draw my heart off from Spiritual and Heavenly things no but I beat down my body saith he There 's no Christian that is Heavenly but he must be very careful and watchful over his sences while he lives here to beat down his body and so he may come to have his Conversation in Heaven The Sixth Rule Labor to be skilful in the mystery of godliness to draw strength from Jesus Christ in every thing you do For my Brethren Christ he is Jacob's Ladder When Jacob lay asleep he saw a ladder on which the Angels did descend and ascend up to Heaven Now this Jacob's Ladder is no other but Jesus Christ to Christians and that must be set up to Heaven if you would go to Heaven and converse with Heaven it must be by Jesus Christ you must be instructed in the mysterie of the Gospel in conversing with God through a Mediator there is such an infinite distance between God and us that except we have Christ the Mediator we can never come to God nor God come to us it is only Christ the Mediator that is the Ladder We need not say Who shall go up to Heaven to fetch Christ down No we may have Christ in our hearts and set up him and so we may go up to Heaven by his Mediation When as a Christian comes to live in this manner what I do expect from God I expect to draw it through a Mediator and all the services that I tender up to God I tender them up through the hand and heart of Christ Now those that are acquainted with this have much converse with Heaven By Jesus Christ the Mediator I may come up there and present my self there though no unclean thing may come there for God looks upon the Saints through him as righteous being cloathed with his righteousness they may come to their Father with boldnesse having their Elder brothers garments upon them they may come and kneel before the Throne of grace come into Heaven as into the Presence Chamber and kneel every morning for their Fathers blessing it 's by him what we have accesse unto the Father Oh! acquaint thy self with the Mystery of godlinesse in drawing all from Christ and tendering all to God through Christ By this Heaven comes down to thee and by this thou climest up to Heaven this is the Jacob's Ladder But those men that only look upon God in a natural way that 's thus Indeed all good things must come from God and so they go to prayer Lord we beseech thee bless us this day for all good things come from thee And they serve God their consciences tell them they must worship and serve God while they live here but it is but in a dull natural way let me leave it in your hearts All good comes from God through a Mediator through Jesus Christ the second Person in Trinity God-Man and all my services are tendered up to God through him there is this Mediator God-Man that unites God and me together and so by him I have acceptance both for my person and all my actions and by him I come to have other manner of blessings than comes from God meerly as Creator God in bounty bestows upon the creature many good things but when we come to deal with God in Christ we come to have Heavenly blessings blessings beyond the power of nature yea beyond all those blessings that nature can be any conveyance of beyond the blessings that the conduits of the creature are able to hold forth they have the blessing from God imediately imediately I mean in respect of the creature it 's by the mediation of Christ they enjoy God in Christ and so come to enjoy God in a Heavenly Supernatural way Oh this is the way to have our Conversations in Heaven and those Christians that are much acquainted with the Gospel of Christ they come to live far more Heavenly Conversations than others that go on in a dull heavie and natural kind of way in serving of God But being not acquainted with this mysterie their hearts lie low upon the earth and know not what it is to have their Conversations in Heaven The Seventh Rule And so the next Rule with which I must close all is this Exercise much the grace of faith There is no way to get above the Creature and above Nature but by exercising the grace of Faith Many Christians think they must exercise love to God and exercise sorrow for sin the grace of Repentance mourning for sin that 's good thou shouldest do that and thou shouldest exercise patience but the great grace that is to be imployed if thou wouldest attain a Heavenly life it is The exercise of Faith and make conscience to put forth that grace much for it 's by that that we do converse with God through Christ Though Christ be the ladder yet it 's faith that carries us up this ladder and brings us down again it 's faith that makes the things of Heaven real to the soul Heb. 11. 1. It 's faith that is an evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for by faith these things come to be made real and substantial things and as present things faith it is that gives a great excellency to all the things of Heaven its self and therefore live much by faith and walk by faith and not by sence and then shalt thou be above the world and live in Heaven and as the fruit of thy faith wait for the appearing of Jesus Christ Our Conversation is in Heawen saith the Apostle from whence also we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ c. Where a mans Conversation is there his expectations may be and where the expectations are there a mans Conversation is now our Converstaion is in Heaven from whence also we look for Jesus Christ as if he should say It 's not a motion do not you think that when we speak of Conversing in Heaven that we please our own fancies Oh no saith he we by faith look upon Heaven as the most real thing in the world for we expect the Lord Jesus Christ ere long to appear in glory bodily and we shall see him with these eyes and shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body we by faith looking upon such glorious things to be so real and so at hand and we waiting for these things it 's this that makes our Conversation to be in Heaven our hearts and all are there because that we expect that these things will be made good to us quickly Oh Christians do but exercise your faith in this in Jesus Christ and put forth this fruit of faith in waiting for the appearing of Jesus Christ when he shall come and appear in his glory this will help to make your Conversations to be in Heaven Oh what a blessed time will that be when Jesus Christ shall come from the Heavens and appear to those that have been waiting for
have the same confirmation of their blessed estate that the Angels have ibid 7 They have priviledge of a free rtade to Heaven Page 104 8 They have for he present communion with the Angels ib. 9 They have the protection of Heaven ib. CHAP. VI How the Saints have their conversation in Heaven 106 1 The aim of their hearts is heaven-wards 107 2 They are acted by Heavenly principles in their waies 108 1 That God is all in all ib. 2 That God is the infinite First being ib. 3 They have communion with the God of Heaven ib. 4 They live according to the Laws of Heaven 110 5 Their soul is where it loves rather than where it lives 111 6 They deilght in the same things that are done in Heaven 114 1 The sight of Gods face 115 2 The praising of God ib. 3 The keeping a perpetual Sabbath ib. 7 They are heavenly in earthly imployments 115 8 They are heavenly when they converse together 116 9 Their great trade upon earth is for heaven 217 CHAP. VII The Saints trading for Heaven opened 1 They have skill in they commodity they trade for Page 217 2 They have a stock to trade withal 218 3 They take the advantage of the Market for commodities ib. 4 There is much inter course ib. 5 Their chief stock is where they trade 220 6 They are willing to part with any thing here to receive advantage where they trade ib. 7 They trust much 221 CHAP. VII Evidences of mens having their conversations in heaven Evidence 1. They canvilifie all the things on earth 222 Evidence 2 They can be content and live comfortably with little in this world ib. Evidence 3 They can suffer hard things with joyful hearts 223 Evidence 4. Their hearts are filled with heavenly riches 225 Evidence 5 They are willing to purchase the priviledges of Heavne at a dear rate ib. Evidence 6 They are sensible of the stoppages between heaven and their souls Page 26 Evidence 7 Their willingness to die 227 CHAP. IX Reasons why the Saints have their Conversation in heaven ib. 1 Because their souls are from Heaven 228 2 By grace the soul hath a Divine Nature put into it 230 3 Their most choise things are in heaven 231 4 God orders it so to wean their hearts from the world 233 CHAP. X. Use 1. To reprove such as have their conversations in hell 234 CHAP. XI Use 2. To reprove hypocrites 235 CHAP. XII Use 3. Let us not find fault with the strictness of Gods waies Page 237 CHAP. XIII Use 4. To reprove such as are godly and yet fail in this thing 238 CHAP. XIV An Heavenly Conversation is a convincing conversation 241 CHAP. XV. A Heavenly Conversation is growing 243 CHAP. XVI A Heavenly Conversation brings much glory to God 244 CHAP. XVII A Heavenly Conversation brings much glory to the Saints 246 CHAP. XVIII A Heavenly Conversation will make sufferings easie 247 CHAP. XIX A Heavenly Conversation brings much joy 249 CHAP. XX. An Heavenly Conversation is very safe 250 CHAP. XXI An Heavenly Conversation gives abundant entrance into glory ibid CHAP. XXII Directions how to get a Heavenly Conversation Direct 1. Be perswaded that it is attainable Page 251 Direct 2. Labor to keep a cleer conscience 252 Direct 3. Watch opportunities for heavenly exercises ibid Direct 4 Rest not in formality 253 Direct 5. Labor to beat down your bodies 254 Direct 6. Labor to be skilful in the Mystery of godliness to draw strength from Christ in every thing you do ibid Direct 7. Exercise the grace of faith much 256 THE CONTENTS Of the ensuing TREATISE OF WALKING with GOD. GENESIS 45. 24. CHAP. I. TEXT opened Page 261 CHAP. II. Doctrine 'T is the Excellency of a Christian to walk with God 265 CHAP. III. How the soul is brought to walk with God 1 Every one by nature goes astray from God 268 2 The Lord manifesteth to the soul the way of life ibid 3 The Lord makes peace between himself and a sinner 269 4 God renders himself lovely to the soul 270 5 God sends his Holy Spirit to guide him 271 6 Christ takes the soul and brings it to God the Father 271 CHAP. IV What walking with God is 1 It causeth the soul to eye God 272 2 It causeth a man to carry himself as in Gods presence 273 3 He makes Gods will the rule of his will Page 274 4 The soul hath the same ends that God hath 275 5 It suits the soul to the administrations of God 276 6 To have a holy dependance upon God 1 For Direction 277 2 For Protection 278 3 For Assistance ibid 4 For a Blessing upon all it doth ibid 7 It makes a man free and ready in the waies of God 279 8 It consists in communion with God 280 9 It causeth the soule to follow God more as he reveals himself more 282 CHAP. V Excellencies of walking with God Excellency 1 It makes the waies of God easie 286 Excellency 2 It is most honorable 287 Excellency 3 The soul hath blessed satisfaction in it 288 Excellency 4 It is a special part of the Covenant of God on our parts 290 Excellency 5 There is a blessed safety in walking with God 292 Excellency 6 Hence the soul enjoys sweet familiarity with God 293 Excellency 7 To them God communicates his secrets 294 Excellency 8 They find favor in Gods eyes for granting their petitions 295 Excellency 9 There is a glory put upon the soul 296 Excellency 10 Gods presence doth mightily draw forth every grace Page 297 Excellency 11 The presence of God shall never be terrible to the soul neither at death nor judgment 298 Excellency 12 It will be blessedness in the end 299 CHAP. VII Vses of Exhortation Vse 1 Blesse God that he will be pleased to walk thus with his poor creatures 300 Vse 2 What strangers the world are to this walking with God 301 Vse 3 What vile hearts are ours that we are so backward to walk with God 302 Vse 4 Let us keep close to God in our walking wtih him 303 Vse 5 If there be so much excellency in walking with God here what will there be in heaven 304 CHAP. VIII Evidence of our walking with God 306 Evidence 1 He depends not much upon sence and reason in the course of his life 307 Evidence 2 He is the same in private that he is in publick 307 Evidence 3 He hath a serious spirit 309 Evidence 4 They walk in newness of life 310 Evidence 5 When he hath to do with the creature he doth quickly passe through the creature unto God 311 Evidence 6 He loves to be much retired from the world 312 Evidence 7 He is careful to make even his accounts with God 315 Evidence 8 The more spiritual any Truth or Ordinance or any company is the more the soul delights in it 314 Evidence 9 He walk in all the Commandements of God 315 Evidence 10 See how the Scripture describes
great evil and for that you have the same Scripture that was before for the temptations and snare 1 Tim. 6. 9. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts lusts that are very foolish and simple 1. As for instance It causes men to follow after things that are very vile and mean it causes men to bestow the strength of their immortal souls about things that have no worth at all in them that 's a foolish lust to bestow the strength of an immortal soul about vanities If you should see men that are of excellent parts for to spend their time about trifles and toyes as about catching of flies and following of feathers you would say surely they begin to be besotted so for the soul of man that is capable of such excellency as it is of communion with God with the Father Son and holy Ghost for such a soul to have the strength of it spent about such poor trifling things that cannot profit in the evil day Oh this is a foolish lust Secondly Foolish lusts for earthly-mindedness causes thee to be a servant to thy servants you would account that man a fool that should be a servant to his servants So God hath made the things of the earth to be a servant to thee and yet thou wilt come and put thy neck under thy servants yoke and art a servant to thy servant yea were it not a great deal of folly for a man to expect all his honour and respect to come from his servant rather than from any excellency in himself as thus Suppose a man were travelling indeed there is respect given to him but it 's for his servants sake rather than his own If he should come to know this this he would account a great dishonor to himself But an earthly heart I say puts himself into such a condition as indeed he makes it to be his greatest honour to have honour from his estate and riches So that men do not respect rich men for any worth that there is in themselves or for any excellency of their own but only for their riches as much as to say a man is not respected for himself but for his servant Take some men that have had estates but now they are deprived of them and are become as poor as any Almes-men or Beggars amongst us who doth regard them then But now let a man have grace and holinesse if he were turned out of all and made as poor as Job yet he were one that the Angels of Heaven would look upon with honour and would glory in attending upon him this is the difference between the carnal earthly heart and the spiritual heart It 's a foolish lust to make himself to be a servant to his servant 3. It brings into foolish lusts For a man might have as much it may be more of the earth if he did not mind it so much as he doth Now for a man to mind the earth and to indanger himself in the minding of it when as he might have it as well without so much minding surely this is a foolish thing For a man to bestow a great deal of labour about a thing when as he might have it with lesse labour he is a fool surely Certainly if you be such as belongs to God especially you may rather expect God to bless you if you kept your hearts more spiritual you might expect that God would grant to you more of the good things of this world if you were lesse earthly-minded than you are and it 's your earthly-mindednesse that makes God cut you short of these things I am verily perswaded there are many men that have ill successe in their earthly affairs and it 's a fruit of Gods displeasure upon them because their hearts are so much upon worldly businesses did you go on in your imployment in obedience to God and commit it to God for successe you might be crowned with more successe than you have been now what a foolish thing is this 4. Yea further It 's a great deal of folly for any of you to go and buy a thing and to pay a greater price for it than it 's worth If you send a servant to buy you commodities and when he comes home you ask him what it cost and he tells you it cost such a price which is ten times more than it's worth you will say Thus it is to send a fool to Market so an earthly minded man manifests himself to God and his Angels and all the Saints to be a fool for why thou bestowest that upon this world that is a thousand times more worth than the things of the world for thou bestowest that upon the world that might bring thee to heaven I may say to an earthly-minded man those thoughts and cares and affections and endeavours that thou doest spend upon the things of the world If they had been spent about the things of God might have sav'd thy soul to all eternity thou mightest have got Christ and Heaven and Eternity the Lord would have gone along with thee and thou maiest come hereafter to see it at the great day when all things shall be opened before men and Angels had I but spent those thoughts and cares and endeavours about understanding the waies and things of God and eternal life my soul might have bin sav'd for ever Not that our works wil do it but that God would have gone along together with you in such waies as those are now for you to spend thoughts and cares about that that perhaps you shall not have for many men and women spend their souls about the things of the world and never have them this is a sad thing Oh! wil not this be folly will not you curse your selves hereafter for your folly Oh that I should spend my self and be spent about that that I have not got neither and I must be damn'd for that whereas had I spent time about things that concern'd my soul and eternal life it would have been more like that I should have gotten those things for God doth not fail men so in spiritual things as he doth in earthly things a man may be as diligent as it 's possible for any man to be in business of the earth and yet he may miscarry but give me any man or woman that ever was diligent in seeking the things of God and eternal life that ever did miscarry I verily beleeve at the day of Judgment there will not be one man found that shall be able to say Lord I did improve what talents thou didest give me to the uttermost to save my soul but Lord because I was not able to do any more without thy grace thou didest deny thy grace to me and therefore now I must be damn'd I beleeve there will not be any soul that will be able to say so but in the matters of the world men do say so that they
have done what they could nad labour'd and toyl'd and yet for all that they miscarry Oh what a foolish thing is this then for thee to toyl and labour about that which is so uncertain for were it not a foolish thing for a man to bestow all his estate about buying of pibble stones and that that will afford him no kind of benefit at all This folly is in the heart of man I 'le but put this care to you If two of you should go to the Indies where precious stones are and one should purchase a lading of precious stones and other rich commodities and the other that carried as much money with him he laies out all his money about baubles and trifles and they both come home laden Both went out with the same stock both come home laden and one comes home with precious stones that makes him rich and his posterity to be great men the other brings home nothing but a company of pibble stones which makes him scorn'd and jeer'd at by all his Neighbours Oh! how would he be ready to tear his flesh for his folly in this kind This will be the difference between men and women at the day of Judgment for the truth is what is this world but a sea-fare we are here sailing in this world and here we have the market of pearls or else of that hath no worth at all in it when you live in the times of the Gospel I say there is a market for pearls for those things that may enrich you to all eternity now there 's one man he bestows the strength of his thoughts and heart about those things that he shall be blessing of God in the highest heavens to all eternity for and the other man bestows his thoughts and heart but upon the things of the earth and lades himself with thick clay as the Scripture phrase is and now at the day of Judgment when it shall appear here 's a man or woman that shall be to all eternity blessed that shall joyn with Angels and Saints in the highest heavens to magnifie the free grace of God in Christ and here 's another had that he bestowed but his thoughts and heart about the same things he might have been so blessed for ever but he minding the things of the earth is a cursed fool and is the scorn and contempt of men and Angels to all eternity earthly-mindednesse brings men into foolish lusts the Scipture speaks Oh! though men of earthly minds think themselves the only blessed men I applaud my self at home let men talk what they will but the holy Ghost saith that those Iusts that are caused by earthly-mindednesse are foolish lusts Fifthly That 's folly for a man to do that that he must undo again Now especially those earthly-minded men that have this earthlinesse so to prevail with them as to get any thing of the earth by false waies they must certainly undo all they have done you have got so much of the earth in some cunning cheating way and you blesse your selves that you have found out such a mystery of iniquity this is a foolish lust Foolish Why it must be done again either you must be eternally damn'd or else you must restore as Zacheus did if you be able though it be to the impoverishing of your selves yet it must out again all the sorrow and repentance that can be will not be sufficient thou canst not be pardoned upon all thy sorrow and repentance if thou dost not restore if thou beest able what thou hast ill gotten I do not know that there was ever any Minister of the Gospel upon the face of the earth but held this that it was of absolute necessity to salvation to restore and this one reason cannot but satisfie any mans conscience That a man cannot truly repent of a sin and yet wilfully to continue in it Now except you do restore you do wilfully continue in it for why you do not only wrong the man the first hour but so long as you keep any thing that is his you do wrong him and if you be able to restore and do not because you are loth to part with so much mony or so many goods you do wilfully continue in the sin now no man or woman can truly repent of a sin and yet wilfully persist in that sin what a foolish lust is this for a man or woman to go and get the things of this world in such a way as he must undo all again though it be to his shame Oh! consider what a folly it is You deceitful servants that spend away that upon your lusts that you cheat and cosen your master of afterwards when you come to set up for your selves you must restore what you have purloind and it may be a great part of your estate must be repaid in way of restitution it must be done there 's no gain-saying of it and therefore what a foolish lust it is to be set upon the things of the earth so as to get them in an earthly way 6. And then foolish observe this one note By Earthly-mindednesse they do lose the comfort of earthly things before they have them I make it out thus A man or woman that hath carking thoughts about the things of the earth and it may be by their inordinate thoughts and cares and affections after some earthly things they contract much guiltinesse upon their own spirits yet after this perhaps God doth give them that earthly thing now when they have got it if they have any light in their consciences their convinced consciences will then reflect thus upon them I have got this indeed Oh! but have I it with the blessing of God I have it in my costody but I got it dearly it cost me such thoughts and cares and affections before I had it and now I have it I cannot say it comes out of Gods love I rather fear that God hath given it me in his wrath because I got it in such a way now all the comfort is gone and lost whereas had it come in the way of God and hadst thou given up thy self to God and then providence had brought such a comfort to thee thou mightest have enjoyed much of God in it bless'd God for it the Lord hath bless'd me in my trading Oh! I have it from the Love of God But now when thy heart was earthly before it came when it doth come thou hast no comfort in it the comfort of all is lost before it comes thou hast spent so much upon it as if a man hath got a thing after he hath gotten it he thinks thus What hath this cost me it hath cost me a great deal more than it's worth now the comfort of it is vanished The Eighth Evil. Earthly-mindednesse It is the root of Apostasie I 'le give you but one Scripture compare it with another 2 Tim. 4 10. there 's a notable Text that shews how earthly-mindednesse breeds
God at the Throne of his Grace and have been sweetly refreshed as a Gyant with wine the while thou hast gone with a dead heart and continued so there and came away with as dead an heart without anie quicknesse and life and this is that that comes by thy earthly-mindednesse which is such a remora and pulback to duties The Tenth Evil. 10. Earthly-mindednesse is so great an evil wheresoever it prevails as it were just with God that thy name who art so earthly-minded should be written in the earth I say those that are earthly-minded and have this sin prevailing upon their hearts and are not sensible of it they have cause to fear least God should write their names in the dust yea lest God hath already written their names in the earth in the 17. of Jerem. 13. we reade of such an expression Oh Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters And it 's apparant that he speaks of earthly spirits here for in the 11. verse he saith As the Partridg sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall be a fool and then he goes on and describes the excellencie of God and his Sanctuarie A glorious high Throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary c. As if he should say There are a company of foolish vain men that seek after nothing but getting riches and the things of the earth But a glorious high Throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary Oh Lord we see an excellencie in thee and in thine Ordinances and thy Sanctuary Oh Lord the hope of Israel in whom there is such excellencie is there any that do forsake thee who hast so much excellencie in thee who art the hope of Israel Oh Lord just it were that their names should be written in the earth that they should never come to partake of those good things that there are in thee the excellent things that there are in thine Ordinances and in thy Gospel but Lord let their names be written in the earth an earthly spirit I say may fear least the name of it be written in the earth lest God write concerning such a man or such a woman earth shall be their portion and their mouths shall be fil'd with earth one day and that 's all the good that they shall have from the Almighty Oh those who have known God and the things of eternal life they cannot but apprehend this to be a sad and a grievous evil for their names to be written in the earth The Eleventh Evil. An Earthly-minded man hath the curse of the Serpent upon him What was that Vpon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat Thou hast the curse of the Serpent thou grove-lest upon the earth as it were upon thy belly thy soul cleaves to the ground in a sinful way and dust thou feedest upon While the Saints are feeding upon Jesus Christ upon the very flesh and blood of Christ when they are refreshing themselves with the hidden Mannah Angels bread corn from Heaven thou art satiating thy self with the earth that 's thy food and that 's the very curse of the Serpent it 's a sign of a serpentine brood of the old Serpent to be groveling upon the earth and to feed upon it The Twelfth Evil. Earthly-mindedness is a dishonor to God and a scandal to Religion What! shalt thou profess an interest in Christ and are there no higher things to be had in God than such base things as thy heart is upon What! doest thou hold forth the everlasting Gospel in thy hand to others and doest openly professe a nearnesse to God more than others and is there no difference between the workings of thy heart and the workings of others after the things of this world Oh! how does this darken the excellency of Grace if there be any grace at all it very much clouds it as the mixing of earth and drossie stuff with pure mettle it takes away the excellencie of the pure mettle so the mixing of earth with the profession of Religion blemisheth the beauty and splendor of the profession of Religion Thou wilt never be the man or woman that is like to convince any by thy Conversation thou art never likely to be a means to draw any to the love of the waies of godlinesse because there is so much darknesse and earthlinesse in thy Conversation Oh will they say Indeed he or she makes a great blaze in the world and talks much of Religion and of Ordinances and such things but as worldly as any and groveling in the earth as much as any people that are standers by wil think that profession is but a meer verbal thing or a mock-shew when as they see as much earthlinesse in your conversation as in the conversation of those that are without you do bring an ill report on the things of God as the Spies did on the Land of Canaan Whereas every professor of Religion should endeavour to put a lustre upon Religion and to make the waies of God to be beautiful amiable and glorious in the eyes of all that do behold them But now to give a lye to your Gospel-profession by your Earthlyconversation is a very great scandal to the Name of Christ that is upon you and to his Gospel that you seem to stand up for Oh! there 's a great evil in this and a very ill report comes upon the waies of Religion by this means many that have had little religion in them yet have some kind of generousness of spirit so that they scorn such base sordednesse as some sorts of Professors are given unto Oh! for shame let not those that have only common gifts of nature and education outstrip you that seem to be the followers of Christ away with that base muddy earthly saving pinching disposition it becomes none but Judas that carried the bag and betraied his Lord and Master for Eighteen shillings and four pence Let me argue with you you that have to deal with any friends or neighbors that you yet are afraid have not the power of godlinesse in them as you desire but yet you see they have much ingenuity and generousnesse and publickness of spirit in them for publick good take heed of scandalizing such men for certainly such men if they could be brought to the love of Religion to the power strictness thereof had they the work of the holy Ghost upon their hearts to humble them for sin and to shew them the excellencie of Jesus Christ they would be glorious Instruments in the Church of God and Common-wealth and therefore it 's a very great evil to scandalize such men as these no you should labor to walk so as they might
the Lord will condemn you from their example and say Did not such and such live in the familie and place where you liv'd and did not you behold their holie and gracious Conversation and shall the example of such and such vile wretches be followed rather than the example of my Saints I say this will stop your mouthes and aggravate your condemnation in the great Audit-day Some there are that are so far from following the example of those whose Conversations are in Heaven as they rage and fret against them and do what they can to darken the glorie of their holie lives and if they can but have any misreport of them they will follow it what possibly they can to the end that they might eclipse the holiness of their lives that so they may stop their own consciences whereas were there not something to darken the luster and beautie of the lives of the Saints certainlie mens hearts would condemn them for walking in contrarie waies unto them and therefore for relief of their consciences that they may not condemn them for walking in waies contrary to them they do what they can to spew upon their glory and are glad if they can hear any ill report of them and will follow them to their uttermost and all because their corrupt hearts are against the holiness of their lives and Conversations And then lastly Let those that profess Religion labor to walk so as their examples may be convincing others Is there such a power in holy examples to prevail with men you that profess Religion make this an argument to work upon your hearts that your Conversation may be more in Heaven that so your example may do the more good in the place where you live you that profess Religion and yet have earthly spirits and live scandalouslie and vilie Oh know you live to do as much mischief almost as a man can do in this world no greater mischief than for one to profess Religion and yet for his Conversation to be wicked and ungodly and so to give the Lye to his profession But for that we spake to heretofore when we treated upon that Scripture Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel CHAP. IV. Two Doctrines observed from the Text. THus we proceed to the principal Doctrinal Truths For our Conversation is in Heaven Our Citie Conversation our Citizen-like behavior or Citie Burges estate for so the word signifies our carriage like free denizens it is in Heaven now from thence you have First That the Saints are the Citizens of Heaven Secondly That their behavior and Conversation even while they are in this world it is in Heaven For the first but briefly to make way to the second The Saints of God they are the Citizens of Heaven they are all free Denizens Burgesses of Heaven In the 2. Ephes 19. there you may see how God hath gathered all the Saints together to be fellow-Citizens of Heaven Now therefore ye are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God They have an Heavenly Citie here in the Church the Church it is a Heaven to the Saints and as a type of that Heaven that they shal come into to live for ever both with the Saints and Angels hereafter And in the 11. Heb. 10. it 's spoken of Abraham He sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same Promise for he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God It seems then that all the Cities in the world in comparison of this Citie have no foundations Abraham looked for a Citie that hath foundations and whose builder and maker is God The builders and makers of these Cities are men the founders of the most famous Cities in this world have been men and manie times wicked and ungodlie men are the builders of them The first Citie that we reade of was built by Cain The builders and makers I say of these Cities are men laboring men But Abraham look'd for a Citie that had foundations whose builder and maker is God And in the 12. Heb. 22. But ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem mark and to an innumerable company of Angels so that you are to have them your fellow Citizens The Heavenly Jerusalem that is here in the Church which is in comparison of Jerusalem that was in Canaan called the Heavenly Jerusalem so that they are Citizens of Heaven even as they are Members of the Church the Saints of God here in the Church are said to dwell in Heaven but in that their Citie there are an innumerable company of Angels also that plainly notes that it hath reference unto the glorious Heaven of the Saints that they are the Citizens of the Saints are the Citizens of Heaven there they dwell in the 13. of the Revelation 6 and 8. verses this would serve for proof of this thing and so for the other point that remains That their Conversation it is in Heaven And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them Now these were not in Heaven that is in their bodies they were not in Heaven for the present But they are said to dwell in Heaven because they are of the Church here and they are free Denizens of Heaven too of the Heaven of the Saints that they shall live in hereafter in a more glorious way They are Now Citizens of it and they may be said to dwell in Heaven as we shall see afterward in the opening of their Conversations being in Heaven CHAP. V. How the Saints are Citizens of Heaven opened in Nine Particulars NOW the Saints are Citizens of Heaven For First Their names are all inrold in Heaven They are written in Heaven in the 10. Luke 20. Rejoyce in this That your names are written in Heaven In Heaven is the Books of life where all the Names of the Saints are written Philip. 4. 3. Whose names saith he are written in the Books of life Secondly The Saints are the Citizens of Heaven for they have Christ their Head gone before to take possession of Heaven in their names therefore they have a right to Heaven As a man may be a Citizen although he should travel in another Country yet his name being inrol'd there and he having possession there he may be said to be a Citizen though he be in a strange land for the present in his body So the Saints have their names inrold in Heaven they have Jesus Christ their head that is gone before in their names to take possession for them and to provide Mantions for them as in the 14. John Thirdly When ever they do actually beleeve they do take up their
freedom Their names were there Inrold from all eternity and so Christ at his ascention went and took possession but when they beleeve actually they do as it were take up their freedom in that Citie There 's many men that are born free yet there 's a time when they take it up and so others that have serv'd for their freedom yet it may be a long time before they be made free and so the Saints when they do actually beleeve they come to take up their freedom in the Citie of Heaven and are made Free Burgesses of Heaven And hence in the fourth place They come no more to be as slaves they are not bondslaves as before they are delivered from bondage being made free of Heaven As if so be that forreigners or such as are slaves should come to be Infranchized then they have the same freedom as others have and are admitted to the like City-priviledges and they are no more to be accounted as slaves so those that are by nature bondslaves to sin and Satan yea and such as are under the bondage of the Law yet when they come to beleeve they are infranchized in Heaven and are delivered from the bondage of the Law Sin and Satan they are said to be free-men of the Citie of Heaven Fiftly All the Saints have right to all the common stock Treasury and riches of Heaven whatsoever priviledges belong to the Charter of Heaven the Saints have right and title to them all As in great Cities there is a Common stock and Treasury that is for publick occasions and every Citizen hath some interest in it so the Saints I say have interest in all the Common-stock and Treasury and all the riches that there are in Heaven Sixtly The Saints are the Citizens of Heaven they have for the present the same confirmation of their happy estate that the Angels and those blessed souls have that are rasident in Heaven I say they have this priviledg now by being Citizens of Heaven that though their bodies be not in the highest Heavens yet they have their happiness confirmed as sure as the Angels in Heaven have and as any blessed souls in Abraham bosom look how they are confirmed in a happie estate so as they cannot be made miserable so is every Beleever though he lives in this world he hath this priviledg in being a Citizen of Heaven that he is confirmed in a happie estate that all the powers in hell and in the world can never make this soul to be miserable and this is a mighty priviledg of being a Citizen of Heaven he is more priviledged than Adam in Paradice for Adam he was not confirmed and stablished when he was made in the state of innocencie but every Beleever is confirmed and stablished as the Angels in Heaven are Seventhly They have this priviledg By being Citizens they have priviledg of free-trade to Heaven You know that Free-men in the Citie have priviledg of Trade more than Forreigners have Forreigners are fain to pay Custome and double taxes more than the Free-Citizens So the Saints they have the priviledg of Free-trade in Heaven for any thing that doth concern them they have a Freeintercourse with Heaven which others have not Eightly They have now for the present Communion with the Angels of Heaven there is Cōmunion Commerce between the Saints here and the Angels upon this ground because they are fellow Citizens and in that place of the Hebrews before quoted We are come to the Heavenly Jerusalem and to the innumerable company of Angels There is a great deal of intercourse between the Saints and Angels here upon earth the Angels look upon them as their fellow Citizens and are ministring spirits for the good of the Elect and they do very great services for the Church-men here in this world upon this ground because they look upon them as their fellow Citizens Ninthly They have the protection of Heaven being the Citizens of Heaven I say they have Heavens protection As one that is a Citizen he hath the protection of the Law of the Citie of the power of the Citie to defend him hence we reade of Paul that because he was a Roman it was dangerous to meddle with him as in the 22. of Acts 25. verse as they bound him with thongs Paul said unto the Centurion that stood by Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned As if he should say Take heed what you do I am free of the Citie of Rome And mark saith the Scripture when the Centurion heard that he went and told the chief Captain saying Take heed what thou doest for this man is a Roman he hath the protection of the City Thus the Saints are Citizens of Heaven They are not Romans but of the Heavenly Jerusalem and when any are about to wrong one of them they had need take heed what they do for he is a Citizen of Heaven the King of Heaven is his King to protect him and he sits and laughs at the enemies of the Church And the very Angels themselves they are their guard to guard all these Citizens and to protect them and this is the comfortable estate of all the people of God that they are the Citizens of Heaven Our City Converse All this I note out of the signification of the word in the original and without the understanding of the propriety of the language and the word we should not have the understanding of this truth Wheresore my brethren it being thus it should teach all the people of God to walk as becomes Citizens not to be rude in their behavior 't is a dishonor to Citizens to be rude in their behavior it 's enough for Country people that never had any education to be rude but certainly the Saints of God they have the education of Heaven this may be added for a tenth Particular They have the holy Ghost to be their Instructer to bring them up in holy and good manners that is sutable to Heaven this the Saints have and manifest it in your Conversations be not rude in your way prize your priviledg of being a Citizen of Heaven it 's that that cost Jesus Christ dear to purchase this infranchizement and liberty for you we reade in the 22. of the Acts of the Captain when he heard that Paul was a Roman in the 27. verse their chief Captain came and said to him Tell me art thou a Roman He said Yea. And the chief Captain answered with a great sum obtained I this Freedom And Paul answered I was free-born They were wont to give great sums to purchase freedoms of the City Oh! this City that here we are speaking of hath such priviledges as is beyond any in the world And no man or woman can come to be free of this City but it is by a great purchase No man can say as Paul did here that he was born free no but if he came to be free of
they should find Callis in her heart And so it may be said of Saints whose Conversations are in Heaven I speak not of all Professors of Religion for it 's said of bodies when Paul speaks of the resurrection there are bodies Celestial and bodies Terrestial so I may say There are Professors Celestial and Professors Terrestial but as for such whose Conversations are in Heaven who walk with God and live here the lives of Heaven upon Earth If they were rip'd up you should find Heaven in their hearts un-rip many mens hearts and there 's nothing but the earth uncleanness and baseness suppose God should come this moment and rip up all your hearts and disclose them to all the men of the world what a deal of filthy stuff would be found in many of your hearts but for such whose Conversations are in Heaven they would be ready to have God unrip their hearts when he pleaseth Lord try Lord search me Lord examine and see what is in my heart I 'le but put this now to you as in the Name of God and let conscience answer What do you think would be found in your hearts if they should be unrip'd now and if your consciences tell you Oh Lord if my heart should be rip'd up now there would be a filthy deal of ugly and abominable stuff there surely I have not had my Conversation in Heaven my heart hath been sinking even down to low and base things but now for those whom this text concerns it will be an exceeding comfort to them and I hope that there are divers of you that may be able to say if the Lord should at this present rip our hearts and shew them to all the world I hope the world should see that Heaven is stamped upon our hearts We account it sad weather when we cannot see the Heavens for many daies when we cannot see Heaven many times for a week together and we account it an ill dwelling where men dwell in narrow lanes in the City so that they can scarce see the Heavens except they go abroad in the fields My brethren surely it 's a sad time with a gracious heart when any one day passes without converse with Heaven without the sight of Heaven and meditations of Heaven and having their hearts there Thus it should be with Christians whose Conversations are in Heaven they should never love such dwellings wherein they cannot see the beams of the Sun It 's a most comfortable thing for to see the light a man that dwels in some dark house it 's very comfortable for him to walk out into the open air and to behold the Heavens Oh my brethren our souls dwell in dark houses every one of us for our bodies are to our souls like a dark and low celler but the Lord gives us liberty to go abroad to be conversing with the things of Heaven that he hath revealed in his Word and in his Ordinances And as many Citizens that live in dark rooms keep a long time close to their work yet at such times as they cal days of Recreation they walk abroad in the Fields and take the fresh air and oh how delightsom is it to them The same should be to a gracious heart that hath a great many businesses indeed in the world I but on the Lords day Oh that he may now enjoy God in his Ordinances more than before his thoughts are upon those waies wherein he may come to have more of Heaven Oh! that I may come to converse more with God than at other times And upon that the Sabbaths are the joy of his soul his delight he longs after the Sabbath he thirsts after Ordinances for indeed his heart is in them for he finds there is more of Heaven in them than in other things and in that regard the Saints having their thoughts and hearts in Heaven thus he proves to have his Conversation to be in Heaven Moses never came to Canaan and yet God gave Moses a sight of it carried him up to mount Nebo Heavenly meditations are as it were mount Nebo whereby when the heart is raised a little upon the mount it 's able to see Heaven behold the glorious things there The Scripture speaks of Lucifer that he had his nest among the stars A Saint hath as it were his nest his dwelling among the stars yea above the stars in the highest Heavens As 't is with wicked men that when they seem to draw nigh to God yet their hearts are far from him then they are in their shops they are among their ships when they seem to be worshipping of God So when the Saints seem in regard of their bodies to be far from God yet their hearts are in Heaven in the mean time Sixtly For the opening of a Heavenly Conversation it consists in this When in the course of mens lives they do converse and delight in the same things that are done in Heaven they make their happiness the same happiness that is in Heaven and make their exercise to be the same exercise that is in Heaven As for instance What is there in Heaven There is the fight of the face of God Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God And the Angels Alwaies behold the face of God So the Saints may be said to have their Conversations in Heaven because their exercise here while they live it is in the beholding the face of God in standing before God seeing his face the greatest delight and contentment of their souls it is that they can see somewhat of God What 's to be done further The Work of Heaven it is in the Praisings and Blessings of God What do the Saints and Angels of Heaven but continually blesse and magnifie and praise the Name of that God whom they see to be so infinitly worthy of all praise and honor from his creatures Then is a mans Conversation in Heaven when as he doth the same things when he joyns with Angels Saints in doing of the same work of magnifying and blessing and praising God What 's done in Heaven but the keeping of a perpetual Sabbath Then are our conversations in Heaven when we delight in Gods Sabbath yea and indeed to keep a constant Sabbath unto God though busied about earthly things yet still we keep a Sabbath to God in resting from sin and being spiritually imployed And that 's a Sixth thing Seventhly Then our Conversation is in Heaven When in Earthly imployments yet we are Heavenly when we use earthly things after a heavenly manner it is not the place that God looks at so much where his Saints are But what they do Though while we live in the earth we use earthly things yet when we can use them in an heavenly manner then our Conversation may be in heaven though we upon earth As thus first When in the use of earthly things we do quickly passe through earthly things to God we make use of them but
of glory upon the things of this world that they are gilded and varnish't over but in comparison of the greater glory they are not glorious at all though they that never saw any thing else as glorious but the things of the world yet thou that hast seen the greater glory shouldst not account these things glorious Oh therefore Christians lift up your hearts to Henven and let your Conversations be in Heaven Though God hath so ordered it that you must live here a while and must be content for indeed to some Christians that have their Conversations in Heaven it 's a great part of their self-denial and of their subjection to God to be willing to live upon the earth and to stay from Heaven till Gods time come This is a riddle and a mystery to many that it should be a part of our Salvation Obedience yea of Self-denial though they had Crowns of Glory though they were Kings and Princes here in this world to be willing to stay here We might come to attain this if our Conversations were in Heaven and our hearts there As we reade of Daniel though God so ordered it that he could not live at Jerusalem where the Temple was yet he would open his window towards Jerusalem he would ever be looking that way And so though God hath so ordered it that we cannot come yet to live in this Heavenly Jerusalem bodily and in that full way as hereafter we expect to do yet we should open our window our eyes and the doors of our hearts should be open towards Heaven I remember I have read of Edward the First King of England that had a mighty mind to go to Jerusalem but because he could not go for death prevented him he gave charge to his Son to carry his heart thither And so it should be with us we should endeavour to have our hearts there and to have as much of Heaven as we can though we cannot be there our selves in nature Every creature hath put into it by the God of nature an instinct to move to its proper place as now because the proper place of fire is above there is an instinct of nature in fire to ascend to its proper place And the proper place of earth is below and therefore it will fall down to the Center a heavie thing that hath much earth in it though it breaks its self to pieces yet it will fall down towards its Center and so it will be with a Christian though he break himself to pieces whatsoever he suffers yet he hath an instinct to carry him to his proper place fire because its proper place is above if it be kept down by violence what a mighty power there is in fire to make way for its self that it may get up that 's the very reason of the mighty force that there is in Guns because there is fire in the pouder that is kept in when the pouder is once fir'd because the fire would get up above therefore it breaks with violence and if it cannot have vent to get out it breaks any thing in the world for it must out that it may get up to it 's own place and so it should be with a Christian there should be a strong impetiousness to get up to his own place that would be an evidence indeed that Heaven is thy proper place Oh Christians lift up your hearts and let your Conversations be in Heaven CHAP. XIV An Heavenly Conversation is a convincing Conversation I Shall not need to come again and tel you what Heavenly Conversation is it hath been opened at large to you but for the setting an edg upon this Exhortation First Know That a Heavenly Conversation will be a very convincing Conversation then you will convince men that you have somwhat more than they have when they see you live Heavenly for the men of the world they know the things of the world are the things that their hearts are upon and that which they mind but now when they see those that professe Religion mingle themselves with the earth as they do then they will think that they are acted by the same principles that themselves are but now Heavenly Conversations will convince them when they behold them walking above in the whol course of their lives when they see an evenness and proportion in their course take them at all times and in all businesses they carry themselves as men of another world As a man that is a stranger to a place may for a while act it so as he may seem to be one that is a native in the place but one that is born in the place will go nigh to find him out in one thing or other and so 't is very hard for men to carry themselves so if they have not true grace though they appear sometimes to be very Heavenly yet one that is a true Citizen of Heaven will discern them at one time or other if they have not grace yea the truth is carnal men wil discover themselves that they are born of the earth and are of their Countrie his speech betrais him he is a Giliadite But when Christians shal in their constant way have their Conversations in Heaven then their Cōversations are very convincing There are the Raies of Heaven about them they have the lustre of Heaven shining wheresoever they go and in all company surely such a man seems to be in Heaven continually So it will force it from the very Consciences of men to say Certainly these are the Citizens of Heaven if there be any Denizens of the new Jerusalem while they live upon the earth these they are I remember it 's said of that Martyr Dr. Taylor That he did rejoyce that he ever came into the prison to be in company with that Angel of God Mr. Bradford Mr. Bradford's Conversation it was Angel-like like an Angel of Heaven and did convince almost every where where he went Oh! 't is of great use that Christians should live convincing Conversations You know what Dives said to Abraham That he would have one sent to warn his brethren that they might not come to that place saith Abraham They have Moses and the Prophets Oh but saith Dives If one rise from the dead they would hear him I may say thus If God should send one from Heaven to live among men and to preach to them surely they would regard him Would it not be a great benefit to the world if God should send some one Saint from Heaven or Angel to converse in a bodily way among us Truly Christians should live so as if they came from Heaven every day as if they had been in Heaven and conversing with God When they go to perform duty in a morning and get alone between God their souls they should never leave striving till they get their hearts so in Heaven and get themselves upon the Mount so as when they come down to their family their very
It will cause an abundant enterance into the Kingdom of Heaven When they come to die Oh how joyfully wil they die what abundant enterance will be made into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ For when they die they shall but change their place they shall not change their company they shall but go to their Fathers house to be partakers of those mansions Christ before hath prepared Oh my brethren labor to have your Conversations in Heaven and know that this is not a matter only that concerns eminent Christians but all Christians and see how the Apostle charges this upon the Thessalonians 1. Epistle 2. 11. As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his children that you would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory That is That you would walk in a Conversation answerable to the glorious Kingdom of God that you are called to according to your high calling we should walk worthy of it We are charged so to do and as it 's said concerning Christ in the Gospel by Saint John he spake concerning himself But the Son of man which is in Heaven So it should be said of every child of God such a one that is in Heaven not only such a one that shall go to Heaven but that is in Heaven for the present CHAP. XXII Seven Rules or Directions how to get Heavenly Conversation BUt you will say How should we do to get this our Conversasation to be in Heaven it's an excellent Conversation indeed Oh that we might attain unto it The First Rule First Take this Rule Be perswaded that it is attainable Let Christians conclude thus with themselves it is possible for me to live a life of Heaven while I am upon the earth There is a Heaven to be got it will mightily stir up the spirit of a Christian if he do beleeve this I may live in Heaven here with God and Christ and his Angels and Saints there are some that have attain'd to this and how have they attain'd to it not by their own strength they were men subject to the same infirmities that you are even Paul himself that had his Conversation in Heaven was subject to many infirmition But through the strength of Christ he can do all things he was nothing in himself reade but the 7. of the Romans Paul saith there of himself that he was even sold under sin and when he would do good evil was present with him and he was led captive and he found a Law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind and he had many corruptions and was feign to have a prick in the flesh a messenger of Satan to humble him and he spake of this Heavenly Conversation not only that he had it himself but writing to the Philippians they attain'd to it they were a Church that were very spiritual but were but poor and mean in respect of some others and they had not those eminent gifts that the Corinthians had and yet the Philippians had their Conversations in Heaven therefore it is a thing that is attainable The Second Rule Secondly If you would get your Conversations in Heaven Labor to keep a cleer conscience keep a Heaven in your conseience Those men that do fully and defile their consciences they lose their intercourse with Heaven and indeed the presence of the God of Heaven is tedious to them they be loth to go into his presence when once they have defiled consciences If there be a Hell in a mans conscience there will not be a Heaven in his Conversation but let men and women labor to keep conscience clean and a Heaven there and then there will be a Heaven in their Conversations The Third Rule Watch opportunicies for Heavenly exercises though you have much business in the world watch time You that are servants you should not indeed neglect your Masters business for you may serve God in the work of your Master but yet you must watch opportunities get alone and if you cannot have any long time let it be so much the frequenter watch all opportunities for Heavenly exercises for meditation for prayer for reading for conversing with God Oh! we might get many opportunities to get our souls in Heaven if we would but watch and those that are diligent to watch opportonities for Heavenly exercises and prize opportunities for them they are the men and women that will come to attain to a Heavenly Conversation that do not ' make it as a light matter whether they have converse with God or no in holy duties Christians that would have their Conversations in Heaven they must look upon their opportunities for Heavenly exercises they eye them as that wherein much of the joy and comfort of their lives consists The Fourth Rule Forget not this in the next place I speak now to Christians that would feign have their Conversations in Heaven I say to you Take heed and be careful that you rest not in formallity watch to get opportunities but be not formal in duties in them Oh! this will mightily darken your Conversations it will make them very earthly there will be no beauty at all in them if you come to rest in formallity in holy performances There 's many Christians that we hope may have some good at the bottom yet growing to a form in Religion they never honor their profession they have little comfort to their own souls they go on in a dead hearted condition they know not what it is to have communion with God Oh beware of that that we are all by nature subject too those that have enlightenings of conscience they dare not but take opportunities for Heavenly duties but then comes in the temptation of the Devil and the corruption of our own hearts when I have done my task then it 's over I have prayed I but you have been in Heaven that while what converse with God have you had there Oh take heed of formallity it will exceedingly hinder your Conversation But now a Christian though of never such weak parts can but chatter to God and speak a few broken words and half sentences yet if he doth not rest in formallity he may have much converse with God whereas others that have excellent parts yet resting in the work done never knows what the meaning is of having a Conversation in Heaven The Fifth Rule Labor to beat down your Bodies That is take heed of making provision for the flesh beware of sensual lusts how came Paul to have his Conversation in Heaven saith he I beat down my body The word is Black and blue club'd it down as if he should say This body of mine would draw my heart aside from spiritual things and make me earthly and sensual I wil keep down my body I will not give that satisfaction to the flesh and body so as to strengthen any temptation that should
him it was a blessed thing to have Christ here personally and to live with him when he was upon the earth though it were in the state of his humiliation Oh when he shall come in his glory how blessed will that be and when he shall change our vile bodies that they may be like unto his glorious body Oh this will keep the heart in expectation of Christ for then that vile body of thine that is now a body of sin and death matter of diseases a body of weakness and a lump of clay now it shall be made like the glorious body of Jesus Christ to shine more glorious than the Sun in the firmament this will be when Jesus Christ shall come with all his Angels in his glory and this is observable when all the glory of the creature shall be darkened with the glory of God and Jesus Christ yet then the bodies of the Saints shall shine gloriously before the face of God and Jesus Christ surely they shall be more glorious than the glory of the Sun for that you know will be darkened at the coming of Jesus Christ The great glory of the Father and Jeus Christ and the Angels shall darken the glory of the Sun Moon and Stars but the glory of the bodies of the Saints shall be so great as all the glory of God and Jesus Christ and the Angels shall not darken their glory but it shall appear with a very great lustre now if the glory of God and the Angels should darken it then to what purpose is it that their bodies shall be like to the glorious body of Jesus Christ but certainly it shall not darken their glory If a candle could be raised to have so much lustre and beauty as if you should put it into the midest of the Sun yet it would shine in the midst of it it would be a strange kind of light you would say It shall be so with the bodies of the Saints that though they are put into the midst of the glory of God and his Son yet their very bodies shall shine in beauty and lustre there Now did we beleeve this and wait for it every day how would it change us I have a diseased and a lumpish body and my body hinders me in every duty of worship and service wandering and vain thoughts lodge in me now I but I 'le wait for that time when Christ shall come in all his glory and make my body to be like unto his glorious body to make it to be able to look upon the face of God and to be able to be exercised in holy duties to all eternity without any weariness and without any intermission so shall the bodies of the Saints be raised to that power that their bodies shall be so strong that their souls shall be exercised about the highest things possible for a creature to be exercised with without weariness wait for this I have many things here that trouble my mind and spirit and hinders me in my converse with Heaven but within a while the time shall come that I shall be delivered from all troubles here when Christ shall appear with his mighty Angels to be admired of his Saints and when he shall come and take the Saints to judg the world and shall set all the Saints upon Thrones to judg the world the expectation of this time will raise the heart very much to be in Heaven But then especially when I consider the glory that shall be upon my soul let me think thus if this body of mine that is a lump of flesh shall be by the almighty power of God whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself raised to that height of glory to be more glorious than the Sun in the Firmament then what height of glory shal my soul be raised too but then take not only my soul but my grace the Divine Nature that is in my soul what shall that be raised too The plants are capable to be raised to a higher excellency than stones and the Rational creature to a higher excellency than a Sensitive creature and the Sensitive higher than the Vegetative and the Supernatural creature to a higher excellency than the Natural Then raise your thoughts thus My body shall be raised so high what shall my soul be then and what shall my graces that are in my soul be Oh! wait for this it is but for a little while before I shall be with God for him to be all in all to my soul enjoying full communion with him I say exercise faith and wait for it look for it every day consider it 's neerer and neerer your salvation is neerer than when at first you beleeved God hath a little work for you here but as soon as this is done this shall be my condition I shal see my Savior my soul shal presently be with him and enjoy ful communion with him in glory and my body within a while shal be raised and shall live for ever with him shall be where he is and shall enjoy all that he hath purchased by his blood as much glory as the blood of Christ is worth am I capable of the text saith It shall be a weight of glory I am not here fitted to bear a weight of glory if the glory of Heaven should shine in upon me so much as it might it would swallow me up presently We reade in the 7. of Dan. upon the glory of God appearing to him saith he I Daniel fainted and was sick certain daies If God should open the Heavens and dart in some light from Heaven into us so as he might alas we should faint presently and be sick and die No man can see God and live no man here can enjoy that that God hath prepared for his Saints in Heaven and live therefore let us be content for a while to be as we are and exercise thy faith and hope in what shall be Thou shalt be able to bear that weight of glory and be able to stand before the face of God continually to enjoy those things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can enter into the heart of man to conceive nay though a man hath a spiritual eye and a spiritual ear and a spiritual heart enlarged to supernatural things yet they are things not only beyond the eye of sence but the eye of reason nay the eye of faith hath not seen them fully nor ear hath ever heard of neither can enter into a gracious heart to convince what it is but those Clusters that we have of this land of Canaan do shew that mere is a glorious rest for his people Now by the exercise of your faith and hope work these things upon your souls every day it would be a mighty help to make your Conversation to be in Heaven where should my heart and thoughts where should my life and conversation be but where I expect such things as these are to be revealed very
the place where his friend is to go and is sorry that the walk is so short and still desires to converse with his friend So I say this is the difference for all the world in Professors there are some that have some touch of conscience and they see there is no way for them if they have not mercy from God but they must perish and perhaps they will be seeking of God and following of God and crying to God for mercy but if they have not comfort according as they expect they turn away from him and seek for comfort other waies But a gracious heart that is indeed turned to God it doth not only seek to God for mercy for its self that it might be delivered from misery but it sees an excellency in God and finds sweetness in Converse and Communion with God and loves the presence of God and this is the ground of the constancy of his heart in the waies of holiness Because it loves so much of the presence of God and Communion with God it is for God himself that the soul is in those waies and such a one will hold out in the waies of God Indeed one that meerly serves God in a servile way and seeks himself only in seeking of God such a one I say will be ready to turn aside but where the soul walks with God out of a sence of Communion Sweetness and Good that there is in Communion with God such a one goes on in a constant way to the end and is not tir'd in the waies of God as others are You know If you be walking from place to place if you have good company with you you are not weary you account the journy nothing why because you have good company and especially if you have good discourse all along too so it is with Christians Oh the waies of God come to be very easie to them upon this ground and so they hold out CHAP. V. Twelve several Excellencies of walking with God Opened THe next thing is The Excellency that there is in walking with God The first Excellency And this may be in the first place The walking with God Oh there is an Excellency in it If it were only this That it makes the waies of God easie All the waies of God how easie are they to the soul that knows what this means Of walking with God That hath God in his company continually Oh the easiness that there is in the waies of God! it 's that that is worth a world and it 's a very grievous and sad condition that men and women are in who have convinced consciences and dare not wilfully go out of Gods waies but are alwaies drooping and find them grievous and tedious to them But it is because they have not communion with God in them they are in them meerly upon necessity because they ought to be in them But the Saints find the waies of God more easie to them for they have alwaies good company with then When I awake I am alwaies with thee saith David The very nights are pleasant unto them when he awakes still he is with God There 's many men and women cannot lie alone those that cannot sleep when they awake if they have no company with them the nights are tedious but if they cannot sleep and yet when they awake they have some with them the nights are not so tedious to them When I awake I am ever with thee saith David concerning God That 's the first thing for the Excellency of this walking with God The second Excellency But Secondly This walking with God it is most honorable Oh 't is an honorable thing to walk with God Attendance upon Kings and Princes we know is honorable The Maids of Honor that do but attend upon a Queen it 's a great honor the attendance upon a King yea upon Noble Men But now not only attendance but free converse with Princes that 's more than meer attendance to walk with an Emperour as a friend up and down in his Galleries in his Gardens in his Orchyard So it is with the Saints Abraham is called Gods friend You are not my servants but my friends saith Christ God admits the soul to come as a friend and to have converse with him Oh! this is honorable They were accounted blessed that were in the presence of Solomon that were but his servants to wait at his Table much more to sit at his Table to see the order of Solomons Table Then to be alwaies with God and walking with him what a blessed and honourable thing is this It is the honor of Angels themselves that they do but see the face of God the Angels that are in Heaven do behold the face of God what honor is it then for Christians to be alwaies walking with God Honor 't is that that is the great honor and happiness of the Church when she shall be in her glory Mark how Christ doth expresse himself in Revel 3. 4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments What 's promised to them and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy There shall be a glory put upon them and they shall walk with me for they are worthy The walking with Christ that 's the greatest honor that Christ could promise unto them And so in the 14. of the Revelation it 's said of those that stood upon Mount Sion with the Lamb having harps in their hands and singing of a new song in the 4 verse These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes these were redeemed from among men being the first fruit unto God and to the Lamb. They follow the lamb whithersoever he goes This is the honor that is put upon them Oh the walking with God it is most honorable The third Excellency Thirdly The Excellency of walking with God consists in this In the blessed satisfaction that the soul must needs have in walking with him to walk with life its self with glory with happinesse and that in a constant way this must needs satisfie the soul must I say bring inconceivable satisfaction and peace unto the soul thus walking with Him You know what Philip said Let us see the Father and it sufficeth us What would it suffice Philip to see God Oh then not only to see him but to walk and be continually with him People will run many times but to have the fight of a great man but to be admitted into the same room and to walk with him this is more in the 33. of Exod 14. And he said my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest God promised to Moses that his presence should be with him and then when the presence of God is with the soul Oh the rest that the soul hath by the presence of God! Oh the lettings out of joy that there must needs
the love of God shed abroad into their hearts but when they come to the Word they cannot but say that they hear their fathers voice Perhaps the word is not a comforting word to thee as hereto fore I but is it not a directing word an instructing word an inlightening word Oh this now should support thee for the present Sixthly All that I will say further is this Keep thy self in a waiting frame for God Do not determine that because the Lord is gone he will ever be gone Oh no but keep still in the waies of God waiting for him resolve that though God leaves thee yet thou wilt not leave the path in which God was heretofore I am sure that God was once here Oh then keep the path wherein thou wert wont to meet with God for thou shalt meet with him again It 's better to keep the path the ordinary high-way of God for you are more like to meet with God there than if you should go out of the way I 'le give you a Scripture or two for that and so conclude The first is in Psal 101. 2. I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way Oh when wilt thou come unto me That which I quote this for is this the resolution of David to behave himself wisely in a perfect way together with his panting after the presence of God Oh when wilt thou come unto me as if he should say Lord Thou art absent from me now but Lord I will not go out of the way wherein I was wont to find thee Oh when wilt thou come I will not determine that I shall never see thee in this way as heretofore I have done no but I hope I shal afterwards meet thee And so in the 119. Psalm 8. verse I will keep thy Statutes what then Oh forsake me not utterly It seems that the Lord for the present to Davids apprehension had forsaken him but what was Davids resolution God hath forsaken me and I 'le forsake him Oh no But I 'le keep thy Statutes and Oh! leave me not utterly So keep on in the waies of God still go on in his way and wait for the presence of God until he come and conclude this Surely he will come Be not like to children that because they see the Sun going down therefore they conclude that the Sun is gone and will never come again Though God seems to withdraw the light of his face from thee do not conclude and determine well I shall never have those comforts from God in communion with God in walking with God as once I was wont to have do not say so but go on and keep in the waies of God wait upon him and look up towards him and so thou maiest come to have as much Communion Sweetness and Joy in God as ever thou hadst in all thy life And now know that God cals for the work of faith in such times as these are now God calls thee to walk by faith and not by sence FINIS AN EXACT ALPHABETICAL TABLE Of all the chief Matters handled in the Fourth VOLUMN A ADultery see Earthly-mindedness Accompt The Saints are carefull to make even their accompts with God Page 313 Aim The aim of the Saints is heaven-ward 107 Angel The Saints have the same confirmation of their happiness as the Angels have Page 104 Apostacie What the root of apostacie is 40 Astray By Nature men go astray from the waies of God 268 B Benefit What the benefit of grace is 36 See Conscience Beleeving By beleeving men take up their freedom of Heaven Page 103 Blessing see Jacob C Care Whence distracted cares arise 9 What our care should be 78 Calling How godly men are busy in their callings 16 Calling see Wicked Citizen The Saints are Citizens of heaven and how 100 We should walk as becomes Citizens of Heaven 105 See Priviledg Communion What the word Communion signifies 109 Communion with God what it is 110 Communion see Saints Content see Little Conversation Heavenly Conversations are to be followed 92 How far heavenly Conversations are to be followed 93 How the Saints Conversation is in Heaven 106 Reasons why the Saints Conversations are in Heaven 227 Heavenly Conversation is a convincing Conversation 240 Heavenly Conversation is attainable Page 251 Conversation see Faith Hell Evidence Godly Growing Glory Suffering Directions Converse What the Converse of the Saints is 116 Contrariety see Examples Comfort The Saints have comfort in little of this world 223 Comfort see Losses Confirmation see Angels Covenant What the Covenant on our parts is Conscience The benefits of a cleer conscience 215 Covetousness see Idolatry Creature How the Saints deal with the Creature 310 All the Creatures bring glory to God 245 Curse On whom the curse of the serpent is 44 D Danger see Example Death What is that hinders preparation for death 47 Devil The Devil casts thoughts into the heart of man Page 7 Delight Wherein the delight of the Saints lieth 115 Delight see Sabbath Depend For what Godly men depend upon God 277 Difference see Godly Jacob. Direction Directions how to get a heavenly Conversation 251 A godly soul depends upon God for directions 277 Directions how to walk with God 320 Destruction Earthly mindedness brings destruction 50 Distracted see Cares Doctrine see Reconciliation Drossie How a drossie heart is known 57 E Earth The Earth swallows up earthly men 13 Earth look higher Earthly things When men mind earthly things in a sinful manner 6 Earthly things carry a fair shew Page 65 Earthly things are many times the portion of reprobates 68 Earthly man When an Earthly man is in his element 10 Earthly-minded A man may be Earthly-minded and not know it 51 What shall become of earthly-minded men 72 Earthlimindedness What Earthly-mindedness is 5 Earthly-mindedness is adultery 20 Earthly-mindedness is Idolatry 21 See Enmity Earthly-mindedness deads the heart to prayer 42 Earthly-mindedness is a scandal to Religion 45 How earthly-mindedness may be known 54 Reasons of Earthly-mindedness 64 Earthly-mindedness brings guilt upon the spirit 18 The effects of earthly-mindedness another day 50 Earthly see Heavenly vilifie Conversation Element Spirituall Godlinesse Temptations Snares Ministry Lusts Death Destruction Vanity Humility Inducements Egyptians What Idolatrous worship the Egyptians had Page 21 End What it is that causeth a blessed End 299 Who they are that have the same ends God hath 275 Enoch Enoch's Prophesie 262 Evidence Evidences of mens conversations being in heaven 222 Evidences of walking with God 306 See Walking Example Examples of godly men should be followed and how far 92 Examples of godly men should make us enquire after the waies of godliness 94 Examples of godly men should confirm us in the truth 96 What we should do when examples of godly men are contrary 97 See Examination Danger in following the examples of wicked men 100 Examination Contrary examples should put us upon examination 98 Esau see Jacob Excellency The excellency of walking with God Page 267