5. The fifth and last article of this creed
5. The fifth and last article of this creed
And that is, the beatific vision of God, which Job firmly believed he should enjoy; concerning which may be observed the following things:
1. That the vision of God he believed, and expected he should have, when raised from the dead, would be a corporal one; hence he says, In my flesh shall I see God, and mine eyes, my fleshly eyes, shall behold him. Therefore, by God we are to understand, not God essentially considered, but God personally considered in the Son, or God manifest in the flesh. God will be seen through the Mediator; in heaven much of the glory of the Deity will shine through the humanity of Christ; the human nature of Christ will be a glorious object for the saints to look at. To see Christ on earth was the desire of kings and prophets. It was one of Austin’s three wishes, which were these, to see Christ in the flesh, Paul in the pulpit, and Rome in its glory. In heaven saints will see Christ as he is, as crowned with glory and honor; raised to the highest dignity in the human nature, shining with the brightest majesty it is capable of: and when they are thus blessed with this delightful, desirable, and everlasting sight, they will have their wishes, and Christ his prayers answered; such as, Father, I will, that they also whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. (John 17:24) I would not be understood, as though I thought this corporal fight will be all the saints will have of God; no, the intellectual vision of him, with the eyes of the mind, will be enlarged to the highest degree it is capable of, and the understanding will be everlastingly employed in such contemplations of the being, perfections, and glory of God, as are now inconceivable to us, and inexpressible by us.
2. This vision will be very distinguishing; it will be such an one as many others will not be blessed with; mine eyes shall behold him, and not another, or a stranger. Such who are strangers, both to themselves and Christ, are unacquainted with the new birth, know nothing of the grace of God in truth, shall never see him; Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, (Matthew 5:8) and none but them. As a stranger does not now intermeddle with the joy of saints, so neither shall he hereafter: A stranger, an hypocrite, such an one as Balaam, shall see him, but not now; shall behold him, but not nigh; such may see Christ in his human nature, but not so as to enjoy his presence, and be delighted with his glory: The sight of him will throw horror, into their minds, and confusion in their faces; every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. (Revelation 1:7) But the sight the saints will have of Christ will be of a different kind, and produce different effects.
3. This fight will be an appropriating one; whom I shall see for myself, says Job; I shall see my own interest in him very clearly; this will turn to my own account; it will issue in my own pleasure and delight, profit, and advantage. Saints in the resurrection-morn, and when in heaven, will see Christ for themselves, and not for others; they will be able to appropriate him to themselves, and say, My Lord, and my God. Now, very often they can see him as a Savior and a Redeemer for others, but not for themselves; they can believe for others, but not for their own souls; but in heaven they will see him for themselves, and that forever; their sun shall no more go down, neither shall their moon withdraw itself: The Lord shall be their everlasting light, and the days of their mourning shall be ended. (Isaiah 60:20)
4. This fight will be an assimilating and transforming one. Views of Christ in the glass of his gospel, promises, and ordinances, change the saints into the same image, in some measure, in this life; how much more will clear views of him hereafter? The true reason why the saints shall be so perfectly like Christ in the other world, is, because they shall see him as he is.
5. And lastly, This sight is exceeding desirable, will be greatly delightful, wonderfully satisfying, and will last foreverse This is the reason why saints are so desirous of departing out of this world, and to be with Christ, that they may see his glory, and enjoy his presence, the consequence of which is fullness of joy; for if a sight of Christ by faith now, fills the soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory, what must a sight of him do in the world above? Here the eye is not satisfied with seeing, but then it will be, both the eye of the body and of the mind; as for me, says the Psalmist, I will behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. (Psalm 17:15) And, to conclude, this vision will be an everlasting one, free from all clouds and darkness, obscurity and imperfection, and will not suffer any interruption. The saints shall be for ever with the Lord, and behold his glory.
Thus have I gone through the several articles of this creed, and considered the several parts of this portion of scripture, in compliance with the request of my deceased brother, and fellow-laborer in the gospel, whose remains we shall shortly commit to the grave, in hope of the resurrection of the just. His character may now be expected from me. I shall give a brief account of him (as I am able) chiefly as the saint and minister.
It pleased God to bless him with a religious education, under parents, who cheerfully and joyfully took the spoiling of their goods for the cause of Christ.
When, and at what age, the Lord called him by his grace, and revealed his Son in him, I am not certain; but evident it is, that it was betimes, and in his early days, since he not only made a profession of religion; but entered upon the public work of the ministry very young; having been, as I am informed, pretty near thirty years a pastor of this church, and yet died in the fifty-fifth year of his age.
He engaged in the work of preaching the gospel with disinterested views, and not upon any mean, mercenary, or worldly consideration, as sufficiently appears from this single instance; having a call to two several congregations at one and the same time, he chose rather, upon mature deliberation, to accept the call of the poorer and meaner church; believing it to be the mind of God he should do so, and that his work lay there; though at the same time he had a growing family, and under pressing circumstances of life. And though he had, afterwards, temptations thrown in his way to leave his small flock, he bravely resisted them, and cheerfully continued in his oversight of it.
And as he committed himself and his family to the care of divine providence, the Lord was not wanting to appear for him in an uncommon manner. How often have I, with others of my brethren here present, heard him relate, with the utmost pleasure, and gratitude of mind, the instances of providential goodness to him, with a single view to glorify God, and to encourage the faith and hope of others in him.
His indefatigableness was very considerable, as appears from the progress he made in some of the learned languages, and in other parts of useful knowledge, which recommended him to the pulpit and the press, [5311] and to every branch of conversation. Add to this, his laborious industry in keeping a school, at the same time he was engaged in public work, and had the pastoral care of a congregation.
His ministerial endowments and qualifications were such, as are rare in this present age. Besides a large experience of the grace of God, he had a considerable share of light and knowledge in the great truths of the gospel; he had an heavenly skill to lay open the wretched and miserable state and condition of sinners by nature, and to let forth the glory of Christ in his person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice. His language was plain and easy, though strong and masculine, far above contempt, and yet free from the swelling words of vain rhetoricians. His reasoning was clear and nervous, his mien and deportment was grave, his address was with majesty, which at once had a tendency to command awe, engage the attention, and strike the affection. And, let me not forget to take notice of his excellent talent in prayer, and of that sweet and near communion he often enjoyed with God in the discharge of that work in private.
His success in the ministry was very great, he had many seals of it, both in conversion and edification; some of which went before him to glory, and others are here behind, and both will meet him in the great day of the Lord. There needs no further proof and demonstration of this, than the bare consideration of the low estate in which you, this church was, when he came among you, and the very flourishing one in which he has now left you: May it continue and increase.
His large knowledge of, and acquaintance with men and things, together with great sagacity and penetration, joined with labor and pleasure in it, fitted, and gave him an uncommon turn for business. How many will miss him for his private advice and counsels? What a loss will the churches in city and country sustain, who had a common share in his care and affections? And, how long has he been a father and a guide to you, my brethren, and myself? Have we not reason to cry as the prophet did, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!
But while I am speaking of his great concern for the public good of the churches of Christ abroad, let me not forget to take notice of his affectionate regard to you, this church, of which he was pastor, who, of all the branches of a Redeemer’s interest, lay nearest his heart, and for whom he spent his time, his talents, and his strength. And here I cannot forbear reading a passage of his, in a paper fallen into my hands since his death, and which seems to be written at a time when he was engaged in prayer and tears for you; being, as I apprehend, fearful, at that time, of some divisions among you: His words are these, “O! that my present tears might cement the hearts of my dear members together in love, and that there might be no other contention among them, than what might express their self-denial for the sake of Christ, and their fellow-members, striving together for the faith of the gospel, but not with one another about different sentiments in matters not essential to true religion, or the public worship of God under the gospel. O! imitate a dear Redeemer in this self-denying, loving, and tender spirit and carriage one towards another; this will produce peace in the church; this will yield peace in your own souls; this will yield a comfortable reflection in the near view of death, and an eternal world.”
Notwithstanding all his attainments, gifts and usefulness, he was humble, and entertained mean and low thoughts of himself; this might be seen in his carriage to those who were inferior to him. In the above-mentioned paper I meet with some lines of his, breathing out his sense of divine grace, and his own unworthiness. “O! says he, how unworthy have I always been of such dear favors with which I have been indulged. I can say, in the views of many infirmities, I have obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful in the ministry to the best of my light. O! that I had but more light, and liberty, in my Lord’s work, in every respect. Alas? How short have I come of filling up the character I have unworthily bore in the churches.”
His conversation with men was free and pleasant, affable and courteous, instructive and diverting, which made him universally esteemed and beloved.
He was calm and quiet under afflictive providences, and much resigned to the divine will, and particularly throughout his last illness. When he was first seized, which was many months ago, and had the sentence of death in himself, he expressed himself in this manner, as I find his own words in the paper before referred to; “And now, methinks, I am ready to yield up my soul into the hands of a dear Jesus, in whom alone I have hope, and with whom I long to be. I have been a wonderful instance of his grace, and indeed, of sovereign goodness, in that he should put such an one as I into the ministry, and uphold me so long in it, to some usefulness to poor souls, whom I hope to meet in the great day with exceeding joy.”
During his long indisposition he was very comfortable in his soul, and satisfied about his eternal state. In my last visit to him, that he was able in any tolerable manner, with any degree of strength to converse with me, I asked him whether his faith in Christ was now steady; he replied, “Steady, steady on the person of Christ, and those glorious truths of the gospel, which have been the support of my soul, and the delight of my ministry.” One of the last things he was heard to say before his death was, that the present dispensation was the most delightful one he ever was yet under. Which shows, that he must have great supports, and large discoveries of love in his last moments. And thus he sweetly fell asleep in Jesus, and now makes one of the shining crowd, which stand before the throne, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. May we be able to make a right use of this melancholy providence: Should not the removal of such able and faithful servants of Christ send us to the throne of grace, to pray the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest, that his churches may be supplied, and his interest preserved?