Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

So then I suppose that briefly thus I have well declared what manner of place heaven is, to wit, a place of quietness, joy, and everlasting felicity, wherein the Son of God doth sit, doth dwell, and is in his humanity, as we also, that are the members of Christ, shall be in the very same place without all dolour and grief in joy for evermore. And although our Lord be delivered from all grievous business, yet we mean not that he sitteth idly leaning on his elbows. For he is a King, a Priest, and very God in the very temple of God: he can not choose therefore of his natural property and office but work salvation in the elect, and do all things, that lye God, a king, and Priest in hand to do. So then now we all know what our Lord doth as he sitteth in heaven. Neither is it any trouble to him at all to do and work that which he doth, for he worketh not of compulsion, but naturally and of his own accord.

So then I suppose that briefly thus I haue well declared what manner of place heauen is, to wit, a place of quietnesse, ioye, and euerlasting felicitie, wherin the sonne of God doth sit, doth dwell, and is in his humanitie, as we also, that are the members of Christe, shal be in the very same place without all dolour and griefe in ioye for euermore. And although our Lorde be deliuered from all grieuous businesse, yet we meane not that he sitteth idlely leaning on his elbowes. For he is a King, a Prieste, and very God in the very temple of God: he can not choose therefore of his natural propertie and office but work saluation in the elect, and do all things, that lye God, a king, and Prieste in hande to doe. So then nowe we all knowe what our Lorde doth as he sitteth in heauen. Neither is it any trouble to him at all to do and worke that which he doth, for he worketh not of compulsion, but naturally and of his owne accord.

Thus and no otherwise did the ancient ¹interpreters of the holy Scriptures handle this Article of our belief. Some of whose testimonies I will here allege. Saint Hierome in his exposition of Pauls first Chapter to the Ephesians, saith: He hath declared the power of God by the similitude of a man: not because a seat is placed and God the father sitteth there on, having his Son sitting there with him: but because we can not otherwise conceive how the Son doth judge and reign, but by such words applied to our capacity. As therefore to be next to God, or to depart far from him is not to be understood according to the distance of places, but after mens merits, because the Saints are heard by him, but the sinners (of whom the Prophet saith, Behold they that get them selves from thee shall perish) are removed far enough for coming near him at all. Even so likewise to be either at the right or left hand of God is to be taken so, that the Saints are at his right hand & sinners at his left. As our Saviour him self also in the Gospel affirming the same doth say, that at the right hand are the sheep, and the goats at the left. Moreover, this very word (to Sit,) doth argue the power of a kingdom, by which God is beneficial to them on whom he doth vouchsafe to sit, in so much as verily he doth rule them, and hath them always in his guiding, and doth turn to his own beck or government, the necks of them that before ran out of the way at random, and at liberty.