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
〈◊〉 signifies to value and esteem a thing as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to under-value and despise a thing and this appears by the Text it self Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth The Antithesis and opposition that is between these two shews what we are to understand by setting our affections on things above Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth as much as if he should have said Have the highest value for spiritual things set the highest price upon spiritual things esteem spiritual things above all earthly things This value and estimation of spiritual things Paul had when he said Phil. 3.8 I count all things but loss and dung for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Spiritual things bught to bear the greatest weight in our thoughts we ought to approve them as the best things and see a far greater excellencie in them then in all temporal things Davenant There is a Learned man that observes upon this Text this word translated to set our affections comprehends two acts in it 1. It notes the act of the minde or understanding when it thinks of any thing 2. It notes the act of thâ— will or affections approving or loving a thing so that to set our affections on things above is to approve of them in our estimation as the beâ— things Phil. 1.10 That you may approve the things which are excellent III. To seek the things which are above it is to intend these things as our principal aim and scope Matth. 6.33 Seek first the kingdom of God that is let your principal aim and scope be to get an interest in the kingdom of God So here Seek the things which are above that is let your principal aim and scope be to acquire and get these things let the main bent and tendencie of your souls lye towards these things Every rational Agent that acts out of reason and understanding intends some end now that which the Apostle would press us to is this to intend and designe spiritual and eternal things as our great end There is no man but he hath some last end that he prosecutes now that which the Apostle would press us to is to make eternal things the things of the other world our great and last end as much as if he should say Whereas others are sursuing after other things Riches Honour Pleasures and making them their uttermost end do you intend another end do you make God and Christ and the things of other world your principal aim and scope Seek the things that are above Two are implyed in it 1. Make this your end to make sure your interest in these things 2. Get a holy meetness and preparedness of Spirit to injoy these things 1. Make this your end to make sure your interest in these things 2 Pet. 1.10 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Phil. 3. â—4 I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Paul pressed toward the mark of eternal Glory Paul's great ambition was to win the price of eternal Glory 2. As we should make sure our interest in these things so we should make this our end to get a holy meetness and preparedness of spirit to injoy these things Seek the things which are above that is labour as much as may be to get up into the Spirit of heaven here on earth labour to get a suitableness to the future life Others converse with present sensible things but do you converse with the things of the other world see how you may get up into a spirit and temper that is fit for the life which is above Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven that is we labour to converse as men in heaven and to get our spirits suited and adapted to that life IV. To seek the things which are above it is to see that our affections bâ— mainly carryed out after these things to see that our desire love and delight do run out after these things and lye in these things where the treasure is there the heart will he If we judge and esteem these things as the best things if we intend them as our principal aim and scope then these things ought to draw our affections after them our desire love and delight should be carried out after these things God and Christ should have more of â—ur hearts then the creatures have we should solace and delight our selves in the thoughts of the future life and â—e more pleased in the thoughts of what we shall injoy hereafter in â—he future state then in any thing we â—njoy at present here on earth To â—et our affections on things above is to have our affections so fixed on these â—hings as that nothing here on earth should be able to loosen unhinge unsettle or take off our affection from these things To set our affections on things which are above it is to cleave to God as our chief good to imbrace God as our onely portion with the full bent of our affections Scis occultorum cognitor Deus quod non solum terrâ omnibus quae in ea sunt mihi cariores sed etiam coelo omnibus quae in ca sunt mihi acceptabilior es They are rare strains of affection which Austin hath O God saith he the knower of all secrets thou knowest that thou art not onely dearer to me then the earth and all things that are in it but thou art more acceptable to me then heaven it self and all things that are in it God is the sum of all good things to us God is our chief good O how happy were it for us if we could get such strains of love to God and appeal to God as he did and say O God the knower of all secrets thou knowest that thou art not onely dearer to me then the earth and all things that are in it but thou art more acceptable to me then heaven it self and all things that are in it This is to seek the things which are above when our souls cleave more to God then to any created thing V. Lastly To seek the things which are above it is to use our uttermost care study diligence and endeavour to get an interest in these things and to be fitted for the injoyment of these things It is observed by a Learned man Quaerendum vocabulum indicat laborem conatum atque excludit otïosam velleitatem Davenant This expression of seeking notes labour and industry and it is opposed to an idle velleity we may not content our selves with general desires and faint wishes after the things which are above but we must strive to enter in at the straight gate as our Saviour's expression is to seek after a thing Quaerere est cum studio ferri tendere ad res habendas vel fruendas is to be carried out with study care
us observe this well the contempt of the world lyes much in this when a man accounts and thinks with himself he may be happy without these things when a man lives under this apprehension My happiness lyes not in these things if God deny me these things I may be happy without them the essence of happiness lyes not in these things This is a signe of the contempt of the world he that hath such an opinion of a thing as that he thinks he may be happy without that thing such a man may be said to have a contempt of that thing This is the contempt of the world we should labour after so as to think we may be happy without these things The Stoicks say of their wise man He may be without many things but he wants nothing Truely a Christian should be able to say so much more though he be without many things yet he wants nothing nothing that is essential to true happiness though he be without many earthly comforts that others injoy yet he hath God and Christ and the hope of eternal things to live upon and he may be happy in these things although he want other things When a man is fixt in his own thoughts in the estimation of happiness he knows he may be happy without this world this is a signe such a man is crucified to the world 4. To contemn the world is for a man to think he is not made happy by earthly things when he hath these things as the Apostle speaks in another case Meat commends us not to God If we eat we are not the better if we eat not we are not the worse So a Christian may say It is not any temporal thing that commends me to God if I have much or little it is not that which makes me accepted with God But let us not be mistaken here First I grant that a Christian may see a vein of love in temporal things He delivered me because he delighted in me Psal 18. David saw special love peculiar love in a temporal deliverance Having given us his Son Rom. 8. how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Matth. 6. And seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all other things shall be added to you When a Christian sees temporal blessings flowing from covenant-love when he sees them given in as appendices to greater mercies so far he may see the love of God in these things Secondly Temporal things so far as they conduce to a higher end may be said in a subordinate way to conduce to a Christians happiness The things of this world so far as they conduce to keep a man from sin and to make him serve God the better so far they are to be valued Prov. 30.8 Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me lest I be full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal and take the Name of my God in vain Temporal things so far as they are means to keep us from sin and fit us for the service of God so far they are to be esteemed but that which I say is that temporal things considered in themselves do not constitute or make up a Christians happiness A Christians true happiness lies out of the road and chanel of these things and therefore when he hath these things he ought to say My happiness lies above these things Omnis mibi copia quae Deus meus non est egestas est All that abundance of mine which is none of my God is but my penury and want says Austin All earthly things compared with God and Christ are none of a Christians happiness 5. The contempt of the world consists in this and I take it that much of the spirit of the contempt of the world if I may so express it lies in this When a mans heart is carryed off from the world because his heart is reserved for higher things We look not to the things which are seen but to the things which are not seen Paul's heart was taken off from present things because his heart was referved for and taken up with higher things Our conversation is in heaven Phil. 3.20 He had spoken of some before that minded earthly things now he saith Our conversation is in heaven The reason why Paul had his heart taken off from earthly things was because his conversation was in heaven he expected other things A Christian should have his heart rapt up with the contemplation and admiration of eternal things A Christian should cry out as Austin doth O amare O ire O sibi perire O ad Deum pervenire O to love God O to go to him O to die and perish to a mans self O to come to God! A Christian should solace and delight himself with the thoughts of the Divine presence and account all things here on earth little in comparison of that presence It is an expression which Luther hath Debemus magno animo contemnere mundum pleno pectore anbelare ad gloriam futurae vitae We ought with a great soul to contemn this world and with a full gale of affection to breathe after the glory of the future life This is the truest contempt of the world when the thoughts apprehensions desires and expectation of future things causeth us to reserve our affections mainly and principally for these things when we look upon these as those things which mainly and principally deserve our love A Christian should keep his heart reserved for God and say Lord I would not love any thing that may not consist with my love to thee I would not enjoy any thing that may not consist with my communion with thee A Christian should be able to turn his eye upon God say Here is my riches here is my true sweetness my solace my delight Dominus Deus meus vita mea dulcedo mea sancta my great happiness and felicity The Lord my God he is my life my holy sweetness saith Austin This is another discovery of our contempt of the world when a man hath his heart carried off from these things upon this account that his heart is reserved for higher things and that other things have taken up his heart 6. The contempt of the world consists in this When our hearts sit loose from the world and we are at a parting point with these things Luk. 14.33 Whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he hath cannot be my disciple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not bid farewel to all things is not ready to take his leave of all things God doth not always call us to an actual forsaking of all things but we must be in an habitual readiness to forsake all things when he calls us so to do Our hearts must not be so riveted and glued to earthly things but we must be in a readiness to
is in any earthly thing and when he is come to the end of that sweetne's which he did injoy he desires more therefore when a mans enjoyment hath been highest he still desires more Nothing can satisfie the soul but some transcendent good such a good as is so great as is more then the soul can take in So long as the soul is capable of taking in more it is not satisfied Now a man may take in all the delight and contentment that is to be found in earthly things and when he hath taken in all he is capable of taking in more This is clear in Solomon who made an experiment of all things under the Sun and when he had tryed all he cryed out All is vanity and vexation of spirit The capacity of the soul is too great and too big for any earthly thing to fill it and therefore when the soul hath passed from one temporal thing to another and tryed what is in one and in another it remains unsatisfied still Reas 4 4. Earthly things will not comfort a man when he comes to dye Riches avail not in the day of wrath it will be little comfort to a man when he comes to dye to think what he hath enjoyed or what he is like to leave behinde him nay if a man have placed his happiness and felicity in earthly things it will be the greatest torment to him to think that he must leave these things Come to a man that is at the point of death and who knows for certain that he shall dye shew him gold and silver bring forth his Jewels and most precious Treasures tell him of his Lands and Fossessions and how little will these things signifie Oh but tell him of everlasting happiness assure him that death shall do him no harm that there is a life beyond this and that he shall be câ—rtainly happy in that life and this will signifie something to him Reas 5 5. Earthly things are not our last happiness our last and true happiness is beyond any thing in this world Mundus non patria sed captivitas nobiâ— est The world is not our country but the place of our captivity and bondage Our last and true happiness is to live in he Divine presence to see and enjoy God in the heavens Now that which is not our last happiness deserves not to have the main of our affections that which deserves to take up our hearts is our last happiness we should be setting our hearts upon that which will continue always we should be thinking of the life we must live in the other world and how we are like to spend the days of eternity that is the state that is worth thinking of when time shall be no more when there shall be no more changes when we shall be wholly taken up in the contemplation of the first original of all things that is the state that is worth thinking of of which I can say Thus it shall be for ever that is the state that is worth thinking of of which I can say When once I am come into it there is no alteration in it Here is always joy always life always satisfaction Here is no sorrow no pain no grief no death no fear of death Reas 6 6. Earthly things have no influence as to a mans happiness so as of themselves to make him ever the happier at last It is true Temporal blessings so far as they are sanctified so far as they further a man in the ways of God and help him forward toward the heavenly Country so far they are mercies and so far they may in a sort be said to conduce to a mans last happiness but consider temporal things in themselves they have no influence upon a mans last happiness Love or hatred cannot be known by any thing under the Sun No man can conclude by the meer enjoyment of thâ—se things that he is the more beloved of God at present or that he shall have the higher place in heaven hereafter Abraham saith to the rich man Son Luk. 16.25 remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus his evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented God gives to some men their portion in this life This they shall have this is all they shall have He fills their bellies with his hid treasures but this is all they shall have he denies to them the heavenly inheritance Reas 7 7. Earthly things are so far from having an influence upon a mans last happiness as that they do many times blunt and hinder the soul in its pursuit ater eternal things Amor terrenarum viscum spiritualium The love of earthly things is as bird lime to the soul as to the pursuite of spiritual things when a poor Bird is taken in the lime-twigs his wings are pinioned that he cannot flie upward the love of earthly things pinions the wings of the soul that it cannot ascend to God and eternal things Terrenarum appetitus tenebras animarum nostrarum densat The inordinate desire of earthly things thickens the darkness of the soul the violence and impetuousness of the affections to carthly things blindes the judgement and darkens the eye of the minde when the affections are violently set upon earthly things the minde cannot see and behold the excellencie of spiritual things Nothing so great an enemy to growth in grace as the love of earthly things A man that is addicted to the love of earthly things can neither see the evil that is in sin nor the beauty that is in holiness Mundo alligati spiritualis vitii vix possunt nomen apprehendere Men that are bound and tyed fast to the world can hardly understand the name of a spiritual sin Tell a man that is immers'd and drowned in the world of spiritual sins of spiritual pride self-love inordinate affection hypocrisie formality in duty and the like he understands none of these things his conscience is so benummed through the love of the world that he is not sensible of these things And as the love of earthly things dulls the spiritual senses of the soul that a man cannot apprchend sin so it blunts the soul in the pursuit after grace and holiness the love of earthly things kills and extinguishes the love of God If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 I remember it is an expression of Peter Martyr concerning Soloman What love could Solomon have for God who distributed and parted his love among a thousand wives And we may say What love can men retain for God the chief good who part and divide their love to so many lower and inferiour goods Reas 8 8. It is the depressing and debasing of the soul for a man to set his affections on earthly things The soul was made for higher things and 't is capable of higher things the soul was made for converse
they have not they could not be happy for this is the nature of happiness to have all the good a man would have The Saints and Angels in heaven have God for their happiness and they are satisfied in him and desire nothing more Now when the heart is carried out after other things and pursues them as the chief good this is most contrary to our future life It was the speech of a wise and holy man Since God shall be all in all hereafter the less we have to do with the creature here any more then we needs must the better If we were of a right temper of spirit we should desire earthly things no farther then were for present necessity and as they were accommodated to our present state True happiness lyes out of the road of these things true happiness is in another chanel true happiness is to see God to love God to injoy God This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God When we pursue earthly things as our great happiness and have vast designes after these things this is most contrary to our future life which is to injoy God and him onely Lastly Covetousness is the root of many other sins The Scripture tells us expresly That covetousness is the root of all evil 1 Tim 6.10 A covetous person sticks at no sin so he may inrich himself and compass his own ends he will omit the duties God requires and commit the sins God forbids God enjoyns secret Prayer Family-duties and attendance upon the Ordinances a covetous person is so intent upon the world that he cannot finde time for these things So for sins of commission a covetous person will break through many a known command of God to come at the world Covetousness is a fruitful sin a covetous person sins against his Neighbour against himself and against God 1. A covetous man sins against his Neighbour he extorts from another more then is just and equal and so covetousness is a sin that is contrary to equity Avaritia excedit in acciâ—iendo desicit in dando Covetousness exceeds in taking and is defective in giving so is a sin against equity 2. Covetousness is a sin against mans self by this sin a mans affections are disordered and turned out of the right chanel Our affections were given us to love God the chief good by this sin they are turned aside to inferiour goods And hence is it that Austin calls that a perverse love whereby the will is turned aside from an unchangeable good to a mutable changeable good 3. It is a sin against God forasmuch as a covetous person for a temporal good contemns an eternal good All these considerations may serve to set forth something of the evil of this sin 4. I come in the last place to propound some Remedies against this sin 1. As an Antidote against covetousness Let us consider we must shortly leave these things that is not worth setting a mans heart upon which he must shortly leave We know what our Saviour saith Luk. 12.20 Thou fool this night shall they take thy soul from thee and then whose shall these things be What folly is it to make that our happiness which we cannot keep always that is true happiness which a man may enjoy always and it is a pityful happiness that must have an end Why should we covet that much which when we have gotten it we can keep but a little while It is an expression of Austin upon those words The world passeth away and the lust thereof Quod vis utrum amare temporalia transire cum tempore an t mundum non amare vivereâ— cum Deo What wilt thou wilt thou love temporal things and pass away with time or else wilt thou not love the world and live with God It might be one good remedy against covetousness to meditate of death often It is Austins observation The disease of covetousness is by nothing better cured then when the day of death is continually thought of if a man could think this with himself I must shortly dye and leave these things this would moderate his desire to these things 2. Consider a mans life lyes not in these things whilst he hath them So our Saviour teacheth us expresly Luk. 12.15 Take heed and beware of covetousness for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Our life lyes not in these things and there are two reasons of it 1. Because the abundance of outward things cannot preserve a mans life the rich dye as well as the poor the noble as well as the ignoble Pale death with an equal foot knocks at the palaces of princes and at the cottages of poor men 2. Because true happiness doth not lye in these things whilst a man injoys them every creature hath vanity written upon it and when a man hath most of the world he still remains unsatisfied No earthly thing is suitable to the nature and capacity of the soul The soul is a spiritual thing and desires a spiritual happiness the soul is an immortal thing and desires an immortal happiness and therefore when a man hath most of this world he still desires something more 3. Consider a little will serve the turn to carry us to our journeys end It is not likely we should live longer then the rest of mankinde have lived before us it is no difficult thing to see to the end of our life now a little provision will serve the turn for a short journey 4. We shall have no need of earthly things in the other state It is certain we brought nothing into this world and we shall carry nothing out of it We shall carry nothing into the next world with us but our grace earthly things will be of no use to us at the end of time Our happiness in the next world is a spiritual happiness the holy Angels and glorified Saints are happy without those things we so much admire and we must be happy by another happiness at last if ever we be happy 5. If we would be kept from this sin Avarus nimis est cui Deus non sufficit Aug. let us study Gods all-sufficiencie and the divine perfection He is too covetous a person indeed to whom God himself is not sufficient God is a happiness sufficient for himself he is an happiness sufficient to the Saints and Angels and therefore in reason he should be a happiness sufficient for us God is the chief good the centre of all perfection Austin What is it that thou lovest that thou wilt not love God If thou wilt love any thing love the best thing if thou wilt covet any thing covet the best thing study Gods all-sufficiencie and the divine perfection there thou wilt finde the highest object for thy affections 6. Let our desires run out much after eternal life It is an expression of Austin We ought saith he to be covetous
us off from an inordinate minding of earthly things The Spirit of God foresaw how prone our hearts were to be taken up with this world and with earthly things and therefore he is not content to press us to the duty of Heavenly-mindedness in general but gives us an express and particular caution against the love of the things of this world Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth Now then this being the Apostles scope to press us to Heavenly-mindedness and to take us from earthly-mindedness there are several Motives he useth in the context to inforce these things upon us The first Motive or Argument the Apostle useth to press this duty of Heavenly-mindedness is taken from the consideration of our fellowship or communition with Christ If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above A Believer is risen with Christ and therefore he ought to seek the things which are above Although Believers have not as yet attained to glory in their own persons yet they have attained it in the person of their Head A Believer is risen in Christ ascended in Christ glorified in Christ his Head Christ's Resurrection Ascention Glorification is a pledge and an earnest of his Resurrection of his Ascention of his Glorification Therefore eternal life and glory being secure to us in Christ and we having a right and title to it in our Head it becomes us to set our hearts on that which is our proper inheritance We are risen with Christ that is in Christ our Head we have a right and title to Heaven and Glory therefore Heaven and Glory being secure to us in Christ our Head who hath taken possession of it in our name and stead we ought to set our hearts upon that which is our great and proper inheritance That is the first Motive the consideration of our fellowship and communion with Christ we are risen with Christ A Believer hath glory already given him in his Head he is destinated unto glory and this his Head hath already taken possession of in his Name and stead The second Motive to press us to Heavenly-mindedness and to take us off from earthly-mindedness is taken from the consideration of our present state A Believer's present state is a dead state Ye are dead saith he verse the third Seek the things that are above set your affections on things that are above for ye are dead Ye are dead that is dead to the world dead as to any earthly happiness Your happiness lyes not in the rode of this world Ye are dead that is ye are like to dead men though you have a life in this world yet the life you have in this world as men not to speak of your life as you are Saints it is but a dead kinde of life though you may have some comforts and enjoyments in this world as other men yet they are all as dead comforts and enjoyments in comparison of what is your true happiness your true happiness is to live with God and Christ The Apostle hints so much that true happiness is to live with God and Christ as he saith afterward Your life is hid with Christ in God therefore your present life and comforts are all dead things in comparison of what is your true life and happiness Now if a Believer be dead to the world if all his happiness in this world be but the picture and shadow of true happiness then it is all the reason that his heart should be taken off from earthly things and set upon that which is indeed his happiness The third consideration to press us to Heavenly-mindedness is that a Believers life is a hidden life You are dead your life is hid with Christ in God A Believers true life his true happiness lyes not within sight within view it is hid with Christ in God If we will finde out true happiness we must not look for it in the rode of present sensible things but we must look for it with Christ in God Your life is hid with Christ in God Mark it if we would finde out true happiness we must consider what it is that Christ as man and as the Head of the Church injoys in the presence of the Father A Believers happiness lyes in communion with his Head in enjoying blessedness in communion with the Father like unto that which Christ as man injoys now in the presence of the Father Our life is hid with Christ in God as much as if the Apostle had said Your happiness lyes not in any thing in this world but your happiness is of the same kinde as Christs happiness is look what happiness Christ as man injoys in the presence of the Father that is your happiness and nothing else Now this being a Believers true happiness it concerns him to clevate his thoughts and affections unto the things that are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God The fourth and last Motive the Apostle useth to press us to the duty of Heavenly-mindedness is the consideration of the certainty that is given to a Believer of future glory A Believer hath already a title to glory in Christ his Head yea after a sort he hath an inchoate possession of it forasmuch as Christ is possessed of Glory in his name and stead but at last a Believer shall be brought to a full perfect compleat possession of glory in his own person as now he hath it inchoatively in the person of his Head This the Apostle intimates in the fourth verse When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory that is we shall actually appear with him in glory that is as another Apostle expresseth it We shall be like him 1 Joh. 3.2 We know when he shall appear we shall be like him Look what glory is given to Christ the Head of the Church the same glory in a proportion shall be given to the Members Now then the future happiness of the Saints being so sure it being as certain that they shall have it as if they had it in hand the glory and happiness of Heaven being no notion no fiction but as sure as Christ is glorified so shall all his Members be glorified then certainly it becomes Believers to set their hearts upon these things These are the Motives the Apostle makes use of to press the great duty of Heavenly-mindedness upon us The Observations that arise from the Text are these two Doct. 1 It is the duty of Christians to seek after and to set their affections on the things that are above Doct. 2 That Christians ought to have their hearts taken off from the world and from earthly things and to have their hearts carryed forth to an holy contempt of this world Set your affections on things that are above not on things on the earth Doct. 1 That it is the duty of Christians to seek after and to set their affections on the things that
with God the chief good therefore when the affections are set upon earthly things this is the debasing of the soul and the depressing of it beneath its own dignity The soul is an eternal principle and must continue to eternity therefore eternal things are most suitable to it Now then when the soul is bowed down to temporal things and taken up in them this must needs be a great depression of the soul Vse 1 1. Is it so that it is the duty of Christians to have their hearts taken off from the world and from earthly things and to be aspiring after an holy contempt of this world This is matter of Reproof and Humiliation to us that we are so little of this frame How little are our hearts taken off from the world and carried forth unto an holy contempt of these things In stead of contemning the world and carthly things we magnifie these things in our thoughts we make the world our great Idol May we not take up the Apostle's complaint and say as he did Many walk of whom I have told you often Philip. 3. and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ who minde earthly things They minde earthly things that is they onely minde them There is a lawful minding of earthly things but to minde them onely or to minde them chiefly or principally this is the thing so much to be deplored And yet is it not so with many that are called Christians and Professors the main current and stream of their affections runs out to earthly things What is it they are thinking of projecting from day to day and year to year but earthly things and worldly interests Turbatur mundus tamen amatur mundus The world is troublesom and unquiet and yet it is still beloved men are still fond of it the world is full of thorns and prickles and yet men grasp it fast God hath been rending our estates from us by the Fire decay of Trade other ways and yet we pursue the world as hard as ever He is a rare soul indeed that can make his Appeal to heaven and say Lord thou knowest I am infinitely more concerned for grace for holiness for communion with thee for the assurance of salvation then for any temporal thing We do not blame men for their care and diligence in the duties of their Callings it is their duty to be diligent in these but that which we blame men for is that earthly things have the predominancie in their affections that this poor world and the interests of it have more of their hearts and affections then God and Christ and eternal things have It was a great speech of Austin Monemus ne mundum ametis ut eum qui fecit mundum liberè ametis We warn and admonish you that you do not love the world that you may freely love him who made the world Our Saviour tells us No man can serve two masters there cannot be two chief goods two last ends Sure I am the strength of a mans affections cannot be let out two ways at once Now that which we are to be reproved for is this that the main strength of our affections are let out upon other things and a very little of our love if any at all is let out upon God and Christ and eternal things We ought to reserve the main of our love and affection for God and Christ and eternal things a little of the creature should content us so we may have much of God So much onely in the General but we shall endeavour to bring the Reproof a little more home and to point out the disease more particularly that we are sick of Therefore the next Use we shall make is this Vse 2 2. If Christians ought to have their hearts taken off from the world and earthly things this Doctrine doth naturally and directly reprove the sin of Covetousness therefore as under the former Point we spake something of Heavenly mindedness so under this Doctrine having so fair an occasion given us we shall speak something of the sin of Covetousness or Earthly-mindedness The sin of Covetousness is an Epidemical evil a common sin yea a common sin among us who profess Christ and the Gospel He is a rare Christian indeed that can acquit himself from the taint of this sin The Scripture is frequent in warning us against this sin and our Saviour gives us a particular and an express Caution against it Luk. 12.15 Take heed and beware of covetousness Here is a double Caution a repetition of the same Caution See to it keep your selves from covetousness In some Greek Copies it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From all covetousness Austin observes from this Text Christ knew not we how much it was our concernment to beware of Covetousness We see no such great danger in it but Christ saw a greater danger in it then we are aware of and therefore he gives us a double Caution he bids us take heed and beware of it It is also Austins observation that all other vices do senescere Sola avaritia juvenescit wax old onely Covetousness is that sin which grows young and therefore it is commonly observed that none are more addicted to this sin then old men Here we shall speak to four things and shew 1. What Covetousness is 2. What are the Signes and Symptoms of this sin 3. What are the Evils of it 4. We shall propound some few brief Remedies against it 1. What Covetousness is Covetousness is an inordinate and insatiable desire after earthly things Covetousness in a large sence respects all temporal things When a man is inordinate and immoderate in his desires or appetite after any earthly thing this is Covetousness in a large sense But in a strict and proper sence Covetousness is conversant circa bonum utile about profitable good or the good of profit When a man hath an inordinate appetite after Riches Money Lands Possessions an Estate this is Covetousness in a strict and proper sence Now that which makes this desire unlawful and brings it under the denomination of a sin is when there is an inordinate and immoderate desire of these things Every desire of temporal things is not unlawful neither comes it under this denomination but it is First the inordinate desire Secondly The insatiable desire after these things 1. When the desire of them is inordinate and not referred to a right end It is the observation of a Learned man Davenant Temporal things may be desired three manner of ways 1. For the necessities of life 2. Or else that by them we may perform works of bounty or liberality 3. Or else for fruitions sake so to desire these things as to make them our end and to take up our rest in them It is the last of these that constitutes and makes the sin of Covetousness We may desire earthly things so far as they
to be in them when we come to try them We think to finde much more good sweetness and contentment in these things then indeed we finde in them when we come to experiment what is in them Now that is a vain thing which is empty of that it promiseth that is called vain Vanum dicitur quod re ipsâ destituitur which is destitute of solidity and substance 2. They can never satisfie us now whatsoever cannot satisfie is vain Happiness lyes in satisfaction happiness consists in having all the good a man would have in having all the good that he desires while there is any good a man would have and doth desire and hath it not he is not happy Now there is no man by the enjoyment of any or all earthly things that hath all the good he would have and therefore he is far from satisfaction far from happiness Secondly Earthly things as they are vain so they are vexations the labour and travail in getting them the care and sollicitude in keeping them the fear of loosing them the grief that follows upon the loosing of them the defectiveness of something or other in them when we have the greatest abundance of them the bitternesses that are mingled with them bring a great deal of vexation into earthly things When men are carried away with inordinate love of earthly things they pierce themselves through with many sorrows Qui mundanis se implicat tela parat quibus consodiatur He that intangles himself with worldly things doth but provide darts for himself by which he is thrust through Austin in a discourse of his about the contempt of the world hath a passage to this purpose The bands of this world have a true sharpness but a false sweetness a certain grief but uncertain pleasure hard labour timerous and fearful quiet they are full of misery but empty of happiness Lastly the mordinate love of earthly things doth greatly unfit us for communion with God here and for the enjoyment of him hereafter 1. It unfits us for communion with God here God will not be assable and familiar with that person who desires prizeth loves and delights in any thing more then himself The way to enjoy most of God is to be taken more with God himself then with other things When we are more taken with God himself then with all his gifts when we are inamoured of the Lord himself and God is more sweet to us then all things that come from him this is the way to enjoy most of God Wisdom saith Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me If we love God himself more then his gifts then shall we know what it is to be loved of him Joh. 14.21 If any man love me he shall he loved of my Father and I will love him c. but if we lavish out our hearts upon earthly things and have great and admiring thoughts of them and are vigorous in our pursuit of them and God hath the least part of our thoughts and affections God cares not for such lovers neither may such expect to attain to any friendship or familiatity with him here on earth 2. The love of earthly things as it unfits us for communion with God here so it unfits us for the enjoyment of him hereafter In heaven the faculties of the soul shall be immediately acted upon God the soul will be wholly taken up in contemplating admiring loving delighting in God in praising and adoring of him Now when the heart is wholly taken up with earthly things it is altogether unfitted and indisposed for such a life The soul is coloured as it were with the objects that it converseth with and receives a tincture and an impression from them A man whose spirit is immers'd and drenched in the world will be very unfit to have the faculties of his soul carryed forth upon God The best way to have our souls suited and adapted to the future life it is to keep our spirits at as great a distance as may be from present things We should be saying often in our own souls Oh the blessed state Oh the blessed life that is above Oh to see God to love him to go to him to live with him in his eternity How sweet is that life When we are without those earthly things which we desire we should say our true life our true happiness is above where there shall be no more need or use of these things when we have the most of these things our hearts should be carried up above these things and say We expect and look for and long after another happiness a happiness that is above these things We should keep our hearts in the most reserved frame for the future life and the future state We should not suffer our spirits to mingle too far with present things Our hearts should sit so loose to present things that we may be ready to lay down these things and to take up with the happiness that is above If we suffer our spirits to launch forth too far into the world it will be a hard matter to reduce them and when the cry is made Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye forth to meet him we shall be very unfit to entertain his Call If our souls stick and be taken up in the things of time we shall be very unfit and unready to deliver them up into eternity AN APPENDIX Concerning Laying hold of eternal life 1 Tim. 6.12 Lay hold on eternal life The whole verse is read thus Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses Lay hold on eternal life LIFE is the great thing which we all desire there is nothing we fear so much as death nothing we desire so much as life This Text acquaints us what is the true life Lay hold on eternal life Amemus vitam aeternam Austin O let us love eternal life It is eternal life that is onely worth the name of life therefore since we are so fond of life since life is most pleasing to us of all other things let us love that life that is truly so This temporal life which we now live is not worth the name of life in comparison of eternal life The Text contains in it a double Gospel-precept 1. Fight the good fight of faith 2. Lay hold on eternal life It is the later of these precepts that I shall a little insist upon Lay hold on eternal life The Doctrine that offers it self to our consideration from the words is this Doctrine That it is the duty of Christians t◠lay hold of eternal life In this Point there are two things to be spoken unto 1. The Object 2. The Act. The Object is eternal life The Act is Lay hold on eternal life So that that which will bound our discourse as to the Explication of the Point will be these two things 1. To shew what
that he might not have sinned yet it was possible for him to sin and he did sin but in eternal life the will shall be so confirmed as that there shall not be a possibility of sinning Oh! how great will that happiness be when the soul shall enjoy the sweetness of eternal joys without intermission when the soul shall forget all its sins and sorrows as to any sense or experience of them yet not so as to be unthankful to him who hath been its Saviour and Deliverer 2. We should breathe long and suspire after eternal life We should elevate and lift up our hearts abovetime and this lower world breathe after the sweetness and delights of the Heavenly Country Those breathings that are in the hearts of the Saints after eternal things Cum sitimus res coelestes tum sentimus perpetuò aliquid gaudii voluptatis Roloc. in Joh. give them some taste of those things When we thirst after heavenly things saith a judicious Divine we do always perceive and experiment something of joy and sweetness Those breathings that are in the hearts of the Saints after eternal life are some of the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.22 We our selves which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption the redemption of our bodies Other men feel no such longings and breathings as these are for although there be a natural instinct in all men which carries them out to desire happiness yet none but the Saints long and breathe after the enjoyment of God as their happiness Therefore so far as we finde a thirst kindled in our souls after the sight and enjoyment of God in eternal life so far we have an earnest of eternal life in our souls How great a thing should it be to us to be admitted to the sight of the Divine Majesty to be taken up from the light of the Sun and Moon to the light of him who made the Sun and the Moon as Austin expresseth it It is a good observation of Luther How much joy is there when God doth exhibit by the Word one drop of consolation to such as are tempted and afflicted in conscience but far greater and unexpressible will that joy be when the God of all consolation shall reveal himself and shall wholly pour himself forth unto us in eternal life How should we breathe after this life Thirdly let us place our happiness and expect it no where but in eternal life We should carry our hope and expectation above this world and never expect to finde happiness Ipse finis erit desideriorum nostorum qui sins fine videhitur sine fastidio amabitur sine fatigatione landabitur Aug. until we come to live with God in eternal life He shall be the end of our desires who shall be seen without end loved without nauseousness praised without wearisomness This is life eternal c. It is a vain thing to expect happiness until we come to see God and to live with him in his eternity If the Lord make our passage in any measure tolerable thorow this world this is a mercy if he give us any comfort in outward things in this world these are mercies so far as he is seen and loved in them otherwise the best comforts here on earth are pitiful things for what can be truely good from which the chief good is absent Deus est omnis boni bonum God is the good of every good and nothing is good but as he appears in it But we ought to remember that our true and great happiness is to live in the Divine presence above and to have the sight of God to eternity And it is not possible that any soul that hath had one glimpse or one true taste of him should think any thing to be happiness short of that sight This therefore is to lay hold of eternal life to keep our spirits aloof off from the world as much as may be and to keep our spirits reserved for the enjoyment of God in eternal life The enjoyment of God in eternal life is the point and centre that we should be moving and tending unto When the Lord gives us any of the comforts and blessings of this life when he gives us estates friends the comfort of relations we should say These are the gifts of God and so far they are good but these are not my happiness my happiness is God himself my happiness is to see him and to live with him in his eternity Here should our desires rest and terminate and though we defire and use many things for necessity in the present state yet our desire and expectation should be still carried above these things and end no where but in the enjoyment of God Quis alius noster est finis nisi pervenire ad regnum cujus nullus est finis Aug. What other end have we but to come to that kingdom of which there is no end Fourthly we should labour to be in a readiness and preparedness of spirit to enter upon eternal life 2 Pet. 3.14 Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blame Our ambition should be to be found in such a posture and to keep our souls in such an holy evenness as that nothing may impede or hinder our free passage out of Time into Eternity We should labour to keep our Consciences pure We should see that the guilt of no sin remain upon our Conscience unpardoned unrepented of We should see that our affections be not intangled with the inordinate love of lawful things much less with the love of any sin We should labour to have our hearts fortified with a stedfast belief of the things God hath promised us in the other world the weakness of our faith in believing the things promised makes us very unfit for the enjoyment of eternal life We should often contemplate eternal life we should be thinking of it night day all the comforts that we enjoy all the necessary employments we are engaged in should not take us off from the frequent meditation of eternal life What so necessary to be thought of as that state which when once it is begun shall never have an end This whole life is but like one long dream in comparison of eternal life Oh! let us not forget eternal life but be still preparing and making ready for it Fifthly we should not take up or rest satisfied with what we have already attained in grace but press forward toward that which lies before us and is yet wanting to us This is the direction the Apostle gives us from his own example Phil. 3.13 Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but one thing I do forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Paul's aim and scope was to obtain