heaven, than a clod of dust is fit to be a star; there is nothing of
religion. One of Christ's own apostles was caught with a silver bait. Covetousness will make men betray a godly cause, and make shipwreck of a good conscience. If there is any lust unmortified in the soul—it will bring forth the bitter fruit either of scandal or apostasy.
[4] Men leave off pursuing the kingdom of heaven out of timidity. If they persist in religion, they may lose their places of profit, perhaps their lives. The reason, says Aristotle, why the chameleon turns into so many colors—is through excessive fear. When carnal fear prevails, it makes men change their religion as fast as the chameleon does its colors. When many of the Jews, who were great followers of Christ, saw the swords and staves, they deserted him. What Solomon said of the sluggard, is as true of the coward: he says, "There is a lion outside!" Proverbs 22:13. He sees dangers before him; he would go on in the way to the kingdom of heaven— but there is a lion in the way! This is dismal. "If any man draws back (in the Greek, if he deserts, as a soldier, from his colors), my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Heb 10:38.
Use 3. For trial. Let us examine whether we shall go to this kingdom when we die. Heaven is called a "kingdom prepared." Matthew 25:34.
How shall we know this kingdom is prepared for us?
If we are prepared for the kingdom.
How may that be known?
1. By being heavenly people. An earthly heart is no more fit for heaven, than a clod of dust is fit to be a star; there is nothing of Christ or grace in such a heart. It were a miracle to find a pearl in an
ash heap; and it is as great a miracle to find Christ, the pearl of price, in an earthly heart. Would we go to the kingdom of heaven? Are we heavenly?
(1) Are we heavenly in our contemplations? Do our thoughts run upon this kingdom? Do we get sometimes upon Mount Pisgah, and take a prospect of glory? Thoughts are as travelers: most of David's thoughts traveled heaven's road. Psalm 139:17. Are our minds heavenlized? "Walk about Zion, count the towers thereof, mark well her bulwarks," Psalm 68:12, 13. Do we walk into the heavenly mount, and see what a glorious situation it is? Do we count the towers of that kingdom? While a Christian fixes his thoughts on God and glory, he does as it were tread upon the borders of the heavenly kingdom, and peep within the veil. As Moses had a sight of Canaan, though he did not enter into it, so the heavenly Christian has a sight of heaven, though he is not yet entered into it.
(2) Are we heavenly in our affections? Do we set our affections on the kingdom of heaven? Col 3:2. If we are heavenly, we despise all things below—in comparison with the kingdom of God; we look upon the world but as a beautiful prison; and we cannot be much in love with our fetters, though they are made of gold. Our hearts are in heaven. A stranger may be in a foreign land to gather up debts owing him—but he desires to be in his own kingdom and nation: so we are here awhile as in a strange land—but our desire is chiefly after the kingdom of heaven, where we shall be forever. The world is the place of a saint's abode, not his delight. Is it thus with us? Do we, like the patriarchs of old, desire a better country? Heb 11:16. This is the temper of a true saint, his affections are set on the kingdom of God: his anchor is cast in heaven, and he is carried there with the sails of desire.
(3) Are we heavenly in our speech? Christ, after his resurrection, spoke of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3. Are your tongues turned to the language of the heavenly Canaan? "Then those who feared the Lord, spoke often one to another." Mal 3:16. Do you in your visits, season your discourses with heaven? There are many who say, they hope they shall be saved—but you shall never hear them speak of the kingdom of heaven. You will hear them speak of their wares and recreations, or of some rich purchase they have gotten—but nothing of the kingdom. Can men travel together in a journey, and not speak a word of the place they are traveling to? Are you travelers for heaven, and never speak a word of the kingdom you are traveling to? Herein many discover they do not belong to heaven, for you shall never hear a good word come from them. The words are the looking-glass of the mind, they show what the heart is.
(4) Are we heavenly in our trading? Is our traffic and merchandise in heaven? Do we trade in the heavenly kingdom by faith? A man may live in one place, and trade in another; he may live in Ireland, and trade in the West Indies; so we trade in the heavenly kingdom. Those who do not trade in heaven while they live—shall never go to heaven when they die. Do we send up to heaven, volleys of sighs and groans? Do we send forth the ship of prayer there, which fetches in returns of mercy? Is our communion with the Father and his Son Jesus? 1 John 1:3. Phil 3:20.
(5) Are our lives heavenly? Do we live as if we had seen the Lord with bodily eyes? Do we emulate and imitate the angels in sanctity? Do we labor to copy out Christ's life in ours? 1 John 2:6. It was a custom among the Macedonians, on Alexander's birth-day, to wear his picture around their necks set with pearl and diamond. Do we carry Christ's picture about us, and resemble him in the heavenliness
of our lives? If we are thus heavenly, we shall go to the kingdom of heaven when we die; and truly there is a great deal of reason why we should be thus heavenly in our thoughts, affections, and lives—if we consider that the main end why God has given us our souls, is, that we may mind the kingdom of heaven.
Our souls are of noble extraction, they are akin to angels. Now, is it rational to imagine that God would have breathed into us such noble souls—only to look after sensual objects? Were such bright stars made only to fall to the earth? Were these immortal souls made only to seek after dying comforts? Had this been the only end of our creation, to eat and drink, and converse with earthly objects, worse souls would have served us: animal natures would have been good enough for us. What need our souls to be rational and divine, to do that work only which a beast may do?
Great reason we should be heavenly in our thoughts, affections, lives, if we consider what a blessed kingdom heaven is. It is beyond all hyperbole. Earthly kingdoms scarcely deserve the names of cottages, compared with it. We read of an angel coming down from heaven, who set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth. Rev 10:2. Had we but once been in the heavenly kingdom, and viewed the superlative glory of it, how might we, in holy scorn, trample with one foot on the earth, and with the other foot upon the sea? There are rivers of pleasure, gates of pearl, sparkling crowns, white robes; and should not this make our hearts heavenly? It is a heavenly kingdom, and such only go into it who are heavenly.
Use 4. For exhortation to all in general.
(1) If there is such a glorious kingdom, believe this great truth. It should be engraved upon our hearts as with the point of a diamond, that there is a blessed kingdom in reversion. "Truly, there
is a reward for the righteous." Psalm 58:11. Let us not hesitate through unbelief. Doubting principles is the next way to denying them. Unbelief, like Samson, would pull down the pillars of true religion. Be confirmed in this, there is a kingdom of glory to come; whoever denies this, cuts asunder the main article of the creed, "life everlasting."
(2) If there is such a blessed kingdom of glory to come, let us take heed lest we miss this kingdom; let us fear lest we lose heaven by shooting short. Trembling in the body, is a malady; in the soul, a grace. This fear is not a fear of doubt or distrust, such as discourages the soul, for such fear frights from piety, it cuts the sinews of endeavor; but it is a holy fear, lest we miss the kingdom of heaven; it is a fear of diligence; it quickens us in the use of means, and puts us forward, that we may not fail of our hope. "Noah moved with fear, prepared an ark." Heb 11:7. Fear is an alarm to awaken sleepy Christians; it guards against carnal security; it is a spur to a sluggish heart. He who fears he shall come short of his journey, rides the faster. And indeed this exhortation to fear lest we miss this kingdom, is most necessary, if we consider two things:
[1] There are many who have gone many steps in the way to heaven, and yet have fallen short of it. "You are not far from the kingdom of God;" yet he was not near enough. Mark 12:34.
How many steps may a man take in the way to the kingdom of God, and yet miss it?
He may be adorned with civility; he may be moral and upright; he may be prudent, just, temperate; he may keep all the laws of the land; all which is good—but not enough to bring a man to heaven.
He may hang out the flag of a glorious profession, and yet fall short of the kingdom. The Scribes and Pharisees went far; they sat in Moses' chair, were expounders of the law; they prayed, gave alms, were strict in the observation of the Sabbath; if one had got a thorn in his foot, he would not pull it out on the Sabbath-day, for fear of breaking the Sabbath. They were so externally devout in God's worship, that the Jews thought, that if but two in all the world went to heaven, the one would be a Scribe, and the other a Pharisee. But the mantle of their profession, was not lined with sincerity; they did all for the applause of men, and therefore missed heaven. "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20.
A man may be a frequenter of church ordinances, and yet miss the kingdom. It is a good sight to see people flock as doves to the windows of God's house; it is good to lie in the way where Christ passes by; yet, be not offended, if I say, one may be a hearer of the word, and fall short of glory. Herod heard John the Baptist gladly— yet beheaded John—instead of beheading his sin. The prophet Ezekiel's hearers came with as much delight to his preaching, as one would do to a piece of beautiful music. "You are to them as a very lovely song of one that has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words—but they do them not." Ezek 33:32. What is it to hear one's duty, and not do it? It is as if a physician prescribed a good remedy—but the patient would not take it.
A man may have some trouble for sin, and weep for it, and yet miss the heavenly kingdom.
Whence is this?
A sinner's tears are forced by God's judgments; as water which comes out of a distillery is forced by the fire. Trouble for sin is transient, it is quickly over again. As some that go to sea are seasick—but when they come to land are well again; so hypocrites may be sermon-sick— but this trouble does not last, the sick-fit is soon over. A sinner weeps—but goes on in sin; his sins are not drowned in his tears!
A man may have good desires and yet miss the kingdom. "Let me die the death of the righteous." Numb 23:10.
Wherein do these desires come short?
They are sluggish. A man would have heaven—but will take no pains. As if one should say, he desires water—but will not let down the bucket into the well. "The desire of the slothful kills him, for his hands refuse to labor." Proverbs 21:25. The sinner desires mercy but not grace; he desires Christ as a Savior—but not as he is the Holy One; he desires Christ only as a bridge to lead him over to heaven. Such desires as these may be found among the damned!
A man may forsake his sins, oaths, drunkenness, uncleanness—and yet come short of the kingdom. He may forsake gross sins, and yet have no reluctance to heart-sins, such as pride, unbelief, and the first risings of malice and lust. Though he dams up the stream, he lets alone the fountain! Though he lops and prunes the branches, he does not strike at the root of it. Though he leaves sin for fear of hell, or because it brings shame and poverty—yet he still loves sin; as if a snake should cast off her skin—and yet retain her poison! "They set their heart on their iniquity." Hos 4:8. It is but a partial forsaking of sin; though he leaves one sin, he lives in some other. Herod reformed very much. "He did many things;" but he lived in incest. Mark 6:20. Some leave drunkenness, and live in covetousness; they forbear swearing, and live in slandering. It is but a partial reformation, and
so they miss of the kingdom of glory. Thus you see there are some who have gone many steps in the way to heaven, and yet have come short. Some have gone so far in profession, that they have been confident their estate has been good, and that they should go to the kingdom of heaven, and yet have missed it. "When once the master of the house is risen up, and has shut to the door, and you begin to stand without, and to knock, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us." Luke 13:25. How confident were these of salvation! They did not beseech— but knock, as if they did not doubt but to be let into heaven; yet to these Christ says, "I never knew you; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity." Therefore fear and tremble, lest any miss of this kingdom of heaven.
[2] This fear is necessary—if we consider what a loss it is to lose the heavenly kingdom. All the tears in hell are not sufficient to lament the loss of heaven! Those who lose the heavenly kingdom, lose God's sweet presence, the ravishing views and smiles of his glorious face. God's presence is the diamond in the ring of glory! "In your presence is fullness of joy." Psalm 16:11. If God is the fountain of all bliss, then, to be separated from him, is the fountain of all misery.
Those who lose the heavenly kingdom, lose the society of angels; and, what sweeter music than to hear them praise God in concert? They lose all their treasure, their white robes, their sparkling crowns; they lose their hopes. "Whose hope shall be cut off." Job 8:14. Their hope is not an anchor—but a spider's web. If hope deferred makes the heart sick, what is hope disappointed? Proverbs 13:12. They lose the purpose of their being. Why were they created—but to be enthroned in glory? Now, to lose this, is to lose the end of their being, as if an angel should be turned to a worm! There are many aggravations of the loss of this heavenly kingdom.