Part 5 (1/2)
In these words may be observed two things,
1. The thing described, viz., Christ's Father's house. Christ spoke to his disciples in the foregoing chapter as one that was about to leave them. He told 'em, verse 31, ”Now is the Son of Man glorified, and G.o.d is glorified in him,” and then goes to giving of them counsel to live in unity and love one another, as one that was going from them. By which they seemed somewhat surprised and hardly knew what to make of it. And one of them, viz., Peter, asked him where he was going; verse 36, ”Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou?” Christ did not directly answer and tell him where he was going, but he signifies where in these words of the text, viz., to his Father's house, i.e., to heaven, and afterwards, in the verse 12, he tells 'em plainly that he was going to his Father.
2. We may observe the description given of it, viz., that in it there are many mansions. The disciples seemed very sorrowful at the news of Christ's going away, but Christ comforts 'em with that, that in his Father's house where he was going there was not only room for him, but room for them too.
There were many mansions. There was not only a mansion there for him, but there were mansions enough for them all; there was room enough in heaven for them. When the disciples perceived that Christ was going away, they manifested a great desire to go with him, and particularly Peter. Peter in the latter part of the foregoing chapter asked him whither he went to that end that he might follow him. Christ told him that whither he went he could not follow him now, but that he should follow him afterwards. But Peter, not content with Christ, seemed to have a great mind to follow him now. ”Lord,” says he, ”why cannot I follow thee now?” So that the disciples had a great mind still to be with Christ, and Christ in the words of the text intimates that they shall be with him. Christ signifies to 'em that he was going home to his Father's house, and he encourages 'em that they shall be with him there in due time, in that there were many mansions there. There was a mansion provided not only for him, but for them all (for Judas was not then present), and not only for them, but for all that should ever believe in him to the end of the world; and though he went before, he only went to prepare a place for them that should follow.
The text is a plain sentence; 'tis therefore needless to press any doctrine in other words from it: so that I shall build my discourse on the words of the text. There are two propositions contained in the words, viz., I, that heaven is G.o.d's house, and II, that in this house of G.o.d there are many mansions.
Prop. I. Heaven is G.o.d's house. An house of public wors.h.i.+p is an house where G.o.d's people meet from time to time to attend on G.o.d's ordinances, and that is set apart for that and is called G.o.d's house. The temple of Solomon was called G.o.d's house. G.o.d was represented as dwelling there.
There he had his throne in the holy of holies, even the mercy-seat over the ark and between the cherubims.
Sometimes the whole universe is represented in Scripture as G.o.d's house, built with various stories one above another: Amos ix. 6, ”It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven;” and Ps. civ. 3, ”Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters.” But the highest heaven is especially represented in Scripture as the house of G.o.d. As to other parts of the creation, G.o.d hath appointed them to inferior uses; but this part he has reserved for himself for his own abode. We are told that the heavens are the Lord's, but the earth he hath given to the sons of men. G.o.d, though he is everywhere present, is represented both in Old Testament and New as being in heaven in a special and peculiar manner. Heaven is the temple of G.o.d. Thus we read of G.o.d's temple in heaven, Rev. xv. 5. Solomon's temple was a type of heaven; it was made exceeding magnificent and, costly partly to that end, that it might be the most lively type of heaven. The apostle Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews does from time to time call heaven the holy of holies, as being the ant.i.type not only of the temple of Solomon, but of the most holy place in that temple, which was the place of G.o.d's most immediate residence: Heb. ix. 12, ”He entered in once into the holy place;” verse 24, ”For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself.”
Houses where a.s.semblies of Christians wors.h.i.+p G.o.d are in some respects figures of this house of G.o.d above. When G.o.d is wors.h.i.+pped in them in spirit and truth, they become the outworks of heaven and as it were its gates. As in houses of public wors.h.i.+p here there are a.s.semblies of Christians meeting to wors.h.i.+p G.o.d, so in heaven there is a glorious a.s.sembly, or Church, continually wors.h.i.+pping G.o.d: Heb. xii. 22, 23, ”But ye are come unto mount Sion, [and unto] the city of the living G.o.d, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general a.s.sembly and church of the firstborn, that are written in heaven.”
Heaven is represented in Scripture as G.o.d's dwelling-house; Ps. cxiii. 5, ”Who is like [unto] the Lord our G.o.d, who dwelleth on high,” and Ps.
cxxiii. 1, ”Unto thee I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.” Heaven is G.o.d's palace. 'Tis the house of the great King of the universe; there he has his throne, which is therefore represented as his house or temple; Ps. xi. 4, ”The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven.”
Heaven is the house where G.o.d dwells with his family. G.o.d is represented in Scripture as having a family; and though some of this family are now on earth, yet in so being they are abroad and not at home, but all going home: Eph. iii. 15, ”Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” Heaven is the place that G.o.d has built for himself and his children. G.o.d has many children, and the place designed for them is heaven; therefore the saints, being the children of G.o.d, are said to be of the household of G.o.d, Eph. ii. 19: ”Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of G.o.d.” G.o.d is represented as a householder or head of a family, and heaven is his house.
Heaven is the house not only where G.o.d hath his throne, but also where he doth as it were keep his table, where his children sit down with him at his table and where they are feasted in a royal manner becoming the children of so great a King: Luke xxii. 30, ”That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom;” Matt. xxvi. 29, ”But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”
G.o.d is the King of kings, and heaven is the place where he keeps his court. There are his angels and archangels that as the n.o.bles of his court do attend upon him.
Prop. II. There are many mansions in the house of G.o.d. By many mansions is meant many seats or places of abode. As it is a king's palace, there are many mansions. Kings' houses are wont to be built very large, with many stately rooms and apartments. So there are many mansions in G.o.d's house.
When this is spoken of heaven, it is chiefly to be understood in a figurative sense, and the following things seem to be taught us in it.
1. There is room in this house of G.o.d for great numbers. There is room in heaven for a vast mult.i.tude, yea, room enough for all mankind that are or ever shall be; Luke xiv. 22, ”Lord it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.”
It is not with the heavenly temple as it often is with houses of public wors.h.i.+p in this world, that they fill up and become too small and scanty for those that would meet in them, so that there is not convenient room for all. There is room enough in our heavenly Father's house. This is partly what Christ intended in the words of the text, as is evident from the occasion of his speaking them. The disciples manifested a great desire to be where Christ was, and Christ therefore, to encourage them that it should be as they desired, tells them that in his Father's house where he was going were many mansions, i.e., room enough for them.
There is mercy enough in G.o.d to admit an innumerable mult.i.tude into heaven. There is mercy enough for all, and there is merit enough in Christ to purchase heavenly happiness for millions of millions, for all men that ever were, are or shall be. And there is a sufficiency in the fountain of heaven's happiness to supply and fill and satisfy all: and there is in all respects enough for the happiness of all.
2. There are sufficient and suitable accommodations for all the different sorts of persons that are in the world: for great and small, for high and low, rich and poor, wise and unwise, bond and free, persons of all nations and all conditions and circ.u.mstances, for those that have been great sinners as well as for moral livers; for weak saints and those that are babes in Christ as well as for those that are stronger and more grown in grace. There is in heaven a sufficiency for the happiness of every sort; there is a convenient accommodation for every creature that will hearken to the calls of the Gospel. None that will come to Christ, let his condition be what it will, need to fear but that Christ will provide a place suitable for him in heaven.
This seems to be another thing implied in Christ's words. The disciples were persons of very different condition from Christ: he was their Master, and they were his disciples; he was their Lord, and they were the servants; he was their Guide, and they were the followers; he was their Captain, and they the soldiers; he was the Shepherd, and they the sheep; [he was, as it were, the] Father, [and they the] children; he was the glorious, holy Son of G.o.d, they were poor, sinful, corrupt men. But yet, though they were in such different circ.u.mstances from him, yet Christ encourages them that there shall not only be room in heaven for him, but for them too; for there were many mansions there. There was not only a mansion to accommodate the Lord, but the disciples also; not only the head, but the members; not only the Son of G.o.d, but those that are naturally poor, sinful, corrupt men: as in a king's palace there is not only a mansion or room of state built for the king himself and for his eldest son and heir, but there are many rooms, mansions for all his numerous household, children, attendants and servants.
3. It is further implied that heaven is a house that was actually built and prepared for a great mult.i.tude. When G.o.d made heaven in the beginning of the world, he intended it for an everlasting dwelling-place for a vast and innumerable mult.i.tude. When heaven was made, it was intended and prepared for all those particular persons that G.o.d had from eternity designed to save: Matt. xxv. 34, ”Come, ye blessed [of my Father, inherit the Kingdom] prepared for you [from the foundation of the world].” And that is a very great and innumerable mult.i.tude: Rev. vii. 9, ”After this I beheld, and, lo, a great mult.i.tude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes.” Heaven being built designedly for these was built accordingly; it was built so as most conveniently to accommodate all this mult.i.tude: as a house that is built for a great family is built large and with many rooms in it; as a palace that is built for a great king that keeps a great court with many attendants is built exceeding great with a great many apartments; and as an house of public wors.h.i.+p that is built for a great congregation is built very large with many seats in it.
4. When it is said, [”In my father's house are many mansions”], it is meant that there are seats of various dignity and different degrees and circ.u.mstances of honor and happiness. There are many mansions in G.o.d's house because heaven is intended for various degrees of honor and blessedness. Some are designed to sit in higher places there than others; some are designed to be advanced to higher degrees of honor and glory than others are; and, therefore, there are various mansions, and some more honorable mansions and seats, in heaven than others. Though they are all seats of exceeding honor and blessedness, yet some are more so than others.
Thus a palace is built. Though every part of the palace is magnificent as becomes the palace of a king, yet there are many apartments of various honor, and some are more stately and costly than others, according to the degree of dignity. There is one apartment that is the king's presence-chamber; there are other apartments for the next heir to the crown; there are others for other children; and others for their attendants and the great officers of the household: one for the high steward, and another for the chamberlain, and others for meaner officers and servants.
Another image of this was in Solomon's temple. There were many mansions of different degrees of honor and dignity. There was the holy of holies, where the ark was that was the place of G.o.d's immediate residence, where the high priest alone might come; and there was another apartment called the holy place, where the other priests might come; and next to that was the inner court of the temple, where the Levites were admitted: and there they had many chambers or mansions built for lodging-rooms for the priests; and next to that was the court of Israel where the people of Israel might come; and next to that was the court of the Gentiles where the Gentiles, those that were called the ”Proselytes of the Gate,” might come.
And we have an image of this in houses built for the wors.h.i.+p of Christian a.s.semblies. In such houses of G.o.d there are many seats of different honor and dignity, from the most honorable to the most inferior of the congregation.
Not that we are to understand the words of Christ so much in a literal sense, as that every saint in heaven was to have a certain seat or room or place of abode where he was to be locally fixed. 'Tis not the design of the Scriptures to inform us much about the external circ.u.mstances of heaven or the state of heaven locally considered; but we are to understand what Christ says chiefly in a spiritual sense. Persons shall be set in different degrees of honor and glory in heaven, as is abundantly manifested in Scripture: which may fitly be represented to our imaginations by there being different seats of various honor, as it was in the temple, as it is in kings' courts. Some seats shall be nearer the throne than others. Some shall sit next to Christ in glory: Matt. xx. 23, ”To sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.”