and endeavour for the having and enjoying of that thing which we so seek after Heb. 12.15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God The word in the original is an emphatical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 using diligent care and inspection over your selves lest any fail of the grace of God If we would therefore seek the things which are above we ought to use the uttermost care and diligence for the acquiring of these things Thus we have the Doctrine opened We come now to the Application Use The great Use which shall be made of this Doctrine shall be by way of Exhortation to exhort us all to put in practice this great duty of Heavenly-mindedness let us labour to get our hearts out of this world above this earth and to get up our hearts into Heaven where our true happiness and felicity lyes It was a familiar expression used by the ancient Church Let us lift up our hearts Sursum corda let our hearts be above our hearts should be above they should be above this lower world they should be conversant in the upper world where God and Christ the Saints and Angels are and where our true rest happiness and felicity is to he expected In the prosecution of this Use there are three things to be done 1. Give a few Motives briefly to quicken and to press us to the great duty of Heavenly-mindedness 2. Lay down some Directions for the putting in practice this duty 3. Shew what the great Impediments of Heavenly-mindedness are For Motives to quicken us to Heavenly-mindedness consider Motive 1 I. Our Regeneration and the life which we live as Christians calls u◠to Heavenly mindedness If ye be rise◠with Christ seek those things which ar◠above A Christian is one risen from the dead he is risen from the death of sin to the life of grace Now a man that is risen from the dead doth not live like other men we ought to live as those who are risen from th◠dead what an unsuitable thing were it to see a man risen from the dead to be much concerned about the affair of this world he is called to another state to another life a Christian is a man risen from the dead and therefore he ought not to converse as other men do our vocation and calling as we are Christians calls us off from sin from the world from sublunary vanities and calls us up to God to seek for our happiness and satisfaction in God 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye are called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord A Christian is called unto fellowship with God and Christ to have his happiness in God and Christ This is life eternal Joh. 17.3 to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent A Christians happiness is to know God and enjoy God in Christ and therefore his heart should be where his happiness lyes Before conversion the soul seeks for happiness in the creature and in sensible things the work of conversion brings the soul off from the creature unto God in Christ Now then God and Christ being in Heaven our hearts should be where the centre lyes the end of our vocation or effectual calling was to bring us unto God in Christ as the point and centre of our rest we do not understand the end of our calling unless we know this that our calling was intended to bring us to God in Christ to take up our rest in God by Christ it is the end of our vocation that we should seek the things which are above Motive 2 II. To press us to Heavenly-mindedness consider our country is above mens hearts do naturally lye in their own Country now all the Saints of God may say Coelum nobis Patria heaven is our country It is said of the ancient Saints expresly They seek an heavenly country Heb. 11. That is a mans Country which is the place where he was born the place where he lives and where his inheritance lyes the Saints are born from above it is our Saviour's expression John 3. unless a man be born from above the Saints are born from above their original is from the Spirit of God who comes from above and their inheritance is above and they must live for ever above and therefore their hearts ought to be above whence their original was where their inheritance lyes and where they must live for ever Motive 3 III. Christ our Head is in Heaven and that is Motive sufficient to press us to Heavenly-mindedness Paul thought it so here in the Text Seek those things which are above Why so where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God As much as if he had said Christ our Head is in Heaven he is possessed of happiness and our hearts should be where our Head is look what happiness Christ as Man and Head of the Church injoys the same blessedness is destinated and appointed for us in our measure what happiness Christ as man is brought unto is but an instance what all the Saints in their measure shall be brought to Doth Christ as he is man live in the sight of God we also at last shall be brought to that sight Is Christ as he is man above misery above pain above death Is Christs humane body cloathed with glory and immortality unto the same condition shall we be brought at last So the Apostle tells us in Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodies and make them like unto his glorious body Now we ought to think what happiness Christ our Head enjoys and to consider that the same happiness in a degree and proportion is prepared for us Christ is entered into Heave◠as our fore-runner Heb. 6.20 and all the members shall follow the Head If Christ be in Heaven possessed of glory for us and have given us an earnest in wha◠he possesseth what we shall be brough◠unto it is an unworthy thing for 〈◊〉 to minde this earth and forge◠what our Head is possessed of for us and will bring us unto Motive 4 IV. Consider our true happines◠lyes above and it is a vain thing t◠expect it in this life This the Apostle intimates in this place You ar◠dead and your life is hid with Chris◠in God As much as if he should say You will never be happy you will never come to true happiness till yo◠come to be where Christ is till you come to enjoy what Christ enjoys your life is hid with Christ in God that is your happiness is to live as Christ lives to enjoy what Christ injoys and till you come to possess what Christ possesseth you are never happy Now then if our happiness consists in what Christ enjoys then it becomes us to study and meditate much what the happiness and glory of Christ is and what our happiness will be in conformity to what our Head enjoys we shall never be
abundantly all the creatures are too narrow and too short to exhibit and represent to us the immensity and infiniteness of the Divine perfection God is not onely all that perfection that is in the creature but he is infinitely more and the reason is because if all the perfections of thâ— creature were summed up into onâ— it is but finite perfection it is 〈◊〉 contradiction to suppose an infiniâ— creature but God's perfection is iâ—finite perfection what happineâ—â— then must it be to be admitted tâ— see him who hath all this perfectioâ— in him This should make us 1. To think much of the beatifical vision ouâ— thoughts should be much upon it 2. We should have great and admiring thoughts of it O let us not thinâ— it is a light thing to be admitted into the Divine presence the more you think of it the more will you finde your hearts swallowed up in the thoughts of it I say let us not think that it is a light thing to be admitted into the Divine presence and to stand before him who made heaven and earth We ought to think this is the highest dignity and honour that can be cast upon us if the Queen of Sheba was so much taken with the admiration of Solomon's wisdom as that she said Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom well may we say to our Maker Happy Lord are they that may be admitted into thy presence and may stand continually before thee to behold the glory and beauty of thy Majesty let us have great and admiring thoughts of the beatifical vision Do not think it a light thing to be admitted to the fight of God 3. We should pray much that we may be accounted worthy to be admitted to this sight It is that which deserves to be made the great request of our souls all our days that we may be accounted worthy to be admitted into the Divine presence and live in the sight and presence of God to eternity And as ever we hope to come to the sight of God to the beatifical vision be sure to remember this that Christ must be our way I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me Joh. 14.6 It is Christ that must bring us to the Father whilst we are here on earth and it is he that must make way for our admission to the sight of God in heaven It is Christ as Mediator must bring us to this sight and let us into thâ— sight his humanity opens the 〈◊〉 to the Divinity Christ as man by â—â—tue of the Hypostatical or personal â—â—nion hath a right to the sight of God and Divines commonly say Thâ— Christ as man from the moment 〈◊〉 his conception had the sight of Goâ— Our nature was alienated from Goâ— and deprived of communion wiâ— God by our sin in Adam But thâ— Son of God the second person iâ— the Trinity by assuming our nature and taking of it into Unity of persoâ— with himself hath brought our nature near to God and our nature 〈◊〉 it stands in Union with Christ the Head of the Church hath recovered 〈◊〉 right to communion with God and Christ by the merit of his obedience hath purchased a right for us to the sight of God so that when we have thoughts of the beatifical vision and have breathings in our souls after it we must keep our eye upon Christ and remember it is by him we must be admitted into the presence of God â—ever think of seeing God without Christ never think of being admitted into the Divine presence without Christ's being your way and door 4. If we would get up into the spirit and life of heaven We must labour to adhere to God and to cleave to him as the chief good In heaven as there will be the clear sight of God so there will be the most perfect adherence of the soul to him The glorified soul must needs see God to be its life its strength its happiness and all good to it and therefore it must needs cleave perfectly to him Now if we would come up into the spirit of heaven we should labour to have our souls cleaving to God here on earth we should rest in God as in our Centre we should labour to cleave to God more then to any created thing in a strict and proper sence our selves should cleave to nothing but God though we may and ought to love the creature in its place yet we may not love it as we love God Our souls must cleave and adhere to nothing as our chief good as the matter and object of our happiness but God of God onely it is that we must say He is my life my strength my salvation my happiness this was the Church's Song The Lord Jehovah is my strength and my salvation Isaâ— 12. We ought to cleave intimately and inseparably unto God God ought to be the stay and rest of our souls so much as our souls come to stay and rest themselves upon God as our chief good and onely happiness so near do we come to the life of Heaven It is a proper and an apposite expression to help us to understand this that which we have in Isa 26.3 Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee This expression shews us what the carriage of the soul ought to be towards God the chief good the soul ought to cleave to God most intimately and to stay it self upon him The Saints in heaven do thus stay themselves upon God God is the great basis they lean upon they have no sensible comforts to live upon as we have but they see all in God and therefore he is their stay it is upon him they lean for happiness the more we can adhere to God and eleave to him and stay our souls upon him as our chief good the more do we come up to the life spirit of heaven 5. If we would get up into the life and spirit of heaven Let us labour to take complacencie in the glory and blessedness of God Here lyâ—s the quintessence and perfection of the heavenly life so far as we are able to conceive of it here on earth The glorified Saints look off themselves and out of themselves and take complacencie in the glory and happiness of God who is the first and most perfect Being It is matter of delight and joy to them to see God so holy and so happy as he is The Schoolmen rightly observe that to love God for himself Vâ—lle Deum esse Deum it is to will that God should be God Then do we love God for himself when we take complacencie in the glory and blessedness of God when we are well pleased to see God to be what he is that is to see him to be the most excellent and most perfect being Our happiness as it is in us it is but a
finite thing the happiness of smite creatures but God's happiness is the happiness of the first infinite and eternal Being Now it becomes us to be more pleased to see God happy then that we are so and to see him great and glorious then that we are so Here lyes the prefection of a created will to take complacencie in the Divine perfection as being the highest and uttermost object that it can acquiesce in The highest strains of grace lye in these two things 1. To desire the glory of God above all things 2. To take complacencie in the glory of God above all things The more we can attain to these here on earth the nearer do we come to the life and spirit of heaven 6. If we would come more up into the life and spirit of heaven Let us labour to have the most immediate dependance upon God and to expect all from God The Saints in heaven have the most immediate dependance upon God for every thing they see all comes from God and they depend upon him for all The Saints in heaven do not receive their happiness comfort and satisfaction from the organs and pipes of the creature as we do but they receive all from God immediately and as they receive all from God immediately so they know they receive all from God immediately and they depend upon God foâ—â—ll and expect all from God therefore the more immediate our dependance is upon God and the more we expect all from God the nearer do we come to their life Psal 62.5 My soul wait thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him The time is coming when we must depend upon God for all when we come to dye none can help us but God friends cannot help us no creature can help us and life it self will fail us all our expectation then must be from God if he fails us all fails us when this life fails and ceaseth we must depend on God to give us eternal life no creature can give us eternal life no friends no not the nearest Relations can help us when we come to extremity God then must be our onely friend it is good therefore to have all our dependance upon him and expectation from him now If we expect no good no happiness no comfort but what comes through the conduit-pipes of the creature when they fail all our happiness must fail therefore it is good to expect that God should give us that which no creature can that God should communicate himself to us when all creatures fail When we have all creatures round about they can afford us little help or relief in a time of extremity therefore it is good to have our expectation raised above all creatures and to expect all from God immediately And this is to be brought nearest to the life of the Saints above Onely let us take this Caution When we say that we should depend on God immediately and expect all from God immediately the meaning is not as if we might not make use of the creatures as helps appointed by God in their proper places we may and ought to use the creatures in that way and for those ends unto which God hath appointed them but take heed you expect not too much from the creature our expectation ought to be raised above the creature we ought to consider no creature can do us good but as God puts virtue into it makes use of it for our good and as God acts it and communicates himself by it our great dependance therefore ought to be upon God himself above all creatures 7. If we would come more up into the life and spirit of the Saints in heaven we should labour to take up our rest and satisfaction in God The Saints in heaven are perfectly satisfied with God and in God Psal 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness that is when I awake in the morning of the resurrection I shall be satisfied with the vision of thy face The sight of God is the most satisfying sight and that will appear from these three considerations 1. Because the Saints in seeing God see all things in God there is nothing in the effect but what is in the cause the Saints by seeing God must necessarily see the perfection of all things in him 2. The Saints in seeing God are arrived to the uttermost perfection beyond which there is no perfection That which causeth unquietness in the minde of man here in this world it is because when he hath found one good still he thinks yet there is a higher good and when he hath found that still he thinks there is a higher to be enjoyed but when the soul once comes to the highest good which is truely so and knows there is no higher then it rests and quiets it self here Now the Saints that are come to the sight of God know there is no higher good then God therefore their mindes are satisfied in God 3. The Saints in beholding God behold infinite perfection they see that in God that will fill their capacity brim-full now then the Saints having their uttermost capacity filled this is that which must needs breed perfect satisfaction So then if the Saints in heaven are perfectly satisfied in God and desire nothing more then what they have in God we should labour to come up to this spirit to be satisfied in God and with God We should rest in God as in our Centre Psal 116. Return O my soul unto thy rest Though we desire many things for our necessity as food raiment outward conveniencie and the like yet we should covet nothing as our rest but God Here is my rest whether I have much or little want or abound God is my rest we should labour to say so inwardly sensibly and experimentally that God is my rest I need nothing as my happiness but God 8. If we would get more up into the spirit and life of heaven Let us look down upon all the things of this world as poor and mean things The Saints in heaven who live with God and have the sight of him see that in him and have that before their eyes which makes all the things of this world seem poor and mean to them Most true is that saying Qâ—i parum de luce Creaturâ—s aspexerit breve ei eâ—i 〈◊〉 quoâ— crâ—atum est He that hath seen a little of the Creators light every thing that is created seems little to such a one When the Sun appears the Stars vanish and disappear a greater glory buries and swallows up a less We should labour to have such great thoughts of God as that the creatures may seem but little to us That which causeth admiration is some surpassing excellencie in the object when we finde something to parallel or to go beyond that which we did admire we shall cease to admire that which at some times we did admire Now we shall never finde any thing here below that will
a way of Faith we should covet after the knowledge of God which is to be had from the Word and is possible to be attained unto here on earth Here we walk by faith not by sight 2 Cor. 5.17 although we cannot know God in a way of vision as we shall know him hereafter yet we may know him in a way of Faith Now we should covet to know God in a way of Faith as he hath revealed himself in his Word we ought to prize and covet after the knowledge of every truth of God but especially we ought to covet after the knowledge of God himself who is prima Veritas the first original Truth The Scripture doth every where commend to us the knowledge of God Col. 1.10 Increasing in the knowledge of God 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Then shall we know the Lord if we follow on to know the Lord Hosea 6.3 Jer. 9.23 24 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man glory in his strength but let him that glorieth glory in this that he knoweth me saith the Lord. I have often thought that it is the great sin of Professors that they do no more press after the knowledge of God and Christ here on earth and that they are no more taken with the discoveries of God and Christ that are made to them we hear often of the great things of God and of Christ but alas these things are little valued and esteemed by us but it ought not to be thus with us Certainly if our ultimate and last happiness be to know God in the way of the beatisical vision the next happiness to this it is to know God as he may be known here on earth and this will be found in experience to be true that there is more true sweetness to be taken in from the knowledge of God that is attainable here on earth then there is from the enjoyment of any temporal thing And therefore holy souls are wont to bless God more for revealing himself and his Son to them then for the greatest temporal thing he ever gave them God is the highest and most Supream Object that the minde of man can converse with and the more the minde of man is taken up in the contemplation of this Supream Object the greater amplitude liberty and inlargement will it finde in it self Inferiour things do but limit narrow and confine the soul for this is certain that the soul it takes in liberty amplitude inlargement greatness I say the soul takes in amplitude or confinement according to the nature of the objects it doth converse withal Lower and inferiour objects do but narrow and confine the soul because they are beneath the capacity of the soul but if the soul did rise up to the knowledge and contemplation of God who is the first eternal Truth then it would finde liberty amplitude and inlargement then it would see it had a broad and spacious field to walk in Certainly if the greatest happiness of heaven be to know God so far as we are capable to know him our greatest happiness here on earth is to attain as great a measure of the knowledge of God as it is possible 13. If we would come up into the spirit and life of heaven Let us keep the eye of the minde as much as may be fixt upon God It is said of the holy Angels that they always behold the face of their Father which is in heaven The Saints and Angels are never weary of beholding the face of God The Saints in heaven as they do see God so they do always see him and they are never weary of seeing of him Nihil quod cum admiratione consideratur potestâ—esse sassidiosum Aquin. when we have beheld God never so long we may still see that in God which may draw forth our admiration It is a true observation Nothing which is beheld with admiration can be nauseous and wearisome to us and the reason is because as long as we are under the admiration of a thing so long our desire remains to that thing Now the Saints in heaven do always behold God with admiration and therefore they are never weary of the sight of him God is an infinite object and therefore cannot be comprehended by a finite understanding therefore the Saints in heaven when they behold God being never able to come to the bottom of his perfections are still detained in the admiration of him as they always see him so they always desire to see him The Saints in heaven are never weary of their happiness as they see God so they always desire to see him Now in imitation of the Saints above we should keep the eye of our mindes as much as may be fixt upon God When the eye of the soul is off from God it is off from its centre and when things are off from their centre they are never quiet and at rest if we consider it well we shall finde that the cause of all our trouble and disquietment is when our hearts are unhinged and when they are taken off from God when the eye of the minde is turned upon God then the soul is in its proper place and there it findes rest we should therefore keep our minde as much as may be at a point of rest in God if we keep the eye of the soul fixt and intent upon God we shall always finde that in God which will give rest and contentment to the soul It is said of Moses That he saw him who was invisible Heb. 11.27 Moses kept the eye of his minde fixt and intent upon God And David saith Mine eyes are ever towards thee Psal 25.15 So much as the Divine excellencie draws the eye of the soul towards it with admiration so much do we come up to the spirit of heaven an heavenly-minded soul thinks it much to have its eye taken off from God not but that there will be many things that will interpose to divert us while we are in our present state but then we ought to remember so far as we are grown up to Heavenly-mindedness we shall never think it well with us till we are returned and brought back again to the admiration of God The sense that is of God's excellencie in holy souls makes them thus to pray O that our souls may be eternally ravished with thine eternal excellencies 14. If we would get up into the spirit of heaven Let us desire nothing so much as God Isai 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early This is the language of the Church the Church needed many things and she desired many things she needed liberty and deliverance and she desired liberty and deliverance for this Song as is conceived by judicious Divines is penned with relation to the Church in Babylon yea but when the Church was in the
earth as should bear proportion to that frame and temper we hope to be of in Heaven We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him we would be such to the Lord in the frame and disposition of our spirit whilst we are on earth as we hope to be to him hereafter whether present or absent we would be acceptable to him But here the great Inquiry will be Quest How may we get more up into the spirit and life of Heaven since a great part of our seeking the things above consists in a conformity to the Heavenly life how may we do to get more up into the spirit and frame of the Saints in Heaven This is a noble Inquiry and deserves to be the matter of our study and contemplation all our days What is the great concernment of a Christian but after he hath gotten into Christ and hath gotten some assurance he is in the state of Salvation to be working up his heart into the spirit of the future life A Christian hath two great Works to intend in this world first to make sure his title to Salvation to pray for a more clear and distinct understanding of his union with Christ that he may see he hath a sound title to eternal life and glory Secondly to pray for Grace that God would work up his heart into the Spirit of the future life that so he may be adapted and suited to that life and brought to as great a conformity to it as may be here on earth Now what Directions may be given us as to this to bring us more up to the spirit and life of heaven here on earth before we come to be taken thither in person This being the main thing intended in the whole Discourse I shall take liberty to be a little large here and there are many particulars that must be spoken unto Answ 1. If we would get up into he life and spirit of Heaven let us begin by degrees to withdraw our hearts and affections from present sensible things What is the life of Heaven but this God shall be all in all hereafter we shall live upon God purely and immediately without all creatures therefore by degrees we should labour to have our hearts more taken out of the creature and gathered into God Mistake me not whilst we are here on earth we must use the creatures and it is the will of God we should use them and not to use them to those ends God hath appointed them were to tempt God and make our selves wiser then God But here lyes the skill of a Christian while we do use the creature converse with sensible things still to labour to see God in every creature and to pass from every creature to God not to stick in the creature but to pass from the creature to God and then to think of such a time when we shall live upon God without these things Non te prâ—hibet Deus amare ista sed diligere ad beatitâ—dinem It is a good speech of Austin God doth not forbid thee to love these things speaking of created things but he forbids thee to love them as thy happiness We ought to keep our hearts free and reserved for God in the use and presence of all creature injoyments we ought to love nothing as our happiness but God I should be all one with us as to this whether we have the creature or have not the creature whether we are full or empty whether we want or abound we should still be at the same point of rest in God as in the centre we should cleave to him as our chief good and imbrace him as our onely portion If God gives us creatureâ— comforts and injoyments we should labour to see God in them and finde out God in them and when we taste any sweetness any delight in the creature when we finde any suitableness or conveniencie in the creature we should say Here is God This sweetness this suitableness this convenience is but a drop of the Occan all this is to elevate me to the Fountain There is nothing more in any creature-comfort or injoyment then what God hath put into it therefore must my soul say I look at God in all these things I stick not in the creature but I look at God the creatures are made to shew me God This should be our frame in the presence and injoyment of the creatures and then we should think much of that time when God will communicate himself to us immediately There is a time when I shall drink no more from the Cistern but shall take in all from the well-head There is a time when I shall have no more need or use of these things which are now as so many organs or pipes to convey comfort to me by God shall be all himself and shall supply all by himself God shall be instead of Sun and Moon to me instead of meat and drink to me instead of all relations God himself shall be all things We should think much of that time and state when God shall be thus to us This is one way to get up into the spirit of the future life by degrees to begin to withdraw our hearts and affections from present sensible things 2. If we would get up into the life and spirit of Heaven let us minde a spiritual happiness seek after a spiritual happiness and be taken up in the thoughts and desire of a spiritual happiness The happiness of Heaven is mainly and principally a spiritual and an intellectual happiness the happiness of God himself is a spiritual an intellectual happiness The Being of God is a spiritual being and the happiness of God is a spiritual happiness suitable to his Being God hath no other happiness then to know himself and understand himself The happiness of the Saints and Angels is a spiritual intellectual happiness The Angels and Souls of glorified Saints are spiritual substances and therefore their happiness must needs be a spiritual happiness The Angels and glorified Saints have no gross material objects to live upon they have no other happiness then what they take in by their understandings and wills O consider it true happiness consists mainly and principally in what the soul injoys not but that the body shall at last participate of happiness with the soul when the body shall be raised the body shall participate in its kinde with the happiness of the soul but the Essence of true happiness lyes mainly and principally in what the soul enjoys and that appears from those words of our Saviour John 17. This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God It is the soul that is capable of knowing and enjoying God and therefore true happiness and eternal life consists properly in what the soul injoys Sensual minded men are apt to think there is no happiness but what the body enjoys and is taken in by the senses but true happiness is an inward thing
then nothing is truely good but as we see God in it Abstract and take God out of any creature any condition any injoyment that creature that condition that injoyment is but a dry husk a shell without substance Our great misery and infelicity in this world is that we stick in the creature and forget God we do not rise up in our thoughts to God all particular and inferiour goods are subordinate to the universal and supream good and they were given us on purpose to lead us by the hand to the chief good and when we stick and rest in any lower and inferiour good we forget the true end for which these things were given us by him and that was to bring us to the chief good They are memorable passages which Austin hath Vnhappy man is he which knows all these things meaning created things and knows not thee but blessed is he that knows thee although he knows not those things and he that knows thee and them too is not the happier because of them but it is by thee onely that he is happy And it is a memorable comparison which that holy man useth If saith he the bridegroom should make a ring for his spouse and she when she had received that ring should love the ring more then her husband who had made her that ring would there not an adulterous minde appear in her towards the gift of her husband although she loved nothing but what her husband had giver her For this certainly did the bridegroom bestow that pledge of his love upon her that he himself might be beloved in his own love-token Therefore hath God given thee all those things that thou mightest love him who gave thee those things It is more that he would give thee to wit himself who gave thee those things This is Austin's comparison O let us not stick in the gifts of God but let us labour to see God in his gifts and pass from the gifts to the Giver 17. If we would come up into the life and spirit of heaven Let us be much in acts of praise and adoration That which we call praise is nothing else but the declaring and setting forth of anothers excellencie and adoration is the giving of honour reverence and respect to another suitable to the excellencie that is in him Praise may be given to the creature but Adoration is to be given to God onely Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Adoration is due to God onely and the reason is because in God onely is the Supreme Excellencie and the most Supreme Honour is due to the Supreme Excellencie Now the life of heaven is the life of praise and adoration the Seraphims say Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts Isai 6. and the heavenly host Luk. 2. cry Glory to God in the highest Praise and adoration is the proper work of heaven In heaven there will be no room for prayer because in heaven there will be no wants no imperfection and there is no good the Saints can desire but they will be sure to have but praise will still remain The Divine Excellencie is still the same and whilst the excellencie of God remains to be the same there will be still matter for praise and adoration It will be matter of wonder to Saints and Angels to behold the glory of the Divine Majesty Saints and Angels will wonder at the infinite perfection of the Divine being they will not wonder at the being of God simply considered that is they will not wonder that there should be such a one as God for then they will know and understand most clearly that the being of God is most necessary that God always was is and shall be and that he could not but be but that which they will wonder at is this they will wonder at the greatness of Gods Majestie when they see the divine excellencie to be so much above their comprehension they will wonder to see so glorious a being as God and they will wonder at the divine goodness that he should make such creatures as they are to behold his perfections We should therefore inure our selves to acts of praise and adoration here on earth let us be much in admiring and adoring the divine perfection this will bring us neerest the life of heaven Lastly If we would come up to the life and spirit of heaven Let us labour for the most perfect love one to another The Saints in heaven as they have the most perfect love to God so they have the most perfect love each to other the Saints in heaven do not grudge one at another they do not envie each others happiness the Saints in heaven take complacencie in the good and happiness of each other as well as in their own good and happiness It was an Expression I once heard from an holy man I am saith he come to that piece of heaven that I do not envie any one that is above me Certainly it is a great piece of heaven that we shall not envie the gifts and graces of others nay if we are come into the spirit of heaven we shall heartily rejoyce in the gifts and graces of others A spirit of envie is most contrary to the spirit of heaven for in heaven we shall rejoyce in what God hath done for others as well as in what he hath done for our selves and the reason is because in heaven we shall not look so much at our own private happiness but we shall look at the glory of God Now because God is glorified in doing good to others as well as to our selves therefore we shall rejoyce that God is glorified in what he hath done for others as well as in what he hath done for us Thus have I shewed according to the measure that I have attained how we may get a little up into the life and spirit of heaven I am very sensible how far short the best of the Saints come as to the full attaining unto these things yet these are the things we should be aspiring and reaching after and so far as we can in any measure and degree attain to these things so far shall we feel the buddings and perceive the dawnings of eternal life in our own souls and how sweet is it to have experience of such a life began in our souls here on earth as shall never expire or have an end This natural life which now we live is but a poor dying thing at best O but this spiritual life which hath been discoursed of if so be we can but feel the beginning of it in our souls O then we have that life set up in us that shall never end So far as we finde these holy dispositions growing up in us we shall evidently perceive the dawnings of eternal life in our own souls wherefore let us make it our study and business all our days to be growing up more into the spirit of heaven the
an happiness here on earth but our great hope should be above we should cast anchor within the veil Heb. 6.19 expect happiness in what is to be enjoyed on the other side of time If the main of our hopes and expectation be in this life we and our hopes are like to perish together for we our selves must die and the things we hope for and make account of as our happiness they must die and perish it is good therefore to have such an hope as will not fail us nor deceive us If we look for the main of our happiness yea our onely true happiness in the next world not in this world this is such a hope as will never deceive us A man that hath fixt his hopes in eternal things when he hath lost any temporal thing the main of his happiness is still where it was his hopes and expectations were carried above this world and therefore whatsoever his losses and disappointments were here on earth this doth not shake his happiness his happiness was placed elsewhere before and he is at the same point still 6. To lay hold on eternal life it is not to suffer the comfort of eternal life to be wrested from us As we ought to live much in the hope and expectation of eternal life so we ought to take comfort in the hope and expectation of eternal life Rom. 12.12 Rejoycing in hope As we ought to hope for eternal life so we ought to rejoyce in the hope of eternal life I conceive that much of the force of the Text lies here Lay hold on eternal life unto which thou art called and hast made a good profession before many witnesses It is as much as if the Apostle had said Thou hast a true and an undoubted title to eternal life thou hast a firm sure title to eternal life thy vocation and calling as a Christian â—ntitles thee to eternal life Lay hold on eternal life unto which thou art called that eminent profession of faith which thou hast made as a Christian and as a Minister both in thy life and doctrine this gives an evidence and proof of thy right and title to eternal life Now this is the force of the Apostles argument Since thou hast so firm a title to eternal life lay claim to it as thy own live in the hope and comfort of it and do not suffer the comfort of eternal life to be wrested from thee Much of the meaning of the Text seems to be contained in this The Greek word as it signifies to pursue after a thing so also to hold it fast and retain it when once we have gotten it So that the designe of the Apostle is to perswade Timothy to hold firm and fast the hope of eternal life not to part with the hope of salvation upon any terms Lay hold on eternal life it is as much as if it had been said Do not part with thy hopes of salvation and eternal life upon any terms The stedfast assured hope of salvation is the great thing that must carry us thorow the difficulties sufferings and afflictions of our pilgrimage here on earth Therefore doth the Apostle exhort the Thessalonians that they would take for an helmet the hope of salvation 1 Thess 5.8 Putting on the brestplate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation Intimating thus much that if they had a well-grounded hope of salvation this would fortifie them against all the afflictions they were to meet with here by the way Whatever afflictions sufferings and troubles we meet with here in this world if we can cast an eye to the heavenly country and see that we have a part there all is well above there is none of those troubles fears sorrows where the main of our hope happiness and expectation lies Therefore let us not part with or let go the comfort of eternal life if we part with the comfort of eternal life we lose that which must be the standing comfort of our life nothing can bear us up under the afflictions of this life but the solid well-grounded assurance of eternal life Lastly To lay holy of eternal life it is to look after the first fruits of the spirit and to labour after an inchoate possession of eternal life in our souls here on earth Our Saviour teacheth us He that eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud hath eternal life Joh. 6.54 He hath it that is he hath it in the beginning of it And concerning his Sheep he saith I give them eternal life Joh. 10. He speaks in the present tense what he doth do for the present I give unto them eternal life Christ hath already made over eternal life to his people he hath given them a right and a title to it and he hath given them the beginning of it in their souls here on earth it is a great Text Joh. 4.14 The water that I shall give shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life The plain meaning seems to be that Grace and that of the Spirit of God which Christ hath given to his people here on earth shall never leave them till it hath brought them to eternal life The Spirit of God that is in the hearts of the Saints and the Grace of Godwhich is wrought in them shall nover leave them till it hath brought them to eternal life Hence it is that the Spirit of God is called the earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.14 an earnest is part of the bargain the Spirit of God that dwells in the hearts of Believers is an earnost of eternal glory for what is heaven but a fuller manifestation of the Spirit of God in us which manifests and puts it self forth in part in us here on earth So that so far as we are sensible of the indwelling of the Spirit of God and the operation of it in our souls so far we have an carnest of eternal glory This is that water which shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life We should labour therefore to be sensible of the indwelling of the Spirit and of the operation of the Spirit of God in us in a way of grace and of comfort In this sense we should lay hold of eternal life that is we should be earnestly pressing and making after it in our own souls we should pray carnestly that God would let down more of eternal life into our souls here on earth As he once said Lord come down to me or take me up to thee We should pray that eternal life may come down more into our souls here on earth This should be the highest ambition of a Christian to perceive and feel more of the dawnings puttings forth of eternal life in his soul here on earth It is not impossible for us to perceive and feel the dawnings and puttings forth of eternal life in our souls here on earth and this is that we should earnestly pray for Someof the last words
happy till we are arrived to that happiness Christ is possessed of Aquinas in his Book Contra Gentes lays down this as one position That mans last happiness cannot be in this life and there are many arguments he gives to prove it among which these are some 1. One reason why our last happiness cannot be in this life is because we cannot see God as he is we cannot see God in his Essence as his expression is here on earth Per essentiam No man can see my face and live saith God to Moses Our mortality will not bear the sight of God face to face Now without the clear sight and vision of God there cannot be perfect happiness for this is life eternal John 17.3 to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. Another Argument that happiness cannot be attained in this life is True happiness can never be attained unless the natural desire and appetite which is in man be satisfied then is a man happy when he enjoys all the good he would have if there be any good wanting to a man he would have such a man cannot be happy because his desire and minde is not quiet Happiness consists in this when the minde hath all it would have Now there is no man knows or injoys so much here on earth but he still desires to know and injoy more now until the natural appetite which is in man be filled up there cannot be perfect happiness A third Argument is this Mans natural desire is carryed out after stability in happiness as every man desires happiness so he desires a stable happiness if a man have that which he accounts happiness unless it be stable and constant to him such a man hath not attained to true happiness for it is of the nature of happiness to be unchangeable that which is possible to be lost or interrupted is not worth the name of happiness Now there are many accidents that may occur that may interrupt the best happiness we can have here on earth and whilst there is a possibility that a mans happiness may be interrupted the midne cannot be quieted as to the injoyment of what it apprehends as its chief good Now if a mans last happiness cannot possibly be attained in this life it concerns us to have our thoughts elevated to the other world and to minde that state where true happiness is indeed to be found Motive 5 V. Lastly to perswade us to seek the things which are above consider the things which are above are the most durable and permanent things What folly is it to set our hearts upon things which will not last always riches pleasures earthly delights life it self will not last always but the things of the other world last always God and Christ are always the same the life which we shall live above is a perpetual constant life 2 Thess 4.17 we shall ever be with the Lord. Certainly this is true wisdom to fix our hearts upon eternal things to keep our hearts upon those things which will always abide by us The things of this world are transient things and pass away we may have them so long and nâ— longer there is an end of them oveâ— a few days but the things which are above are permanent stable always the same A man shall never be deceived in his hope of happiness if he fix his heart upon eternal things and thereason is because these things do always remain and the object of his happiness is still the same therefore it is a good speech of Austin Junge cor tuum aeternitati â—ternus eris Joyn thy heart to eternity and thâ—â— thy self shalt be eternal The way to have an unchangeable happiness is to love unchangeable things it is not possible a mans happiness should last any longer then the things he placeth his happiness in if he love changeable things then a man will have but a changeable happiness if he love unchangeable things then he will injoy an unchangeable happiness if we love the unchangeable God we shall then never be to seek of happiness our happiness shall still be the same These be the Motives II. We come now to the Directions to shew how we ought to put in practice the great duty of Heavenly-mindedness 1. If we would put in practice this great Duty of Heavenly-mindedness let us contemplate and meditate much of the future life we should transfer and carry our selves in our thoughts out of this world and by holy contemplation set our selves down as it were in the other world it were good for us if now and then we could leave this earth behinde us and climb up to heaven in our thoughts and consider a little so far as we may what the state and condition of the other world is we should study what God is and what Christ is we should contemplate how it is that God communicates himself to the souls of his people in the other world we should contemplate what the actings of the soul upon God the chief good are and what the delights and satisfactions of the soul are like to be this is to meditate on the future life the more we contemplate the future life and make the things of the other world present and familiar to us the greater alienation of spirit shall we finde from this world and the more will our mindes and hearts be carryed forth to the future state 2. Let us labour as much as may be to get up into the spirit and life oâ— Heaven labour for an Heaven-like frame that is such a frame as is most suitable to the life and spirit of the Saints in Heaven It is the observation of a Learned Divine when the Apostle exhorts the Saints to seek the things which are above his intention is we should be daily conforming our life to the example and patern of that heavenly life Ad exemplar illius vitae coelestis Zanch. we ought to study what the life of Heaven is what the frame and disposition of the Saints in Heaven are and to get a frame and spirit as suitable to their frame and spirit as is possible It is a great expression of the Apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 5.9 We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him He had said in the verse before We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Paul was confident that when his body was dissolved he should immediately be with God in his spirit that his soul should be taken into glory this was his confidence Now saith he we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him as much as if it had been said Although we cannot be so happy as yet to get into Heaven although we cannot be present there in person yet we would fain have an Heaven-like frame we would have such a frame of heart here on
die his heart is as it were rent from him his heart lies in the world and yet he must be rent from that which he loves so much An holy soul an heavenly-minded man hath sent his heart beforehand into heaven and it is no difficult thing for him to be willing that his person should be removed there where his affections are gone before but now an earthly-minded man when his person comes to be removed out of the world he leaves his heart as it were behinde him and it must needs be very grievous and bitter to him to part with the world that hath seen nothing better then the world Eighthly to take us off from the love of earthly things consider that all these things must have an end The earth also the works that are therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 Should a man set his heart upon that which after a little while must be consumed to ashes If a man would love wisely he should love that which he might always love Nothing but eternal things last always and therefore the truest wisdom is to love these things It is easie for a man to think himself out of all the happiness of this world A man may think himself beyond the happiness that is in riches honours or pleasures a man may easily come in his thoughts to the end of the happiness that is in these things Now should a man make that his happiness which he can think beyond there is a happiness that a man cannot think himself out of nor think beyond it this happiness is our God who is infinite and eternal this is such a happiness that we can never come to the bottom of Oh! it is good to love him as our happiness if we love the world as our happiness we and our happiness are like to pass away together When the Apostle admonisheth us Love not the world what is the argument he urgeth The world passeth away and the lust thereof The world is a transient thing and as the world passeth away so the lusts thereof pass away when those things are gone which men had made the object of their love and affections they have nothing left to set their affections upon When this world comes to be burnt up and the works thereof none of those objects are to be seen or injoyed which now at the present draw mens hearts so much to them Nay not to go so far when men must enter with their naked souls into eternity and must leave all these things behinde them what will they have to love then how stript and naked and forlorn may we well suppose a carnal soul who was onely filled and fraught with creature-loves and the love of earthly things to be when he comes to leave these things behinde him All the objects of his affections are left behinde him he hath none of those things left him which once he let out his heart upon What a pitiful empty thing is a miserable soul that is separated from the Divine presence while he lived here on earth he made a shift to love the creatures and to suck out as much contentment from them as he could but now he is in Eternity he hath none of these things to love And now it is a great aggravation of his misery to remember that he loved these things that did deceive him Ninthly The inordinate love of earthly things is a signe that a man is of an earthly carnal spirit and that his name shall be written in the earth 1. The love of earthly things is a signe that a man is of an earthly spirit Talis est quisque qualis ejus dilectio terram diligis terra eris Every man is as his love is if he loves the earth he himself shall be earth saith Austin Every man is moulded into the nature of what he loves if he loves the earth he himself is turned into a piece of earth Austin observes That the two sorts or kindes of love that are in the world have constituted two kindes of Cities the heavenly City and the earthly City If a man be a lover of heaven and the things above he is a Citizen of the Heavenly Jerusalem if he be a lover of the earth he is a Citizen of this world therefore let a man put the question to himself and ask himself what it is that he loves and he may know what Citizen he is The predominant love of the world and of earthly things is a signe that a man is a worldly man a man of this world and that he belongs to it and that he hath nothing to do with the heavenly City and the spiritual corporation that is above 2. The love of earthly things is a signe that a man shall be written in the earth It is a great expression of the Prophet Jer. 17.13 O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be confounded they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth c. When do men forsake God when they leave God and adhere to the creature that the following words make out because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters When men forsake the living God and imbrace dying creatures then they depart from God Now all such shall be written in the earth Coelo extorres aeternum ad exitium destinati Glassius an Elegant expression what is the meaning of it Banished from heaven and destinated to eternal destruction So one Learned man interprets it Calvin carries it much to the same sense Your name shall be here on earth but it shall be blotted out in heaven that is there shall be no portion for you in the Kingdom of Heaven The Apostle saith expresly No covetous person which is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God Ephes 5. Or we may understand it thus They shall be written in the earth whatsoever account and estimation men may be of in this world they shall be of no account above with God and the holy Angels their names shall be written in the earth they love the earth and all the honour they shall have it shall be upon the earth their honor and esteem shall not go beyond this world Earthly minded men that leave great Estates Dignities and Honours behinde them they may be famous in the Records and Annals of this world they may be renowned for their riches and the great things they have enjoyed here but this is all they shall have they shall have no estimation in the upper world their name shall not and dye on the earth they shall have no honour nor carry any esteem in the heavenly Country Tenthly Consider there is much of vanity and vexation in earthly things We know whose words they are All is vanity and vexation of spirit First earthly things are vain things 1. There is not in them that which they promise to us Earthly things promise much more then we finde
expression Lay hold on eternal life contemn this world and raise thy thoughts to something higher Let this world seem a little thing in thy eye and let eternal life be the mark and white in thy eye let thy desires and longings be carried out after life We ought to lay hold on eternal life that is we ought to set eternal things as the fairest things in our eye the main of our desires inclinations and affections should be carryed out that way Our hearts should be carried above this world and our affections should be soaring up aloft to the injoyment of God in the next world It is an emphatical expression of the Apostle Paul Phil. 3.14 I press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words in the Original are very emphatical as much as if he had said I press towards eternal glory as making that my uttermost end and scope Eternal life should be our scope the great thing that we should breath and aspire after whatsoever is short of the injoyment of God in heaven should seem but a little thing to us It is a speech of Luther We ought with a great soul to contemn this world and with a full gale of affection breath after the glory of the future life 3. To lay hold on eternal life is to have our thoughts fixt and intent upon eternal life 2 Pet. 3.12 Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God 2 Cor. 4.18 We look not to the things which are seen but to the things which are not seen We ought to have our hearts taken up much with the contemplation of the things of the invisible world Though it be but a little of the glory of heaven and the blessedness of eternal life that we can apprehend yet something we may understand of it as the Word hath revealed it The Word gives us some glimpses of the heavenly state the Word tells us that we shall be present with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5. Absent from the body and present with the Lord. The Word tells us that we shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thess 4.17 The Word tells us we shall see God Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The Word tells us we shall be like him 1 Joh. 3.2 The Word tells us that our vile bodies shall be made like unto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 The Word tells us that all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes Rev. 21.4 and that everlasting joy shall be upon our heads Isai 35.10 These things and much more doth the Scripture speak of the glory of the future life Now our thoughts and meditations should work on these things He that hath a fair inheritance left him will be willing some time or other to go to see it we have the heavenly inheritance given to us an inheritance incorruptible undefiled 1 Pet. 1.4 and that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens for us Now since there is so great an inheritance reserved for us we should not slight it but be willing as often as may be to take a prospect of it by faith Nothing is so sweet as the contemplation of eternal things the contemplation of eternal things is much more sweet then the highest enjoyment of present sensible things Eternal things satisfie and quiet the minde no temporal thing can do it let us then lay hold on eternal life in this sence let us keep our thoughts fixt and intent upon it 4. To lay hold on eternal life it is to pursue after it in our endeavours As the bent and tendencie of our affections should lie towards eternal life so we should pursue after it in our endeavours Lay hold on eternal life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek word signifies to pursue after a thing and in pursuing after it to apprehend and take hold of it The main scope of our endeavours should be to attain eternal life all our endeavours should run out that way that we may attain eternal life We should never think that we can pray too much that we can believe in Christ too much that we can love God too much that we can be too much in obedience and holy walking so we may but attain eternal life in the end Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life The meaning is God will certainly give and bestow eternal life on them who by a patient continuance in well doing seek for it But we may not mistake here we ought not to think that God gives us eternal life upon the account of the merit of any thing that we do it is the righteousness and obedience of Christ onely that gives us a right and a title to eternal life But thus we are to conceive of it This is the race and course that God hath appointed us to run God hath appointed us to run this course and race of faith and obedience here on earth that so we may come to eternal life in the end Hence is that of Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith What then Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto all them also that love his appearing Certainly Paul did not expect eternal life upon the merit of his obedience or of his services but Paul knew that God had appointed him such a course of obedience to run here on earth and his course being finished he knew that God would be faithful to give him the Crown God hath propounded and set before us the Crown of eternal life it becomes us to pursue after this Crown with our uttermost endeavours that we may attain it Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee the crown of life O how sweet how unexpressibly sweet will it be to be sure of eternal life when this natural life fails If we b◠faithful to the death we shall then have the crown of life that is If we persevere in a way of faith and obedience to the end we shall have the crown of eternal life and immortality set upon our heads when this short life doth expire Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life it is as much as if Christ had said I will give thee eternal life when this natural life is at end 5. To lay hold on eternal life it is to live much in the hope and expectation of eternal life Titus 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God The main of our hopes should not lie in this world we should not fancie to our selves and expect