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while his lips publish the name of the Lord, and | but rogues and beggars? Is it not so to our ascribe greatness unto his God! Is not his heavenly Father, when we, who call ourselves his sweet discourse of heaven like the box of pre- children, feed on earth, and the garb of our souls cious ointment,' which, being 'poured upon the is like that of the naked world; and our hearts head of Christ, filled the house with the odour?' familiarly converse with, and cleave to the All that are near may be refreshed by it. Happy dust,' rather than stand continually in our Father's the people that have a heavenly minister! Happy presence? Surely we live below the children of the children and servants that have a heavenly the King, not according to the height of our father or master! Happy the man that hath a hopes, nor the provision of our Father's house, heavenly companion, who will watch over thy and the great preparations made for his saints. ways, strengthen thee when thou art weak, cheer It is well we have a Father of tender bowels, thee when thou art drooping, and comfort thee who will own his children in rags. If he did not with the comfort wherewith he himself hath been first challenge his interest in us, neither ourselves so often comforted of God! This is he that nor others could know us to be his people. But will always be blowing at the spark of thy spirit- when a Christian can live above, and rejoice his ual life, and drawing thy soul to God, and will soul with the things that are unseen, how is God say to thee, as the Samaritan woman, Come, honoured by such a one! The Lord will testify and see one that hath told me all that ever I for him, This man believes me, and takes me at did;' one that hath loved our souls to the death. my word; he rejoiceth in my promise, before he 'Is not this the Christ? Is not the knowledge hath possession; he can be thankful for what his of God and him eternal life ? Is it not the bodily eyes never saw; his rejoicing is not in glory of the saints to see his glory? Come to the flesh; his heart is with me; he loves my prethis man's house, and sit at his table, and he will sence; and he shall surely enjoy it in my kingfeast thy soul with the dainties of heaven; travel dom for ever. Blessed are they that have not with him by the way, and he will direct and seen, and yet have believed. Them that honour quicken thee in thy journey to heaven; trade me, I will honour.' How did God esteem himself with him in the world, and he will counsel thee honoured by Caleb and Joshua, when they went to buy the pearl of great price. If thou wrong into the promised land, and brought back to him, he can pardon thee, remembering that Christ their brethren a taste of the fruits, and spake well hath pardoned his greater offences. If thou be of the good land, and encouraged the people! angry, he is meek, considering the meekness of What a promise and recompense did they rehis heavenly pattern; or if he fall out with you, ceive! he is soon reconciled, when he recollects that in heaven you must be everlasting friends. This is the Christian of the right stamp, and all about him are better for him. How unprofitable is the society of all other sorts of Christians, in comparison with this! If a man should come from heaven, how would men long to hear what reports he would make of the other world, and what he had seen, and what the blessed there enjoy! Would they not think this man the best companion, and his discourses the most profit able? Why then do you value the company of saints no more, and inquire no more of them, and relish their discourse no better? For every saint shall go to heaven in person, and is frequently there in spirit, and hath often viewed it in the glass of the gospel. For my part, I had rather have the company of a heavenly-minded Christian, than of the most learned disputants or princely commanders.

13. (8.) No man so highly honoureth God, as be whose conversation is in heaven. Is not a parent disgraced, when his children feed on husks, are clothed in rags, and keep company with none

14. (9.) A soul that doth not set its affections on things above, disobeys the commands, and loses the most gracious and delightful discoveries of the word of God. The same God that hath commanded thee to believe, and to be a Christian, hath commanded thee to 'seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and to set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.' The same God that hath forbidden thee to murder, steal, or commit adultery, hath forbidden thee the neglect of this great duty; and darest thou wilfully disobey him? Why not make conscience of one, as well as the other? He hath made it thy duty, as well as the means of thy comfort, that a double bond may engage thee not to forsake thy own mercies. Besides, what are all the most glorious descriptions of heaven, all those discoveries of our future blessedness, and precious promises of our rest, but lost to thee? Are not these the stars in the firmament of scripture, and the golden lines in that book of God? Methinks thou shouldst not part with one of these promises, no, not for a world. As heaven is the perfection of

not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, she may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.' But when he speaks of our regards to him, the case is otherwise. Can a maid forget her or

have forgotten me days without number.' As if he should say, 'You will not rise one morning but you will remember to cover your nakedness, nor forget your vanity of dress; and are these of more worth than your God; of more importance than your eternal life? And yet you can forget these day after day.' Give not God cause thus to expostulate with us. Rather let our souls get up to God, and visit him every morning, and our hearts be towards him every moment.

all our mercies, so the promises of it in the gospel are the very soul of the gospel. Is a comfortable word from the mouth of God of such worth, that all the comforts in the world are nothing to it? And dost thou neglect and overlook so many of them? Why should God reveal so much of his counsel, and tell us before-naments, or a bride her attire? yet my people hand of the joys we shall possess, but to make us know it for our joy? If it had not been to fill us with the delights of our foreknown blessedness, he might have kept his purpose to himself, and never have let us know it till we came to enjoy it. Yea, when we had got possession of our rest, he might still have concealed its eternity from us, and then the fears of losing it would have diminished the sweetness of our joys. But it hath pleased our Father to open his counsel, and let us know the very intent of his heart, that our joy might be full, and that we might live as the heirs of such a kingdom. And shall we now overlook all? Shall we live in earthly cares and sorrows, and rejoice no more in these discoveries, than if the Lord had never wrote them? If thy prince had but sealed thee a patent of some lordship, how oft wouldst thou cast thy eyes upon it, and make it thy delightful study, till thou shouldst come to possess the dignity itself! And hath God sealed thee a patent of heaven, and dost thou let it lie by thee, as if thou hadst forgot it? O that our hearts were as high as our hopes, and our hopes as high as these infallible promises!

15. (10.) It is but just that our hearts should be on God, when the heart of God is so much on us. If the Lord of glory can stoop so low, as to set his heart on sinful dust, methinks we should easily be persuaded to set our hearts on Christ and glory, and ascend to him, in our daily affections, who so much condescends to us. Christian, dost thou not perceive that the heart of Gud is set upon thee, and that he is still minding thee with tender love, even when thou forgettest both thyself and him? Is he not following thee with daily mercies, moving upon thy soul, providing for thy body, preserving both? Doth he not bear thee continually in the arms of love, and promise that all shall work together for thy good,' and suit all his dealings to thy greatest advantage, and give his angels charge over thee? And canst thou be taken up with the joys below, and forget thy Lord, who forgets not thee? Unkind ingratitude! When he speaks of his own kindness for us, hear what he says-Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should

16. (11.) Should not our interest in heaven, and our relation to it, continually keep our hearts upon it? There our Father keeps his court. We call him, 'Our Father, who art in heaven.' Unworthy children! that can be so taken up in their play, as to be mindless of such a Father. There also is Christ, our head, our husband, our life; and shall we not look towards him and send to him as oft as we can, till we come to see him face to face? Since the heavens must receive him until the times of restitution of all things;' let them also receive our hearts with him. There also is New Jerusalem, which is the mother of us all.' And there are multitudes of our elder brethren. There are our friends and old acquaintance, whose society in the flesh we so much delighted in, and whose departure hence we so much lamented, and is this no attractive to thy thoughts. If they were within thy reach on earth, thou wouldst go and visit them, and why not oftener visit them in spirit, and rejoice beforehand to think of meeting them there? 'Socrates rejoiced that he should die, because he believed he should see Homer, Hesiod, and other eminent persons. How much more do I rejoice, said a pious old minister, who am sure to see Christ my Saviour, the eternal Son of God, in his assumed flesh; besides so many wise, holy, and renowned patriarchs, prophets, apostles,' &c. A believer should look to heaven, and contemplate the blessed state of the saints, and think with himself, Though I am not yet so happy as to be with you, yet this is my daily comfort, you are my brethren and fellow-members in Christ, and therefore your joys are my joys, and your glory, by this near relation, is my glory; especially while I believe in the same Christ, and hold fast the same faith and obedience, by which you were thus digni

hed, and rejoice in spirit with you, and congratulate your happiness in my daily meditations.'

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17. Moreover, our house and home is above. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' Why do we then look no oftener towards it, and 'groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven?' If our home were far meaner, sure we should remember it, because it is our home. If you were but banished into a strange land, how frequently would your thoughts be at home. And why is it not thus with us in respect of heaven? Is not that more truly and properly our home, where we must take up our everlasting abode, than this, which we are every hour expecting to be separated from, and to see no more? We are strangers, and that is our country. We are heirs, and that is our inheritance; even an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us.' We are here in continual distress and want, and there lies our substance; even a better and an enduring substance.' Yea, the very hope of our souls is there; all our hope of relief from our distresses; all our hope of happiness, when here we are miserable: all this hope is laid up for us in heaven.' Why, beloved Christians, have we so much interest, and so few thoughts there? So near relation, and so little affection? Doth it become us to be delighted in the company of strangers, so as to forget our Father, and our Lord? or to be so well pleased with those that hate and grieve us, as to forget our best and dearest friends; or to be so fond of borrowed trifles, as to forget our own possession and treasure; or to be so much impressed with fears and wants, as to forget our eternal joy and rest? God usually pleads his property in us; and thence concludes he will do us good, even because we are his own people, whom he hath chosen out of all the world. Why then do we not plead our interest in him, and so raise our hearts above; even because he is our own God, and because the place is our own possession? Men commonly overlove and overvalue their own things, and mind them too much. O that we could mind our own inheritance, and value it half as much as it deserves!

18. (12.) Once more consider, there is nothing but heaven worth setting our hearts upon. If God have them not, who shall ? If thou mind not thy rest, what wilt thou mind? Hast thou found out some other God? or something that will serve thee instead of rest? Hast thou found

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on earth an eternal happiness? Where is it? What is it made of? Who was the man that found it out? Who was he that last enjoyed it? Where dwelt he? What was his name? Or art thou the first that ever discovered heaven on earth? Ah, wretch! trust not to thy discoveries, boast not of thy gain till experience bid thee boast. Disquiet not thyself in looking for that which is not on earth; lest thou learn thy experience with the loss of thy soul, which thou mightest have learned on easier terms; even by the warnings of God in his word, and the loss of thousands of souls before thee. If Satan should take thee up to the mountain of temptation, and show thee all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;' he could show thee nothing that is worthy thy thoughts, much less to be preferred before thy rest. Indeed, so far as duty and necessity require it, we must be content to mind the things below; but who is he that contains himself within the compass of those limits? And yet if we ever so diligently contract our cares and thoughts, we shall find the least to be bitter and burdensome. Christians, see the emptiness of all these things, and the preciousness of the things above. If thy thoughts should, like the laborious bee, go over the world from flower to flower, from creature to creature, they would bring no honey or sweetness home, save what they gathered from their relations to eternity. Though every truth of God is precious, and ought to be defended; yet even all our study of truth should be still in reference to our rest; for the observation is too true, that the lovers of controversies in religion have never been warmed with one spark of the love of God.' And, as for minding the affairs of church and state;' so far as they illustrate the providence of God, and tend to the settling of the gospel, and the government of Christ; and, consequently, to the saving our own souls, and those of our posterity, they are well worth our diligent observation; but these are only their relations to eternity. Even all our dealings in the world, our buying and selling, our eating and drinking, our building and marrying, our peace and war, so far as they relate not to the life to come, but tend only to the pleasing of the flesh, are not worthy the frequent thoughts of a Christian. And now doth not thy conscience say, that there is nothing but heaven and the way to it, that is worth thy minding.

19. Now, Reader, are these considerations weighty, or not? Have I proved it thy duty to keep thy heart on things above, or have I not? If thou say, 'not,' I am confident thou contra

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dictest thy own conscience. If thou acknowledge will be rich, right or wrong? thyself convinced of the duty, that very tongue of thine shall condemn thee, and that confession be pleaded against thee, if thou wilfully neglect such a confessed duty. Be thoroughly willing, and the work is more than half done. I have now a few plain directions to give you for your help in this great work; but, alas! it is in vain to mention them, except you be willing to put them into practice. However, I will propose them to thee, and may the Lord persuade thy heart to the work!

CHAPTER XII.

DIRECTIONS HOW TO LEAD A HEAVENLY LIFE UPON EARTH.

Sect. 1. (1.) Hinderances to a heavenly life must be avoided; such as, 2. (I.) Living in any known sin; 3. (2.) An earthly mind; 4. (3.) Ungodly companions; 5. (4.) A notional religion; 6. (5.) A haughty spirit; 7. (6.) A slothful spirit: 8. (7.) Resting in preparatives for a heavenly life, without the thing itself. 9. (II.) The duties which will promote a heavenly life are these: 10. (1.) Be convinced that heaven is the only treasure and happiness; 11, 12. (2.) Labour to know your interest in it; 13. (3.) and how near it is: 14. (4.) Frequently and seriously talk of it; 15. (5.) Endeavour in every duty to raise your affections nearer to it; 16. (6.) To the same purpose improve every object and event; 17, 18. (7.) Be much believing thoughts of the infinite love of God: 20. (9.) Carefully observe and cherish the motions of the Spirit of God: 21. (10.) Nor even neglect the due care of your bodily health.

in the angelical work of praise: 19. (8.) Possess your souls with

1. (I.) As thou valuest the comforts of a heavenly conversation, I must here charge thee from God, to avoid carefully some dangerous hinderances; and then faithfully and diligently to practise such duties as will especially assist thee in attaining to a heavenly life. And, (1.) The hinderances to be avoided with all possible care, are living in any known sin—an earthly mind-the company of the ungodly-notional religion-a proud and lofty spirit-a slothful spirit and resting in mere preparations for this heavenly life, without any acquaintance with the thing itself.

2. (1.) Living in any known sin, is a grand impediment to a heavenly conversation. What havoc will this make in thy soul! O the joys that this hath destroyed! The ruin it hath made amongst men's graces! The soul-strengthening duties it hath hindered! Christian Reader, art thou one that hast used violence with thy conscience! Art thou a wilful neglecter of known duties, either public, private, or secret? Art thou a slave to thine appetite, or to any other commanding sense? Art thou a proud seeker of thine own esteem? Art thou a peevish and passionate person, ready to take fire at every word, or look, or supposed slight? Art thou a deceiver of others in thy dealings, or one that

If this be thy

case, I dare say, heaven and thy soul are very great strangers. These beams in thine eyes will not suffer thee to look to heaven; they will be a cloud between thee and thy God. When thou dost but attempt to study eternity, and gather comforts from the life to come, thy sin will presently look thee in the face, and say, 'These How shouldst thou things belong not to thee. take comfort from heaven, who takest so much pleasure in the lusts of the flesh?' How will this damp thy joys, and make the thoughts of that day and state become thy trouble, and not thy delight! Every wilful sin will be to thy comforts, as water to the fire; when thou thinkest to quicken them, this will quench them. It will utterly indispose and disable thee, that thou canst no more ascend in divine meditation, than a bird can fly when its wings are clipped. Sin cuts the very sinews of this heavenly life. O man! what a life dost thou lose! What daily delights dost thou sell for a vile lust! If heaven and hell can meet together, and God become a lover of sin, then mayest thou live in thy sin, and in the tastes of glory; and have a conversation in heaven, though thou cherish thy corruption. And take heed, lest it banish thee from heaven, as it does thy heart. And though thou be not guilty, and knowest no reigning sin in thy soul, think what a sad thing it would be, if ever this should prove thy case. Watch, therefore: especially resolve to keep from the occasions of sin, and out of the way of temptations. What need have we daily to pray, Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil!'

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3. (2.) An earthly mind is another hinderance carefully to be avoided. God and mammon, earth and heaven, cannot both have the delight of thy heart. When the heavenly believer is blessing himself in his God, and rejoicing in hope of the glory to come; perhaps thou art blessing thyself in thy worldly prosperity, and rejoicing in hope of thy thriving here. When he is comforting his soul in the views of Christ, of angels, and saints, whom he shall live with for ever; then thou art comforting thyself with thy wealth, in looking over thy bills and bonds, thy goods, thy cattle, or thy buildings, and in thinking of the favour of the great, of the pleasure of a plentiful estate, of larger provision for thy children after thee, of the advancement of thy family, or the increase of thy dependents. If Christ pronounced him a fool, that said, 'Soul, take thy ease, thou hast enough laid up for many years;' how much more so art thou, who knowingly speakest in thy heart the same words! Tell

drunkard, and the enemies of godliness, will prove hurtful companions to us, though these indeed are chiefly to be avoided; but too frequent society with persons merely civil and moral, whose conversation is empty and unedifying, may much divert our thoughts from heaven. Our backwardness is such, that we need the most constant and powerful helps. A stone, or a clod, is as fit to rise and fly in the air, as our hearts are naturally to move toward heaven. You need not hinder the rocks from flying up to the sky; it is sufficient that you do not help them: and surely if our spirits have not great assistance, they may easily be kept from soaring upward, though they should never meet with the least impediment. O think of this in the choice of your company ! When your spirits are so disposed for heaven, that you need no help to lift them up; but, as flames, you are always mounting, and carrying with you all that is in your way; then, indeed, you may be less careful of your company; but till then, as you love the delights of a heavenly life, be careful herein. What will it advantage thee in a divine life to hear how the market goes, or what the weather is, or is like to be, or what news is stirring? This is the discourse of earthly men. What will it conduce to the rais

me, what difference between this fool's expressions and thy affections? Remember, thou hast to do with the Searcher of hearts. Certainly, so much as thou delightest, and takest up thy rest on earth, so much of thy delight in God is abated. Thine earthly mind may consist with thy outward profession and common duties; but it cannot consist with this heavenly duty. Thou thyself knowest how seldom and cold, how cursory and reserved thy thoughts have been of the joys above, ever since thou didst trade so eagerly for the world. O the cursed madness of many that seem to be religious! They thrust themselves into a multitude of employments, till they are so loaded with labours, and clogged with cares, that their souls are as unfit to converse with God, as a man to walk with a mountain on his back; and as unapt to soar in meditation, as their bodies to leap above the sun! And when they have lost that heaven upon earth, which they might have had, they take up with a few rotten arguments to prove it lawful; though, indeed, they cannot. I advise thee, Christian, who hast tasted the pleasures of a heavenly life, as ever thou wouldst taste of them any more, avoid this devouring gulf of an earthly mind. If once thou come to this, that thou wilt be rich, thou 'fallest into temptation, and a suare, and into many foolishing thy heart God-ward to hear that this is an

and hurtful lusts.' Keep these things loose about thee, like thy upper garments, that thou mayest lay them by whenever there is need; but let God and glory be next thy heart. Ever remember, that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God.'-' Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.' This is plain dealing, and happy he that faithfully receives it.

4. (3.) Beware of the company of the ungodly. Not that I would dissuade thee from necessary converse, or from doing them any office of love; especially, not from endeavouring the good of their souls, as long as thou hast any opportunity or hope: nor would I have thee to conclude them to be dogs and swine, in order to evade the duty of reproof; nor even to judge them such at all, as long as there is any hope for the better: much less can I approve of their practice, who conclude men dogs or swine, before ever they faithfully and lovingly admonish them; or perhaps, before they have known them, or spoken with them. But it is the unnecessary society of ungodly men, and too much familiarity with unprofitable companions, that I dissuade you from. Not only the openly profanes the swearer, the

able minister, or that an eminent Christian, or this an excellent sermon, or that an excellent book, or to hear some difficult, but unimportant controversy? Yet this, for the most part, is the sweetest discourse thou art like to have from a formal, speculative, dead-hearted professor. Nay, if thou hadst newly been warming thy heart in the contemplation of the blessed joys above, would not this discourse benumb thy affections, and quickly freeze thy heart again? I appeal to the judgment of any man that hath tried it, and maketh observations on the frame of his spirit. Men cannot well talk of one thing, and mind another, especially things of such different natures. You, young men, who are most liable to this temptation, think seriously of what I say: can you have your hearts in heaven among your roaring companions in an alehouse or tavern? or, when you work in your shops with those whose common language is oaths, 'filthiness, or foolish talking, or jesting? Nay, let me tell you, if you choose such company when you might have better, and find most delight in such, you are so far from a heavenly conversation, that as yet you have no title to heaven at all, and in that state shall never come there. If your treasure was there, your heart could not be on things so distant. In a word, our company will be a

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