Institutes 3.25.10 — OF THE LAST RESURRECTION.
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**OF THE LAST RESURRECTION.**
But since the prophecy that death shall be swallowed up in victory ( Hosea 13:14 ), will then only be completed, let us always remember that the end of the resurrection is eternal happiness, of whose excellence scarcely the minutest part can be described by all that human tongues can say. For though we are truly told that the kingdom of God will be full of light, and gladness, and felicity, and glory, yet the things meant by these words remain most remote from sense, and as it were involved in enigma, until the day arrive on which he will manifest his glory to us face to face ( 1 Cor. 15:54 ). “Now” says John, “are we the sons of God; and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is,” ( 1 John 3:2 ). Hence, as the prophets were unable to give a verbal description of that spiritual blessedness, they usually delineated it by corporeal objects. On the other hand, because the fervor of desire must be kindled in us by some taste of its sweetness, let us specially dwell upon this thought, If God contains in himself as an inexhaustible fountain all fulness of blessing, those who aspire to the supreme good and perfect happiness must not long for any thing beyond him. This we are taught in several passages, “Fear not, Abraham; I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward,” ( Gen. 15:1 ). With this accords David’s sentiment, “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places,” ( Ps. 16:5, 6 ). Again, “I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness,” ( Ps. 17:15 ). Peter declares that the purpose for which believers are called is, that they may be “partakers of the divine nature,” ( 2 Pet. 1:4 ). How so? Because “he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them that believe,” ( 2 Thess. 1:10 ). If our Lord will share his glory, power, and righteousness, with the elect, nay, will give himself to be enjoyed by them; and what is better still, will, in a manner, become one with them, let us remember that every kind of happiness is herein included. But when we have made great progress in thus meditating, let us understand that if the conceptions of our minds be contrasted with the sublimity of the mystery, we are still halting at the very entrance. French, “Et encore quand nous aurons bien profité en cette meditation, se nous faut il entendre que nous sommes encore tout au bas et à la premiere entree, et que jamais nous n’approcherons durant cette vie à la hautesse de ce mystere.”—And still, when we shall have profited much by thus meditating, we must understand that we are still far beneath it, and at the very threshold, and that never during this life shall we approach the height of this mystery.
Source
source-manifest/institutes— Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, tr. Beveridge 1845 (PD)- evidence_grade: D_doctrinal_textbook