1 crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are palled away, Rev. xxi. 4. Though here they may go forth mourning, the ranfomed of the Lord shall arrive at the heavenly Sion with fongs, and everlafting joy upon their heads, and forrow and fighing shall flee away, Jaiah xxxv. 10. 4 (3.) To be with him where he is, is to be raised to the highest perfection their natures are capable of, that they may be meet to dwell with him, and suited to the employments and enjoyments of the heavenly state. It is to have their minds filled with the clearest light, and their hearts enlarged. and enflamed with the most ardent love; to be universally holy, and without all spot, to join with the glorious afsembly of the first-born in contemplating, admiring, praifing and adoring the fountain of their being and bleffedness for ever. + (4.) To be with him, where he is, is to live under the brightest displays of the divine perfections, and the freest communications of his love and goodness never to be intercepted, nor abated, nor end. They shall be with Chrift where he is, viz. in the most honourable and holy place of God's prefence, where there is fulness of joy for them and him, and pleasures for evermore; where eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, nor can the heart conceive what good and great things God hath prepared for them that love him; where they that are admitted to enter and dwell, live, under the light of his countenance never more to be eclipsed or withdrawn. They shall never fin: God will never frown or look on them with a displeased 2 こ displeased eye more: they shall know him better than they can here conceive, and love him more than they can now think; and by knowledge and love have immediate uninterrupted communion with him, to their unspeakable delight, fatisfaction and joy for ever. (5.) They shall be with him where he is, and so must be for ever safe under his and his Father's hand. By his everlasting merit, unchangeable promife, and faithfulness and love, fecured to enjoy the blessedness he hath raised them to, throughout all eternity. Their God lives for ever: their Saviour will never die; and because he lives, they shall live also. Lastly, They shall be with him where he is, to behold his glory. (1.) His glory, as the Emanuel, God and man in one perfon: a short glimpse of which at his transfiguration, made Peter cry out, as if in heaven, Lord, it is good for us to be here, Matth. xvii. 4. (2.) His glory, as that of the only begotten Son of the Father, infinitely dear to him, and beloved by him: The glory which he had with him before the foundation of the world was, and this shining forth in its fullest lustre. (3.) His glory, that which he so freely loft or fuffered to be clouded when he came down to take their nature upon him, and in it to die upon a crofs of infamy and pain: for though he was rich, yet for our fakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich. And under the sense of this, believers love him now when they fee him not: but when they shall fee Aa3 what what he voluntarily denied himself the glory of, and for their fakes, when he defcended to this earth, and view what he evidently appears to be poffeffed of, when they get to heaven to see him there, as the most high God, as well as man; how ravishing will be the fight! (4.) His glory for whose dishonour they have often mourned; and therefore now seeing him so highly exalted, they must rejoice with joy unSpeakable, and full of glory. (5.) His glory, which they shall be always privileged to behold, and by the fight, be transformed into his likeness, and shine in his beams, and in his light and love be happy for ever. How low foever our state may be at present, this is what the meanest given Christ of the Father, shall be raised unto. His resemblance begun here, shall be perfected above. Here we beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 18. And though it doth not yet appear what we shall be, We know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him : for we shall fee him as he is, I John iii. 2. And fo we are brought to the last thing, viz. III. That the will of Christ concerning this shall certainly be fulfilled, as to all that are given him. Many confiderations might strengthen our faith herein. As, 1. Who it is that here signifies his defire, The eternal Son of God and Saviour of men, in whom the Father is well pleased, and whom he always hears. 2. Το 2. To whom he makes known his request, viz. to his Father, in whose love his interest can never fail. 3. What he defires, viz. heavenly glory: which, how great foever, is no more than infinite mercy designed, and resolved to give from everlasting; and which was promised him before the world began, and which having laid down his life to obtain, he now sues for in right of his purchase. 4. The persons for whom he here intercedes, those whom thou hast given me : those which by an early love thou hast had in thine eye and heart for their good, having from the beginning chosen them to falvation, and committed them into my hands to bring them thereto. O deny them not those provisions thou hast declared thyself fo willing to bestow. 5. The time when he puts up this defire, when he was about to leave the world, and that by the most painful death, in obedience to his Father's will, and for the advancing of his glory. O let not my request be denied, which I now lay down my life to obtain, that whom thou hast given me, be with me. 6. The manner in which he puts it up, with the greatest earneftness of heart, with a temper very different from what he shews in his own cafe. When in view of his own fufferings, he prayed, O my Father, if it be poffible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt, Mat. xxvi. 39. In his own cafe, we fee, he prayed conditionally for a favour from his Father: but here, in his peoples, he feems of A a 4 seems to pray absolutely, as knowing he asked for what his Father had promised, and would grant. O thou that hearest me always, as thou: haft regard to these that lie next my very heart, and whom thou hast given me by covenant, I will that they may be with me. : ::: Lastly, The end for which he put it up, that they may behold my glory. O let me not want their company above, nor they the felicity of being where I am. The glory thou wilt give me is truly worthy thy love to me: O let it be seen by these my friends; that they may rejoice with me, and be happy in that love of thine. I have told them, in my Father's house are many manfions, and that I go to prepare a place for them therein and have promifed, that where I am, there shall also my fervant be: O let not my word, and their expectations fall to the ground. If in this life only they had hope in me, they were of all men most miferable; seeing they meet with the hardest treatment in it, and have nothing to fee or enjoy that can fatisfy their fouls. Wherefore, O Father, as I am coming to thee myself, I will that they also that thou hast given me, be with me where I am ; that they may behold my glory. Amen and Amen. APPLICATION. 1. How conftant and comprehenfive is the love of Christ to his people, and how earnest is his defire of their compleat salvation! He was pleased with the forethoughts of being with them, before he appeared on earth among them. Being fet up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was, He was rejoicing 212 |