it is to be with Christ where he is? And here every thing is dark and deep. What Christ is, where he is, what it is to be with him, who can tell or know? When the beloved disciple, who lay in Christ's bosom on earth, is speaking of this bliss, in 1 John iii. 2. he saith, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. Why! Did never John see him as he is? No. They that saw him in his humbled state, saw him under a vail, which his work rendered necessary for a time. And believers, that now see him by faith, see him not as he is; but only see him painted forth to us in and by the gospel, as Gal. iii. 1. No man can know what it is to see Christ as he is, till he do see him as he is; and that is not till he appears. To this belongs that word, 1 Cor. ii. 9. Eye hath not seen, nor ear keard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Heaven will be a blessed surprise to all that possess it. It will be found to be far beyond all the most large desires, and the highest expectations, that ever were raised in their hearts. So will hell be to all the heirs of wrath, vastly above all their fearful expectations, Heb. x. 27.; and the foretastes of it, that are great in some wicked men: Psalm xc. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. No man can over-fear God's wrath; and no man can over-rate the glory to come. In that matter, the Lord doth exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, Eph. iii. 20.

2. There is some light about this in the word, that helps us to know somewhat of this bliss of being with Christ where he is. There are three special ends the Spirit of God designs, in making any mention of the heavenly state and glory. 1. To disparage this world, and all things either enjoyed or expected in it; and that both as to the worldling, as Psalm xvii. 14, 15. where the portion of the ungodly in this life, and the blessedness of the righteous in that to come, are expressed. So doth our Lord compare the two states, to disparage the present, and to prefer the future, Luke xx. 34, 35, 36. and Matthew vi. 19, 20, And heaven is also spoke of, in comparison with, and preference above the best state of

Phil. i. 23. 2. Heaven is spoke of in the word, to invite and allure men to seek it. It is the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And all should press towards this mark, Phil. iii. 14. They should run so as they may obtain it, 1 Cor. ix. 24. as being the one thing needful, and that good part, or portion, Luke x. 42. 3. The word speaks of heaven, and the glory to come, to encourage the people of God, and heirs of glory, under all their trials and troubles in this life. If it had not been for this, the Lord might have kept the glory to come, amongst many other secret things that belong to him, Deut. xxix. 29. But he knew, that through much tribulation his people must enter into the kingdom of God, Acts xiv. 22.; and > that the hope of glory was a proper and needful cordial to support their hearts in all their sorrows. And be ye assured of it, that if ever ye be in the depths of distress, (and who is secured against them?), ye will find, that nothing short of the believing views and lively hope of glory, will be able to keep you from sinking. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, said David, Psalm xxvii. 13. And they have little of David's spirit, that think that David had no better land of the living in his eye there, than the land of Canaan, in which he lived as a stranger, though he were the king of it. So also saith Paul of himself, and of all believers in Christ, 1 Cor. xv. 19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. For these ends the Lord speaks of heaven in the word; and not to gratify the curiosity of men, but rather to check

Christians in this world, 2 Cor. v. 1, 2. and

it.

3. This I would premise, that this light that shines in the word about heaven, is only a light to be seen by the eye of faith. None but a believer can know rightly what the word speaks of heaven. Unbelievers are blind, and cannot see far off, 2 Peter i. 9.; but the believer doth see afar off, Heb. xi. 13. The word is light in itself, and shines in that light, as the sun is light in itself: so that, if all the world. were blind, the light of the sun would be no less in itself than it is; but it would be a light to none; for it is light to none, but to them that have eyes. Even so it is with the

light of the word. It shines brightly in itself, but the blind unbeliever seeth nothing of it. He is both blind and vailed, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4.

4. lastly, This I would premise, that the experience of believers in this life, is a great help to them in knowing what heaven is. Now, let us join in all these four together: There is no full and perfect knowing what heaven is, till we be in it; there is no right knowing of heaven, but in the light of the word; that light in the word can only be taken up and perceived by the eye of faith; and this faith is much strengthened by experience. If believers themselves had not somewhat of this experience and spiritual feeling, they would be much more in the dark about the glory to be enjoyed in heaven than they are.

On this head of spiritual experience, I shall not mention any great and extraordinary enjoyments which the Lord, in his grace and wisdom, is pleased in some special seasons to indulge some of his people with. But I would only speak of some ordinary ones, which lie level with the experience of all true believers, and are of great advantage to them, as in many other things, so specially to raise and keep up right and high thoughts of heaven. As,

1. The re

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and they all

1. The revelation of Jesus Christ. This works faith; faith, union with Christ; union works communion with him; communion is the believer's bliss. This spring of all, the revelation of Jesus Christ, is of two sorts. vealing of Jesus Christ in and by the gospel. have the gospel have, and many have no more; perish that have no more. 2. The revealing of Christ to the heart, by the Spirit of Christ, prayed for, Eph. i. 17. This Paul got, Gal. i. 16. He revealed his Son in me. It is certain, that a man may read oft all the New Testament, and hear the most able ministers preach Christ all his days, and yet remain ignorant of Jesus Christ, and perish. The apostle in Eph. i. 17, 18. joineth the knowledge of Christ, and the knowledge of heaven, together. He prayeth, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him: the eyes of their understanding being enlightened: that they might know

what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Doth heaven stand in being with Christ where he is? How is it possible that that man should know what heaven is, who knows not who Christ is? And none can know Christ, without a revelation, Matth. xi. 27. and that by the grace of the Spirit of Christ, working on the heart in and by the light of the word of Christ.

2. The experience of believing in Jesus Christ, and of liv ing by faith on him, Gal. ii. 20. is a great help to the knowing of heaven. We know, that there is no faith of this sort in heaven. Faith is the traveller's, the runner's looking to Jesus, while the race is not yet finished, Heb. xii. 2. But the glorified above look on, and behold him so as we cannot distinctly apprehend, 2 Cor. v. 7. For we walk by faith, not by sight. And they above walk by sight, not by faith. You may say, that since there is such a difference betwixt the two states, of faith and sight; how then can the experience of believing afford any light and help to know what heaven is? In answer to this, I would have you consider, 1. That faith, though opposed to sight, yet is it, in its exercise, a sort of spiritual seeing. So is it oft expressed, both with respect to the author of it, and the actings of it. See how it is wrought who commanded the light

by its author, 2 Cor. iv. 6. For God, to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. And as it is wrought by light, faith acts in seeing. Thus the great Old Testament believers are said by their faith to have seen the promises (i. e. the blessings promised) afar off, Heb. xi. 13. And it is a locking at things not seen, 2 Cor. iv. 18.; that is, things not presently possessed, nor fully known. Faith is indeed described in Heb. xi. 1. to be the evidence of things not seen. And that description, (rather than definition), as it doth determine what the nature of the objects of faith are, things not seen; so doth it plainly express, that the act of faith is drawn forth by an evidence of these unseen things. And this evidence and demonstration is in the word of God, which the believer seeth, is persuaded by, and rests upon. “I know not, saith he, all the great and good things that God hath promised; but I know God hath promised them; and

"though they be hidden in the promise, yet because they "are secured thereby, I will embrace them in the promise, "until performance come." As it is expressed in ver. 13. These all died in faith, (But how lived they? By faith also), not having received the promises, (i. e. in their accomplishment; but the promises themselves they had, for on them their faith stood); but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Here is an account of Old Testament believers faith, that is enough to shame and humble most New Testament believers. If we be helped at any time to set our Amen of faith to the promise of eternal life, we think it is a good length. But, alas! when do we find this seeing afar off, this persuasion, this embracing, this confessing and declaring plainly that we seek and look for this heavenly country? as in ver. 10, 14. 2. Consider, more particularly, faith in Jesus Christ. It always, (1.) Riseth from a discovery of him. (2.) Acts in an approach to him. Hence so oft by himself faith is called coming to him, John vi. 37, 44, 45. (3.) And in that act intends and seks eternal life in and by him. 3. Consider the native and immediate effect of faith. It is union with Christ. He draws to bring them near, they believe to be near to him. His drawing and their coming, makes it up. Is then the state of glory, in being with Christ where he is? Surely, then, such as are united to him by faith, and have him dwelling in their hearts by faith, Ephesians iii. 17. and are living daily by faith on hirm, Gal. ii. 20. must have a great help to know better what it is to be with Christ where he is, than any unbeliever can.

3. There is the experience of communion with Christ, that is a farther and nearer help to believers to know what it is to be with Christ where he is. When Christ is revealed, he is believed on; when he is believed on, Christ and the believer are united; when the union is made, commuuion follows. This communion stands in these four:

1st, In a mutual interest of the persons united. Communion is that whereby Christ is ours, and we are his; as Cant. ii. 16. My beloved is mine, and I am his. All that Christ is, is ours for our salvation; and all that is

ours, is his for