happy till we are arrived to that happiness Christ is possessed of Aquinas in his Book Contra Gentes lays down this as one position That mans last happiness cannot be in this life and there are many arguments he gives to prove it among which these are some 1. One reason why our last happiness cannot be in this life is because we cannot see God as he is we cannot see God in his Essence as his expression is here on earth Per essentiam No man can see my face and live saith God to Moses Our mortality will not bear the sight of God face to face Now without the clear sight and vision of God there cannot be perfect happiness for this is life eternal John 17.3 to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. Another Argument that happiness cannot be attained in this life is True happiness can never be attained unless the natural desire and appetite which is in man be satisfied then is a man happy when he enjoys all the good he would have if there be any good wanting to a man he would have such a man cannot be happy because his desire and minde is not quiet Happiness consists in this when the minde hath all it would have Now there is no man knows or injoys so much here on earth but he still desires to know and injoy more now until the natural appetite which is in man be filled up there cannot be perfect happiness A third Argument is this Mans natural desire is carryed out after stability in happiness as every man desires happiness so he desires a stable happiness if a man have that which he accounts happiness unless it be stable and constant to him such a man hath not attained to true happiness for it is of the nature of happiness to be unchangeable that which is possible to be lost or interrupted is not worth the name of happiness Now there are many accidents that may occur that may interrupt the best happiness we can have here on earth and whilst there is a possibility that a mans happiness may be interrupted the midne cannot be quieted as to the injoyment of what it apprehends as its chief good Now if a mans last happiness cannot possibly be attained in this life it concerns us to have our thoughts elevated to the other world and to minde that state where true happiness is indeed to be found Motive 5 V. Lastly to perswade us to seek the things which are above consider the things which are above are the most durable and permanent things What folly is it to set our hearts upon things which will not last always riches pleasures earthly delights life it self will not last always but the things of the other world last always God and Christ are always the same the life which we shall live above is a perpetual constant life 2 Thess 4.17 we shall ever be with the Lord. Certainly this is true wisdom to fix our hearts upon eternal things to keep our hearts upon those things which will always abide by us The things of this world are transient things and pass away we may have them so long and nâ— longer there is an end of them oveâ— a few days but the things which are above are permanent stable always the same A man shall never be deceived in his hope of happiness if he fix his heart upon eternal things and thereason is because these things do always remain and the object of his happiness is still the same therefore it is a good speech of Austin Junge cor tuum aeternitati â—ternus eris Joyn thy heart to eternity and thâ—â— thy self shalt be eternal The way to have an unchangeable happiness is to love unchangeable things it is not possible a mans happiness should last any longer then the things he placeth his happiness in if he love changeable things then a man will have but a changeable happiness if he love unchangeable things then he will injoy an unchangeable happiness if we love the unchangeable God we shall then never be to seek of happiness our happiness shall still be the same These be the Motives II. We come now to the Directions to shew how we ought to put in practice the great duty of Heavenly-mindedness 1. If we would put in practice this great Duty of Heavenly-mindedness let us contemplate and meditate much of the future life we should transfer and carry our selves in our thoughts out of this world and by holy contemplation set our selves down as it were in the other world it were good for us if now and then we could leave this earth behinde us and climb up to heaven in our thoughts and consider a little so far as we may what the state and condition of the other world is we should study what God is and what Christ is we should contemplate how it is that God communicates himself to the souls of his people in the other world we should contemplate what the actings of the soul upon God the chief good are and what the delights and satisfactions of the soul are like to be this is to meditate on the future life the more we contemplate the future life and make the things of the other world present and familiar to us the greater alienation of spirit shall we finde from this world and the more will our mindes and hearts be carryed forth to the future state 2. Let us labour as much as may be to get up into the spirit and life oâ— Heaven labour for an Heaven-like frame that is such a frame as is most suitable to the life and spirit of the Saints in Heaven It is the observation of a Learned Divine when the Apostle exhorts the Saints to seek the things which are above his intention is we should be daily conforming our life to the example and patern of that heavenly life Ad exemplar illius vitae coelestis Zanch. we ought to study what the life of Heaven is what the frame and disposition of the Saints in Heaven are and to get a frame and spirit as suitable to their frame and spirit as is possible It is a great expression of the Apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 5.9 We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him He had said in the verse before We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Paul was confident that when his body was dissolved he should immediately be with God in his spirit that his soul should be taken into glory this was his confidence Now saith he we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him as much as if it had been said Although we cannot be so happy as yet to get into Heaven although we cannot be present there in person yet we would fain have an Heaven-like frame we would have such a frame of heart here on
of Mr. Rutherford were these Glory glory dwells in Emmanuels land We should pray for the clearest sights and prospects that may be of the heavenly glory The clearer sights we can get of eternal things the more shall we finde our hearts crucified to the things of time and the more shall we finde our hearts carried up aloft to those things that are above even whilst we are fain to use these other things for our present necessitie We come now to the Reasons of the Doctrine why we ought to lay hold on eternal life Reason 1 1. This life is a short transient thing it soon glides and slips away How soon do we pass from one state to another from infancie to childhood from thence to youth thence to grown age and from thence to old age and death My days are swifter then a weavers shuttle Job 7.6 Swifter then a post they go away Job 9.25 This life is a vanishing thing it is an easie prospect to see to the end of it the longest life here on earth is nothing to eternity Therefore since this life is so shppery short and uncertain it is our great wisdom to set our hearts upon that life that is solid durable permanent What wisdom is it to set our hearts upon that which is not perminent We have here no continuing city Heb. 13.14 Thsi life is madeup of changes and vicissitudes and abides in no consistency it is our great concernment to minde that life which is stable and enduring Reason 2 2. Eternal life is that state that we must rest and abide in That life which we shall live in the other world will always stick and abide by us as we are then we shall ever be It is not so with us now we are not now as we shall ever be we are still changing from one state to another But eternal life is that state we shall always rest and abide in When once we are entred into eternal life we may say It shall never be otherwise with me then now it is this is the state I must take up with and thus it shall be for ever Now doth it not become us to be reaching out in our souls after this state Certainly we ought to overlook this life and the whole of our time as a little short thing and fasten our eyes upon the unchangeable state above where we must six and abide for ever We look not to the things that are seen for they are temporal but to the things which are not seen for they are eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 Reason 3 3. Eternal life is the onely true life it is the most noble and excellent life What a poor life is this life to converse with this world and the things of it in comparison of eternal life in which we shall converse with God and the holy Angels What a poor life is this life which is made up of wants of sorrows of complaints of miseries of distresses of he constant fear and expection of death in comparison of that life where there is all joy no sorrow all fulness no want all satisfaction no complaint all happiness no misery all life no death nor fear of death Oh this is the life that we should be suspiring and breathing after Reason 4 4. We ought to lay hold on eternal life because the thoughts and expection of eternal life will carry us up above the difficulties troubles and afflictions of this life He that seeth the Port before him though he be out at Sea and is tossed with waves and tmepests yet he knows if he can get safe to the Port all is quiet placid and serene there He that hatha prospect by the eye of Faith of eternal life and the heavenly Country though he be tossed up and down with many afflictions tryals and distresses here yet he knows all is tranquil and serene above Ibi nulla mors nulla aegritudo There is no sickness no death The thoughts of eternal life may well swallow up all our afflictions This life is but for a moment in eternal life there shall be none of these things to trouble or disquiet us Let us wait patiently for the blessed hope and the revelation of eternal life and we shall know these sorrows no more Reason 5 5. If we lay hold on eternal life death will be no surprise or terror to us when this life fails we shall have another life in view nay we shall feel the beginningso f another life in us This is eternal life to know thee c. Joh. 7.3 So much as we know God adhere to him rest in him live upon him and are satisfied with him we have the beginning of eternal life and this is such a life as shall never end That natural life which is in a Saint fails and must have anend Oh! but there is in his soul the seed of eternal life Joh. 4.14 The water that I shall give shall be in him a well of water springing up to everlasting life A true Believer hath the Spirit of God an the grace of the Spirit dwelling in him and this is the seed o eternal life The Spirit of God which hath begâ—â— the knowledge of God and love to God in the soul of a Saint here on earth will continue that knowledge of God and love to God in the soul to eternity yea in eternal life this knowledge this love shall be perfected and consummated Hence is that of the Apostle Rom. 8.10 The body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness The body dies and the life of it perisheth and vanisheth away but the spirit the soul of a Saint which is the seat of Grace and the habitation of the Spirit of God continueth and lives when the life of the body ceaseth If the soul should dye with the body then grace it self must be extinct and perish But saith the Apostle the spirit is life because of righteousness The spirit of a godly man having a principle of righteousness in it continues in being and the spiritual life of it remains when the body dyes It is true the soul of a wicked man is immortal and continues to live when his body dyeth but the life which remains to a wicked man after this life being a life of misery and torment the Scripture chooseth to call it by the name of death rather then of life But a godly man enjoys an happy and a blessed life in his soul when this life ceaseth Hence is it that we read of the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 And Paul desired to be dissolved and to be with christ which was far better Phil. 1.23 Now when we feel such a life in us as cannot expire neither can be taken away from us why should we fear death Luther observes that the great cause why men fear death is a secret suspition that lyes at the bottom of their hearts Quasi non semper victuri as if they should not
some knowledge of God and Christ at first but we must labour to come to a more accurate exact knowledge of God and Christ 3. The Apostle would have them come to the riches of the full assurance of understanding 1. Here is riches that sets forth copiousness and abundance The Apostle would not have them have some slender tastes of God and Christ onely but he would have them inriched with the knowledge of God and Christ Phil. 1.9 This I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement 2. He would have them labour to attain unto the greatest certainty and assurance in their knowledge he would have them come to the riches of the full assurance of understanding This full assurance of understanding I take to be opposed to wavering and to doubting The Apostle would have us to come to a certainty in our knowledge A Christian should not be fluctuating and hesitating in his thoughts concerning God and Christ but he should endeavour to come to this that he may be able to say Upon this bottom I can live and dye that which I know concerning God and Christ is such a bottom that I can venture my hope my happiness my all upon This I take to be the meaning of that expression the full assurance of understanding Now these are the things above that we are to seek and to set our affections upon viz. God and Christ our thoughts are to be conversant about these things we ought to be taken up in the study of the mystery of God and Christ and then do we seek the things that are above when we converse much in our thoughts with God and Christ 2. By the things above we are to understand the glory and blessedness of heaven by the things above saith a Learned man we are to understand the kingdom of heaven Davenant the beatifical vision of God those joys which the saints shall one day partake of with Christ their head and the holy angels We ought to seek the things which are above as much as if he should say we ought to minde the glory and blessedness of the future state This is also to be gathered from the context If ye be risen with Christ seek the things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God as much as if the Apostle should say When I speak of the things above I intend nothing else but such things as are in Heaven such things as Christ injoys in the presence of the Father Seek the things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God It is as much as if the Apostle had said consider what it is Christ now injoys in the presence of the Father consider what glory Christ is possessed of Christ is above sorrow above pain above misery above death Christ enjoys perfect happiness in the presence of the Father now consider what Christ injoys and these are the things which are above This is manifest to be the Apostles scope from the fourth verse When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory It is as much as if it had been said Christ is now in glory and we shall one day be made like our Head we also shall appear with him in glory The Apostle would have us to minde this to think what that glory is that Christ our head is possessed of and what the glory is we shall be brought unto in conformity to Christ our Head the Head and Members must be like one another if Christ be now in glory the same glory is prepared for all that are Christs and this appears from our Saviours last prayer The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one Joh. 17.22 Therefore look what glory Christ as man and Head of the Church injoys we in our measure shall have a share in if we be Christs and Members of his Body This then we are to understand by the things above the glory and blessedness of the future state I have often thought there is nothing we are more wanting and defective in then this viz. in studying and contemplating what the glory and blessedness of the future state is we stick in present sensible things and do not elevate our hearts to the future glory but we ought to be of another frame 2 Cor. 4. Paul tells us He looks to the things which are not seen that is unto the things of the invisible world to the glory of heaven and the blessedness of the Saints there elsewhere he saith He reckons that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 that was an argument he had his heart taken up with the glory of that state 3. By the things above we may understand the life and imployment of the saints in heaven and our communion with God in heaven we ought to seek the things above that is we ought to think much of our future life and consider what our life and imployment in eternity is like to be though this be of near affinity with the former because our happiness in heaven and the glory and blessedness of that estate consists in the life we shall live there yet we may consider this under a distinct head and the distinct consideration of this will help to illustrate the former particular The Apostle tells us when we are absent from the body we shall be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 From this Scripture we may argue If when we are absent from the body we are present with the Lord then there is a life in which the soul shall live with God when it is in a separate state from the body a life that we shall live in the Divine Presence Now this is to seek the things that are above to consider what the life is that we shall live in the presence of God and the holy Angels when we have laid down this burden of flesh and are discharged from the body of death and shall be made free among the heavenly Society and admitted into the number of the Spirits of just men made perfect to know what our life and imployment shall be in that state this is to seek the things which are above Though we cannot comprehend fully and perfectly what this life will be yet we may understand a little of it as the Scripture doth reveal it the Scripture teacheth us thus much that hereafter we shall walk by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 Now we walk by faith not by sight That intimates when the life of faith ends then the life of sight and vision begins Here indeed we live the life of faith hereafter we shall live the life of sight and vision Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The Scripture teacheth us when we shall appear we shall be
and it consists in what the minde injoys There is more true happiness which the minde takes in in one single thought of God thâ—â— the body and outward senses can take in by all the variety of objects that are most pleasing to them look as the understanding or minde in man is a higher principle then sense is in a brute and as the objects of the minde are higher and more excellent then those of sense by so much the more is the minde or understanding capable of taking in a greater happiness then sense can do Sense in a brute is capable onely of taking in present mutable things the understanding is capable of conversing with eternal and immutable things therefore that which quiets the minde most which is of the greatest capacity that must needs be the greatest happiness The minde of man covets eternal things and is satisfied with nothing but eternal things therefore to know that a man is in the love and favour of God whose love or hatred is eternal to know that a man shall be freed from everlasting misery and condemnation to know that a man shall be happy in living with God for ever these are eternal things and such things as will quiet the minde of man Divines observe that eternal life in the beginning of it consists in Justificatien and Sanctification and this is truely asserted for what is happiness but the inward quiet of the minde Now when the soul is in a justified state when it apprehends it self reconciled to God this brings in inward quiet the peace of God that passeth all understanding So in Sanctification when the work of Sanctification is begun we are in some measure brought to a conformity and likeness unto God and there is an harmony and an agreement between our wills and the Divine Will Now from this conformity unto God and the agreement and harmony that is between our wills and the Divine Will there ariseth peace This is certain so much holiness so much peace we should therefore look after a spiritual happiness an happiness consisting in peace of conscience in the apprehension of the savour of God an happiness consisting in holiness so much true peace of conscience so much holiness so much true happiness This is the beginning of eternal life The kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost The happiness of Heaven consists in this that we shall be filled with Grace and the Spirit of God In Heaven the Spirit of God shall act us perfectly and universally therefore the more Grace and the more of the actings of the Spirit of God we feel in our selves here on earth the more we have of the beginning of heaven of the beginning of eternaâ— life The happiness of heaven is a spiritual happiness because it consistâ— in the spiritual actings and operatitions of the soul upon God wheâ— the soul is full of Grace and of the Spirit of God then it knows God perfectly so far as the creature is capable it loves him and delights in him perfectly and then it is most happy I say when Grace is perfected and consummated and the operations of the soul are carried highest in the exercise of Grace then is happiness most compleated This should cause us to covet Grace and the Spirit of God in the highest manner we should covet Grace and the Spirit of God more then any temporal thing Certainly so much of Grace and of the Spirit of God as we feel working in our selves so much may we perceive of the dawnings of heaven and eternal life in our souls He that feels much of the presence of the Spirit of God in his soul and feels the lively sensible actings of Grace in his soul may know he hath the beginning of heaven in himself Let us covet a spiritual happiness a happiness consisting in the exercise of Grace and in the spiritual actings of the soul upon God we should often think with our selves What is it that must satisfie the soul to eternity suppose I had the greatest enjoyment of sensible things would these things satisfie me what is it that my soul can rest in ultimately what is it the minde can be quieted with If I know I am beloved of God if I know I shall one day certainly injoy God and live with him for ever here is some stay and quiet for the minde this will quiet the minde more then all sensible things can do Happiness consists in the highest operations of the minde therefore when the minde is most carried out after eternal things which are most suitable to the minde then it injoys most happiness A great part of the happiness of heaven consists in this that the Saints know what happiness they do now injoy they shall always enjoy If it were possible that such a thought could be let into their mindes that what they now injoy they should not always injoy this would rendeâ— their happiness imperfect true happiness consists in the highest operations of the minde when the mindâ— is most carried out after eternaâ— things let us minde this happiness and be taken up in the thoughts oâ— this happiness 3. If we would come more up into the spirit and life of heaven let 〈◊〉 think much of the beatifiâ—â—il vision and breath much after it The great â—rappiness of heaven is this that we shall see God Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Saith Austin Ibi videbis faciem Dei tui There shalt thou see the face of thy God What greater happiness to the creature then to see the face of the Creator to see him who made heaven and earth to behold the Glory and Majesty of the first and most excellent Being Deus cum sit simpliciter perfectus suâ persectione omnes rerum perfectiones comprebendit Aquinas God being simply and absolutely perfect in his perfection comprehends all the perfections of things In the sight of God we behold all perfection at once If all the beauties in the world were contracted into one beauty what a rare sight would that be in the sight 〈◊〉 God we see all beauty all perfection at once In the sight of God we see the Centre from whence all â—he lines are drawn whatever is sweet â—miable pleasant delectable in the â—reature it all issued from this Founâ—ain how sweet how pleasant how â—electable then must the Fountain it self be God is the rule and measure of all good Deus est omnis boni bonum God is the good of every good nothing is good but as it participates of God and as it hath some similitude and resemblance of the Divine goodness how sweet then will it be to see the first original independent good who is a sea and an abyss of good who hath all good in himself without stint and limit Those several delights we have from the variety of creatures God hath all in himself and much more
abundantly all the creatures are too narrow and too short to exhibit and represent to us the immensity and infiniteness of the Divine perfection God is not onely all that perfection that is in the creature but he is infinitely more and the reason is because if all the perfections of thâ— creature were summed up into onâ— it is but finite perfection it is 〈◊〉 contradiction to suppose an infiniâ— creature but God's perfection is iâ—finite perfection what happineâ—â— then must it be to be admitted tâ— see him who hath all this perfectioâ— in him This should make us 1. To think much of the beatifical vision ouâ— thoughts should be much upon it 2. We should have great and admiring thoughts of it O let us not thinâ— it is a light thing to be admitted into the Divine presence the more you think of it the more will you finde your hearts swallowed up in the thoughts of it I say let us not think that it is a light thing to be admitted into the Divine presence and to stand before him who made heaven and earth We ought to think this is the highest dignity and honour that can be cast upon us if the Queen of Sheba was so much taken with the admiration of Solomon's wisdom as that she said Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom well may we say to our Maker Happy Lord are they that may be admitted into thy presence and may stand continually before thee to behold the glory and beauty of thy Majesty let us have great and admiring thoughts of the beatifical vision Do not think it a light thing to be admitted to the fight of God 3. We should pray much that we may be accounted worthy to be admitted to this sight It is that which deserves to be made the great request of our souls all our days that we may be accounted worthy to be admitted into the Divine presence and live in the sight and presence of God to eternity And as ever we hope to come to the sight of God to the beatifical vision be sure to remember this that Christ must be our way I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me Joh. 14.6 It is Christ that must bring us to the Father whilst we are here on earth and it is he that must make way for our admission to the sight of God in heaven It is Christ as Mediator must bring us to this sight and let us into thâ— sight his humanity opens the 〈◊〉 to the Divinity Christ as man by â—â—tue of the Hypostatical or personal â—â—nion hath a right to the sight of God and Divines commonly say Thâ— Christ as man from the moment 〈◊〉 his conception had the sight of Goâ— Our nature was alienated from Goâ— and deprived of communion wiâ— God by our sin in Adam But thâ— Son of God the second person iâ— the Trinity by assuming our nature and taking of it into Unity of persoâ— with himself hath brought our nature near to God and our nature 〈◊〉 it stands in Union with Christ the Head of the Church hath recovered 〈◊〉 right to communion with God and Christ by the merit of his obedience hath purchased a right for us to the sight of God so that when we have thoughts of the beatifical vision and have breathings in our souls after it we must keep our eye upon Christ and remember it is by him we must be admitted into the presence of God â—ever think of seeing God without Christ never think of being admitted into the Divine presence without Christ's being your way and door 4. If we would get up into the spirit and life of heaven We must labour to adhere to God and to cleave to him as the chief good In heaven as there will be the clear sight of God so there will be the most perfect adherence of the soul to him The glorified soul must needs see God to be its life its strength its happiness and all good to it and therefore it must needs cleave perfectly to him Now if we would come up into the spirit of heaven we should labour to have our souls cleaving to God here on earth we should rest in God as in our Centre we should labour to cleave to God more then to any created thing in a strict and proper sence our selves should cleave to nothing but God though we may and ought to love the creature in its place yet we may not love it as we love God Our souls must cleave and adhere to nothing as our chief good as the matter and object of our happiness but God of God onely it is that we must say He is my life my strength my salvation my happiness this was the Church's Song The Lord Jehovah is my strength and my salvation Isaâ— 12. We ought to cleave intimately and inseparably unto God God ought to be the stay and rest of our souls so much as our souls come to stay and rest themselves upon God as our chief good and onely happiness so near do we come to the life of Heaven It is a proper and an apposite expression to help us to understand this that which we have in Isa 26.3 Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee This expression shews us what the carriage of the soul ought to be towards God the chief good the soul ought to cleave to God most intimately and to stay it self upon him The Saints in heaven do thus stay themselves upon God God is the great basis they lean upon they have no sensible comforts to live upon as we have but they see all in God and therefore he is their stay it is upon him they lean for happiness the more we can adhere to God and eleave to him and stay our souls upon him as our chief good the more do we come up to the life spirit of heaven 5. If we would get up into the life and spirit of heaven Let us labour to take complacencie in the glory and blessedness of God Here lyâ—s the quintessence and perfection of the heavenly life so far as we are able to conceive of it here on earth The glorified Saints look off themselves and out of themselves and take complacencie in the glory and happiness of God who is the first and most perfect Being It is matter of delight and joy to them to see God so holy and so happy as he is The Schoolmen rightly observe that to love God for himself Vâ—lle Deum esse Deum it is to will that God should be God Then do we love God for himself when we take complacencie in the glory and blessedness of God when we are well pleased to see God to be what he is that is to see him to be the most excellent and most perfect being Our happiness as it is in us it is but a
finite thing the happiness of smite creatures but God's happiness is the happiness of the first infinite and eternal Being Now it becomes us to be more pleased to see God happy then that we are so and to see him great and glorious then that we are so Here lyes the prefection of a created will to take complacencie in the Divine perfection as being the highest and uttermost object that it can acquiesce in The highest strains of grace lye in these two things 1. To desire the glory of God above all things 2. To take complacencie in the glory of God above all things The more we can attain to these here on earth the nearer do we come to the life and spirit of heaven 6. If we would come more up into the life and spirit of heaven Let us labour to have the most immediate dependance upon God and to expect all from God The Saints in heaven have the most immediate dependance upon God for every thing they see all comes from God and they depend upon him for all The Saints in heaven do not receive their happiness comfort and satisfaction from the organs and pipes of the creature as we do but they receive all from God immediately and as they receive all from God immediately so they know they receive all from God immediately and they depend upon God foâ—â—ll and expect all from God therefore the more immediate our dependance is upon God and the more we expect all from God the nearer do we come to their life Psal 62.5 My soul wait thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him The time is coming when we must depend upon God for all when we come to dye none can help us but God friends cannot help us no creature can help us and life it self will fail us all our expectation then must be from God if he fails us all fails us when this life fails and ceaseth we must depend on God to give us eternal life no creature can give us eternal life no friends no not the nearest Relations can help us when we come to extremity God then must be our onely friend it is good therefore to have all our dependance upon him and expectation from him now If we expect no good no happiness no comfort but what comes through the conduit-pipes of the creature when they fail all our happiness must fail therefore it is good to expect that God should give us that which no creature can that God should communicate himself to us when all creatures fail When we have all creatures round about they can afford us little help or relief in a time of extremity therefore it is good to have our expectation raised above all creatures and to expect all from God immediately And this is to be brought nearest to the life of the Saints above Onely let us take this Caution When we say that we should depend on God immediately and expect all from God immediately the meaning is not as if we might not make use of the creatures as helps appointed by God in their proper places we may and ought to use the creatures in that way and for those ends unto which God hath appointed them but take heed you expect not too much from the creature our expectation ought to be raised above the creature we ought to consider no creature can do us good but as God puts virtue into it makes use of it for our good and as God acts it and communicates himself by it our great dependance therefore ought to be upon God himself above all creatures 7. If we would come more up into the life and spirit of the Saints in heaven we should labour to take up our rest and satisfaction in God The Saints in heaven are perfectly satisfied with God and in God Psal 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness that is when I awake in the morning of the resurrection I shall be satisfied with the vision of thy face The sight of God is the most satisfying sight and that will appear from these three considerations 1. Because the Saints in seeing God see all things in God there is nothing in the effect but what is in the cause the Saints by seeing God must necessarily see the perfection of all things in him 2. The Saints in seeing God are arrived to the uttermost perfection beyond which there is no perfection That which causeth unquietness in the minde of man here in this world it is because when he hath found one good still he thinks yet there is a higher good and when he hath found that still he thinks there is a higher to be enjoyed but when the soul once comes to the highest good which is truely so and knows there is no higher then it rests and quiets it self here Now the Saints that are come to the sight of God know there is no higher good then God therefore their mindes are satisfied in God 3. The Saints in beholding God behold infinite perfection they see that in God that will fill their capacity brim-full now then the Saints having their uttermost capacity filled this is that which must needs breed perfect satisfaction So then if the Saints in heaven are perfectly satisfied in God and desire nothing more then what they have in God we should labour to come up to this spirit to be satisfied in God and with God We should rest in God as in our Centre Psal 116. Return O my soul unto thy rest Though we desire many things for our necessity as food raiment outward conveniencie and the like yet we should covet nothing as our rest but God Here is my rest whether I have much or little want or abound God is my rest we should labour to say so inwardly sensibly and experimentally that God is my rest I need nothing as my happiness but God 8. If we would get more up into the spirit and life of heaven Let us look down upon all the things of this world as poor and mean things The Saints in heaven who live with God and have the sight of him see that in him and have that before their eyes which makes all the things of this world seem poor and mean to them Most true is that saying Qâ—i parum de luce Creaturâ—s aspexerit breve ei eâ—i 〈◊〉 quoâ— crâ—atum est He that hath seen a little of the Creators light every thing that is created seems little to such a one When the Sun appears the Stars vanish and disappear a greater glory buries and swallows up a less We should labour to have such great thoughts of God as that the creatures may seem but little to us That which causeth admiration is some surpassing excellencie in the object when we finde something to parallel or to go beyond that which we did admire we shall cease to admire that which at some times we did admire Now we shall never finde any thing here below that will
a way of Faith we should covet after the knowledge of God which is to be had from the Word and is possible to be attained unto here on earth Here we walk by faith not by sight 2 Cor. 5.17 although we cannot know God in a way of vision as we shall know him hereafter yet we may know him in a way of Faith Now we should covet to know God in a way of Faith as he hath revealed himself in his Word we ought to prize and covet after the knowledge of every truth of God but especially we ought to covet after the knowledge of God himself who is prima Veritas the first original Truth The Scripture doth every where commend to us the knowledge of God Col. 1.10 Increasing in the knowledge of God 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Then shall we know the Lord if we follow on to know the Lord Hosea 6.3 Jer. 9.23 24 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man glory in his strength but let him that glorieth glory in this that he knoweth me saith the Lord. I have often thought that it is the great sin of Professors that they do no more press after the knowledge of God and Christ here on earth and that they are no more taken with the discoveries of God and Christ that are made to them we hear often of the great things of God and of Christ but alas these things are little valued and esteemed by us but it ought not to be thus with us Certainly if our ultimate and last happiness be to know God in the way of the beatisical vision the next happiness to this it is to know God as he may be known here on earth and this will be found in experience to be true that there is more true sweetness to be taken in from the knowledge of God that is attainable here on earth then there is from the enjoyment of any temporal thing And therefore holy souls are wont to bless God more for revealing himself and his Son to them then for the greatest temporal thing he ever gave them God is the highest and most Supream Object that the minde of man can converse with and the more the minde of man is taken up in the contemplation of this Supream Object the greater amplitude liberty and inlargement will it finde in it self Inferiour things do but limit narrow and confine the soul for this is certain that the soul it takes in liberty amplitude inlargement greatness I say the soul takes in amplitude or confinement according to the nature of the objects it doth converse withal Lower and inferiour objects do but narrow and confine the soul because they are beneath the capacity of the soul but if the soul did rise up to the knowledge and contemplation of God who is the first eternal Truth then it would finde liberty amplitude and inlargement then it would see it had a broad and spacious field to walk in Certainly if the greatest happiness of heaven be to know God so far as we are capable to know him our greatest happiness here on earth is to attain as great a measure of the knowledge of God as it is possible 13. If we would come up into the spirit and life of heaven Let us keep the eye of the minde as much as may be fixt upon God It is said of the holy Angels that they always behold the face of their Father which is in heaven The Saints and Angels are never weary of beholding the face of God The Saints in heaven as they do see God so they do always see him and they are never weary of seeing of him Nihil quod cum admiratione consideratur potestâ—esse sassidiosum Aquin. when we have beheld God never so long we may still see that in God which may draw forth our admiration It is a true observation Nothing which is beheld with admiration can be nauseous and wearisome to us and the reason is because as long as we are under the admiration of a thing so long our desire remains to that thing Now the Saints in heaven do always behold God with admiration and therefore they are never weary of the sight of him God is an infinite object and therefore cannot be comprehended by a finite understanding therefore the Saints in heaven when they behold God being never able to come to the bottom of his perfections are still detained in the admiration of him as they always see him so they always desire to see him The Saints in heaven are never weary of their happiness as they see God so they always desire to see him Now in imitation of the Saints above we should keep the eye of our mindes as much as may be fixt upon God When the eye of the soul is off from God it is off from its centre and when things are off from their centre they are never quiet and at rest if we consider it well we shall finde that the cause of all our trouble and disquietment is when our hearts are unhinged and when they are taken off from God when the eye of the minde is turned upon God then the soul is in its proper place and there it findes rest we should therefore keep our minde as much as may be at a point of rest in God if we keep the eye of the soul fixt and intent upon God we shall always finde that in God which will give rest and contentment to the soul It is said of Moses That he saw him who was invisible Heb. 11.27 Moses kept the eye of his minde fixt and intent upon God And David saith Mine eyes are ever towards thee Psal 25.15 So much as the Divine excellencie draws the eye of the soul towards it with admiration so much do we come up to the spirit of heaven an heavenly-minded soul thinks it much to have its eye taken off from God not but that there will be many things that will interpose to divert us while we are in our present state but then we ought to remember so far as we are grown up to Heavenly-mindedness we shall never think it well with us till we are returned and brought back again to the admiration of God The sense that is of God's excellencie in holy souls makes them thus to pray O that our souls may be eternally ravished with thine eternal excellencies 14. If we would get up into the spirit of heaven Let us desire nothing so much as God Isai 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early This is the language of the Church the Church needed many things and she desired many things she needed liberty and deliverance and she desired liberty and deliverance for this Song as is conceived by judicious Divines is penned with relation to the Church in Babylon yea but when the Church was in the
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 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 usque 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 aliquiâ— 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 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 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 excellencâ—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 of earthly things consists in this when a man accounts and thinks with himself that he may be happy without these things Let
is in any earthly thing and when he is come to the end of that sweetne's which he did injoy he desires more therefore when a mans enjoyment hath been highest he still desires more Nothing can satisfie the soul but some transcendent good such a good as is so great as is more then the soul can take in So long as the soul is capable of taking in more it is not satisfied Now a man may take in all the delight and contentment that is to be found in earthly things and when he hath taken in all he is capable of taking in more This is clear in Solomon who made an experiment of all things under the Sun and when he had tryed all he cryed out All is vanity and vexation of spirit The capacity of the soul is too great and too big for any earthly thing to fill it and therefore when the soul hath passed from one temporal thing to another and tryed what is in one and in another it remains unsatisfied still Reas 4 4. Earthly things will not comfort a man when he comes to dye Riches avail not in the day of wrath it will be little comfort to a man when he comes to dye to think what he hath enjoyed or what he is like to leave behinde him nay if a man have placed his happiness and felicity in earthly things it will be the greatest torment to him to think that he must leave these things Come to a man that is at the point of death and who knows for certain that he shall dye shew him gold and silver bring forth his Jewels and most precious Treasures tell him of his Lands and Fossessions and how little will these things signifie Oh but tell him of everlasting happiness assure him that death shall do him no harm that there is a life beyond this and that he shall be câ—rtainly happy in that life and this will signifie something to him Reas 5 5. Earthly things are not our last happiness our last and true happiness is beyond any thing in this world Mundus non patria sed captivitas nobiâ— est The world is not our country but the place of our captivity and bondage Our last and true happiness is to live in he Divine presence to see and enjoy God in the heavens Now that which is not our last happiness deserves not to have the main of our affections that which deserves to take up our hearts is our last happiness we should be setting our hearts upon that which will continue always we should be thinking of the life we must live in the other world and how we are like to spend the days of eternity that is the state that is worth thinking of when time shall be no more when there shall be no more changes when we shall be wholly taken up in the contemplation of the first original of all things that is the state that is worth thinking of of which I can say Thus it shall be for ever that is the state that is worth thinking of of which I can say When once I am come into it there is no alteration in it Here is always joy always life always satisfaction Here is no sorrow no pain no grief no death no fear of death Reas 6 6. Earthly things have no influence as to a mans happiness so as of themselves to make him ever the happier at last It is true Temporal blessings so far as they are sanctified so far as they further a man in the ways of God and help him forward toward the heavenly Country so far they are mercies and so far they may in a sort be said to conduce to a mans last happiness but consider temporal things in themselves they have no influence upon a mans last happiness Love or hatred cannot be known by any thing under the Sun No man can conclude by the meer enjoyment of thâ—se things that he is the more beloved of God at present or that he shall have the higher place in heaven hereafter Abraham saith to the rich man Son Luk. 16.25 remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus his evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented God gives to some men their portion in this life This they shall have this is all they shall have He fills their bellies with his hid treasures but this is all they shall have he denies to them the heavenly inheritance Reas 7 7. Earthly things are so far from having an influence upon a mans last happiness as that they do many times blunt and hinder the soul in its pursuit ater eternal things Amor terrenarum viscum spiritualium The love of earthly things is as bird lime to the soul as to the pursuite of spiritual things when a poor Bird is taken in the lime-twigs his wings are pinioned that he cannot flie upward the love of earthly things pinions the wings of the soul that it cannot ascend to God and eternal things Terrenarum appetitus tenebras animarum nostrarum densat The inordinate desire of earthly things thickens the darkness of the soul the violence and impetuousness of the affections to carthly things blindes the judgement and darkens the eye of the minde when the affections are violently set upon earthly things the minde cannot see and behold the excellencie of spiritual things Nothing so great an enemy to growth in grace as the love of earthly things A man that is addicted to the love of earthly things can neither see the evil that is in sin nor the beauty that is in holiness Mundo alligati spiritualis vitii vix possunt nomen apprehendere Men that are bound and tyed fast to the world can hardly understand the name of a spiritual sin Tell a man that is immers'd and drowned in the world of spiritual sins of spiritual pride self-love inordinate affection hypocrisie formality in duty and the like he understands none of these things his conscience is so benummed through the love of the world that he is not sensible of these things And as the love of earthly things dulls the spiritual senses of the soul that a man cannot apprchend sin so it blunts the soul in the pursuit after grace and holiness the love of earthly things kills and extinguishes the love of God If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 I remember it is an expression of Peter Martyr concerning Soloman What love could Solomon have for God who distributed and parted his love among a thousand wives And we may say What love can men retain for God the chief good who part and divide their love to so many lower and inferiour goods Reas 8 8. It is the depressing and debasing of the soul for a man to set his affections on earthly things The soul was made for higher things and 't is capable of higher things the soul was made for converse
to be in them when we come to try them We think to finde much more good sweetness and contentment in these things then indeed we finde in them when we come to experiment what is in them Now that is a vain thing which is empty of that it promiseth that is called vain Vanum dicitur quod re ipsâ destituitur which is destitute of solidity and substance 2. They can never satisfie us now whatsoever cannot satisfie is vain Happiness lyes in satisfaction happiness consists in having all the good a man would have in having all the good that he desires while there is any good a man would have and doth desire and hath it not he is not happy Now there is no man by the enjoyment of any or all earthly things that hath all the good he would have and therefore he is far from satisfaction far from happiness Secondly Earthly things as they are vain so they are vexations the labour and travail in getting them the care and sollicitude in keeping them the fear of loosing them the grief that follows upon the loosing of them the defectiveness of something or other in them when we have the greatest abundance of them the bitternesses that are mingled with them bring a great deal of vexation into earthly things When men are carried away with inordinate love of earthly things they pierce themselves through with many sorrows Qui mundanis se implicat tela parat quibus consodiatur He that intangles himself with worldly things doth but provide darts for himself by which he is thrust through Austin in a discourse of his about the contempt of the world hath a passage to this purpose The bands of this world have a true sharpness but a false sweetness a certain grief but uncertain pleasure hard labour timerous and fearful quiet they are full of misery but empty of happiness Lastly the mordinate love of earthly things doth greatly unfit us for communion with God here and for the enjoyment of him hereafter 1. It unfits us for communion with God here God will not be assable and familiar with that person who desires prizeth loves and delights in any thing more then himself The way to enjoy most of God is to be taken more with God himself then with other things When we are more taken with God himself then with all his gifts when we are inamoured of the Lord himself and God is more sweet to us then all things that come from him this is the way to enjoy most of God Wisdom saith Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me If we love God himself more then his gifts then shall we know what it is to be loved of him Joh. 14.21 If any man love me he shall he loved of my Father and I will love him c. but if we lavish out our hearts upon earthly things and have great and admiring thoughts of them and are vigorous in our pursuit of them and God hath the least part of our thoughts and affections God cares not for such lovers neither may such expect to attain to any friendship or familiatity with him here on earth 2. The love of earthly things as it unfits us for communion with God here so it unfits us for the enjoyment of him hereafter In heaven the faculties of the soul shall be immediately acted upon God the soul will be wholly taken up in contemplating admiring loving delighting in God in praising and adoring of him Now when the heart is wholly taken up with earthly things it is altogether unfitted and indisposed for such a life The soul is coloured as it were with the objects that it converseth with and receives a tincture and an impression from them A man whose spirit is immers'd and drenched in the world will be very unfit to have the faculties of his soul carryed forth upon God The best way to have our souls suited and adapted to the future life it is to keep our spirits at as great a distance as may be from present things We should be saying often in our own souls Oh the blessed state Oh the blessed life that is above Oh to see God to love him to go to him to live with him in his eternity How sweet is that life When we are without those earthly things which we desire we should say our true life our true happiness is above where there shall be no more need or use of these things when we have the most of these things our hearts should be carried up above these things and say We expect and look for and long after another happiness a happiness that is above these things We should keep our hearts in the most reserved frame for the future life and the future state We should not suffer our spirits to mingle too far with present things Our hearts should sit so loose to present things that we may be ready to lay down these things and to take up with the happiness that is above If we suffer our spirits to launch forth too far into the world it will be a hard matter to reduce them and when the cry is made Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye forth to meet him we shall be very unfit to entertain his Call If our souls stick and be taken up in the things of time we shall be very unfit and unready to deliver them up into eternity AN APPENDIX Concerning Laying hold of eternal life 1 Tim. 6.12 Lay hold on eternal life The whole verse is read thus Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses Lay hold on eternal life LIFE is the great thing which we all desire there is nothing we fear so much as death nothing we desire so much as life This Text acquaints us what is the true life Lay hold on eternal life Amemus vitam aeternam Austin O let us love eternal life It is eternal life that is onely worth the name of life therefore since we are so fond of life since life is most pleasing to us of all other things let us love that life that is truly so This temporal life which we now live is not worth the name of life in comparison of eternal life The Text contains in it a double Gospel-precept 1. Fight the good fight of faith 2. Lay hold on eternal life It is the later of these precepts that I shall a little insist upon Lay hold on eternal life The Doctrine that offers it self to our consideration from the words is this Doctrine That it is the duty of Christians t◠lay hold of eternal life In this Point there are two things to be spoken unto 1. The Object 2. The Act. The Object is eternal life The Act is Lay hold on eternal life So that that which will bound our discourse as to the Explication of the Point will be these two things 1. To shew what
an happiness here on earth but our great hope should be above we should cast anchor within the veil Heb. 6.19 expect happiness in what is to be enjoyed on the other side of time If the main of our hopes and expectation be in this life we and our hopes are like to perish together for we our selves must die and the things we hope for and make account of as our happiness they must die and perish it is good therefore to have such an hope as will not fail us nor deceive us If we look for the main of our happiness yea our onely true happiness in the next world not in this world this is such a hope as will never deceive us A man that hath fixt his hopes in eternal things when he hath lost any temporal thing the main of his happiness is still where it was his hopes and expectations were carried above this world and therefore whatsoever his losses and disappointments were here on earth this doth not shake his happiness his happiness was placed elsewhere before and he is at the same point still 6. To lay hold on eternal life it is not to suffer the comfort of eternal life to be wrested from us As we ought to live much in the hope and expectation of eternal life so we ought to take comfort in the hope and expectation of eternal life Rom. 12.12 Rejoycing in hope As we ought to hope for eternal life so we ought to rejoyce in the hope of eternal life I conceive that much of the force of the Text lies here Lay hold on eternal life unto which thou art called and hast made a good profession before many witnesses It is as much as if the Apostle had said Thou hast a true and an undoubted title to eternal life thou hast a firm sure title to eternal life thy vocation and calling as a Christian â—ntitles thee to eternal life Lay hold on eternal life unto which thou art called that eminent profession of faith which thou hast made as a Christian and as a Minister both in thy life and doctrine this gives an evidence and proof of thy right and title to eternal life Now this is the force of the Apostles argument Since thou hast so firm a title to eternal life lay claim to it as thy own live in the hope and comfort of it and do not suffer the comfort of eternal life to be wrested from thee Much of the meaning of the Text seems to be contained in this The Greek word as it signifies to pursue after a thing so also to hold it fast and retain it when once we have gotten it So that the designe of the Apostle is to perswade Timothy to hold firm and fast the hope of eternal life not to part with the hope of salvation upon any terms Lay hold on eternal life it is as much as if it had been said Do not part with thy hopes of salvation and eternal life upon any terms The stedfast assured hope of salvation is the great thing that must carry us thorow the difficulties sufferings and afflictions of our pilgrimage here on earth Therefore doth the Apostle exhort the Thessalonians that they would take for an helmet the hope of salvation 1 Thess 5.8 Putting on the brestplate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation Intimating thus much that if they had a well-grounded hope of salvation this would fortifie them against all the afflictions they were to meet with here by the way Whatever afflictions sufferings and troubles we meet with here in this world if we can cast an eye to the heavenly country and see that we have a part there all is well above there is none of those troubles fears sorrows where the main of our hope happiness and expectation lies Therefore let us not part with or let go the comfort of eternal life if we part with the comfort of eternal life we lose that which must be the standing comfort of our life nothing can bear us up under the afflictions of this life but the solid well-grounded assurance of eternal life Lastly To lay holy of eternal life it is to look after the first fruits of the spirit and to labour after an inchoate possession of eternal life in our souls here on earth Our Saviour teacheth us He that eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud hath eternal life Joh. 6.54 He hath it that is he hath it in the beginning of it And concerning his Sheep he saith I give them eternal life Joh. 10. He speaks in the present tense what he doth do for the present I give unto them eternal life Christ hath already made over eternal life to his people he hath given them a right and a title to it and he hath given them the beginning of it in their souls here on earth it is a great Text Joh. 4.14 The water that I shall give shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life The plain meaning seems to be that Grace and that of the Spirit of God which Christ hath given to his people here on earth shall never leave them till it hath brought them to eternal life The Spirit of God that is in the hearts of the Saints and the Grace of Godwhich is wrought in them shall nover leave them till it hath brought them to eternal life Hence it is that the Spirit of God is called the earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.14 an earnest is part of the bargain the Spirit of God that dwells in the hearts of Believers is an earnost of eternal glory for what is heaven but a fuller manifestation of the Spirit of God in us which manifests and puts it self forth in part in us here on earth So that so far as we are sensible of the indwelling of the Spirit of God and the operation of it in our souls so far we have an carnest of eternal glory This is that water which shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life We should labour therefore to be sensible of the indwelling of the Spirit and of the operation of the Spirit of God in us in a way of grace and of comfort In this sense we should lay hold of eternal life that is we should be earnestly pressing and making after it in our own souls we should pray carnestly that God would let down more of eternal life into our souls here on earth As he once said Lord come down to me or take me up to thee We should pray that eternal life may come down more into our souls here on earth This should be the highest ambition of a Christian to perceive and feel more of the dawnings puttings forth of eternal life in his soul here on earth It is not impossible for us to perceive and feel the dawnings and puttings forth of eternal life in our souls here on earth and this is that we should earnestly pray for Someof the last words
that he might not have sinned yet it was possible for him to sin and he did sin but in eternal life the will shall be so confirmed as that there shall not be a possibility of sinning Oh! how great will that happiness be when the soul shall enjoy the sweetness of eternal joys without intermission when the soul shall forget all its sins and sorrows as to any sense or experience of them yet not so as to be unthankful to him who hath been its Saviour and Deliverer 2. We should breathe long and suspire after eternal life We should elevate and lift up our hearts abovetime and this lower world breathe after the sweetness and delights of the Heavenly Country Those breathings that are in the hearts of the Saints after eternal things Cum sitimus res coelestes tum sentimus perpetuò aliquid gaudii voluptatis Roloc. in Joh. give them some taste of those things When we thirst after heavenly things saith a judicious Divine we do always perceive and experiment something of joy and sweetness Those breathings that are in the hearts of the Saints after eternal life are some of the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.22 We our selves which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption the redemption of our bodies Other men feel no such longings and breathings as these are for although there be a natural instinct in all men which carries them out to desire happiness yet none but the Saints long and breathe after the enjoyment of God as their happiness Therefore so far as we finde a thirst kindled in our souls after the sight and enjoyment of God in eternal life so far we have an earnest of eternal life in our souls How great a thing should it be to us to be admitted to the sight of the Divine Majesty to be taken up from the light of the Sun and Moon to the light of him who made the Sun and the Moon as Austin expresseth it It is a good observation of Luther How much joy is there when God doth exhibit by the Word one drop of consolation to such as are tempted and afflicted in conscience but far greater and unexpressible will that joy be when the God of all consolation shall reveal himself and shall wholly pour himself forth unto us in eternal life How should we breathe after this life Thirdly let us place our happiness and expect it no where but in eternal life We should carry our hope and expectation above this world and never expect to finde happiness Ipse finis erit desideriorum nostorum qui sins fine videhitur sine fastidio amabitur sine fatigatione landabitur Aug. until we come to live with God in eternal life He shall be the end of our desires who shall be seen without end loved without nauseousness praised without wearisomness This is life eternal c. It is a vain thing to expect happiness until we come to see God and to live with him in his eternity If the Lord make our passage in any measure tolerable thorow this world this is a mercy if he give us any comfort in outward things in this world these are mercies so far as he is seen and loved in them otherwise the best comforts here on earth are pitiful things for what can be truely good from which the chief good is absent Deus est omnis boni bonum God is the good of every good and nothing is good but as he appears in it But we ought to remember that our true and great happiness is to live in the Divine presence above and to have the sight of God to eternity And it is not possible that any soul that hath had one glimpse or one true taste of him should think any thing to be happiness short of that sight This therefore is to lay hold of eternal life to keep our spirits aloof off from the world as much as may be and to keep our spirits reserved for the enjoyment of God in eternal life The enjoyment of God in eternal life is the point and centre that we should be moving and tending unto When the Lord gives us any of the comforts and blessings of this life when he gives us estates friends the comfort of relations we should say These are the gifts of God and so far they are good but these are not my happiness my happiness is God himself my happiness is to see him and to live with him in his eternity Here should our desires rest and terminate and though we defire and use many things for necessity in the present state yet our desire and expectation should be still carried above these things and end no where but in the enjoyment of God Quis alius noster est finis nisi pervenire ad regnum cujus nullus est finis Aug. What other end have we but to come to that kingdom of which there is no end Fourthly we should labour to be in a readiness and preparedness of spirit to enter upon eternal life 2 Pet. 3.14 Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blame Our ambition should be to be found in such a posture and to keep our souls in such an holy evenness as that nothing may impede or hinder our free passage out of Time into Eternity We should labour to keep our Consciences pure We should see that the guilt of no sin remain upon our Conscience unpardoned unrepented of We should see that our affections be not intangled with the inordinate love of lawful things much less with the love of any sin We should labour to have our hearts fortified with a stedfast belief of the things God hath promised us in the other world the weakness of our faith in believing the things promised makes us very unfit for the enjoyment of eternal life We should often contemplate eternal life we should be thinking of it night day all the comforts that we enjoy all the necessary employments we are engaged in should not take us off from the frequent meditation of eternal life What so necessary to be thought of as that state which when once it is begun shall never have an end This whole life is but like one long dream in comparison of eternal life Oh! let us not forget eternal life but be still preparing and making ready for it Fifthly we should not take up or rest satisfied with what we have already attained in grace but press forward toward that which lies before us and is yet wanting to us This is the direction the Apostle gives us from his own example Phil. 3.13 Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but one thing I do forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Paul's aim and scope was to obtain