10 Divis. There are influences proper to the way to the Country, and influences proper to the end and to the Country; or influences of grace, and influences of glory. Influences for the way, though they come from Christ our life, yet for the most part they come by some means, the word,1 the seals, prayer, faith in the promises: what influences they have who never heard the Gospel, but have the law of nature within, and book of creation and of providence without, by which they may read and spell a Godhead, and duties they owe to God Creator, is harder to determine: But they shall be witnesses to judge us, and shall justify Sodom, Matth. 10. 15. But did we read more, meditate more the covenant of grace, we should have more of the influences of grace: the influences of glory are the immediate and eternal out-lettings of God without word, or faith, or praying. The tree of life hath growing on it apples of life all the moments of the year; that is, a long summer, and a long year; the tree is ever green, ever blossoming, ⟨p. 217⟩eternally bearing fruit, and the inhabitants eternally feasting on the fruit. The river of life runs for ever and ever, flows eternally and never ebbs: they eternally drink in life and joy from him which sits upon the Throne, and the Lamb. So many millions of glorified ones as there are, so many eternal and immediate dependencies and living beams of glory united to the Son of righteousness: because Christ is our life, Col. 3. 4. therefore must heaven be a life of immediate influences of grace in the first glorious conserving power of God in preserving bodies of clay in a being of 1. Incorruption and immortality, beyond sickness, cold, pain, old age, and death. 2. In a state of glory, free of shame. 3. In a state of bodily strength, power, and activity free of weakness. 4. In a state of spirituality, free of a necessity of earthly helps, eating, drinking, sleeping, 1 Cor. 15. 42, 43, 44.
10 Divis. There are influences proper to the way to the Country, and influences proper to the end and to the Country; or influences of grace, and influences of glory. Influences for the way, though they come from Christ our life, yet for the most part they come by some meanes, the word,1 the seals, prayer, faith in the promises: what influences they have who never heard the Gospel, but have the law of nature within, and book of creation and of providence without, by which they may read and spell a Godhead, and duties they owe to God Creator, is harder to determine: But they shall be witnesses to judge us, and shall justifie Sodom, Matth. 10. 15. But did we read more, meditate more the covenant of grace, we should have more of the influences of grace: the influences of glory are the immediate and eternal out-lettings of God without word, or faith, or praying. The tree of life hath growing on it apples of life all the moments of the year; that is, a long summer, and a long year; the tree is ever green, ever blossoming, ⟨p. 217⟩eternally bearing fruit, and the inhabitants eternally feasting on the fruit. The river of life runnes for ever and ever, flowes eternally and never ebbs: they eternally drink in life and joy from him which sits upon the Throne, and the Lamb. So many millions of glorified ones as there are, so many eternal and immediate dependencies and living beames of glory united to the Son of righteousness: because Christ is our life, Col. 3. 4. therefore must heaven be a life of immediate influences of grace in the first glorious conserving power of God in preserving bodies of clay in a being of 1. Incorruption and immortality, beyond sickness, cold, pain, old age, and death. 2. In a state of glory, free of shame. 3. In a state of bodily strength, power, and activity free of weakness. 4. In a state of spirituality, free of a necessity of earthly helps, eating, drinking, sleeping, 1 Cor. 15. 42, 43, 44.
- 1Differences betwixt the influences of grace, and these of glory.
