V. Some general helps to a heavenly life
a popish peace of conscience in the deed-doing, instead of joy in the Holy Ghost; bringing, indeed, meat to their guests, but through haste or laziness, eating none themselves; or, like tailors, make clothes for other men to wear; so they, never assaying their own points how they fit, or may suit with their own spirits, but think it is their duty to teach, and other men's duty to do." So far the author.
CHAP. V Some General Helps to a Heavenly Life SECT. I. Having thus showed thee the blocks in thy way, and told thee what hinderances will resist thee in the work, I shall now lay thee down some positive helps, and conclude with a directory to the main duty itself. But first, I expect that thou resolve against the forementioned impediments, that thou read them seriously, and avoid them faithfully, or else thy labour will be all in vain; thou dost but go about to reconcile light and darkness, Christ and Belial, and to conjoin heaven and hell in thy spirit: thou mayest sooner bring down heaven to earth, than do this. I must tell thee also, that I expect thy promise, faithfully to set upon the helps which I shall prescribe thee, and that the reading of them will not bring heaven into thy heart, but in their constant practice the Spirit will do it. It were better for thee I had never written them, and thou hadst never seen this book, nor read them, if thou do not buckle thyself to the duty.
As thou valuest, then, the delights of these foretastes of heaven, make conscience of performing these following duties:
Sect. II. 1. Know heaven to be the only treasure, and labour to know also what a treasure it is. Be convinced once that thou hast no other happiness, and then be convinced what happiness is there. If thou do not soundly believe it to be the chiefest good, thou wilt never set thy heart upon it; and this conviction must sink into thy affections; for if it be only a notion, it will have little operation. And surely we have
reason enough to be easily convinced of this, as you may see in what hath been spoken already. Read over the description and nature of this rest, in the beginning of this book, and the reasons against thy resting below, in chapter first, and conclude that this is the only happiness. As long as your judgments do undervalue it, your affections must needs be cold towards it. If your judgments do mistake blear-eyed Leah for beautiful Rachel, so will your affections also mistake them. If Eve do once suppose she sees more worth in the forbidden fruit than in the love and fruition of God, no wonder if it have more of her heart than God. If your judgments once prefer the delights of the flesh before the delights in the presence of God, it is impossible, then, your hearts should be in heaven. As it is the ignorance of the emptiness of things below that makes men so overvalue them; so it is ignorance of the high delights above, which is the cause that men so little mind them. If you see a purse of gold, and believe it to be but stones or counters, it will not entice your affections to it. It is not a thing's excellency in itself, but it is excellency known that provokes desire. If an ignorant man see a a book containing the secrets of arts or sciences, yet he values it no more than a common piece, because he knows not what is in it: but he that knows it, doth highly value it; his very mind is set upon it, he can pore upon it day and night, he can forbear his meat, and drink, and sleep, to read it. As the Jews inquired after Elias, when Christ tells them that verily Elias is already come, and ye knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever he listed; (Matt. 17:11, 12;) so men inquire after happiness and delight, when it is offered to them in the promise of rest, and they know it not, but trample it under foot; and as the Jews killed the Messiah, while they waited for the Messiah, and that because they did not know him, (John 1:10; Acts 13:27;) for had they known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; (1 Cor.
2:8;) so doth the world cry out for rest, and busily seek for delight and happiness, even while they are neglecting and destroying their rest and happiness, and this because they thoroughly know it not; for did they know thoroughly what it is, they could not so slight the everlasting treasure.
Sect. III. 2. Labour as to know heaven to be the only happiness, so also to be thy happiness. Though the knowledge of excellency and suitableness may stir up that love which worketh by desire; yet there must be the knowledge of our interest or propriety, to the setting awork of our love of complacency. We may confess heaven to be the best condition, though we despair of enjoying it; and we may desire and seek it, if we see the obtainment to be but probable and hopeful: but we can never delightfully rejoice in it, till we are somewhat persuaded of our title to it. What comfort is it to a man that is naked, to see the rich attire of others; or, to a man that hath not a bit to put in his mouth, to see a feast which he must not taste of? What delight hath a man that hath not a house to put his head in, to see sumptuous buildings of others? Would not all this rather increase his anguish, and make him more sensible of his own misery? So, for a man to know the excellences of heaven, and not to know whether he shall ever enjoy them, may well raise desire, and provoke to seek it, but it will raise but little joy and content. Who will set his heart on another man's possessions? If your house, your goods, your cattle, your children were not your own, you would less mind them, and delight less in them. O, therefore, Christians, rest not till you can call this rest your own; sit not down without assurance; get alone, and question with thyself; bring thy heart to the bar of trial; force it to answer the interrogatories put to it; set the conditions of the Gospel and qualifications of the saints on one side, and thy performance of those conditions and the qualifications of thy soul on the other side, and then judge how near they resemble. Thou hast the same word before thee, to judge thyself by now, by which thou must be judged at the great day; thou art there before told the questions that must then be put to thee. Put these questions now to thyself. Thou mayest there read the very articles upon which thou shalt be tried. Why, try thyself by those articles now. Thou mayest there know beforehand, on what terms men shall be then acquitted and condemned; why, try now whether thou art possessed of that which will acquit thee, or whether thou be upon the same terms with those that must be condemned, and accordingly acquit or condemn thyself. Yet, be sure thou judge by a true touchstone, and mistake not the Scripture description of a
saint, that thou neither acquit nor condemn thyself upon mistakes: for, as groundless hopes do tend to confusion, and are the greatest cause of most men's damnation; so groundless doubtings do tend to discomforts, and are the great cause of the disquieting of the saints.
Therefore lay thy grounds of trial safely and advisedly: proceed in the work deliberately and methodically: follow it to an issue resolutely and industriously: suffer not thy heart to give thee the slip, and get away before a judgment, but make it stay to hear its sentence: if once, or twice, or thrice, will not do it, nor a few days of hearing bring it to issue, follow it on with unwearied diligence, and give not over till the work be done, and till thou canst say knowingly off or on, either thou art, or art not a member of Christ: either that thou hast, or that thou hast not yet title to this rest. Be sure thou rest not in wilful uncertainties. If thou canst not despatch the work well thyself, get the help of those that are skilful. Co to thy minister, if he lie a man of experience; or go to some able, experienced friend; open thy case faithfully, and wish them to deal plainly; and thus continue till thou hast got assurance: not but some doubtings may still remain; but yet thou mayest have so much assurance as to master them, that they may not much interrupt thy peace. If men did know heaven to be their own inheritance, we should less need to persuade their thoughts unto it, or to press them to set their delight in it. Oh! if men did truly know that God is their own Father, and Christ their own
Redeemer and Head, and that those are their own everlasting habitations, and that there it is that they must abide and be happy for ever; how could they choose but be ravished with the forethoughts thereof! If a Christian could but look upon sun, and moon, and stars, and reckon all his own in Christ, and say, 'These are the portion that my Husband doth bestow; these are the blessings that my Lord hath procured me, and things incomparably greater than these;' what holy raptures would his spirit feel! The more do they sin against their own comforts, as well as against the grace of the Gospel, who are wilful maintainers of their own doubtings, and plead for their unbelief, and cherish distrustful thoughts of God, and scandalous, injurious thoughts of their Redeemer: who represent the covenant, as if it were of works and not of grace; and represent Christ
as an enemy rather than as a Saviour, as if he were glad of advantages against them, and were willing that they should keep off from him, and die in their unbelief; when he hath called them so oft, and invited them so kindly, and borne the hell that they should bear.
Ah! wretches that we are, that be keeping up jealousies of the love of our Lord, when we should be rejoicing and bathing our souls in his love; that can question that love which hath been so fully evidenced; and doubt still whether he that hath stooped so low, and suffered so much, and taken up a nature and office on purpose, be yet willing to be theirs, who are willing to be his; as if any man could choose Christ before Christ hath chosen him, or any man could desire to have
Christ more than Christ desires to have him, or any man were more willing to be happy than Christ is to make him happy. Fie upon these injurious, if not blasphemous thoughts! If ever thou have harboured such thoughts in thy breast; or if ever thou have uttered such words with thy tongue, spit out that venom, vomit out that rancour, cast them from thee, and take heed how thou ever entertainest them more! God hath written the names of his people in heaven, as you use to write your names in your own books, or upon your goods, or set your marks on your own sheep: and shall we be attempting to raze them out, and to write our names on the doors of hell? But blessed be our God, whose foundation is sure, (2 Tim. 2:19,) and who keepeth us by his mighty power through faith unto salvation. (1 Peter
1:5.) Well, then, this is my second advice to thee, that thou follow on the work of self-examination, till thou hast got assurance that this rest is thy own; and this will draw thy heart unto it, and feed thy spirits with fresh delights, which else will be but tormented so much the more, to think that there is such rest for others, but none for thee.
Sect. IV. 3. Another help to sweeten thy soul with the foretastes of rest, is this, Labour to apprehend how near it is, think seriously of its speedy approach. That which we think is near at hand, we are more sensible of than that which we behold at a distance. When we hear of war or famine in another country, it troubleth us not so much; or if we hear it prophesied of a long time hence: so if we hear of plenty a
great way off, or of a golden age that shall fall out who knows when, this never rejoiceth us. But if judgments or mercies begin to draw near, then they affect us. If we were sure we should see the golden age, then it would take with us. When the plague is in a town but twenty miles off, we do not fear it; nor much, perhaps, if it be in another street; but if once it come to the next door, or if it seize on one in our own family, then we begin to think on it more feelingly. It is so with mercies as well as judgments. When they are far off, we talk of them as marvels; but when they draw close to us, we rejoice in them as truths. This makes men think on heaven so insensibly, because they conceit it at too great a distance. They look on it as twenty, or thirty, or forty years off; and this is it that dulls their sense. As wicked men are fearless and senseless of judgment, because the sentence is not speedily executed; (Eccles. 8:11;) so are the godly deceived of their comforts, by supposing them farther off than they are. This is the danger of putting the day of death far from us, when men will promise themselves longer time in the world than
God hath promised them, and judge of the length of their lives by the probabilities they gather from their age, their health, their constitution and temperature: this makes them look at heaven as a great way off. If the rich fool in the Gospel had not expected to have lived many years, he would surely have thought more of providing for eternity, and less of his present store and possessions: (Luke
12:17–20:) and if we did not think of staying many years from heaven, we should think on it with far more piercing thoughts. This expectation of long life, doth both the wicked and the godly a great deal of wrong. How much better were it to receive the sentence of death in ourselves, and to look on eternity as near at hand! (2 Cor.
1:8–10.) Surely, reader, thou standest at the door; and hundreds of diseases are ready waiting to open the door and let thee in. Are not the thirty or forty years of thy life that are past quickly gone? Are they not a very little time when thou lookest back on them, and will not all the rest be shortly so too? Do not days and nights come very thick? Dost thou not feel that building of flesh to shake, and perceive thy house of clay to totter? Look on thy glass, see how it runs; look on thy watch, how fast it getteth. What a short moment is between us
and our rest: what a step is it from hence to everlastingness! While I am thinking and writing of it, it hasteth near, and I am even entering into it before I am aware. While thou art reading this it posteth on, and thy life will be gone as a tale that is told. Mayest thou not easily foresee thy dying time, and look upon thyself as ready to depart? It is but a few days till thy friends shall lay thee in the grave, and others do the like for them. If you verily believed you should die tomorrow, how seriously would you think of heaven to-night! The condemned prisoner knew before that he must die, and yet he was then as jovial as any; but when he hears the sentence, and knows he hath not a week to live, then how it sinks his heart within him: so that the true apprehension of the nearness of eternity doth make men's thoughts of it be quick and piercing, and put life into their fears and sorrows, if they are unfitted, and into their desires and joys, if they have assurance of its glory. When the witch's Samuel had told Saul, By tomorrow this time thou shalt be with me, (1 Sam. 28:19,) this quickly worked to his very heart, and laid him down as dead on the earth.
And if Christ should say to a believing soul, 'By to-morrow this time thou shalt be with me,' this would be a working word, indeed, and would bring him in spirit to heaven before. As Melancthon was wont to say of his uncertain station, because of the persecution of his enemies, "Ego jam sum hic, Dei beneficio, 40 annos, et nunquam potui dicere aut certus esse, me per unam septimanam mansuram esse;" i. e. I have now been here these forty years, and yet could never say, or be sure, that I shall tarry here for one week: so may we all say of our abode on earth. As long as thou hast continued out of heaven, thou canst not say thou shalt be out of it one week longer. Do but suppose that you are still entering in it, and you shall find it will much help you more seriously to mind it.
Sect. V. 4. Another help to this heavenly life, is, to be much in serious discoursing of it, especially with those that can speak from their hearts, and are seasoned themselves with a heavenly nature. It is a pity, saith Mr. Bolton, that Christians should ever meet together without some talk of their meeting in heaven, or the way to it, before they part; it is a pity so much precious time is spent among
Christians in vain discourses, foolish janglings, and useless disputes, and not a sober word of heaven among them. Methinks we should meet together of purpose to warm our spirits with discoursing of our rest. To hear a minister, or other private Christian, set forth that blessed, glorious state, with power and life from the promises of the Gospel, methinks should make us say, as the two disciples, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he was opening to us the Scripture?"
(Luke 24:32,) while he was opening to us the windows of heaven? If a Felix, or wicked wretch, will tremble, when he hears his judgment powerfully denounced, (Acts 24:25;) why should not the believing soul be revived when he hears his eternal rest revealed? Get then together, fellow Christians, and talk of the affairs of your country and kingdom, and comfort one another with such words. (1 Thess. 4:18.)
If worldlings get together, they will be talking of the world; when wantons are together, they will be talking of their lusts, and wicked men can be delighted in talking of wickedness; and should not Christians, then, delight themselves in talking of Christ; and the heirs of heaven in talking of their inheritance? This may make our hearts revive within us, as it did Jacob's, to hear the message that called him to Goshen, and to see the chariots that should bring him to Joseph. Oh that we were furnished with skill and resolution to turn the stream of men's common discourse to these more sublime and precious things; and when men begin to talk of things unprofitable, that we could tell how to put in a word for heaven, and say, as Peter, of his bodily food, "Not so, for I eat not that which is common and unclean," (Acts 10:14,) this is nothing to my eternal rest. Oh, the good that we might both do and receive by this course!
If it had not been needful to deter us from unfruitful conference, Christ would not have talked of giving an account of every idle word at judgment; (Matt. 12:36;) say then, as David, when you are in conference, "Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chiefest mirth;" (Psal. 137:5, 6;) and then you shall find the truth of that, "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life."
(Prov. 15:4.)
Sect VI. 5. Another help to this heavenly life is this, Make it thy business in every duty to wind up thy affections nearer heaven. A man's attainments and receivings from God are answerable to his own desires and ends; that which he sincerely seeks he finds; God's end in the institution of his ordinances was, that they be as so many stepping-stones to our rest, and as the stairs, by which, in subordination to Christ, we may daily ascend unto it in our affections. Let this be thy end in using them, as it was God's end in ordaining them, and doubtless they will not be unsuccessful: though men be personally far asunder, yet they may even by letters have a great deal of intercourse. How have men been rejoiced by a few lines from a friend, though they could not see him face to face! What gladness have we when we do but read the expressions of his love; or if we read of our friend's prosperity and welfare! Many a one that never saw the fight, hath triumphed and shouted, made bonfires, and rung bells, when they have but heard and read of the victory; and may not we have intercourse with God in his ordinances, though our persons be yet so far remote? May not our spirits rejoice in the reading of those lines which contain our legacy and charter for heaven? With what gladness may we read the expressions of love, and hear of the state of our celestial country! With what triumphant shoutings may we applaud our inheritance, though yet we have not the happiness to behold it! Men that are separated by sea and land, can yet, by the mere intercourse of letters, carry on both great and gainful trades, even to the value of their whole estate; and may not a Christian, in the wise improvement of duties, drive on this happy trade for rest? Come not, therefore, with any lower ends to duties; renounce formality, customariness, and applause. When thou kneelest down in secret or public prayer, let it be in hope to get thy heart nearer God before thou risest off thy knees. When thou openest thy Bible, or other books, let it be with this hope, to meet with some passage of divine truth, and some such blessings of the Spirit with it, as may raise thine affections nearer heaven, and give thee a fuller taste thereof. When thou art setting thy foot out of thy door, to go to the public ordinance and worship, say, 'I hope to meet with somewhat from God, that may raise my affections before I return; I
hope the Spirit will give me the meeting, and sweeten my heart with those celestial delights; I hope that Christ will appear to me in the way, shine about me with light from heaven, and let me hear his instructing and reviving voice, and cause the scales to fall from mine eyes, that I may see more of that glory than ever I yet saw; I hope, before I return to my house, my Lord will take my heart in hand, and bring it within the view of rest, and set it before his Father's presence, that I may return, as the shepherds, from the heavenly vision, glorifying and praising God for all the things I have heard and seen, (Luke 2:20,) and say, as those that beheld his miracles, "We have seen strange things to day." (Luke 5:26.) Remember also to pray for thy teacher, that God would put some divine message into his mouth, which may leave a heavenly relish on thy spirit.
If these were our ends, and this our course, when we set to duty, we should not be so strange as we are to heaven.
When the Indians first saw the use of letters by our English, they thought there was surely some spirit in them, that men should converse together by a paper. If Christians would take this course in their duties, they might come to such a holy fellowship with God, and see so much of the mysteries of the kingdom, that it would make the standers-by admire what is in those lines, what is in that sermon, what is in this praying, that fills his heart so full of joy, and that so transports him above himself. Certainly, God would not fail us in our duties, if we did not fail ourselves, and then experience would make them sweeter to us.
Sect. VII. 6. Another help is this, Make an advantage of every object thou seest, and of every passage of Divine Providence, and of every thing that befalls in thy labour and calling, to mind thy soul of its approaching rest. As all providences and creatures are means to our rest, so do they point us to that as their end. Every creature hath the name of God, and of our final rest, written upon it, which a considerate believer may as truly discern, as he can read upon a post or hand, in a cross-way, the name of the town or city which it points
to. This spiritual use of creatures and providences is God's great end in bestowing them on man; and he that overloooks this end must needs rob God of his chiefest praise, and deny him the greatest part of his thanks. The relation that our present mercies have to our great eternal mercies, is the very quintessence and spirits of all these mercies; therefore do they lose the very spirits of all their mercies, and take nothing but the husks and bran, who do overlook this relation, and draw not forth the sweetness of it in their contemplations. God's sweetest dealings with us at the present would not be half so sweet as they are if they did not intimate some further sweetness. As ourselves have a fleshly and a spiritual substance, so have our mercies a fleshly and a spiritual use, and are fitted to the nourishing of both our parts. He that receives the carnal part, and no more, may have his body comforted by them, but not his soul. It is not all one to receive sixpence merely as sixpence, and to receive it in earnest of a thousand pounds; though the sum be the same, yet surely the relation makes a wide difference. Thou takest but the bare earnest, and overlookest the main sum, when thou receivest thy mercies, and forgettest thy crown. Oh, therefore, that Christians were skilled in this art! You can open your Bibles, and read there of God and of glory; oh, learn to open the creatures, and to open the several passages of providence, to read of God and glory there. Certainly, by such a skilful, industrious improvement, we might have a fuller taste of Christ and heaven in every bit of bread that we eat, and in every draught of beer we drink, than most men have in the use of the sacrament. If thou prosper in the world, and thy labour succeed, let it make thee more sensible of thy perpetual prosperity: if thou be weary of thy labours, let it make thy thoughts of rest more sweet: if things go cross and hard with thee in the world, let it make thee the more earnestly desire that day when all thy sorrows and sufferings shall cease. Is thy body refreshed with food or sleep? remember the inconceivable refreshings with Christ. Dost thou hear any news that makes thee glad? remember what glad tidings it will be to hear the sound of the trump of God, and the absolving sentence of Christ, our
Judge. Art thou delighting thyself in the society of the saints? remember the everlasting amiable fraternity thou shalt have with
perfected saints in rest. Is God communicating himself to thy spirit? why, remember the time of thy highest advancement, when thy joy shall be full, as thy communion is full. Dost thou hear the raging noise of the wicked, and the disorders of the vulgar, and the confusions of the world like the noise in a cloud, or the roaring of the waters? why think of the blessed agreement in heaven, and the melodious harmony in that choir of God. Dost thou hear or feel the tempest of wars, or see any cloud of blood arising? remember the day when thou shalt be housed with Christ, where there is nothing but calmness and amiable union, and where we shall solace ourselves in perfect peace, under the wings of the Prince of Peace for ever. Thus you may see, what advantages to a heavenly life every condition and creature doth afford us, if we had but hearts to apprehend and improve them. As it is said of the Turks, that they will make bridges of the dead bodies of their men, to pass over the trenches or ditches in their way; so might Christians of the very ruins and calamities of the times, and of every dead body or misery that they see, make a bridge for the passage of their thoughts to their rest. And as they have taught their pigeons, which they call carriers, in divers places, to bear letters of intercourse from friend to friend, at very great distance, so might a wise, industrious Christian get his thoughts carried into heaven, and receive, as it were, returns from thence again by creatures of slower wing than doves, by the assistance of the Spirit, the Dove of God. This is the right Dedalian flight; and thus we may take from each bird a feather, and make us wings, and fly to Christ.
Sect. VIII. 7. Another singular help is this; Be much in that angelical work of praise. As the most heavenly spirits will have the most heavenly employment, so the more heavenly the employment, the more will it make the spirit heavenly. Though the heart be the fountain of all our actions, and the actions will be usually of the quality of the heart, yet do those actions, by a kind of reflection, work much on the heart from whence they spring: the like also may be said of our speeches. So that the work of praising God, being the most heavenly work, is likely to raise us to the most heavenly temper. This
is the work of those saints and angels, and this will be our everlasting work. If we were more taken up in this employment now, we should be liker to what we shall be then. When Aristotle was asked what he thought of music, he answers, "Jovem neque canere, neque citharam pulsare;" that Jupiter did never sing, nor play on the harp, thinking it an unprofitable art to men, which was no more delightful to God. But Christians may better argue from the like ground, that singing of praise is a most profitable duty, because it is so delightful, as it were, to God himself, that he hath made it his people's eternal work; for they shall sing the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb. As desire, and faith, and hope, are of shorter continuance than love and joy, so also preaching, and prayer, and sacraments, and all means for confirmation, and expression of faith and hope, shall cease, when our thanks, and praise, and triumphant expressions of love and joy, shall abide for ever. The liveliest emblem of heaven that I know upon earth, is, when the people of God, in the deep sense of his excellency and bounty, from hearts abounding with love and joy, do join together, both in heart and voice, in the cheerful and melodious singing of his praises. Those that deny the lawful use of singing the Scripture-psalms in our times, do disclose their unheavenly, inexperienced hearts, I think, as well as their ignorant understandings. Had they felt the heavenly delights that many of their brethren in such duties have felt, I think they would have been of another mind. And whereas they are wont to question whether such delights he genuine, or any better than carnal or delusive; surely, the very relish of God and heaven that is in them, the example of the saints in Scripture, whose spirits have been raised by the same duty, and the command of Scripture for the use of this means, one would think, should quickly decide the controversy. And a man may as truly say of these delights, as they use to say of the testimony of the Spirit, that they witness themselves to be of God, and bring the evidence of their heavenly parentage along with them. And whereas they allow only extemporate psalms, immediately dictated to them by the Spirit, when I am convinced that the gift of extemporate singing is so common to the church, that any man who is spiritually merry can use it, (James 5:13,) and when I am convinced that the use
of Scripture-psalms is abolished or prohibited, then I shall more regard their judgment. Certainly, as large as mine acquaintance hath been with men of this spirit, I never yet heard any of them sing a psalm extempore, that was better than David's; yea, or that was tolerable to a judicious hearer, and not rather a shame to himself and his opinion. But sweet experience will be a powerful argument, and will teach the sincere Christian to hold fast his exercise of this soulraising duty.
Little do we know how we wrong ourselves, by shutting out of our prayers the praises of God, or allowing them so narrow a room as we usually do, while we are copious enough in our confessions and petitions. Reader, I entreat thee, remember this: Let praises have a larger room in thy duties; keep ready at hand matter to feed thy praise, as well as matter for confession and petition. To this end, study the excellences and goodness of the Lord, as frequently as thy own necessities and vileness; study the mercies which thou hast received, and which are promised; both their own proper worth and their aggravating circumstances, as often as thou studiest the sins thou hast committed. Oh, let God's praise be much in your mouths, for in the mouths of the upright, his praise is comely. (Psal. 33:1.)
Seven times a day did David praise him. (Psalm 119:164.) Yea, his praise was continually of him. (Psalm 71:6.) As he that offereth praise glorifieth God, (Psalm 50:23,) so doth he most rejoice and glad his own soul. (Psalm 98:4.) Offer, therefore, the sacrifice of praise continually. (Heb. 13:15.) In the midst of the church, let us sing his praise. (Heb. 2:12.) Praise our God, for he is good; sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant. (Psalm 135:3; 147:1.) Yea, let us rejoice and triumph in his praise. (Psalm 106:47.)
Do you think that David had not a most heavenly spirit, who was so much employed in this heavenly work? Doth it not sometime very much raise your hearts, when you do but seriously read that divine song of Moses, Deut. 32, and those heavenly iterated praises of David, having almost nothing sometime but praise in his mouth?
How much more would it raise and refresh us, to be skilled and
accustomed in the work ourselves! I confess, to a man of a languishing body, where the heart doth faint, and the spirits are feeble, the cheerful praising of God is more difficult; because the body is the soul's instrument, and when it lies unstringed, or untuned, the music is likely to be accordingly but dull. Yet a spiritual cheerfulness there may be within, and the heart may praise, if not the voice. But where the body is strong, the spirits lively, and the heart cheerful, and the voice at command, what advantage have such for this heavenly work! With what alacrity and vivacity may they sing forth praises! O the madness of heathful youth, that lay out this vigour of body and mind upon vain delights and fleshly lusts, which is so fit for the noblest work of man! And O the sinful folly of many of the saints, who drench their spirits in continual sadness, and waste their days in complaints and groans, and fill their bodies with wasting diseases, and so make themselves both in body and mind unfit for this sweet and heavenly work! That when they should join with the people of God in his praises, and delight their souls in singing to his name, they are questioning their worthiness, and studying their miseries, or raising scruples about the lawfulness of the duty, and so rob God of his praise, and themselves of their solace.
But the greatest destroyer of our comfort in this duty, is our sticking in the carnal delight thereof, and taking up in the tune and melody, and suffering the heart to be all the while idle, which must perform the chiefest part of the work, and which should make use of the melody, for its reviving and exhilarating.
Sect. IX. If thou wouldst have thy heart in heaven, keep thy soul still possessed with true believing thoughts of the exceeding, infinite love of God. Love is the attractive of love. No man's heart will be set upon him that hates him, were he never so excellent, nor much upon him that doth not much love him. There are few so vile, but will love those that love them, be they never so mean. No doubt it is the death of our heavenly life, to have hard and doubtful thoughts of God; to conceive of him as a hater of the creature (except only of obstinate rebels), and as one that had rather damn us, than save us, and that is glad of an opportunity to do us a mischief, or at least hath no great
good-will to us: this is to put the blessed God into the similitude of Satan. And who, then, can set his heart and love upon him? When in our vile unbelief and ignorance we have drawn the most ugly picture of God in our imaginations, then we complain that we cannot love him, and delight in him. This is the case of many thousand
Christians. Alas! that we should thus belie and blaspheme God, and blast our own joys, and depress our spirits! Love is the very essence of God. The Scripture tells us, that "God is love;" it telleth us, that fury dwelleth not in him; that he delighteth not in the death of him that dieth, but rather that he repent and live. (1 John 4:16; Isa. 27:4;
Ezek. 18:32, and 33:11.) Much more, that he testifieth his love to his chosen; and his full resolution, effectually to save them. Oh, if we could always think of God but as we do of a friend! As of one that doth unfeignedly love us, even more than we do ourselves; whose very heart is set upon us to do us good, and hath therefore provided us an everlasting dwelling with himself; it would not then be so hard to have our heart still with him! Where we love most heartily, we shall think most sweetly, and most freely; and nothing will quicken our love more than the belief of his love to us. Get therefore a truer conceit of the loving nature of God, and lay up all the experiences and discoveries of his love to thee; and then see if it will not further thy heavenly-mindedness. I fear, most Christians think higher of the love of a hearty friend, than of the love of God: and then what wonder if they love their friends better than God, and trust them more confidently than God, and had rather live with them than with God, when they take them for better and trustier friends than God, and of more merciful and compassionate nature!
Sect. X. 9. Another thing I would advise you to, is this: Be a careful observer of the drawings of the Spirit, and fearful of quenching its motions, of resisting its workings; if ever thy soul get above the earth, and get acquainted with this living in heaven, the Spirit of God must be to thee as the chariot to Elijah; yea, the very living principle by which thou must move and ascend. O, then, grieve not thy guide, quench not thy life, (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19,) knock not off thy chariot-wheels! If thou do, no wonder if thy soul be at a loss, and all
stand still, or fall to the earth. You little think how much the life of all your graces, and the happiness of your souls doth depend upon your ready and cordial obedience to the Spirit. When the Spirit urgeth thee to secret prayer, and thou refusest obedience; when he forbids thee thy known transgressions, and yet thou wilt go on; when he telleth thee which is the way, and which not, and thou wilt not regard; no wonder if heaven and thy soul be strange. If thou wilt not follow the Spirit while it would draw thee to Christ, and to thy duty; how should it lead thee to heaven, and bring thy heart into the presence of God? O, what supernatural help, what bold access shall that soul find in its approaches to the Almighty, that is accustomed to a constant obeying of the Spirit! And how backward, how dull, and strange, and ashamed will he be to these addresses, who hath long used to break away from the Spirit that would have guided him! Even as stiff and unfit will they be for this spiritual motion, as a dead man to a natural. I beseech thee, christian reader, learn well this lesson, and try this course; let not the motions of thy body only, but also the very thoughts of thy heart, be at the Spirit's beck. Dost thou not feel sometimes a strong impulsion to retire from the world, and draw near to God? O do not thou disobey, but take the offer, and hoist up sail while thou mayest have this blessed gale. When the wind blows strongest, thou goest fastest, either backward or forward. The more of this Spirit we resist, the deeper will it wound; and the more we obey, the speedier is our pace; as he goes heaviest that hath the wind in his face, and he easiest that hath it in his back.
10. Lastly, I advise as a further help to this heavenly work, that thou neglect not the due care for the health of thy body, and for the maintaining a vigorous cheerfulness in thy spirits; nor yet overpamper and please, thy flesh: learn how to carry thyself with prudence to thy body. It is a useful servant if thou give it its due, and but its due: it is a most devouring tyrant, if thou give it the mastery, or suffer it to have what it unreasonably desireth. And it is as a blunted knife, as a horse that is lame, as thy ox that is famished, if thou injuriously deny it what is necessary to its support. When we consider how frequently men offend on both extremes, and how few