THe scope of the Apostle in the whole context, is to press us to the great Duty of Heaven­ly-mindedness. Hic Paulus Colossenses hortatur ad meditatio­nem caelestis vitae. Calv. in Loc. Calvin observes, the Apostle doth here exhort us to the meditati­on [Page 2]on of the Heavenly life. We finde it ve­ry difficult for us to get up our hearts into Heaven: we are most prone to stick in this earth, and to rise no higher in our thoughts and affections then visible things; and therefore there is great need that this duty of Heavenly-mindedness should be pressed upon us. Now the Apostle pro­pounds his exhortation, whereby he presseth us to the Duty of Heavenly-mindedness two manner of ways.

• 1. Affirmatively.
• 2. Negatively.

I. Affirmatively, in two expressions.

1. Seek those things which are a­bove, in the first Verse.

2. Set your affections on things that are above, Verbum co­gitandi ma­gis exprimit assiduitatem studii, & vehementi­am, ac si di­ceret, sit haec tota vestra meditatio, huc ingenu­um, huc ani­mum appli­cate. Cal­vin. in the second Verse. The Apostle aims at one and the same thing in both expressions. Seek those things that are above: Set your affecti­ons on things that are above: All that the Apostle aims at in both is this, that he would have us to be Heavenly-minded; onely to inforce the exhor­tation the more, he repeats and dou­bles it; and the variation of the phrase adds some more weight to the [Page 3]exhortation: we must not onely seek, but set our affections upon the things which are above. It is not enough for us to seek the things that are a­bove in any manner, or after any sort, in a careless indifferent way; but we must set our affections upon these things; that is, our hearts must be taken up in them, these must be the great things that must take up our souls.

II. The Apostle having propounded this exhortation affirmatively, he comes to propound it negatively, at the latter end of the second Verse: Not on things which are upon the earth: Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. So that as the Apostles scope is to press us to Hea­venly-mindedness, so his designe also is to press us to a holy contempt of this world, and to take us off from an inordinate minding of earthly things. The Spirit of God foresaw how prone our hearts were to be ta­ken up with this world, and with earthly things; and therefore he is not content to press us to the duty of Heavenly-mindedness in general, but [Page 4]gives us an express and particular cau­tion against the love of the things of this world: Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. Now then this being the Apostles scope to press us to Heavenly-mindedness; and to take us from earthly-mindedness; there are several Motives he useth in the con­text, to inforce these things upon us.

The first Motive or Argument the Apostle useth to press this duty of Heavenly-mindedness, is taken from the consideration of our fellowship or communition with Christ: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. A Believer is risen with Christ, and therefore he ought to seek the things which are above. Although Believers have not as yet attained to glory in their own per­sons, yet they have attained it in the person of their Head: A Believer is risen in Christ, ascended in Christ, glorified in Christ his Head. Christ's Resurrection, Ascention, Glorificati­on, is a pledge and an earnest of his Resurrection, of his Ascention, of his Glorification: Therefore eternal life and glory being secure to us in [Page 5]Christ, and we having a right and title to it in our Head, it becomes us to set our hearts on that which is our proper inheritance. We are risen with Christ, that is, in Christ our Head; we have a right and title to Heaven and Glory: therefore Hea­ven and Glory being secure to us in Christ our Head, who hath taken possession of it in our name and stead, we ought to set our hearts upon that which is our great and proper inhe­ritance. That is the first Motive, the consideration of our fellowship and communion with Christ; we are ri­sen with Christ. A Believer hath glory already given him in his Head, he is destinated unto glory, and this his Head hath already taken possession of in his Name and stead.

The second Motive to press us to Heavenly-mindedness, and to take us off from earthly-mindedness, is taken from the consideration of our pre­sent state. A Believer's present state is a dead state: Ye are dead, saith he, verse the third. Seek the things that are above, set your affections on things that are above; for ye are dead. [Page 6]Ye are dead; that is, dead to the world, dead as to any earthly hap­piness: Your happiness lyes not in the rode of this world. Ye are dead; that is, ye are like to dead men: though you have a life in this world, yet the life you have in this world as men (not to speak of your life as you are Saints) it is but a dead kinde of life; though you may have some comforts and enjoyments in this world as o­ther men, yet they are all as dead comforts and enjoyments in compari­son of what is your true happiness; your true happiness is to live with God and Christ. The Apostle hints so much, that true happiness is to live with God and Christ, as he saith afterward; Your life is hid with Christ in God; therefore your present life and comforts are all dead things in comparison of what is your true life and happiness. Now if a Belie­ver be dead to the world, if all his happiness in this world be but the picture and shadow of true happi­ness, then it is all the reason that his heart should be taken off from earth­ly things, and set upon that which is indeed his happiness.

The third consideration to press us to Heavenly-mindedness, is, that a Believers life is a hidden life: You are dead, your life is hid with Christ in God. A Believers true life, his true happiness, lyes not within sight, with­in view, it is hid with Christ in God. If we will finde out true happiness, we must not look for it in the rode of present sensible things, but we must look for it with Christ in God: Your life is hid with Christ in God. Mark it, if we would finde out true happiness, we must consider what it is that Christ as man, and as the Head of the Church, injoys in the presence of the Father. A Believers happiness lyes in communion with his Head, in enjoying blessedness in communi­on with the Father, like unto that which Christ as man injoys now in the presence of the Father. Our life is hid with Christ in God; as much as if the Apostle had said, Your happi­ness lyes not in any thing in this world, but your happiness is of the same kinde as Christs happiness is: look what happiness Christ as man injoys in the presence of the Father, [Page 8]that is your happiness, and nothing else. Now this being a Believers true happiness, it concerns him to clevate his thoughts and affecti­ons unto the things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God.

The fourth and last Motive the A­postle useth to press us to the duty of Heavenly-mindedness, is the conside­ration of the certainty that is given to a Believer of future glory. A Be­liever hath already a title to glory in Christ his Head; yea, after a sort, he hath an inchoate possession of it, forasmuch as Christ is possessed of Glory in his name and stead; but at last a Believer shall be brought to a full, perfect, compleat possession of glory in his own person, as now he hath it inchoatively in the person of his Head. This the Apostle intimates in the fourth verse: When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory; that is, we shall actually appear with him in glo­ry; that is, as another Apostle ex­presseth it, We shall be like him, 1 Joh. 3.2. We know when he shall appear, [Page 9]we shall be like him. Look what glo­ry is given to Christ the Head of the Church, the same glory in a proporti­on shall be given to the Members. Now then the future happiness of the Saints being so sure, it being as cer­tain that they shall have it, as if they had it in hand; the glory and hap­piness of Heaven being no notion, no fiction, but as sure as Christ is glori­fied, so shall all his Members be glo­rified; then certainly it becomes Be­lievers to set their hearts upon these things. These are the Motives the Apostle makes use of to press the great duty of Heavenly-mindedness upon us.

The Observations that arise from the Text are these two.

Doct. 1 It is the duty of Christians to seek after, and to set their affections on the things that are above.

Doct. 2 That Christians ought to have their hearts taken off from the world, and from earthly things, and to have their hearts carryed forth to an holy contempt of this world. Set your affections on things that are above, not on things on the earth.

Doct. 1 That it is the duty of Christians to seek after, and to set their affections on the things that are above.

For the Explication of this Do­ctrine, two things are to be spoken unto.

1. To shew what these things a­bove are, that we are to seek after, and to set our affections upon.

2. What it is to seek after, and to set our affections on things that are a­bove.

1. What are these things above that we are to seek after, and to set our affections upon?

This shall be opened in four Par­ticulars.

I. By the things above, we are to un­derstand God and Christ: we ought to seek the things that are above; that is, we ought to converse much in our thoughts with God and Christ. That these are the things above here in­tended, is clear from the Context: If ye be risen with Christ, seek the things which are above: What follows? where Christ sits at the right hand of God; it is as much as if the Apostle had said, Christ is above, and God is [Page 11]above; now let your hearts be upon these things: Seek the things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God; that is, let your thoughts dwell much upon God and Christ. So at the third verse, Your life is hid with Christ in God: If our happiness lye hid in God and Christ, then we do seek the things which are above, when our hearts are mainly and principally carryed out after God and Christ, in whom onely our true happiness is to be found, 1 Joh. 1.3. Truely our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. When may our fellowship be said to be with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ? Certainly one way whereby we have fellowship with the Father and Jesus Christ, is this; when we converse much in our thoughts with God and Christ; that is, when God and Christ have more of our thoughts then any earthly thing. My meditation of him shall be sweet, saith David; then do we seek the things above, when our Medita­tion is taken up about God and Christ. Joh. 17.3. This is life eternal, [Page 12]to know thee the onely true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent: The perfect knowledge of God and of Christ, is our perfect happiness in Heaven; and so much as we do know of God and Christ here on earth, so much happiness do we enjoy here on earth: there is more sweetness, more comfort, more satisfaction to be taken in from the knowledge of God and of Christ here on earth, then from all earthly injoyments whatsoever: might it not seem too much for me to speak, I might ad­venture to say, Though it be but a little of God and Christ that I know, yet I would not exchange or part with the thoughts of God and Christ, which are to be had in this world, for all the Kingdoms upon earth. Now if the thoughts of God and Christ, and the little knowledge that may be had of God on earth, have so much sweetness in it; what will the vision of him in heaven? and what will the perfect knowledge of him there be? When the Apostle Paul de­sires the highest thing he could do for the Saints, it is this, that they might [Page 13]have a greater measure of the know­ledge of God and Christ: let us consider the Text, for it is a great Text, Col. 2.1, 2. For I would that ye knew what great conflicts I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts might be com­forted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. See with what a mag­nificent Preface the Apostle ushers in this desire. 1. He tells them he had a great conflict for them: the word in the original signifies an agony; [...]. the Apostle was in an agony of desire for these Saints. 2. He tells them he would have their hearts comforted; he longs after their comfort, the highest measure of consolation for them. And what is all this Preface for? onely to usher in this, to tell them he would fain have them come to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Fa­ther, and of Christ: that which put [Page 14]him into such an agony of desire was, that they might come to a ful­ler measure of the knowledge of Go [...] and Christ, and that because he knew this was the onely way for their com­fort; That their hearts might [...] comforted, being knit together in lov [...] and unto all riches of the full ass [...] ­rance of understanding, to the ac­knowledgement of the mystery of Go [...] and of the Father, and of Christ: h [...] knew there was no better way fo [...] their comfort, then to come to [...] clear knowledge of the Mystery o [...] God and Christ. Observe how th [...] Apostle expresseth this he would have them come to the riches of th [...] full assurance of understanding, to th [...] acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father, and of Christ. Then are several things of great moment to be considered in these words [...] 1. The Apostle teacheth us here, that the knowledge of God is a Mystery to the riches of the full assurance of un­derstanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God: There is a great Mystery in the knowledge of God [...] poor creatures that we are, we are [Page 15]apt to think we know enough of God at first; but there is a Mystery in the knowledge of God; and what this Mystery is, the Apostle tells us, it is the mystery of the Father, and of Christ: And what is this Mystery? what is this mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ? So far as we can conceive of it, it lyes in this, to know God in the unity and simplicity of the Divine Essence, to know God in the Trinity of Persons, to know Christ as Mediator, and to be able to apprehend the Father in Christ: it is the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, to be able to appre­hend the Father in Christ, as Christ says, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; that is, to apprehend the Divinity to be so in Christ, as that we see, that by having the Son we have the Father, and in possessing Christ we possess whole God. This is the Mystery of God the Apostle here speaks of, and we have reason every day to be more and more di­ving into it, to labour to come to a clear knowledge of it. That is the first thing; there is a Mystery in [Page 16]the knowledge of God. 2. The Apostle would have them to come to the acknowledgement of this Myste­ry; to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God; that is, he would have them to come to a clear and distinct knowledge of all the Principles con­cerning God and Christ: the word signifies an accurate, [...]. Phavo­rinus. or more exact consideration of a thing: after the first perception of it, we have 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 [Page 17]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 [Page 18]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 [Page 19]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 [Page 20]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 [Page 21]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 [Page 22]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 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 [Page 23]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 [Page 24]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 [Page 25]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 [Page 26]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 [Page 28]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 ( [...]) signifies to value and esteem a thing, as ( [...]) sig­nifies [Page 29]to under-value and despise a thing; and this appears by the Text it self: Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. The Antithesis and opposition that is be­tween these two, shews what we are to understand by setting our affections on things above. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth; as much as if he should have said, Have the highest value for spiri­tual things; set the highest price upon spiritual things; esteem spiritual things above all earthly things. This value and estimation of spiritual things Paul had, when he said, Phil. 3.8. I count all things but loss and dung for the excel­lencie of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Spiritual things bught to bear the greatest weight in our thoughts; we ought to approve them as the best things, and see a far greater excellencie in them, then in all temporal things. Davenant. There is a Learn­ed man that observes upon this Text; this word translated to set our affecti­ons, comprehends two acts in it: 1. It notes the act of the minde or understanding, when it thinks of any [Page 30]thing. 2. It notes the act of th [...] will or affections, approving or lo­ving a thing: so that to set our af­fections on things above, is to approve of them in our estimation as the be [...] things, Phil. 1.10. That you may approve the things which are ex­cellent.

III. To seek the things which are a­bove, it is to intend these things as our principal aim and scope, Matth. 6.33. Seek first the kingdom of God; that is, let your principal aim and scope be to get an interest in the kingdom of God: So here, Seek the things which are above; that is; let your princi­pal aim and scope be to acquire and get these things: let the main bent and tendencie of your souls lye to­wards these things. Every rational Agent that acts out of reason and understanding, intends some end; now that which the Apostle would press us to, is this, to intend and designe spiritual and eternal things as our great end. There is no man but he hath some last end that he prosecutes; now that which the Apostle would press us to, is, to make eternal things [Page 31](the things of the other world) our great and last end: as much as if he should say, Whereas others are sursuing after other things, Riches, Honour, Pleasures, and making them their uttermost end; do you intend another end; do you make God and Christ, and the things of other world, your principal aim and scope. Seek the things that are above: Two are implyed in it.

1. Make this your end, to make sure your interest in these things.

2. Get a holy meetness and pre­paredness of Spirit to injoy these things.

1. Make this your end, to make sure your interest in these things, 2 Pet. 1.10. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure. Phil. 3. [...]4. I press toward the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul pressed toward the mark of eternal Glory; Paul's great ambition was to win the price of eternal Glory.

2. As we should make sure our interest in these things, so we should make this our end, to get a holy meet­ness [Page 32]and preparedness of spirit to in­joy these things. Seek the things which are above; that is, labour as much as may be to get up into the Spirit of heaven here on earth; labour to get a suitableness to the future life: O­thers converse with present sensible things, but do you converse with the things of the other world: see how you may get up into a spirit and tem­per; that is, fit for the life which is above, Phil. 3.20. Our conversation is in heaven; that is, we labour to con­verse as men in heaven, and to get our spirits suited and adapted to that life.

IV. To seek the things which are above, it is to see that our affections b [...] mainly carryed out after these things; to see that our desire, love and delight do run out after these things, and lye in these things: where the treasure is, there the heart will he: If we judge and e­steem these things as the best things, if we intend them as our principal aim and scope, then these things ought to draw our affections after them; our desire, love and delight should be carried out after these things; [Page 33]God and Christ should have more of [...]ur hearts then the creatures have; we should solace and delight our selves in the thoughts of the future life, and [...]e more pleased in the thoughts of what we shall injoy hereafter in [...]he future state, then in any thing we [...]njoy at present here on earth. To [...]et our affections on things above, is to have our affections so fixed on these [...]hings, as that nothing here on earth should be able to loosen, unhinge, un­settle, or take off our affection from these things. To set our affections on things which are above, it is to cleave to God as our chief good, to imbrace God as our onely portion, with the full bent of our affections. Scis occul­torum cog­nitor Deus, quod non solum terrâ & omnibus quae in ea sunt mihi cariores, sed etiam coelo & om­nibus quae in ca sunt mihi ac­ceptabili­or es. They are rare strains of affection which Austin hath: O God (saith he) the knower of all secrets, thou knowest that thou art not onely dearer to me then the earth, and all things that are in it; but thou art more acceptable to me then heaven it self, and all things that are in it. God is the sum of all good things to us, God is our chief good. O how happy were it for us, if we could get such strains of love to God, [Page 34]and appeal to God as he did, and say; O God, the knower of all secrets, thou knowest that thou art not onely dearer to me then the earth, and all things that are in it; but thou art more acceptable to me then heaven it self, and all things that are in it. This is to seek the things which are above, when our souls cleave more to God then to any created thing.

V. Lastly, To seek the things which are above, it is to use our uttermost care, study, diligence and endeavour to get an interest in these things, and to be fitted for the injoyment of these things. It is observed by a Learned man, Quaeren­dum voca­bulum indi­cat laborem & conatum, at (que) exclu­dit otïosam velleitatem. Davenant. This expression of seeking notes labour and industry, and it is opposed to an idle velleity; we may not con­tent our selves with general desires and faint wishes after the things which are above, but we must strive to enter in at the straight gate, as our Sa­viour's expression is: to seek after a thing, Quaerere, est cum stu­dio ferri & tendere ad res haben­das vel fru­endas. is to be carried out with stu­dy, care, 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 [Page 35]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 [Page 36]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 [Page 37]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 [Page 38]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 [Page 39]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 [Page 40]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 [Page 41]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: [Page 42]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; [Page 43]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: [Page 44]we may have them so long, and n [...] longer; there is an end of them ove [...] 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, & [...]ternus eris. Joyn thy heart to eternity, and th [...] 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 o [...] 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 [Page 47]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 Heaven­like 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 [Page 48]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 [Page 49]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 pr [...] ­hibet Deus amare ista, sed diligere ad beatit [...] ­dinem. It is a good speech of Austin: God doth not forbid thee to love these things (speaking of created [Page 50]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 creature [...] 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 [Page 51]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 [Page 52]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 [Page 53]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, and it consists in what the minde injoys: There is more true happiness which the minde takes in, in one single thought of God, th [...] 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 [Page 54]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 [Page 55]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, [Page 56]the more we have of the beginning of heaven, of the beginning of eterna [...] life. The happiness of heaven is a spiritual happiness, because it consist [...] in the spiritual actings and operati­tions of the soul upon God: whe [...] 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 [Page 57]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 [Page 58]what they now injoy, they should not always injoy; this would rende [...] their happiness imperfect: true happi­ness consists in the highest operati­ons of the minde, when the mind [...] is most carried out after eterna [...] things; let us minde this happiness and be taken up in the thoughts o [...] this happiness.

3. If we would come more up in­to the spirit and life of heaven, let [...] think much of the beatifi [...]il vision, and breath much after it. The great [...]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 [Page 59]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 [...]he lines are drawn; whatever is sweet, [...]miable, pleasant, delectable in the [...]reature, it all issued from this Foun­ [...]ain: how sweet, how pleasant, how [...]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 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 [Page 60]if all the perfections of th [...] creature were summed up into on [...] it is but finite perfection: it is [...] contradiction, to suppose an infini [...] creature; but God's perfection is i [...] ­finite perfection; what happine [...] then must it be, to be admitted t [...] see him, who hath all this perfectio [...] in him! This should make us, 1. To think much of the beatifical vision; ou [...] thoughts should be much upon it. 2. We should have great and admiring thoughts of it. O let us not thin [...] 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 [Page 61]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 [Page 62]to this sight, and let us into th [...] sight; his humanity opens the [...] to the Divinity. Christ as man, by [...] ­tue of the Hypostatical or personal [...] ­nion, hath a right to the sight of God and Divines commonly say, Th [...] Christ as man, from the moment [...] his conception, had the sight of Go [...] Our nature was alienated from Go [...] and deprived of communion wi [...] God by our sin in Adam: But th [...] Son of God, the second person i [...] the Trinity, by assuming our nature and taking of it into Unity of perso [...] 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: [...]ever think of seeing God without Christ; never think of being admitted [Page 63]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 [Page 64]strength, my salvation, my happiness: this was the Church's Song, The Lord Jehovah is my strength and my salvation: Isa [...]. 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 [Page 65]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 ly [...]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, V [...]lle Deum esse Deum. it is to will that God should be God: Then do we love God for himself, when we take complacencie in the glory and blessedness of God; when we are well pleased to see God to be what he is; that is, to see him to be the most excellent and most per­fect being. Our happiness (as it is in us) it is but a finite thing, the happiness of smite creatures: but God's happiness is the happiness of the first infinite and eternal Being. Now it becomes [Page 66]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 [Page 67]they know they receive all from God immediately; and they depend up­on God fo [...]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 [Page 68]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 [Page 69]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, [Page 70]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, [Page 71]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; Q [...]i parum de luce Crea­tur [...]s aspe­xerit, breve ei e [...]i [...] quo [...] cr [...]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 [Page 72]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 paral­lel that glory that is above: we ought therefore to have our hearts fixed in the admiration of eternal things, and look down with a holy contempt upon temporal things: This made Paul say, 2 Cor. 4.18. We look not to the things which are seen, but to the things which are not seen: the things which are seen are temporal, the things which are not seen are eternal.

9. If we would come up more into the spirit and life of heaven, Let us labour for the most perfect ac­quiescence in the Divine Will. The Saints in heaven do think that is always best which God doth; their wills fall in with Gods Will, and they have a perfect acquiescence in the Divine Will. The Saints in hea­ven do know that what God wills is always best; therefore there is not any hard thought, any contradicting thought, the least reluctancie in them [Page 73]against the Divine Will; but their will doth presently fall in with the Divine Will. Hence is that of our Saviour, Thy will be done on earth as it is done in hea­ven. In heaven there is a perfect compli­ance with and satisfaction in the Divine Will, now we should labour after this frame here on earth, that our wills might perfectly fall in with the Divine Will. It was an expression I once heard from a holy man: I have obtained that grace from God, to acquiesce in the Will of God, when once it is manifested. This is the very spirit of heaven, to acquiesce and take complacencie in the Will of God, when once it is ma­fested: there is not any the least murmuring thought in the hearts of any of the Saints or Angels in hea­ven against that which God doth, but they think all is well done that God doth, and their wills rest in his. This is a great piece of heaven, when we make the Will of God the ground of our acquiescence and satisfaction: God hath willed it, and therefore we acquiesce. It is one thing to be satisfi­ed with a mans condition from some moral considerations, and another [Page 74]thing to make the Will of God the ground of our satisfaction and ac­quiescence: the ground of our satisfa­ction ought to be, God hath willed such a thing, therefore I acquiesce: the perfection of a created will, is to fol­low the Divine and increated Will.

10. If we would get up into the life and spirit of heaven, Let us la­hour to be more deeply sensible of the infinite distance that is between God and us. In heaven, the Saints and Angels are most sensible of the di­stance between God and them: the more perfect our knowledge of God is, the more clearly shall we discern the distance that is between God and us: the more clearly we understand the Divine perfection, the more clear­ly shall we see our infinite distance from God. This is certain, The clearer our knowledge of God is, the greater foundation there is for hu­mility: Never so humble a creature as the humane soul of Jesus Christ; and the reason is, because Christ as man had the most perfect knowledge of God; and Christ knowing God most perfectly, he understood the distance [Page 75]that was between his Humanity and the Divinity: therefore this is cer­tain, The clearer our knowledge is of God, the more humble-shall we be. When the Lord sate upon the Throne, the Seraphims covered their faces, Isai. 6.1, 2. and what did that speak, but the deep sense that they had of the infinite distance that was between God and them? The most perfect creature in its kinde, a glorified crea­ture, is but a creature: now between the creature and the Creator, there is an infinite distance: the more we are reduced and sunk down into no­thingness in our selves, in the ap­prehension of the infinite distance that is between God and us, the nearer do we come to the spirit of heaven. In heaven we shall most per­fectly understand our dependance up­on God, that the creature is a meer dependent thing; and if God ab­stract and withdraw from the crea­ture what he hath given to the crea­ture, the creature vanishes into no­thing: the creature is nothing, hath nothing, but what it hath received; if God abstract what he hath gi­ven, [Page 76]the creature returns to no­thing. O labour to keep up a deep sense of the infinite distance that is between God and us.

11. If we would come more up into the spirit of heaven, Let us la­bour to hate sin, not onely because of the effects and consequents of it (as that it is damning, and the like) but because it is an uncomely thing in its self, and because it is contrary to the purity and perfection of God, who is the first and most perfect being, and the rule and measure of all good. This is certain­ly the spirit of heaven; the Saints in heaven having the sight of God, must needs see and know how contrary sin is to God; they see clearly that sin is contrary to the being of God, to the purity of God, to the life of God, to the will of God, and to the glory of God: and therefore they must needs hate it as such. The Saints also in heaven see how contra­ry sin is to their own beings, and to that rectitude that is put upon them, they being made of God to be such creatures as they are; the prin­ciples of their own being, as they are [Page 77]made and framed of God to be new creatures, being set in a direct con­trariety unto sin, and therefore they hate it upon that account, so that the bent and poize of their wills is set a­gainst sin, as it is sin, as it is contra­ry to the Divine Being, Purity, Life and Glory; and as it is contrary to that rectitude which God by the work of the new creature hath put upon them. Now we should labour and pray that we may come up as much as may be into this spirit; we should labour to hate sin as it is an un­comely thing in it self, as it is most con­trary to God, contrary to the Divine purity and perfection, and contrary to the Divine stamp, make, and frame of the new creature in us; and the more we can hate sin upon this ac­count, and under this notion, the nearer do we come to the life and spirit of heaven.

12. If we would come up more to the life and spirit of heaven, Let us value and prize the knowledge of God and Christ above all earthly things. You know what our Saviour saith, This is life eternal to know thee: John 17. Eter­nal [Page 78]life, the happiness of heaven, consists in this, to know God; the perfection and consummation of e­ternal life consists in this, to know God in a way of vision: and the be­ginning of eternal life, it is to know God in a way of faith; that is, to know God as he hath revealed him­self to us here in the way of his Word. It hath been shewed be­fore, how we ought to breath af­ter the beatifical vision: that which now we are speaking of, is to shew that we ought to covet after the knowledge of God in 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 [Page 79]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 [Page 80]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 [Page 81]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 potest [...]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 [Page 82]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 [Page 83]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 heavenly­minded 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 [Page 84]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 greatest trouble and distress, she desired nothing so much as God himself: With my soul have I desired thee in the night: as much as if the Church should say, Though I need many things, yet it is thee that I desire, thyself, Lord, thy self, rather then liberty and temporal deliverance, [Page 85] Psal. 73.27. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. It is the property of the Saints to desire no­thing so much as God. Whom have I in heaven but thee? The Saints look at nothing greater or more excel­lent in heaven it self then God: All the glory, blessedness, joy and delight that is in heaven, is nothing in com­parison of God himself; nay, all the joy, happiness, and felicity that they have in heaven, it is from what God is to them: This is certainly the spirit of heaven; as the Saints in heaven have all their happiness in God, so they desire to have it no where else but in God. It is truely so, saith Austin, that God himself would not satisfie me, unless he promised me himself: What­soever God promiseth thee, is worth nothing besides God himself: Ipsum fon­tom vitae sitio esu [...]io. It is the Fountain of Life that I thirst after. I take it, that a great part of the holiness of heaven lyes in this, that the Saints in heaven would not have their happiness in any thing but God: they are so pleased with God, as that they would not ex­change [Page 86]their happiness in him for a­ny thing else: so sweet shall the face of God be to them, so beautiful, that his face being once seen, nothing else can delight them: If we would come up into the spirit and life of heaven, we should labour to be of this frame and temper, not to be willing to exchange our happiness in God for any thing else that can be presented to us. Now this ought to be under­stood aright, when it is said that the Saints should desire nothing so much as God, the meaning is not but we may desire other things in their place, and in subordination to God the chief good: but when God and the crea­tures come in competition, when God and the creatures are compared toge­ther, then should we say, Thy self, Lord, and no created thing, thy self, Lord, without all things, rather then all things without thy self. It is a speech of Bernard; Ipse per se placet. God is pleasing by himself; and we should say, his gifts are not so pleasing, but that himself is more pleasing: We should not de­fire so much any thing that God can give us, as himself: God himself [Page 87]should be more pleasing to us then all his gifts.

15. If we would come up into the life and spirit of heaven, Let us labour for affections and dispositions most like to God: The happiness of heaven is described by th [...];▪ That we shall be like him, 1 Joh. 3.2. We shall be like him; that is, we shall be like him in holiness, like him in hap­piness; we shall be holy as he is holy, happy as he is happy, according to the capacity of creatures: It is the greatest happiness of the creature, to be assimilated to the Creator: It is the greatest happiness of the creature, to have his life brought as much as may be to an agreement and simili­tude to the Divine Life. The Saints in heaven have the same judgement and estimation of things that God hath; they will what God wills, they love what he loves, they delight in what God delights, they a in at the same ends that God aims at. The Divine understanding is the measure of Truth, and the Divine will is the measure of Good: what God judges to be best, the Saints in heaven judge [Page 88]to be so; what God wills to be best, the Saints will it as such. God va­lues holiness and spiritual excellencies above external things, Psal. 147.10. He delights not in the strength of the horse, he takes not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. God values grace and spiri­tual excellencies above all external things, and therefore the Saints in heaven do so. God knows that he doth most for a man, bestows most favour upon him, when he gives him most grace, and not when he gives him any temporal thing; and there­fore holy souls think so too. God wills holiness, loves holiness, and delights in holiness; and therefore the Saints in heaven must needs will it, love it, and delight in it. The Life of God is to know himself, to behold his own excellencies, and to refer all things to himself; and the life of the Saints in heaven is to con­template God, and to refer them­selves wholly to God: we should labour and pray to be brought to as great a conformity to God here [Page 89]on earth, as it is possible. Be ye holy, for I the Lord your God am holy: be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. We would labour to have the same thoughts and apprehensi­ons of things as God hath: we should have the same value and estimation of holiness as God hath: we should labour to have the same hatred of sin as God, the same love and delight as God hath. God loves himself, and delights in himself above all things; and we should love God, and delight in God above all things. God wills his own glory infinitely, and we should will it to the uttermost of our possi­bility. This is to come up to the life and spirit of heaven, when we labour for affections and dispositions most like to God, when we are brought up to as near a similitude to the Divine life, as it is possible.

16. If we would come up to the spirit and life of heaven, Let us va­lue all our comforts by what we see of God in them: the state of heaven is described by this; That God shall be all in all. What is that? among other things, this is certainly one thing com­prehended [Page 90]in that expression: the Saints in heaven see God in all things, and all things in God; and every thing is amiable to them, as they see God in it, and no farther. It is a memorable passage of a Modern Di­vine; We shall, saith he, in heaven see God, and imbrace him in our selves, out of our selves, and in all things; so that though we shall see all the holy Prophets, Patriarchs, Martyrs, al­so our own kindred and acquaintance, yet all our affections shall rest in one God by Christ. Nothing is sweet to the Saints in heaven, but as they see God in it; and nothing should be sweet to us, but as we see God in it: we should labour to see God in every thing, finde out God in every thing, and pass from every thing to God: The best injoyments, the best com­forts, the best conditions in this world are pitiful things, poor, dry, sapless things, any further then we see God in them. God is the good of every good; and if God be the good of every good, then nothing is truely good but as we see God in it. Ab­stract and take God out of any crea­ture, [Page 91]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: Ʋnhappy 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 [Page 92]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: [Page 93]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 [Page 94]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 [Page 95]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 [Page 96]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 [Page 97]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 more we study these things, and meditate on them, the more reason shall we see, why we should prize such a life, and labour to get up into it.

It remains onely now, that I should shew you what the principal Impedi­ments of Heavenly-mindedness are, and so I shall put an end to this Doctrine. There are several Impediments of Hea­venly-mindedness.

1. The first grand impediment of Heavenly-mindedness is Ʋnbelief. Faith is the substance of things not seen, the evidence of things hoped for, Heb. 11.1. It is the property of faith, to make absent things present; to give things that are absent to sense, a sub­sistence by faith in the soul. Now if a man want that faith that should re­alize future things, and give them a subsistence in his minde; it is no won­der that his heart is not carried forth in desire after them. The affections follow the apprehensions of the mind: [Page 98]if a man do not apprehend future things to be real or certain, it is no wonder if he do not affect them. Now the greatest part of men look upon nothing as real or certain, but what is obvious and present to sense: they doubt and suspect the truth of all that which is spoken concerning a future life, and a future state: a man will never part with or forgo a certain good for an uncertain: Riches, honours, pleasures, the comforts of this life, men look upon as present and cer­tain; but the joys of heaven, the blessedness that is above, the pleasures that are at Gods right hand, they look upon as things at a distance, and uncertain; and therefore they will not quit their interest in present things, for the hope of future things. This evil heart of unbelief in men, is that which causeth them to depart from the living God: and this unbelief is too prevalent in the hearts of the godly themselves. The holyest men, and those that have most grace, are most sensible of the buddings and puttings forth of unbelief within them: although they do not question [Page 99]the truth of the future life, and of the future state, as other men do; yet they complain that they do too often finde secret doubts arising in their hearts about these things: and al­though there be a seed of faith, yet it is not so actuated as it ought to be: for if we had such a firm and deep be­lief about future things as we ought, it is not possible that we should be so much captivated by present things as we are. Certainly, the deep, rooted, stedfast belief of eternal things, would produce other effects, and another kinde of change then what is found in the most of our hearts. It were not possible we should live as we do, had we a clear prospect by faith of eternal things. Therefore as ever we desire to be heavenly-minded, we must pray that this evil root of unbe­lief might be eradicated and taken out of us: and we should pray, 1. That God would clear up the eye of our faith, that we may more clear­ly discern and apprehend the things contained in the promises. 2. We should pray that we may give a more [Page 100] firm assent to the truth of the pro­mises concerning future things, and may not stagger at the promises through unbelief. 3. We should pray that we may live much in the hope and expectation of the accom­plishment of the things contained in the promises. It is a proper Scripture to illustrate this, Rom. 8.25. We are saved by hope. The meaning of that Scripture I take to be, The grace of hope doth gradually bring us into the possession of Salvation: Therefore doth the Apostle say, If we hope for that we see not, then we do with pati­ence wait for it: It is as much as if it had been said, By a patient expecta­tion of the things God hath pro­mised to us, we are gradually brought into the possession of the things we hope for: If our hope do not slack or fail, but we are still kept up in the expectation of what God hath pro­mised, our hope shall at last be turn­ed into fruition and possession.

2. A second impediment of Hea­venly-mindedness, is want of more experience in divine and heavenly con­solations. He that hath tasted of the [Page 101]sweetness of Gods presence here on earth, cannot but be meditating and longing after the full enjoyment of that presence hereafter. It is reported of Austin in his life, That his desire was not so much of any thing here on earth, not of gold, or silver, or precious stones; not of honours, or dignities, or of the pleasures of the flesh; nay, not so much of those things as were necessary to the pre­sent life: but all his desire it was of the Lord himself, whose name was a refreshment to him, and the me­mory of whom was his consolation: They are expressions that he himself useth: Lord (saith he) since I have learned thee, thou abidest in my memo­ry, there do I finde thee; when I re­member thee, I am delighted in thee; these are the delights which thou hast given me. The sweetness which the Saints finde in God, keeps their hearts fixt and intent in the thoughts of him; and the more they taste of the sweetness of his presence here on earth, the more sweet is it to them to think what God will be to them hereafter. How great is thy goodness [Page 102]which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee? Psal. 31.19. The Saints taste a little here, but they know there is much more laid up then ever yet they took in, or can take in here on earth: It is but a sip, a taste they have here, but the full draughts are reserved till hereafter. Now want of more experience of the sweetness of God's love and presence here on earth, is one cause why we are no more taken up in the meditation of what we shall injoy hereafter: we think there are no higner delights then what are to be injoyed in sensi­ble things; but we ought to remem­ber, that his loving kindeness is better then life, and one day in his house is better then a thousand. It is an ex­pression that Austin hath, So great is the blessedness that is to be found in Gods presence, that if we could a­bide no longer in it then one days space, innumerable days in this life, filled up with the confluence of all earthly goods, were to be despised in comparison of it: for, saith he, this was not spoken out of mistaken affection, when that holy man said, One day in thy house is better [Page 103]then a thousand. Now we taste but little of this presence here on earth, and therefore we desire and long no more, and are looking no more into what we shall injoy hereafter. The Apostle prayes for the Philippians, that they might abound more and more in knowledge and in all judge­ment, Phil. 1.9. In all judgement, [...]. or in all sense, or in all experience, we ought to abound in spiritual sense and experience, as well as in knowledge: we content our selves with a notio­nal knowledge of God 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: [Page 104]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, [Page 105]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 well­composed 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, [Page 106]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 [Page 107]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 [Page 108]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 Heavenly­mindedness. 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 [Page 109]Christ, that must needs hinder the a­scent of the soul to its proper object. Where a mans treasure is, there will his beart 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 heavenly­minded, 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 [Page 110]when we set up the creature in the place of God, and 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 [Page 111]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 p [...] ­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? [Page 112]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 [Page 113] 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, [Page 114]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? [Page 115]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 [Page 116]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, [Page 117]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 [Page 118]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 [Page 119]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 [Page 120]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 [Page 121]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.

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 [Page 123]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 unto an holy contempt of this world.

I. What are we to understand by earthly things?

I shall very briefly touch upon this: By earthly things we are to under­stand [Page 124]all things on this side God, all things short of God and Christ. In the first verse it is said, Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God: And at the third verse it is said, Your life is hid with Christ in God. So that the things here on the earth seem to be opposed to God and Christ; whatso­ever is not God and Christ, is not to be the great and supreme object of our affection. By the things there­fore here upon the earth, we are to understand these lower things, created things, temporal things. Another Apostle explains this at large to us, what we are to understand by the things on the earth: 1 John 2.15. Love not the world, nor the things of the world.

So that by things on the earth we are to understand temporal things, all things that are found within the compass of this lower world, riches, honours, earthly delights and pleasures, long life it self. Long life, though it be a blessing in it self, yet it is possi­ble we may love it inordinately, as we do other things. Now these are [Page 125]the things we should not set our af­fections upon, viz. all things short of God and Christ; created things, tem­poral things, we ought not so to set our hearts upon any of these things, so as to make them the great and su­preme object of our affections.

II. But the second thing is that which will take us up a little more consideration.

What is it to have our hearts ta­ken off from the world, and from earthly things? How is the Text to be understood, when it is said, Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth? Not on things on the earth. This we shall open two ways, Negatively and Affirma­tively.

1. Negatively, by shewing what is not here meant, when we are bid not to set our affections on things on the earth.

2. Affirmatively, what is here meant, when we are commanded not to set our affections on things on the earth?

1. Negatively, what is not here meant, when we are bid not to [Page 126] set our affections on things on the earth.

Negatively, we may take it in three Propositions.

1. The meaning is not, as if we may not think of earthly things at all: we may think of earthly things as they are the works and gifts of God. The creature was given us as a glass to contemplate God in, and therefore we may and ought to think of these things, so as by them to rise up to the contemplation of God: Every creature is a spectacle, Creatura omnis spe­ctaculum est, ut in omnibus Creatorem Artificem quaras. Augusti­nus. that in it we may seek for the Creator, who is the former and maker of it: that is a holy and a blessed use of the creature, when by the creature we are led to the Creator; therefore that is not the meaning, when it is said that it is our duty to have our hearts taken off from the world and earthly things, that we may not think of earthly things at all: We may think of them as the gifts of God, and as things to lead us unto him.

2. The meaning is not, as if we may not care for these things in a [Page 127]moderate and subordinate way. The Apostle tells us, He that cares not for his own is worse then an insidel. There is a moderate and a regular care for these things, which is lawful. The Scripture commands men to work with their hands the thing that is good, that they may give to him that needeth, Eph. 4.28.

Therefore there is a moderate and a subordinate care about temporal things which is lawful.

3. The meaning is not, that we may not use earthly things. When it is said a Christian ought to have his heart taken off from the world, the meaning is not, as if a Christian may not at all intermeddle with and use earthly things. It is the observation of a Learned man upon the text: Davenant. The Apostle bids us not to seek or to set our affections upon earthly things, but he doth not forbid us to use earthly things. The Spirit of God makes it a piece of Antichristian superstition, that Antichrist commands to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanks-giving of them which believe and know the truth, [Page 128]1 Tim. 4.3. It is a part of Antichri­stianism, to forbid men to use the creatures of God which are lawful in themselves. And in the same place he saith, Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanks-giving. It is true, we must onely use the creatures, but we must enjoy God: the creatures are not so to be used, as that we should stick in them, and go no far­ther; but we must use the creature to a farther end: we must use the crea­tures so, as by them to be led to God the chief good: yet use them we may in their place, and to bring us to the last end.

So much is to be spoken Negative­ly, what we must not understand by this, when it is said a Christian must have his heart taken off from the world and earthly things.

But then Affirmatively, what is it that is here intended, when it is said we must not set our affections upon things on the earth? What is it to have our affections taken off from the world, and from earthly things?

I shall open this in four Particulars.

1. Not to set our affections on things on the earth, it is, not to make these things our last end and scope. E­very man hath his last end, he hath something that he pursues, as his last end; now not to set our affe­ctions on things on the earth, it is, not to pursue these things as our last end: our last end ought to be above this world, to lye out of this world. I press toward the mark (saith the A­postle) for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, Phil. 3.14. Paul had something as his end which lay beyond this world, which lay out of this world: we ought not to be content with an earthly happiness: we ought not to think, If we can ac­quire an estate, live in pleasure here on earth, provide for our selves and families, draw forth our lives to a con­derable time, and have our days filled up with earthly comforts; that this is our last end, this is all we have to look after, and that we need have no higher scope then these things: A Christian ought to have an end, a scope, and an interest beyond all earthly things.

2. Not to set our affections on earth­ly things, it is, not to place our happi­ness and felicity in these things; we should not take up our rest and satis­faction in these things. When riches increase, set not thy heart upon them, saith the wiseman, and the Spirit of God by him. That which men pursue as their last end, they are apt to take up their rest and happiness in it, when once they have acquired it: That appears from that of the rich man in the Gospel: Soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. Worldly men make the world their chief good, and acquiesce in it as their chief good. Now not to set our af­fections upon the things on the earth, is, not to acquiesce in, and take up with the creature as our chief good and happiness. A Christian ought to say, Bonorum summa Deus est, Deus est no­bis summum bonum. Aug. God is my portion, he is my happiness, my felicity: God is the sum of all good things, God is our chief good: this should be the lan­guage of a Christian. A Christian should take up in nothing as his hap­piness but in God himself.

3. Not to set our affections on things on the earth, is this, not to imploy our principal care and industry about these things. Matth. 6.33. Seek first the king­dom of God, and the righteousness there­of. Our chief and principal care ought to be about spiritual and eternal things: and then we do not set our affections on earthly things, when our first and principal care is not about earthly things, but about those other things. To seek after, and to set a mans affections on earthly things in this place, Toto corde desider are. Davenant. it is with all a mans heart to de­sire after these things, with all a mans might and endeavor to seek after these things. Now in this sense, we should not set our affections on earthly things; that is, the main strength of our de­sires, the main strength of our en­deavours should not run out to these things. It is an expression of Austin, Ad Creato­rem tendere jubemur, non ad crea. turam, ut efficiamur beati. We are commanded to have our ten­dencie towards the Creator, not towards the creature, that we may be made happy. The command is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy strength, and all thy might. We are [Page 132]no where commanded to love other things so; we are no where com­manded to love the creature with all our heart, and soul, and strength, and might: we may and ought to love the creature in its place, and in sub­ordination to God; but we may not love the creature as we love God.

4. To have a mans heart taken off from the world, it is, to be spiritu­ally dead to the world. Paul saith of himself that he was crucified to the world, and the world was crucified to him, Gal. 6.14. We ought to have dead affections, as it were, to the world and to earthly things, and to have living affections towards God and spiritual things: Non us (que) a­deo dili­genda ter­rena, quin & amplius diligendus Deus. Aug. not but that the creature is to be beloved in its place; but earthly things are not so to be beloved, but that God is much more to be beloved: We ought not to love any thing better then God; nay, we ought not to love any thing equal with God. Minus te amat, qui a­liqui [...] te­cum amat, quod non propter te amat. It is a sweet speech of Austin; He loves thee too little, who loves any thing together with thee, which he doth not love for thee. This [Page 133]is to be spiritually dead to the world, when if our love to God and the crea­ture be compared, our love to the creature is but poor and mean, in comparison of that higher love we finde working in our hearts towards God himself. A holy soul should be able to say, Lord, thou art dearer to me then heaven and earth, yea, then all things in heaven and earth: Da­vid said so, Whom have I in heaven but thee, or whom have I on earth that I desire in comparison of thee?

III. What is that holy contempt of the world we should be aspiring af­ter? For thus it is express'd in the Doctrine; A Christian ought to have his heart carryed forth to an holy con­tempt of this world.

That may be opened in a few par­ticulars briefly.

1. We should have low and mean thoughts of the world. The contempt of the world consists in this, in having low and mean thoughts of the world: he that contemns a thing, hath low and mean thoughts of that thing: He that contemns a thing, apprehends no great worth or excellencie in it, [Page 134]for which he should esteem it. A Christian's contempt of the world consists in this; when he hath mean thoughts of the world, he sees no such great worth or excellencie in it, for which he should admire it. Paul ac­counted all things but loss and dung for the excellencie of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, Phil. 3.8. A Christan that hath a true contempt of the world, appre­hends there is little good or worth in worldly things, in comparison of God, and Christ, and eternal things. It is a great expression of the Apostle, We look not to the things which are seen, 2 Cor. 4.18. We look not to them: What then? we overlook them, we despise them, we look above them; we have something greater in our eye, and therefore these things seem little to us: He that hath a greater good in his eye, overlooks a lesser thing; a greater good swallows up a lesser good. This is an holy contempt of the world, to have low and mean thoughts of the world, to look upon the world as having no excellenc [...]e in it, in comparison of God and Christ, and eternal things.

2. The contempt of the world we should press after, is this: we should not be too anxious and solicitous about earthly things: Matth. 6.31. Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? what shall we drink? or wherewithal shall we be cloathed? that is, take no anxious, no solicitous thought a­bout these things. Contemnere est rem ne­gligere, & de tâ non curare. To contemn a thing, is to neglect it, and not to take care about it: that is a signe of our contempt of the world, when we have no anxious thoughts about it, when we are not much concerned a­bout it, when we have an holy in­differencie of spirit about it; we are thankful to God if he give us these things, and yet we are not too much dejected or cast down if he de­ny these things to us. I have learned, Phil. 4.14. faith the Apostle, in whatsoever estate I am, therewith to be content. Conten­tation of spirit with a mans present state, is a signe that a man is cruci­fied to the world: For if a man be wedded to the world, then he is trou­bled and discontented, if he have not all he would have.

3. The contempt of the world, and [Page 136]of earthly things, consists in this; when a man accounts and thinks with him­self, that he may be happy without these things. Let us observe this well: the contempt of the world lyes much in this; when a man accounts and thinks with himself he may be hap­py without these things; when a man lives under this apprehension, My happiness lyes not in these things; if God deny me these things, I may be happy without them; the essence of happiness lyes not in these things: This is a signe of the contempt of the world; he that hath such an opinion of a thing, as that he thinks he may be happy without that thing, such a man may be said to have a contempt of that thing: This is the contempt of the world we should labour after, so as to think we may be happy with­out these things. The Stoicks say of their wise man, He may be with­out many things, but he wants no­thing. Truely, a Christian should be able to say so, much more; though he be without many things, yet he wants nothing, nothing that is essen­tial to true happiness: though he be [Page 137]without many earthly comforts that others injoy, yet he hath God and Christ, and the hope of eternal things to live upon; and he may be happy in these things, although he want other things. When a man is fixt in his own thoughts in the esti­mation of happiness, he knows he may be happy without this world: this is a signe such a man is crucified to the world.

4. To contemn the world, is for a man to think he is not made hap­py by earthly things, when he hath these things: as the Apostle speaks in another case, Meat commends us not to God: If we eat, we are not the better; if we eat not, we are not the worse. So a Christian may say, It is not any tem­poral thing that commends me to God: if I have much or little, it is not that which makes me accepted with God. But let us not be mista­ken here. First, I grant that a Chri­stian may see a vein of love in temporal things: He delivered me, because he delighted in me, Psal. 18. David saw special love, peculiar love, in a temporal deliverance: [Page 138] Having given us his Son, Rom. 8. how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Matth. 6. And seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all o­ther things shall be added to you. When a Christian sees temporal blessings flowing from covenant-love; when he sees them given in as appendices to greater mercies, so far he may see the love of God in these things. Second­ly, Temporal things, so far as they conduce to a higher end, may be said in a subordinate way to conduce to a Christians happiness. The things of this world, so far as they con­duce to keep a man from sin, and to make him serve God the better, so far they are to be valued. Prov. 30.8. Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the Name of my God in vain. Temporal things, so far as they are means to keep us from sin, and fit us for the service of God; so far they are to be esteemed: but that which I say is, that temporal things considered in themselves, do not constitute or [Page 139]make up a Christians happiness. A Christians true happiness lies out of the road and chanel of these things; and therefore when he hath these things, he ought to say, My happi­ness lies above these things. Omnis mibi copia quae Deus meus non est, ege­stas est. All that abundance of mine which is none of my God, is but my penury and want, says Austin. All earthly things, compa­red with God and Christ, are none of a Christians happiness.

5. The contempt of the world con­sists in this; and I take it, that much of the spirit of the contempt of the world (if I may so express it) lies in this: When a mans heart is carryed off from the world, because his heart is reserved for higher things. We look not to the things which are seen, but to the things which are not seen. Paul's heart was taken off from present things, because his heart was referved for, and taken up with higher things: Our conversation is in heaven, Phil. 3.20. He had spoken of some before, that minded earthly things; now he saith, Our conversation is in heaven. The reason why Paul had his heart taken off from earthly things, was, [Page 140]because his conversation was in heaven; he expected other things. A Christi­an should have his heart rapt up with the contemplation and admiration of eternal things. A Christian should cry out as Austin doth: O amare, O ire, O sibi perire, O ad Deum pervenire. O to love God, O to go to him, O to die and perish to a mans self, O to come to God! A Chri­stian should solace and delight him­self with the thoughts of the Divine presence, and account all things here on earth little in comparison of that presence. It is an expression which Luther hath: Debemus magno ani­mo conte­mnere mun­dum, & pleno pectore anbelare ad gloriam fu­turae vitae. We ought with a great soul to contemn this world, and with a full gale of affection to breathe after the glory of the future life. This is the tru­est contempt of the world, when the thoughts, apprehensions, desires, and expectation of future things causeth us to reserve our affections mainly and principally for these things; when we look upon these as those things which mainly and principally deserve our love. A Christian should keep his heart reserved for God, and say, Lord, I would not love any thing that may not consist with my love to thee; I would not enjoy any thing that [Page 141]may not consist with my communion with thee. A Christian should be able to turn his eye upon God, & say, Here is my riches, here is my true sweetness, my solace, my delight, Dominus Deus meus, vita mea, dulcedo mea sancta. my great hap­piness and felicity. The Lord my God he is my life, my holy sweetness, saith Au­stin. This is another discovery of our contempt of the world, when a man hath his heart carried off from these things upon this account, that his heart is reserved for higher things, and that other things have taken up his heart.

6. The contempt of the world consists in this: When our hearts sit loose from the world, and we are at a parting point with these things: Luk. 14.33. Whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he hath, can­not be my disciple: [...]. doth not bid fare­wel to all things, is not ready to take his leave of all things. God doth not always call us to an actual forsa­king of all things; but we must be in an habitual readiness to forsake all things when he calls us so to do. Our hearts must not be so riveted and glued to earthly things, but we must be in a readiness to part with them, [Page 142]and quit our interest in them, when God calls us so to do. When a man holds fast his estate and comforts, when it is clear God calls him to for­go them, it is a signe such a man hath little contempt of the world in him.

7. We ought to contemn the world so, as not to envie others for their worldly prosperity. When a man thinks that others are happie, and that he is not happie, because he enjoys not what they do; this is a certain signe such a man hath too great and admi­ring thoughts of the world and earth­ly things. A man that hath an holy contempt of earthly things, knows that men are not made happie by these things; and therefore if God hath given him higher and better things, Himself, his Son, his Spirit, his grace, pardon of sin, and the hopes of eternal things; he is not troubled to see God heaping temporal things upon such to whom he denies these things. Therefore this is another thing wherein the contempt of the world doth consist, when we con­temn the world so, as not to envie others for their worldly prosperity.

We come now to the Reasons of the Doctrine, why we ought to have our hearts taken off from the world, and from earthly things.

Reas. 1 1. Because there is little good in earthly things. Earthly things are rather good in shew and appearance, then have any thing of solid good in them. The good that is in earthly things is more in appearance then re­ality. And as the world makes a greater shew of good then indeed is to be found in it: so what good there is in it, it is so thin and mean, that it is not that which men take it for. Prov. 23.5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches take themselves wings, and flee away. Some observe, that here are two Ar­guments to condemn the sin of Co­vetousness: the one is taken from the vanity of riches, the other from the instability of them. It is the first of these that I am speaking of: Wilt thou set thy beart upon that which is not? Riches are not what they seem to be: there is not so much good in them as men take to be in them. External [Page 144]things have little of solid worth or excellencie in them. Wisdom saith of her self, that she will cause them that love her to inherit substance: Prov. 8.21. In the Original it is [that which is] that which hath essence, substance, exi­stence. So the meaning is, Those that love wisdom shall inherit substantial riches, such riches as have real worth in them: Christ, grace, and spiritual things, they are real, solid, substantial goods; there is substance, solidity in these things. But now, external things they are not; that is, there is none of that substantial solid worth in them. Not but that the creatures of God are good in their kinde, and for the uses for which God hath appointed them: the Lord made all things, and behold they were good, very good. But when we say there is little good in these things, the meaning is, there is little good in them in comparison of spiritual and eternal things. Bonum unus gratiae ma­jus bono Naturae to­tius uni­versi. Aqui­nas. The good of one Grace is greater then the good of Nature, even of the whole Ʋniverse. Also there is little of that good in them which men take to be in them: men think that perfection is to be [Page 145]found in these things, they think that happiness is to be enjoyed in these things; earthly things are good in their place, and for the uses God hath appointed them; but they are not good to make a man happy, they were never created for such an end: and therefore, if men think that these things are good to make them hap­py, and that happiness lyes in them, they are lamentably mistaken.

Reas. 2 2. Earthly things are mutable, changeable things: as there is little good in earthly things, so that little good that is in them, is very muta­ble, variable and inconstant: This appears from the former Scripture, Riches take themselves wings and flie away. If a man should have a flock of Birds pitch in his Field, should he set his heart on them, should he think himself the richer for them? before ever he can get near them, they take the wing and flie away. So unstable and uncertain are the things of this world; no sooner doth a man approach to them, and think to suck a little comfort and contentment from them, but they are gone, and [Page 146]pass away. 1 Joh 2.17. 1 Cor. 7.31. The world passeth away, and the lust thereof. The fashion of this world passeth away: Temporal things are Herbae marcescentes, withering Herbs. All flesh is as grass, and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field, saith the Prophet, Isai. 40. Should a man set his heart on a fine flower in his Garden? to day it flourishes, to morrow all the beauty and glory of it is gone: such are temporal things. It is an expression Austin hath, T [...]spem po­ni [...] in rebus praes [...]ti­bus, nec praesenti­bus, nec e­um dieen­da sunt praesentia nunquam stantia. Thou puttest thy trust in present things, which yet are not present; for those things are not to be called present that have no consistence, that never stand or abide in one constant state. If a man would set his heart upon any thing, it is his greatest wisdom to set his heart upon that which is immutable; for if a man set his heart upon changeable things, his happiness must needs alter and change as oft as the things do, that his happiness is made up of. Now all earthly things are of a changeable nature, and therefore it becomes us not to set our hearts inor­dinately upon these things: If we love unchangeable things, we shall [Page 147]have an unchangeable happiness: 1 Joh. 2.15, 16, 17. Love not the world, nor the things of the world; for the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever. The scope of the Apostle is to disswade us from the love of the world, and to perswade us to the love of God: the argument that he useth to disswade us from the love of the world, is, be­cause the world is a mutable thing; the argument he useth to perswade men to the love of God, is, because God is eternal and immutable. He that doth the will of God abideth for ever. One of the Ancients reads it thus: He that doth the will of God a­bides for ever, even as God abides for ever. And Austine hath this expressi­on, Tenete dilectionem Dei: Hold fast your love to God; that as God is e­ternal, so you may abide for ever.

Reas. 3 3. Earthly things leave the soul un­satisfied after the g [...]atest in joyment of them; Eccles. 5.10. He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with sil­ver. A man may quickly come to the end of all the good, the plea­santness, the sweetness, the delight, [Page 148]that is in any earthly thing; and when he is come to the end of that sweetne's which he did injoy, he de­sires more; therefore when a mans enjoyment hath been highest, he still desires more: Nothing can satisfie the soul, but some transcendent good, such a good as is so great, as is more then the soul can take in: So long as the soul is capable of taking in more, it is not satisfied. Now a man may take in all the delight and con­tentment that is to be found in earth­ly things; and when he hath taken in all, he is capable of taking in more. This is clear in Solomon, who made an experiment of all things un­der the Sun; and when he had try­ed all, he cryed out, All is vanity and vexation of spirit. The capacity of the soul is too great, and too big for any earthly thing to fill it; and there­fore when the soul hath passed from one temporal thing to another, and tryed what is in one and in another, it remains unsatisfied still.

Reas. 4 4. Earthly things will not comfort a man, when he comes to dye: Riches avail not in the day of wrath: it will [Page 149]be little comfort to a man when he comes to dye, to think what he hath enjoyed, or what he is like to leave behinde him: nay, if a man have placed his happiness and felicity in earthly things, it will be the greatest torment to him, to think that he must leave these things. Come to a man that is at the point of death, and who knows for certain that he shall dye; shew him gold and silver, bring forth his Jewels and most pre­cious Treasures, tell him of his Lands and Fossessions; and how little will these things signifie? Oh but tell him of everlasting happiness, assure him that death shall do him no harm, that there is a life beyond this, and that he shall be c [...]rtainly happy in that life; and this will signifie some­thing to him.

Reas. 5 5. Earthly things are not our last happiness; our last and true happiness is beyond any thing in this world: Mundus non patria, sed captivitas nobi [...] est. The world is not our country, but the place of our captivity and bondage. Our last and true happiness, is to live in he Divine presence, to see and enjoy God in the heavens. Now that [Page 150]which is not our last happiness, de­serves not to have the main of our affections; that which deserves to take up our hearts, is our last happi­ness: we should be setting our hearts upon that which will continue al­ways: we should be thinking of the life we must live in the other world, and how we are like to spend the days of eternity; that is the state that is worth thinking of, when time shall be no more, when there shall be no more changes, when we shall be wholly taken up in the contemplati­on of the first original of all things; that is the state that is worth think­ing of, of which I can say, Thus it shall be for ever; that is the state that is worth thinking of, of which I can say, When once I am come into it, there is no alteration in it: Here is always joy, always life, always satis­faction: Here is no sorrow, no pain, no grief, no death, no fear of death.

Reas. 6 6. Earthly things have no influ­ence as to a mans happiness, so as of themselves to make him ever the happier at last. It is true, Temporal [Page 151]blessings, so far as they are sanctified, so far as they further a man in the ways of God, and help him forward toward the heavenly Country, so far they are mercies, and so far they may in a sort be said to conduce to a mans last happiness; but consider temporal things in themselves, they have no influence upon a mans last happiness. Love or hatred cannot be known by any thing under the Sun. No man can con­clude by the meer enjoyment of th [...]se things, that he is the more beloved of God at present, or that he shall have the higher place in heaven hereafter. Abraham saith to the rich man, Son, Luk. 16.25. remember that thou in thy life time re­ceivedst thy good things, and Lazarus his evil things; but now he is com­forted, and thou art tormented. God gives to some men their portion in this life: This they shall have, this is all they shall have; He fills their bellies with his hid treasures, but this is all they shall have, he denies to them the heavenly inheritance.

Reas. 7 7. Earthly things are so far from having an influence upon a mans last happiness, as that they do many times [Page 152]blunt and hinder the soul in its pur­suit ater eternal things. Amor terre­narum vi­scum spiri­tualium. The love of earthly things is as bird lime to the soul, as to the pursuite of spiritual things: when a poor Bird is taken in the lime-twigs, his wings are pinioned that he cannot flie upward: the love of earthly things pinions the wings of the soul, that it cannot ascend to God and eternal things: Terrenarum appetitus tenebras a­nimarum nostrarum densat. The inordi­nate desire of earthly things thickens the darkness of the soul; the violence and impetuousness of the affections to carthly things, blindes the judge­ment, and darkens the eye of the minde when the affections are vi­olently set upon earthly things, the minde cannot see and behold the ex­cellencie of spiritual things. Nothing so great an enemy to growth in grace, as the love of earthly things. A man that is addicted to the love of earthly things, can neither see the evil that is in sin, nor the beauty that is in holiness. Mundo al­ligati spi­ritualis vitii vix possunt no­men appre­hendere. Men that are bound and tyed fast to the world, can hardly understand the name of a spiritual sin: Tell a man that is immers'd and drowned in the world, of spiritual [Page 153]sins, of spiritual pride, self-love, inor­dinate affection, hypocrisie, formality in duty, and the like; he understands none of these things; his conscience is so benummed through the love of the world, that he is not sensible of these things And as the love of earthly things dulls the spiritual senses of the soul, that a man cannot ap­prchend sin; so it blunts the soul in the pursuit after grace and holiness: the love of earthly things kills and extinguishes the love of God: If any man love the world, the love of the Fa­ther is not in him, 1 Joh. 2.15. I re­member it is an expression of Peter Martyr concerning Soloman: What love could Solomon have for God, who distributed and parted his love among a thousand wives? And we may say, What love can men retain for God the chief good, who part and divide their love to so many lower and in­feriour goods?

Reas. 8 8. It is the depressing and debasing of the soul, for a man to set his affe­ctions on earthly things. The soul was made for higher things, and 'tis capable of higher things: the soul [Page 154]was made for converse with God the chief good: therefore when the af­fections are set upon earthly things, this is the debasing of the soul, and the depressing of it beneath its own dignity. The soul is an eternal prin­ciple, and must continue to eternity; therefore eternal things are most suit­able to it. Now then, when the soul is bowed down to temporal things, and taken up in them, this must needs be a great depression of the soul.

Ʋse 1 1. Is it so that it is the duty of Christians to have their hearts taken off from the world and from earthly things, and to be aspiring after an holy contempt of this world? This is matter of Reproof and Humiliation to us, that we are so little of this frame. How little are our hearts ta­ken off from the world, and carried forth unto an holy contempt of these things! In stead of contemning the world and carthly things, we magni­fie these things in our thoughts, we make the world our great Idol. May we not take up the Apostle's com­plaint, and say as he did, Many walk [Page 155]of whom I have told you often, Philip. 3. and now tell you weeping, that they are the ene­mies of the cross of Christ, who minde earthly things? They minde earthly things, that is, they onely minde them. There is a lawful minding of earthly things: but to minde them onely, or to minde them chiefly or principally, this is the thing so much to be deplo­red. And yet is it not so with many that are called Christians and Profes­sors? the main current and stream of their affections runs out to earthly things. What is it they are thinking of, projecting from day to day, and year to year, but earthly things, and worldly interests? Turbatur mundus, & tamen ama­tur mundus The world is trou­blesom and unquiet, and yet it is still beloved; men are still fond of it: the world is full of thorns and prickles, and yet men grasp it fast. God hath been rending our estates from us by the Fire, decay of Trade, & other ways; and yet we pursue the world as hard as ever. He is a rare soul indeed, that can make his Appeal to heaven, and say, Lord, thou knowest I am infi­nitely more concerned for grace, for holiness, for communion with thee, [Page 156]for the assurance of salvation, then for any temporal thing. We do not blame men for their care and dili­gence in the duties of their Callings; it is their duty to be diligent in these: but that which we blame men for, is, that earthly things have the predo­minancie in their affections; that this poor world, and the interests of it, have more of their hearts and affe­ctions then God and Christ, and e­ternal things have. It was a great speech of Austin: Monemus ne mundum ametis, ut eum qui fecit mun­dum liberè ametis. We warn and ad­monish you, that you do not love the world, that you may freely love him who made the world. Our Saviour tells us, No man can serve two masters: there cannot be two chief goods, two last ends. Sure I am, the strength of a mans affections cannot be let out two ways at once. Now that which we are to be reproved for is this, that the main strength of our affections are let out upon other things, and a very little of our love (if any at all) is let out upon God and Christ, and eternal things. We ought to reserve the main of our love and affection for God and Christ, and eternal things: a little of [Page 157]the creature should content us, so we may have much of God.

So much onely in the General: but we shall endeavour to bring the Re­proof a little more home, and to point out the disease more particularly that we are sick of. Therefore the next Use we shall make is this.

Ʋse 2 2. If Christians ought to have their hearts taken off from the world and earthly things, this Doctrine doth naturally and directly reprove the sin of Covetousness: therefore as under the former Point we spake something of Heavenly mindedness; so under this Doctrine (having so fair an occasion given us) we shall speak something of the sin of Covetousness, or Earthly­mindedness. The sin of Covetousness is an Epidemical evil, a common sin, yea a common sin among us who profess Christ and the Gospel. He is a rare Christian indeed, that can ac­quit himself from the taint of this sin. The Scripture is frequent in warning us against this sin; and our Saviour gives us a particular and an express Caution against it: Luk. 12.15. Take heed and beware of covetousness. Here is a [Page 158]double Caution, a repetition of the same Caution: See to it, keep your selves from covetousness. In some Greek Copies it is, [...]. From all covetousness. Austin observes from this Text, Christ knew, not we, how much it was our concernment to beware of Cove­tousness. We see no such great dan­ger in it, but Christ saw a greater danger in it then we are aware of; and therefore he gives us a double Caution; he bids us take heed and be­ware of it. It is also Austins obser­vation, that all other vices do sene­scere, Sola ava­ritia juve­nescit. wax old; onely Covetousness is that sin which grows young: and there­fore it is commonly observed, that none are more addicted to this sin then old men.

Here we shall speak to four things, and shew,

1. What Covetousness is.

2. What are the Signes and Sym­ptoms of this sin.

3. What are the Evils of it.

4. We shall propound some few brief Remedies against it.

1. What Covetousness is. Covetous­ness is an inordinate and insatiable de­sire [Page 159]after earthly things. Covetous­ness in a large sence respects all tem­poral things. When a man is inor­dinate and immoderate in his desires or appetite after any earthly thing, this is Covetousness in a large sense. But in a strict and proper sence, Co­vetousness is conversant circa bo­num utile, about profitable good, or the good of profit. When a man hath an inordinate appetite after Ri­ches, Money, Lands, Possessions, an E­state; this is Covetousness in a strict and proper sence. Now that which makes this desire unlawful, and brings it under the denomination of a sin, is when there is an inordinate and im­moderate desire of these things. Every desire of temporal things is not un­lawful, neither comes it under this denomination; but it is, First, the inordinate desire; Secondly, The in­satiable desire after these things.

1. When the desire of them is inordinate, and not referred to a right end. It is the observation of a Learned man: Davenant. Temporal things may be desired three manner of ways: 1. For the necessities of life. 2. Or [Page 160]else that by them we may perform works of bounty or liberality. 3. Or else for fruitions sake: so to desire these things, as to make them our end, and to take up our rest in them. It is the last of these that constitutes and makes the sin of Covetousness. We may desire earthly things so far as they 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: [Page 161] 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 [Page 162]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 [Page 163]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 [Page 164]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 [Page 166]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 predominancie of this evil. Isai. 5.8. Wo to them that joyn house to house, and lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth.

Signe 6 6. Another Symptom of covetous­ness is this: when a man useth un­lawful means to acquire and get [Page 167]earthly things: when a person will lye, cheat, cozen, defraud, use false weights and balances, strain his con­science any way to get profit and advantage. Austin saith of a cove­tous person, He is content with an empty conscience, so he may have a full chest: A covetous man will strain his conscience any way to advantage himself. This is a certain signe of the predominancie of this sin. He that will hazard the loss of his soul for any worldly advantage, must needs love the world too much. When a man voluntarily commits any known sin, such a man apparently hazards the loss of his soul: therefore when a man to gain the world will hazard the loss of his soul, it is a signe such a man loves the world too much.

Signe 7 7. Another signe of covetousness, is, Inexplebilis appetitus a­nimi quae­rentis divi­tias, & in illis tan­quam in summo bono sidentis. Davenant. when a man places and reposes his trust and confidence in earthly things. It is the definition of covetousness, which is given by a Learned man, That it is an insatiable desire of the minde seeking after riches, and trusting in them as in a mans chief good. That [Page 168]which a man desires and pursues as his last end before the acquisition of it; when he hath acquired it, he ac­quiesces and rests in it. It is proper to a rich man to trust in his riches: and this is apparent from that speech of the Rich man which our Saviour mentions, Luk. 12. when he had gotten riches together, he saith to his soul, Soul, take thine ease, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. So Job 31.24. If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold. Thou art my confidence. Job professeth his integrity by this, that he did not make gold his confidence; that is an argument, that it is the property of a covetous man so to do; 1 Tim. 6.17. and there­fore the Scripture warns us not to trust in uncertain riches: This in­timates that it is natural to men so to do.

Signe 8 8. Another signe of covetousness is this: when a man is of a tenacious spirit; when a man will be sure to hold fast all that he hath, and will part with nothing. Covetousness is an inordinate desire, both of getting and of keeping earthly things: as cove­tousness [Page 169]discovers it self one way, when men have an inordinate desire of getting what they have not; so covetousness discovers it self ano­ther way, when their hearts are clung to what they have gotten; when they have an inordinate desire of keeping what they have. It is a Precept which our Saviour gives, Luk. 12.33. Sell that which you have, and give alms. This is a hard say­ing, and few can bear it: It is true, this Precept ought to be understood aright, it is not binding at all times; for this is a Rule in Divinity, Praecepta assirmantia non Ligant ad sempes. Affirma­tive Precepts, though they are binding, yet not at all times: But this Precept, when Christ saith, Sell that which ye have, and give alms, is so far bind­ing, that a man should be ready to part with his estate, when God calls him to it: when it may make much for the glory of God, and the advantage of the Gospel; when a man hath a clear call to part with his estate, a man ought to be ready so to do. We are not to understand this in the Popish sense, as if we were bound to sell our estates and go into a Monastery: But [Page 170]when it may make for the glory of God, and the advantage of the Go­spel, and a man hath a call to part with his estate, then a man should be ready to part with it; that I take to be the meaning of that Precept. On the contrary, when a man holds the world so fast, that he will not part with a little of his estate upon the highest and best accounts; that is a signe of the predominancie of this sin of covetousness.

Signe 9 9. Lastly, another signe of cove­tousness is a parsim mious sordid spirit, that is, when, though a man be wil­ling to part with something of his estate, yet not in proportion to what God hath blessed him with, or is be­coming of him. The Moralists ob­serve, Covetousness is a sin opposed to Liberality: Now the Scripture teacheth us, the liberal man deviseth liberal things. The Philosopher ob­serves, Propter ho­nestatem, & rectè quibus o­portet, & quando o­portet. the liberal man will give for honesty sake, to whom it becomes him to give, and when it becomes him to give: A liberal person considers what is becoming the dignity of his person, place and condition, and he gives pro­portionably. [Page 171]When a man observes to decorum, but suffers a person much inferiour to him in place, in dignity and condition, to excel him [...]n acts of Charity; this is a signe of an illiberal and covetous spirit.

Thus have I given the Signes and Symptoms of this sin.

3. I come to shew in the next place the evils of this sin: there is more of this sin in us then we are aware of, and more evil in it then we are aware of: Let us consider well the evil of this sin.

1. Covetousness is idolatry. This is twice mentioned in the Scripture: Ephes. 5.5. This know, that no covetous man, who is an idolater, hath an inhe­ritance in the kingdom of God and Christ, &c. So Col. 3.3, 5. Mortifie your earthly members. What are they? fornication, uncleanness, inordinate af­fection, evil concupisence, and covetous­ness, which is idolatry. It is not for nothing that this is twice mentioned; a covetous man is called an idolater, and covetousness is called idolatry. The Spirit of God would put a brand [Page 172]upon this sin, the blackest brand; and what is the brand the Spirit of God would put upon the sin of covetous­ness? he calls it idolatry. Oh let us take heed how we love that sin which God designes to render most odious and abominable. There are several reasons given by Learned men, why covetousness is called Idolatry. 1. Ne­gatively, Covetousness is not called Idolatry, in respect of a covetous mans intention, as if he intended to make his money his God; but in re­spect of likeness and similitude, be­cause a covetous man shews that re­spect to his money, as an idolater doth to his idol. 2. Positively, Co­vetousness is called idolatry: 1. Bu­cause idolatry is one of the worst of sins. 2. Because a covetous person sets up his wealth and riches in the place of God. A covetous man loves his wealth more then God; he trusts in his riches more then in God, and he serves his riches, and is more solicitous about them, then he is soli­ticious to serve and please God.

1. A covetous man loves these outward things more then he loves [Page 173]God: that is a mans God, which hath most of his heart. The great Commandment is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. When a man loves any thing more then God, that is his god: Therefore it is well said of one of the Ancients, that a covetous man is guilty of idolatry, Non exhibi­tione cere­moniarum, sed oblati­one concu­piscentia­rum. not by the offering any ceremonies of worship to his gold and silver, but by the oblation of his own desires and affections: What the af­fection of the heart goes out most un­to, that is set up in the place of God.

2. A covetous man trusts in his riches: It is proper to God onely to be the object of our trust. He that I make to be my God, he onely ought to be the great object of my trust. Psal. 91.2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, in him will I trust. So that whatsoever it is we make the great object of our trust, that is our God. A covetous man trusts in his wealth: Psal. 52.7. Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abun­dance of his riches.

3. A covetous man serves [...] riches. Hence is that of our Sa [...] ­our, Matth. 6.24. Ye cannot se [...] God and mammon. All a coveto [...] mans care is to serve his own prof [...] he hath little care to serve and ple [...] God. This is the first thing to sh [...] the evil of covetousness, it is Id [...] ­latry.

2. Covetousness is such a sin [...] doth in a peculiar manner alien [...] and estrange the heart from God. Th [...] School-men observe, that covetou [...] ­ness is such a sin as makes us clea [...] fastest to the creature, Maximè adhaesivum creature, & maximè aversivum à Deo. and turns us ar [...] farthest from God. The proper for mal reason and nature of sin lyes i [...] these two things: 1. In the aver [...] ­sion of the soul from God the chief good. 2. In the conversion of the soul to the creature: and covetous­ness carries both these two in it, i [...] carries the soul from God, the chie [...] immutable good, and carries it to the creature, and inferiour mutable good.

3. Covetousness is altogether in­consistent with the love of God, 1 Joh. 2.15. Love not the world, nor [Page 175]the things of the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Austin observes from those words, There are two loves; the love of the world, and the love of God: If the love of the world inhabit in us, the love of God cannot enter in­to us: And hence he infers, Exclude malum a­morem mundi, ut implearis amore Dei. Shut out the evil love of the world, that so thou mayst be filled with the love of God. When the heart is fraught and filled with other loves, there is no room for spiritual and divine love. This is a sure rule, There cannot be two last ends; if the world be a mans last end, he cannot love God as his last end; and therefore the love of the world is inconsistent with the love of God.

4. Covetousness is such a sin as is most inconsistent with our commu­nion with God. It is a speech of one of the Ancients, Amatorem mundi odit spiritus Christi. The Spirit of Christ loathes a man that is a lover of the world. God is curious of nothing so much as of his peoples affections. My son, give me thy heart, and, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. When those affections which [Page 176]should be reserved for God, are re­served for other things, God loathes and abominates such a man: If any man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our a­abode with him, Joh. 14.23. God promises, if a man love him, he will make his abode with him: covetous­ness is such a sin as is inconsistent with our love to God; therefore where the love of God is not, God will never make his abode with such a soul.

5. Covetousness is such a sin as is most directly contrary to the nature of grace, and the work of the new crea­ture in the soul: the reason is, the na­ture of grace is to carry out the soul to spiritual things, and to cause it to desire spiritual things; grace causeth the soul to minde a spiritual happi­ness, and to look after a spiritual hap­piness: grace makes a man see an ex­cellencie in the pardon of sin, in the favour of God, in the image of God, and in conformity to God. On the contrary, covetousness causeth a man to place his happiness in ex­ternal [Page 177]things; a covetous person placeth his happiness in those things which are bona corporis, the good things of the body: he regards not grace and spiritual things, which are bona animi, the good things of the minde. Hence it is that the Scri­pture ranks covetousness amongst the worst of sins; Ephes. 5.5. Colos. 3.5. 1 Cor. 6.9. Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor essemi­nate, nor abusers of themselves with mankinde, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortio­ners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Here we see covetousness is rankt with the worst of sins: covetousness is as directly contrary to the nature of grace, as a gross sin, and in some respect more; and the reason is, be­cause it is possible a man by surprize, and upon a sudden temptation, may be overtaken with a gross sin, when yet the bent of his soul hath been set against it: but covetousness consists in this, when the bent of a mans affe­ctions lyes towards earthly things; and therefore nothing is more directly contrary to the nature of Grace then [Page 178]this sin; and it becomes us to look to this, because it is so inconsistent with the nature of Grace: The thorny ground fell short of a true work of Grace, upon this account, because the cares of the world, and the deceit­fulness of riches did choke the world. Many a mans profession comes to nought, and never rises up to true grace, because the love of the world is predominant in him: though he may go far, and have some seeming good affections, yet all comes to no­thing, because the world hath the predominancie in his heart. How much doth it concern us to look well to it, to see that we do not loose all our profession upon this accompt, that the world hath had more of our hearts then God and Christ have had?

6. Covetousness is such a sin as is most contrary to our future life: hereaf­ter God shall be all in all. hereafter we shall live upon God immediately, with­out other things. In heaven, as we shall have no other happiness but God, so we shall desire no other happiness but God himself. If it were possible that the Saints and Angels could desire [Page 179]any thing which they have not, they could not be happy; for this is the nature of happiness, to have all the good a man would have. The Saints and Angels in heaven have God for their happiness, and they are satisfied in him, and desire nothing more. Now when the heart is carried out after other things, and pursues them as the chief good: this is most con­trary to our future life. It was the speech of a wise and holy man: Since God shall be all in all hereaf­ter, the less we have to do with the crea­ture here any more then we needs must, the better. If we were of a right temper of spirit, we should desire earthly things no farther then were for present necessity, and as they were accommodated to our present state. True happiness lyes out of the road of these things; true happiness is in ano­ther chanel; true happiness is to see God, to love God, to injoy God: This is life eternal, to know thee the onely true God. When we pursue earthly things as our great happiness, and have vast designes after these things; this is most contrary to our fu­ture [Page 180]life, which is to injoy God, and him onely.

Lastly, Covetousness is the root of many other sins. The Scripture tells us expresly, That covetousness is the root of all evil, 1 Tim 6.10. A cove­tous person sticks at no sin; so he may inrich himself, and compass his own ends, he will omit the duties God requires, and commit the sins God forbids. God enjoyns secret Prayer, Family-duties, and attendance upon the Ordinances; a covetous person is so intent upon the world, that he cannot finde time for these things: So for sins of commission, a covetous person will break through many a known command of God, to come at the world. Covetousness is a fruitful sin; a covetous person sins against his Neighbour, against him­self, and against God. 1. A covetous man sins against his Neighbour; he ex­torts from another more then is just and equal, and so covetousness is a sin that is contrary to equity: Avaritia excedit in acci [...]iendo, & desicit in dando. Covetousness exceeds in taking, and is defective in gi­ving; & so is a sin against equity. 2. Co­vetousness is a sin against mans self; by [Page 181]this sin a mans affections are disorder­ed, and turned out of the right chanel: Our affections were given us to love God the chief good; by this sin they are turned aside to inferiour goods. And hence is it that Austin calls that a perverse love, whereby the will is turned aside from an unchangeable good, to a mutable changeable good. 3. It is a sin against God; foras­much as a covetous person for a tempo­ral good contemns an eternal good. All these considerations may serve to set forth something of the evil of this sin.

4. I come in the last place to pro­pound some Remedies against this sin.

1. As an Antidote against cove­tousness, Let us consider, we must shortly leave these things: that is not worth setting a mans heart upon, which he must shortly leave. We know what our Saviour saith, Luk. 12.20. Thou fool, this night shall they take thy soul from thee, and then whose shall these things be? What folly is it to make that our happiness, which we cannot keep always? that is true happiness, which a man may enjoy always; and [Page 182]it is a pityful happiness that must have an end. Why should we covet that much, which when we have got­ten it, we can keep but a little while! It is an expression of Austin upon those words, The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: Quod vis? utrum a­mare tem­poralia, & transire cum tempore; ant mundum non amare, & vivere [...] cum Deo? What wilt thou? wilt thou love temporal things, and pass away with time? or else wilt thou not love the world, and live with God? It might be one good remedy against covetousness, to meditate of death of­ten. It is Austins observation, The disease of covetousness is by nothing better cured, then when the day of death is continually thought of: if a man could think this with himself, I must shortly dye and leave these things, this would moderate his de­sire to these things.

2. Consider, a mans life lyes not in these things, whilst he hath them: So our Saviour teacheth us expresly, Luk. 12.15. Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a mans life con­sisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Our life lyes not in these things; and there are two reasons of it: 1. Because the abun­dance [Page 183]of outward things cannot pre­serve a mans life: the rich dye as well as the poor, the noble as well as the ignoble. Pale death with an equal foot knocks at the palaces of princes, and at the cottages of poor men. 2. Because true happiness doth not lye in these things whilst a man injoys them: every creature hath vanity written upon it; and when a man hath most of the world, he still re­mains unsatisfied. No earthly thing is suitable to the nature and capacity of the soul: The soul is a spiritual thing, and desires a spiritual happi­ness; the soul is an immortal thing, and desires an immortal happiness; and therefore when a man hath most of this world, he still desires some­thing more.

3. Consider, a little will serve the turn to carry us to our journeys end. It is not likely we should live longer then the rest of mankinde have lived before us; it is no difficult thing to see to the end of our life: now a little provision will serve the turn for a short journey.

4. We shall have no need of [Page 184]earthly things in the other state. It is certain we brought nothing into this world, and we shall carry nothing out of it: We shall carry nothing in­to the next world with us, but our grace: earthly things will be of no use to us at the end of time. Our happiness in the next world is a spi­ritual happiness: the holy Angels and glorified Saints are happy with­out those things we so much admire; and we must be happy by another happiness at last, if ever we be happy.

5. If we would be kept from this sin, Avarus ni­mis est cui Deus non sufficit. Aug. let us study Gods all-sufficiencie and the divine perfection. He is too co­vetous a person indeed, to whom God himself is not sufficient. God is a happiness sufficient for himself; he is an happiness sufficient to the Saints and Angels, and therefore in reason he should be a happiness sufficient for us. God is the chief good, the centre of all perfection. Austin. What is it that thou lovest, that thou wilt not love God? If thou wilt love any thing, love the best thing; if thou wilt covet any thing, covet the best thing: study Gods all-sufficiencie [Page 185]and the divine perfection, there thou wilt finde the highest object for thy affections.

6. Let our desires run out much after eternal life. It is an expression of Austin: We ought, saith he, to be covetous after eternal life. The more our desires run out in one chanel, the less will they run out in another. Did we covet to live with God more, to be admitted into the Divine pre­sence, to live in that state in which the Saints and Angels live, we should covet other things less: this is the truely noble covetousness; we cannot covet this too much, to live with God in his eternity. Oh let us love eternal life: If we have right thoughts of the future life and the future state, we shall see nothing worth desiring and coveting in comparison of that state.

7. Let us pray for a holy conten­tation of spirit with our present state. This is the Directiou which the A­postle insinuates, Heb. 13.5. Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with the things which you have. Contentation with our [Page 186]present state, would prevent cove­tousness; the reason why our desires are immoderate, is because we are not content with Gods allewance. Di­vine providence is never overseen, Divina providentia not potest falli. never mistaken. Divine Wisdom measures out to every man what is best; and if we could think so, that would keep our desires from being too violent and impetuous after these things.

Lastly, let us set before us the ex­ample of our Lord and Saviour Je­sus Christ; he is the highest Pattern of holiness in every kinde. Christ, when he was in the world, he was Lord of all, yet he possessed little; and as he possessed little of the world, so he did not covet and seek after the things of the world. His heart was wholly taken up in glorifying the Father, and in finishing the work which he had given him to do: he minded not gold or silver, lands or possessions; his heart was set upon other things. True it is, that having taken to himself, not onely our na­ture, but also the infirmities of it; he used the things of the world in his passage, as things accommodate unto [Page 187]that state of Humiliation, unto which he had voluntarily subjected himself: yet a little sufficed him of these things that were necessary for the support of nature; so far was he from designing to heap up wealth and riches, and from seeking great things for himself in the world.

Use 3 3. Of Admonition. To admonish us not to set our hearts upon the world and earthly things. This is the counsel which the Spirit of God gives us, 1 Joh. 2.15. Love not the world, nor the things of the world. This Admonition is most solemn: if this solemn Admonition, which the Spirit of God gives us, will not bear weight in our conscience; what little hope can we have that any other Ad­monitions should take place? Vae tibi si amaveris condita, & deserueris Creatorem: pulcra tibi sunt, sed quanto pul­crior est qui ista for­mavit? Aug. if so clear and express a Prohibition (Love not the word) do not bear sway with us, what should? Wo to thee, saith Austin, if thou love created things, and forsake the Creator: these things seem beauti­ful unto thee, but how much more beau­tiful is he that made these things? We are all of us too prone to fall into [Page 188]the love of the world, and of earth­ly things. When first we left God in our Apostacie in Adam, we fell from God into the creature, and there we have stuck ever since; and it must be the mighty power of divine. Grace to recover us out of the crea­ture, and to bring us back to God: the love of the world is the great tempta­tion to most of us. I often think of the last counsel which an ho­ly man gave a little before his death: as he was drawing on to­ward his dissolution, he called his Relations to him, and gave them this as his last advice: Make sure of Christ (saith he) and take heed of the world; I have found that my greatest enemy: If the world be our greatest enemy, we have need to watch so much the more against it. That which we shall do more in the prose­cution of this Use, is to propound se­veral Considerations to take us off from the love of the world and earthly things.

First, Consider, the love of the world, and of earthly things, is a great wrong and injury done to [Page 189]God. Aug. He that loves the creatures more then God, offends the Creator. We cannot love the world too much, but we must of necessity love God too lit­tle. No man can serve two masters. So much as our love is let forth inordi­nately upon the creature, it must of necessity be withdrawn from God. Now this is the highest Sacriledge and Injustice: Sacriledge, to rob God of that which is his due; Injustice, to give that to the creature which is not due to it.

Secondly, consider, the Soul was made for greater things: the Soul be­ing an immortal and an eternal prin­ciple, was made to converse with eter­nal things, and to seek for happiness in eternal things. Therefore when we love temporal things, and pur­sue them as our happiness, we forget the true nobleness and dignity of our own souls. That which doth distin­guish us from the Brutes, is an intel­lectual principle, whereby we are ca­pable of contemplating and pursuing something that is eternal: the Brutes minde present things. It is the pro­perty of Sence, to minde something [Page 190]present, and to go no further. When we onely minde and pursue present things, we depress our selves beneath our own species, and bring our selves; as it were into the rank of Brutes and sensitive creatures.

Thirdly, consider, there are grea­ter things for us to love; there is a greater and fairer happiness that lies before us: we have God and Christ to love: there are eternal things that lie before us. Non satiat animam nisi incor­ruptibilis gaudii vera & certa ae­ternitas. Aug. Serò te a­mavi pul­chritudo tam anti­qua & tam nova, serò te amavi. Aug. Nothing satisfieth the soul, but the true and certain eternity of that joy which is not corruptible. Who would fix his eyes upon a Glow-worm, that hath the Sun to look upon? I have loved thee to late (saith Austin) O thou that art so ancient a beauty, and so new and fresh a beauty, I have loved thee too late. We have the living and eternal God to love, and yet we love dying things. Well may we wonder at our selves, that having the infinite and eternal God, whom we might make the object of our affections, we should take up with things so far short of him. What are a few drops compared to the Ocean? what are a few weak rays in comparison of the [Page 191] Sun? what are all the creatures in comparison of the Creator? God is an infinite Sea of perfection: there are no bounds nor limits to his perfe­ctions. In God there is all good that is desirable, all perfection imagi­nable, all perfection possible. Do we desire life? he is the fountain of life. Do we desire wisdom? he is the fountain of wisdom. Do we desire holiness? he is the fountain of holi­ness. Neither is there any thing we can conceive to be truely excellent and good, but it is in him: yea, what­soever perfection is possible to be, it is in God. Deus est bonum infi­nitissime infinitum. Bradwar­din. God is such a good as is most insinitely infinite. O! what folly is it then to have our hearts taken off from the infinitely-blessed God, and to have them set upon little narrow things? It is an expression that one of the Ancients hath to this purpose: The Angels are so inflamed with divine love, that all other things, yea they themselves seem vile to themselves, in respect of God whom they love. Did we know God more, we should not be so fond of other things. Oh! let us turn our souls upon God the chief [Page 192]good; there may we love freely, and cannot exceed in loving him.

Fourthly, consider, the world and earthly things cannot give happiness unto men. That is wise love, when a man loves that which will make him happie. Earthly things cannot do this. You may say, How doth that appear? That is easily made out in few words. Earthly things cannot give a man satisfaction while he hath them; they cannot keep him from death; they cannot comfort him in death; and least of all can they be a happiness to him after death. Now who would love that which will not answer the end for which he loves it? The reason why men love earthly things (although they will not con­fess it) it is, because they think to finde happiness in them: but now that happiness that men think to finde, is far from them. No tempo­ral thing will afford that to a man, which he desires and expects from it. Men expect satisfaction from what they do pursue, but satisfaction is far from them. Why should a man be fond of that, which when he [Page 193]hath it, his happiness must be in some­thing above it; and when he wants it, it is possible for him to be happie without it. If we had all the things in this world we could desire, if we are the children of God, and have indeed tasted that the Lord is gracious, there is something above those things that we shall still desire. Now if when we have the greatest abundance and confluence of earthly things, there is something else that we desire, and something else that must make us happie in the midst of these things, viz. the presence of God, and the en­joyment of him; and that it is pos­sible for us to be happie in those things, without earthly things; then there is no reason why our hearts should be so inordinately set upon these earthly things.

Fifthly, consider, the inordinate love of earthly things is a perverting of the End for which God gives us these things. God never gave us the creatures, that we might make them our happiness, or pursue them as our last end; but God gives us the crea­tures, that we might see himself in [Page 194]them, admire him in them, and pass from them to him. It is a speech of Austin: The creature is to be praised for the sake of God the author and ori­ginal of it; not to be worshipped and adored, as if it self were God. All things are of him, and by him, and to him, Rom. 11.36. All things are from God, and they ought to lead to him: therefore when we love the creatures as our chief good, and stick in them as our last happiness, we per­vert the end for which they were given to us: the creatures were ne­ver given for such an end, but they were given for this end, that we might ascend to God by them. We ought to use the creatures, not to en­joy them. Now, then do we use a thing, when we use it to a farther end: we ought to use the creatures in order to our enjoyment of God as our last end; but we ought not to take up with them, as if we had no higher end then to enjoy them.

Sixthly, consider, the inordinate love of earthly things is an argument of great ignorance and unbelief. Eve­ry man would desire and love the best [Page 195]thing: did he certainly know and be­lieve that there are better things then these that are present to Sence, he would love those things. We look not to the things that are seen, 2 Cor. 4. Paul knew that there were better things then those things that are seen, and that these things were real and substantial; and therefore his heart was carried out after these things. Now because the generality of men do not see these things, nor are acquain­ted with them, therefore they desire them not. The world lies before men, as a fair and pleasant garden, and there is many a goodly flower to be seen in it; here is pleasure, there is pro­fit, there is honour; these captivate the eyes of men; and because things invisi­ble to the outward sences are not seen or perceived by them, therefore they minde not these things. But O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn the glory of God into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Psal. 4.2. What folly and ignorance is it, to think that there are no higher things then those which the Brutes are capable of conversing with as well as [Page 196]you? The Brutes may have their out­ward senses delighted as well as you; they may be taken and affected with present visible things as well as you: but where are your souls in the mean time? where is your intellectual part? Can Reason discover nothing to you but what is present, and obvious to Sence? why then is the candle of the Lord set up within you? What sot­tishness and stupidity is it, to believe that there is no happiness to be found, but what is to be found in this world? As if the life which God lives, were no happiness; as i [...] so be the life which the Saints and An­gels live in above, were no happiness While men onely seek earthly things it is a certain signe that they are igno­rant of these things.

Seventhly, consider, the inordinate love of the world, and of earthly things, doth greatly unfit a man for death. Die we must, that is certain and the time of our life here is mos [...] uncertain. Now what folly is it to be found in such a frame, as will cer­tainly unfit us for death? Pythago­ras saith of Philosophy, That it is a [Page 197] meditation of death. [...]. Certainly the life of a Christian should be a con­tinued meditation of death: and if a Christian should always be medita­ting of death, that he may die well, die happily, and die comfortably; then certainly it will be his greatest folly to be taken up with those things that must greatly unfit him for death. Now there is nothing that will more unfit a man for death, then the inordinate love of earthly things. If a mans heart lie in the world, how [...]oth will he be to part with the world? No man is willing to part with that which he loves much. When a man that is a lover of the world comes to die, his heart is as it were rent from him: his heart lies in the world, and yet he must be rent from that which he loves so much. An holy soul, an heavenly-minded man, hath sent his heart be­forehand into heaven; and it is no difficult thing for him to be willing that his person should be removed there where his affections are gone before: but now an earthly-minded man, when his person comes to be removed out of the world, he leaves [Page 198]his heart, as it were, behinde him; and it must needs be very grievous and bit­ter to him to part with the world, that hath seen nothing better then the world.

Eighthly, to take us off from the love of earthly things, consider, that all these things must have an end. The earth also, & the works that are therein, shall be burnt up, 2 Pet. 3.10. Should a man set his heart upon that which af­ter a little while must be consumed to ashes? If a man would love wisely, he should love that which he might always love. Nothing but eternal things last always; and therefore the truest wisdom is to love these things. It is easie for a man to think himself out of all the happiness of this world. A man may think him­self beyond the happiness that is in riches, honours, or pleasures; a man may easily come in his thoughts to the end of the happiness that is in these things. Now should a man make that his happiness which he can think beyond? there is a happi­ness that a man cannot think himself out of, nor think beyond it; this [Page 199]happiness is our God, who is infinite and eternal; this is such a happiness that we can never come to the bot­tom of. Oh! it is good to love him as our happiness: if we love the world as our happiness, we and our happiness are like to pass away toge­ther. When the Apostle admonisheth us, Love not the world; what is the argument he urgeth? The world pas­seth away, and the lust thereof. The world is a transient thing; and as the world passeth away, so the lusts thereof pass away: when those things are gone which men had made the object of their love and affections, they have nothing left to set their af­fections upon. When this world comes to be burnt up, and the works thereof, none of those objects are to be seen or injoyed, which now at the present draw mens hearts so much to them; Nay, (not to go so far) when men must enter with their naked souls into eternity, and must leave all these things behinde them; what will they have to love then? how stript, and naked, and forlorn, may we well sup­pose a carnal soul, who was onely [Page 200]filled and fraught with creature-loves, and the love of earthly things, to be, when he comes to leave these things behinde him! All the objects of his affections are left behinde him; he hath none of those things left him which once he let out his heart up­on. What a pitiful empty thing is a miserable soul, that is separated from the Divine presence? while he lived here on earth, he made a shift to love the creatures, and to suck out as much contentment from them as he could; but now he is in Eternity, he hath none of these things to love: And now it is a great aggravation of his misery, to remember that he loved these things that did deceive him.

Ninthly, The inordinate love of earthly things is a signe that a man is of an earthly carnal spirit, and that his name shall be written in the earth.

1. The love of earthly things is a signe that a man is of an earthly spi­rit: Talis est quis (que) qua­lis ejus di­lectio; ter­ram diligis, terra eris. Every man is as his love is; if he loves the earth, he himself shall be earth, saith Austin. Every man is moulded into the nature of what he [Page 201]loves; if he loves the earth, he him­self is turned into a piece of earth. Austin observes, That the two sorts or kindes of love that are in the world, have constituted two kindes of Cities; the heavenly City, and the earthly Ci­ty. If a man be a lover of heaven and the things above, he is a Citizen of the Heavenly Jerusalem; if he be a lo­ver of the earth, he is a Citizen of this world: therefore let a man put the question to himself, and ask him­self what it is that he loves, and he may know what Citizen he is. The predominant love of the world, and of earthly things, is a signe that a man is a worldly man, a man of this world, and that he belongs to it, and that he hath nothing to do with the heavenly City, and the spiritual corporation that is above.

2. The love of earthly things is a signe that a man shall be written in the earth▪ It is a great expression of the Prophet, Jer. 17.13. O Lord, the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be confounded; they that depart from thee, shall be written in the earth, &c. When do men forsake God? [Page 202]when they leave God, and adhere to the creature: that the following words make out, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of li­ving waters. When men forsake the living God, and imbrace dying crea­tures, then they depart from God. Now all such shall be written in the earth: Coelo extor­res, & aeter­num ad exi­tium desti­nati. Glassi­us. an Elegant expression; what is the meaning of it? Banished from heaven, and destinated to eternal destruction: So one Learned man in­terprets it. Calvin carries it much to the same sense: Your name shall be here on earth, but it shall be blotted out in heaven; that is, there shall be no portion for you in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Apostle saith expresly, No covetous person, which is an idola­ter, hath any inheritance in the king­dom of Christ and of God, Ephes. 5. Or we may understand it thus: They shall be written in the earth; whatso­ever account and estimation men may be of in this world, they shall be of no account above with God and the holy Angels; their names shall be written in the earth: they love the earth, and all the honour they shall [Page 203]have, it shall be upon the earth: their honor and esteem shall not go beyond this world. Earthly - minded men that leave great Estates, Dignities and Honours behinde them, they may be famous in the Records and Annals of this world; they may be renowned for their riches, and the great things they have enjoyed here: but this is all they shall have, they shall have no estimation in the upper world, their name shall not and dye on the earth; they shall have no honour, nor carry any esteem in the heavenly Country.

Tenthly, Consider, there is much of vanity and vexation in earth­ly things: We know whose words they are; All is vanity and vexati­on of spirit. First, earthly things are vain things.

1. There is not in them that which they promise to us. Earthly things promise much more then we finde 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 [Page 204]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, [Page 205]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 [Page 206]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, [Page 207]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 [Page 208]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.

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 [Page 210]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 [Page 211]discourse as to the Explication of the Point, will be these two things.

1. To shew what 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, [Page 212]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 [Page 213]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 [...] ­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 [Page 214]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 [Page 215]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-swe [...]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-sati [...]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. Qui [...]quid hî [...] quaere­has, quic­quid [...]i [...] pro mag [...]o habeb [...], i [...]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. [Page 216]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 [Page 217]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 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 [Page 218]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 [Page 219]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 sp [...]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; [Page 221]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 [Page 222]for an higher happiness; our la [...] happiness is to live with God in th [...] Heavens: This is the happiness w [...] are capable of, and therefore this [...] the happiness we should make su [...] of; Lay hold of eternal life; tha [...] is, make sure thy title to etern [...] life.

2. To lay hold of eternal life, is [...] see that the bent and tendencie of o [...] souls be carried out after eternal lif [...] Lay hold of eternal life; it is as mu [...] as if the Apostle should have said, L [...] eternal life be the great thing in th [...] eye, let the bent and tendencie of th [...] spirit be carried out after et [...]rnal li [...] Every one hath the bent and tenden [...] of his spirit lying towards somethin [...] or other. Observe the pulse of you own hearts, and you will finde th [...] bent and tendencie of your own sp [...] ­rits carried forth towards somethin [...] or other. Some have their hear [...] carried out after the riches and pro­fits of the world; some after plea­sures, some after honours: The g [...] ­nerality of men have the bent an [...] tendencie of their spirits carried ou [...] after something in this world. Now [Page 223]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 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 [Page 224]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 [Page 225]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 [Page 226]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 [Page 227]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 [Page 228]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 [Page 229]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 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 [Page 230]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 [Page 231]hast a firm sure title to eternal life; thy vocation and calling as a Christi­an, [...]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 [Page 232]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 [Page 233]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 [Page 234]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 [Page 235]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 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 [Page 237]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? [Page 238]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 [Page 239]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 [Page 224]is the seed o eternal life: The Spi­rit of God which hath beg [...] 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 [Page 241]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 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 [Page 242]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.

Ʋse 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 [Page 243]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 [Page 244]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? [Page 245]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.

Ʋse 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 [Page 246]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 [Page 247]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 [Page 248]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 [Page 249]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 [Page 250]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 [Page 251]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, [Page 252]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 [Page 253]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 the prize: what prize was that? the prize of eternal glory. This is all one as to lay hold on eter­nal life. How would he do this? what course doth he take to attain this? He forgets the things that are behinde, and reacheth forth toward the things that are before. What are the things that are behinde? The pro­gresses he had already made in Chri­stianity, his former attainments in grace. He had some knowledge of Christ, some love to Christ, some as­surance of Christs love to him; he had done some service for Christ: Paul forgets these things; and what then? He presseth after those things that are before. What is that? He presseth after that knowledge, that [Page 254]love, that obedience, that conformity to Christ, which he had not attained to. When we have attained most grace, most knowledge, most experi­ence; yet there is more still to be at­tained. Now we should [...], be stretching forth, (an emphatical word) reaching forth, stretching for­ward, extending our selves: do as Racers do when they are come near the mark, stretch forth themselves to reach the mark, and touch the gold. So should we be aspiring and brea­thing to come to as great a propin­quity and neerness in our spirits in point of grace, to the future life, and the future state, as may be here on earth. We should strain hard to get as great a sutableness and conformity to the future life as may be.

Sixthly, we should pray that we may be in such a frame, as that we may be willing to leave this world, and to part with this life, that we may go to live with God in eternal life. We should be willing and con­tent to live while God would have us live, and while he hath any work for us to do: but when our work is [Page 255]done, and the Lord calls for us, we should not be so fond of this world, and of this life, but we should be willing to relinquish the one and the other, to go to live with God in his eternity. What can be to us that which God will be to us? Do we finde comfort in meat, in drink, in rayment, in friends, in riches, in ho­nours? God will be much more to us. Quaecun (que) ab homini­bus honest [...] desider a [...] ­tur, &c. Aug. Whatsoever may lawfully or ho­nestly be desired by men, God will be that to us. He will be life, health, sustenance, abundance, glory, honour, peace, and all good things. What good can there be wanting in him, from whom every thing that is good doth proceed? Whatsoever is sweet, amiable, pleasant, delectable in the creature, it all proceeds originally from God; and therefore he must needs be much more sweet, amiable, pleasant, delectable in himself. Quod efficit tale, est magis tale: That which makes a thing to be what it is, is much more so in it self. It is an ele­gant passage I have met with in Au­stin: Pulcra tra­jecta per a­nimas in manus ar­tificiosas veniunt, ab illa pulchri­tudine quae est super a­nimas, cui suspirat a­anima mea die ac no­cte. Aug. Those beauties which are trans­mitted and brought down through the [Page 256]souls or mindes of men into artificial hands, and by them are drawn forth, come from that beauty which is above souls; unto which beauty my soul (saith he) suspires and breathes day and night. Our souls should suspire day and night after the sight of our Maker, who is the first and most excellent beauty; Pulchrum pulchrorum omnium; The beauty of all other beauties, as Au­stins expression is. It is a speech which one of the Ancients hath: There are some who are still panting and breathing after the sight of their Maker, Sunt non­nulli qui in solo Condi­toris sui desiderio anhelant, nil jam in hoc mundo cupiunt, solo aeternitatis amore pas­cuntur. and have no desire in compari­son but that; they covet nothing in this world, but are fed with the sole love of eternity. We should labour to be of this number; our souls should pant and breathe in constant ardent desires after the sight and enjoyment of our Maker: it is the sight of him must make us happie to Eternity: and if so, we should not be unwilling (when he calls us) to leave these Glow-worm comforts here below, to behold the face of the eternal Sun, the presence of whom will make an eternal day in our souls, and no night shall succeed.