like him 1 Joh. 3.2 So that our life in heaven is so far revealed in the Scriptures that it is to see God to be like him that is that we shall live a life like to his life so far as the Creature is capable These are the things above that we should seek Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our converse is in heaven If Paul's converse was in Heaven then we must suppose he did contemplate in his minde what the life of Heaven was and his aim was to walk as the Saints in Heaven did to walk as one free of that corporation Our conversation is in heaven his endeavour was that his behaviour carryage and deportment might be such as if he were in Heaven among the Saints there This is to seek the things which are above to study what the life of Heaven will be what our imployment and converse there is like to be 4. Lastly By the things above we are to understand such things as have a tendencie to the future life and the future state It is the observation of a Learned man Davenant As by the things above we ought to understand the glory and blessedness of heaven primarily so secondarily and consequentially by the things above we are to understand those gifts of Grace which are as the seeds of this desired Glory as Faith Love Holiness and the rest of the Graces of the Spirit by which we are brought to eternal Glory The Graces of the Spirit may well be called the things that are above because as Anstine expresses it in respect of their excellencie they do excel all earthly things So then as we ought to seek the things above in this sense that is seek after the glory and blessedness of Heaven so we ought to seek that Grace that hath a tendencie in it to bring us to this glory Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded How would the Apostle have us minded he would have us minded like himself and what was Pauls frame read the former verse I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus that is I press towards the mark of perfection Why so for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus As if he had said I would get as high in grace here as is possible that I might be fit for glory hereafter I press toward perfection in Grace as that which is the way to bring me to that Glory As many as be perfect be thus minded The meaning is If you would approve your selves to be grown Christians excellent Christians Christians of the highest rank and form aim at perfection look at the highest attainments in Grace here that so you may be fitted for glory hereafter So that to seek the things which are above is to seek for a suitableness a meetness for the future life and state It is a great expression which we have 2 Cor. 5.3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked The Apostle is speaking of the glory of Heaven and of the Saints entring into that glory in their souls when their body is dissolved Now the Apostle's jealousie is this If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked that is lest he should be destitute and void of those graces ornaments and spiritual affections that might render him in some measure suitable to that state The Apostle Peter exhorts the Saints to furnish themselves with variety of grace all sorts of grace 2 Pet. 1.5 Add to your faith vertue and so one grace to another And what is the end that they might be brought to a greater suitableness to the future life so we have it at the eleventh verse For so an enterance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ As much as if he should say If you add grace to grace and grow to a greater excellencie in every grace So there shall be an abundant enterance administred to you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ so that this is to seek the things which are above when we minde and intend the acquiring and getting of grace above any earthly thing when by the strength of Christ and the grace of Christ in us we are still polishing and refining our souls growing up to more spirituality and aspiring to get higher and higher in grace that so we may be more and more fitted for the coming of the Bridegroom and that we may be found ready as it is said of the Bride the Lamb's Wife she had made her self ready Rev. 19.7 So that when we are trimming and refining and polishing our graces in the strength of Christ and endeavouring to attain to a greater suitableness to the heavenly life then do we seek the things which are above 2. I come now to the second Inquiry to shew what it is to seek after and to set our affections upon these things This we shall open in a few Propositions briefly I. To set our affections on things above it is to think much of these things If we would set our affections upon the things above our thoughts must be much imployed about these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word translated set your affections elsewhere is translated to minde Rom. 8.5 Those that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh So here we are exhorted to minde the things which are above the meaning is we should cause out mindes and thoughts to be occupyed and taken up about these things 1. We ought to think of the reality of invisible things we ought to think that the the things which are above are real things substantial things many do not think them to be so a great many think whatever is spoken of the other world and of the blessedness of the Saints above it is but a fiction and a fancie this is the temper of the Atheistical age in which we live but we ought to think of these things as realities as the greatest realities Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 Faith ought to make that present and real to us which is remote from sense 2. We ought to think of these things so as to study the nature and excellencie of these things 3. We ought to think of them that is our thoughts ought to dwell upon them we should not be content to have transient thoughts of these things but we should dwell much in the Meditation of these things This is one thing implyed in that expression set your affections that is set your thoughts on things above let your minde dwell on these things II. To set our affections on things above is to value and esteem these things above all other things The Criticks in the Greek tongue observe that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
unto an holy contempt of this world I. What are we to understand by earthly things I shall very briefly touch upon this By earthly things we are to understand all things on this side God all things short of God and Christ In the first verse it is said Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God And at the third verse it is said Your life is hid with Christ in God So that the things here on the earth seem to be opposed to God and Christ whatsoever is not God and Christ is not to be the great and supreme object of our affection By the things therefore here upon the earth we are to understand these lower things created things temporal things Another Apostle explains this at large to us what we are to understand by the things on the earth 1 John 2.15 Love not the world nor the things of the world So that by things on the earth we are to understand temporal things all things that are found within the compass of this lower world riches honours earthly delights and pleasures long life it self Long life though it be a blessing in it self yet it is possible we may love it inordinately as we do other things Now these are the things we should not set our affections upon viz. all things short of God and Christ created things temporal things we ought not so to set our hearts upon any of these things so as to make them the great and supreme object of our affections II. But the second thing is that which will take us up a little more consideration What is it to have our hearts taken off from the world and from earthly things How is the Text to be understood when it is said Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth Not on things on the earth This we shall open two ways Negatively and Affirmatively 1. Negatively by shewing what is not here meant when we are bid not to set our affections on things on the earth 2. Affirmatively what is here meant when we are commanded not to set our affections on things on the earth 1. Negatively what is not here meant when we are bid not to set our affections on things on the earth Negatively we may take it in three Propositions 1. The meaning is not as if we may not think of earthly things at all we may think of earthly things as they are the works and gifts of God The creature was given us as a glass to contemplate God in and therefore we may and ought to think of these things so as by them to rise up to the contemplation of God Every creature is a spectacle Creatura omnis spectaculum est ut in omnibus Creatorem Artificem quaras Augustinus that in it we may seek for the Creator who is the former and maker of it that is a holy and a blessed use of the creature when by the creature we are led to the Creator therefore that is not the meaning when it is said that it is our duty to have our hearts taken off from the world and earthly things that we may not think of earthly things at all We may think of them as the gifts of God and as things to lead us unto him 2. The meaning is not as if we may not care for these things in a moderate and subordinate way The Apostle tells us He that cares not for his own is worse then an insidel There is a moderate and a regular care for these things which is lawful The Scripture commands men to work with their hands the thing that is good that they may give to him that needeth Eph. 4.28 Therefore there is a moderate and a subordinate care about temporal things which is lawful 3. The meaning is not that we may not use earthly things When it is said a Christian ought to have his heart taken off from the world the meaning is not as if a Christian may not at all intermeddle with and use earthly things It is the observation of a Learned man upon the text Davenant The Apostle bids us not to seek or to set our affections upon earthly things but he doth not forbid us to use earthly things The Spirit of God makes it a piece of Antichristian superstition that Antichrist commands to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanks-giving of them which believe and know the truth 1 Tim. 4.3 It is a part of Antichristianism to forbid men to use the creatures of God which are lawful in themselves And in the same place he saith Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanks-giving It is true we must onely use the creatures but we must enjoy God the creatures are not so to be used as that we should stick in them and go no farther but we must use the creature to a farther end we must use the creatures so as by them to be led to God the chief good yet use them we may in their place and to bring us to the last end So much is to be spoken Negatively what we must not understand by this when it is said a Christian must have his heart taken off from the world and earthly things But then Affirmatively what is it that is here intended when it is said we must not set our affections upon things on the earth What is it to have our affections taken off from the world and from earthly things I shall open this in four Particulars 1. Not to set our affections on things on the earth it is not to make these things our last end and scope Every man hath his last end he hath something that he pursues as his last end now not to set our affections on things on the earth it is not to pursue these things as our last end our last end ought to be above this world to lye out of this world I press toward the mark saith the Apostle for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.14 Paul had something as his end which lay beyond this world which lay out of this world we ought not to be content with an earthly happiness we ought not to think If we can acquire an estate live in pleasure here on earth provide for our selves and families draw forth our lives to a conderable time and have our days filled up with earthly comforts that this is our last end this is all we have to look after and that we need have no higher scope then these things A Christian ought to have an end a scope and an interest beyond all earthly things 2. Not to set our affections on earthly things it is not to place our happiness and felicity in these things we should not take up our rest and satisfaction in these things When riches increase set not thy heart upon them saith the wiseman and the
Spirit of God by him That which men pursue as their last end they are apt to take up their rest and happiness in it when once they have acquired it That appears from that of the rich man in the Gospel Soul soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry Worldly men make the world their chief good and acquiesce in it as their chief good Now not to set our affections upon the things on the earth is not to acquiesce in and take up with the creature as our chief good and happiness A Christian ought to say Bonorum summa Deus est Deus est nobis summum bonum Aug. God is my portion he is my happiness my felicity God is the sum of all good things God is our chief good this should be the language of a Christian A Christian should take up in nothing as his happiness but in God himself 3. Not to set our affections on things on the earth is this not to imploy our principal care and industry about these things Matth. 6.33 Seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof Our chief and principal care ought to be about spiritual and eternal things and then we do not set our affections on earthly things when our first and principal care is not about earthly things but about those other things To seek after and to set a mans affections on earthly things in this place Toto corde desider are Davenant it is with all a mans heart to desire after these things with all a mans might and endeavor to seek after these things Now in this sense we should not set our affections on earthly things that is the main strength of our desires the main strength of our endeavours should not run out to these things It is an expression of Austin Ad Creatorem tendere jubemur non ad crea turam ut efficiamur beati We are commanded to have our tendencie towards the Creator not towards the creature that we may be made happy The command is Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy strength and all thy might We are 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