HEAVEN IS A WORLD OF LOVE by Jonathan Edwards

SERMON FIFTEEN: HEAVEN IS A WORLD OF LOVE

by Jonathan Edwards

Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall Jail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. I CORINTHIANS 13:8–10.

1

I HAVE already insisted on the first of these verses singly from the doctrine that the great fruit of the Spirit in which the Holy Ghost shall not only for a season but everlastingly be communicated to the church of Christ is divine love. I would now take a view of this verse together with the two following verses in order to a further instruction. And to that end, I would observe two things in these verses. First, something, which will hereafter be, which will show the great worth and excellence of charity; viz. that charity shall remain when other fruits of the Spirit have failed. And second, in what state of the church this will come to pass, viz. in its perfect state, when that which is in part shall be done away.

There is a twofold imperfect, and so a twofold perfect state of the Christian church. The Christian church in its beginning, in its first age before it was thoroughly established in the world, and settled in its New Testament state, and before the canon of the Scripture was completed, was in an imperfect state, a kind of a state of childhood in comparison with what it will be in the elder and latter ages 2 of the church, when it will be in a state of manhood, or a perfect state in comparison with what it was in the first ages. Again, the church of Christ, as long as it remains -- 367 --

in its militant state, and to the end of time is in an imperfect state, a state of childhood, and as the Apostle says in the eleventh verse, thinks and speaks as a child, in comparison with what it will be in the heavenly state, when it comes to a state of manhood and perfection, and to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

And so there is a twofold failing of those other gifts of the Spirit here mentioned. One is at the end of the first and infant age of the Christian church when the canon of Scripture is complete; and so there are none of them remaining in the church in its later ages, 3 when it shall put away childish things and be in a state of manhood before the end of the world, when the Spirit of God shall be most gloriously poured out and manifested in that love and charity, which is its greatest and everlasting fruit. And again, all common fruits of the Spirit cease at the end of the militant state of the church with respect to particular persons at death, and with respect to the whole church at the end of the world. 4 But charity remains in heaven. There the Spirit shall be poured forth in perfect love into every heart.

The Apostle seems to have respect to both these; but especially the latter. For though the glorious state of the church in its latter age be perfect in comparison with its former state, yet its state in heaven is that state of the church to which the things which the Apostle here says are most applicable, when he says, "when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away." "Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know, even as also I am known." 5

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Doctrine

Heaven is a world of love.

The Apostle in the text speaks of a state of the church which is perfect, and therefore a state in which the Holy Spirit shall more perfectly and abundantly be given to the church than it now is. But the way in which it shall be given, when it is so abundantly poured forth, will be in that great fruit of the Spirit, holy and divine love in the hearts of all the blessed inhabitants of that world. So that the heavenly state of the church is a state which is distinguished from its earthly state, as it is that state which God has designed especially for such a communication of his Holy Spirit, and in which it shall be given perfectly; whereas in the present state of the church, it is given with such great imperfection; and also a state in which this shall be, as it were, the only gift or fruit of the Spirit, as being the most perfect and glorious, and which being brought to perfection renders others, which God was wont to communicate to his church on earth, needless. 6

That we may the better see how heaven is a world of love, I would take the following method in considering this subject.

I. I would consider the great cause and fountain of love which is there.II. I would consider heaven with regard to the objects of love which it contains.III. I would consider the love which is there with regard to the subject.IV. I would consider the principle, or the love itself, which there is in heaven.V. I would consider the excellent circumstances in which love is there enjoyed and expressed.VI. The happy effect and fruits of all this.

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I. And here the place with respect to the cause and fountain of love which is there. What I shall say may be comprised in this proposition; viz. that the God of love dwells in heaven. Heaven is the palace, or presence-chamber, of the Supreme Being who is both the cause and source of all holy love. God, indeed, with respect to his essence is everywhere. He fills heaven and earth. But yet he is said on some accounts more especially to be in some places rather than others. He was said of old to dwell in the land of Israel above all other lands, and in Jerusalem above all other cities in that land, and in the temple above all other houses in that city, and in the holy of holies above all other apartments in that temple, and on the mercy seat over the ark above all other places in the holy of holies. But heaven is his dwelling place above all other places in the universe.

Those places in which he was said to dwell of old were all but types of this. Heaven is a part of the creation which God has built for this end, to be the place of his glorious presence. 7 And it is his abode forever. Here he will dwell and gloriously manifest himself to eternity. And this renders heaven a world of love; for God is the fountain of love, as the sun is the fountain of light. And therefore the glorious presence of God in heaven fills heaven with love, as the sun placed in the midst of the hemisphere in a clear day fills the world with light. The Apostle tells us that God is love, 1 John 4:8. And therefore seeing he is an infinite Being, it follows that he is an infinite fountain of love. Seeing he is an all-sufficient Being, it follows that he is a full and overflowing and an inexhaustible fountain of love. Seeing he is an unchangeable and eternal Being, he is an unchangeable and eternal source of love. There even in heaven dwells that God from whom every stream of holy love, yea, every drop that is or ever was proceeds.

There dwells God the Father, and so the Son, who are united in infinitely dear and incomprehensible mutual love. There dwells God the Father, who is the Father of mercies, and so the Father of love, who so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life [John 3:16]. There dwells Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the Prince of peace and love, who so loved the world that he shed his blood, and poured out his soul unto death for it. There dwells the Mediator, by whom all God's love is expressed to the saints, by whom the fruits of it have been purchased, and through whom they are communicated, and through whom

-- 370 -- love is imparted to the hearts of all the church. There Christ dwells in both his natures, his human and divine, sitting with the Father in 8 the same throne. There is the Holy Spirit, the spirit of divine love, in whom the very essence of God, as it were, all flows out or is breathed forth in love, and by whose immediate influence all holy love is shed abroad in the hearts of all the church [cf. Romans 5:5]. There in heaven this fountain of love, this eternal three in one, is set open without any obstacle to hinder access to it. There this glorious God is manifested and shines forth in full glory, in beams of love; there the fountain overflows in streams and rivers of love and delight, enough for all to drink at, and to swim in, yea, so as to overflow the world as it were with a deluge of love. I proceed now

II. To consider heaven with regard to the objects of love which it contains. And under this head I would observe three things.

First. There are none but lovely objects in heaven. There is no odious or polluted person or thing to be seen there. There is nothing wicked and unholy. Revelation 21:27, "And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." There is nothing which is deformed either in natural or moral deformity. Everything which is to be beheld there is amiable. The God, who dwells and gloriously manifests himself there, is infinitely lovely. There is to be seen a glorious heavenly Father, a glorious Redeemer; there is to be felt and possessed a glorious Sanctifier. All the persons who belong to that blessed society are lovely. The Father of the family is so, and so are all his children. The Head of the body is so, and so are all the members. Concerning the angels, there are none who are unlovely. There are no evil angels suffered to infest heaven as they do this world. They are not suffered to come near, but are kept at a distance with a great gulf between them. In the church of saints there are no unlovely persons; there are no false professors, none who pretend to be saints, who are persons of an unchristian, hateful spirit and behavior, as is often the case in this world. There is no one object there to give offense, or at any time to give any occasion for any passion or motion of hatred; but every object shall draw forth love.

Second. Not only shall all objects there be lovely, but each shall be perfectly lovely. There are many things in this world which in general

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are lovely, but yet are not perfectly free from that which is the contrary. Many men are amiable and worthy to be loved, but yet they are not without those things which are very disagreeable. But it is not so in heaven. There shall be no pollution or deformity of any kind seen in any one person or thing. Everyone is perfectly pure, all over lovely; everything shall be perfectly pleasant. That world is perfectly bright without darkness, perfectly clear without spot. There shall be none appearing with any defects, either natural or moral. There is nothing seen there which is sinful, nothing weak or foolish. Nothing shall appear to which nature is averse, nothing which shall offend the most delicate eye. There shall be no string out of tune to cause any jar in the harmony of that world, no unpleasant note to cause any discord.

That God who so fully manifests himself there is perfect with an absolute and infinite perfection. That Son of God who is the brightness of his Father's glory appears there in his glory, without that veil of outward meanness in which he appeared in this world, as a root out of dry ground destitute of outward glory. There the Holy Spirit shall be poured forth with perfect sweetness, as a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, Revelation 22 at the beginning; a river whose waters are without any manner of pollution. And every member of that glorious society shall be without blemish of sin or imprudence 9 or any kind of failure. The whole church shall then be presented to Christ as a bride clothed in fine linen, clean and white, without spot or wrinkle. Ephesians 5:25–27, "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." In that world, wherever the inhabitants turn their eyes they shall see nothing but beauty and glory. In the most stately cities on earth, however magnificent the buildings are, yet the streets are filthy and defiled, being made to be trodden under foot. But the very street of this heavenly city is represented as being as pure gold, like unto transparent glass, Revelation 21:21. That it should be like pure gold only does not sufficiently represent the purity of them; but they are also like the transparent glass or crystal.

Third. There are those objects upon which the saints have set their hearts and loved above all others while in this world. There they will find those things which appeared lovely to them while they dwelt on earth far

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beyond all they could see here, the things which captivated their souls, and drew them away from the most dear and pleasant of earthly objects. There they find those things which were their delight, upon which they used often to meditate, and with the sweet contemplation of which they used to entertain their minds. There they find the things which they chose for their portion, and which were so dear to them, that for the sake of them they were ready to undergo the severest sufferings, or to forsake father and mother, and wife, and children, and lands. 1 There they shall

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dwell with that God whom they have loved with all their hearts, and with all their souls, and with all their minds. There they are brought to be with their beloved Savior. There they have such company as they have loved and longed for, and with which by faith they were conversant even while they dwelt on earth.

Thus having considered the objects of love in heaven, I come now

III. To consider the love which is there with regard to the subjects of it, or the hearts in which it is. And with respect to this I would observe that love resides and reigns in every heart there. The heart of God is the original seat or subject of it. Divine love is in him not as a subject which receives from another, but as its original seat, where it is of itself. Love is in God as light is in the sun, which does not shine by a reflected light as the moon and planets do; but by his own light, and as the fountain of light. And love flows out from him towards all the inhabitants of heaven. It flows out in the first place [[necessarily]] 2 and infinitely towards his only begotten Son, being poured forth without measure, as to an object which is infinite, and so fully adequate to God's love in its fountain. Infinite love is infinitely exercised towards him. The fountain does not only send forth large streams towards this object as it does to every other, but the very fountain itself wholly and altogether goes out towards him. And the Son of God is not only the infinite object of love, but he is also an infinite subject of it. He is not only the infinite object of the Father's love, but he also infinitely loves the Father. The infinite essential love of God is, as it were, an infinite and eternal mutual holy energy between the Father and the Son, a pure, holy act whereby the Deity becomes nothing but an infinite and unchangeable act of love, which proceed? from both the Father and the Son. Thus divine love has its seat in the Deity as it is exercised within the Deity, or in God towards himself.

But it does not remain in such exercises only, but it flows out in innumerable streams towards all the created inhabitants of heaven; he loves all the angels and saints there. The love of God flows out towards Christ the Head, and through him to all his members, in whom they were beloved before the foundation of the world, and in whom his love was expressed towards them in time by his death and sufferings, and in their conversion and the great things God has done for them in this world, and is now fully manifested to them in heaven. And the saints and angels are secondarily the subjects of holy love, not as in whom love is as in an original seat, as light is in the sun which shines by its own light, but

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as it is in the planets which shine by reflecting the light of the sun. And this light is reflected in the first place and chiefly back to the sun itself. As God has given the saints and angels love, so their love is chiefly exercised towards God, the fountain of it, as is most reasonable. They all love God with a supreme love. There is no enemy of God in heaven, but all love him as his children. They all are united with one mind to breathe forth their whole souls in love to their eternal Father, and to Jesus Christ, their common Head. Christ loves all his saints in heaven. His love flows out to his whole church there, and to every individual member of it; and they all with one heart and one soul, without any schism in the body, love their common Redeemer. Every heart is wedded to this spiritual husband. All rejoice in him, the angels concurring. And the angels and saints all love one another. All that glorious society are sincerely united. There is no secret or open enemy among them; not one heart but is full of love, nor one person who is not beloved. As they are all lovely, so all see each other's loveliness with answerable delight and complacence. Everyone there loves every other inhabitant of heaven whom he sees, and so he is mutually beloved by everyone.

Thus having spoken of the fountain and subject of this love, I proceed

IV. To say something of the principle, or the love itself, which fills the heavenly world. And of this I would take notice, first, of the nature, and second, the degree of it.

First. As to its nature. It is altogether holy and divine. Most of the love which there is in this world is of an unhallowed nature. But in heaven, the love which has place there is not carnal, but spiritual; not proceeding from corrupt principles, not from selfish motives, and to mean and vile purposes; but there love is a pure flame. The saints there love God for his own sake, and each other for God's sake, for the sake of that relation which they bear to God, and that image of God which is upon them.

Second. With respect to the degree of their love, it is perfect. The love which is in the heart of God is perfect, with an absolute, infinite and divine perfection. The love of the angels and saints to God and Christ is perfect in its kind, or with such a perfection as is proper to their nature, perfect with a sinless perfection, and perfect in that it is commensurate with the capacities of their natures. So it is said in the text, when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. Their love shall be without any remains of a contrary principle. Having no pride or selfishness to interrupt or hinder its exercises, their hearts shall be full of love. That which was in the heart as but a grain of mustard seed in this world shall there be as a great tree. The soul which only had a

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little spark of divine love in it in this world shall be, as it were, wholly turned into love; and be like the sun, not having a spot in it, but being wholly a bright, ardent flame. There shall be no remaining enmity, distaste, coldness and deadness of heart towards God and Christ; not the least remainder of any principle of envy to be exercised towards any angels or saints who are superior in glory, no contempt or slight towards any who are inferior. Those who have a lower station in glory than others suffer no diminution of their own happiness by seeing others above them in glory. On the contrary they rejoice in it. All that whole society rejoice in each other's happiness; for the love of benevolence is perfect in them. Everyone has not only a sincere but a perfect good will to every other. Sincere and strong love is greatly gratified and delighted in the prosperity of the beloved. And if the love be perfect, the greater the prosperity of the beloved is, the more is the lover pleased and delighted. For the prosperity of the beloved is, as it were, the food of love; and therefore the greater that prosperity is, the more richly is love feasted. The love of benevolence is delighted in beholding the prosperity of another, as the love of complacence is delighted in viewing the beauty of another. 3 So that the superior prosperity of those who are higher in glory is so far from being any damp to the happiness of saints of lower degree that it is an addition to it, or a part of it. There is undoubtedly an inconceivably pure, sweet and fervent love between the saints in glory; and their love is in proportion to the perfection and amiableness of the objects beloved. And therefore it must necessarily cause delight in them when they see others' happiness and glory to be in proportion to their amiableness, and so in proportion to their love of them. Those who are highest in glory are those who are highest in holiness, and therefore are those who are most beloved by all the saints. For they love those most who are most holy, and so they will all rejoice in it that they are most happy. And it will be a damp to none of the saints to see them who have higher degrees of holiness and likeness to God to be more loved than themselves; for all shall have as much love as they desire, and as great manifestations of love as they can bear; all shall be fully satisfied.

And when there is perfect satisfaction, there is no room for envy. And they will have no temptation to envy those who are above them in glory

-- 376 -from their superiors being lifted up with pride. We are apt to conceive that those who are more holy, and more happy than others in heaven, will be elated and lifted up in their spirit above others. Whereas their being above them in holiness implies their being superior to them in humility; for their superior humility is part of their superior holiness. Though all are perfectly free from pride, yet as some will have greater degrees of divine knowledge than others, will have larger capacities to see more of the divine perfections, so they will see more of their own comparative littleness and nothingness, and therefore will be lowest abased in humility. And besides, the inferior in glory will have no temptation to envy those who are higher. For those who are highest will not only be more beloved by the lower saints for their higher holiness, but they will also have more of a spirit of love to others. They will love those who are below them more than other saints of less capacity. They who are in highest degrees of glory will be of largest capacity, and so of greatest knowledge, and will see most of God's loveliness, and consequently will have love to God and love to saints most abounding in their hearts. So that those who are lower in glory will not envy those who are above them. They will be most beloved of those who are highest in glory, and the superior in glory will be so far from slighting those who are inferior, that they will have more abundant love to them, greater degrees of love in proportion to their superior knowledge and happiness; the higher in glory, the more like Christ in this respect. So that they will love them more than those who are their equals. And what puts it beyond doubt that seeing the superior happiness of others will be no damp to their happiness is this, that the superior happiness which they have consists in their greater humility, and their greater love to them, and to God and Christ, whom they will look upon as themselves. Such a sweet and perfect harmony will there be in the heavenly society, and perfect love reigning in every heart towards everyone without control, and without alloy, or any interruption. And no envy, or malice, or revenge, or contempt, or selfishness shall enter there, but shall be kept as far off as earth and hell are from heaven. 4 I come now V. To consider some of the excellent circumstances in which love shall be expressed and enjoyed in heaven. As particularly,

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First. Love there always meets with answerable returns of love. Love is always mutual, and the returns are always in due proportion. Love always seeks this. In proportion as any person is beloved, in that proportion his love is desired and prized. And in heaven this inclination or desire of love will never fail of being satisfied. No one person there will ever be grieved that he is slighted by those whom he loves, or that he has not answerable returns. As the saints will love God with an inconceivable ardor of heart, and to the utmost of their capacity; so they will know that he has loved them from eternity, and that he still loves them, and will love them to eternity. And God will then gloriously manifest himself to them, and they shall know that all that happiness and glory of which they are possessed is the fruit of his love. With the same ardor will the saints love the Lord Jesus Christ. And their love shall be accepted, and they shall know that he has loved them with a dying love. They shall then be more sensible than they are now what great love it manifested in Christ, that he should lay down his life for them. Then Christ will open to their view the great fountain of love in his heart far beyond what they ever before saw. Hereby the saints' love to God and Christ is mutual, Proverbs 8:17, "I love them, that love me"; though the love of God to the saints cannot properly be called returns of love, because he loved them first. But the sight of God's love will fill the saints the more with joy and admiration.

The love of the saints to one another will always be mutual and answerable, though we cannot suppose that everyone will in all respects be equally beloved. As some of the saints are more beloved of God than others on earth, as the angel told Daniel he was a man greatly beloved [Daniel 9:23], and John is called the beloved disciple [John 19:26], so doubtless those who have been most eminent, and are highest in glory, are most beloved of Christ; and doubtless those saints who are most beloved of Christ and nearest to him in glory are most beloved of all the saints. So we may conclude such saints as the apostle Paul and apostle John are more beloved by the saints in heaven than other saints of lower rank. They are more beloved by lower saints themselves than those of equal rank. But then there are answerable returns of love. As such are more beloved by other saints, so they have more love to other saints. The heart of Christ, the Head of the society, is fullest of love. He loves all the saints far more than any of them love each other. But the nearer any saint is to him, the more is he like him in this respect, the fuller his heart is of love.

Second. The joy of heavenly love shall never be damped or interrupted

-- 378 -by jealousy. Heavenly lovers will have no doubt of the love of each other. They shall have no fear that their professions and testimonies of love are hypocritical; they shall be perfectly satisfied of the sincerity and strength of each other's love, as much as if there were a window 5 in all their breasts, that they could see each other's hearts. There shall be no such thing as flattery or dissimulation in heaven, but there perfect sincerity shall reign through all. Everyone will be perfectly sincere, having really all that love which they profess. All their expressions of love shall come from the bottom of their hearts. The saints shall know that God loves them, and they shall not doubt of the greatness of his love; and they shall have no doubt of the love of all their fellow heavenly inhabitants. And they shall not be jealous of the constancy of each other's love. They shall have no suspicion that their former love is abated, that they have withdrawn their love in any degree from them for the sake of any rival, or by reason of any thing in themselves which they suspect is disagreeable to them, or anything they have done which is disrelished, or through the inconstancy of their hearts. Nor will they in the least be afraid that their love towards them will ever be abated. There shall be no such thing as inconstancy and unfaithfulness in heaven to molest and disturb the friendship of that blessed society. The saints shall have no fear that the love of God will ever abate towards them, or that Christ will not continue always to love them with the same immutable tenderness. And they shall have no jealousy one of another, for they shall know that by divine grace the love of all the saints is also unchangeable.

Third. They shall have nothing within themselves to clog them in the exercises and expressions of love. In this world they find much to hinder them. They have a great deal of dullness and heaviness. They carry

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about with them a heavy moulded body, a lump of flesh and blood which is not fitted to be an organ for a soul inflamed with high exercises of divine love, but is found a great clog to the soul, so that they cannot express their love to God as they would. They cannot be so active and lively in it as they desire. Fain would they fly, but they are held down, as with a dead weight at their feet. Fain would they be active as a flame of fire, but they find themselves, as it were, hampered or chained down, that they cannot do as their love inclines them. Love disposes them to praise, but their tongues are not obedient; they want words to express the ardor of their souls, and cannot order their speech by reason of darkness, Job 37:19. And oftentimes for want of expressions they are forced to content themselves with groans that cannot be uttered, Romans 8:26. But in heaven they shall have no such hindrance. They will have no dullness or unwieldiness, no corruption of heart to fight against divine love and hinder suitable expressions, no clog of a heavy lump of clay, or an unfit organ for an inward heavenly flame. They shall have no difficulty in expressing all their love. Their souls, which are like a flame of fire with love, shall not be like a fire pent up but shall be perfectly at liberty. The soul which is winged with love shall have no weight tied to the feet to hinder its flight. There shall be no want of strength or activity, nor any want of words to praise the object of their love. They shall find nothing to hinder them in praising or seeing God, just as their love inclines. Love naturally desires to express itself; and in heaven the love of the saints shall be at liberty to express itself as it desires, either towards God or one another.

Fourth. In heaven love will be expressed with perfect decency and wisdom. Many in this world who are sincere in their hearts, and have indeed a principle of true love to God and their neighbor, yet have not discretion to guide them in the manner and circumstances of expressing it. Their speeches are good, but not suitably adapted to the time, or discreetly ordered in the circumstances of them. There are found in them those indiscretions which greatly obscure the loveliness of grace in the eyes of others who behold them. But in heaven the amiableness of their love shall not be obscured by any such means. There shall be no indecent or indiscreet actions or speeches, no selfish fondness, no needless officiousness, no such thing as affections clouding and darkening reason, or going before reason. But wisdom and discretion shall be as perfect in them as love, 6 and every expression of love in them shall be -- 380 --

ordered with the most amiable and perfect decency in all the circumstances of it.

Fifth. There shall be nothing external to keep them at a distance or hinder the most perfect enjoyment of each other's love. There shall be no separation wall to keep them asunder. They shall not be hindered from the full and constant enjoyment of each other's love by distance of habitation, 7 for they shall be together as one family in their heavenly Father's house. There shall be no want of full acquaintance to hinder the greatest possible intimacy; much less shall there be any misunderstanding between them, or wrong construction of things which are said or done; no disunion through difference of tempers and manners, or through different circumstances, or various opinions, or various interests or alliances; for they shall all be united in the same interest, and all alike allied or related to the same God, and the same Savior, and all employed in the same business, serving and glorifying the same God.

Sixth. They shall all be united together in a very near relation. Love seeks a near relation to the object beloved. And in heaven all shall be nearly related. They shall be nearly allied to God, the supreme object of their love; for they shall all be his children. And all shall be nearly related to Christ; for he shall be the Head of the whole society, and husband of the whole church of saints. All together shall constitute his spouse, and they shall be related one to another as brethren. It will all be one society, yea, one family. Ephesians 2:19, "Ye are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God."

Seventh. All shall have propriety one in another. Love seeks to have the beloved its own, and divine love rejoices in saying, "My beloved is mine, and I am his," as Canticles 2:16. And in heaven all shall not only be related one to another, but they shall be each other's. The saints shall be God's. He brings them hence to him in glory, as that part of the creation which he has chosen for his peculiar treasure. And on the other hand God shall be theirs. He made over himself to them in an everlasting covenant in this world, and now they shall be in full possession of him as their portion. And so the saints shall be Christ's, for he has bought them with a

-- 381 -price, and he shall be theirs; for he who gave himself/or them, will have given himself to them. Christ and the saints will have given themselves, the one to the other. And as God and Christ shall be the saints’, so the angels shall be "their angels," Matthew 18:10. And the saints shall be one another's. The Apostle in 2 Corinthians 8:5 speaks of saints in those days as first giving themselves to the Lord, and then to one another by the will of God. But this is done much more perfectly in heaven. 8

Eighth. They shall enjoy each other's love in perfect and undisturbed prosperity. What oftentimes diminishes the pleasure and sweetness of earthly friendship is that though they live in love, yet they live in poverty, and meet with great difficulties and sore afflictions whereby they are grieved for themselves, and for one another. For love and friendship in such cases, though in some respects lightens each other's burdens, yet in other respects adds to persons' afflictions, because it makes them sharers in others' afflictions. So that they have not only their afflictions to bear, but also those of their afflicted friends. But there shall be no adversity in heaven to give occasion for a pitiful grief of spirit, or to molest those heavenly friends in the enjoyment of each other's friendship. But they shall enjoy one another's love in the greatest prosperity, in glorious riches, having the possession of all things. Revelation 21:7, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." And in the highest honor rejoicing together in an heavenly kingdom, sitting together on thrones, and all wearing crowns of life. Revelation 5:10, "Hath made us kings and priests." Christ and his disciples, who in this world were together in affliction, and manifested love and friendship to each other under great and sore sufferings, are now in heaven enjoying each other's love in immortal glory, all sorrow and sighing being fled away. Christ and the saints both were acquainted with sorrow and grief in this world, though Christ had the greatest share. But in another world they sit together in heavenly places. Ephesians 2:6, "Hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." And so all the saints enjoy each other's love in glory and prosperity in comparison with which the wealth and honor of the greatest earthly princes is sordid beggary. So that as they love one another,

-- 382 -- they have not only their own but each other's prosperity to rejoice in, and are by love made partakers of each other's glory. Such is every saint's love to other saints that it, as it were, makes that glory, which he sees other saints enjoy, his own. He so rejoices in it that they enjoy such glory, that it is in some respects to him as if he, himself, enjoyed it. 9

Ninth. All things in that world shall conspire to promote their love, and give advantage for mutual enjoyment. There shall be none there to tempt them to hatred, no busy adversary to make misrepresentations or create misunderstandings. Everyone and everything there shall conspire to promote love, and promote the enjoyment of each other's love. Heaven itself, the place of habitation, is a garden of pleasures, a heavenly paradise fitted in all respects for an abode of heavenly lovers, a place where they may have sweet society and perfect enjoyment of each other's love. All things there, doubtless, remarkably show forth the beauty and loveliness of God and Christ, and have a luster of divine love upon them. The very light which shines in and fills that world is the light of love. It is beams of love; for it is the shining of the glory of the Lamb of God, that most wonderful influence of lamblike meekness and love which fills the heavenly Jerusalem with light. Revelation 22:5, "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light." The glory which is about him who reigns in heaven is compared to the beautiful sight of the rainbow for its pleasantness and sweetness, Revelation 4:3. The same which is used as a fit token of God's love and grace manifested in his covenant, Genesis 9:12–15: "And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations; I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud. And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh." The light of the New Jerusalem, which is the light of God's glory, is said to be like a jasper stone. Revelation 21:11, "Having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." The jasper is a precious stone of a beautiful pleasant color.

Tenth. And lastly. They shall know that they shall forever be continued

-- 383 -in the perfect enjoyment of each other's love. They shall know that God and Christ will be forever, and that their love will be continued and be fully manifested forever, and that all their beloved fellow saints shall live forever in glory with the same love in their hearts. And they shall know that they themselves shall ever live to love God, and love the saints, and enjoy their love. They shall be in no fear of any end of this happiness, nor shall they be in any fear or danger of any abatement of it through a weariness of the exercises and expressions of love, or cloyed with the enjoyment of it, or the beloved objects becoming old or decayed, or stale or tasteless. All things shall flourish there in an eternal youth. Age will not diminish anyone's beauty or vigor, and there love shall flourish in everyone's breast, as a living spring perpetually springing, or as a flame which never decays. And the holy pleasure shall be as a river which ever runs, and is always clear and full. The paradise of love shall always be continued as in a perpetual spring. There shall be no autumn or winter; every plant there shall be in perpetual bloom with the same undecaying pleasantness and fragrancy, always springing forth, always blossoming, and always bearing fruit. Psalms 1:3, "His leaf shall not wither." Revelation 22:2, "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month." 1

Thus having taken notice of many of the blessed circumstances with which love in heaven is expressed and enjoyed, I proceed now VI. And lastly, to speak of the blessed fruits of this love, exercised and enjoyed in these circumstances. And I shall mention only two at this time.

First. The most excellent and perfect behavior of the inhabitants of heaven towards God and one another. Divine love is the sum of all good principles, and therefore is the fountain whence proceed all amiable actions. As this love will be perfect to the perfect exclusion of all sin consisting in enmity against God and fellow creatures, so the fruit of it

-- 384 -will be a perfect behavior. Their life in heaven shall be without the least sinful failure or error. They shall never turn aside to the right hand or left in the least degree from the way of holiness. Every action shall be perfect in all its circumstances. Every part of their behavior shall be holy and divine in matter and form and end. We know not particularly how the saints in heaven shall be employed; but in general we know they are employed in praising and serving God. Revelation 22:3, "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 this they do perfectly, being influenced by such a love as has been described. And we have reason to think that they are employed so as in some way to be subservient to each other's happiness under God; because they are represented in Scripture as united together as one society, which can be for no other purpose but mutual subserviency. And they are thus mutually subservient by a most excellent and perfectly amiable behavior, one towards another, as a fruit of their perfect love one to another. 2

Second. The other fruit of this love in heaven exercised in such circumstances is perfect tranquility and joy. Holy, humble and divine love is a principle of wonderful power to give ineffable quietness and tranquility to the soul. It banishes all disturbance, it sweetly composes and brings rest, it makes all things appear calm and sweet. In that soul where divine love reigns, and is in lively exercise, nothing can raise a storm. Those are principles contrary to love which make this world so much like a tempestuous sea. It is selfishness, and revenge, and envy, and such things which keep this world in a constant tumult, and make it a scene of confusion and uproar, where no quiet rest is to be enjoyed, unless it be in renouncing the world, and looking to another world. But what rest is there in that world which the God of love and peace fills with his glorious presence, where the Lamb of God lives and reigns, and fills that world with the pleasant beams of his love; where is nothing to give any offense, no object to be seen but what has perfect sweetness and amiableness; where the saints shall find and enjoy all which they love, and so be perfectly satisfied; where there is no enemy and no enmity in any heart, but perfect love in all to everyone; where there is a perfect harmony between

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the higher and the lower ranks of inhabitants of that world, none envying another, but everyone resting and rejoicing in the happiness of every other. All their love is holy, humble, and perfectly Christian, without the least impurity or carnality; where love is always mutual, where the love of the beloved is answerable to the love of the lovers; where there is no hypocrisy or dissembling, but perfect simplicity and sincerity; where is no treachery, unfaithfulness or inconstancy, nor any such thing as jealousy. And no clog or hindrance to the exercises and expressions of love, nor imprudence or indecency in the manner of expressing love, no instance of folly or indiscretion in any word or deed; where there is no separation wall, no misunderstanding or strangeness, but full acquaintance and perfect intimacy in all; no division through different opinions or interests, where all that glorious loving society shall be most nearly and divinely related, and all shall be one another's, having given themselves one to another. And all shall enjoy one another in perfect prosperity, riches, and honor, without any sickness, pain, or persecution, or any enemy to molest them, any talebearer, or busybody to create jealousies and misunderstandings.

And all this in a garden of love, the Paradise of God, where everything has a cast of holy love, and everything conspires to promote and stir up love, and nothing to interrupt its exercises; where everything is fitted by an all-wise God for the enjoyment of love under the greatest advantages. And all this shall be without any fading of the beauty of the objects beloved, or any decaying of love in the lover, and any satiety in the faculty which enjoys love. O! what tranquility may we conclude there is in such a world as this! Who can express the sweetness of this peace? What a calm is this, what a heaven of rest is here to arrive at after persons have gone through a world of storms and tempests, a world of pride, and selfishness, and envy, and malice, and scorn, and contempt, and contention and war? What a Canaan of rest, a land flowing with milk and honey to come to after one has gone through a great and terrible wilderness, full of spiteful and poisonous serpents, where no rest could 3 be found? What joy may we conclude springs up in the hearts of the saints after they have passed their wearisome pilgrimage to be brought to such a paradise? Here is joy unspeakable indeed; here is humble, holy, divine joy in its perfection. Love is a sweet principle, especially divine love. It is a spring of sweetness. But here the spring shall become a river, and an -- 386 --

ocean. All shall stand about the God of glory, the fountain of love, as it were opening their bosoms to be filled with those effusions of love which are poured forth from thence, as the flowers on the earth in a pleasant spring day open their bosoms to the sun to be filled with his warmth and light, and to flourish in beauty and fragrancy by his rays. Every saint is as a flower in the garden of God, and holy love is the fragrancy and sweet odor which they all send forth, and with which they fill that paradise. Every saint there is as a note in a concert of music which sweetly harmonizes with every other note, and all together employed wholly in praising God and the Lamb; and so all helping one another to their utmost to express their love of the whole society to the glorious Father and Head of it, and [[to pour back]] love into the fountain of love, whence they are supplied and filled with love and with glory. And thus they will live and thus they will reign in love, and in that godlike joy which is the blessed fruit of it, such as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath ever entered into the heart of any in this world to conceive [cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9]. And thus they will live and reign forever and ever.

Application I. Use may be of instruction.

First. If heaven be such a world as we have heard, then this may lead us to see a reason why contention has such an influence as it has to darken persons' evidences for heaven. Experience teaches it to be so, in fact, when principles of malignity and ill will prevail in God's people, as they are liable to it through remains of corruption in their hearts, and they get into a contentious frame, when they are [[engaged]] in any strife public or private, and their spirits are engaged in opposition to their neighbors in any affair, their former evidences for heaven seem to die away, and they are in darkness about their state; they do not find that comfortable satisfying hope which they used to enjoy. So when converted persons get into ill frames in their families, the consequence commonly, if not universally, is that they live without much of a comfortable sense of heavenly things, or any lively hope of it. They do not enjoy much of that spiritual calm and sweetness which others do who live in love and peace. They have not that help from God and communion with him, and intercourse with heaven in their prayers, as others have. The Apostle seems to speak of contention in families as having this influence. 1 Peter 3:7, "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and

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as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." The Apostle here intimates that discord in families tends to hinder Christians in their prayers. And what Christian is there, who has made the experiment, that has not done it to his sorrow; and whose experience will not witness to the truth of this?

And why it is so, that contention has such an effect, so to hinder spiritual exercises and comforts and hopes, or any sweet sense or hope of that which is heavenly, we may learn from the doctrine. For heaven being a world of love, it follows that when persons have the least exercise of love, and most of contrary principles, they have least of heaven and are farthest from it in their frames of mind. They have least of the exercise of that which consists in a conformity to heaven, or a preparation for it, or what tends to it, or has any relation to it; and so necessarily must have least evidence of their title to it, and must be farthest from partaking of the comforts of it.

Second. Hence we may learn how happy those persons are who are entitled to heaven. There are some such persons living on earth to whom the happiness of this world belongs, 4 as much and much more than a man's estate belongs to him. They have a part and interest in this world of love; they have proper right and title to it. Revelation 22:14, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." And doubtless there are such persons among us. How happy are they who are entitled to an inheritance in such a world as this! Surely they are the blessed of the earth.

But here some may be ready to say, without doubt they are happy persons who have a lot and portion in such a world, and so will surely have an eternal possession there. But who are those persons, what kind of persons are they, by what are such blessed ones distinguished? In answer to such an inquiry, I shall mention three things which belong to their character.

1. They are those who have had a principle or seed of the very same love implanted in their hearts in a work of regeneration. They are not those who have no other principles in their hearts but natural principles, or such principles as they have by their first birth; for that which is born of the flesh, is flesh. But they have been the subjects of a new birth; they have been born of the Spirit. A glorious work of the Spirit of God has been wrought in their hearts, renewing their hearts, as it were, by bringing down some of that light, and some of that holy pure flame, which is in

-- 388 -the world of love, and giving it place in them. 5 Their hearts are a soil in which this heavenly seed has been sown and in which it abides. And so they are changed, and of earthly are become heavenly in their dispositions. The love of the world is mortified, and the love of God implanted. Their hearts are drawn to God and Christ, and for their sakes flow out to the saints in humble and spiritual love. 1 Peter 1:23, "Being born not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible." John 1:13, "Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

2. They are those who have freely chosen that happiness which is to be had in the exercise and enjoyment of such love as is in heaven above all other conceivable happiness. They see and understand so much of this as to know that this is the best good. They do not merely assent that it is so from rational arguments which may be offered for it, but they have seen that it is so; they know it is so from what little they have tasted. It is the happiness of love, and the happiness of a life of such love, heavenly love, holy and humble and divine love; love to God, and love to Christ, and love to saints for God's and Christ's sake, and the enjoyment of the fruits of God's love, holy communion with God and Christ and with holy persons. This is what they have a relish for. They feel within them such a nature that such a happiness suits their disposition and relish and appetite above all others; not only above what they have, but above all that they can conceive they might have. The world does not afford anything like it. They have chosen this before any other. Their souls go out after it more than any other, and their hearts are more in pursuit of it than any other. They have chosen it freely, not merely because they have met with such sorrow, and are in such low and afflicted circumstances, that they do not expect much from the world. But their hearts are so captivated by this good that they choose it for its own sake beyond all worldly good, if they had ever so much of it, and could enjoy it ever so long. Canticles 1:2, "Thy love is better than wine."

3. They are those who from that love which is in them are in heart and practice struggling after holiness. Holy love makes them long for holiness. Divine love is a principle, which thirsts after [increase]. It is in imperfection and in a state of infancy in this world, and it desires growth. It has much to struggle with in the heart in this world, many opposite

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principles. And it struggles after greater increase, more liberty, more free exercise, and better fruits. The spirit lusts against the flesh, Galatians 5:17. The strife and struggle of the new man is after holiness. The heart struggles after it. The heart of a good man, one who has an interest in heaven, and has an inward active, heavenly seed in him, is in a struggle with sin, as Jacob was with Esau in Rebecca's womb. There are ardent desires, and breathings, and cryings, and strivings; and it is to be holy. And the hands struggle as well as the heart. A man strives in his practice; his life is a life of sincere and earnest endeavors to be universally holy, and to be more holy. He is not holy enough, but is very far from it. He desires to be nearer perfection, or more like those in heaven. And this is one reason why he longs to be in heaven, that he may be perfectly holy. And the principle when he thus struggles is love. It is not only fear, but it is love to God, and love to Christ, and love to holiness. Love is a holy fire in him. And fire, if it be pent up, will cause a struggling for liberty.

II. Use may be of awakening to sinners.

First. What has been said on this subject may put Christless persons in mind of their misery, in that they have no portion or right in this world of love. You have heard what has been said of heaven, what kind of glory and blessedness is there, how glorious and happy the saints and angels are there in a world of love. But consider, none of this belongs to you. When you hear of such things, you hear of that in which you have no interest. No such person as you, a wicked hater of God and Christ, and one who is under the power of a spirit of enmity against all that is good, shall in any wise enter in there. In the writing of the house of Israel, such an one as you are is not written, nor shall such enter into the land of Israel. It may be said to you as Peter said to Simon Magus, Acts 8:21, "Thou hast no portion or lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." And as Nehemiah said to Tobiah and Sanballat, Nehemiah 2:20, "Ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem." If such a soul as yours should be admitted into heaven, into that world of love, how nauseous would it be to those blessed spirits whose souls are as a flame of love. How would it discompose that loving and amiable society, and put things into confusion. It would make heaven not to be heaven if such souls should be admitted there. It would turn that world from being a world of love into a world of hatred and pride, and envy, and malice, as this world is. But it shall in no wise be suffered. All such persons shall be shut out. Revelation 22:14–15, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers,

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and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whatsoever loveth and maketh a lie." Such as you shall be shut out as dogs, as impure, vile creatures in nowise to be admitted there to defile that world.

Second. You are in danger. Hell is a world of hatred. There are three worlds. One is this present world, which is an intermediate world, a world where good and bad, love and hatred are mixed together; a sure sign that the world is not to continue. Another is heaven, a world of love where is love and no hatred. And the other is hell, a world of hatred where there is no love, to which world you, while you remain in a Christ-less state, do properly belong. This is a world where God manifests his hatred, as heaven is a world where he manifests his love. In hell God manifests his being and perfections only in hatred and wrath, and hatred without love. Everything in hell is hateful. There is not one object to be beheld there but what is odious and detestable. There is no person or thing to be seen there which is amiable, there is nothing pure or holy, nothing pleasant, but everything perfectly odious. No persons there but devils and wicked, damned spirits which are like devils. Hell is, as it were, a vast den of poisonous, lusting serpents. There is that old serpent who is the devil, and there is his hateful brood. And there are none there but whom God hates with a perfect and everlasting hatred. He exercises no love, no mercy to any one object there; there he pours out his wrath without mixture. All things in the whole universe which are hateful shall be gathered together in hell, as in a grand receptacle provided on purpose, that the universe which God has made may be cleansed of its filthiness by casting it all into this great sink. And it is a world prepared on purpose for the expressions of God's wrath. God has made hell for this. He has no other use for it, but there to satisfy his hatred of sin and sinners.

And there are no tokens of God's love or mercy there. Nothing is there but what shows forth God's wrath. Every object which is to be seen shows wrath. It is a world flowed with a deluge of wrath, as with a deluge of liquid fire, so as to become a lake of fire and brimstone. There are none there but what have been haters of God, and so have procured God's hatred on themselves. And they shall continue to hate him. There is no love to God in hell. Everyone there perfectly hates him, and are continually, without restraint, expressing their hatred to him, blaspheming and cursing him, and, as it were, spitting venom at him. And though they all join together in their enmity and opposition to God, yet there is no union among themselves. They agree to nothing but hatred and expressions of

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hatred. They hate God, and hate Christ, and hate angels and saints in heaven. And not only so, but hate one another. They will all be like a company of serpents or vipers one to another, not only spitting poison at God but at one another, biting and tormenting one another. The devils will hate damned souls. They hated them while in this world, and therefore it was that they with such indefatigable temptations and subtilty sought their ruin. They thirsted for the blood of their souls, because they hated them. They longed to get them in their power to torment them. They watched them, as a roaring lion does his prey, because they hated them. Therefore they flew upon their souls like hellhounds, as soon as they were parted from their bodies. And what they were so eager for was to torment them. And they hate them still now they have them in their power; and therefore will spend eternity without ceasing in tormenting them with the utmost strength and cruelty of which devils are capable. They are, as it were, continually and eternally turning those poor damned souls that are in their hands.

And those damned souls will not only be hated and tormented of devils, but they will have no love or pity to each other, but will be to one another like devils; they will to their utmost torment one another; they will be like fire to each other, as brands in a fire burn one another. Here all those principles which are contrary to love will rage and reign without any restraining grace to keep them within bounds. Here will be unrestrained pride, and envy, and revenge. Here will be contention in its perfection, and without any such thing as making peace. They will be left to bite and devour one another forever, as well as forever to bear the wrath of God. Those wicked men in hell who had been companions together while on earth, and had a sort of carnal friendship for each other, will have no appearance of friendship now, but perfect, continual, and undisguised hatred. As they promoted each other's sin, so now they will promote each other's punishment. They were the instruments of ruining each other's souls on earth in blowing up each other's lusts; now they will blow the fire of each other's torment. They ruined each other in sinning, setting bad examples to each other, poisoning one another by wicked talk; and now they shall be as much engaged in tormenting one another as they were in tempting one another.

And their hatred and envy will be a torment to themselves. God and Christ whom they will hate most, and to whom their souls will be as full of fierce hatred as an oven is full of fire, will be infinitely above their reach, dwelling in infinite blessedness and glory which they cannot diminish. And they will be tormenting themselves with a fruitless envy of

-- 392 -the saints and angels in heaven, whom they shall not be able to hurt, or approach; and shall have no pity from them or from any; for in hell is hatred only, and no pity. And thus they will be left to spend their eternity together. Now consider, all ye who are out of Christ, who were never born again, and never had any blessed renovation of your hearts implanting a spirit of divine love there, leading you to choose that happiness which consists in holy love as your best and sweetest good, and to spend your life in struggling after happiness. Consider your misery. 6 For this is the world to which you are under condemnation, and so the world to which you belong by the sentence of the law, and the world in which you are in danger every day of having your abode fixed; and if you are not greatly changed by God's almighty power, in a short time will inherit instead of a portion in that world of love of which you have heard. Consider it is indeed thus with you. These are no cunningly devised fables. They are the great and awful truths of God's word, and things which in a short time you will certainly know to be true. How therefore can you rest in such a state as you are in, and go about from day to day so careless and so negligent of your precious soul? Seriously consider these things, and be wise for yourself before it is too late, before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and you fall into that world of wrath and hatred where is eternal weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, with spiteful malice and rage against God and Christ, and one another, and gnashing of teeth with horror and anguish of spirit.

III. Use may be of exhortation in two branches.

First. Let the consideration of what has been said of heaven stir you up earnestly to seek after it. If heaven be such a blessed world, then let this be our chosen country, and the inheritance we seek. Let us turn our course this way. It is not impossible that this glorious world may be obtained by us. It is offered to us. Though it be so excellent and blessed a country, yet God stands ready to give us an inheritance there, if this be the country we choose, and upon which we set our hearts, and spend our time chiefly in seeking it. God gives men their choice. They may have their inheritance where they choose it, and may obtain heaven if they

-- 393 -will seek it by patient continuance in well-doing, Romans 2:7. We are all of us, as it were, set here in this world as in a large wilderness with divers countries about it, with several ways or paths leading to those different countries, and we are left to our choice what course we will take. If we heartily choose heaven, and set our hearts chiefly on that blessed Canaan, that land of love, and love the path which leads to it, we may walk in it; and if we continue so to do, it will certainly lead us to heaven at last. Let what we have heard of the land of love excite us all to turn our faces towards that land, and bend our course thitherward. Is not what we have heard of the happy state of that country and the many delights which are in it enough to make us thirst after it, and to cause us with the greatest earnestness and steadfastness of resolution to press 7 towards, and to spend our whole lives in traveling in the way which leads thither? What joyful news might it well be to us when we hear of such a world of perfect peace and holy love, to hear that there is an opportunity for us to come, that we may spend an eternity in such a world.

Is not what we have heard of that blessed world enough to make us weary of this world of pride and malice and contention and perpetual jarring and strife, a world of confusion, a wilderness of hissing serpents, a tempestuous ocean where there is no quiet rest, where all are for themselves, and self-interest governs, and all are striving to set themselves up, and little regarding what becomes of others; all together seeking worldly good which is the bone of contention among them, where men are continually envying and calumniating and reproaching one another and multitudes otherwise injuring and abusing one another, a world full of injustice, where there is abundance of opposition and cruelty without any remedy? Ecclesiastes 4:1, "So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun; and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter." A world where there is so much falsehood and treachery, fickleness and inconstancy, hypocrisy and deceit; where there is so little trust to be had in men, and where even good men have so many failings which tend to render them unlovely and uncomfortable. Truly this is an evil world, and so it is like to be. It is in vain for us to expect that this world will be any other than a world of pride and enmity and strife, and so a restless world. The times may hereafter be mended, yet those things will always be found in the world as long as it stands. Who would content himself with a portion in such a world? What man acting wisely and considerately would concern

-- 394 -himself much about laying up a store in such a world as this, and would not rather neglect the world, 8 [[and let it go to them that would take it, and]] apply all his heart and all his strength to lay up treasure in heaven, and to press towards that world of love? What will it signify for us to hoard up great quantities here in this world? How may the thought of having our portion here in such a world as this be sinking to a man when there is an interest in such a glorious world offered? and especially when if we have our portion here, when we have done with this world, we have our eternal portion in hell, that world of hatred, a world of the wrath of God, and cruelty and malice of devils and damned spirits.

We all of us naturally desire rest and quietness; and if we would obtain, let us seek that world of peace and love of which we have heard. Here is doubtless a sweet rest to be had. Hebrews 4:9, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." If we obtain an interest in that world, then when we have done with this we shall leave all our cares and troubles, our fatigues and perplexities and disappointments forever. We shall rest from those storms, we shall rest from our wearisome travel. Revelation 14:13, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors." You who are poor, and think yourselves despised by your neighbors, and little esteemed among men, do not much regard this, do not give yourselves much concern about the friendship of the world; but seek heaven where is no such thing as contempt, where none are despised, all are highly esteemed and honored, and dearly loved by all. You who think you have met with many abuses, and much ill treatment from others, care not for it; do not hate them for it but set your heart in heaven, a world of love; press towards a better country.

Here for direction how to seek heaven,

1. Do not let out your heart after the things of this world and indulge yourself in a pursuit of earthly things. This is the reverse of seeking heaven. This is to go the contrary way, which leads directly from heaven and not towards it. If you would seek heaven, your affections must be taken off from the pleasures of the world. You must not indulge in sensuality; you must take off your heart from the profits of the world, and not spend your time and strength only in heaping up the dust of the

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earth. You must mortify a desire of the honors and vainglory of this world, and become poor in spirit, and lowly of heart.

2. You must in your meditations and holy exercises be much in conversing with heavenly persons and enjoyments. You cannot earnestly and constantly seek heaven without having your thoughts much there. Therefore turn the current of your thoughts and meditations towards that world of love, and that God of love who dwells there, and towards Christ who is ascended and sits there at the right hand of God; and towards the blessed enjoyments of that world. And be much in conversing with [God and Christ,] without which heaven is no heaven. Philippians 3:20, "Our conversation is in heaven."

3. Be content to pass through all difficulties in the way to heaven. Though the path is before you, and you may walk in it if you really choose it, yet it is a way which is strait, and there are many difficulties in the way; the whole way is ascending. That glorious city of light and love is, as it were, on the top of an high hill, an elevation which is exalted above the hill, and there is no arriving there without traveling uphill. Though this be wearisome, yet it is worth your while to come and dwell in such a glorious city at last. Be willing therefore to comply with this labor. What is it in comparison of the sweet rest which is at the end of your journey? Be willing to cross the natural inclination of flesh and blood, which is downward. Continue crossing this tendency; it will grow easier and easier, and you will be paid by more and more of the pleasant prospect which you will have the higher you rise, and a nearer view of the glorious city on the top of the hill, besides the glorious reward which you will have when you arrive there.

4. In all your way let your eye be to Jesus who is gone to heaven as your Forerunner. Look to him; behold his glory there in heaven to stir you up the more earnestly to be there. Look to him, and observe his example. Consider how by patient continuance in well-doing, and in patient enduring of great sufferings, he went before to heaven. Look to him, and trust in his mediation, in his blood, with which he has entered into the holiest of all, as the price of heaven. Trust to his intercession in heaven before God. Trust to his strength by his Spirit sent from heaven to enable you to press on and surmount the difficulties which are in the way to heaven. Trust in his promises of heaven to those who love and follow him, whom he has confirmed by entering into heaven himself as the Head and Representative and Forerunner of such.

5. And lastly. If you would be in the way to the world of love, you must

-- 396 -live a life of love. But would make this a distinct exhortation. 9 And therefore

I

Second. The second exhortation is to all, to seek that they may live a life of love, a life of love to God and love to men. We all hope to have a part in heaven, that world of love of which we have heard, and that in a little time. Surely then we should endeavor to use the same temper of mind. Here let several things be considered as motives.

1. This is the way to be like the inhabitants of heaven. You have heard how they love one another; and therefore they, and they only, are conformed to them who live in love in this world. In this way you will be like them in excellence and loveliness, for their holiness and loveliness consists in being of such an excellent spirit. And this will be the way to make you like them in happiness and comfort. For this happiness and joy and rest lies in loving the inhabitants of that world. And by living in love in this world the saints partake of a like sort of inward peace and sweetness. It is in this way that you are to have the foretastes of heavenly pleasures and delights.

2. This is the way to have a sense of glory of heavenly things, as of God and Christ, and holiness, and heavenly enjoyments. A contrary spirit, a spirit of hatred and ill will greatly hinders a sense of those things. It darkens the mind and clouds such objects, and puts them out of sight. A frame of holy love to God and Christ, and a spirit of love and peace to men greatly disposes and fits the heart for a sense of the excellence and sweetness of heavenly objects. It gives a relish of them. It, as it were, opens the windows by which the light of heaven shines in upon the soul.

3. This is the way to have clear evidences of a title to heaven. There are no evidences of a title to heaven but in feeling that which is heavenly in the heart. But by what has been said, it appears that heavenliness consists in love. Therefore the way to have clear evidences of a title is to live a life of love, and so seek the continual and lively exercises of such a spirit. You will find that this will cast out fear and give a strong hope of heaven, and be, as it were, an exercise of heaven in your hearts.

4. By living a life of love, you will be in the way to heaven. As heaven is a world of love, so the way to heaven is the way of love. This will best prepare you for heaven, and make you meet for an inheritance with the

-- 397 -saints in that land of light and love. And if ever you arrive at heaven, faith and love 1 must be the wings which must carry you there. 2

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