt dwell in his family. Is that enough? It is better to _be a door-keeper in the house of God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness_.[27] Thou shalt ever stand before him, about his throne, in the room with him, in his presence-chamber. Wouldst thou yet be nearer? Thou shalt be his child, and he thy Father; thou shalt be an heir of his kingdom; yea more, the spouse of his Son. And what more canst thou desire? Thou shalt be a member of the body of his Son; he shall be thy head; thou shalt be one with him, who is one with the Father, as he himself hath desired for thee of his Father, _that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; and the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me_.[28]