some knowledge of God and Christ at first but we must labour to come to a more accurate exact knowledge of God and Christ 3. The Apostle would have them come to the riches of the full assurance of understanding 1. Here is riches that sets forth copiousness and abundance The Apostle would not have them have some slender tastes of God and Christ onely but he would have them inriched with the knowledge of God and Christ Phil. 1.9 This I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement 2. He would have them labour to attain unto the greatest certainty and assurance in their knowledge he would have them come to the riches of the full assurance of understanding This full assurance of understanding I take to be opposed to wavering and to doubting The Apostle would have us to come to a certainty in our knowledge A Christian should not be fluctuating and hesitating in his thoughts concerning God and Christ but he should endeavour to come to this that he may be able to say Upon this bottom I can live and dye that which I know concerning God and Christ is such a bottom that I can venture my hope my happiness my all upon This I take to be the meaning of that expression the full assurance of understanding Now these are the things above that we are to seek and to set our affections upon viz. God and Christ our thoughts are to be conversant about these things we ought to be taken up in the study of the mystery of God and Christ and then do we seek the things that are above when we converse much in our thoughts with God and Christ 2. By the things above we are to understand the glory and blessedness of heaven by the things above saith a Learned man we are to understand the kingdom of heaven Davenant the beatifical vision of God those joys which the saints shall one day partake of with Christ their head and the holy angels We ought to seek the things which are above as much as if he should say we ought to minde the glory and blessedness of the future state This is also to be gathered from the context If ye be risen with Christ seek the things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God as much as if the Apostle should say When I speak of the things above I intend nothing else but such things as are in Heaven such things as Christ injoys in the presence of the Father Seek the things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God It is as much as if the Apostle had said consider what it is Christ now injoys in the presence of the Father consider what glory Christ is possessed of Christ is above sorrow above pain above misery above death Christ enjoys perfect happiness in the presence of the Father now consider what Christ injoys and these are the things which are above This is manifest to be the Apostles scope from the fourth verse When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory It is as much as if it had been said Christ is now in glory and we shall one day be made like our Head we also shall appear with him in glory The Apostle would have us to minde this to think what that glory is that Christ our head is possessed of and what the glory is we shall be brought unto in conformity to Christ our Head the Head and Members must be like one another if Christ be now in glory the same glory is prepared for all that are Christs and this appears from our Saviours last prayer The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one Joh. 17.22 Therefore look what glory Christ as man and Head of the Church injoys we in our measure shall have a share in if we be Christs and Members of his Body This then we are to understand by the things above the glory and blessedness of the future state I have often thought there is nothing we are more wanting and defective in then this viz. in studying and contemplating what the glory and blessedness of the future state is we stick in present sensible things and do not elevate our hearts to the future glory but we ought to be of another frame 2 Cor. 4. Paul tells us He looks to the things which are not seen that is unto the things of the invisible world to the glory of heaven and the blessedness of the Saints there elsewhere he saith He reckons that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 that was an argument he had his heart taken up with the glory of that state 3. By the things above we may understand the life and imployment of the saints in heaven and our communion with God in heaven we ought to seek the things above that is we ought to think much of our future life and consider what our life and imployment in eternity is like to be though this be of near affinity with the former because our happiness in heaven and the glory and blessedness of that estate consists in the life we shall live there yet we may consider this under a distinct head and the distinct consideration of this will help to illustrate the former particular The Apostle tells us when we are absent from the body we shall be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 From this Scripture we may argue If when we are absent from the body we are present with the Lord then there is a life in which the soul shall live with God when it is in a separate state from the body a life that we shall live in the Divine Presence Now this is to seek the things that are above to consider what the life is that we shall live in the presence of God and the holy Angels when we have laid down this burden of flesh and are discharged from the body of death and shall be made free among the heavenly Society and admitted into the number of the Spirits of just men made perfect to know what our life and imployment shall be in that state this is to seek the things which are above Though we cannot comprehend fully and perfectly what this life will be yet we may understand a little of it as the Scripture doth reveal it the Scripture teacheth us thus much that hereafter we shall walk by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 Now we walk by faith not by sight That intimates when the life of faith ends then the life of sight and vision begins Here indeed we live the life of faith hereafter we shall live the life of sight and vision Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The Scripture teacheth us when we shall appear we shall be
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
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
of Mr. Rutherford were these Glory glory dwells in Emmanuels land We should pray for the clearest sights and prospects that may be of the heavenly glory The clearer sights we can get of eternal things the more shall we finde our hearts crucified to the things of time and the more shall we finde our hearts carried up aloft to those things that are above even whilst we are fain to use these other things for our present necessitie We come now to the Reasons of the Doctrine why we ought to lay hold on eternal life Reason 1 1. This life is a short transient thing it soon glides and slips away How soon do we pass from one state to another from infancie to childhood from thence to youth thence to grown age and from thence to old age and death My days are swifter then a weavers shuttle Job 7.6 Swifter then a post they go away Job 9.25 This life is a vanishing thing it is an easie prospect to see to the end of it the longest life here on earth is nothing to eternity Therefore since this life is so shppery short and uncertain it is our great wisdom to set our hearts upon that life that is solid durable permanent What wisdom is it to set our hearts upon that which is not perminent We have here no continuing city Heb. 13.14 Thsi life is madeup of changes and vicissitudes and abides in no consistency it is our great concernment to minde that life which is stable and enduring Reason 2 2. Eternal life is that state that we must rest and abide in That life which we shall live in the other world will always stick and abide by us as we are then we shall ever be It is not so with us now we are not now as we shall ever be we are still changing from one state to another But eternal life is that state we shall always rest and abide in When once we are entred into eternal life we may say It shall never be otherwise with me then now it is this is the state I must take up with and thus it shall be for ever Now doth it not become us to be reaching out in our souls after this state Certainly we ought to overlook this life and the whole of our time as a little short thing and fasten our eyes upon the unchangeable state above where we must six and abide for ever We look not to the things that are seen for they are temporal but to the things which are not seen for they are eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 Reason 3 3. Eternal life is the onely true life it is the most noble and excellent life What a poor life is this life to converse with this world and the things of it in comparison of eternal life in which we shall converse with God and the holy Angels What a poor life is this life which is made up of wants of sorrows of complaints of miseries of distresses of he constant fear and expection of death in comparison of that life where there is all joy no sorrow all fulness no want all satisfaction no complaint all happiness no misery all life no death nor fear of death Oh this is the life that we should be suspiring and breathing after Reason 4 4. We ought to lay hold on eternal life because the thoughts and expection of eternal life will carry us up above the difficulties troubles and afflictions of this life He that seeth the Port before him though he be out at Sea and is tossed with waves and tmepests yet he knows if he can get safe to the Port all is quiet placid and serene there He that hatha prospect by the eye of Faith of eternal life and the heavenly Country though he be tossed up and down with many afflictions tryals and distresses here yet he knows all is tranquil and serene above Ibi nulla mors nulla aegritudo There is no sickness no death The thoughts of eternal life may well swallow up all our afflictions This life is but for a moment in eternal life there shall be none of these things to trouble or disquiet us Let us wait patiently for the blessed hope and the revelation of eternal life and we shall know these sorrows no more Reason 5 5. If we lay hold on eternal life death will be no surprise or terror to us when this life fails we shall have another life in view nay we shall feel the beginningso f another life in us This is eternal life to know thee c. Joh. 7.3 So much as we know God adhere to him rest in him live upon him and are satisfied with him we have the beginning of eternal life and this is such a life as shall never end That natural life which is in a Saint fails and must have anend Oh! but there is in his soul the seed of eternal life Joh. 4.14 The water that I shall give shall be in him a well of water springing up to everlasting life A true Believer hath the Spirit of God an the grace of the Spirit dwelling in him and this is the seed o eternal life The Spirit of God which hath begâ—â— the knowledge of God and love to God in the soul of a Saint here on earth will continue that knowledge of God and love to God in the soul to eternity yea in eternal life this knowledge this love shall be perfected and consummated Hence is that of the Apostle Rom. 8.10 The body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness The body dies and the life of it perisheth and vanisheth away but the spirit the soul of a Saint which is the seat of Grace and the habitation of the Spirit of God continueth and lives when the life of the body ceaseth If the soul should dye with the body then grace it self must be extinct and perish But saith the Apostle the spirit is life because of righteousness The spirit of a godly man having a principle of righteousness in it continues in being and the spiritual life of it remains when the body dyes It is true the soul of a wicked man is immortal and continues to live when his body dyeth but the life which remains to a wicked man after this life being a life of misery and torment the Scripture chooseth to call it by the name of death rather then of life But a godly man enjoys an happy and a blessed life in his soul when this life ceaseth Hence is it that we read of the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 And Paul desired to be dissolved and to be with christ which was far better Phil. 1.23 Now when we feel such a life in us as cannot expire neither can be taken away from us why should we fear death Luther observes that the great cause why men fear death is a secret suspition that lyes at the bottom of their hearts Quasi non semper victuri as if they should not
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
and of Christ but we should pray for spiritual sense and experience as well as knowledge O taste and see that the Lord is gracious the more experimental sense we have of the sweetness of God and Christ in our own souls here on earth the more ardent will our defires be after the full injoyment of him in heaven and the more shall our hearts be fixt and set upon the contemplation of what we shall there injoy 3. Another great impediment of Heavenly-mindedness is sensuality and too much addictedness to present things It is the property of sensuality to be conversant about present things The Schools observe the motions of sensuality do tend to such things onely as are delectable to the outward senses sensuality mindes nothing but the delights of the body Now this principle of sensuality pulls us down so much to these inferiour things which are present and occur to sense that we cannot rise up in our thoughts to things that are absent and out of sight Sensuality is like a plummet of lead that hangs upon the soul and presseth it down and hindereth it from rising up unto its proper object it hinders the soul from ascending unto the contemplation of God and eternal things Austin If the minde have that from whence it may be delighted from without it will remain without delight from within Sensuality is a strong and forcible principle it carries us with a great force and violence and with a great impetuousness to those things that delight the senses and so strong is the power of sensuality that it oftentimes captivates the will and understanding and draws those superiour faculties of the soul after it so strongly is sense bent and set upon its object that it violently hurries the understanding and will and causes the minde to think of nothing else and the will to pursue nothing else but what sense is inclined unto When the soul is in this hurry it cannot be free for the contemplation of heavenly things holy contemplation requires a free sedate serene and well-composed soul When the soul is bent downward to temporal and earthly things it cannot rise up to the contemplation of eternal things 4. Another impediment of Heavenly-mindedness is unmortified lust When the Apostle had exhorted us here in the Text To seek the things which are above he bids us in the next place to mortifie our members which are upon the earth Intimating this that without the mortification of our lusts we shall never be fit to practice the great duty of Heavenly-mindedness Mortifie your members which are upon the earth Why members on the earth because corrupt lusts they do always tend to earthly things and they do detain and keep the minde to earthly things onely Now these fleshly lusts they are said to war against the soul 1 Pet. 2.11 One unmortified lust draws the strength of the soul after it and therefore they are said to war against the soul Fleshly lusts hinder the soul in the pursuit of its great interest the great interest of the soul is to injoy God and maintain communion with God Now unmortified lust carries the strength of the soul another way and so it hinders the soul in its ascent to the chief good 5. Another impediment of Heavenly mindedness is multiplicity of worldly business and immoderate cares about the things of this life Luk. 21.34 Take heed lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Here are two impediments of Heavenly-mindedness spoken of by our Saviour The first is sensuality comprehended in those words Take heed lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness A man that is given up to those lusts surfeiting and drunkenness is a sensual-minded man he is drowned in sensuality The other impediment is the cares of this life When a man is opprest with worldly care this hinders him in his preparation for death and judgement A man that is involved in multiplicity of worldly business and opprest with earthly cares hath no time or leasure to think of his soul to meditate on eternity and to contemplate the things of the other world His head and heart is so full of other things that he hath no time or leasure to minde eternal things It is the wisdom of a man that would keep his spirit free for God not to thrust himself into more worldly incumbrances then needs he must It is true if God call a man to more then ordinary work or business if his call be clear he may expect so much the more grace and assistance for God is not wont to be wanting to us when he gives us a call but when a man out of a covetous humour grasps at more then he is able to manage without prejudice to his spiritual state and calling as a Christian this oftentimes proves a great snare and a great impediment to Heavenly-mindedness It is true there is a double extreme Too much business or too little it is the will of God we should walk in a particular Calling and be diligent in it Christianity is no patron to idleness But then as the neglect of a lawful Calling is one extreme so too much worldly business too much incumbrance about earthly things more then we are called to is another extreme and oftentimes proves a great impediment to Heavenly-mindedness How is it possible a man should be free for God and heavenly things that is wholly drunk up and immers'd in the cares of the world 6. Another impediment of heavenly-mindedness is inordinate affection to lawful things When a man loves lawful things inordinately and too much this is a great impediment to heavenly-mindedness If any thing have more of the heart then God and Christ that must needs hinder the ascent of the soul to its proper object Where a mans treasure is there will his bea rt be if a mans treasure be above if he account it his great happiness to live with God and to enjoy him for ever such a man will keep his heart free for God A man who is heavenly-minded whose treasure and happiness is in heaven is most careful to keep his heart free for God he is most curious and jealous over his affections fearing lest any thing should have that room and place in his affection that should be reserved for God and Christ When we let out our affection inordinately beyond due bounds and measure when we over-love the creature and over-delight in the creature this is a great impediment to heavenly-mindedness Nothing can be that to us which God and Christ is nothing ought to be that to us which God and Christ is Holy and experienced souls are wont to say as Austin doth There is no reward more sweet to be had from God then God himself whatever God gives thee beside himself is less then himself Now when we set up the creature in the place of God and
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
which is the complement and perfection of all eternal life is to know God and enjoy him Joh. 17 3. This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God To know God in a way of Grace this is the beginning of eternal life here on earth to know God as reconciled in Christ to know him as a Father in Christ this is the beginning of eternal life and to know God in the way of the beatifical vision to see him face to face this is the perfection and consummation of eternal life in heaven Praemium est videre Deum vivere cum Deo c. This is says Bernard the Saints reward to see God to live with God to be in God who shall be all in all and to have God who is the chiefest good And Austin speaks to the same purpose This is the full blessedness of a man to see the face of his God to see him that made heaven and earth to see him that hath made him that bath saved him and that hath glorified him O what an inconceivable happiness must it be to have the Divine Majesty always present to the eye of the minde to see and behold the face of God who is an infinite good and not onely to see and behold God who is an infinite good in himself but also to see God who is this infinite good willing to communicate himself to the soul and to become an happiness to it The happiness of heaven doth not onely consist in this to be admitted to the sight of God who is an infinite good but also in this that we shall see the blessed God willing to communicate himself to us and to become a happiness to us Gen. 15.1 Fear not Abraham I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward As much as if God should say Whatever I am whatever I have shall be all thine so far as it is necessary to make thee happy God himself communicates himself to his people and he is their reward With thee saith the Psalmist is the fountain of life in thy light shall we see light Psal 36.9 With thee is the fountain of life How is it possible that the Saints and Angels should want life that see the fountain of life and are united to him they see the living God who is life and the cause of all life and by adhering to him who is immortal who is an indeficient never-failing spring of life they themselves are immortal in their happiness and derive a constant life and happiness from him who is the Fountain of life We may not wonder that eternal life should consist in the knowledge and injoyment of God God is the Fountain of life therefore they that adhere to the Fountain of life cannot be supposed to want life Thus have we given some brief touches concerning eternal life but alas who can speak of this as it is Eye hath not seen nor ear beard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what the things are that God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 2. But what is it to Lay hold on eternal life Here lyes the stress of the Text Lay hold on eternal life This brings us to the second thing and that is the act What it is to lay hold on eternal life I shall open this in seven Propositions as I did the former 1. To lay hold on eternal life is to make sure our title to eternal life Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which indureth unto eternal life as much as is our Saviour should have said Labour to make eternal life sure and labour to get a part in my Righteousness as that onely which can give you an interest in eternal life We see by experience this natural life which we live here on earth continues but a few days we see we cannot live always here on earth nay we see we can live but a short spâ—ce of time here on earth therefore this is out great interest to look after an induring life to lay hold on eternal life and to make that sure Certainly that is true wisdom to consider how things will end at last and these are thoughts proper for a reasonable creature What must be my happiness after this short life is at an end To have no hope or expectation of any thing hereafter but onely to cast upon what is to be injoyed in this life this is to level my self with the brutes this is to forget of what species and kinde of creatures I am and that I was created to injoy a blessed immortality For wherein doth man differ from the brutes but that he is capable of an immortal state and condition of happiness which the brutes are not capable of We ought therefore to make sure our title to eternal life this is the ultimate end and perfection of our being Man was not created to injoy an earthly happiness consisting meerly in the injoyment of earthly comforts but man was created to a blessed immortality in the presence of his Maker Consider what the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1.4 To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Our last happiness is reserved in heaven To expect our utmost happiness here on earth this is to forget the great and ultimate end for which we were created and to which we were destinated We were not made to have our happiness in this world we were created for an higher happiness our laâ—â— happiness is to live with God in thâ— Heavens This is the happiness wâ— are capable of and therefore this 〈◊〉 the happiness we should make suâ—â— of Lay hold of eternal life thaâ— is make sure thy title to eternâ— life 2. To lay hold of eternal life is 〈◊〉 see that the bent and tendencie of oâ— souls be carried out after eternal lifâ— Lay hold of eternal life it is as muâ—â— as if the Apostle should have said Lâ—â— eternal life be the great thing in thâ— eye let the bent and tendencie of thâ— spirit be carried out after etâ—rnal liâ—â— Every one hath the bent and tendenâ—â— of his spirit lying towards somethinâ— or other Observe the pulse of you own hearts and you will finde thâ— bent and tendencie of your own spâ—rits carried forth towards somethinâ— or other Some have their hearâ— carried out after the riches and profits of the world some after pleasures some after honours The gâ—nerality of men have the bent anâ— tendencie of their spirits carried ouâ— after something in this world Now God would have the spirits of his people carried higher then so God would have his people look beyond this world and beyond this life he would have the bent and tendencie of their spirits to lye towards eternal life Lay hold on eternal life Contemto mundo illuc enitere Calv. Calvin expounds it thus Contemn this world and raise thy thoughts higher This is the force of this
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
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
that he might not have sinned yet it was possible for him to sin and he did sin but in eternal life the will shall be so confirmed as that there shall not be a possibility of sinning Oh! how great will that happiness be when the soul shall enjoy the sweetness of eternal joys without intermission when the soul shall forget all its sins and sorrows as to any sense or experience of them yet not so as to be unthankful to him who hath been its Saviour and Deliverer 2. We should breathe long and suspire after eternal life We should elevate and lift up our hearts abovetime and this lower world breathe after the sweetness and delights of the Heavenly Country Those breathings that are in the hearts of the Saints after eternal things Cum sitimus res coelestes tum sentimus perpetuò aliquid gaudii voluptatis Roloc. in Joh. give them some taste of those things When we thirst after heavenly things saith a judicious Divine we do always perceive and experiment something of joy and sweetness Those breathings that are in the hearts of the Saints after eternal life are some of the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.22 We our selves which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption the redemption of our bodies Other men feel no such longings and breathings as these are for although there be a natural instinct in all men which carries them out to desire happiness yet none but the Saints long and breathe after the enjoyment of God as their happiness Therefore so far as we finde a thirst kindled in our souls after the sight and enjoyment of God in eternal life so far we have an earnest of eternal life in our souls How great a thing should it be to us to be admitted to the sight of the Divine Majesty to be taken up from the light of the Sun and Moon to the light of him who made the Sun and the Moon as Austin expresseth it It is a good observation of Luther How much joy is there when God doth exhibit by the Word one drop of consolation to such as are tempted and afflicted in conscience but far greater and unexpressible will that joy be when the God of all consolation shall reveal himself and shall wholly pour himself forth unto us in eternal life How should we breathe after this life Thirdly let us place our happiness and expect it no where but in eternal life We should carry our hope and expectation above this world and never expect to finde happiness Ipse finis erit desideriorum nostorum qui sins fine videhitur sine fastidio amabitur sine fatigatione landabitur Aug. until we come to live with God in eternal life He shall be the end of our desires who shall be seen without end loved without nauseousness praised without wearisomness This is life eternal c. It is a vain thing to expect happiness until we come to see God and to live with him in his eternity If the Lord make our passage in any measure tolerable thorow this world this is a mercy if he give us any comfort in outward things in this world these are mercies so far as he is seen and loved in them otherwise the best comforts here on earth are pitiful things for what can be truely good from which the chief good is absent Deus est omnis boni bonum God is the good of every good and nothing is good but as he appears in it But we ought to remember that our true and great happiness is to live in the Divine presence above and to have the sight of God to eternity And it is not possible that any soul that hath had one glimpse or one true taste of him should think any thing to be happiness short of that sight This therefore is to lay hold of eternal life to keep our spirits aloof off from the world as much as may be and to keep our spirits reserved for the enjoyment of God in eternal life The enjoyment of God in eternal life is the point and centre that we should be moving and tending unto When the Lord gives us any of the comforts and blessings of this life when he gives us estates friends the comfort of relations we should say These are the gifts of God and so far they are good but these are not my happiness my happiness is God himself my happiness is to see him and to live with him in his eternity Here should our desires rest and terminate and though we defire and use many things for necessity in the present state yet our desire and expectation should be still carried above these things and end no where but in the enjoyment of God Quis alius noster est finis nisi pervenire ad regnum cujus nullus est finis Aug. What other end have we but to come to that kingdom of which there is no end Fourthly we should labour to be in a readiness and preparedness of spirit to enter upon eternal life 2 Pet. 3.14 Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blame Our ambition should be to be found in such a posture and to keep our souls in such an holy evenness as that nothing may impede or hinder our free passage out of Time into Eternity We should labour to keep our Consciences pure We should see that the guilt of no sin remain upon our Conscience unpardoned unrepented of We should see that our affections be not intangled with the inordinate love of lawful things much less with the love of any sin We should labour to have our hearts fortified with a stedfast belief of the things God hath promised us in the other world the weakness of our faith in believing the things promised makes us very unfit for the enjoyment of eternal life We should often contemplate eternal life we should be thinking of it night day all the comforts that we enjoy all the necessary employments we are engaged in should not take us off from the frequent meditation of eternal life What so necessary to be thought of as that state which when once it is begun shall never have an end This whole life is but like one long dream in comparison of eternal life Oh! let us not forget eternal life but be still preparing and making ready for it Fifthly we should not take up or rest satisfied with what we have already attained in grace but press forward toward that which lies before us and is yet wanting to us This is the direction the Apostle gives us from his own example Phil. 3.13 Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but one thing I do forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Paul's aim and scope was to obtain
like him 1 Joh. 3.2 So that our life in heaven is so far revealed in the Scriptures that it is to see God to be like him that is that we shall live a life like to his life so far as the Creature is capable These are the things above that we should seek Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our converse is in heaven If Paul's converse was in Heaven then we must suppose he did contemplate in his minde what the life of Heaven was and his aim was to walk as the Saints in Heaven did to walk as one free of that corporation Our conversation is in heaven his endeavour was that his behaviour carryage and deportment might be such as if he were in Heaven among the Saints there This is to seek the things which are above to study what the life of Heaven will be what our imployment and converse there is like to be 4. Lastly By the things above we are to understand such things as have a tendencie to the future life and the future state It is the observation of a Learned man Davenant As by the things above we ought to understand the glory and blessedness of heaven primarily so secondarily and consequentially by the things above we are to understand those gifts of Grace which are as the seeds of this desired Glory as Faith Love Holiness and the rest of the Graces of the Spirit by which we are brought to eternal Glory The Graces of the Spirit may well be called the things that are above because as Anstine expresses it in respect of their excellencie they do excel all earthly things So then as we ought to seek the things above in this sense that is seek after the glory and blessedness of Heaven so we ought to seek that Grace that hath a tendencie in it to bring us to this glory Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded How would the Apostle have us minded he would have us minded like himself and what was Pauls frame read the former verse I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus that is I press towards the mark of perfection Why so for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus As if he had said I would get as high in grace here as is possible that I might be fit for glory hereafter I press toward perfection in Grace as that which is the way to bring me to that Glory As many as be perfect be thus minded The meaning is If you would approve your selves to be grown Christians excellent Christians Christians of the highest rank and form aim at perfection look at the highest attainments in Grace here that so you may be fitted for glory hereafter So that to seek the things which are above is to seek for a suitableness a meetness for the future life and state It is a great expression which we have 2 Cor. 5.3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked The Apostle is speaking of the glory of Heaven and of the Saints entring into that glory in their souls when their body is dissolved Now the Apostle's jealousie is this If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked that is lest he should be destitute and void of those graces ornaments and spiritual affections that might render him in some measure suitable to that state The Apostle Peter exhorts the Saints to furnish themselves with variety of grace all sorts of grace 2 Pet. 1.5 Add to your faith vertue and so one grace to another And what is the end that they might be brought to a greater suitableness to the future life so we have it at the eleventh verse For so an enterance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ As much as if he should say If you add grace to grace and grow to a greater excellencie in every grace So there shall be an abundant enterance administred to you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ so that this is to seek the things which are above when we minde and intend the acquiring and getting of grace above any earthly thing when by the strength of Christ and the grace of Christ in us we are still polishing and refining our souls growing up to more spirituality and aspiring to get higher and higher in grace that so we may be more and more fitted for the coming of the Bridegroom and that we may be found ready as it is said of the Bride the Lamb's Wife she had made her self ready Rev. 19.7 So that when we are trimming and refining and polishing our graces in the strength of Christ and endeavouring to attain to a greater suitableness to the heavenly life then do we seek the things which are above 2. I come now to the second Inquiry to shew what it is to seek after and to set our affections upon these things This we shall open in a few Propositions briefly I. To set our affections on things above it is to think much of these things If we would set our affections upon the things above our thoughts must be much imployed about these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word translated set your affections elsewhere is translated to minde Rom. 8.5 Those that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh So here we are exhorted to minde the things which are above the meaning is we should cause out mindes and thoughts to be occupyed and taken up about these things 1. We ought to think of the reality of invisible things we ought to think that the the things which are above are real things substantial things many do not think them to be so a great many think whatever is spoken of the other world and of the blessedness of the Saints above it is but a fiction and a fancie this is the temper of the Atheistical age in which we live but we ought to think of these things as realities as the greatest realities Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 Faith ought to make that present and real to us which is remote from sense 2. We ought to think of these things so as to study the nature and excellencie of these things 3. We ought to think of them that is our thoughts ought to dwell upon them we should not be content to have transient thoughts of these things but we should dwell much in the Meditation of these things This is one thing implyed in that expression set your affections that is set your thoughts on things above let your minde dwell on these things II. To set our affections on things above is to value and esteem these things above all other things The Criticks in the Greek tongue observe that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
and endeavour for the having and enjoying of that thing which we so seek after Heb. 12.15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God The word in the original is an emphatical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 using diligent care and inspection over your selves lest any fail of the grace of God If we would therefore seek the things which are above we ought to use the uttermost care and diligence for the acquiring of these things Thus we have the Doctrine opened We come now to the Application Use The great Use which shall be made of this Doctrine shall be by way of Exhortation to exhort us all to put in practice this great duty of Heavenly-mindedness let us labour to get our hearts out of this world above this earth and to get up our hearts into Heaven where our true happiness and felicity lyes It was a familiar expression used by the ancient Church Let us lift up our hearts Sursum corda let our hearts be above our hearts should be above they should be above this lower world they should be conversant in the upper world where God and Christ the Saints and Angels are and where our true rest happiness and felicity is to he expected In the prosecution of this Use there are three things to be done 1. Give a few Motives briefly to quicken and to press us to the great duty of Heavenly-mindedness 2. Lay down some Directions for the putting in practice this duty 3. Shew what the great Impediments of Heavenly-mindedness are For Motives to quicken us to Heavenly-mindedness consider Motive 1 I. Our Regeneration and the life which we live as Christians calls u◠to Heavenly mindedness If ye be rise◠with Christ seek those things which ar◠above A Christian is one risen from the dead he is risen from the death of sin to the life of grace Now a man that is risen from the dead doth not live like other men we ought to live as those who are risen from th◠dead what an unsuitable thing were it to see a man risen from the dead to be much concerned about the affair of this world he is called to another state to another life a Christian is a man risen from the dead and therefore he ought not to converse as other men do our vocation and calling as we are Christians calls us off from sin from the world from sublunary vanities and calls us up to God to seek for our happiness and satisfaction in God 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye are called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord A Christian is called unto fellowship with God and Christ to have his happiness in God and Christ This is life eternal Joh. 17.3 to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent A Christians happiness is to know God and enjoy God in Christ and therefore his heart should be where his happiness lyes Before conversion the soul seeks for happiness in the creature and in sensible things the work of conversion brings the soul off from the creature unto God in Christ Now then God and Christ being in Heaven our hearts should be where the centre lyes the end of our vocation or effectual calling was to bring us unto God in Christ as the point and centre of our rest we do not understand the end of our calling unless we know this that our calling was intended to bring us to God in Christ to take up our rest in God by Christ it is the end of our vocation that we should seek the things which are above Motive 2 II. To press us to Heavenly-mindedness consider our country is above mens hearts do naturally lye in their own Country now all the Saints of God may say Coelum nobis Patria heaven is our country It is said of the ancient Saints expresly They seek an heavenly country Heb. 11. That is a mans Country which is the place where he was born the place where he lives and where his inheritance lyes the Saints are born from above it is our Saviour's expression John 3. unless a man be born from above the Saints are born from above their original is from the Spirit of God who comes from above and their inheritance is above and they must live for ever above and therefore their hearts ought to be above whence their original was where their inheritance lyes and where they must live for ever Motive 3 III. Christ our Head is in Heaven and that is Motive sufficient to press us to Heavenly-mindedness Paul thought it so here in the Text Seek those things which are above Why so where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God As much as if he had said Christ our Head is in Heaven he is possessed of happiness and our hearts should be where our Head is look what happiness Christ as Man and Head of the Church injoys the same blessedness is destinated and appointed for us in our measure what happiness Christ as man is brought unto is but an instance what all the Saints in their measure shall be brought to Doth Christ as he is man live in the sight of God we also at last shall be brought to that sight Is Christ as he is man above misery above pain above death Is Christs humane body cloathed with glory and immortality unto the same condition shall we be brought at last So the Apostle tells us in Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodies and make them like unto his glorious body Now we ought to think what happiness Christ our Head enjoys and to consider that the same happiness in a degree and proportion is prepared for us Christ is entered into Heave◠as our fore-runner Heb. 6.20 and all the members shall follow the Head If Christ be in Heaven possessed of glory for us and have given us an earnest in wha◠he possesseth what we shall be brough◠unto it is an unworthy thing for 〈◊〉 to minde this earth and forge◠what our Head is possessed of for us and will bring us unto Motive 4 IV. Consider our true happines◠lyes above and it is a vain thing t◠expect it in this life This the Apostle intimates in this place You ar◠dead and your life is hid with Chris◠in God As much as if he should say You will never be happy you will never come to true happiness till yo◠come to be where Christ is till you come to enjoy what Christ enjoys your life is hid with Christ in God that is your happiness is to live as Christ lives to enjoy what Christ injoys and till you come to possess what Christ possesseth you are never happy Now then if our happiness consists in what Christ enjoys then it becomes us to study and meditate much what the happiness and glory of Christ is and what our happiness will be in conformity to what our Head enjoys we shall never be
happy till we are arrived to that happiness Christ is possessed of Aquinas in his Book Contra Gentes lays down this as one position That mans last happiness cannot be in this life and there are many arguments he gives to prove it among which these are some 1. One reason why our last happiness cannot be in this life is because we cannot see God as he is we cannot see God in his Essence as his expression is here on earth Per essentiam No man can see my face and live saith God to Moses Our mortality will not bear the sight of God face to face Now without the clear sight and vision of God there cannot be perfect happiness for this is life eternal John 17.3 to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. Another Argument that happiness cannot be attained in this life is True happiness can never be attained unless the natural desire and appetite which is in man be satisfied then is a man happy when he enjoys all the good he would have if there be any good wanting to a man he would have such a man cannot be happy because his desire and minde is not quiet Happiness consists in this when the minde hath all it would have Now there is no man knows or injoys so much here on earth but he still desires to know and injoy more now until the natural appetite which is in man be filled up there cannot be perfect happiness A third Argument is this Mans natural desire is carryed out after stability in happiness as every man desires happiness so he desires a stable happiness if a man have that which he accounts happiness unless it be stable and constant to him such a man hath not attained to true happiness for it is of the nature of happiness to be unchangeable that which is possible to be lost or interrupted is not worth the name of happiness Now there are many accidents that may occur that may interrupt the best happiness we can have here on earth and whilst there is a possibility that a mans happiness may be interrupted the midne cannot be quieted as to the injoyment of what it apprehends as its chief good Now if a mans last happiness cannot possibly be attained in this life it concerns us to have our thoughts elevated to the other world and to minde that state where true happiness is indeed to be found Motive 5 V. Lastly to perswade us to seek the things which are above consider the things which are above are the most durable and permanent things What folly is it to set our hearts upon things which will not last always riches pleasures earthly delights life it self will not last always but the things of the other world last always God and Christ are always the same the life which we shall live above is a perpetual constant life 2 Thess 4.17 we shall ever be with the Lord. Certainly this is true wisdom to fix our hearts upon eternal things to keep our hearts upon those things which will always abide by us The things of this world are transient things and pass away we may have them so long and nâ— longer there is an end of them oveâ— a few days but the things which are above are permanent stable always the same A man shall never be deceived in his hope of happiness if he fix his heart upon eternal things and thereason is because these things do always remain and the object of his happiness is still the same therefore it is a good speech of Austin Junge cor tuum aeternitati â—ternus eris Joyn thy heart to eternity and thâ—â— thy self shalt be eternal The way to have an unchangeable happiness is to love unchangeable things it is not possible a mans happiness should last any longer then the things he placeth his happiness in if he love changeable things then a man will have but a changeable happiness if he love unchangeable things then he will injoy an unchangeable happiness if we love the unchangeable God we shall then never be to seek of happiness our happiness shall still be the same These be the Motives II. We come now to the Directions to shew how we ought to put in practice the great duty of Heavenly-mindedness 1. If we would put in practice this great Duty of Heavenly-mindedness let us contemplate and meditate much of the future life we should transfer and carry our selves in our thoughts out of this world and by holy contemplation set our selves down as it were in the other world it were good for us if now and then we could leave this earth behinde us and climb up to heaven in our thoughts and consider a little so far as we may what the state and condition of the other world is we should study what God is and what Christ is we should contemplate how it is that God communicates himself to the souls of his people in the other world we should contemplate what the actings of the soul upon God the chief good are and what the delights and satisfactions of the soul are like to be this is to meditate on the future life the more we contemplate the future life and make the things of the other world present and familiar to us the greater alienation of spirit shall we finde from this world and the more will our mindes and hearts be carryed forth to the future state 2. Let us labour as much as may be to get up into the spirit and life oâ— Heaven labour for an Heaven-like frame that is such a frame as is most suitable to the life and spirit of the Saints in Heaven It is the observation of a Learned Divine when the Apostle exhorts the Saints to seek the things which are above his intention is we should be daily conforming our life to the example and patern of that heavenly life Ad exemplar illius vitae coelestis Zanch. we ought to study what the life of Heaven is what the frame and disposition of the Saints in Heaven are and to get a frame and spirit as suitable to their frame and spirit as is possible It is a great expression of the Apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 5.9 We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him He had said in the verse before We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Paul was confident that when his body was dissolved he should immediately be with God in his spirit that his soul should be taken into glory this was his confidence Now saith he we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him as much as if it had been said Although we cannot be so happy as yet to get into Heaven although we cannot be present there in person yet we would fain have an Heaven-like frame we would have such a frame of heart here on
earth as should bear proportion to that frame and temper we hope to be of in Heaven We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him we would be such to the Lord in the frame and disposition of our spirit whilst we are on earth as we hope to be to him hereafter whether present or absent we would be acceptable to him But here the great Inquiry will be Quest How may we get more up into the spirit and life of Heaven since a great part of our seeking the things above consists in a conformity to the Heavenly life how may we do to get more up into the spirit and frame of the Saints in Heaven This is a noble Inquiry and deserves to be the matter of our study and contemplation all our days What is the great concernment of a Christian but after he hath gotten into Christ and hath gotten some assurance he is in the state of Salvation to be working up his heart into the spirit of the future life A Christian hath two great Works to intend in this world first to make sure his title to Salvation to pray for a more clear and distinct understanding of his union with Christ that he may see he hath a sound title to eternal life and glory Secondly to pray for Grace that God would work up his heart into the Spirit of the future life that so he may be adapted and suited to that life and brought to as great a conformity to it as may be here on earth Now what Directions may be given us as to this to bring us more up to the spirit and life of heaven here on earth before we come to be taken thither in person This being the main thing intended in the whole Discourse I shall take liberty to be a little large here and there are many particulars that must be spoken unto Answ 1. If we would get up into he life and spirit of Heaven let us begin by degrees to withdraw our hearts and affections from present sensible things What is the life of Heaven but this God shall be all in all hereafter we shall live upon God purely and immediately without all creatures therefore by degrees we should labour to have our hearts more taken out of the creature and gathered into God Mistake me not whilst we are here on earth we must use the creatures and it is the will of God we should use them and not to use them to those ends God hath appointed them were to tempt God and make our selves wiser then God But here lyes the skill of a Christian while we do use the creature converse with sensible things still to labour to see God in every creature and to pass from every creature to God not to stick in the creature but to pass from the creature to God and then to think of such a time when we shall live upon God without these things Non te prâ—hibet Deus amare ista sed diligere ad beatitâ—dinem It is a good speech of Austin God doth not forbid thee to love these things speaking of created things but he forbids thee to love them as thy happiness We ought to keep our hearts free and reserved for God in the use and presence of all creature injoyments we ought to love nothing as our happiness but God I should be all one with us as to this whether we have the creature or have not the creature whether we are full or empty whether we want or abound we should still be at the same point of rest in God as in the centre we should cleave to him as our chief good and imbrace him as our onely portion If God gives us creatureâ— comforts and injoyments we should labour to see God in them and finde out God in them and when we taste any sweetness any delight in the creature when we finde any suitableness or conveniencie in the creature we should say Here is God This sweetness this suitableness this convenience is but a drop of the Occan all this is to elevate me to the Fountain There is nothing more in any creature-comfort or injoyment then what God hath put into it therefore must my soul say I look at God in all these things I stick not in the creature but I look at God the creatures are made to shew me God This should be our frame in the presence and injoyment of the creatures and then we should think much of that time when God will communicate himself to us immediately There is a time when I shall drink no more from the Cistern but shall take in all from the well-head There is a time when I shall have no more need or use of these things which are now as so many organs or pipes to convey comfort to me by God shall be all himself and shall supply all by himself God shall be instead of Sun and Moon to me instead of meat and drink to me instead of all relations God himself shall be all things We should think much of that time and state when God shall be thus to us This is one way to get up into the spirit of the future life by degrees to begin to withdraw our hearts and affections from present sensible things 2. If we would get up into the life and spirit of Heaven let us minde a spiritual happiness seek after a spiritual happiness and be taken up in the thoughts and desire of a spiritual happiness The happiness of Heaven is mainly and principally a spiritual and an intellectual happiness the happiness of God himself is a spiritual an intellectual happiness The Being of God is a spiritual being and the happiness of God is a spiritual happiness suitable to his Being God hath no other happiness then to know himself and understand himself The happiness of the Saints and Angels is a spiritual intellectual happiness The Angels and Souls of glorified Saints are spiritual substances and therefore their happiness must needs be a spiritual happiness The Angels and glorified Saints have no gross material objects to live upon they have no other happiness then what they take in by their understandings and wills O consider it true happiness consists mainly and principally in what the soul injoys not but that the body shall at last participate of happiness with the soul when the body shall be raised the body shall participate in its kinde with the happiness of the soul but the Essence of true happiness lyes mainly and principally in what the soul enjoys and that appears from those words of our Saviour John 17. This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God It is the soul that is capable of knowing and enjoying God and therefore true happiness and eternal life consists properly in what the soul injoys Sensual minded men are apt to think there is no happiness but what the body enjoys and is taken in by the senses but true happiness is an inward thing
finite thing the happiness of smite creatures but God's happiness is the happiness of the first infinite and eternal Being Now it becomes us to be more pleased to see God happy then that we are so and to see him great and glorious then that we are so Here lyes the prefection of a created will to take complacencie in the Divine perfection as being the highest and uttermost object that it can acquiesce in The highest strains of grace lye in these two things 1. To desire the glory of God above all things 2. To take complacencie in the glory of God above all things The more we can attain to these here on earth the nearer do we come to the life and spirit of heaven 6. If we would come more up into the life and spirit of heaven Let us labour to have the most immediate dependance upon God and to expect all from God The Saints in heaven have the most immediate dependance upon God for every thing they see all comes from God and they depend upon him for all The Saints in heaven do not receive their happiness comfort and satisfaction from the organs and pipes of the creature as we do but they receive all from God immediately and as they receive all from God immediately so they know they receive all from God immediately and they depend upon God foâ—â—ll and expect all from God therefore the more immediate our dependance is upon God and the more we expect all from God the nearer do we come to their life Psal 62.5 My soul wait thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him The time is coming when we must depend upon God for all when we come to dye none can help us but God friends cannot help us no creature can help us and life it self will fail us all our expectation then must be from God if he fails us all fails us when this life fails and ceaseth we must depend on God to give us eternal life no creature can give us eternal life no friends no not the nearest Relations can help us when we come to extremity God then must be our onely friend it is good therefore to have all our dependance upon him and expectation from him now If we expect no good no happiness no comfort but what comes through the conduit-pipes of the creature when they fail all our happiness must fail therefore it is good to expect that God should give us that which no creature can that God should communicate himself to us when all creatures fail When we have all creatures round about they can afford us little help or relief in a time of extremity therefore it is good to have our expectation raised above all creatures and to expect all from God immediately And this is to be brought nearest to the life of the Saints above Onely let us take this Caution When we say that we should depend on God immediately and expect all from God immediately the meaning is not as if we might not make use of the creatures as helps appointed by God in their proper places we may and ought to use the creatures in that way and for those ends unto which God hath appointed them but take heed you expect not too much from the creature our expectation ought to be raised above the creature we ought to consider no creature can do us good but as God puts virtue into it makes use of it for our good and as God acts it and communicates himself by it our great dependance therefore ought to be upon God himself above all creatures 7. If we would come more up into the life and spirit of the Saints in heaven we should labour to take up our rest and satisfaction in God The Saints in heaven are perfectly satisfied with God and in God Psal 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness that is when I awake in the morning of the resurrection I shall be satisfied with the vision of thy face The sight of God is the most satisfying sight and that will appear from these three considerations 1. Because the Saints in seeing God see all things in God there is nothing in the effect but what is in the cause the Saints by seeing God must necessarily see the perfection of all things in him 2. The Saints in seeing God are arrived to the uttermost perfection beyond which there is no perfection That which causeth unquietness in the minde of man here in this world it is because when he hath found one good still he thinks yet there is a higher good and when he hath found that still he thinks there is a higher to be enjoyed but when the soul once comes to the highest good which is truely so and knows there is no higher then it rests and quiets it self here Now the Saints that are come to the sight of God know there is no higher good then God therefore their mindes are satisfied in God 3. The Saints in beholding God behold infinite perfection they see that in God that will fill their capacity brim-full now then the Saints having their uttermost capacity filled this is that which must needs breed perfect satisfaction So then if the Saints in heaven are perfectly satisfied in God and desire nothing more then what they have in God we should labour to come up to this spirit to be satisfied in God and with God We should rest in God as in our Centre Psal 116. Return O my soul unto thy rest Though we desire many things for our necessity as food raiment outward conveniencie and the like yet we should covet nothing as our rest but God Here is my rest whether I have much or little want or abound God is my rest we should labour to say so inwardly sensibly and experimentally that God is my rest I need nothing as my happiness but God 8. If we would get more up into the spirit and life of heaven Let us look down upon all the things of this world as poor and mean things The Saints in heaven who live with God and have the sight of him see that in him and have that before their eyes which makes all the things of this world seem poor and mean to them Most true is that saying Qâ—i parum de luce Creaturâ—s aspexerit breve ei eâ—i 〈◊〉 quoâ— crâ—atum est He that hath seen a little of the Creators light every thing that is created seems little to such a one When the Sun appears the Stars vanish and disappear a greater glory buries and swallows up a less We should labour to have such great thoughts of God as that the creatures may seem but little to us That which causeth admiration is some surpassing excellencie in the object when we finde something to parallel or to go beyond that which we did admire we shall cease to admire that which at some times we did admire Now we shall never finde any thing here below that will
a way of Faith we should covet after the knowledge of God which is to be had from the Word and is possible to be attained unto here on earth Here we walk by faith not by sight 2 Cor. 5.17 although we cannot know God in a way of vision as we shall know him hereafter yet we may know him in a way of Faith Now we should covet to know God in a way of Faith as he hath revealed himself in his Word we ought to prize and covet after the knowledge of every truth of God but especially we ought to covet after the knowledge of God himself who is prima Veritas the first original Truth The Scripture doth every where commend to us the knowledge of God Col. 1.10 Increasing in the knowledge of God 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Then shall we know the Lord if we follow on to know the Lord Hosea 6.3 Jer. 9.23 24 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man glory in his strength but let him that glorieth glory in this that he knoweth me saith the Lord. I have often thought that it is the great sin of Professors that they do no more press after the knowledge of God and Christ here on earth and that they are no more taken with the discoveries of God and Christ that are made to them we hear often of the great things of God and of Christ but alas these things are little valued and esteemed by us but it ought not to be thus with us Certainly if our ultimate and last happiness be to know God in the way of the beatisical vision the next happiness to this it is to know God as he may be known here on earth and this will be found in experience to be true that there is more true sweetness to be taken in from the knowledge of God that is attainable here on earth then there is from the enjoyment of any temporal thing And therefore holy souls are wont to bless God more for revealing himself and his Son to them then for the greatest temporal thing he ever gave them God is the highest and most Supream Object that the minde of man can converse with and the more the minde of man is taken up in the contemplation of this Supream Object the greater amplitude liberty and inlargement will it finde in it self Inferiour things do but limit narrow and confine the soul for this is certain that the soul it takes in liberty amplitude inlargement greatness I say the soul takes in amplitude or confinement according to the nature of the objects it doth converse withal Lower and inferiour objects do but narrow and confine the soul because they are beneath the capacity of the soul but if the soul did rise up to the knowledge and contemplation of God who is the first eternal Truth then it would finde liberty amplitude and inlargement then it would see it had a broad and spacious field to walk in Certainly if the greatest happiness of heaven be to know God so far as we are capable to know him our greatest happiness here on earth is to attain as great a measure of the knowledge of God as it is possible 13. If we would come up into the spirit and life of heaven Let us keep the eye of the minde as much as may be fixt upon God It is said of the holy Angels that they always behold the face of their Father which is in heaven The Saints and Angels are never weary of beholding the face of God The Saints in heaven as they do see God so they do always see him and they are never weary of seeing of him Nihil quod cum admiratione consideratur potestâ—esse sassidiosum Aquin. when we have beheld God never so long we may still see that in God which may draw forth our admiration It is a true observation Nothing which is beheld with admiration can be nauseous and wearisome to us and the reason is because as long as we are under the admiration of a thing so long our desire remains to that thing Now the Saints in heaven do always behold God with admiration and therefore they are never weary of the sight of him God is an infinite object and therefore cannot be comprehended by a finite understanding therefore the Saints in heaven when they behold God being never able to come to the bottom of his perfections are still detained in the admiration of him as they always see him so they always desire to see him The Saints in heaven are never weary of their happiness as they see God so they always desire to see him Now in imitation of the Saints above we should keep the eye of our mindes as much as may be fixt upon God When the eye of the soul is off from God it is off from its centre and when things are off from their centre they are never quiet and at rest if we consider it well we shall finde that the cause of all our trouble and disquietment is when our hearts are unhinged and when they are taken off from God when the eye of the minde is turned upon God then the soul is in its proper place and there it findes rest we should therefore keep our minde as much as may be at a point of rest in God if we keep the eye of the soul fixt and intent upon God we shall always finde that in God which will give rest and contentment to the soul It is said of Moses That he saw him who was invisible Heb. 11.27 Moses kept the eye of his minde fixt and intent upon God And David saith Mine eyes are ever towards thee Psal 25.15 So much as the Divine excellencie draws the eye of the soul towards it with admiration so much do we come up to the spirit of heaven an heavenly-minded soul thinks it much to have its eye taken off from God not but that there will be many things that will interpose to divert us while we are in our present state but then we ought to remember so far as we are grown up to Heavenly-mindedness we shall never think it well with us till we are returned and brought back again to the admiration of God The sense that is of God's excellencie in holy souls makes them thus to pray O that our souls may be eternally ravished with thine eternal excellencies 14. If we would get up into the spirit of heaven Let us desire nothing so much as God Isai 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early This is the language of the Church the Church needed many things and she desired many things she needed liberty and deliverance and she desired liberty and deliverance for this Song as is conceived by judicious Divines is penned with relation to the Church in Babylon yea but when the Church was in the
give that to the creature which is due to God onely this must needs be a great impediment to heavenly-mindedness A man that would be heavenly-minded whilst he is using lawful things ought to think with himself These things are good for present use these things are suitable to my present state these things are good so far as I see God in them but these things are not my happiness my happiness is a superiour happiness my happiness is to live with God and Christ in the other world therefore though I use these things I ought not to think them to be my chief good nor to take up my rest in them 7. Another impediment of heavenly-mindedness is too much addictedness to the love of this life We are exceeding loth to think of going hence we would fain live a little longer here on earth that we might solace our selves in outward comforts and enjoyments This addictedness to the present life is a great impediment to heavenly mindedness He that would be heavenly minded ought to sit loose from this world and the present life he should be able to think with contentment of going hence and entring into the future state the thoughts of the divine presence into which we are to enter should wean us from this world and the love of this present life We should labour to have such great thoughts of the Divine presence into which we are to enter that it should not be grievous to us to part with this world and all creatures and to part with this life to go into that presence 2 Cor. 5.8 Absent from the body and present with the Lord. No sooner do we leave the body but presently and immediately if we be the Lords we enter into the Divine presence Now the thoughts of that presence should so over-power our souls that we should be willing to quit our station here to enter into that presence It is a speech which one of the Ancients hath There are some saith he Solo leternitatis amore pâ—â—cuntur that are fed onely with the love of eternity O these are blessed souls indeed but how few such souls as these are there to be found We are so much wedded to the present life so much addicted to present things that we cannot rise up to the contemplation of eternal things we cannot be willing to forgo this life and present things to go to God and live with him in his eternity This fondness of the present life is a great impediment to Heavenly-mindedness 8. Another impediment of heavenly-mindedness is presumption of long life The generality of men are apt to think it is soon enough to think of eternity and the future life when they are grown old or brought into some great sickness so that they have no hope of a longer life and we are apt to think of a long life here on earth we are too apt to presume there are some more years we may live and this inclines us to think how we may make the best of this world while we live in it and so we put off the thoughts of the future state But we ought to be of another frame and temper we ought to pray as Moses did Psal 90. Teach us so to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom And what is it so to number our days as to apply our hearts to wisdom but this So to consider that our present life is short and uncertain here on earth as to think of another life and state that is more lasting and permanent and to prepare for it Death may surprise us before we are aware and to be sure we cannot live long much less always here on earth this therefore is true wisdom to consider how we are like to spend the days of eternity and what the life is we are like to live in the other world A wise man will consider the end of things he will consider how things are like to be with him at last True wisdom respects the longest state and duration of things To presume of a long life here on earth which if it were the longest is not so much as a moment to eternity and to forget the future state which is everlasting this is the greatest folly 9. Another impediment of heavenly mindedness is a false opinion of the world and of earthly things Men think there is more good more happiness more satisfaction in the world then indeed there is to be found in it No man will minde and look after an absent and an unseen happiness when there is an happiness as he imagines that is present and lies before him The world lies before men as a fair and a pleasant field and there are variety of flowers appear in it this and the other pleasure this and the other contentment that presents it self Surely think men if I am in such a condition I shall finde something there if I have this enjoyment I shall finde happiness there but the world is not that which men take it for when they have tried the variety of pleasures and conditions they expected happiness in they do not finde that happiness and satisfaction in them they expected All earthly pleasures have an emptiness in them and leave the soul under a greater thirst after the enjoyment of them then it was in before It was the speech of a Philosopher that Plutarch mentions What gluttonous person is there that saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now I have eaten and it is enough and what amorous person saith Now I have loved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is enough Carnal pleasures are so far from quenching the thirst of the soul that they do increase it and though it commonly falls out that sensual men are soon surfeited and cloyed with one pleasure yet not finding that which they expect in one pleasure that doth beget in them a thirst after some new pleasures These golden dreams of finding happiness in earthly delights makes men forget the true pleasures the pleasures that are at Gods right hand This imaginary happiness which men please themselves with in earthly things takes them off from minding that which is solid substantial happiness indeed 10. Another impediment of Heavenly-mindedness is want of a due consideration of the glory and eternity of the future state The reason why men desire no more and long no more after future things it is because they do not duely consider the glory and eternity of future things The Scripture tells us Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him In his presence there is fulness of joy at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore and they shall drink abundantly of the river of his pleasure The glory which thou hast given to me I have given to them All these things and much more doth the Scripture speak concerning the future
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
conduce to the necessities of this life and so far as we may have opportunity to do good with them but to desire them so as to make them our last end and to enjoy them as our happiness this is that which makes Covetousness This is a sure Rule No temporal thing is to be desired for it self but in order to a farther end We must enjoy God and use the creature we must enjoy God onely use the creature in order to our enjoyment of God Now when we stick in the creature as our last end this is sinful 2. As in Covetousness there is an inordinate desire of earthly things so there is in Covetousness an insatiable desire of earthly things Much of the formality of this sin lies in this A covetous minde is never satisfied He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver this is the proper signification of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies an unsatiable desire of having more when a man hath never so much he still desireth more Like a man that is sick of the Dropsie the more he drinks the more he thirsts this is the covetous man It is the nature of earthly things that they cannot restinguere suim animae they cannot stanch the thirst of the soul therefore the more a man hath of them if Covetousness be predominant in him the more he thirsteth after them We come now to the second thing and that is to shew what are the Signes and Symptoms of this Sin Covetousness is a spiritual sin and therefore cannot be so well detected as some other sins may be it is true the objects of covetousness are external things as money riches lands possessions and these things are visible but forasmuch as these things may be desired and used lawfully or unlawfully according as the disposition or affection of the minde is conversant versant about them therefore it is more difficult for us to say that such a man lyes under the predominancie of that sin But though it may be more difficult for us to fasten the guilt of this sin upon another yet every mans conscience may be judge how far this evil root prevails in himself Now the Signes and Symptoms of this Sin are such as these Signe 1 1. When the minde and thoughts run out solely or principally upon earthly things The Apostle saith of some that they minde earthly things Phil. 3.19 that is they do solely and wholly minde them they think of nothing else When a man thinks of nothing else from one end of the week to another but temporal concernments this is a signe of the predominancie of this sin Our Saviour tells us Where a mans treasure is there will his heart be If a mans heart lye in the world if his thoughts and affections lye in it it is a signe the world is his treasure the world is his chief good It is true no worldly business can be dispatched without thoughts and he that hath affairs to do in the world must necessarily have thoughts about them but it is one thing to have a mans thoughts exercised about things that are necessary and belong to his Calling and another thing for a man electively and upon choice to let out his thoughts upon earthly things If a man do not electively and upon choice let out his thoughts upon earthly things he is glad when he is freed from the cumber of the world he is glad when he hath an opportunity to be freed from his necessary engagements to attend on holy things Whereas a man that mindes earthly things out of a covetous bumour the natural bent of his minde carries him to these things and upon choice he desires to converse with these things rather then with spiritual and divine things Signe 2 2. When a man makes the world his greatest interest that is when a man is more solicitous to secure the world then to secure heaven When a man is more afraid of temporal wants temporal streights then he is that he shall miss salvation It was the counsel that our Saviour gave Labour not for the meat which perisheth Joh. 6.27 We may labour for the meat which perisheth in a sense He that commands us not to kill commands us to preserve life and he that commands us to preserve life commands us to look after those things that are necessary to preserve life But the meaning is we may not labour for the meat that perisheth in comparison of the meat that endureth to everlasting life We ought not to make temporal things our great interest we should not be so much concerned about temporal things as we are about spiritual and eternal Now when a man is of this temper I will secure my worldly interest whatsoever becomes of my soul a few thoughts a little care shall serve the turn in relation to Salvation but I will make the utmost advantage of the world I can possibly I will loose no opportunity of advancing my self in the world whatsoever becomes of the interest of my soul and of Salvation This is a certain signe that covetousness is predominant in such a man Signe 3 3. Another signe is discontent with a mans present estate It is observable how the Scripture joyns both these together Let your conversation he without covetousness and be content with the things that you have Heb. 13.5 intimating thus much that if a man have not a holy contentation with his present estate he cannot keep himself free from the sin of covetousness Godliness with contentment is great gain 1 Tim. 6.6 So much as godliness prevails so far it makes a man content with his present estate so far as covetousness prevails it makes him discontent When a person is quarrelling with the providence of God and thinks God doth not deal well with him because he is not so as he would be hath not such accommodations as he would have and it may be others have It is a signe this evil humour prevails too much in him Signe 4 4. When all a mans designes and projects are for the world that is a mans last end which he designes most intends most refers all things unto When a mans highest designe is for the world it is not the designe of his life to glorifie God or to promote the great interest of Religion in himself or others but his great designe is to inrich and greaten himself it is a signe that a man is an earthly-minded man Signe 5 5. When there is no stint nor bounds to a mans desires When although God hath given a man the most liberal portion of these things he is still desiring more Austin compares a covetous man to Hell Look as hell and the grave are never satisfied but are always craving so when mens desires are boundless the greatest affluence and confluence of worldly enjoyments put no limits to their desires but they are as much craving as ever they were This is a certain Signe of the
eternal life is 2. To shew what it is to lay hold on eternal life 1. What is eternal life I shall not speak to this so largely as the subject will bear that indeed were a noble Argument to discourse at large of eternal life and that would afford a long discourse but I shall give some few Hints onely concerning eternal life that we may a little conceive of it I shall endeavour to open a little briefly the nature of eternal life in seven Propositions I. Eternal life is the state of the blessed in the other world Eternal life is the life which the Saints live in the presence of God 2 Cor. 5.8 Absent from the body and present with the Lord. To understand this we must know that there is a natural life and there is a spiritual life 1. There is a natural life and this we may again distinguish into the animal life and the rational life That which we call the animal life it is the life which we live in common with the brutes There is a life which man enjoys in common with the brutes and this is that which is commonly called the animal life But then there is the rational life and this is that life which is proper to men as men There is an intellectual principle in man whereby he is distinguished from the sensitive creatures and that life which man lives by this intellectual principle that is in him this is the rational life But then as there is the natural life so 2. There is the spiritual life This also is twofold The spiritual life is either the life of grace or the life of glory 1. There is the life of grace The life of grace is that life which the Saints live here in this world in Justification and in Sanctification 2. The life of glory is that life which the Saints live with God in the other world Now the life of glory that life which the Saints live with God in the other world is that which in a strict sence is called eternal life It is true eternal life is inchoate and begun in this world in the life of grace in the life of Justification and Sanctification but eternal life is perfect and consummate in the life of glory when we shall live with God in heaven So that eternal life is that life we shall live in the heavenly country It is said of the ancient Saints that they seek for a better country even a heavenly Heb. 11.16 Now this is eternal life that life which we shall live with God in the heavenly country II. Eternal life is a constant uniform life The life which we live in this world it is bounded and limited by time it is a certain space and duration of things and there is an end but eternal life knows no end Eternity is always standing Semper stans semper praesens always present thus and always thus When we are sate down to live in eternal life then we may conclude As we are now so shall we be always there is no interruption no cessation in â—ternal life III. Eternal life is a life free from sorrow and trouble Isai 57.2 He shall enter into peace It is spoken of a godly man how it shall be with him after this life He shall enter into peace So again God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of his people and sorrow and sighing shall flee away This life it is a life of affliction a life of temptation a life of grief and sorrow a life of trouble and perturbation but in eternal life there shall be none of these things eternal life is a serene tranquil estate IV. Eternal life is a life free from sin and all the relicts and remainders of it 1 Cor. 13.10 When that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be done away Heb. 12.23 The spirits of just men made perfect When we come to live with God in eternal life sin shall be perfectly rased out of our nature those relicts of sin Reliquiae peccati as Luther calls them in the Saints which are as thorns in their eyes and goads in their sides shall be done away and they shall be made like to God holy in their measure as God is holy V. Eternal life is a life of perfect joy Psal 16.11 In his presence there is fulness of joy at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore In eternal life the Saints possess God who is the chief good and all good and having God who is the chief good and all good they must needs have all joy The joys of this life are false deceitful joys they are far from satisfying quieting and contenting the heart the joys of this life are bitter-sweâ—t joys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best joys here on earth are allayed with many bitternesses O but the joys of eternal life are pure sincere joys there is all joy no sorrow all pleasure no grief And then as they are pure sincere joys so they are soul-satiâ—fying joys he that hath all the good that he would have and can desire no more must needs be satisfied the Saints in eternal life have all the good they would have and can desire no more whatever various good things we sought after among the creatures in eternal life one God shall supply all Quiâ—quid hî◠quaerehas quicquid â—iâ— pro magâ—o habebâ—â— iâ—se tibi crit Whatsoever says Austin thou soughtest after here on earth whatsoever thou accountedst for great here in this life God shall be all that unto thee God shall be the comfort of meat and drink of Sun and Moon of friends and relations God shall supply all things to his Saints Eternal life is a life of perfect joy VI. Eternal life is a life free from changes This life is made up of Changes we change from health to sickness from settlement to unsettlement from prosperity to adversity yea we change from one affliction to another and at last we change from life to death So that we may say Nunquid non humana vita tentatio super terram Is not the whole life of man a temptation upon earth Oh but in eternal life there are none of these changes in eternal life there is one constant uniform state of peace joy blessedness and satisfaction Oh do you not finde your selves weary of changes Is not this the secret language of your souls When will these changes have an end O lift up your eyes on high cast a look to the heavenly country there shall you finde that which you so much desire there is perfect serenity perfect tranquillity there is no trouble or perturbation nor fear of trouble no death nor fear of death no changes nor fear of changes there is an even serene state of things And the Lord in his infinite wisdom causes us to pass through so many changes here on earth that so we may long after that unchangeable state above VII Lastly as that
expression Lay hold on eternal life contemn this world and raise thy thoughts to something higher Let this world seem a little thing in thy eye and let eternal life be the mark and white in thy eye let thy desires and longings be carried out after life We ought to lay hold on eternal life that is we ought to set eternal things as the fairest things in our eye the main of our desires inclinations and affections should be carryed out that way Our hearts should be carried above this world and our affections should be soaring up aloft to the injoyment of God in the next world It is an emphatical expression of the Apostle Paul Phil. 3.14 I press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words in the Original are very emphatical as much as if he had said I press towards eternal glory as making that my uttermost end and scope Eternal life should be our scope the great thing that we should breath and aspire after whatsoever is short of the injoyment of God in heaven should seem but a little thing to us It is a speech of Luther We ought with a great soul to contemn this world and with a full gale of affection breath after the glory of the future life 3. To lay hold on eternal life is to have our thoughts fixt and intent upon eternal life 2 Pet. 3.12 Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God 2 Cor. 4.18 We look not to the things which are seen but to the things which are not seen We ought to have our hearts taken up much with the contemplation of the things of the invisible world Though it be but a little of the glory of heaven and the blessedness of eternal life that we can apprehend yet something we may understand of it as the Word hath revealed it The Word gives us some glimpses of the heavenly state the Word tells us that we shall be present with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5. Absent from the body and present with the Lord. The Word tells us that we shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thess 4.17 The Word tells us we shall see God Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The Word tells us we shall be like him 1 Joh. 3.2 The Word tells us that our vile bodies shall be made like unto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 The Word tells us that all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes Rev. 21.4 and that everlasting joy shall be upon our heads Isai 35.10 These things and much more doth the Scripture speak of the glory of the future life Now our thoughts and meditations should work on these things He that hath a fair inheritance left him will be willing some time or other to go to see it we have the heavenly inheritance given to us an inheritance incorruptible undefiled 1 Pet. 1.4 and that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens for us Now since there is so great an inheritance reserved for us we should not slight it but be willing as often as may be to take a prospect of it by faith Nothing is so sweet as the contemplation of eternal things the contemplation of eternal things is much more sweet then the highest enjoyment of present sensible things Eternal things satisfie and quiet the minde no temporal thing can do it let us then lay hold on eternal life in this sence let us keep our thoughts fixt and intent upon it 4. To lay hold on eternal life it is to pursue after it in our endeavours As the bent and tendencie of our affections should lie towards eternal life so we should pursue after it in our endeavours Lay hold on eternal life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek word signifies to pursue after a thing and in pursuing after it to apprehend and take hold of it The main scope of our endeavours should be to attain eternal life all our endeavours should run out that way that we may attain eternal life We should never think that we can pray too much that we can believe in Christ too much that we can love God too much that we can be too much in obedience and holy walking so we may but attain eternal life in the end Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life The meaning is God will certainly give and bestow eternal life on them who by a patient continuance in well doing seek for it But we may not mistake here we ought not to think that God gives us eternal life upon the account of the merit of any thing that we do it is the righteousness and obedience of Christ onely that gives us a right and a title to eternal life But thus we are to conceive of it This is the race and course that God hath appointed us to run God hath appointed us to run this course and race of faith and obedience here on earth that so we may come to eternal life in the end Hence is that of Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith What then Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto all them also that love his appearing Certainly Paul did not expect eternal life upon the merit of his obedience or of his services but Paul knew that God had appointed him such a course of obedience to run here on earth and his course being finished he knew that God would be faithful to give him the Crown God hath propounded and set before us the Crown of eternal life it becomes us to pursue after this Crown with our uttermost endeavours that we may attain it Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee the crown of life O how sweet how unexpressibly sweet will it be to be sure of eternal life when this natural life fails If we b◠faithful to the death we shall then have the crown of life that is If we persevere in a way of faith and obedience to the end we shall have the crown of eternal life and immortality set upon our heads when this short life doth expire Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life it is as much as if Christ had said I will give thee eternal life when this natural life is at end 5. To lay hold on eternal life it is to live much in the hope and expectation of eternal life Titus 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God The main of our hopes should not lie in this world we should not fancie to our selves and expect