Hopkins - HP BR75 .H65 1710

them that die in the Lord. fhall they rcjoyce with us, that .we w~o w(:re ?trangcrs) are taken. in to ~e Heirs with them of that Eftate of whiCh their rebelltous Brethren were dlfinhcntcd. As for the Glorijit:d Saints, what numerous Troops of Apoft!eJ, Prophet; , and h_o!l_ M~lrtyrJ Jhall we convcrfe with, and poffibly know th~m all by Name~ The Dij ciplu at the 1'raJJsfiguratiou of Clu ifr, knew Mofcs and Eluu, and polfibly It was by Revdation; and fo it may be in Heaven . Thirdly, The Happinefs of Heaven confifts in the work that we fhail be there employed in to Eternity. Their Works jiJrdl follow them, and they fha\1 follo~ them as part of their Reward. Now on Earth we look upon the Works of Holmefs a~ our ~ask and Burthcn yet in Heaven we fhatllook.upon them as our Joy. Debght fpn ngs only from t\~O things, the one is t_he proportionablen~fs of the Ol'jcU ~o our CapacitiCJ ; the 0ther is the proportJonablenefs of A[fz.ons t~ our Fa_cultus. ~ow this proportion is the moft exaa in Heaven, therefore there IS t~l~ cluefeft Delight. Now in Heaven our Capacities fhall become Heavenly and Spmtual, and the.refore only fpiritual and heavenly Objects fuit with and delight our Faculties. It !hall be then as natural to us to do the Will of God,as now it is to the mofl: wicked Sinner to difobey him : And indeed the quality of the Work that we fhall there do, is fuch as muft needs affect us with infinite Delight. Here on Earth God calls a Chr iftian to the fevere Duties of Mortification, Self-demal, and taking up the Crofs; but the Works of Heaven they are all fmooth, confifting only in thefe two things, Love, and expreffion 'bf Love and Praife; this is the Work of Heaven. Here an Angel fings to a Saint, and ther-e a Saint to an .Angel, Bleffing, and Honour, and Glory, and Power be to him that fits on the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever : All joining in one common Quire and heavenly Echoing, and finging Hallelujahs to Et~rmty. Fourthly, The Saint; Happinefs confifh in that additional Glory that Jha/J for ever reft upon their BoditJ. And this ihall certainly follow them, though God take a Day for the payment of it. This is it which makes them compleat; this they ihall have alfo in the Great Day, as a reward of their Works. Now here, though the expectation of this Glory be much more comfortable than the enquiry into it can be certain; yet becaufe divers things are generally granted, and pioufly believed, I fhall briefly propound them to you. The Glory of the Body in Heaven is held generally to conftft in thefc thi ngs : 1. In its Integrity: 2. Spirituality of it. Fir!t, It Jhall be rai{ed an entire per[efi Body. Every Member Ihall become fuch as may be moft ferviceable to the ufe of the Soul, and as it may be moft capable of the accef~ of Glory; and tho' many of them lofe their Offices, yet ftill they retain theiiPlaces. ~'hen we fhall be difcharged from the Neceffities of Life, our Memb~s Ihall be difc.hargcd from thofe troublefoin Offices, yet fhall they not therefore cc:afe t o be neceil3.ry, tho' they are difcharged of their Offices, yet they are rcferved for the 'Judge's Sentence; they Ihall be then free from all the confequenccs of Sin, and· from all the fore-runners of Death that here we are incident unto from all outward Decays, Aches, Weaknenes, from Pain and Difeafes, Corruptions and Difterllpers; they arc forrn in Corruption , they are raifed in Incorruption; they are {own in Weaknefs, but the)' are 1'tti{ed in Power; fown in Dif!Jonour, and rai{ed in Glory, I Cor. 15. lat t er end. And therefore as Terrullian fpeaks, If Godfhoufd not raife Men cm ire, thm JN /hoAd r.IJt raifc them up from the dead; for, if any part be not raifed, we Are M to that p11rt ftill dead. And therefore God raifeth them up entirely and full y from thofe Decays we are here fubjeC! to. Secondly, TheGlory of the Body confifls chiefly in itJ Spiritu.1tity. Not that our Bop di~s fhJ ll be changed into fpiritual Subftances, but only they fhall be endowed with fprritual Qualities, and they are three. ( 1.) The Bodies of the Saints in Heaven jha/1 j1Jine with a bright and dading light; thry fha!l Jl1ine ~s the brightnefs of the Firmament, and m the Stttrs, for ever and t'Ver, Dan. 12. 3· And this it 's thought fhall proceed from its approximation to God and immediate comrr.union with him. As Mofos's Face by long converli.ng with God did fa lhine, that the ljYaelites were dazled fo, as they could not behold him. And partly this will be from the radiancy of the Soul's Glory, that being fo great,. will then difiufc and fpill its felf abroad upon the Body. A cheerful Heart m•kes

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