.0 hopes before thee, as the gospel gives, of this blessedness we are discoursing of, it be reasonable from the apprehension of a mere possibility of miscarrying, (which can only be through thy wilful security and neglect,) to give up thyself to a supine negligence, and indulge that security which is so sure to ruin thee, and exchange a possible hoped heaven for a certain hell; or whether rather it be not reasonable to stir up thy soul to consider in what posture thou art, towards the attainment of this blessedness, that thou mayst accordingly steer thy course in order to it? If an accusation, or a disease do threaten thy life; or a suspected flaw thy title to thy estate, wouldst thou not think it reasonable to inquire into thy case? And is it not much more desirable, in a matter of this consequence, to be at some certainty? and prudent to endeavor it, if it may possibly be attained? Whence let me further ask: [4.] Canst thou pretend it to be impossible? Hath God left thee under a necessitated ignorance, in this matter? or denied thee sufficient means of knowing how it is with thee in respect of thy spiritual estate? Though he hath not given thee a list, or told thee the number or names of his sanctified ones, yet hath he not sufficiently described the person, and given the characters by which they may be known? And hath he not furnished thee with a self-reflecting power, by which thou art enabled to look into thyself, and discern whether thou be of them or no? Doth he not offer and afford to serious, diligent souls, the assisting light of his blessed Spirit to guide and succeed the inquiry? And if thou find it difficult to come to a speedy, clear issue, to make a present certain judgment of thy case; ought not that to engage thee to a patient continued diligence, rather than in a rash despairing madness to desist and cast off all ? inasmuch as the difficulty, though great, is not insuperable; and the necessity and advantage incomparably greater. And (though divers other things do confessedly fall in) the principal difficulty lies in thy aversation and unwillingness. Thou art not put to traverse the creation, to climb heaven or dig through the earth; but thy work lies nigh thee, in thy own heart and spirit; and what is so nigh, or should be so familiar to thee, as thyself? it is but casting thy eye upon thy own soul, to discern which way it is inclined and bent, thou art urged to. Which is that we propounded next to discover: namely, (2.) That we are to judge of the hopefulness of our enjoying this blessedness, by the present habitude or disposedness of our spirits thereto. For what is that righteousness which qualifies for it, but the impress of the gospel upon the minds and hearts of men? The gospel-revelation is the only rule and measure of that righteousness: it must therefore consist in conformity thereto. And look to the frame and design of the gospel-revelation, and what doth so directly correspond to it, as that very habitude and disposedness of spirit for this blessedness whereof we speak ? Nothing so answers the gospel, as a propension of heart towards God gratified in part now, and increasing till it find a full satisfaction; a desire of knowing him and of being like him. It is the whole design of the gospel, which reveals his glory in the face of Jesus Christ, to work and form the spirits of men to this. They therefore whose spirits are thus wrought and framed, are righteous by the gospel-measure, and by that righteousness are evidently entitled and fitted for this blessedness. Yea, that righteousness hath in it (or rather) is the elements, the first principles, the seed of this blessedness. There can therefore be no surer rule or mark whereby to judge our states, whether we have to do with this blessedness, may expect it yea or no, than this. How stand we affected towards it; in what disposition are our hearts thereto? Those fruits of righteousness, by which the soul is qualified to appear without offence in the day of Christ, the several graces of the sanctifying Spirit, are nothing else but so many holy principles, all disposing the soul towards this blessedness, and the way to it; mortification, self-denial, and godly sorrow, take it off from other objects, the world, self and sin; repentance (that part of it which respects God) turns the course of its motion towards God the end; faith directs it through Christ the way; love makes it move freely; desire, earnestly; joy, pleasantly; hope, confidently; humility, evenly; fear, circumspectly; patience, constantly and preseveringly. All conspire to give the soul a right disposition towards this blessedness. The result of them all is heavenliness, a heavenly temper of spirit. For they all (one way or other,) as so many lines and rays have respect to a blessedness in God (which is heaven) as the point at which they aim; and the cuspis, the point in which they meet, in order to the touching of that objective point, is heavenliness. This is the ultimate and immediate disposition of heart for this blessedness; the result the terminus productus of the whole work of righteousness in the soul; by which it is said to be as it were, nata ad gloriam, begotten to the eternal inheritance. Concerning this therefore chiefly institute thy inquiry. Demand of thyself, Is my soul yet made heavenly, bent upon eternal blessedness, or no? And here thou mayst easily apprehend, of how great concernment it is, to have the right notion of heaven, or future blessedness, as was urged under the foregoing rule. For if thou take for it another thing, thou missest thy mark, and art quite beside thy business : but if thou retain a right and scriptural notion of it, the rule thou art to judge by is sure, they shall have heaven whose hearts are intent upon it, and framed to it. Scripture is every where pregnant and full of this. The apostle plainly intimates, this will be the rule of God's final judgment. Certainly it cannot be unsafe for us to judge ourselves by the same rule. He tells us, when God shall judge every one according to his works (the great business of the judgment day,) eternal life shall be the portion of them, who by patient continuance in well-doing, sought glory, and honor, and immortality (Rom. 2. 6. 7.) which are but other expressions of the same thing. What can be more plain? They shall have eternal life and glory that seek it; whose hearts are towards it. Again, speaking of true christians, diaxgis, (that is in a way of contradistinction from Pseudo-christians, such as he saith were enemies of the cross,) he gives us among other, this brand of these latter, that they did mind earthly things, and tells us, their end should be destruction; but gives us this opposite character of the other, our conversation is in heaven; (Phil. 3. 18.-20.) our trade and business, our daily negotiations, as well as the privileges of our citizenship lie there, as his expression imports, and thence intimates the opposite end of such, whence we look for a Saviour; not destruction, but salvation. And in the same context of Scripture, where they that are risen with Christ, and who shall appear with him in glory, are required to set their mind on things above, and not on things on the earth: (Col. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4.) that we may understand this, not to be their duty only, but their character, we are immediately told, they who follow not this counsel, and mortify not their earthly members (those lusts that dispose men towards the earth, and to grovel in the dust, as the graces of the Spirit dispose them heavenward, and to converse with glory) are the children of disobedience, upon whom the wrath of God cometh. The faith, the just live by, is the substance of things hoped for, &c. Heb. 1, 13, 16. Such believers are confessed, avowed strangers on earth; and seekers of the better, the heavenly country, whence it is said, God will not be ashamed to be called their God; plainly implying, that as for low, terrene spirits, that love to creep on the earth, and embrace dunghills, God will be ashamed of them; he will for ever disdain a relation to them, while and as such. And if we will be determined by the express word of our great Redeemer, to whom we owe all the hopes of this blessedness; when he had been advising not to lay up treasure on earth, but in heaven, he presently adds, Where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also. Mat. 6. 19, 20, 21. If thy treasure, thy great interest, thy precious and most valuable good be above, that will attract thy heart, it will certainly be disposed thitherward. Yet here it must carefully be considered, that inasmuch as this blessedness is thy end, that is, thy supreme good (as the notion of treasure also imports,) thy heart must be set upon it above any other enjoyment; else all is to no purpose. It is not a faint, slight, over-mastered inclination that will serve the turn, but (as all the forementioned scriptures import) such as will bespeak it a man's business to seek heaven, his main work; and give ground to say of him, his heart is there. If two lovers solicit the same person, and speaking of them in comparisons she say, this hath my heart; is it tolerable to understand her, as meaning him she loves less? so absurd would it be to understand scriptures, that speak of such an intention of heart heaven-ward, as if the faintest desire, coldest wish, or most lazy inconstant endeavor were all they meant. No, it is a steady, prevalent, victorious direction of heart towards the future glory, in comparison whereof, thou despisest all things else (all temporal, terrene things,) that must be the evidential ground of thy hope to enjoy it. And therefore in this, deal faithfully with thy own soul, and demand of it; Dost thou esteem this blessedness above all things else? Do the thoughts of it continually return upon thee, and thy mind and heart, as it were naturally run out to it? Are thy chiefest solicitudes and cares taken about it, lest thou shouldst fall short and suffer a disappointment? Dost thou savour it with pleasure; hath it a sweet and grateful relish to thy soul? Dost thou bend all thy powers to pursue and press on towards it? Urge thyself to give answer truly to such imquiries; and to consider them seriously, that thou mayst do so. Such whose spirits are either most highly raised and lifted up to heaven, or most deeply depressed and sunk into the earth, may make the clearest judgment of themselves. With them that are of a middle temper, the trial will be more difficult, yet not fruitless, if it be managed with serious diligence, though no certain conclusion or judgment be made thereupon. For the true design and use of all such inquiries and reflections upon ourselves (which let it be duly considered) is, not to bring us into a state of cessation from further endeavors; as if we had nothing more to do (suppose we judge the best of our state that can be thought,) but to keep us in a wakeful temper of spirit; that we may not forget ourselves in the great business we have yet before us, but go on with renewed vigor through the whole course of renewed endeavors, wherein we are to be still conversant, till we have attained our utmost mark and end. Therefore is this present inquiry directed, as introductive to the further duty, that in the following rules is yet to be recommended. CHAPTER XVII. Rule 3. Directing such as upon inquiry find, or see cause to suspect, a total aversation in themselves to this blessedness, to be speedy and restless in their endeavors to have the temper of their spirits altered and suitable to it. Doubts and objections concerning the use of such endeavors, in such a case, answered. Some considerations to enforce this direction propounded and pressed. 3. That if upon such reflection we find or suspect ourselves wholly disaffected and unsuitable to this blessedness, we apply ourselves to speedy, incessant endeavors to get the temper of our spirits changed and fitted thereto. The state of the case speaks itself, that there is no sitting still here. This is no condition, soul, to be rested in; unless thou art provided to encounter the terrors of eternal darkness, and endure the torture of everlasting burnings. Yet am I not unapprehensive how great a difficulty a carnal heart will make of it to bestir itself in order to any redress of so deplorable a case. And how real a difficulty it is, to say any thing that will be thought regardable to such a one. Our sad experience tells us, that our most efficacious words are commonly wont to be entertained as neglected puffs of wind; our most convictive reasonings and persuasive exhortations lost (yea, and though they are managed too in the name of the great God) as upon the deaf and dead: which is too often apt to tempt into that resolution, of "speaking no more in that. name." And were it not that the dread of that great majesty restrains us, how hard were it to forbear such expostulations; "Lord, why are we commonly sent upon so vain an errand? why are we required to speak to them that will not hear, and expose thy sacred truths and counsels to the contempt of sinful worms; to labor day by day in vain, and spend our strength for nought?" Yea, we cannot forbear to complain, "None so labor in vain as we: of all men none so generally improsperous and unsuccessful. Others are wont to see the fruit of their labors, in proportion to the expense of strength in them but our strength is labor and sorrow (for the most part) without the return of a joyful fruit. The husbandman plows in hope, and sows in hope, and is commonly partaker of his hope we are sent to plow and sow among rocks and thorns, and in the highway; how seldom fall we upon good ground? Where have we any increase? Yea, Lord, how often are men the harder for all |