Michael Butterfield
Puritan Board Freshman
Gray, Andrew. The Works of The Reverend and Pious Andrew Gray. 1839. (Ligonier, Pa.: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1992).
O consider these infinite, eternal, and unchangeable advantages that those who have kept their hearts to Christ: we conceive, if all the angels in heaven would preach together upon the unspeakable blessedness of the saints in heaven, the would always close their sentences with this, It is unspeakable joy which attends those that are admitted to that blessed life. There are five things which are unchangeable to Christians,"¦; there is this, which unchangeable to the saints: First, Their communion with God shall be unchangeable; for, after they shall win to heaven, they shall be under a continual and blessed emanation of Christ´s presence. Secondly, They shall have an unchangeable love. A Christian´s love, while he is here, is like unto the moon, subject to many vicissitudes and alterations; but afterwards, when they shall be in heaven, their love shall be unchangeable. Thirdly, His holiness shall then be unchangeable, when once he shall put on the robe of Christ´s righteousness, he shall then sing that son, O Death! where is thy sting? And O grave! where is thy victory? Fourthly, His praise to God shall then be unchangeable: O! what a pleasant sight shall it be, to see the souls of just men made perfect, with harps in their hands, singing these pleasant songs unto God most sweetly, Hallelujah to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, which lives for ever? Their tongue is made like the pen of a ready writer: there is not such a complain uttere3d by Moses in heaven, I am a man of slow speech: neither doth Jeremiah now complain, I am a child, and cannot speak. Fifthly, Their desires after God shall then be unchangeable: a Christian, while he is here below, will desire God now, and within a little while, he will desire his idols: but when he shall be above, his desires after God shall be unchangeable.
"”p. 283-284
O consider these infinite, eternal, and unchangeable advantages that those who have kept their hearts to Christ: we conceive, if all the angels in heaven would preach together upon the unspeakable blessedness of the saints in heaven, the would always close their sentences with this, It is unspeakable joy which attends those that are admitted to that blessed life. There are five things which are unchangeable to Christians,"¦; there is this, which unchangeable to the saints: First, Their communion with God shall be unchangeable; for, after they shall win to heaven, they shall be under a continual and blessed emanation of Christ´s presence. Secondly, They shall have an unchangeable love. A Christian´s love, while he is here, is like unto the moon, subject to many vicissitudes and alterations; but afterwards, when they shall be in heaven, their love shall be unchangeable. Thirdly, His holiness shall then be unchangeable, when once he shall put on the robe of Christ´s righteousness, he shall then sing that son, O Death! where is thy sting? And O grave! where is thy victory? Fourthly, His praise to God shall then be unchangeable: O! what a pleasant sight shall it be, to see the souls of just men made perfect, with harps in their hands, singing these pleasant songs unto God most sweetly, Hallelujah to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, which lives for ever? Their tongue is made like the pen of a ready writer: there is not such a complain uttere3d by Moses in heaven, I am a man of slow speech: neither doth Jeremiah now complain, I am a child, and cannot speak. Fifthly, Their desires after God shall then be unchangeable: a Christian, while he is here below, will desire God now, and within a little while, he will desire his idols: but when he shall be above, his desires after God shall be unchangeable.
"”p. 283-284
