§ 9. (5.) We must add that this rest contains a sweet and constant action of all the powers of the soul and body in this enjoyment of God. It is not the rest of a stone, which ceaseth from all motion when it attains the centre.—This body shall be so changed, that it shall no more be flesh and blood, which cannot inherit the kingdom of God; but a spiritual body. We sow not that body that shall be, but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.[29] If grace makes a Christian differ so much from what he was, as to say, I am not the man I was; how much more will glory make us differ? As much as a body spiritual, above the sun in glory, exceeds these frail, noisome, diseased lumps of flesh, so far shall our senses exceed those we now possess. Doubtless as God advanceth our senses, and enlargeth our capacity, so will he advance the happiness of those senses, and fill up with himself all that capacity. Certainly the body should not be raised up and continued, if it should not share in the glory. As it hath shared in the obedience and sufferings, so shall it also in the blessedness. As Christ bought the whole man, so shall the whole partake of the everlasting benefits of the purchase. O blessed employment of a glorified body! To stand before the throne of God and the Lamb, and to sound forth for ever, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing; for thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests. Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God. Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. O Christians! this is the blessed rest; a rest, as it were, without rest; for they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.[30]—And if the body shall be thus employed, oh, how shall the soul be taken up! As its powers and capacities are greatest, so its actions are strongest, and its enjoyments sweetest. As the bodily senses have their proper action, whereby they receive and enjoy their objects, so does the soul in its own action enjoy its own object, by knowing, remembering, loving, and delightful joying. This is the soul's employment. By these eyes it sees, and by these arms it embraces.
[29] 1 Corinthians xv, 50, 44, 37, 38.
[30] Revelation iv, 11. v, 12, 9, 10. xix, 1, 6. iv, 8.
§ 10. Knowledge of itself is very desirable. As far as the rational soul exceeds the sensitive, so far the delights of a philosopher, in discovering the secrets of nature, and knowing the mystery of sciences, exceed the delights of the glutton, the drunkard, the unclean, and of all the voluptuous sensualists whatsoever. So excellent is all truth. What then is their delight who know the God of truth? How noble a faculty of the soul is the understanding? It can compass the earth; it can measure the sun, moon, stars, and heaven; it can foreknow each eclipse to a minute, many years before. But this is the top of all its excellency, that it can know God, who is infinite, who made all these; a little here, and more, much more hereafter. O the wisdom and goodness of our blessed Lord! He hath created the understanding with a natural bias and inclination to truth; as its object; and to the prime truth, as its prime object. Christian, when, after long gazing heaven-ward, thou hast got a glimpse of Christ, dost thou not sometimes seem to have been with Paul in the third heaven, whether in the body, or out, and to have seen what is unutterable?[31] Art thou not, with Peter, ready to say, "Master, it is good to be here"?[32] Oh that I might dwell in this mount! O that I might ever see what I now see! Didst thou never look so long upon the Sun of Righteousness, till thine eyes were dazzled with his astonishing glory? And did not the splendor of it make all things below seem black and dark to thee? Especially in thy day of suffering for Christ, when he usually appears most manifestly to his people, didst thou never see one walking in the midst of the fiery furnace with thee like the Son of God?[33] Believe me, Christians, yea, believe God; you that have known most of God in Christ here, it is as nothing to what you shall know; it scarce, in comparison of that, deserves to be called knowledge. For as these bodies, so that knowledge must cease, that a more perfect may succeed. Knowledge shall vanish away. For we know in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For 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.[34] Marvel not therefore, Christians, how it can be life eternal, to know God and Jesus Christ.[35] To enjoy God and Christ, is eternal life; and the soul's enjoying is in knowing. They that savor only of earth, and consult only with flesh, think it a poor happiness to know God. But we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness; and we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.[36]
[31] 2 Corinthians xii, 2-4.
[32] Mark ix, 5.
[33] Daniel iii, 25.
[34] Corinthians xiii, 8-12.
[35] John xvii, 3.
[36] 1 John v, 19, 20.