Chapter 6. Exercising Our Thoughts On Things Above.
CHAPTER 6. EXERCISING OUR THOUGHTS ON THINGS
ABOVE.
Directions for the exercise of our thoughts on things above, things future, invisible, and eternal; on God himself; with the difficulties of it, and oppositions to it, and the way of their removal — Right notions of future glory stated.
(2.) [continuing the subject from Chapter 5]. WE treated in general before, the proper objects of our spiritual thoughts as to our present duty. What we were last engaged in is a special instance in heavenly things — things future and invisible — with the fountain and spring of them all in Christ and God himself. And because men are generally unskilled in this, and great difficulties arise in discharging this part of the duty in hand, I will give some special directions concerning it:
[1.] Possess your minds with right notions and apprehensions of things above, and of the state of future glory. In this duty, we are to "look at things which are not seen," 2Cor 4.18. It is only by faith that we have a prospect of them; for "we walk by faith, and not by sight." And faith can give us no interest in them unless we have due apprehensions of them; for it only assents and clings to the truth of what is proposed to it. The greater part of mankind deceive themselves and feed on ashes in this matter. They fancy a future state which has no foundation except in their own imaginations. That's why the apostle, directing us to seek and mind the "things that are above," adds for the guidance of our thoughts, the consideration of the principal concern of them,
"where Christ sits on the right hand of God," Col 3.1,2. He would lead us to distinct apprehensions of those heavenly things, especially the presence of Christ in his exaltation and glory.
Therefore, the true notion of these things with which we are to possess our minds, may be considered here:
1st. All who have an apprehension of a future state of happiness agree in this matter, that it contains in it, or it is accompanied with, a deliverance and freedom from all that is evil. But what such a deliverance consists in, they are not agreed. Many esteem that it consists only those things that are grievous, troublesome, wasting, and destructive to nature. That is, in what is penal — in
pain, sickness, sorrow, loss, poverty, with all kinds of outward troubles, and death itself; these are evil. Therefore they suppose that the future state of blessedness will free them from all these things, if they can attain to it. They will lay this in the balance against the troubles of life, and sometimes maybe, against the pleasures of life which they must forego. Indeed, persons who are profane and profligate will (in words at least) profess that heaven will give them rest from all their troubles: but it is not a place of rest for such persons.
For all others also, for believers themselves, these things are evil — things that they expect a deliverance from in heaven and glory. And there is no doubt that it is lawful for us and fitting that we should contemplate them, as those things which will give us a deliverance from all outward troubles, death itself, and all that leads to it. Heaven is promised as "rest" for those who are
"troubled," 2The 1.7. It is our duty, under all our sufferings, reproaches, persecutions, troubles, and sorrows, to raise up our minds to the contemplation of that state in which we will be freed from them all. It is a blessed notion of heaven, that "God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes," Rev 7.17, or remove all causes of sorrow far from us. And it would be to our advantage if we accustomed our minds more to this kind of relief than we do
— if upon the incursion of fears, dangers, and sorrows, we more readily retreated to thoughts of that state in which we will be freed from them all. Even this most inferior consideration of it would render thoughts of it more familiar, and the thing itself more useful to us. On such occasions, that would be much better than to be exercised with heartless complaints, uncertain hopes, and fruitless contrivances.
But to those who are truly spiritually minded, there is that which has more evil in it than all these things together; and that is sin.
Heaven is a state of deliverance from sin, from all sin, in all the causes, concomitants, and effects of it. The one to whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow, and trouble, is no true believer.
Other things, such as the loss of dear relations, or extraordinary pains, may make deeper impressions on the mind by its natural affections, at some times than our sins ever did at any one time, or in any one instance. Thus a man may have a greater sense of
pain by a toothache, which will be gone in an hour, than in a hectic fever or consumption, which will assuredly take away his life. But if we take in the whole course of our lives, and all the actings of our souls, in spiritual judgment as well as in natural affection, I don't understand how a man can be a sincere believer, to whom sin is not the greatest burden and sorrow.
This is why, in the first place, it belongs to the true notion of heaven — that it is a state in which we will be eternally freed from sin and all concerns about it; but that is only through the exaltation of the glory of God's grace in Christ, by the pardon of sin. Someone who truly hates and abhors sin — whose principal desire and design of life is to be freed from it so far as possible; who walks in self-abasement through a sense of his many disappointments when he hoped it would act in him no more — I judge he will frequently take refreshment from thoughts of that state in which he will be freed from it and triumph over it to eternity. This is a notion of heaven that is easily apprehended and fixed in the mind, and which we may dwell upon to the great advantage and satisfaction of our souls.
Frequent thoughts and meditations on heaven under this notion, argue that a man is spiritually minded. For it is convincing evidence that sin is a burden to him, that he longs to be delivered from it and all its consequents, that no thoughts are more welcome to him than those of that state in which sin will be no more. And although men are troubled about their sins, and desirous of being freed from them — so far as sins perplex their minds and make their consciences uneasy — if they don't think much about the prospect of this relief, if they don't find refreshment in it, I fear their trouble isn't as it ought to be.
Therefore, when men can so wrangle and wrestle with their convictions of sin, and yet the best of their relief is in hopes that it will be better with them at some time or other in this world, without longing desires for that state in which sin will be no more, they can give no evidence that they are spiritually minded.
It is quite otherwise with sincere believers in the exercise of this duty. The consideration of the grace and love of God, of the blood of Christ, of the purity and holiness of that good Spirit who dwells in them, of the light, grace, and mercy which they have
attained through the promises of the gospel, are those which make the remainders of sin most grievous and burdensome for them. This is what breaks their hearts, and makes some of them mourn all day long — namely, that anything of that alone which God hates, might be found in them or remain with them. In this condition, it is evidence they are spiritually minded if, together with watchful endeavors for the universal mortification of sin, and the utter excision of it, root and branch, they constantly add these thoughts of that blessed state in which they will be absolutely and eternally freed from all sin, with refreshment, delight, and complacency.
These things belong to our direction for fixing our thoughts and meditations on things above. The lowliest and weakest person who has the least spark of sincerity and grace, is capable of apprehending and practicing this. The sense they have of the evil of sin, will put their thoughts on things above every day, if they don't shut their eyes against the light of the refreshment that's in it. Let those whose minds cannot rise to fixed and stable thoughts of any other notion of these invisible things, dwell on this consideration of them, in which they will find no small spiritual advantage and refreshment for their souls.
2dly. As for the positive part of this glorious future state, the thoughts and apprehensions of men are quite varied. That we may know what to avoid, as well as what to embrace, we will reflect a little on some of them:
(1st.) Many are not able to entertain any rational conceptions about a future state of blessedness and glory, nor any notions in which either faith or reason is concerned. They imagine something that is great and glorious, but they don't know what it is. No wonder such persons take no delight in heaven, and have no use for thoughts of it. When their imaginations have fluctuated up and down in all uncertainties for a while, they are swallowed up in nothing. They take for granted that it must be glorious, and therefore desirable. But nothing can be so for them, except what is suitable to their present dispositions, inclinations, and principles; and there is nothing of this in the true spiritual glory of heaven, or in the eternal enjoyment of God. These things are not suited to the will of their minds and
of the flesh; and therefore they cannot rise up to any constant desires for them. Hence, to please themselves, they begin to imagine what heaven is not; but what heaven truly is, doesn't please them. And what does please them is not heaven, nor is it to be found there. And so they seldom or never endeavor in good earnest, to exercise their thoughts about it.
It would be good if darkness and ignorance of the true nature of the future state and eternal glory did not overly prejudice believers as to their delight in them and meditations about them. They would have nothing fixed or stated in their minds, which they can turn to when they contemplate that future state.
And by the way, whatever diverts the minds of men from the power and life of spiritual worship (as do all pompous solemnities in the performance of it), greatly hinders them as to right conceptions of that future state. There was a promise of eternal life given to the saints under the Old Testament. But though they were obliged to a worship that was carnal and outwardly pompous, they never had clear and distinct apprehensions of the future state of glory, for "life and immortality were brought to light by the gospel." 2Tim 1.10
Therefore, although no man living can see or find out the infinite riches of eternal glory, yet it is the duty of all to be acquainted with the nature of it in general, so that they may have fixed thoughts of it, love for it, and an earnest desire for it
— all under its own true and proper notion.
(2dly.) So great a part of mankind as the Mohammedans, to whom God has given all the principal and most desirable parts of the world to inhabit and possess,38 conceive the state of future blessedness to consist in the full satisfaction of their sensual lusts and pleasures. And this is evidence that the religion which they profess has no power or efficacy on their minds, to change them from the love of sin, nor from placing their happiness in fulfilling the desires of the flesh. It does not at all enlighten their minds to discern a beauty in spiritual things, nor excite their affections to love them, nor free the soul to look after blessedness in those things which alone are suited to its rational constitution. For if it did, they would place their happiness and blessedness in them. Therefore, it is nothing but
an artifice of the god of this world to blind the eyes of men, to their eternal destruction.
(3dly.) Some of the philosophers of old attained an apprehension that the blessedness of men in another world consists in the soul's full satisfaction in the goodness and beauty of the divine nature. There is a truth in this notion, which contemplative men have adorned with excellent and rational discourses; sundry learned Christians have greatly improved this truth by the light of the Scripture. From reason, they take up thoughts of the goodness, amiableness, selfsufficiency, and all-sufficient satisfactoriness of the infinite perfections of the divine nature. These things shine with such a glorious light, that no more is required to perceive them, than that men do not willfully shut their eyes against it through bestial sensuality and the love of sin.
From reason, they also frame their conceptions concerning the capacity of the souls of men for the immediate enjoyment of God, and what is suited in this for their utmost blessedness. No more is required for these things than a due consideration of the nature of God and man, with our relation to him and dependence on him. By the light of the Scripture, they frame these things into that which they call the "beatific vision." By this they intend first, all the ways by which God, in the highest and immediate instances, can and does communicate Himself to the souls of men, and secondly, the utmost elevation of their intellectual capacities to receive those communications. It is such an intellectual apprehension of the divine nature and perfections, with ineffable love, as to give the soul the utmost rest and blessedness which its capacities can extend to.
These things are so, and they have been both piously and elegantly illustrated by many. However, they are above the capacities of ordinary Christians — they don't know how to manage them in their minds, nor exercise their thoughts about them. They cannot reduce them to present usefulness, nor make them subservient to the exercise and increase of grace.
And the truth is, the Scripture gives us another notion of heaven and glory, not contrary to this, and not inconsistent with it, but more suited to the faith and experience of believers.
And this alone can convey a true and useful sense of these things to our minds Therefore, this notion is to be diligently inquired into, and firmly set in our thoughts and affections.
(4thly.) The principal notion which the Scripture gives us of the state of heavenly blessedness, and which the lowliest believers are capable of improving in daily practice, is that faith shall be turned into sight, and grace into glory. "We walk by faith, and not by sight," says the apostle, 2Cor 5.7. Therefore, this is the difference between our present and our future state, that sight hereafter will take the place of faith, 1Joh 3.2;39 and if sight takes the place of faith, then the object of that sight must be the same as the present object of our faith. So the apostle informs us, 1Cor 13.9-12, "We know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, that which is in part will be done away. For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face."
Those things which we now see darkly, as in a mirror, we will then have an immediate sight and full comprehension of; for that which is perfect must come and do away that which is in part. What, then, is the principal present object of faith as it is evangelical, into whose place sight must succeed? Is it not the manifestation of the glory of the infinite wisdom, grace, love, kindness, and power of God in Christ, the revelation of the eternal counsels of his will and the ways of their accomplishment, to the eternal salvation of the church, in and by him, with the glorious exaltation of Christ himself? That's why the glory of heaven principally consists in the full, satisfactory representation of these things to our souls, received by sight, or a direct, immediate intuition of them. We behold them now darkly, as in a mirror — that is the utmost which we can attain to by faith; in heaven they will be openly and fully displayed. The infinite, incomprehensible excellencies of the divine nature are not proposed in Scripture as the immediate object of our faith; nor will they be so to our sight in heaven. The manifestation of them in Christ is the immediate object of our faith here, and it shall be so to our sight hereafter.
Only through this manifestation of them are we led by faith to ultimately acquiesce in them, as in heaven we will be led by
love to perfectly adhere to them with ineffable delight. This is our immediate objective glory in heaven; we hope for no other.
And if God wills, I will more fully explain this shortly.
Whoever lives in the exercise of faith, and has any experience of the life, power, and sweetness of these heavenly things — those to whom they are a spring of grace and consolation — these are able to meditate on the glory of them in their full enjoyment. Think largely of heaven, as that which will give you a perfect view and comprehension of the wisdom, and love, and grace of God in Christ, with those other things which will be immediately declared.
Some perhaps will be ready to say that if this is heaven, they can see no great glory in it, no such beauty for which it should be desired. It may be so, for some have no instrument to take a view of invisible things except carnal imaginations. Some have no light, no principle, no disposition of mind or soul, to which these things are either acceptable or suitable. Some will go no further in the consideration of the divine excellencies of God, and the faculties and actings of our souls, than reason will guide them; and this may be of use. But we look for no other heaven, we desire none, except what we are led to and prepared for by the light of the gospel — that which will perfect all the beginnings of God's grace in us, and not what will be quite of another nature and destructive of them. We don't value that heaven which is equally suited to the desires and inclinations of the worst of men as well as of the best.
For we know that those who don't like grace here, do not and cannot like that glory which is hereafter. Whoever has not experienced in some measure, the life, power, and evidence of faith here, cannot have any other heaven in his aim than what is erected in his own imagination.
The glory of heaven which the gospel prepares us for, which faith leads and conducts us to, which the souls of believers long for — as that which will give full rest, satisfaction, and complacency — is the full, open, perfect manifestation of the glory of the wisdom, goodness, and love of God in Christ, in His person and mediation, with the revelation of all his counsels concerning them, and the communication of their effects to us. Whoever doesn't like it, to whom it is not desirable, may turn to Mohammed's paradise or
the philosophers' speculations; for he has no interest in the gospel heaven. These are the things which we now see darkly, as in a mirror, by faith. In viewing them, our souls are gradually changed into the likeness of God; and the comprehension of them will give us our utmost conformity and likeness to Him, of which our natures are capable. All our spiritual consolations and joys consist in a sense and experience of their reality and goodness, given to us by the Holy Ghost. The effects produced by them in our souls are the first fruits of glory. Our light, sense, experience, and enjoyment of these things, however weak or frequently interrupted; our apprehensions of them, however dark and obscure — are the only means by which we are "made fit for the inheritance of the saints in light." Col 1.12
To have the eternal glory of God in Christ, with all the fruits of his wisdom and love, while we are ourselves under the full participation in their effects, immediately and directly revealed, proposed, and made known to us in a divine and glorious light; our souls being furnished with a capacity to behold and perfectly comprehend them — this is the heaven which we look for, according to God's promise. But as said, these things will be more fully treated elsewhere.
It is true that there are sundry other things in particular that belong to this state of glory; but what we have mentioned is the fountain and spring of them all. We can never have an immediate enjoyment of God in the immensity of his nature; nor can any created understanding conceive any such thing.
God's communications of Himself to us, and our enjoyment of him, will be in and by the manifestation of his glory in Christ. The one who can see no glory in these things, who isn't sensible of their blessedness, is a stranger to that heaven which the Scripture reveals and which faith leads to.
It may be inquired, "What is the subjective glory, or what change is to be wrought in ourselves, that we may enjoy this glory?" Now, that consists principally as to our souls, in the perfection of all grace which is initially wrought and subjectively resides in us in this world. The grace which we have here will not be ended as to its essence and nature, though it will somewhat cease as to the manner of its operation. What soul could think with joy of going
to heaven, if he must thereby lose all his present light, faith, and love of God — even if he is told that he will receive in lieu of them, that which is more excellent, which he has no experience of, and cannot understand its nature? When the saints enter into rest, their good works follow them. How can they do so if their grace doesn't accompany them, from which they proceed? The perfection of our present graces, which here are weak and interrupted in their operations, is a principal eminency of the state of glory. Faith will be heightened into vision, as proved before; this doesn't destroy its nature, but it causes it to cease as to its manner of operation towards things invisible.
Say a man has a weak, small faith in this life, with little evidence and no assurance, such that he doubts all things, questions all things, and has no comfort from what he believes. If afterward, through supplies of grace, he has a mighty prevailing evidence of the things believed, and is filled with comfort and assurance — this is not by a faith or grace of another kind than what he had before; it is by the same faith raised to a higher degree of perfection. When our Savior cured the blind man and gave him his sight, Mark 8, at first he saw all things obscurely and imperfectly
— he saw "men as trees, walking," verse 24; but on another application of virtue to him, "he saw every man clearly," verse 25.
It was not a sight of another kind which he then received than what he had at first; only its imperfection was taken away, by which he "saw men as trees, walking." Nor will our perfect vision of things above be a grace that is absolutely of another kind from the light of faith which we enjoy here; it is only that what is imperfect in it, will be done away, and it will be made fit for the present enjoyment of things that here, are at a distance and invisible. Love will have its perfection also, and will have the least alteration in its manner of operation, of any grace whatever. There is nothing that should more excite us to labor after a growth in love to God in Christ than this: that to all eternity, it will be the same in its nature and in all its operations, only both of these will be made absolutely perfect. By this, the soul will be enabled to cling to God unchangeably, with eternal delight, satisfaction, and complacency. Hope will be perfect in its enjoyment, which is all the perfection it is capable of. So shall it be as to other graces.
This subjective perfection of our nature, especially in all the faculties, powers, and affections of our souls and all their operations, belongs to our blessedness; nor can we be blessed without it. All the objective glory in heaven would not, by our beholding and enjoying it (if it were possible), make us blessed and happy, if our own natures were not first made perfect — freed from all disorder, from irregular motions, and from weak, imperfect operations. What, then, is needed to give our natures this subjective perfection? It is that grace alone whose beginnings we are made partakers of here. For in this consists the renovation of the image of God in us; and the perfect communication of that image to us, is the absolute perfection of our natures, the utmost to which their capacity is suited.
This gives us the last thing to be inquired into — namely, by what means in ourselves we shall eternally abide in that state; and this is by the unalterable adherence of our whole soul to God, in perfect love and delight. By this alone, the soul reaches to the essence of God, and the infinite, incomprehensible perfections of his nature. For divine revelation has left the perfect nature of this under a veil; and so must we do also. Nor do I designedly handle these things here, except in the way of a direction how to exercise our thoughts about them.
This is the notion of heaven which those who are spiritually minded ought to be conversant with; and the true stating of this notion by faith, is a discriminating character of believers. This is no heaven for any others. Those who have no experience of the excellency of these things in their initial state in this world, and of their incomparable transcendency to all other things, cannot conceive how heavenly glory and blessedness might consist in them. Unskilled men may cast away rough unwrought diamonds as useless stones; they don't know what polishing will bring them to. Nor do men who are unskilled in the mysteries of godliness, judge that there can be any glory in rough unwrought grace; they don't know what lustre and beauty the heavenly Hand will give to it by polishing.
It is generally supposed that however men might differ in and about religion here, yet they agree well enough about heaven — they would all go to the same heaven. But that is a great mistake;
they differ in nothing more than that; they would not all go to the same heaven. How few are those who value that heavenly state which we have treated, or understand how any blessedness can consist in the enjoyment of it! But we would go to this, and no other heaven. There may be, and are other notions of it. These being but fruits and effects of men's own imaginations, the more they dwell in the contemplation of them, the more carnal they may grow; at best, the more superstitious they become. But spiritual thoughts of this heaven — consisting principally in freedom from all sin, in the perfection of all grace, in the vision of the glory of God in Christ, and of all the excellencies of the divine nature as manifested in him — are an effectual means for the improvement of spiritual life and the increase of all graces in us.
For they cannot help but effect an assimilation in the mind and heart, to the things contemplated, when the principles and seeds of them are already inlaid and begun. This is our first direction.
Having fixed right notions and apprehensions of heavenly things in our minds, it is our duty to think and contemplate greatly on them, and our own concern in them. Without this, all our speculations concerning the nature of eternal things will be of no use to us. And for your encouragement and direction, take these few short rules relating to this duty:
1st. Here lies the great test of whether we are spiritually minded or not: it is by virtue of this rule, "If we are risen with Christ, we will mind the things that are above," Col 3.1.
2dly. Here lies the great means by which we may attain further degrees in that blessed frame of mind, if it is already formed in us by virtue of this rule: "Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory,"
2Cor 3:18.
3dly. Here lies the great evidence of whether we have a real interest in the things above or not, whether we place our portion and blessedness in them. It is by virtue of this rule: "Where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also." Mat 6.21 Are they our treasure, our portion, our reward, in comparison to which all other things are "but loss and dung?" Phi 3.8 If so, we will assuredly be conversant in our minds about them.
4thly. It cannot be imagined that a man would have a principle in him related and suited to things above, of the same kind and nature as those things, that his soul would be conducted by those habits of grace which strive and naturally tend toward perfection
— laboring greatly here under the weight of their weaknesses, as it is with all who are truly spiritually minded — and yet not have his thoughts greatly exercised about these things, 1Joh 3.2,3. 40
It would be well if we were to test ourselves by things of such uncontrollable evidence. What, can anyone object to the truth of these things or the necessity of this duty? If it is otherwise with us, then it is from one of these two causes: either we are not convinced of the truth and reality of these things, or we take no delight in them because we are not spiritually minded. Do we think that men may embroil themselves in earthly thoughts all day long, and when they are freed of their affairs, turn to things that are vain and useless, without any fixed converse with things above
— and yet enjoy life and peace? We must take other measures of things if we intend to live to God, to be like him, and to come to enjoy him.
What is the matter with men that they are so stupid? They all generally desire to go to heaven, at least when they can live here no longer. Some have no regard for it other than they would not go to hell. Most would "die the death of the righteous," and have their "latter end like his." Num 23.10 And yet few endeavor to attain a right notion of it, to test how it is suited to their principles and desires; rather, they content themselves with general notions of it that please their imaginations. It is no wonder if such persons seldom exercise their minds or thoughts about it; nor do they so much as pretend to be spiritually minded. But as for those who are instructed in these things, who profess that their chief interest lies in them, not to abound in meditation concerning these things, argues that whatever they may profess, they are earthly and carnal.
[2.] Again, meditate and think of the glory of heaven so as to compare it with the opposite state of death and eternal misery.
Few men care to think much of hell and the everlasting torments of the wicked. Those who are in the most danger of falling into it,
do so the least. They put the evil day far from them, and suppose their covenant with death and hell to be sure. Some begin to advance an opinion that there is no such place; because it is their interest and desire that there should be none. Some, out of profaneness, scoff at it, as though a future judgment were but a fable. Most seem to think there is a severity in thoughts about hell, which it is not fitting to be too terrified with. They may have some transient thoughts of it, but will not let them abide in their minds, lest they be too discomposed. Or they think it is inconsistent with the goodness of Christ to leave anyone in that condition; yet there is more spoken directly by Christ himself, of hell, its torments, and their eternity, than in the rest of Scripture besides.
These thoughts, in most, proceed from an unwillingness to be troubled in their sins, and are useful to no one. It is the height of folly for men to endeavor to hide themselves for a few moments from what is unavoidably coming upon them to eternity; and the due consideration of it, is a means for an escape from it. But I speak only of true believers. The more they are conversant in their thoughts about the future state of eternal misery, the greater evidence they have of the life and confidence of faith. It is a necessary duty to consider what we were by nature liable to, as "children of wrath;" what we deserved by our personal sins, as "the wages of sin is death;" what we are delivered from through Jesus the deliverer, who "saves us from the wrath to come;" what an expression it is of the indignation of God against sin, who has
"ordained Tophet [hell] of old" 41 — that we may be delivered from sin, kept to an abhorrence of it, walking in humility, selfabasement, and the admiration of divine grace. This, therefore, is required of us: that in our thoughts and meditations, we compare the state of blessedness and eternal glory — as a free and absolute effect of the grace of God in and through Christ Jesus — with that state of eternal misery which we deserved. And if there is any spark of grace or of holy thankfulness in our hearts, it will be stirred up to its due exercise.
It may be, some will say they complained before, that they cannot get their minds fixed on these things. Weakness, weariness, darkness, diversions, occasions, prevalently obstruct their abiding
in such thoughts. I will speak further to this afterward. At present I will only suggest two things:
First, If you cannot attain, yet continue to follow after. Get your minds in a perpetual endeavor for an abode in spiritual thoughts. Let your minds be rising towards them every hour — yes, a hundred times a day, on all occasions, in a continual sense of duty. And sigh within yourselves for deliverance when you find disappointments, or non-continuance in them. It is the sense of Rom 8.23-26. 42
Secondly, Take care that you not go backwards and lose what you have worked for. If you neglect these things for a season, you will quickly find yourselves neglected by them. So I observe this every day, in the hearing of the word. While believers diligently attend to it, where they find it preached to their edification, they find great delight in it, and will undergo great difficulties for the enjoyment of it — but let them be diverted from it for a season, and after a while it will grow indifferent for them; anything will satisfy them, that pretends to the same duty.