Letter on the State of a Separate Happy Spirit (1762)

Dear Friend,

         You say, “I long to know more of the state of a separate spirit, that is gone to behold the face of the Lamb.” For the full knowledge of this, you must wait, till you likewise, are entered into Heaven’s bliss. Embodied spirits, here on earth, know little of the state of a separate spirit in Heaven. But as grace, is glory begun, we may from a sweet foretaste, and sure earnest, in the light of the word and spirit of God, form some true notions, though but weak and imperfect ones, of that glorious feast, that eternal inheritance, which awaits us.

         The state of grace, as to justification, considered as a transient act of God, in and by his written word, which passeth upon believers, at the time of their first act of faith in Christ, consists, in God’s non-imputation of their sins unto them; and in the free imputation of the perfect righteousness of Christ, unto their persons, for their full and eternal justification before him. This act of God is perfect in itself, entirely and eternally; and so is their state of justification thereby. And this righteousness of Christ, imputed to believers, is their title to glory. But though the state of believers, as to justification, has in it, perfection and permanency; yet even this, while their souls are imperfect, and remain in their mortal bodies, is incomplete, as to apparency, both to themselves and others. Believers, who are perfectly justified before God, have but an imperfect knowledge, and conscience-persuasion, of that their complete justification; and their personal standing in this grace, is not fully known to others. Much less, are the resplendent glories of Christ’s righteousness, that God-like dress, with which believer’s are richly arrayed, comprehended by themselves, or by others, with whom they converse, in our present state of shortness and darkness.

         But when the souls of believers, upon the dissolution of their bodies, are become separate spirits, they are blest at once, with a clear, permanent sight, of their compleat justification, in Christ’s righteousness alone; and that this gives them a full and indefeasible title to eternal bliss. They see likewise, to the utmost of their finite capacities, the infinite glories of this royal robe, in which they shall for ever stand, with the highest acceptance, before a God of infinite holiness. And in this glorious dress, they are, and shall be, viewed with complacence, by Saints and Angels. – But having given this hint, of the state of grace, in justification, I come to that of inherent sanctification. And

         The state of grace, as to sanctification, consists, in a begun meetness, by inherent holiness, produced in our hearts and lives, by the regenerating and sanctifying work of the spirit of grace, for the enjoyment of Christ, and of God in him; in some glances of his glory, through the gospel-glass; in a growing conformity to his image; and in an answerable employment in his praise. Now as glory is grace made perfect, we may hence form some true notions [70] of what glory is, in that it differs not from grace in kind, but only in degree. But as our present conceptions about it, are very imperfect; we must needs be very far, from thinking, or speaking of it, perfectly. – But,

         The souls of the saints, at the death of their bodies, by the Almighty energy of the Holy Ghost, are at once made perfect in holiness.  All sin, in its being and working, which remained in them before, is then destroyed utterly, removed out of them, totally and for ever; and their begun-holiness completed, never more to be defaced. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, in their hearts at first, which was perfect as to kind, and as to parts, as it extended, as a principle of grace, unto all the powers of their souls, every of which, was in part sanctified; shall then be completed in degree, and all the powers of their souls sanctified perfectly, as entire faculties. The infant principle of grace begun, shall then arrive to its full perfection, to the measure of the stature, of the perfect new man. And this perfect holiness is, and will be, their perfect inherent meetness, for the state of glory, in the immediate vision of Christ, and of God in him, to a blissful eternity. The souls of the saints, when disjoined from their bodies, are in this respect, “spirits made perfect.”

         And upon the accomplishment of this happy work, these separate spirits, having the righteousness of Christ upon them, which gives them a title to glory, and perfect holiness wrought in them, as their meekness for that ineffable bliss; are instantly admitted into glory, and blest with the full, facial, and endless vision of the glorious Lamb, and of the God of glory in him. They see no more, as before, darkly, as through a glass; but perfectly, and face to face. – And thus they behold Christ, not in this or that part only, of his transcendent excellencies, and infinite glories; but in all his personal, and mediatorial glories at once. They see, to the utmost stretch of their finite capacities, the infinite glories of his divine person, as God the Son; they see him as co-equal, co-essential, and co-eternal with God the Father, in all the infinite perfections and glories of the undivided Godhead. They see him in his infinite condescension, in taking the human nature, the nature of the children, for them, into personal union with himself; and so, in the wonderful constitution of his person, as God-man, the great Mediator, and in all his mediatorial fulness. They see him in all his indissoluble relations to them, those full springs of all his communications, in all his offices, and his mediatorial perfections; and particularly, in all the immense glories of his love and grace, his wisdom and power, his truth and faithfulness, his holiness and righteousness, as displayed before them, in his engagements for them, by his life and death-service, in time; in the glorious atchievements wrought thereby, and in his life for them in Heaven, as their life eternally. And they have a perfect love-communion with him, in all his displayed glories, to their ineffable felicity! this is somewhat of the state of separate spirits, that behold the face of the Lamb.

         Again, they see God, in him: God in all his persons, Father, Son, and Spirit; and in all his perfections, decrees, acts, and works, as their own God in Christ. They see God, all that is in God, as engaged [71] for them, as their portion, settled upon them antiently and eternal, and as acting and working for their good continually. They see the whole of their salvation, in all its parts, is from God, in all his persons; displaying all his perfections in their eternal election unto life, and full redemption from sin and death, by price and power and in their exaltation to Heaven’s bliss, to possess and enjoy the God of glory there, as their inheritance for ever. They have communion with God in all his persons, in love; in all the displays of it, from their first existence in grace, to their admission into glory. They see the infinite Deity through Christ’s glorified humanity, in all his infinite perfections and glories, and in all their various displays in nature, grace, and providence; and all in subservience to God’s highest praise, and their highest bliss. They live in God, and dive continually into that boundless, bottomless, endless sea of immense felicity, to the ages of eternity! But the glory of separate spirits at home with Christ, is in this regard, much too great to be conceived, or expressed, by a mortal’s thought or word. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard.” Dr. Goodwin well says, “When we are taken to Heaven, we shall see God at once, with respect to the simplicity of his being, as all that is in God, is God; but with respect to the the immensity of his being, it will be like sailing over an eternal sea, where every moment’s sail we have a new horizon.” The fresh displays of Jehovah’s infinite glories, will fill our finite capacities, with rising joys, and present new wonders, to our raptured eyes, through the circling ages of a blest eternity! For when we see Christ, and God in him, it will not be a bare speculation, an unaffecting light, but a soul-attracting display, that sweetly, strongly, perpetually will draw us into him, that broad, deep, and endless ocean of glory, for a soul-filling enjoyment.

         And this beatific, facial vision of God and the Lamb, will be transforming. “When we see Christ as he is, we shall be like him.” And this transformation into his image, by the vision of his face, as I humbly think, respects all those internal, innumerable, various, and endless acts, of our perfected graces, which shall be excited thereby, to a vast eternity.

         And consequent hereupon, we shall be externally employed in Jehovah’s praise; in ascriptions of glory and blessing, salvation and honour, wisdom and power, unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the worthy Lamb, for ever, and ever! And a specimen of this worship of Heaven, we have thus given, “and every creature, which is in Heaven, heard I, saying, blessing and honour, and glory, and power be unto him, that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.”

         Again, another part of the bliss of perfect spirits, in a separate state, consists, in a full, free, and eternal communion with Saints and Angels. And as all Jehovah’s wonders in grace, towards the heirs of glory, and in their time-state, and in special providence, by the ministry of angels, in all those kind offices, which these heavenly messengers perform, for the heirs of salvation, while in the body; will then be opened to their glorified understandings clearly, and communicated freely and fully; and the [72] memories of these happy separate spirits, strengthened perfectly, to reflect upon all the Lord’s wise and mysterious conduct, in all those windings and turnings, by which they were led through the wilderness, as having been all subservient to their highest bliss, and the right way to the Land of promise: these things, as I humbly conceive, will be matter of their joint-praises; for the worship of Heaven is social. If the communion of Saints on earth is such, much more so, will be their communion in Heaven. They say, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him.” And as their love to God, and each other, is fervent and perfect, they mutually and eternally interest themselves in each others bliss, and call one another unto joint praise. And all their innumerable multitude, continually and eternally join in the worship of God and the Lamb, with the triumphant shout of Hallelujah! To which all the glorious Angels round the throne join aloud Amen! All the glorified members of Christ’s mystical body, from him the head, shall be filled brimful of joy and glory, ineffably and eternally; and all the streams of bliss, from him the fountain, shall flow down upon all, and by all, into, and through each other, and wafte them all, in love’s endearment, and joint praises, into God, that vast ocean, from whence they came, that ocean of joy and glory, to a happy eternity! For all the displays of the glory of God, which shall then be cast upon us through Christ, will be made in the bright form of love; which will attract our spirits, as so many tongues of fire, in continual ascension, to join with his infinite and eternal flame! Our communion with God, as the God of love, will be full and immediate, uninterrupted and eternal above! Yea, we shall then love God for himself, first and principally, in all his essential perfections, and infinite glories; and in all their bright displays, chiefly in that God is glorified thereby. We shall love his glory, in our salvation, above our own happiness therein; and rejoice in our felicity, as it redounds to Jehovah’s glory, his manifestative glory. We shall interest ourselves in God’s glory, and rejoice for ever, in his essential, immense, and eternal bliss! and passing out of our little selves, into the great God, we shall live in him, and bathe in his immense pleasures, that vast and endless ocean of felicity unknown! And full, it must needs be, to fill all the vessels of mercy, to the utmost of their finite capacities, with ineffable and endless joy and glory: since it is full for God himself to a boundless eternity! We shall then, by glory union, be “in the Son, and in the Father,” encompassed round, with a vast ocean of bliss, immense and endless! And that not simply, as single persons, but as a body collectively, unto social and eternal praise; in which the innumerable company of holy Angels will join with their eternal adorations and loud acclamations!

         But what the joys and glories of Christ’s Righteousness upon us, clearly and constantly beheld by us; of perfect holiness in principle within us; of immediate vision and full fruition, of God and the Lamb; of a full conformity to his image, in the internal acts of perfected graces; of an eternal dedication, to his external praise; together with a full and eternal communion with Saints and Angels; will be, in their own vast greatness, nothing less than the state of glory itself, can inform us. [73]

         This, my dear Friend, is a weak essay to lisp out the ineffable felicity of happy spirits, in a separate state. – But oh, how small a part of it can be told! It is a subject fit for our admiration, but far surpasseth all expression! – And till We also are blest with a sight, we are called to live by faith. – that “your fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, by the Holy Ghost” may more and more increase, unto a growing conformity to the divine image, and a more constant employ in Jehovah’s praise; until you are called to inherit eternal bliss, is the hearty desire of,    

                     Yours, &c.

A.    D.  [Anne Dutton]

Text: Divine and Moral, Miscellanies, in Prose and Verse. Containing many Valuable Originals, Communicated by various Correspondents, and other Pieces extracted from different Authors, and antient Manuscripts. The Whole being such a Collection of Miscellaneous Thoughts, as will tend not only to please, but enlighten and profit the Reader, Vol. 2 (London: Printed for J. Fuller, in Newgate-Street, London; and T. Luckman, in Coventry. 1762), pp. 69-73.