Neither is there any thing we can conceive to be truely excellent and good but it is in him yea whatsoever perfection is possible to be it is in God Deus est bonum infinitissime infinitum Bradwardin God is such a good as is most insinitely infinite O! what folly is it then to have our hearts taken off from the infinitely-blessed God and to have them set upon little narrow things It is an expression that one of the Ancients hath to this purpose The Angels are so inflamed with divine love that all other things yea they themselves seem vile to themselves in respect of God whom they love Did we know God more we should not be so fond of other things Oh! let us turn our souls upon God the chief good there may we love freely and cannot exceed in loving him Fourthly consider the world and earthly things cannot give happiness unto men That is wise love when a man loves that which will make him happie Earthly things cannot do this You may say How doth that appear That is easily made out in few words Earthly things cannot give a man satisfaction while he hath them they cannot keep him from death they cannot comfort him in death and least of all can they be a happiness to him after death Now who would love that which will not answer the end for which he loves it The reason why men love earthly things although they will not confess it it is because they think to finde happiness in them but now that happiness that men think to finde is far from them No temporal thing will afford that to a man which he desires and expects from it Men expect satisfaction from what they do pursue but satisfaction is far from them Why should a man be fond of that which when he hath it his happiness must be in something above it and when he wants it it is possible for him to be happie without it If we had all the things in this world we could desire if we are the children of God and have indeed tasted that the Lord is gracious there is something above those things that we shall still desire Now if when we have the greatest abundance and confluence of earthly things there is something else that we desire and something else that must make us happie in the midst of these things viz. the presence of God and the enjoyment of him and that it is possible for us to be happie in those things without earthly things then there is no reason why our hearts should be so inordinately set upon these earthly things Fifthly consider the inordinate love of earthly things is a perverting of the End for which God gives us these things God never gave us the creatures that we might make them our happiness or pursue them as our last end but God gives us the creatures that we might see himself in them admire him in them and pass from them to him It is a speech of Austin The creature is to be praised for the sake of God the author and original of it not to be worshipped and adored as if it self were God All things are of him and by him and to him Rom. 11.36 All things are from God and they ought to lead to him therefore when we love the creatures as our chief good and stick in them as our last happiness we pervert the end for which they were given to us the creatures were never given for such an end but they were given for this end that we might ascend to God by them We ought to use the creatures not to enjoy them Now then do we use a thing when we use it to a farther end we ought to use the creatures in order to our enjoyment of God as our last end but we ought not to take up with them as if we had no higher end then to enjoy them Sixthly consider the inordinate love of earthly things is an argument of great ignorance and unbelief Every man would desire and love the best thing did he certainly know and believe that there are better things then these that are present to Sence he would love those things We look not to the things that are seen 2 Cor. 4. Paul knew that there were better things then those things that are seen and that these things were real and substantial and therefore his heart was carried out after these things Now because the generality of men do not see these things nor are acquainted with them therefore they desire them not The world lies before men as a fair and pleasant garden and there is many a goodly flower to be seen in it here is pleasure there is profit there is honour these captivate the eyes of men and because things invisible to the outward sences are not seen or perceived by them therefore they minde not these things But O ye sons of men how long will ye turn the glory of God into shame how long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing Psal 4.2 What folly and ignorance is it to think that there are no higher things then those which the Brutes are capable of conversing with as well as you The Brutes may have their outward senses delighted as well as you they may be taken and affected with present visible things as well as you but where are your souls in the mean time where is your intellectual part Can Reason discover nothing to you but what is present and obvious to Sence why then is the candle of the Lord set up within you What sottishness and stupidity is it to believe that there is no happiness to be found but what is to be found in this world As if the life which God lives were no happiness as iâ— so be the life which the Saints and Angels live in above were no happiness While men onely seek earthly things it is a certain signe that they are ignorant of these things Seventhly consider the inordinate love of the world and of earthly things doth greatly unfit a man for death Die we must that is certain and the time of our life here is mosâ— uncertain Now what folly is it to be found in such a frame as will certainly unfit us for death Pythagoras saith of Philosophy That it is a meditation of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certainly the life of a Christian should be a continued meditation of death and if a Christian should always be meditating of death that he may die well die happily and die comfortably then certainly it will be his greatest folly to be taken up with those things that must greatly unfit him for death Now there is nothing that will more unfit a man for death then the inordinate love of earthly things If a mans heart lie in the world how â—oth will he be to part with the world No man is willing to part with that which he loves much When a man that is a lover of the world comes to
live always If I am sure to live why do I fear death If we lay hold on eternal life and finde the beginnings of that life in our souls we have that life set up in us which cannot expire Joh. 6.44 He that eats my flesh and drinks my bloud hath eternal life How can that be lost which is eternal that which is eternal cannot be lost It is a great skill to be able to distinguish between this natural life which we live in common with other men and that spiritual life which we live as Christians The natural life of a Saint is subject to death as other mens is although the curse of it be taken away but there is a life in a Saint and that is the life which he lives in and by the Spirit of God and this is such a life as cannot be extinguished We should labour for that spiritual skill as to be able to distinguish between these two kindes of life and not be without hope as other men when this natural life ceaseth we should remember there is a life in us that cannot dye If we have begun to know God to love God to live upon him and to live to him here on earth we shall not cease to know him to love him to live upon him to live to him in eternity and to eternity Vse 1 1. We come now to the Uses of this Doctrine and there are onely two that we shall make of it The first Use shall be of Reprehension If we ought to lay hold on eternal life two things are hence to be reprehended 1. That we are so much taken up in following this world and in the pursuit of temporal things 2. That we are so much addicted to the love of this life I. We are to be reprehended that we are so much taken up in following this world and in the pursuit of temporal things Lay hold on eternal life If we ought to lay hold on eternal life then we ought to live above the world and contemn it The eager pursuit of this world is most contrary to our laying hold on eternal life We cannot pursue two things at once while we are pursuing hard after the world we must needs let Heaven and Salvation go The greatest part of men think not on eternal things they live as if they were always to live here on earth they never think of a future state nor do they provide for it But if we ought to lay hold of eternal life if that ought to be the mark and scope in our eye that shews that we are far wide of that which ought to be our true mark and scope when we are wholly taken up with temporal things and neglect eternal II. We are to be reprehended that we are so much addicted to the love of this life We are commanded to love eternal life and to lay hold on that but we are found of this life and loth to part with it He is a rare soul that is satisfied with life here on earth and hath such an apprehension of the reality and excellencie of eternal life that this life groweth out of esteem with him I grant that this natural life is a blessing as other temporal blessings are but as it is possible for us to love other things too much so it is possible yea too common to love this life too much and it is the wisdom of God to imbitter this life to us by many afflictions because we are so fond of it and that he may weary us out of it and cause us to long for that which is the true life Vita longa long a infirmitas a long life is a long infirmity and we may adde Longa tentatio a long temptation What is our whole life but a life of tryals and temptations It is true we may value and prize life for these two ends 1. To work out our Salvation to make ready for the coming of the Bridegroom 2. That we may do some work and service for God that we may glorifie him upon the earth and finish the work that he hath given us to do But to be over-fond of this life meerly for lifes sake is a certain signe of unbelief It is a signe we have little knowledge of another life little acquaintance with eternal life Had we a prospect by faith of a better and more excellent life we should not be so over fond of this life Vse 2 2. By way of Exhortation to exhort us all to put the duty of the Text in practice Let us labour to lay hold on eternal life Oh! let us labour to call up our hearts from visible things to invisible from present things to future from momentary things to eternal the things of the other world are never the less real because they are out of sight Atheists think that eternal life and all future things are but a fiction but we may use to them that Speech of Cyprian In aeternam poenam serò tandem credent qui in aeternam vitam credere noluerunt Cyprian They shall believe too late to their eternal torment who would not believe to eternal life But let Atheists and Scoffers say what they please we do know or ought to know that eternal life is the greatest reality God that cannot lye hath promised us eternal life Titus 1.2 The great promise of the Gospel is eternal life 1 Joh. 2.25 This is the promise that he hath given to us eternal life Unless we make God to be a lyar we must take eternal life for the greatest reality In the prosecution of this Use I shall onely propound some Directions for the better putting in practice of this duty to shew us how we ought to lay hold of eternal life 1. Let us have great and admiring thoughts of eternal life We should labour to have our hearts raised up with the consideration of the excellencie of this life Quanta erit illa faelicitas ubi nullum erit malum nullum latebit bonum Aug. Civit. Dei. How great shall that happiness be where there shall be no evil present and no good shall be wanting where we shall be wholly taken up in the praises of God and God shall be all in all we shall see and love love and praise as Austin expresseth it This natural life which now we live is not worth the name of life in comparison of eternal life nay it deserves to be called a death rather then a life for we always carry about sin with us which is the matter cause of death But in eternal life we shall not onely be free from sorrow but from sin the cause of sorrow yea we shall be free from the possibility of sinning Mans first happiness in the state of Innocencie was posse non peccare a power not to have sinned His last happiness in Heaven is non posse peccare not to be able to sin at all Though man in his first estate was endowed with such a power
are above For the Explication of this Doctrine two things are to be spoken unto 1. To shew what these things above are that we are to seek after and to set our affections upon 2. What it is to seek after and to set our affections on things that are above 1. What are these things above that we are to seek after and to set our affections upon This shall be opened in four Particulars I. By the things above we are to understand God and Christ we ought to seek the things that are above that is we ought to converse much in our thoughts with God and Christ That these are the things above here intended is clear from the Context If ye be risen with Christ seek the things which are above What follows where Christ sits at the right hand of God it is as much as if the Apostle had said Christ is above and God is above now let your hearts be upon these things Seek the things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God that is let your thoughts dwell much upon God and Christ So at the third verse Your life is hid with Christ in God If our happiness lye hid in God and Christ then we do seek the things which are above when our hearts are mainly and principally carryed out after God and Christ in whom onely our true happiness is to be found 1 Joh. 1.3 Truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ When may our fellowship be said to be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Certainly one way whereby we have fellowship with the Father and Jesus Christ is this when we converse much in our thoughts with God and Christ that is when God and Christ have more of our thoughts then any earthly thing My meditation of him shall be sweet saith David then do we seek the things above when our Meditation is taken up about God and Christ Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent The perfect knowledge of God and of Christ is our perfect happiness in Heaven and so much as we do know of God and Christ here on earth so much happiness do we enjoy here on earth there is more sweetness more comfort more satisfaction to be taken in from the knowledge of God and of Christ here on earth then from all earthly injoyments whatsoever might it not seem too much for me to speak I might adventure to say Though it be but a little of God and Christ that I know yet I would not exchange or part with the thoughts of God and Christ which are to be had in this world for all the Kingdoms upon earth Now if the thoughts of God and Christ and the little knowledge that may be had of God on earth have so much sweetness in it what will the vision of him in heaven and what will the perfect knowledge of him there be When the Apostle Paul desires the highest thing he could do for the Saints it is this that they might have a greater measure of the knowledge of God and Christ let us consider the Text for it is a great Text Col. 2.1 2. For I would that ye knew what great conflicts I have for you and for them at Laodicea and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ See with what a magnificent Preface the Apostle ushers in this desire 1. He tells them he had a great conflict for them the word in the original signifies an agony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle was in an agony of desire for these Saints 2. He tells them he would have their hearts comforted he longs after their comfort the highest measure of consolation for them And what is all this Preface for onely to usher in this to tell them he would fain have them come to all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ that which put him into such an agony of desire was that they might come to a fuller measure of the knowledge of Goâ— and Christ and that because he knew this was the onely way for their comfort That their hearts might 〈◊〉 comforted being knit together in lovâ— and unto all riches of the full assâ—rance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of Goâ— and of the Father and of Christ hâ— knew there was no better way foâ— their comfort then to come to 〈◊〉 clear knowledge of the Mystery oâ— God and Christ Observe how thâ— Apostle expresseth this he would have them come to the riches of thâ— full assurance of understanding to thâ— acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Then are several things of great moment to be considered in these words 〈◊〉 1. The Apostle teacheth us here that the knowledge of God is a Mystery to the riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God There is a great Mystery in the knowledge of God 〈◊〉 poor creatures that we are we are apt to think we know enough of God at first but there is a Mystery in the knowledge of God and what this Mystery is the Apostle tells us it is the mystery of the Father and of Christ And what is this Mystery what is this mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ So far as we can conceive of it it lyes in this to know God in the unity and simplicity of the Divine Essence to know God in the Trinity of Persons to know Christ as Mediator and to be able to apprehend the Father in Christ it is the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ to be able to apprehend the Father in Christ as Christ says He that hath seen me hath seen the Father that is to apprehend the Divinity to be so in Christ as that we see that by having the Son we have the Father and in possessing Christ we possess whole God This is the Mystery of God the Apostle here speaks of and we have reason every day to be more and more diving into it to labour to come to a clear knowledge of it That is the first thing there is a Mystery in the knowledge of God 2. The Apostle would have them to come to the acknowledgement of this Mystery to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God that is he would have them to come to a clear and distinct knowledge of all the Principles concerning God and Christ the word signifies an accurate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phavorinus or more exact consideration of a thing after the first perception of it we have
and it consists in what the minde injoys There is more true happiness which the minde takes in in one single thought of God thâ—â— the body and outward senses can take in by all the variety of objects that are most pleasing to them look as the understanding or minde in man is a higher principle then sense is in a brute and as the objects of the minde are higher and more excellent then those of sense by so much the more is the minde or understanding capable of taking in a greater happiness then sense can do Sense in a brute is capable onely of taking in present mutable things the understanding is capable of conversing with eternal and immutable things therefore that which quiets the minde most which is of the greatest capacity that must needs be the greatest happiness The minde of man covets eternal things and is satisfied with nothing but eternal things therefore to know that a man is in the love and favour of God whose love or hatred is eternal to know that a man shall be freed from everlasting misery and condemnation to know that a man shall be happy in living with God for ever these are eternal things and such things as will quiet the minde of man Divines observe that eternal life in the beginning of it consists in Justificatien and Sanctification and this is truely asserted for what is happiness but the inward quiet of the minde Now when the soul is in a justified state when it apprehends it self reconciled to God this brings in inward quiet the peace of God that passeth all understanding So in Sanctification when the work of Sanctification is begun we are in some measure brought to a conformity and likeness unto God and there is an harmony and an agreement between our wills and the Divine Will Now from this conformity unto God and the agreement and harmony that is between our wills and the Divine Will there ariseth peace This is certain so much holiness so much peace we should therefore look after a spiritual happiness an happiness consisting in peace of conscience in the apprehension of the savour of God an happiness consisting in holiness so much true peace of conscience so much holiness so much true happiness This is the beginning of eternal life The kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost The happiness of Heaven consists in this that we shall be filled with Grace and the Spirit of God In Heaven the Spirit of God shall act us perfectly and universally therefore the more Grace and the more of the actings of the Spirit of God we feel in our selves here on earth the more we have of the beginning of heaven of the beginning of eternaâ— life The happiness of heaven is a spiritual happiness because it consistâ— in the spiritual actings and operatitions of the soul upon God wheâ— the soul is full of Grace and of the Spirit of God then it knows God perfectly so far as the creature is capable it loves him and delights in him perfectly and then it is most happy I say when Grace is perfected and consummated and the operations of the soul are carried highest in the exercise of Grace then is happiness most compleated This should cause us to covet Grace and the Spirit of God in the highest manner we should covet Grace and the Spirit of God more then any temporal thing Certainly so much of Grace and of the Spirit of God as we feel working in our selves so much may we perceive of the dawnings of heaven and eternal life in our souls He that feels much of the presence of the Spirit of God in his soul and feels the lively sensible actings of Grace in his soul may know he hath the beginning of heaven in himself Let us covet a spiritual happiness a happiness consisting in the exercise of Grace and in the spiritual actings of the soul upon God we should often think with our selves What is it that must satisfie the soul to eternity suppose I had the greatest enjoyment of sensible things would these things satisfie me what is it that my soul can rest in ultimately what is it the minde can be quieted with If I know I am beloved of God if I know I shall one day certainly injoy God and live with him for ever here is some stay and quiet for the minde this will quiet the minde more then all sensible things can do Happiness consists in the highest operations of the minde therefore when the minde is most carried out after eternal things which are most suitable to the minde then it injoys most happiness A great part of the happiness of heaven consists in this that the Saints know what happiness they do now injoy they shall always enjoy If it were possible that such a thought could be let into their mindes that what they now injoy they should not always injoy this would rendeâ— their happiness imperfect true happiness consists in the highest operations of the minde when the mindâ— is most carried out after eternaâ— things let us minde this happiness and be taken up in the thoughts oâ— this happiness 3. If we would come more up into the spirit and life of heaven let 〈◊〉 think much of the beatifiâ—â—il vision and breath much after it The great â—rappiness of heaven is this that we shall see God Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Saith Austin Ibi videbis faciem Dei tui There shalt thou see the face of thy God What greater happiness to the creature then to see the face of the Creator to see him who made heaven and earth to behold the Glory and Majesty of the first and most excellent Being Deus cum sit simpliciter perfectus suâ persectione omnes rerum perfectiones comprebendit Aquinas God being simply and absolutely perfect in his perfection comprehends all the perfections of things In the sight of God we behold all perfection at once If all the beauties in the world were contracted into one beauty what a rare sight would that be in the sight 〈◊〉 God we see all beauty all perfection at once In the sight of God we see the Centre from whence all â—he lines are drawn whatever is sweet â—miable pleasant delectable in the â—reature it all issued from this Founâ—ain how sweet how pleasant how â—electable then must the Fountain it self be God is the rule and measure of all good Deus est omnis boni bonum God is the good of every good nothing is good but as it participates of God and as it hath some similitude and resemblance of the Divine goodness how sweet then will it be to see the first original independent good who is a sea and an abyss of good who hath all good in himself without stint and limit Those several delights we have from the variety of creatures God hath all in himself and much more
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
after eternal life The more our desires run out in one chanel the less will they run out in another Did we covet to live with God more to be admitted into the Divine presence to live in that state in which the Saints and Angels live we should covet other things less this is the truely noble covetousness we cannot covet this too much to live with God in his eternity Oh let us love eternal life If we have right thoughts of the future life and the future state we shall see nothing worth desiring and coveting in comparison of that state 7. Let us pray for a holy contentation of spirit with our present state This is the Directiou which the Apostle insinuates Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with the things which you have Contentation with our present state would prevent covetousness the reason why our desires are immoderate is because we are not content with Gods allewance Divine providence is never overseen Divina providentia not potest falli never mistaken Divine Wisdom measures out to every man what is best and if we could think so that would keep our desires from being too violent and impetuous after these things Lastly let us set before us the example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ he is the highest Pattern of holiness in every kinde Christ when he was in the world he was Lord of all yet he possessed little and as he possessed little of the world so he did not covet and seek after the things of the world His heart was wholly taken up in glorifying the Father and in finishing the work which he had given him to do he minded not gold or silver lands or possessions his heart was set upon other things True it is that having taken to himself not onely our nature but also the infirmities of it he used the things of the world in his passage as things accommodate unto that state of Humiliation unto which he had voluntarily subjected himself yet a little sufficed him of these things that were necessary for the support of nature so far was he from designing to heap up wealth and riches and from seeking great things for himself in the world Use 3 3. Of Admonition To admonish us not to set our hearts upon the world and earthly things This is the counsel which the Spirit of God gives us 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the world nor the things of the world This Admonition is most solemn if this solemn Admonition which the Spirit of God gives us will not bear weight in our conscience what little hope can we have that any other Admonitions should take place Vae tibi si amaveris condita deserueris Creatorem pulcra tibi sunt sed quanto pulcrior est qui ista formavit Aug. if so clear and express a Prohibition Love not the word do not bear sway with us what should Wo to thee saith Austin if thou love created things and forsake the Creator these things seem beautiful unto thee but how much more beautiful is he that made these things We are all of us too prone to fall into the love of the world and of earthly things When first we left God in our Apostacie in Adam we fell from God into the creature and there we have stuck ever since and it must be the mighty power of divine Grace to recover us out of the creature and to bring us back to God the love of the world is the great temptation to most of us I often think of the last counsel which an holy man gave a little before his death as he was drawing on toward his dissolution he called his Relations to him and gave them this as his last advice Make sure of Christ saith he and take heed of the world I have found that my greatest enemy If the world be our greatest enemy we have need to watch so much the more against it That which we shall do more in the prosecution of this Use is to propound several Considerations to take us off from the love of the world and earthly things First Consider the love of the world and of earthly things is a great wrong and injury done to God Aug. He that loves the creatures more then God offends the Creator We cannot love the world too much but we must of necessity love God too little No man can serve two masters So much as our love is let forth inordinately upon the creature it must of necessity be withdrawn from God Now this is the highest Sacriledge and Injustice Sacriledge to rob God of that which is his due Injustice to give that to the creature which is not due to it Secondly consider the Soul was made for greater things the Soul being an immortal and an eternal principle was made to converse with eternal things and to seek for happiness in eternal things Therefore when we love temporal things and pursue them as our happiness we forget the true nobleness and dignity of our own souls That which doth distinguish us from the Brutes is an intellectual principle whereby we are capable of contemplating and pursuing something that is eternal the Brutes minde present things It is the property of Sence to minde something present and to go no further When we onely minde and pursue present things we depress our selves beneath our own species and bring our selves as it were into the rank of Brutes and sensitive creatures Thirdly consider there are greater things for us to love there is a greater and fairer happiness that lies before us we have God and Christ to love there are eternal things that lie before us Non satiat animam nisi incorruptibilis gaudii vera certa aeternitas Aug. Serò te amavi pulchritudo tam antiqua tam nova serò te amavi Aug. Nothing satisfieth the soul but the true and certain eternity of that joy which is not corruptible Who would fix his eyes upon a Glow-worm that hath the Sun to look upon I have loved thee to late saith Austin O thou that art so ancient a beauty and so new and fresh a beauty I have loved thee too late We have the living and eternal God to love and yet we love dying things Well may we wonder at our selves that having the infinite and eternal God whom we might make the object of our affections we should take up with things so far short of him What are a few drops compared to the Ocean what are a few weak rays in comparison of the Sun what are all the creatures in comparison of the Creator God is an infinite Sea of perfection there are no bounds nor limits to his perfections In God there is all good that is desirable all perfection imaginable all perfection possible Do we desire life he is the fountain of life Do we desire wisdom he is the fountain of wisdom Do we desire holiness he is the fountain of holiness
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
Heavenly mindedness AND Earthly-mindedness In Two PARTS With an APPENDIX Concerning Laying hold on Eternal life By JOHN ROWE LONDON Printed by J. C. for Francis Tyton at the three Daggers in Fleetstreet MDCLXXII To the READER IT is the chief point of Wisdom to know what is true happiness If we place happiness in that which is not happiness we shall be deceived so much the more at last The things of this world cannot be happiness to us because the soul must live beyond them when the soul is gone out of the body it sees it self incircled with broad and vast â—â—ternity and when it is in its separate state it meets with none of those sensible Objects which it endavoured to suck contentment from whilst it lived in the body at what a loss then must that soul be for happiness who knew no other happiness but what was to be taken in from sensible things The designe of this small Tract is to put us upon the contemplation of that which must be happiness to us at last It is no difficult thing for us to come in our thoughts to the end of all those things which now we take comfort in Life it self and all the comforts of it must shortly have an end Now since all these things must have an end a short and speedy end it may not seem unreasonable for us to consider what the next state of things is like to be and what it is that must make us happy at last 2 Cor. 4.18 The things that are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal The minde of man is not quieted neither indeed can it be until it meets with something that will be happiness to it and it never meets with happiness until it sindes all the good it would have and also knows it shall have that good always without diminution intermission or cessation God alone is an infinite and an eternal good Nothing can be happiness to the reasonable creature but to enjoy him as the chief good and to acquiesce in him as its last ond and then is the minde quieted when it comes to six and rest in him The scope of the whole Discourse is to gather in our souls from sensible things unto God and to six them in the contemplation of that which must be our happiness at last That which was mainly designed in the first Part which concerns Heavenly-mindedness was to make some Essay how we might be brought to some suitableness and conformity to the life of Heaven and to shew so far as we could how we might be led into the beginnings of that life here on earth And that is the true reason why that which concerns that Matter is more insisted on and drawn out to a greater inlargement then might seem preportionable to the rest of the Discourse The other Part which concerns Earthly-mindedness was not to be omitted because it lyes so full in the Text and too sad experience teacheth that we need not more to be stirred up to the desire and love of eternal things then we do need to be warned against the love of this World which is the great Rock upon which many Professors split their Profession and indeed the great obstacle which keeps them off from the pursuit of eternal things All that I shall add more is that if Divine Grace help us to get up a little into the Spirit of the future life I am perswaded we shall finde it the sweetest frame of spirit whilst we live and to be sure most comfortable to us when we come to dye I doubt not but upon experience this will be found true that the firm and stedfast belief the desire and expectation of eternal things is much more sweet then the highest injoyment of temporal things And it will be no grief of heart to us when we come to dye that we have been a little acquainted with and in some sort accustomed unto that life here on earth which must be our life when we enter into the other world and must continue to be so unto Eternity THere is newly printed a Book intitled The worm that dyeth not Or Hell-torments in the certainty and eternity of them plainly discovered in several Sermons preached on Mark 9.48 by that painful and laborious Minister of the Gospel William Strong published by Dr. Thomas Manton and Mr. Jo. Rowe Sold by Fran. Tyton at the three Daggers in Fleetstreet The first part Concerning Heavenly-Mindedness Colos Chap. 3. Vers 1 2. Vers 1. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Vers 2. Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth THe scope of the Apostle in the whole context is to press us to the great Duty of Heavenly-mindedness Hic Paulus Colossenses hortatur ad meditationem caelestis vitae Calv. in Loc. Calvin observes the Apostle doth here exhort us to the meditation on of the Heavenly life We finde it very difficult for us to get up our hearts into Heaven we are most prone to stick in this earth and to rise no higher in our thoughts and affections then visible things and therefore there is great need that this duty of Heavenly-mindedness should be pressed upon us Now the Apostle propounds his exhortation whereby he presseth us to the Duty of Heavenly-mindedness two manner of ways 1. Affirmatively 2. Negatively I. Affirmatively in two expressions 1. Seek those things which are above in the first Verse 2. Set your affections on things that are above Verbum cogitandi magis exprimit assiduitatem studii vehementiam ac si diceret sit haec tota vestra meditatio huc ingenuum huc animum applicate Calvin in the second Verse The Apostle aims at one and the same thing in both expressions Seek those things that are above Set your affections on things that are above All that the Apostle aims at in both is this that he would have us to be Heavenly-minded onely to inforce the exhortation the more he repeats and doubles it and the variation of the phrase adds some more weight to the exhortation we must not onely seek but set our affections upon the things which are above It is not enough for us to seek the things that are above in any manner or after any sort in a careless indifferent way but we must set our affections upon these things that is our hearts must be taken up in them these must be the great things that must take up our souls II. The Apostle having propounded this exhortation affirmatively he comes to propound it negatively at the latter end of the second Verse Not on things which are upon the earth Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth So that as the Apostles scope is to press us to Heavenly-mindedness so his designe also is to press us to a holy contempt of this world and to take
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
greatest trouble and distress she desired nothing so much as God himself With my soul have I desired thee in the night as much as if the Church should say Though I need many things yet it is thee that I desire thyself Lord thy self rather then liberty and temporal deliverance Psal 73.27 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee It is the property of the Saints to desire nothing so much as God Whom have I in heaven but thee The Saints look at nothing greater or more excellent in heaven it self then God All the glory blessedness joy and delight that is in heaven is nothing in comparison of God himself nay all the joy happiness and felicity that they have in heaven it is from what God is to them This is certainly the spirit of heaven as the Saints in heaven have all their happiness in God so they desire to have it no where else but in God It is truely so saith Austin that God himself would not satisfie me unless he promised me himself Whatsoever God promiseth thee is worth nothing besides God himself Ipsum fontom vitae sitio esuâ—io It is the Fountain of Life that I thirst after I take it that a great part of the holiness of heaven lyes in this that the Saints in heaven would not have their happiness in any thing but God they are so pleased with God as that they would not exchange their happiness in him for any thing else so sweet shall the face of God be to them so beautiful that his face being once seen nothing else can delight them If we would come up into the spirit and life of heaven we should labour to be of this frame and temper not to be willing to exchange our happiness in God for any thing else that can be presented to us Now this ought to be understood aright when it is said that the Saints should desire nothing so much as God the meaning is not but we may desire other things in their place and in subordination to God the chief good but when God and the creatures come in competition when God and the creatures are compared together then should we say Thy self Lord and no created thing thy self Lord without all things rather then all things without thy self It is a speech of Bernard Ipse per se placet God is pleasing by himself and we should say his gifts are not so pleasing but that himself is more pleasing We should not defire so much any thing that God can give us as himself God himself should be more pleasing to us then all his gifts 15. If we would come up into the life and spirit of heaven Let us labour for affections and dispositions most like to God The happiness of heaven is described by thâ—â— That we shall be like him 1 Joh. 3.2 We shall be like him that is we shall be like him in holiness like him in happiness we shall be holy as he is holy happy as he is happy according to the capacity of creatures It is the greatest happiness of the creature to be assimilated to the Creator It is the greatest happiness of the creature to have his life brought as much as may be to an agreement and similitude to the Divine Life The Saints in heaven have the same judgement and estimation of things that God hath they will what God wills they love what he loves they delight in what God delights they a in at the same ends that God aims at The Divine understanding is the measure of Truth and the Divine will is the measure of Good what God judges to be best the Saints in heaven judge to be so what God wills to be best the Saints will it as such God values holiness and spiritual excellencies above external things Psal 147.10 He delights not in the strength of the horse he takes not pleasure in the legs of a man The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy God values grace and spiritual excellencies above all external things and therefore the Saints in heaven do so God knows that he doth most for a man bestows most favour upon him when he gives him most grace and not when he gives him any temporal thing and therefore holy souls think so too God wills holiness loves holiness and delights in holiness and therefore the Saints in heaven must needs will it love it and delight in it The Life of God is to know himself to behold his own excellencies and to refer all things to himself and the life of the Saints in heaven is to contemplate God and to refer themselves wholly to God we should labour and pray to be brought to as great a conformity to God here on earth as it is possible Be ye holy for I the Lord your God am holy be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect We would labour to have the same thoughts and apprehensions of things as God hath we should have the same value and estimation of holiness as God hath we should labour to have the same hatred of sin as God the same love and delight as God hath God loves himself and delights in himself above all things and we should love God and delight in God above all things God wills his own glory infinitely and we should will it to the uttermost of our possibility This is to come up to the life and spirit of heaven when we labour for affections and dispositions most like to God when we are brought up to as near a similitude to the Divine life as it is possible 16. If we would come up to the spirit and life of heaven Let us value all our comforts by what we see of God in them the state of heaven is described by this That God shall be all in all What is that among other things this is certainly one thing comprehended in that expression the Saints in heaven see God in all things and all things in God and every thing is amiable to them as they see God in it and no farther It is a memorable passage of a Modern Divine We shall saith he in heaven see God and imbrace him in our selves out of our selves and in all things so that though we shall see all the holy Prophets Patriarchs Martyrs also our own kindred and acquaintance yet all our affections shall rest in one God by Christ Nothing is sweet to the Saints in heaven but as they see God in it and nothing should be sweet to us but as we see God in it we should labour to see God in every thing finde out God in every thing and pass from every thing to God The best injoyments the best comforts the best conditions in this world are pitiful things poor dry sapless things any further then we see God in them God is the good of every good and if God be the good of every good
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
state Now want of a due consideration of these things is the cause that men are no more heavenly-minded Things that are not known are not desired are not loved are not longed after Had we a due consideration of the glory and eternity of the future state we should be more affected with it If we consider the glory of the future state either as to the privative or positive part of it we shall finde it a glorious and blessed state indeed 1. If we consider it as to the privative part to live in a state without sin without sorrow without grief or perturbation to live in such a state where there shall be no more wants no more infirmities no more imperfections to live in such a state where we shall be under no more temptations where we shall be free from death yea from the fear or possibility of death or misery to live in such a state where there shall be no more eclipses of the Light of Gods countenance where we shall be no more in danger of loosing the sight and sense of Gods love This is a glorious state if you consider it as to the privative part of it But then 2. If we consider the positive part of this state to live in such a state when we shall see God always when we shall always love him always delight in him to live in such a state where there shall be a full and perfect communication of God to the soul where there shall be perfect rest perfect satisfaction this is a blessed state indeed and then to think that there shall be no cessation no not the least interruption of this peace this joy this solace this satisfaction this must needs be a blessed and glorious state indeed Now want of the due consideration of these things is the cause why we are no more heavenly-minded Fools and slow of heart that we are we think there is no happiness no joy no comfort no life to be had but what is in this world and to be found within the confines of time whereas if we could get our hearts a little out of this world and get them up into the other world we should see there is the true life there is the true happiness there is the true consolation to be found there and there onely are these things to be found What are all the pleasures and delights and injoyments of this world in comparison of what the glorified Saints injoy in the presence of God in the sight of him and in the communication of him to their souls want of a deep solemn consideration of what is to be had and injoyed in the future life and state is a great cause why we have our hearts no more taken up with this life and state 11. Lastly the last impediment of Heavenly-mindedness that we shall mention is want of a due consideration what is our ultimate and last end We were not born to live always here on earth neither to injoy our last happiness here on earth but we were created to a blessed immortality to live in the presence of God and the holy Angels and to converse with God to all eternity Now want of a due consideration of this is that which makes us so little heavenly-minded Every wise man will minde his last end the acquiring and attaining of his last end is his uttermost perfection If man were not capable of an higher happiness nor destinated to a higher happiness then what the brutes and sensitive creatures are capable of and are destinated unto then it were his interest to minde sensible things onely but mans last end is higher then so mans last end is to attain the uttermost perfection his being is capable of Now man is indowed with an intellectual and an immortal principle which God hath put within him therefore mans last and ultimate end is to have a happiness suitable to this intellectual and immortal principle which God hath put within him Now want of a due consideration what that is by which our beings are perfected and in which we injoy our last happiness and perfection is one cause that we are no more heavenly-minded O do we think that there is no other happiness then what is to be taken in from sensible things and what is to be injoyed in this life This is a thought beneath the dignity and excellencie of our own souls this is to forget the principles of our own being and the great end we were created for Certainly our ultimate perfection is to injoy a blessed state of immortality an unchangeable state of happiness and if we observe the pulse of our own souls which way they beat and what we do naturally long for we shall finde that which we do most long for is immortality and an unchangeable state of happiness It is to be happy and unchangeably happy we naturally desire Now it is a vain thing to expect either of these in this world whilst we are here on earth neither is immortality nor an unchangeable state of happiness to be expected No this is reserved for the other world therefore there should our thoughts and desires lye If we would be heavenly-minded we should say within our selves We never expect happiness till we come into our own Country where we must spend the days of eternity we never expect happiness till we come where God and Christ is untill we come to see him be with him and enjoy him to eternity This is the last happiness God hath destinated his elect unto And this is the great happiness our souls should be suspiring and breathing after The Second Part Concerning Earthly-mindedness Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth THere are two Observations that have been propounded out of these words The first was this Observ 1 That it is the duty of Christians to seek after and to set their affections upon the things which are above If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above Observ 2 The second Observation was this That Christians ought to have their hearts taken off from the world and from earthly things and to have their hearts carried forth to an holy contempt of this world Set your affections on things above not on things upon the earth Having spoken to the main things which we intended from the former Point we come to the second That Christians ought to have their hearts taken off from the world and from earthly things c. Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth In the prosecution of this Doctrine we have three things to speak unto 1. To shew what we are to understand by earthly things 2. To shew what it is to have our hearts taken off from the world and from earthly things 3. To shew what is that holy contempt of the world that Christians should be aspiring after we ought to have our hearts taken off from the world and to be carryed forth
part with them and quit our interest in them when God calls us so to do When a man holds fast his estate and comforts when it is clear God calls him to forgo them it is a signe such a man hath little contempt of the world in him 7. We ought to contemn the world so as not to envie others for their worldly prosperity When a man thinks that others are happie and that he is not happie because he enjoys not what they do this is a certain signe such a man hath too great and admiring thoughts of the world and earthly things A man that hath an holy contempt of earthly things knows that men are not made happie by these things and therefore if God hath given him higher and better things Himself his Son his Spirit his grace pardon of sin and the hopes of eternal things he is not troubled to see God heaping temporal things upon such to whom he denies these things Therefore this is another thing wherein the contempt of the world doth consist when we contemn the world so as not to envie others for their worldly prosperity We come now to the Reasons of the Doctrine why we ought to have our hearts taken off from the world and from earthly things Reas 1 1. Because there is little good in earthly things Earthly things are rather good in shew and appearance then have any thing of solid good in them The good that is in earthly things is more in appearance then reality And as the world makes a greater shew of good then indeed is to be found in it so what good there is in it it is so thin and mean that it is not that which men take it for Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches take themselves wings and flee away Some observe that here are two Arguments to condemn the sin of Covetousness the one is taken from the vanity of riches the other from the instability of them It is the first of these that I am speaking of Wilt thou set thy bea rt upon that which is not Riches are not what they seem to be there is not so much good in them as men take to be in them External things have little of solid worth or excellencie in them Wisdom saith of her self that she will cause them that love her to inherit substance Prov. 8.21 In the Original it is that which is that which hath essence substance existence So the meaning is Those that love wisdom shall inherit substantial riches such riches as have real worth in them Christ grace and spiritual things they are real solid substantial goods there is substance solidity in these things But now external things they are not that is there is none of that substantial solid worth in them Not but that the creatures of God are good in their kinde and for the uses for which God hath appointed them the Lord made all things and behold they were good very good But when we say there is little good in these things the meaning is there is little good in them in comparison of spiritual and eternal things Bonum unus gratiae majus bono Naturae totius universi Aquinas The good of one Grace is greater then the good of Nature even of the whole Vniverse Also there is little of that good in them which men take to be in them men think that perfection is to be found in these things they think that happiness is to be enjoyed in these things earthly things are good in their place and for the uses God hath appointed them but they are not good to make a man happy they were never created for such an end and therefore if men think that these things are good to make them happy and that happiness lyes in them they are lamentably mistaken Reas 2 2. Earthly things are mutable changeable things as there is little good in earthly things so that little good that is in them is very mutable variable and inconstant This appears from the former Scripture Riches take themselves wings and flie away If a man should have a flock of Birds pitch in his Field should he set his heart on them should he think himself the richer for them before ever he can get near them they take the wing and flie away So unstable and uncertain are the things of this world no sooner doth a man approach to them and think to suck a little comfort and contentment from them but they are gone and pass away 1 Joh 2.17 1 Cor. 7.31 The world passeth away and the lust thereof The fashion of this world passeth away Temporal things are Herbae marcescentes withering Herbs All flesh is as grass and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field saith the Prophet Isai 40. Should a man set his heart on a fine flower in his Garden to day it flourishes to morrow all the beauty and glory of it is gone such are temporal things It is an expression Austin hath Tâ—â—spem poniâ— in rebus praesâ—â—tibus nec praesentibus nec eum dieenda sunt praesentia nunquam stantia Thou puttest thy trust in present things which yet are not present for those things are not to be called present that have no consistence that never stand or abide in one constant state If a man would set his heart upon any thing it is his greatest wisdom to set his heart upon that which is immutable for if a man set his heart upon changeable things his happiness must needs alter and change as oft as the things do that his happiness is made up of Now all earthly things are of a changeable nature and therefore it becomes us not to set our hearts inordinately upon these things If we love unchangeable things we shall have an unchangeable happiness 1 Joh. 2.15 16 17. Love not the world nor the things of the world for the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever The scope of the Apostle is to disswade us from the love of the world and to perswade us to the love of God the argument that he useth to disswade us from the love of the world is because the world is a mutable thing the argument he useth to perswade men to the love of God is because God is eternal and immutable He that doth the will of God abideth for ever One of the Ancients reads it thus He that doth the will of God abides for ever even as God abides for ever And Austine hath this expression Tenete dilectionem Dei Hold fast your love to God that as God is eternal so you may abide for ever Reas 3 3. Earthly things leave the soul unsatisfied after the gâ—â—atest in joyment of them Eccles 5.10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver A man may quickly come to the end of all the good the pleasantness the sweetness the delight that
soliticious to serve and please God 1. A covetous man loves these outward things more then he loves God that is a mans God which hath most of his heart The great Commandment is Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy strength When a man loves any thing more then God that is his god Therefore it is well said of one of the Ancients that a covetous man is guilty of idolatry Non exhibitione ceremoniarum sed oblatione concupiscentiarum not by the offering any ceremonies of worship to his gold and silver but by the oblation of his own desires and affections What the affection of the heart goes out most unto that is set up in the place of God 2. A covetous man trusts in his riches It is proper to God onely to be the object of our trust He that I make to be my God he onely ought to be the great object of my trust Psal 91.2 I will say of the Lord He is my refuge and my fortress in him will I trust So that whatsoever it is we make the great object of our trust that is our God A covetous man trusts in his wealth Psal 52.7 Lo this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches 3. A covetous man serves 〈◊〉 riches Hence is that of our Saâ—â—our Matth. 6.24 Ye cannot seâ— God and mammon All a covetoâ— mans care is to serve his own profâ— he hath little care to serve and pleâ— God This is the first thing to shâ— the evil of covetousness it is Idâ—latry 2. Covetousness is such a sin 〈◊〉 doth in a peculiar manner alienâ— and estrange the heart from God Thâ— School-men observe that covetouâ—ness is such a sin as makes us cleaâ— fastest to the creature Maximè adhaesivum creature maximè aversivum à Deo and turns us arâ—â— farthest from God The proper for mal reason and nature of sin lyes iâ— these two things 1. In the averâ—sion of the soul from God the chief good 2. In the conversion of the soul to the creature and covetousness carries both these two in it iâ— carries the soul from God the chieâ— immutable good and carries it to the creature and inferiour mutable good 3. Covetousness is altogether inconsistent with the love of God 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the world nor the things of the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Austin observes from those words There are two loves the love of the world and the love of God If the love of the world inhabit in us the love of God cannot enter into us And hence he infers Exclude malum amorem mundi ut implearis amore Dei Shut out the evil love of the world that so thou mayst be filled with the love of God When the heart is fraught and filled with other loves there is no room for spiritual and divine love This is a sure rule There cannot be two last ends if the world be a mans last end he cannot love God as his last end and therefore the love of the world is inconsistent with the love of God 4. Covetousness is such a sin as is most inconsistent with our communion with God It is a speech of one of the Ancients Amatorem mundi odit spiritus Christi The Spirit of Christ loathes a man that is a lover of the world God is curious of nothing so much as of his peoples affections My son give me thy heart and Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart When those affections which should be reserved for God are reserved for other things God loathes and abominates such a man If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our aabode with him Joh. 14.23 God promises if a man love him he will make his abode with him covetousness is such a sin as is inconsistent with our love to God therefore where the love of God is not God will never make his abode with such a soul 5. Covetousness is such a sin as is most directly contrary to the nature of grace and the work of the new creature in the soul the reason is the nature of grace is to carry out the soul to spiritual things and to cause it to desire spiritual things grace causeth the soul to minde a spiritual happiness and to look after a spiritual happiness grace makes a man see an excellencie in the pardon of sin in the favour of God in the image of God and in conformity to God On the contrary covetousness causeth a man to place his happiness in external things a covetous person placeth his happiness in those things which are bona corporis the good things of the body he regards not grace and spiritual things which are bona animi the good things of the minde Hence it is that the Scripture ranks covetousness amongst the worst of sins Ephes 5.5 Colos 3.5 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither fornicators nor adulterers nor esseminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God Here we see covetousness is rankt with the worst of sins covetousness is as directly contrary to the nature of grace as a gross sin and in some respect more and the reason is because it is possible a man by surprize and upon a sudden temptation may be overtaken with a gross sin when yet the bent of his soul hath been set against it but covetousness consists in this when the bent of a mans affections lyes towards earthly things and therefore nothing is more directly contrary to the nature of Grace then this sin and it becomes us to look to this because it is so inconsistent with the nature of Grace The thorny ground fell short of a true work of Grace upon this account because the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches did choke the world Many a mans profession comes to nought and never rises up to true grace because the love of the world is predominant in him though he may go far and have some seeming good affections yet all comes to nothing because the world hath the predominancie in his heart How much doth it concern us to look well to it to see that we do not loose all our profession upon this accompt that the world hath had more of our hearts then God and Christ have had 6. Covetousness is such a sin as is most contrary to our future life hereafter God shall be all in all hereafter we shall live upon God immediately without other things In heaven as we shall have no other happiness but God so we shall desire no other happiness but God himself If it were possible that the Saints and Angels could desire any thing which
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
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
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