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which the Spirit hath given thee here. Hath not God sometimes revealed himself extraordinarily to thy soul, and let a drop of glory fall upon it? Hast thou not been ready to say, 'O that it might be thus with thy soul continually!' Didst thou never cry out with the martyr, after thy long and mournful expectations, He is come! He is come!' Didst thou never, under a lively sermon of heaven, or in thy retired contemplations on that blessed state, perceive thy drooping spirits revive, and thy dejected heart lift up thy head, and the light of heaven dawn on thy soul? Think with thyself, What is this earnest to the full inheritance! Alas! all this light that so amazeth and rejoiceth me, is but a candle lighted from heaven, to lead me thither through this world of darkness! If some godly men have been overwhelmed with joy, till they have cried out, "Hold, Lord, stay thy hand; I can bear no more!" what then will be my joys in heaven, when my soul shall be so capable of seeing and enjoying God, that though the light be ten thousand times greater than the sun, yet my eyes shall be able for ever to behold it Or if thou hast not yet felt these sweet foretastes, (for every believer hath not felt them,) then make use of such delights as thou hast felt, in order the better to discern what thou shalt hereafter feel.

12. (II.) I am now to show how heavenly contemplation may be preserved from a wandering heart. Our chief work is here to discover the danger, and that will direct to the fittest remedy. The heart will prove the greatest hinderance in this heavenly employment; either by backwardness to it-or, by trifling in it-or, by frequent excursions to other objects-or, by abruptly ending the work before it is well begun. As you value the comfort of this work, these dangerous evils must be faithfully resisted.

13. (1.) Thou wilt find thy heart as backward to this, I think, as to any work in the world. O what excuses will it make! What evasions will it find out! What delays and demurs, when it is ever so much convinced! Either it will question whether it be a duty or not; or, if it be so to others, whether to thyself. It will tell thee, 'This is a work for ministers that have nothing else to study; or for persons that have more leisure than thou hast.' If thou be a minister, it will tell thee, This is the duty of the people; it is enough for thee to meditate for their instruction, and let them meditate on what they have heard.' As if it was thy duty only to cook their meat, and serve it up, and they alone must eat it, digest it, and live upon it. If all this will

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not do, thy heart will tell thee of other business, or set thee upon some other duty; for it had rather go to any duty than this. Perhaps it will tell thee, Other duties are greater, and therefore this must give place to them, because thou hast no time for both. Public business is more important; to study and preach for the saving of souls, must be preferred before these private contemplations.' As if thou hadst not time to care for thy own salvation, for looking after that of others. Or thy charity to others were so great, that it obliges thee to neglect thy own eternal welfare. Or as if there were any better way to fit us to be useful to others, than making this proof of our doctrine ourselves. Certainly heaven is the best fire to light our candle at, and the best book for a preacher to study; and if we would be persuaded to study that more, the church would be provided with more heavenly lights; and when our studies are divine, and our spirits divine, our preaching will also be divine, and we may be called divines indeed. Or if thy heart have nothing to say against the work, it will trifle away the time in delays, and promise this day, and the next, but still keep off from the business. Or it will give thee a flat denial, and oppose its own unwillingness to thy reason. All this I speak of the heart, so far as it is still carnal; for I know, so far as it is spiritual, it will judge this the sweetest work in the world.

14. What is now to be done? Wilt thou do it if I tell thee? Wouldst thou not say, in a like case, 'What should I do with a servant that will not work? or with a horse that will not travel? Shall I keep them to look at ?' Then faithfully deal thus with thy heart; persuade it to the work, take no denial, chide it for its backwardness, use violence with it. Hast thou no command of thy own thoughts? Is not the subject of thy meditations a matter of choice, especially under this conduct of thy judgment? Surely God gave thee, with thy new nature, some power to govern thy thoughts. Art thou again become a slave to thy depraved nature? Resume thy authority. Call in the Spirit of Christ to thine assistance, who is never backward to so good a work, nor will deny his help in so just a cause. Say to him, 'Lord, thou gavest my reason the command of my thoughts and affections: the authority I have received over them is from thee; and now, behold, they refuse to obey thine authority. Thou commandest me to set them to the work of heavenly meditation, but they rebel and stubbornly refuse the duty. Wilt thou not assist me to exercise that authority which thou hast given me? O send

down thy Spirit, that I may enforce thy com- | devour the life and joy of thy thoughts; theremands, and effectually compel them to obey thy fore drive them away from thy sacrifice, and will? Thus thou shalt see thy heart will sub- strictly keep thy heart to the work. mit, its resistance be overcome, and its backwardness be turned into cheerful compliance.

17. (4.) Abruptly ending thy meditation be fore it is well begun, is another way in which thy heart will deceive thee. Thou mayest easily perceive this in other duties. In secret prayer, is not thy heart urging thee to cut it short, and frequently making a motion to have done? So

15. (2.) Thy heart will also be likely to betray thee by trifling, when it should be effectually meditating. Perhaps, when thou hast an hour for meditation, the time will be spent before thy heart will be serious. This doing of duty, as if in heavenly contemplation,, thy heart will be we did it not, ruins as many as the omission of weary of the work, and will stop thy heavenly it. Here let thine eye be always upon thy heart. walk before thou art well warm. But charge it Look not so much to the time it spends in the in the name of God to stay, and not do so great duty, as to the quantity and quality of the work a work by halves. Say to it, 'Foolish heart! that is done. You can tell by his work, whether if thou beg awhile, and goest away before thou a servant hath been diligent. Ask yourself, hast thy alms, is not thy begging a lost labour? • What affections have yet been exercised? How If thou stoppest before the end of thy journey, much am I yet got nearer to heaven?' Think is not thy travel lost? Thou camest hither in not, since thy heart is so trifling, it is better to hope to have a sight of the glory which thou let it alone for by this means, thou wilt cer- must inherit; and wilt thou stop when thou art tainly banish all spiritual obedience; because the almost at the top of the hill, and turn back bebest hearts, being but sanctified in part, will re- fore thou hast taken thy survey? Thou camest sist, so far as they are carnal. But rather con- hither in hope to speak with God, and wilt thou sider well the corruption of thy nature; and that go before thou hast seen him? Thou camest to its sinful indispositions will not supersede the bathe thyself in the streams of consolation, and commands of God; nor one sin excuse for to that end didst unclothe thyself of thy earthly another; and that God has appointed means to thoughts, and wilt thou only touch the bank and excite our affections. This self-reasoning, self-return? Thou camest to spy out the land of considering duty of heavenly meditation, is the promise; go not back without one cluster of most singular means, both to excite and increase love. Therefore stay not from the duty, till thou feelest thy love constrain thee, any more than thou wouldst stay from the fire, till thou feelest thyself warm; but engage in the work till love is excited, and then love will constrain thee to further duty. 16. (3.) Thy heart will also be making excur-sation. This heavenly fire would melt thy frozen sions from thy heavenly meditation to other objects. It will be turning aside, like a careless servant, to talk with every one that passeth by. When there should be nothing in thy mind but heaven, it will be thinking of thy calling, or thy affections, or of every bird, or tree, or place thou seest. The cure is here the same as before; use watchfulness and violence. Say to thy heart, What! did I come thither to think of my world. ly business, of persons, places, news, or vanity, or of any thing but heaven, be it ever so good? Canst thou not watch one hour? Wouldst thou leave this world and dwell for ever with Christ in heaven, and not leave it one hour to dwell with Christ in meditation? Is this thy love to thy friend? Dost thou love Christ, and the place of thy eternal blessed abode, no more than this!' If the ravening fowls of wandering thoughts devour the meditations intended for heaven, they

grapes to show thy brethren, for their encouragement. Let them see that thou hast tasted of the wine, by the gladness of thy heart; and that thou hast been anointed with the oil, by the cheerfulness of thy countenance; and hast fed of the milk and honey, by the mildness of thy disposition, and the sweetness of thy conver

heart, and refine and spiritualize it; but it must have time to operate.' Thus pursue the work till something be done, till thy graces be in exercise, thy affections raised, and thy soul refreshed with the delights above; or if thou canst not attain these ends at once, be the more earnest at another time. Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.'

CHAPTER XVI.

HEAVENLY CONTEMPLATION EXEMPLIFIED, AND
THE WHOLE WORK CONCLUDED.

Sect. 1. The Reader's attention excited to the following example of meditation. 2. The excellencies of heavenly rest; 3. Its nearness;

4. dreadful to sinners, 5. and joyful to saints: 6. its dear purchase, 7 its difference from earth. 8. The heart pleaded with. 9. Unbelief banished. 10. A careless world pitied. 11-13. Heavenly rest

the object of love, 14-21. and joy. 22. The heart's backwardness

to heavenly joy lamented. 23-27. Heavenly rest the object of de-
sire. 28 Such meditations as this urged upon the reader: 29. The
mischief of neglecting it; 30. The happiness of pursuing it.
The Author's concluding Prayer for the success of his work.

31.

3. How near is that most blessed, joyful day! It comes apace. "He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry." Though my Lord seems to delay his coming, yet a little while and he will be here. What is a few hundred years, when they are over? How surely will his sign appear! How suddenly will he seize upon the careless world, even as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth unto the west! He who is gone hence shall so come. Methinks I hear his trum

pet sound! Methinks I see him coming in clouds, with his attending angels, in majesty and glory!

1. And now, Reader, according to the above directions, make conscience of daily exercising 4. O secure sinners! What now will you thy graces in meditation, as well as prayer. Where will you hide yourselves? What Retire into some secret place, at a time the most shall cover you? Mountains are gone; the convenient to thyself, and, laying aside all world-heavens and the earth, which were, are passed

do?

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ly thoughts, with all possible seriousness and away; the devouring fire hath consumed all, exreverence look up toward heaven, remember cept yourselves, who must be the fuel for ever. there is thine everlasting rest, study its excel- O that you could consume as soon as the earth; lency and reality, and rise from sense to faith, and melt away as did the heavens! Ah, these by comparing heavenly with earthly joys: then wishes are now but vain! The Lamb himself mix ejaculations with thy soliloquies; till having would have been your friend; he would have pleaded the case reverently with God, and seri- loved you, and ruled you, and now have saved ously with thy own heart, thou hast pleaded thy-you; but you would not then, and now it is too self from a clod to a flame; from a forgetful sin- late. Never cry, ner, and a lover of the world, to an ardent lover of God; from a fearful coward to a resolved Christian; from an unfruitful sadness to a joyful life: in a word, till thou hast pleaded thy heart from earth to heaven, from conversing below to walking with God, and till thou canst lay thy heart to rest, as in the bosom of Christ, by some such meditation of thy everlasting rest as is here added for thy assistance.

2. Rest! How sweet the sound! It is melody to my ears! It lies as a reviving cordial at my heart, and from thence sends forth lively spirits, which beat through all the pulses of my soul! Rest-not as the stone that rests on the earth, nor as this flesh shall rest in the grave, nor such a rest as the carnal world desires. O blessed rest! when we "rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!" When we shall rest from sin, but not from worship: from suffering and sorrow, but not from joy! O blessed day! When I shall rest with God! When I shall rest in the bosom of my Lord! When I shall rest in knowing, loving, rejoicing, and praising! When my perfect soul and body shall together perfectly enjoy the most perfect God! When God, who is love itself, shall perfectly love me, and rest in his love to me, as I shall rest in my love to him; and rejoice over me with joy, and joy over me with singing, as I shall rejoice in him!

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late, man.
Lord, Lord;" too late, too
Why dost thou look about? Can
any save thee? Whither dost thou run? Can
any hide thee? O wretch, that hast brought
thyself to this!

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5. Now, blessed saints, that have believed and obeyed. This is the end of faith and patience. This is it for which you prayed and waited. Do you now repent your sufferings and sorrows, your self-denying and holy walking? Are your tears of repentance now bitter or sweet? See how the Judge smiles upon you; there is love in his looks; the titles of Redeemer, Husband, Head, are written in his amiable shining face. Hark, he calls you! he bids you stand here on his right hand: fear not, for there he sets his sheep. O joyful sentence ! " Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." takes you by the hand, the door is open, the kingdom is his, and therefore yours; there is your place before his throne; the Father receives you as the spouse of his Son, and bids you welcome to the crown of glory. Ever so unworthy, you must be crowned. This was the project of free redeeming grace, the purpose of eternal love. O blessed grace! O blessed love! Oh how love and joy will rise! But I cannot express it, I cannot conceive it.

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6. This is that joy which was procured by sorrow, that crown which was procured by the

cross.

My Lord wept, that now my tears might row for ever: farewell my rocky, proud, unbe wiped away; he bled, that I might now re- believing heart; my worldly, sensual, carnal joice; he was forsaken, that I might not now be heart: and welcome now my most holy, heavenly forsook; he then died, that I might now live. O nature. Farewell repentance, faith, and hope; free mercy, that can exalt so vile a wretch! Free and welcome love, and joy, and praise. I shall to me, though dear to Christ! Free grace, that now have my harvest, without ploughing or sowhath chosen me, when thousands were forsaken! ing; my joy without a preacher, or a promise; When my companions in sin must burn in hell, even all from the face of God himself. WhatI must here rejoice in rest! Here must I live ever mixture is in the streams, there is nothing with all these saints! O comfortable meeting of but pure joy in the fountain. Here shall I be my old acquaintance, with whom I prayed, and encircled with eternity, and ever live, and ever, wept, and suffered, and spoke often of this day ever praise the Lord. My face will not wrinkle, and place! I see the grave could not detain nor my hair be gray; "for this corruptible shall you; the same love hath redeemed and saved have put on incorruption, and this mortal, imyou also. mortality, and death shall be swallowed up in victory. O death, where is now thy sting? 0 grave, where is thy victory?" The date of my lease will no more expire, nor shall I trouble myself with thoughts of death, nor lose my joys through fear of losing them. When millions of ages are passed, my glory is but beginning; and when millions more are passed, it is no nearer ending. Every day is all noon, every month is harvest, every year is a jubilee, every age is full manhood, and all this is one eternity. O blessed eternity! The glory of my glory! the perfection of my perfection!

7. This is not like our cottages of clay, our prisons, our earthly dwellings. This voice of joy is not like our old complaints, our impatient groans and sighs; nor this melodious praise like the scoffs and revilings, or the oaths and curses, which we heard on earth. This body is not like that we had, nor this soul like the soul we had, nor this life like the life we lived. We have changed our place and state, our clothes and thoughts, our looks, language, and company. Before, a saint was weak and despised; so proud and peevish, we could often scarce discern his graces: but now how glorious a thing is a saint! Where is now their body of sin, which wearied themselves and those about them? Where are now our different judgments, reproachful names, divided spirits, exasperated passions, strange looks, uncharitable censures? Now we are all of one judgment, of one name, of one heart, house, and glory. O sweet reconciliation! Happy union! Now the gospel shall no more be dishonoured through our folly. No more, my soul, shalt thou lament the sufferings of the saints, or the church's ruins, nor mourn thy suffering friends, nor weep over their dying beds, or their graves. Thou shalt never suffer thy old temptations from Satan, the world, or thy own flesh. Thy pains and sickness are all cured; thy body shall no more burden thee with weakness and weariness; thy aching head and heart, thy hunger and thirst, thy sleep and labour, are all gone. O what a mighty change is this! From the dunghill to the throne! from persecuting sinners to praising saints! From a vile body, to this which "shines as the brightness of the firmament!" From a sense of God's displeasure, to the perfect enjoyment of him in love! From all my doubts and fears, to this possession which puts me out of doubt! From all my fearful thoughts of death, to this joyful life! Blessed change! Farewell sin and sor

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8. Ah, drowsy, earthly heart! How coldly dost thou think of this reviving day! Hadst thou rather sit down in dirt, than walk in the palace of God? Art thou now remembering thy worldly business, or thinking of thy lusts, earthly delights, and merry company? better to be here, than above with God? Is the company better? Are the pleasures greater? Come away; make no excuse nor delay; God commands, and I command thee; gird up thy loins; ascend the mount; look about thee with faith and seriousness. Look not back upon the way of the wilderness, except it be to compare the kingdom with that howling desert, more sensibly to perceive the wide difference. Yonder is thy Father's glory; yonder, O my soul, must thou remove, when thou departest from this body; and when the power of thy Lord hath raised it again, and joined thee to it, yonder must thou live with God for ever. glorious New Jerusalem, the gates of pearl, the foundation of pearl, the streets and pavements of transparent gold. That sun, which lighteth all this world, will be useless there; even thyself shall be as bright as yonder shining sun: God will be the sun, and Christ the light, and in his light shalt thou have light.

There is the

9. O my soul! dost thou "stagger at the promise of God through unbelief?" I much sus◄

pect thee.

wouldst be more affected with it? Is it not
under the hand, and seal, and oath of God? Can
God lie?
Can he that is truth itself be false?
What need hath God to flatter or deceive thee?
Why should he promise thee more than he will
perform? Dare not to charge the wise, almighty,
faithful God, with this. How many of the pro-
mises have been performed to thee in thy con-
version! Would God so powerfully concur with
a feigned word? O wretched heart of unbelief!
Hath God made thee a promise of rest, and wilt
thou come short of it? Thine eyes, thine ears, and
all thy senses, may prove delusions, sooner than
a promise of God can delude thee. Thou may-
est be surer of that which is written in the word,
than if thou see it with thine eyes, or feel it
with thine hands. Art thou sure thou art alive,
or that this is earth thou standest on, or that
thine eyes see the sun? As sure is all this glory
to the saints; as sure shall I be higher than
yonder stars, and live for ever in the holy city,
and joyfully sound forth the praises of my Re-
deemer; if I be not shut out by this "evil heart
of unbelief," causing me to "depart from the
living God."

first.

Didst thou believe indeed, thou | loves thee; and is the love of a friend like the love of Christ? Their weeping or bleeding for thee, does not ease thee, nor stay the course of thy tears or blood; but the tears and blood that fell from thy Lord have a sovereign healing virtue.-O my soul! if love deserves, and should beget love, what incomprehensible love is here before thee! Pour out all the store of thy af fections here, and all is too little. O that it were more! O that it were many thousand times more! Let him be first served, that served thee Let him have thy first-born, and strength of thy soul, who parted with strength, and life, and love for thee.-O my soul! dost thou love for excellency? Yonder is the region of light; this is a land of darkness. Yonder twinkling stars, that shining moon, and radiant sun, are all our lanterns hung out of thy Father's house, to light thee while thou walkest in this dark world. But how little dost thou know the glory and blessedness that is within!-Dost thou love for suitableness? What person more suitable than Christ? His Godhead and humanity, his fullness and freeness, his willingness and constancy, all proclaim him thy most suitable friend. What state more suitable to thy misery, than mercy? Or to thy sin and pollution, than honour and perfection? What place more suitable to thee than heaven? Does this world agree with thy desires? Hast thou not had a sufficient trial of it, or dost thou love for interest and near relation? Where hast thou better interest than in heaven, or nearer relation than there?

10. And is this rest so sweet and so sure? Then what means the careless world? Know they what they neglect? Did they ever hear of it, or are they yet asleep, or are they dead? Do they certainly know that the crown is before them, while they thus sit still, or follow trifles? Undoubtedly they are beside themselves, to mind so much their provision by the way, when they are hasting so fast to another world, and their eternal happiness lies at stake. Were there left one spark of reason, they would never sell their rest for toil, nor their glory for worldly vanities, nor venture heaven for sinful pleasure. Poor men! O that you would once consider what you hazard, and then you would scorn these tempt ing baits! Blessed for ever be that love which hath rescued me from this bewitching darkness! 11. 'Draw yet nearer, O my soul! with thy most fervent love. Here is matter for it to work upon, something worth thy loving. O see what beauty presents itself! Is not all the beauty in the world united here? Is not all other beauty but deformity? Dost thou now need to be persuaded to love? Here is a feast for thine eyes, and all the powers of thy soul: dost thou need entreaties to feed upon it? Canst thou love a little shining earth, a walking piece of clay? And canst thou not love that God, that Christ, that glory, which is so truly and unmeasurably lovely? Thou canst love thy friend, because he

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12. Dost thou love for acquaintance and familiarity? Though thine eyes have never seen thy Lord, yet thou hast heard his voice, received his benefits, and lived in his bosom. He taught thee to know thyself and him; he opened thee that first window through which thou sawest into heaven. Hast thou forgotten since thy heart was careless, and he awakened it; hard, and he softened it; stubborn, and he made it yield; at peace, and he troubled it; whole, and he broke it; and broken till he healed it again? Hast thou forgotten the times when he found thee in tears; when he heard thy secret sighs and groans, and left all to come and comfort thee? when he took thee, as it were, in his arms, and asked thee, "Poor soul, what ails thee? Dost thou weep, when I have wept so much? Be of good cheer, thy wounds are saving, and not deadly; it is I have made them, who mean thee no hurt: though I let out thy blood, I will not let out thy life." I remember his voice. How gently did he take me up! How carefully did he dress my wounds! Methinks I hear him still saying

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