Practical meditations upon the four last things viz. I. Death, II. Judgment, III. Hell, IV. Heaven / by R. Sherlock ...

MEDITAT. III. Of the good things of Heaven.

1. HONOUR.

HOnour in Heaven is not that which swells with vain-glory, and is puft up with the infectious breath of Flattery, and the praise of men, * 1.1 but the honour that cometh from God only.

Honour is the reward of vertue, and he who is the donor of vertue and obedience has promised to honour the obedient and vertuous, saying, If any man serve me, * 1.2 him will my Father honour: What, and how great this honour is we read, Rev. 3.31. * 1.3 To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me in my Throne: even as I have overcome, and am set down with my Father in his Throne: There cannot be surely an higher Honour than this, to be exalted by the right hand of the most High, and placed in the same Throne with the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords: O what Hymns of divine Praise, what applau∣ses and exultations, what shouts of joy shall sound through the whole Court of Heaven, when thus it shall be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour. * 1.4

2. POWER.

2. Honour without Power is but a titular, empty, airy happiness: And the Saints shall have all power of what they will, as God hath of what he wills: For as God can do what he will by himself, so can they do what they will by him: For as they will nothing but what the Lord wills; so the Lord wills nothing but what they will have; 'tis not possible, but that they have Power to do whatever they will; so Aug. Manual. c. 35. The Power of the Saints in Heaven is promi∣sed by the Lord of all power, saying of the faithful and wise servant, * 1.5 he will make him ruler of all his goods: implying a power given

to his Saints, not only over all that is called good upon earth, but also over all the joys of Heaven, which are an aggregation of all that is good. 'Tis promised to him that overcometh, that he shall inherit all things; for being the Sons of God, they are also heirs of God, and joynt heirs with Christ, partakers of all power with him both in Heaven and Earth. * 1.6 He that overcometh shall inherit all things: wherein are implicitely promised,

3. RICHES.

3. The Riches of Heaven, are not such corruptible things as Silver and Gold, gor∣geous Attire, delicious Fare, large De∣mesnes, fair Habitations — but without any such frail deceitful pelf there shall be abundance of peace, * 1.7 a fulness of perfection and felicity, an exceeding and eternal weight of glory: and in a word; in Heaven God shall be all in all: He who is the Fountain and Well-spring of all good gifts and graces up∣on Earth, will be himself the Reward and Crown thereof in Heaven; than the which there can be nothing more high and honou∣rable, nothing more great and powerful, nothing more rich, full, eminent, perfect, joyous, and all that can be desired condu∣cing to true happiness.

Happy then, and thrice happy are they who now in this life covet chiefly, covet on∣ly to have the Lord for their portion, saying, not from the teeth only, but from the bot∣tom

of their hearts, * 1.8 The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup: thou shalt maintain my lot. [unspec 7] The lot is fallen to me in a fair ground, I have a goodly heritage. And surely he must needs be most exorbi∣tantly covetous, that will not be content with such a heritage: and to possess the Lord himself, who possesseth all things, is the Riches of Heaven.

4. PLEASURE.

Pleasure consists in the union of the Soul with an object of Delight: and in Heaven the Soul shall be united with the most beau∣tiful, and blissful object, viz. The Lord of glory, The light of the World, The God of all Consolation. We read 1 Cor. 6.17. He that is joyned to the Lord, is one spirit, which is the height of pleasure, and perfection of Delight to be so intimately joyned to the Lord as to become one spirit with him: such do deliciously taste and fully see how gracious the Lord is. * 1.9

There is no earthly pleasure like the taste and sense of the Lord's grace and favour to us: 'Tis yet a greater pleasure to enjoy the Lord as the only object of Love and De∣light: 'Tis yet more sweet and pleasurable to acquiesce and be fully satisfied in the en∣joyment of the divine Majesty. But the ful∣ness of joy is not only to enjoy, but to know that we shall ever enjoy the beatifical vision, and have the fruition of the supream beauty, and divine goodness for ever and ever.

Now then, * 1.10 O my Soul, Delight thou in the Lord, and he shall give thee thy hearts desire: In the satisfaction and peace of thy desires does thy happiness consist, and this is alone in the Lord obtainable: * 1.11 Blessed are the people, O Lord, that can rejoyce in thee; they shall walk in the light of thy coun∣tenance: [unspec 17,] — Their delight shall be daily in thy name, and in thy righteousness shall they make their boast: [unspec 18] For thou art the glory of their strength —

But the soul that will rejoyce in God must be stampt after his Image, and be like unto him, pure as he is pure, holy as he is holy, merciful as he is merciful.

* 1.12 Be ye followers of God as dear children, and walk in love: and so thou may'st hope to enjoy the Lord as the supream object of love and delight in Heaven.

How infinite is the goodness, and how ex∣ceeding the bounty of the Lord to his good and faithful servants, to admit them into the same joy, which himself enjoys! for so shall it be said to each of them, Well done good and faithful servant — enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, Matt. 25.25.

The joy and felicity of God does consist in the contemplation, and fruition of his own perfections, and felicities: and such is the happiness of the Saints in Heaven to contemplate, and enjoy the divine Majesty, in the fulness of his joy and pleasure for evermore.

Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we

know when he shall appear we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is, 1 John 3.2. To see God as he is in himself clearly, fully, and with fulness of satisfaction, is the hap∣piness both of God himself, and of all his Saints in him.

O Lord, who hast prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass man's un∣derstanding; Pour into our hearts such love towards thee, that we loving thee in and above all things, may obtain thy promises which exceed all that we can desire, through Jesus Christ.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Joh. 5.44.
• * 1.2

  Joh. 12.26.
• * 1.3

  Rev. 3.31.
• * 1.4

  Esth. 6.11.
• * 1.5

  Matt. 24.45, 46.
• * 1.6

  Closs. ord. in loc. Rev. 21.7.
• * 1.7

  Ps 72.7. 2 Cor. 4.17. 2 Cor. 15.28.
• * 1.8

  Psal. 16.6,
• * 1.9

  Psal. 34.8.
• * 1.10

  Psal. 37.4.
• * 1.11

  Ps. 89.16,
• * 1.12

  Eph. 5.1, 2.