A Believer's Last Day, His Best (continued)
his birth"? Death's shroud wipes away all tears from the believer's eyes! Rev. 7:9.
4. Death is a change of ENJOYMENTS, as well as a change of employments. I shall express this in three considerable things— (1.) Death is a change of our more dark and obscure enjoyment of God—for a more clear and sweet enjoyment of God. I say, the best believer who breathes in this world, who does see and enjoy most of God, and the visions of his glory—yet he does not enjoy God so clearly—but that he is much in the dark.
The apostle Paul was a man who was high in his enjoyments of God—yet while he was here in the flesh, he did but see as through a dark glass. "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
God told Moses that he could not see his face and live. The truth is, we are able to bear but little of the discoveries of God, there being such a mighty majesty and glory in all the spiritual discoveries of God. We are weak, and able to take in little of God. We have but dark apprehensions of God. Witness our tears, sighs, groans, and complaints, because we go forward and backward. We look on the right hand and on the left, as Job speaks, Job 23:8-9, and God hides himself that we cannot see him. Plutarch tells of Eudoxus, that he would be willing to be burnt up presently by the sun, so he might be admitted to come so near it as to learn the nature of it. This is upon the heart of believers, "Lord, let us be burnt up—so we may see you more in all your glorious manifestations; let us be poor, let us be anything—just so that we may be taken up into a more clear enjoyment of yourself." [Chrysostom professes that the lack of the enjoyment of God would be a far greater hell to him, than the feeling of any punishment.] Ask those who live highest in the enjoyment of God, "What is your greatest burden?" They will tell you, "This is our greatest burden, that our apprehensions of God are no more clear, that we cannot see him whom our souls do dearly love, face to face!"
Oh—but now in heaven saints shall have a clear vision of God! There are no clouds or mists in heaven!
(2.) Death is a change of our imperfect and incomplete enjoyments of God, for a more complete and perfect enjoyment of him. As no believer has a clear sight of God here, so no believer has a full and perfect sight of God here. In Job 26:14, how little a portion is heard of him—speaking of God—and of that is heard, ah how little a portion is understood! It is an excellent expression that Augustine has: "The glorious things of heaven are so many—that they exceed number; so precious—that they exceed estimation; so great—that they exceed measure!" Bernard says, "For Christ to be with Paul was the greatest security—but for Paul to be with Christ was the chief happiness!" Chrysostom says, "If it were possible that all the sufferings of the saints should be laid upon one man, it could not equal one hour's being in heaven!" Such is the greatness and fullness of that glory above. The saints' motto is, "Let us go hence! Let us go hence!
So in 1 Cor. 13:12, "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." The soul, while it is in this present world, says, "I enjoy something of God — and that I would not lack for a thousand worlds
—yet my enjoyment is not full." If you should say, "Souls, why do you wait upon God in this ordinance and that ordinance?" they will answer, "That we may enjoy God more fully. Oh, that I might be filled with the fullness of God!"
There are no complaints in heaven, because there are no needs.
Oh, when death shall give the fatal stroke, there shall be an exchange of earth—for heaven; of imperfect enjoyments—for perfect enjoyments of God; then the soul shall be swallowed up with a full enjoyment of God; no corner of the soul shall be left empty—but all shall be filled up with the fullness of God. Here in this present world, they receive grace—but in heaven they shall receive glory. God keeps the best wine until last; the best of God, Christ, and heaven—is beyond this present world. Here we have but some sips, some tastes of God; fullness is reserved for the glorious state. He who sees most of God here on earth, sees but his back parts; his face is a jewel of that splendor and glory, which no eye can behold but a glorified eye.
The best of Christians are able to take in but little of God; their hearts are like the widow's vessel, which could receive but a little oil.
Sin, the world, and creatures do take up so much room in the best hearts, that God gives out himself little by little, as parents give sweets to their children. But in heaven God will communicate himself fully at once to the soul! Grace shall then be swallowed up of glory!
(3.) Death is a change of a more inconstant and transient enjoyment of God—for a more constant and permanent enjoyment of God. Here on earth, the saints' enjoyment of God is inconstant. One day they enjoy God, and another day the soul sits and complains in anguish of spirit. He who should "comfort my soul stands afar off;" my glass is out, my sun is set, and what can make up the lack of this sun? As all candle-light, star-light, and torch-light, cannot make up the lack of the light of the sun; so when the Sun of righteousness hides his face, it is not all creature-comforts that can make up the lack of his countenance.
[By death, saints come to a fixed and invariable eternity. What will that life be—or rather, what will not that life be—since all good is in such a life—light which place cannot limit, music which time cannot vanish away, fragrances which are never dissipated, a feast which is never consumed, a blessing which eternity bestows—but eternity shall never see at an end.]