March 3

Which is the earnest of our inheritance.—Eph. l. 14.

THE earnest or foretastes we have had of heaven already in the body, should make all the saints long to be disembodied for the full and perfect fruition of that joy, seeing it can not be fully and perfectly enjoyed by the soul, till it hath put off the body by death.

That there are prelibations, first-fruits, and earnests of future glory given to believers in this life, is put beyond all doubting, not only by Scripture testimonies, but the experiences of God's people. I speak not only with the Scriptures, but with the clearest experience of many saints when I say, here are to be felt and tasted, even here in the body, the earnests of our inheritance. "The first-fruits of the Spirit," the sealing of the Spirit, "the very joy of the Lord," of the same kind, though in a less degree, with that of the glorified.

That the fullness of this joy can not be in us whilst we tabernacle in bodies of flesh, is as plain. When Moses desired a sight of that face which the spirits of just men made perfect do continually behold and adore, the answer was, "No man can see my face and live," as if it had been said, Moses, thou askest a great thing, and understandest not how unable thou art to support that which thou desirest: should I show thee my glory in this compounded state thou now art in, it would confound thee and swallow thee up. Nature, as now constituted, can not support such a weight of glory. A ray, a glimpse of this light overpowers man, and breaks such a clay vessel to pieces; which is the reason why the resurrection must intervene between this state and that of the glorification of the body.

And it is not to be doubted, but one main end and reason why these foretastes of heaven are given us in the body, is to embolden the soul to venture through death itself for the full enjoyment of those delights and pleasures. They are like the grapes of Eschol to the fainthearted Israelites, or the sweet wines of Italy to the Gauls, which, once tasted, made them restless till they had conquered that good country where they grew. "We which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves do groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies."

Well then, reflect seriously upon these sweet tastes that you have had of God and his love, in your sincere and secret addresses to him, and converses with him. What a holy forgetfulness of all things in this world hath it wrought! How insipid and tasteless hath it rendered the sweetest creature enjoyments! What willingness to be dissolved for a more full fruition of it! God this way brings heaven nigh to your souls, out of design to overcome your reluctancies at death, through which we must pass to the enjoyment of it. And after all those sights and tastes, both of the truth and goodness of that state, shall we still be reluctant and hang back, as if we had never tasted how good the Lord is! O, you may justly question, whether you ever had a real taste of Jesus Christ, if that taste do not kindle coals of fire in your bosom; I mean, ardent longings to be with him, and to be satiated with his love.

If you have been privileged with a taste of that hidden manna, with the sight of things invisible, with joys unspeakable, and full of glory, and yet are loth to be gone to the fountain whence all this flows: certainly you herein both cross the design of the

Spirit in giving them, and cast a vile disgrace and reproach upon the blessed God, as thinking there is more bitterness in death, than there is sweetness in his presence. Yes, it argues the strength of that unbelief which still remains in your hearts, that after so many tastes and trials as you have had, you still remain doubtful and hesitating about the certainty and reality of things invisible.

O, what ado hath God with his forward and peevish children! If he had only revealed the future state to us in his word, as the pure object of faith, and required us to die upon the mere credit of his promise, without such pawns, pledges, and earnests as these are; were there not reason enough for it? But after such, and so many wonderful and amazing condescensions, wherein he doth, as it were, say, Soul, if yet thou doubtest, I will bring heaven to thee, thou shalt have it in thy hand, thy eyes shall see it, thy hands shall handle it, thy mouth shall taste it: how inexcusable is our reluctance!

"Thou art the earnest of his love,— The pledge of joys to come; May thy blest wings, celestial Dove, Safely convey me home."