heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked." Jer 17:9. Watch your
1. We must watch our eye. "I made a covenant with my eyes." Job 31:1. Much sin comes in by the eye. When Eve saw that the tree was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes—then she took. Gen 3:6. First she looked—and then she lusted. The eye, by beholding an impure object, sets the heart on fire. The devil often creeps in at the window of the eye. Watch your eyes!
2. Watch your ear. Much poison is conveyed through the ear. Let your ear be open to God—and shut to sin.
3. Watch your hearts. We watch suspicious people. "The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked." Jer 17:9. Watch your heart:
[1] When you are about holy things, it will be slipping out to vanity. "When I am at prayer," says Jerome, "either I am walking through galleries or casting up accounts."
[2] Watch your hearts when you are in company. The basilisk poisons the herbs he breathes on. Just so, the breath of the wicked is infectious. Nay, watch your hearts when you are in good company. Such as have some good in them may be some grains too light, and have much levity of discourse; so that, if no scum boils up—yet there may be too much froth. The devil is subtle, and he can as well creep into the dove as he did once into the serpent. Satan tempted Christ by an apostle.
[3] Watch your hearts in prosperity. Now you are in danger of pride. The higher the water of the Themes rises, the higher the boat is lifted up. Just so, the higher men's estates rise, the higher their hearts are lifted up in pride. In prosperity, you are in danger not only to forget God—but to lift up the heel against him. "Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked." Deut 32:15. It is hard to carry a full cup without spilling.
Just so, it is hard to carry a full, prosperous estate without sinning. "Soft riches have ruined the age by disgraceful luxury." Seneca. As Samson fell asleep in Delilah's lap--so many have fallen so fast asleep in the lap of prosperity--that they never awoke until they awoke in hell!
[4] Watch your hearts after holy duties. When Christ had been praying and fasting, the devil tempted him. Matthew 4:3. After combating with Satan in prayer, we are apt to grow secure and take our spiritual armor off—and then the devil falls on and wounds us! Oh, if you would get to heaven, be always upon your watch-tower, set a spy, keep close sentinel in your souls. Who would not watch—when it is for a kingdom!
(9) If you would arrive at the heavenly kingdom—get these three GRACES, which will undoubtedly bring your there.
[1] Divine KNOWLEDGE. There is no going to heaven blindfold. In the creation, light was the first thing that was made. Just so, it is in the new creation. Knowledge is the pillar of fire which goes before us, and lights us into the heavenly kingdom. It is light which must bring us to the "inheritance in light." Col 1:12.
[2] FAITH. Faith ends in salvation. "Receiving the end of your faith, salvation." 1 Peter 1:9. He who truly believes, is as sure to go to heaven as if he were in heaven already. Acts 16:31. Faith touches Christ; and can he miss of heaven who touches Christ? Faith unites to Christ; and shall not the members be where the head is? All have not the same degree of faith; we must distinguish between faith and assurance; yet the least seed and spark of faith gives an undoubted title to the heavenly kingdom. I am justified because I believe—not because I know I believe.
[3] LOVE to God. Heaven is prepared for those who love God. 1 Cor 2:9. Love is the soul of obedience, the touchstone of sincerity; by our loving God, we may know he loves us. 1 John 4:19. And those whom God loves, he will lay in his bosom. Ambrose, in his funeral oration for Theodosius, brings in the angels hovering about his departing soul, and ready to carry it to heaven, who ask him, "What that grace was he had practiced most on earth?" Theodosius replied, "I have loved, I have loved," and straightway, by a convoy of angels, he was translated to glory. Love is a sacred fire kindled in the breast; in the flames of which the devout soul ascends to heaven.
(10) If we would obtain this heavenly kingdom—let us labor for SINCERITY. "Whoever walks uprightly, shall be saved." Proverbs 28:18. The sincere Christian may fall short of some degrees of grace—but he never falls short of the kingdom. God will pass by many failings, where the heart is right. "He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen perverseness in Israel" Numb 23:21. True gold may have grains of alloy. "You desire truth in the inward parts." Psalm 51:6. Sincerity is the sauce which seasons all our actions, and makes them savory to God. Sincerity is an ingredient in every grace; it is called "sincere faith," and "love in sincerity." 2 Tim 1:5; Eph 6:24. Coin will not go current, which lacks the king's stamp; and grace is not current, if it is not stamped with sincerity. Glorious duties soured with hypocrisy, are rejected; when great infirmities sweetened with sincerity, are accepted. If anything in the world will bring us to heaven—it is sincerity. Sincerity signifies plainness of heart. "In whose spirit there is no deceit," Psalm 32:2. The plainer the diamond is, the richer.
Sincerity is when we serve God with our heart; when we do not worship him only—but love him. Cain brought his sacrifice—but not his heart. God's delight is a sacrifice flaming upon the altar of the
heart. A sincere Christian, though he has a double principle in him, flesh and spirit—has not a double heart, his heart is for God.
Sincerity is when we aim purely at God in all we do. The glory of God is more worth than the salvation of all men's souls. Though a sincere Christian comes short in duty, he takes a right aim. As the sunflower turns about according to the motion of the sun, so a godly man's actions all move towards the glory of God.
(11) If we would obtain the heavenly kingdom—let us keep up fervency in duty. What is a dead form without the power? "Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth." Rev 3:16. Fervency puts life into duty. "Fervent in spirit, serving God;" in the Greek it is "boiling over." Romans 12:11. Christ prayed "more earnestly." Luke 22:44. When the fire on the golden censor was ready to go out, Aaron was to put more coals to the incense. Just so, praying with devotion is putting more coals to the incense. It is not formality—but fervency, which will bring us to heaven. The formalist is like Ephraim, a cake not turned, hot on one side, and uncooked dough on the other. In the external part of God's worship, he seems to be hot; but as for the spiritual part of God's worship, he is cold. Oh! if you would have the kingdom of heaven, keep up heart and fervor in duty. Elijah was carried up to heaven in a fiery chariot. Just so, if you would go to heaven, you must be carried there in the fiery chariot of zeal. It is violence which takes the kingdom of heaven.
(12) If we would arrive at the heavenly kingdom—let us nourish the motions of God's Spirit in our hearts. The mariner may spread his sails—but the ship cannot get to the haven without a gale of wind. Just so, we may spread the sails of our endeavor—but we cannot get to the haven of glory without the north
and south wind of God's Spirit. How greatly therefore, does it concern us to make much of the motions of the Spirit—motions to prayer, motions to repentance. "As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you." 2 Samuel 5:24. So, when we hear a voice within us, a secret inspiration stirring us up to godly duties, we should bestir ourselves. While the Spirit works in us, we should work with the Spirit.
Many men have God's Spirit striving with them, he puts good motions in their hearts and holy purposes; but they neglect to prosecute these good motions, and the Spirit is grieved, and, being grieved, withdraws his assistance, and that assistance being gone, there is no getting to heaven. Oh! make much of the motion of the Spirit; it is as much as your salvation is worth.
The Spirit of God is compared to fire. Acts 2:3. If we are careful to blow the spark, we may have fire to inflame our affections, and to light our feet into the way of heaven. If we quench the Spirit by neglecting and resisting his motions, we cut ourselves off from salvation. The Spirit of God has a drawing power. Canticles 1:4. The blessed Spirit draws by attraction, as the loadstone the iron. In the preaching of the Word, the Spirit draws the heart up to heaven in holy longings and ejaculations. Now, when the Spirit is about thus to draw us, let us take heed of drawing back, lest it be to perdition. Heb 10:39. Do as Noah, who, when the dove came flying to the ark, put forth his hand, and took it into the ark; so when the sweet dove of God's Spirit comes flying to your hearts, and brings a gracious impulse as an olive-branch of peace in its mouth, O take this dove into the ark; entertain the Spirit in your hearts, and he will bring you to heaven.