Heaven a Crown of Life

    HEAVEN A CROWN OF LIFE

    "Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness" 2Ti 4:8.

    "And I will give thee a Crown of life" Re 2:10.

    "He shall receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him," Jas 1:12.

    THE reward of the godly in heaven is called a Crown,, a Crown of life, a Crown of righteousness. &c.

    PARALLELS.

    I. A Crown denotes any beautiful ornament, or profitable thing; hence a Crown is put for to adorn, and bless with good things, and so make joyful: the saints in heaven shall be beautiful and very glorious, they shall sparkle, and shine forth like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father, plentifully enjoy and possess true blessedness, Pr 4:9; 17:6; Ps 8:5 and Ps 103:4.

    II. A Crown is a sign of a kingdom and dominion, saith Ainsworth: the glorified saints in Heaven shall possess a kingdom, and shall be as kings and princes for ever and ever. "Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the, (or that), kingdom, which he hath promised them that love him?" Jas 2:5.

    III. A Crown denotes also victory; Christ warring against his enemies, and overcoming them, hath on his head many Crowns, or diadems: so the saints being Crowned, signifieth that perfect conquest they have, through Christ, obtained, over sin, Satan, death, and hell, &c.

    IV. A Crown signifieth glory, honour, and external grandeur: the glorified saints shall be honoured, and appear in eternal grandeur, as kings who have their Crowns on their heads.

    V. As there is nothing more rich, glorious, desirable, nor esteemed among men, above a Crown, or kingdom: so the Holy Spirit in setting forth the reward, and everlasting glory of the saints in Heaven, compares it to these things. But alas! there is no earthly thing, how splendent and glorious soever, can sufficiently set out the state of the saints after death, or the glory of Heaven. For pleasure, it is called paradise; for riches and honour, it is called a Crown and a kingdom. A Crown of Life, denoting that saints in laying down their lives for Christ, shall not be at all losers thereby, but only exchange it for a better; a short momentary Life, for an everlasting Life, a Life of joy, for a Life of sorrow; a Life of perfect freedom, for a Life attended with manifold temptations.

    DISPARITY.

    I. OTHER Crowns, I mean earthly Crowns, are corruptible: this Crown is incorruptible.

    II. Other Crowns are attended with many sorrows, troubles, and perplexities, &c. But this Crown is attended with no such thing, for the condition of the heirs of this neverfading Crown will be so joyful, that look outwardly, there is joy in the society, Heb 12:22, if inwardly, there is joy in their own felicity, 1Co 2:9. Look forward, there is joy in the eternity of it, 1Pe 5:10. So that on every side they shall be even swallowed up of joy, Isaiah 25:10. 0! the transcendency of that paradise of pleasure! where is joy without heaviness or interruption; peace without perturbation; blessedness without misery; light without darkness; health without sickness; beauty without blemish; abundance without want; ease without labour; satiety without loathing; liberty without restraint; security without fear; glory without ignominy; knowledge without ignorance; eyes without tears; hearts without sorrow; souls without sin: where shall be no evil heard of to affright them, nor good wanting to cheer and comfort them; they shall have what good they desire, and desire nothing but what is good; their promises shall end in performances; faith in sight and clear vision; hope in fruition and possession: yea, time itself shall be swallowed up in eternity.

    To sum up all in a few words, there is no joy here comparable to that in heaven; all our mirth here, to that is hut pensiveness; all our pleasures here, to that is hut heaviness; all our sweetness here, to that is hut bitterness; even Solomon in all his glory and royalty, to that was but as a spark in the chimney, to the sun in the firmament; yea, how little, how nothing are the poor and temporary enjoyments of this Life, to those that the heirs of promise shall enjoy in the Life that is to come?

    III. Other Crowns fade away, the prince is in a moment gone from that, or that is gone from him: hut this Crown abideth. "It is incorruptible, and undented, and fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you," &c., 1Pe 1:4.

    IV. Other Crowns are gotten many times by usurpation: but the saints shall have the Crown in a just and righteous way; it is a Crown of righteousness, of which saints are true and lawful heirs; this Crown is purchased for them by Christ, and given to them by the free donation of the Father; besides they are born heirs to it by the Spirit. "If children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ," &c., Ro 8:17.

    INFERENCES.

    I. We may infer from hence, that God's children are not such fools, as they are accounted by the ungodly world; they have made a good choice, in preferring heaven above earth. What is the glory of this world to the world to come? Yea, paradise, or the Garden of Eden, was but a wilderness compared with this paradise. And indeed, if the gates of the city be of pearl, and the streets of gold, what then are the inner rooms, and lodging chambers of the great monarch of heaven and earth, at whose right-hand are pleasures for evermore?

    II. Let not the Saints grow weary, nor faint in their minds, when heirs of a crown of glory that fadeth not away; methinks they may be contented to undergo some troubles in this life, since by suffering these things for Christ's sake, they shall be Crowned with glory, honour, and everlasting life; "They shall receive the Crown of life," &c., Jas 1:12.