The Saints Everlasting Rest

SECT. I.

T He first task that I must here set thee, consists in the avoiding of some dangerous hindrances, which otherwise will keep thee off from this work, as they have done many a thousand souls before thee. If I show thee briefly where the Rocks and Gulf do lie, I hope thou wilt beware. If I stick up a mark at every quicksand, I hope I need to say no more, to put thee by it. Therefore as thou valuest the comforts of a Heavenly conversation, I here charge thee from God, to beware most carefully of these impediments.

1. The first is, The living in a known unmortified sin. Observe this. O, what havoc this will make in thy soul! O, the joys that this hath destroyed! The blessed Communion with God, that this hath interrupted! The ruins it hath made amongst men's graces! The soul-strengthening duties that this hath hindered! And above all others, it is especially an enemy to this great duty.

Christian Reader, I desire thee in the fear of God, stay here a little, and search thy heart: Art thou one that hast used violence with thy conscience? Art thou a willful neglecter of known duties? either public, private, or secret? Art thou a slave to thine appetite, in eating or • rinking? or to any other commanding sense? Art thou a proud Seeker of thine own esteem? and a man that must needs have men's good opinion, or else thy mind is all in a combustion? Art thou a willfully peevish and passionate person? as if thou wert made of Tinder or Gun powder, ready to take fire at every word, or every wry look, or every supposed slighting of thee? or every neglect of a complement or courtesy? Art thou a knowing deceiver of others in thy dealing? or one that hast set thyself to rise in the world? not to speak of greater sins, which all take notice of: If this be thy case, I dare say, Heaven and thy Soul are very great strangers: I dare say, thou art seldom in Heart with God; and there is little hope it should ever be better, as long as thou continuest in these transgressions: These beams in thine eyes, will not suffer thee to look to Heaven; these will be a cloud between thee and God. When thou dost but attempt to study Eternity, and to gather comforts from the life to come, thy sin will presently look thee in the face, and say, These things belong not to thee: How shouldst thou take comfort from Heaven, who takest so much pleasure in the lusts of thy flesh? O, how this will damp thy joys! and make the thoughts of that day, and state, to become thy trouble, and not thy delight! Every willful sin that thou livest in, will be to thy comforts as water to the fire; when thou thinkest to quicken them, this will quench them; when thy heart begins to draw near to God, this will presently come in thy mind, and cover thee with shame, and fill thee with doubting. Besides (which is most to the point in hand) it doth utterly indispose thee and disable thee to this work: When thou shouldst wind up thy heart to Heaven, alas, its biased another way; it is entangled in the lusts of the flesh, and can no more ascend in Divine Meditation, then the bird can fly, whose wings are clipt, or that is entangled in the Lime-twigs, or taken in the snare. Sin doth cut the very sinews of the soul; therefore, I say of this heavenly life, as Master Bolton saith of Prayer, Either it will make thee leave sinning, or sin will make thee leave it; and that quickly too: For these cannot continue together. If thou be here guilty, who readest this, I require thee sadly to think of this folly. O man! what a life dost thou lose! and what a life dost thou choose! what daily delights dost thou sell, for the swinish pleasure of a stinking lust! what a Christ! what a glory, dost thou turn thy back upon, when thou art going to the embracements of thy hellish pleasures! I have read of a Gallant addicted to uncleanness, who at last, meeting with a beautiful Dame, and having enjoyed his fleshly desires of her, found her in the morning to be the dead body of one that he had formerly sinned with, which had been acted by the devil all night, and left dead again in the morning. Surely all thy sinful pleasures are such. The devil doth animate them in the darkness of the night; but when God awakes thee, at the farther, at death, the deceit is vanished, and nothing left but a carcass to amaze thee, and be a spectacle of horror before thine eyes. Thou thinkest thou hast hold of some choice delight, but it will turn in thy hand (as Moses rod) into a Serpent; and then thou wouldst fain be rid of it, if thou knewest how; and wilt •• ie from the face of it, as thou dost now embrace it: And shall this now dream thee from the high delights of the Saints? If Heaven and Hell can meet together, and if God can become a lover of sin, the •• mayest them live in thy sin, and in the tastes of glory, and mayest have a conversation in Heaven, though thou cherish thy corruption. If therefore thou find thyself guilty, never doubt on it, but this is the cause that estrangeth thee from Heaven: And take heed, least it keep out thee, as it keeps out thy heart; and do not say, but thou wast bid, Take heed. Yea, if thou be a man that hitherto hast escaped, and knowest no reigning sin in thy soul; yet let this warning move thee to prevention, and stir up a dread of this danger in thy spirit. As Hu • nius writes of himself, That hearing the mention of the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost, it stirred up such fears in his spirit, that made him cry out. What if this should be my case? and so roused him to prayer and trial. So think thou, though thou yet be not guilty, what a sad thing it were, if ever this should prove thy case: And therefore watch.

SECT. II.

2. A Second hindrance carefully to be avoided, is, An Earthly mind: For you may easily conceive, that this cannot stand with an Heavenly mind. God and Mammon Earth and Heaven, cannot both have the delight of thy heart. This makes thee like Anselmne 's Bird, with a stone tied to the foot, which as oft as she took flight, did pluck her to the Earth again. If thou be a man that hast fancied to thyself, some content or happiness to be found on Earth, and beginnest to taste a sweetness in gain, and to aspire after a fuller and a higher estate, and hast hatched some thriving projects in thy brain, and art driving on thy rising design; Believe it, thou art marching with thy back upon Christ, and art posting apace from this Heavenly life. Why, hath not the World that from thee, which God hath from the Heavenly? When he is blessing himself in his God, and rejoicing in hope of the glory to come; then thou art blessing thyself in thy prosperity, and rejoicing in hope of thy thriving here: When he is solacing his soul in the views of Christ, of the Angels and Saints, that he shall live with forever; then art thou comforting thyself with thy wealth, in looking over thy Bills and Bonds, in viewing thy Money, thy Goods, thy Cattle, thy Buildings, or large Possession; and art recreating thy mind in thinking of thy hopes; of the favor of some great ones, on whom thou dependest; of the pleasantness of a plentiful and commanding state; of thy larger provision for thy children after thee; of the rising of thy house, or the obeisance of thine inferiors: Are not these thy morning and evening thoughts, when a gracious soul is above with Christ? Dost thou not delight, and please thyself with the daily rolling these thoughts in thy mind, when a gracious soul should have higher delights? If he were a fool by the sentence of Christ, that said, Soul take thy rest, thou hast enough laid up for many years : What a fool of fools art thou, that knowing this, yet takest not warning, but in thy heart speakest the same words? Look them over seriously, and tell me, what difference between this fools expressions, and thy affections? I doubt not, but thou hast more wit then to speak thy mind just in his language; but, man, remember, thou hast to do with the searcher of hearts. It may be thou holdst on in thy course of duty, and prayest as oft as thou didst before; it may be thou keepest in with good Ministers, and with godly men, and seemest as forward in Religion as ever: But what is all this to the purpose? Mock not thy soul, man; for God will not so be mocked. What good may yet remain in thee, I know not; but sure I am, thy course is dangerous, and if thou follow it on, will end in dolor. Methinks I see thee befooling thyself, and tearing thy hair, and gnashing thy teeth, when thou hearest thy case laid open by God: Thou fool, this night shall they require thy soul from thee; and then whose are all these things? Certainly, so much as thou delightest and restest on Earth; so much is abated of thy delights in God. Thine earthly mind may consist with thy profession and common duties; but it cannot consist with this Heavenly duty. I need not tell thee all this, if thou wouldst deal impartially, and not be a traitor to thy own soul; thou knowest thyself how seldom and cold, how cursory and strange thy thoughts have been of the joys hereafter, ever since thou didst trade so eagerly for the world. Methinks I even perceive thy conscience stir now, and tell thee plainly, that this is thy case; hear it, man; O, hear it now; least thou hear it in another manner when thou wouldest be full loath. O the cursed madness of many that seem to be religious! who thrust themselves into multitude of employments, and think they can never have business enough, till they are loaded with labors, and clogged with cares, That their souls are as unfit to converse with God, as a man to walk with a mountain on his back; and till he hath even transformed his soul almost into the nature of his drossy carcass, and made it as unapt to soar aloft, as his body is to leap above the Sun: And when all is done, and they have lost that Heaven they might have had upon Earth, they rake up a few rotten arguments to prove it lawful, and then they think that they have salved all; though these sots would not do so for their bodies, nor forbear their eating, or drinking, or sleeping, or sporting, though they could prove it lawful so to do; though indeed they cannot prove it lawful neither. They miss not the pleasures of this Heavenly Life, if they can but quiet their Consciences, while they fasten upon lower and baser pleasures. For thee, O Christian, who hast tasted of these pleasures; I advise thee, as thou valuest their enjoyment, as ever thou wouldst taste of them anymore, take heed of this gulf of An earthly mind: For if once thou come to this, that thou wilt be rich, thou fallest into temptation, and a snare, and into divers foolish and hurtful lusts; it is Saint Paul's own words, 1 Tim 6.9. Set not thy mind, as Saul, on the Asses, when the Kingdom of Glory is before thee. Keep these things as thy upper Garments, still loose about thee, that thou mayest lay them by, when ever there is cause: But let God and Glory be next thy heart, yea, as the very blood and spirits, by which thou livest; Still remember that of the Spirit, The friendship of the World, is enmity with God: Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the World, is the enemy of God, Jam. 4.4. And 1 John 2.15. Love not the world, nor the things in the world: If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. This is plain dealing; and happy he that faithfully receives it.

SECT. III.

3. A Third hindrance, which I must advise thee to beware, is. The company of ungodly and sensual men. Not that I would dissuade thee from necessary converse, or from doing them any office of Love; especially not from endeavoring the good of their souls, as long as thou hast any opportunity or hope: Nor would I have thee conclude them to be Dogs and Swine, that so thou mayest evade the duty of Reproof: Nor yet to judge them such at all, as long as there is any hope of better, or before thou art certain they are such indeed; much less can I approve of the practice of those, who, because the most of the world are naught, do therefore conclude men Dogs or Swine, before ever they faithfully and lovingly did admonish them, yea, or perhaps before they have known them, or spoke with them; and hereupon they will not communicate with them in the Lord's Supper, but separate from them into distinct Congregations; I persuade thee to no such ungodly separation: As I never found one word in Scripture, where either Christ or his Apostles denied admittance to any man that desired to be a Member of the Church, though but only prosessing to Repent and Believe; so neither did I ever there find that any but convicted Heretics, or scandalous ones (and that for the most part▪ after due admonition) were to be avoided or debarred our fellowship. And whereas it is urged, That they are to prove their interest to the privileges which they lay claim to, and not we to disprove it; I Answer, if that were granted, yet their mere professing to Repent and Believe in Christ, is a sufficient evidence of their interest to Church member-ship, and admittance thereto by Baptism (supposing them not admitted before:) and their being Baptized persons, or members of the universal visible Church (into which it is that they are Baptized) is sufficient evidence of their interest to the Supper, till they do by Heresy or Scandal blot that Evidence; which Evidence if they do produce, yea though they are yet weak in the Faith of Christ, who is he that dare refuse to receive them? And this, after much doubting, dispute, and study of the Scriptures, I speak as confidently, as almost any truth of equal moment; So plain is the Scripture in this point, to a man that brings his Understanding to the model of Scripture, and doth not bring a model in his brain, and reduce all he reads to that model. The door of the visible Church, is incomparably wider then the door of heaven; and Christ is so tender, so bountiful, and forward to convey his grace, and the Gospel so free an offer and invitation to all, that surely Christ will keep no man off; if they will come quite over in spirit to Christ, they shall be welcome; If they will come but only to a visible Profession, he will not deny them admittance there, because they intend to go no further, but will let them come as near as they will, and that they come no further shall be their own fault; and so it is not his readiness to admit such, nor the openness of the door of his visible Church that makes men Hypocrites, but their own wickedness; Christ will not keep such out among Infidels, for fear of making Hypocrites; but when the net is drawn unto the shore, the fishes shall be separated, and when the time of Harvest comes, then the Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and them that work iniquity, Matth. 13.41. There are many Saints (or sanctified men) that yet shall never come to heaven, who are only Saints by their separation from Paganism, into fellowship with the visible Church, but not Saints in the strictest sense, by separation from the ungodly, into the fellowship of the mystical body of Christ, Heb. 10 29. Deut. 7.6. and 14, 2, 21. and 26.19. and 28.9. Exod. 19.6. 1 Cor. 7.13, 14. Rom. 11.16. Heb. 3.1. compared with ver. 12. 1 Cor. 3.17. and 14.33. 1 Cor. 1.2. compared with 11.20, 21, &c. Gal. 3.26. compared with Gal. 3.3, 4. and 4.11. and 5.2, 3▪ 4. Joh. 15.2.

Thus far I have digressed by way of Caution, that you may not think that I dissuade you from lawful converse; but it is the unnecessary society of ungodly men, and too much familiarity with unprofitable companions, though they be not so apparently ungodly, that I dissuade you from. There are many persons, whom we may not avoid, or excommunicate out of the Church, no nor out of our private society, judicially, or by way of penalty to them, whom yet we must exclude from our too much familiarity in way of prudence for preservation of ourselves: It is not only the open profane, the swearer, the drunkard, and the enemies of godliness, that will prove hurtful companions to us, though these indeed are chiefly to be avoided; but too frequent society with dead-hearted Formalists, or persons merely civil and moral, or whose conference is empty, unsavory, and barren, may much divert our thoughts from heaven, and do ourselves a great deal of wrong; as mere idleness and forgetting God, will keep a soul as certainly from Heaven, as a profane, licentious, fleshly life: so also will the usual company, of such idle, forgetful, negligent persons, as surely keep our hearts from heaven, as the company of men more dissolute and profane. Alas, our dullness and backwardness is such, that we have need of the most constant and powerful helps: A clod, or a stone that lies on the earth, is as prone to arise and fly in the Air, as our hearts are naturally to move toward heaven: you need not hold nor hinder the earth and Rocks to keep them from flying up to the skies; it is sufficient that you do not help them: And surely if our spirits have not great assistance, they may easily be kept from flying aloft, though they never should meet with the least impediment: O think of this in the choice of your company; when you spirits are so powerfully disposed for heaven, that you need no help to lift them up; but as the flames you are always mounting upward, and carrying with you all thats in your way; then you may indeed be less careful of our company; but till then as you love the delights of a heavenly life, be careful herein: As its reported of a Lord that was near to his death, and the Doctor that prayed with him read over the Litany, For all women laboring with child, for all sick persons and young children, &c. From lightning and tempest, from plague, pestilence and famine; from battle, murder, and sudden death, &c. Alas, saith he, what is this to me, who must presently die? &c. So mayest thou say of such men's conference, who can talk of nothing but their Callings and vanity; Alas, whats this to me who must shortly be in Rest, and should now be refreshing my soul with its foretastes? what will it advantage thee to a life with God, to hear where the Fair is such a day, or how the Market goes, or what weather is, or is like to be, or when the Moon changeth, or what news is stirring? why, this is the discourse of earthly men. What will it conduce to the raising of thy heart Godward, to hear that this is an able Minister, or that an able Christian, or that this was an excellent Sermon, or that is an excellent book? to hear a violent arguing, or tedious discourse, of Baptism, Ceremonies, the power of the Keys, the order of God's Decrees, or other such controversies of great difficulty and less importance? Yet this for the most part, is the sweetest discourse, that thou art like to have, of a formal, speculative, dead-hearted Professor. Nay, if thou hadst newly been warming thy heart, in the contemplation of the blessed Joys above, would not this discourse benum thine affections, and quickly freez thy heart again? I appeal to the Judgment of any man that hath tried it, and maketh observations on the frame of his spirit. Men cannot well talk of one thing, and mind another, especially things of such differing natures. You young men who are most liable to this temptation, think sadly of what I say: Can you have your hearts in Heaven on an Ale-house bench, among your roaring, singing, swaggering companions? or when you work in your Shops with none but such, whose ordinary language is oaths, or filthiness, or foolish talking, or jesting? Nay, let me tell you thus much more; that if you choose such company when you might have better, and find most delight and content in such, you are so far from a Heavenly conversation, that as yet you have no title to heaven at all, and in that estate shall never come there: For were your Treasure there, your heart would not be on things so distant, Mat. 6.21. In a word, our company will be part of our happiness in heaven, and its a singular part of our furtherance to it, or hindrance from it. And as the creatures living in the several Elements, are commonly of the temperature of the Element they live in, as the fishes cold and moist like the water, the worms cold and dry as the earth, and so the rest: So are we usually like the society which we most converse in. He that never found it hard, to have a heavenly mind in earthly company, it is certainly because he never tried.

SECT. IIII.

4. A Fourth hindrance to a heavenly conversation is, Too frequent disputes about lesser truths; and especially when a man's Religion lies only in his opinions; a sure sign of an unsanctified soul. If sad examples be doctrinal to you, or the Judgments of God upon us be regarded, I need to say the less upon this particular. Its legibly written in the faces of thousands; It is visible in the complexion of our diseased nation; This facies Hypocritica is our facies Hipocratica: He that hath the least skill in Physiognomy, may see that this complexlon is mortal, and this picture-like, shadow-like visage affordeth our state a sad prognostic. You that have been my companions in Armies and Garrisons, in Cities and Countries, I know have been my companions in this observation, That they are usually men least acquainted with a Heavenly life, who are the violent disputers about the circumstantials of Religion: He whose Religion is all in his opinions, will be most frequently and zealously speaking his opinions; And he whose Religion lies in the Knowledge and love of God in Christ, will be most delightfully speaking of that time when he shall enjoy God and Christ. As the body doth languish in consuming fevers, when the native heat abates within, and an unnatural heat inflaming the external parts succeeds; so when the zeal of a Christian doth leave the internals of Religion, and fly to ceremonials, externals or inferior things, the soul must needs consume and languish. Yea though you were sure your opinions were true, yet when the chiefest of your zeal is turned thither, and the chiefest of your conference there laid out, the life of grace decays within, & your hearts are turned from this heavenly life. Not that I would persuade you to undervalue the least truth of God, nor that I do acknowledge the hot disputers of the times, to have discovered the truth above their Brethren; but in case we should grant them to have hit on the Truth; yet let every Truth in our thoughts and speeches have their due proportion, and I am confident the hundredth part of our time and our conference, would not be spent upon the now common Theams▪ For as there is an hundred truths of far greater consequence, which do all challenge the precedency before these, so many of those Truths alone, are of an hundred times nearer concernment to our souls, and therefore should have an answerable proportion in our thoughts. Neither is it any excuse for our casting by these great fundamental Truths, because they are common and known already: For the chief improvement is yet behind; and the soul must be daily refreshed with the Truth of Scripture, and the goodness of that which it offereth and promiseth, as the body must be with its daily food; or else the known Truths that lie Idle in your Heads, will no more nourish, or comfort or save you, then the bread that lies still in your Cupboards will feed you. Ah he is a rare and precious Christian, who is skilled in the improving of well known truths. Therefore let me advise you that aspire after this Joyous Life; spend not too much of your thoughts, your time, your zeal, or your speeches upon quarrels that less concern your souls; But when hypocrites are feeding on husks or shells, or on this heated food which will burn their lips, far sooner then warm and strengthen their hearts; then do you feed on the Joys above. I could wish you were all understanding men, able to defend every truth of God; and to this end that you would read and study controversy more: and your understanding and stability in these days of trial, is no small part of my comfort and encouragement: But still I would have the chiefest to be chiefly studied; and none to shoulder out your thoughts of Eternity: The least controverted points are usually most weighty, and of most necessary frequent use to our souls.

For you, my neighbors and friends in Christ, I bless God that I have so little need to urge this hard upon you, or to spend my time and speeches in the Pulpit, on these quarrels, as I have been necessitated to my discontent for to do elsewhere: I rejoice in the wisdom and goodness of our Lord, who hath saved me much of this labor. 1. Partly by his tempering of your spirits to sincerity. 2. Partly by the doleful, yet profitable, example of those few that went out from us, whose former and present condition of spirit, makes them stand as the pillar of Salt, for a continual terror and warning to you, and so to be as useful, as they were like to be hurtful. 3. Partly by the confessions and bewailings of this sin, that you have heard from the mouth of the Dying, advising you to beware of changing your fruitful society, for the company of deceivers. I do unfeignedly rejoice in these providences, and bless the Lord who thus establisheth his Saints. Study well those precepts of the Spirit, Rom. 14.1. Him that is weak in the faith, receive, but not to doubtful disputations. 2 Tim. 2.23. But foolish and unlearned questions, avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive. Tit. 3.9. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the Law; for they are unprofitable and vain, 1 Tim. 6.3, 4, 5. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions, and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railing▪ evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: From such withdraw thyself.

SECT. V.

5. AS you value the comforts of a heavenly Life, take heed of a proud and lofty spirit. There is such an Antipathy between this sin and God, that thou wilt never get thy heart near him, nor get him near thy heart, as long as this prevaileth in it. If it cast the Angels from heaven that were in it, it must needs keep thy heart estranged from it: If it cast our first parents out of Paradise, and separated between the Lord and us, and brought his curse on all the creatures here below; it must needs then keep our hearts from Paradise, and increase the cursed separation from our God. Believe it, hearers, a proud heart and a Heavenly heart, are exceeding contrary. Entercourse with God will keep men low and that lowliness will further their intercourse: when a man is used to be much with God, and taken up in the study of his glorious attributes, he abhors himself in dust and ashes: and that self-abhorrance is his best preparative, to obtain admittance to God again. Therefore after a soul-humbling day, or in times of trouble, when the soul is lowest, it useth to have freest access to God, and savor most of the life above: He will bring them into the wilderness, and there he will speak comfortably to them, Hos. 2.14. The delight of God is in a humble soul even him that is contrite and trembleth at his word; and the delight of a Humble soul is in God: and sure where there is mutual delight, there will be freest admittance, and heartiest welcome, and most frequent converse. Heaven would not hold God and the proud Angels together; but a humble soul he makes his dwelling: and surely if our dwelling be with him, and in him, and his dwelling also be with us and in us, there must needs be a most near and sweet familiarity▪ But the soul that is proud cannot plead this privilege; God is so far from dwelling in it, that he will not admit it to any near access, but looks upon it afar off. Psal. 138.6. The proud he resisteth (and the proud resisteth him) but to the humble he gives this and other Graces. 1 Pet. 5.5. A proud mind is a high mind in conceit, self-esteem, and carnal-aspiring: A heavenly mind is a high mind indeed, in God's esteem, and in higher (yet holy) aspiring, These two sorts of high-mindedness, are more adverse to one another, then a high mind and a low: As we see that most wars and bloodshed is between Princes and Princes, and not between a Prince and a Plowman. A low spirit and a humble, is not so contrary to a high and heavenly, as is a high and a proud. A grain of Mustard Seed may come to be a tree; A small Acorn may be a great Oak. The sail of the windmil that is now down, may presently be the highest of all; A Subject that is low may be raised high, and he that is high may be yet higher, as long as he stands in subordination to his Prince, who is the fountain of honor but if he break out of that subordination, and become a competitor, or will assume and arrogate honor to himself; he will find this prove the falling way. A man that is swelled in a Dropsy with wind or water, is as far from a sound well fleshed constitution, as he that is in a consuming Atrophy. Well then; art thou a man of worth in thine own eyes? and very tender of thine esteem with others? Art thou one that much valuest the applause of the people? and feelest thy heart tickled with delight when thou hearest of thy great esteem with men? and much dejected when thou hearest that men sleight thee? Do thou love those best who most highly honor thee? and doth thy heart bear a grudge at those that thou thinkest do undervalue thee, and entertain mean thoughts of thee, though they be otherwise men of godliness and honesty? Art thou one that must needs have thy humors fulfilled? and thy judgment must be a rule to the Judgments of others? and thy word a law to all about thee? Art thou ready to quarrel with every man, that lets fall a word in derogation from thy honor? Are thy passions kindled if thy word or will be crossed? Art thou ready to judge humility to be sordid baseness? and knowest not how to stoop and submit? and wilt not be brought to shame thyself, by humble confession, when thou hast sinned against God, or injured thy brother? Art thou one that honourest the godly that are rich? and thinkest thyself somebody if they value and own thee? but lookest strangely at the godly poor, and art almost ashamed to be their companion? Art thou one that canst not serve God in a low place, as well as in a high? and thinkest thyself the fittest for offices and honors? and lovest God's service when it stands with preferment? Hast thou thine eye and thy speech much on thy own deservings? and are thy boastings restained more by wit then by humility? Dost thou delight in opportunities of setting forth thy parts? and lovest to have thy name made public to the world? and wouldst fain leave behind thee some monument of thy worth, that posterity may admire thee when thou art dead and gone? Hast thou witty circumlocutions to commend thyself, while thou seemest to debase thyself, and deny thy worth? Dost thou desire to have all men's eyes upon thee? and to hear men observing thee, say, This is he? Is this the end of thy studies and learning, of thy labors and duties, of seeking degrees and titles and places, that thou mayest be taken for somebody abroad in the world? Art thou unacquainted with the deceitfulness and wickedness of thy heart? or knowest thyself to be vile only by reading and by hear-say, but not by experience and feeling of thy vileness? Art thou readier to defend thyself and maintain thine innocence, then to accuse thyself, or confess thy fault? Canst thou hardly hear a close reproof, and dost digest plain dealing with difficulty and distaste? Art thou readier in thy discourse to teach then to learn? and to dictate to others, then to hearken to their instructions? Art thou bold and confident of thy own opinions, and little suspicious of the weakness of thy understanding? but a sleighter of the judgments of all that are against thee? Is thy spirit more disposed to command and govern, then it is to obey and be ruled by others? Art thou ready to censure the Doctrine of thy Teachers, the actions of thy Rulers? and the persons of thy brethren? and to think, if thou were a Judge, thou wouldst be more just, or if thou were a Minister thou wouldst be more fruitful in Doctrine, and more faithful in overseeing? Or if thou hadst had the managing of other men's business, thou wouldst have carried it more honestly and wisely? If these Symtomes be undeniably in thy heart, beyond doubt thou art a proud person. I will not talk of thy following the fashions, of thy bravery and comportment, thy proud gestures, and arrogant speeces, thy living at a rate above thy abilities: Perhaps thy incompetency of estate, or thy competency of wit, may suffice to restrain these unmanly fooleries; perhaps thou mayest rather seem sordid to others, and to live at a rate below thy worth, and yet if thou be guilty of the former accusations, be it known to thee, thou art a person abominably proud, it hath seized on thy heart, which is the principal Fort; there's too much of hell abiding in thee, for thee to have any acquaintance at heaven; thy soul is too like the devil, for thee to have any familiarity with God: A proud man is all in the flesh, and he that will be heavenly must be much in the Spirit. Is it likely that the man whom I have here described, hath either will or skill to go out of Himself, and out of the Flesh, as it were, and out of the world, that so he may have freedom for converse above? A proud man make himself his God, and admires and sets up himself as his Idol; how then can he have his affections set on God? As the humble godly man, is the Zealot in forward worshipping of God, so the Ambitious man is the great zealot in Idolatry; for what is his Ambition, but a more hearty and earnest desire after his Idol, then the common and calmer Idolaters do reach? And can this man possibly have his heart in heaven? Its possible his invention and memory may furnish his tongue both with humble and heavenly expressions, but in his spirit the •• is no more heaven then there is humility.

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I entreat you Readers, be very jealous of your souls in this point; There's nothing in the world will more estrange you from God. I speak the more of it, because it is the most common and dangerous sin in Morality, and most promoting the great sin of Infidelity: you would little think (yea, and the owners do little think) what humble carriage, what exclaiming against pride, what moanful self-accusing may stand with this devilish sin of pride: O Christian, if thou wouldest live continually in the presence of thy Lord, lie in the dust, and he will thence take thee up; descend first with him into the grave, and thence thou mayest ascend with him to glory. Learn of him to be meek and lowly, and then thou mayest taste of this Rest to thy soul. Thy soul else will be as the troubled Sea, still casting out mire and dirt, which cannot rest: And instead of these sweet delights in God, thy pride will fill thee with perpetual disquietness. It is the humble soul that forgets not God, and God will not forget the humble, Psal. 10.12. and 9.12. As he that humbleth himself as a little child, shall hereafter be greatest in the Kingdom of God, Matth. 18.4. So shall he now be greatest in the forecastes of the Kingdom: For as whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; so he that humbleth himself shall be (in both these respects) exalted, Matth. 23.12. God therefore dwelleth with him that is humble and contrite, to revive the Spirit of such with his presence, Isai. 57.15. I conclude with that counsel of James and Peter, Humble yourselves therefore in the sight of the Lord, and he shall (now in the Spirit) lift you up, Jam. 4 10. and in due time shall (perfectly) exalt you, 1 Pet. 5.6. And when others are cast down, then shalt thou say, There is lifting up, and he shall save the humble person, Job 22.29.

SECT. VI.

6. ANother impediment to this Heavenly Life, is, Wilful laziness, and slothfulness of Spirit: And I verily think for knowing men, there is nothing hinders more then this. O, if it were only the exercise of the Body, the moving of the Lips, the bending of the Knee; then it were an easy work indeed, and men would as commonly step to Heaven, as they go a few miles to visit a friend; yea, if it were to spend most of our days in numbering Beads, and repeating certain words and Prayers, in voluntary humility, and neglecting the body, after the commandments and doctrines of men, ( Col. 2.21, 22, 23.) yea, or in the outward part of duties commanded by God, yet it were comparatively easy: Further, if it were only in the exercise of parts and gifts, though we made such performance our daily trade, yet it were easy to be heavenly-minded. But it is a work more difficult then all this: To separate thoughts and affections from the world; to force them to a work of so high a nature; to draw forth all our graces in their order, and exercise each on its proper object; to hold them to this, till they perceive success and till the work doth thrive and prosper in their hands! This, this is the difficult task. Reader, Heaven is above thee, the way is upwards. Dost thou think, who art a feeble, short-winded sinner, to travel daily this steep ascent, without a great deal of labor and resolution? Canst thou get that earthly heart to Heaven, and bring that backward mind to God, while thou liest still, and takest thine ease? If lying down at the foot of the Hill, and looking toward the top, and wishing we were there, would serve the turn, then we should have daily travellers for Heaven. But the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force: There must be violence used to get these first fruits, as well as to get the full possession. Dost thou not feel it so, though I should not tell thee? Will thy heart get upwards, except thou drive it? Is it not like a dull and jadish horse, that will go no longer, then he feels the spur? Dost thou find it easy to dwell in the delights above? Its true, the work is exceeding sweet, and no condition on Earth so desirable; but therefore it is that our hearts are so backward, especially in the beginning, till we are acquainted with it. O how many hundred Professors of Religion, who can easily bring their hearts to ordinary duties, as Reading, Hearing, Praying, Conferring; could never yet in all their lives, bring them, and keep them to a heavenly contemplation, one half hour together! Consider here, Reader, as before the Lord, whether this be not thine own case. Thou hast known that Heaven is all thy hopes; thou knowest thou must shortly be turned hence, and that nothing below can yield thee rest; thou knowest also, that a strange heart, a seldom and careless thinking of Heaven, can fetch but little comfort thence; and dost thou not yet for all this, let slip thy opportunities, and lie below in dust, or mere duties, when thou shouldst walk above, and live 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 with God? Dost thou not commend the sweetness of heavenly life, and judge those the excellentest Christians that use it; and yet didst never once try it thyself? But as the sluggard that stretched himself on his bed, and cried, O that this were working! So dost thou talk, and trifle, and live at thy ease, and say, O that I could get my heart to Heaven! This is to lie a bed and wish, when thou shouldst be up and doing. How many a hundred do read Books, and hear Sermons, in expectation to hear of some easy course, or to meet with a shorter cut to comforts, then ever they are like to find in the Word! And if they can hear of none from the Preachers of Truth, they will snatch it with rejoicing from the Teachers of Falsehood; and presently applaud the excellency of the doctrine, because it hath fitted their lazy temper; and think there is no other doctrine will comfort the soul, because it will not comfort it with hearing, and looking on. They think their Venison is best, though accompanied with a lie, because it is the easiest catched, and next at hand, and they think will procure the chiefest blessing, (and so it may, if God be as subject to mistake as blind Isaac. ) And while they pretend enmity only to the impossibilities of the Law, they oppose the easier conditions of the Gospel, and cast off the burden that is light also, and which all must bear that will find rest to their souls; and in my judgment, may as fitly be styled enemies to the Gospel , as enemies to the Law (from whence they receive their common title.) The Lord of light, and Spirit of comfort, show these men in time, a surer way for lasting comfort. The delusions of many of them are strong, and ungrounded comforts they seem to have store, I can judge it to be of no better a kind, because it comes not in the Scripture way: They will some of them profess, That when they meditate and labor for comfort themselves, they either have none, or at least but human, and of a lower kind; but all the comforts that they own and value, are immediately injected without their pains: So do I expect my comforts to come in, in Heaven, but till then, I am glad if they will come with labor, and the Spirit will help me to suck them from the breasts of the promise, and to walk for them daily to the face of God. It was an established Law among the Argi, That if a man were perceived to be idle and lazy, he must give an account before the Magistrate, how he came by his victuals and maintenance: And sure, when I see these men lazy in the use of God's appointed means for comfort, I cannot but question how they come by their comforts: I would they would examine it thoroughly themselves; for God will require an account of it from them. Idleness, and not improving the Truth in painful duty, is the common cause of men's seeking comfort from Error; even as the people of Israel, when they had no comfortable answer from God, because of their own sin and neglect, would run to seek it from the Idols of the Heathens: So when men-were falshearted to the Truth, and the Spirit of Truth did deny them comfort, because they denied him sincere obedience; therefore they will seek it from a lying spirit.

A multitude also of professors there are, that come and inquire for Marks and signs, How shall I know whether my heart be sincere? and they think the bare naming of some mark, is enough to discover; but never bestow one hour in trying themselves by the marks they hear. So here, they ask for directions for a Heavenly Life▪ and if the hearing, and knowing of these directions, will serve, then they will be heavenly Christians; But if we set them to task, and show them their work, and tell them, they cannot have these delights on easier terms; then, here they leave us, as the young man left Christ with sorrow (How our comforts are only in Christ, and yet this labor of ours is necessary thereto, I have shown you already in the beginning of this book; and therefore still refer you thither, when any shall put in that objection.) My advice to such a lazy sinner is this: As thou art convict that this work is necessary to thy comfortable living, so resolvedly set upon it: If thy heart draw back, and be undisposed; force it on 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 with the command of Reason; and if thy Reason begin to dispute the work, force it with producing the command of God; and quicken it up with the consideration of thy necessity, and the other Motives before propounded: And let the enforcements that brought thee to the work, be still in thy mind to quicken thee in it. Do not let such an incomparable treasure lie before thee, while thou liest still with thy hand in thy bosom: Let not thy life be a continual vexation, which might be a continual delightful feasting, and all because thou wilt not be at the pains. When thou hast once tasted of the sweetness of it, and a little used thy heart to the work, thou wilt find the pains thou takest which thy backward flesh, abundantly recompensed in the pleasures of thy spirit. Only • it not still with a disconsolate spirit, while comforts grow before thine eyes, like a man in the midst of a Garden of Flowers, or delightful Medow, that will not rise to get them that he may partake of their sweetness. Neither is it a few formal lazy running thoughts, that will fetch thee this consolation from above: No more then a few lazy formal words will prevail with God instead of fervent prayer. I know Christ is the fountain, and I know this, as every other gift, is of God: But yet if thou ask my advice, How to obtain these waters of consolation? I must tell thee, There is something also for thee to do: The Gospel hath its conditions, and work; though not such impossible ones as the Law; Christ hath his yoke and his burden, though easy, and thou must come to him weary, and take it up, or thou wilt never find Rest to thy soul. The well is deep, and thou must get forth this water, before thou canst be refreshed and delighted with it, What answer would you give a man that stands by a Pump, or draw-Well, and should ask you, How shall I do to get out the water? Why, you must draw it up, or labor at the Pump, and that not a motion or two, but you must pump till it comes, and then hold on till you have enough. Or if a man were lifting at a heavy weight; or would move a stone to the top of a mountain, and should ask you, How he should get it up? Why what would you say, but that he must put to his hands, and put forth his strength? And what else can I say to you, in direct • ing you to this Art of a Heavenly Life, but this? You must deal roundly with your hearts, and drive them up; and spur them on; and follow them close till the work be done, as a man will do a lazy unfaithful servant, who will do nothing longer then your eye is on him; or as you will your horse or ox at his labor, who will not stir any longer then he is driven; And if your heart lie down in the midst of the work; force it up again till the work be done, and let it not prevail by its lazy pol •• es. I know so far as you are spiritual, you need not all this striving and violence; but that is but in part, and in part you are carnal; and as long as it is so, there is no talk of ease. Though your renewed 〈◊〉 do delight in this work▪ yea no delight on earth so great 〈…〉 so far as it is freshly and unrenewed, will draw back and rest, and necessitate your industry. It was the Parthians custom, the none must give their children any meat in the morning, before th • saw the sweat on their faces, with some labor. And you shall find this to be God's most usual course, not to give his children the tastes of his delights, till they begin to sweat in seeking after them▪ Therefore lay them both together, and judge whether a heavenly 〈◊〉 or thy carnal ease be better? and as a wise man make thy choice accordingly. Yet this let me say to encourage thee; Thou need • st not expend thy thoughts more then thou now dost; it is but only to employ them better; I press thee not to busy thy mind much more then thou dost; but to busy it upon better and more pleasant objects. As Socrat • s said to a lazy fellow that would fain go up to Olympus, but that it was so far off; Why, saith he, walk but as far every day, as thou d • st up and down about thy house, and in so many days thou wilt be at Olympus,. So say I to thee, Imploy but so many serious thoughts every day, upon the excellent glory of the life to come, as thou now imployest on thy necessary affairs in the world; nay, as thou daily losest on vanities and impertinencies, and thy heart will be at heaven in a very short s • ace.

To conclude this, As I have seldom known Christians perplexed with doubts of their estate, for want of knowing right evidences to try by, so much as for want of skil and diligence in using them▪ so have I seldom known a Christian, that wants the joys of this heavenly Life, for want of being told the means to get it, but for want of a heart to set upon the work, and painfully to use the means they are directed to. It is the field of the slothful that is overgrown with weeds, Pro. 24.30, 31, 32, 33, 34. And the desires of the slothful killeth his [Joyes] because his hands refuse to labor, Prov. 21.25. whiles he lies wishing, his soul lies starving. He saith, There is a Lyon (there's difficulty) in the way, and turneth himself on the bed of his ease as a nor turneth on the hinges; he bideth his hand in his bosom, and it gr •• veth him to bring it to his 〈◊〉 (though it be • o feed himself with the food of life,) Prov. 26 • 13, 14, 15, 16. whats this, b •• espising the feast prepared? and setting light by the dear • bough pleasures? and consequently by the precious blood that bough them? and throwing away our own consolations? For the S • rit hath told us, That he also that is slothful in his work, is bro ••• r to him that is a great waster▪ Prov. 18.9. Apply this to th • spiritual Work, and study well the meaning of it.

SECT. VII.

7. ITs alo a dangerous and secret hindrance, to content our sel • es with the mere preparatives to this heavenly Life, while we are • tter strangers to the life itself: when we take up with the mere studies of heavenly things, and the notions and thoughts of the • in our brain, or the talking of them with one another, as if this were all that makes us heavenly people: Ther's none in more danger of this snare, then those that are much in public duty, especially Preachers of the Gospel. O how easily may they be deceived here, while they do nothing more then read of heaven, and study of heaven, and preach of heaven, and pray, and talk of heaven? what is not this the heavenly Life? O that God would reveal to our hearts the danger of this snare▪ Alas, all this is but mere preparation: This is not the life we speak of, but its indeed a necessary help thereto. I entreat everyone of my Brethren in the Ministry, that they search, and watch against this Temptation: Alas, this is but gathering the materials, and not the erecting of the building itself; this is but gathering our Manna for others, and not eating and digesting ourselves; as he that sits at home may study Geography, and draw most exact descriptions of Countries, and yet never see them, nor travel toward them: so may you describe to others the joys of heaven, and yet never come near it in your own hearts; as a man may tell others of the sweetness of meat which he never tasted, or as a blind man by learning may dispute of light and of colors▪ so may you study and preach most heavenly matter, which y •• never sweetened your own spirits, and set forth to others that heavenly Light, wherewith your own souls were never enlightened, and bring that fire for the hearts of your people, that never once warmed your own hearts: If you should study of nothing but heaven while you lived, and preach of nothing but heaven to your people, yet might your own hearts be strangers to it; What heavenly passages had Balaam in his Prophesies? yet little of it (its like) in his spirit; Nay, we are under a more subtle temptation then any other men, to draw us from this heavenly life; If our employments did lie at a greater distant from heaven, and did take up our thoughts upon worldly things, we should not be so apt to be so contented and deluded; but when we find ourselves employed upon nothing else, we are easier drawn to take up here: Studying and preaching of heaven is likes to an heavenly Life, then thinking and talking of the world is, and the likeness is it that is like to deceive us: This is to die the most miserable death, even to famish ourselves, because we have bread on our tables, which is worse then to famish when we cannot get it, and to die for thirst while we draw water for others; thinking it enough that we have daily to do with it, though we never drink it to our souls refreshing. All that I will say to you more of this, shall be in the words of my godly and • udicious friend Mr. George A •• ot, which I will transcribe, lest you have not the Book at hand in his Vindiciae Sabathi, pag. 147, 148, 149.

And here let me in a holy Jealous • e annex an Exhortation to some of the Ministers of this Land (for blessed be God it needs not to all) that they would carefully provide, and look that they do not build the Tabernacle on the Lord's Day; I mean, that they rest not in the Opus operatum of their holy employments, and busying themselves about the carnal part of holy things, in putting off the studying of their Sermons, or getting them by heart, (except it be to work them upon the heart, and not barely commit them to memory) till that day, and so though they take care to build the Tabernacle of God's Church, yet they in the mean time neglect the Temple of their own hearts in serving God in the Spirit, and not in the Letter or outward performance only: But it were well if they would gather and prepare their Manna, seeth it, and bake it the day before, that when the Sabbath came they might have nothing to do, but to chew and concoct it into their own spirits, and so spiritually in the experience of their own hearts (not heads) dish it out to their hearers, which would be a happy means to make them see better fruit of their labors: for commonly that which is not • o • ally delivered, is notionally received, and that which is spiritually and powerfully delivered in the evidence of the Spirit, is spiritually and savingly received, for spirit begets spirit, as fire begets fire, &c. It is an easy thing to take great pains in the outward part, or performance of holy things, which oft proves a snare, causing the neglect of the spirit of the inner man; for many are great laborers in the Work of the Lord, that are starvelings in the Spirit of the Lord, satisfying themselves in 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 〈…〉 may suit with their own spirits; but think it is their duty to • each, and other men's duty to do. So far the Author.

SECT. I.

H Aving thus shown thee the blocks in thy way▪ and told thee what hindrances will resist thee in the Work: I shall now lay thee down some positive helps, and conclude with a Directory to the 〈◊〉 in 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 labor will be all in vain; thou dost but go about to reconcile Light and Darkness▪ Christ and Belial, and to conjoin Heaven and Hel in thy spirit; thou mayest sooner bring down Heaven to earth, then do this. I must tell thee also that I here 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 labor to know also what a Treasure it is; be convinced once that thou hast no other happiness, and then he 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 sure we have reason enough to be easily convinced of thi •• s, 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, then in the love and fruition of God, no wonder if it have more of her heart then God; If your judgments once prefer the delights of the Flesh, before the delights in the Presence of God, its 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 things excellency in itself, but its an excellency known, that provokes desire; If an ignorant man see a Book containing the secrets of Arts or Sciences, yet he values it no more then 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 ye listed; 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 underfoot; and as the Jews killed the Messiah, while they waited for the Messiah, and that because they did not know him ( For had they known him they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory, Acts 13.27. 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 sleight the everlasting Treasure.

SECT. II.

2. LAbor 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 the 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 excellencies 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 houses, 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 mayst there read the very Articles, upon which thou shalt be tried; why try thyself by those Articles now. Thou mayst there know beforehand, on what terms men shall be then acquit 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 Scriptures 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 • lip, 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 〈◊〉 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 willful uncertainties. If thou canst no • dispatch the work well thyself, get the help of those that are skillful; go to thy Minister, if he be 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 that 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. O 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 forever; 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 then 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 willful 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 then as a Savior; 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 born 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 of purpose, be yet willing to be theirs who are willing to be his! As if any man could chose Christ, before Christ hath chosen him! or any man could desire to have Christ, more then Christ desires to have him! or any man were more willing to be happy, then 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 rancor, 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 own Goods, or set your Marks on your own sheep: And shall we be attempting to rase them out, and to write our names on the doors of hell? But blessed be our God, whose foundation is sure, and who keepeth us by his mighty power through Faith unto salvation, 1 Pet. 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. III.

3. ANother help to sweeten thy soul with the foretastes of Rest, is this; Labor 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, then that which we behold at a distance. When we hear of war or famine in another country, it troubleth 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 prehaps, if it be but 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 marvells; 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 duls 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 further off then 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, then 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 sure have thought more of providing for Eternity, and less of his present store and possessions; 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? Surely, Reader, thou standest at the door, and hundreds of diseases are ready waiting, to open the door and let thee in. Is not the thirty, or forty years of thy life that is past quickly gone? Is it not a very little time when thou lookest back on it? 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, and 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 p • steth on and thy life will be gone as a tale that is told. Mayst thou not easily foresee thy dying time? and look upon thyself as ready to depart? Its 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 〈◊〉 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 apprehensions of the nearness of Eternity doth make men's thoughts of it to be quick and piercing; and put life into their fears and sorrows, if they are unfitted, and into their desires and Joyes if they have assurance of its glory. When the Witches Samuel had told Saul, By tomorrow this time thou shalt be with me; 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 tomorrow this time thou shalt be with me, this would be a working word indeed, and would bring him in spirit to Heaven before. As Melanchthon 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 mansurum esse. i. e. I have now been here this 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. IV.

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 an heavenly nature. Its 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: Its 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 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 ? 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, 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 O that we were furnished with skil 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; this is nothing to my eternal Rest: O 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; 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, And then you shall find the truth of that, Prov. 15.4. A wholesome tongue is a Tree of Life.

SECT. V.

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 friends prosperity and welfare? Many a one that never saw the fight, hath triumphed and shouted, made Bonefires, and rung Bels, when he hath 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 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 blessing 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 at 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 that way, and shine about me with light from heaven, and let me hear his instructing and reviving voice, and causa the scales to fall from mine eyes, that I may see more of that glory▪ then I ever 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 Fathers presence, that I may return as the Shepherds, from the heavenly Vision, glorifying and praising God, for all the things that I have heard and seen, Luke 2.20. and say, as those that behold his Miracles, We have seen strange things today: 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 Indian first saw the use of Letters by our English, they thought there was sure some spirit in them, that men could so converse together by a paper; If Christians would take this course in their duties, they might come to such 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. VI.

6. ANother help is this, Make an advantage of every object thou seest, and of every passage of Divine providence, and of everything that befalls in thy labor 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 overlooks 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 loose the very spirits of 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 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 six pence merely as six pence, and to receive it in earnest of a thousand pound; though the sum be the same, yet I trow the relation makes a wide difference. Thou takest but the bear earnest, and overlookest the main sum, when thou receivest thy mercies, and forgettest thy crown. O therefore that Christians were skilled in this Art! You can open your Bibles, and read there of God and of Glory: O learn to open the creatures, and to open the several passages of providence, and to read of God and Glory there. Certainly by such a skillful 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 that we drink, then most men have in the use of the Sacrament. If thou prosper in the world, and thy labor succeed, let it make thee more sensible of thy perpetual prosperity: If thou be weary of thy labors, let it make thy thoughts of Rest more sweet: If things go cross & 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 thy inconceivable refreshings with Christ. Dost thou hear any news that makes the 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 that 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 in the world? like the noise in a crowd, 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 forever. 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 its said of the Turks, that they'll 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 a 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 then Doves, by the assistance of the Spirit the Dove of God. This is the right Daedalian flight: and thus we may take from each bird a feather, and make us wings, and fly to Christ.

SECT. VII.

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 own 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 neither 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, then 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 forever.

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 be genuine, or any better then carnal or delusive? Surely, the very relish of Christ 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, Jam. 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 one of them sing a Psalm ex tempore, that was better then 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 soul-raising 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 excellencies 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. O 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. Psal. 119.164. Yea, his praise was continually of him, Psal. 71.6. As he that offereth praise, glorifieth God, Psal. 50.23. So doth he most rejoice and glad his own soul. Psal. 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. Psal. 135.3. and 147.1. Yea, let us rejoice and triumph in his praise, Psal. 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 souls 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, 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 healthful youth that lay out this vigor 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 wast 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 exhilerating.

SECT. VIII.

8. IF thou wouldest 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 is 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, then 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. Much more hath he testified his love to his chosen; and his full resolution effectually to save them. O, if we could always think of God, but as we do of a friend; as of one that doth unfeignedly love us, even more then 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 hearts still with him! Where we love most heartily, we shall think most sweetly, and most freely: And nothing will quicken our love more then 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.

SECT. IX.

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, or resisting its workings; If ever thy soul get above this 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, 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 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 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 Spirits be • k. Dost thou not feel sometimes a strong impulsion, to retire from the world, and draw near to God? O do not now disobey, but take the offer, and ho • se up sail while thou mayst have this blessed gale. When this wind blows strongest, thou goest fastest, either forward or backward. 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.

SECT. X.

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 over-pamper 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 〈◊〉 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 use their bodies aright, we cannot wonder if they be much hindered in their heavenly conversing. Most men are very slaves to their sensitive appetite, and can scarce deny anything to the flesh, which they can give it on easy rates, without much shame, or loss, or grief. The flesh thus used, is as unfit to serve you, as a wild colt to ride on. When such men should converse in Heaven, the flesh will carry them to an Alehouse, or to their sports, to their profits, or credit, or vain company; to wanton practices, or sights, or speeches, or thoughts: It will thrust a whore, or a pair of Cards, or a good bargain into their minds, instead of God. Look to this specially, you that are young, and healthful, and lusty: As you love your souls, remember that in Rom. 13.14. which converted Austin, Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil its desires; and that Rom. 8.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14. Some few others do much hinder their heavenly joy, by over rigorous denying the body its necessaries, and so making it unable to serve them. But the most by forfeiting and excess; do overthrow and disable it. You love to have your knife keen, and every instrument you use in order: when your horse goes lustily how cheerfully do you travel? As much need hath the soul of a sound and cheerful body. If they who abuse their bodies, and neglect their health, did wrong the flesh only, the matter were small, but they wrong the soul also: As he that spoils the house, doth wrong the inhabitant. When the body is sick, and the spirits do languish, how heavily move we in these Meditations, and Joyes? Yet where God denieth this mercy, we may the better bear it, because he oft occasioneth our benefit by the denial.

SECT. I.

T Hough I hope what is already spoken be not unuseful, and that it will not by the Reader be cast aside, yet I must tell you, that the main thing intended is yet behind, and that which I aimed at when I set upon this Work. I have observed the Maxim, that my principal end be last in execution, though it was first in my intention. All that I have said, is but for the preparation to this: The Doctrinal part is but to instruct you for this; the rest of the Uses are but introductions to this; The Motives I have laid down, are but to make you willing for this; The Hinderances I mentioned, were but so many blocks in the way to this; The general Helps which I last delivered, are but the necessary Attendants of this: So that, Reader, If thou neglect this that follows, thou dost frustrate the main end of my design, and makest me lose (as to thee) the chief of my labor. I once more entreat thee therefore, as thou art a man that makest conscience of a revealed duty, and that darest not willfully resist the Spirit, as thou valuest the high delights of a Saint, and the soul ravishing exercise of heavenly Contemplation, as all my former moving Considerations seem reasonable to thee, and as thou art faithful to the peace and prosperity of thine own soul, that thou diligently study these Directions following, and that thou speedily and faithfully put them into practice: Practice is the end of all sound Doctrine, and all right Faith doth end in duty: I pray thee therefore, rosolve before thou readest any further, and 〈…〉 here as before the Lord, that if the following Advice be wholesome to thy soul, thou wilt conscionably follow it, and seriously set thyself to the Work, and that no laziness of spirit shall take thee off, nor lesser business interrupt thy course, but that thou wilt approve thyself a Doer of this Word, and not an idle hearer only. Is this thy promise? and wilt thou stand to it? Resolve man, and then I shall be encouraged to give thee my Advice; if I spread not before thee a delicious feast, if I set thee not upon as gainful a trade, and put not into thy hand as delightful an employment as ever thou dealt'st with in all thy life, then cast it away, and tell me I have deceived thee, only try it thoroughly and then judge; I say again, if in the faithful following of this prescribed course, thou dost not find an increase of all thy graces, and dost not grow beyond the stature of common Christians, and art not made more serviceable in thy place, and more precious in the eyes of all that are discerning; if thy soul enjoy not more fellowship with God, and thy life be not fuller of pleasure and solace, and thou have not comfort readier by thee at a dying hour, when thou hast greatest need, then throw these Directions back in my face, and exclaim against me as a deceiver forever. Except God should leave thee uncomfortable for a little season, for the more glorious manifestation of his Attributes and thy integrity, and single thee out as he did Job, for an example and mirror of constancy and patience, which would be but a preparative for thy fuller comfort. Certainly God will not forsake this his own Ordinance thus conscionably performed, but will be found of those that thus diligently seek him. God hath, as it were, appointed to meet thee in this way: Do not thou fail to give him the meeting, and thou shalt find by experience that he will not fail

SECT. II.

THe duty which I press upon thee so earnestly, I shall now de • scribe and open to thee: for I suppose by this time thou art ready to inquire What is this so highly extolled work? Why, it is, The set and solemn acting of all the powers of thy soul upon this most perfect object [Rest] by Meditation.

I will a little more fully explain the meaning of this description, that so the duty may lie plain before thee. 1. The general title that I give to this duty is [Meditation] Not as it is precisely distinguished from Cogitation, Consideration and Contemplation, but as it is taken in the larger and usual sense, for Cogitation on things spiritual, and so comprehending consideration and contemplation.

That Meditation is a duty of God's ordaining, not only in his written Law, but also in nature itself, I never met with the man that would deny: But that it is a duty constantly and conscionably practiced even by the godly, so far as my acquaintance extends, I must, with sorrow, deny it: It is in word confessed to be a Duty by all, but by the constant neglect denied by most. And (I know not by what fatal customary security it comes to pass, that) men that are very tender consciencit towards most other duties, yet do as easily overslip this, as if they knew it not to be a duty at all: They that are presently troubled in mind, if they omit but a Sermon, a Fast, a Prayer in public or private, yet were never troubled that they have omitted Meditation perhaps all their life time to this very day: Though it be that duty by which all other duties are improved, and by which the soul digesteth Truths, and draweth forth their strength for its nourishment and refreshing. Certainly I think, that as a man is but half an hour in chewing and taking into his stomach, that meat which he must have seven or eight hours at least to digest;; so a man may take into his understanding and memory more Truth in one hour, then he is able well to digest in many. A man may eat too much, but he cannot digest too well: Therefore God commandeth Joshua, That the book of the Law depart not out of his mouth, but that he Meditate therein day and night, that he may observe to do according to that which is written therein, Josh. 1.8. As Digestion is the turning of the raw food into chyle, and blood, and spirits, and flesh: So Meditation rightly managed, turneth the Truths received and remembered, into warm affection, raised resolution, and holy and upright conversation. Therefore what good those men are like to get by Sermons or providences, who are unacquainted with, and unaccustomed to this work of Meditation, you may easily judge. And why so much preaching is lost among us, and professors can run from Sermon to Sermon, and are never weary of hearing or reading, and yet have such languishing starved souls; I know no truer nor greater cause, then their ignorance, and unconscionable neglect of Meditation. If a man have the Lientery, that his meat pass from him as he took it in; or if he vomit it up as fast as he eats it, what strength and vigor of body and senses is this man like to have? Indeed he may well eat more then a sounder man, and the small abode that it makes in the stomach, may refresh it at the present, and help to draw it out a lingering, languishing, uncomfortable, unprofitable life: And so do our hearers that have this disease; perhaps they hear more then otherwise they needed; and the clear discovery and lively delivery of the Truth of God, may warm and refresh them a little, while they are hearing, and perhaps an hour or two after; and it may be it may linger out their Grace, in a languishing, uncomfortable, unprofitable life: But if they did hear one hour and meditate seven, if they did as constantly digest their Sermons as they hear them, and not take in one Sermon before the former is well concocted, they would find another kind of benefit by Sermons, then the ordinary sort of the forwardest Christians do. I know many carnal persons do make this an Argument against frequent preaching and hearing, who do it merely from a loathing of the word, and know far less how to Meditate, then they know how understandingly to hear: Only they pretend Meditation against often hearing, because that being a duty of the mind, you cannot so easily discern their omission of it. These are sick of the Anorexia and Apepsy, they have neither appetite nor digeston: the other of the Boulimos, they have appetite, but no digestion.

SECT. III.

2. BUt because Meditation is a general word, and it is not all Meditation that I hear intend; I shall therefore lay thee down the difference, whereby this Meditation that I am urging thee to, is discerned from all other sorts of Meditation. And the difference is taken from the Act, and from the object of it.

1. From the Act, which I call [The set and solemn acting of all the powers of the soul.]

1. I call it the [Acting of them] for it is▪ Action that we are directing you in now, and not relations or dispositions yet these also are necessarily presupposed: It must be a soul that is qualified for the work, by the supernatural renewing grace of the spirit, which must be able to perform this Heavenly exercise. Its the work of the Living, and not of the dead. Its a work of all others most spiritual and sublime, and therefore not to be well performed by a heart that's merely carnal and terrene. Also they must necessarily have some relation to heaven, before they can familiarly there converse: I suppose them to be the sons of God, when • persuade them to love him: and to be of the family of God, ye • the spouse of his Son, when I persuade them to press into his presence, and to dwell with him: I suppose them to be such as have title to Rest, when I persuade them to rejoice in the Meditation of Rest. These therefore being all presupposed, are not the duty here intended and required: But it is the bringing of their sanctified dispositions into Act, and the delightful reveiwing of thei • high relations: Habits and Powers are but to enable us to Action To say [I am able to do this, or I am disposed to do it] doth nei • there please God, nor advantage ourselves, except withal we really do it. God doth not regenerate thy soul, that it may be able to know him, and not know him▪ or that it may be able to believe and yet not believe; or that it may be able to love him and yet not love him: But he therefore makes thee able to know to believe, and love, that thou mayest indeed both know, believe and love him. What good doth that power which is not reduced into Act? Therefore I am not now exhorting thee, to be an able Christian, but to be an Active Christian, according to the degree of that ability which thou hast. As thy store of money, or food, o • raiment, which thou lettest lie by thee and never usest, doth the • no good, but to please thy fancy, or raise thee to an esteem in the eyes of others; so all thy gifts, and powers, and habits which lie still in thy soul, and are never Acted, do profit or comfort thee little or nothing, but in satisfying thy fancy, and raising thee to the repute of an able man, so far as they are discernible to the standers by.

SECT. IV.

1. I Call this Meditation [ The acting of the powers of the Soul ] meaning the soul as Rational, to difference it from the cogitations of the soul as Sensitive; the Sensitive soul hath a kind of Meditation by the common sense, the Fantasy, and Estimation: The fleshly man mindeth the things of the flesh: If it were the work of the Ear, or the Eye, or the Tongue, or the Hands, which I am setting you on, I doubt not but you would more readily take it up; but it is the work of the soul, for bodily exercise doth here profit but little. The soul hath its labor and its ease, its business and its idleness, its intention and remission, as well as the body: And diligent students are usually as sensible of the labor and wea •• ness of their spirits and brain, as they are of that of the members of the body. This action of the soul, is it I persuade thee to.

SECT. V.

3. I Call it the acting of [ All ] the powers of the soul, To difference it from the common Meditation of Students, which is usually the mere employment of the Brain. It is not a bare thinking, that I mean, nor the mere use of Invention or Memory; but a business of a higher and more excellent nature: when Truth is apprehended only as Truth, this is but an unsavory and loose apprehension; but when it is apprehended as Good, as well as True, this is a fast and delightful apprehending: As a man is not so prone to live according to the Truth he knows, except it do deeply affect him, so neither doth his soul enjoy its sweetness, except Speculation do pass to Affection: The Understanding is not the whole soul, and therefore cannot do the whole work; As God hath made several parts in man, to perform their several Offices for his nourishing and life, so hath he ordained the faculties of the soul to perform their several Offices for his spiritual life; the Stomack must chy lisy and prepare for the Liver, the Liver and Spleen must sanguify and prepare for the Heart and Brain, and these must beget the vital and animal spirits &c. so the Understanding must take in Truths, and prepare them for the Will, and it must receive them, and commend them to the Affections: The best digestion is in the bottom of the Stomack; the Affections are as it were the bottom of the soul, and therefore the best digestion is there: While Truth is but a speculation swimming in the Brain, the Soul hath not half received it, nor taken fast hold of it; Christ and Heaven hath various Excellencies, and therefore God hath formed the soul with a power of divers ways of apprehending, that so we might be capable of enjoying those divers Excellencies in Christ, even as the creatures having their several uses, God hath given us several senses, that so we might enjoy the delights of them all: What the better had we been for the pleasant oderiferous flowers and perfumes, if we had not possessed the sense of Smelling? or what good would Language or Music have done us, if God had not given us the sense of hearing? or what delight should we have found in meats or drinks, or sweetest things, if we had been deprived of the sense of tasting? Why so, what good could all the glory of Heaven have done us? or what pleasure should we have had, even in the goodness and perfection of God himself, if we had been without the affections of Love and Joy, whereby we are capable of being delighted in that Goodness? so also, what benefit of strength or sweetness, canst thou possible receive by thy Meditations on Eternity, while thou dost not exercise those Affections, which are the senses of the soul, by which it must receive this sweetness and strength?

This is it that hath deceived Christians in this business; They have thought that Meditation is nothing but the bare thinking on Truths, and the rolling of them in the Understanding and Memory? when every School-Boy can do this, or persons that hate the things which they think on.

Therefore this is the great task in hand, and this is the work that I would set thee on; to get these Truths from thy head to thy heart, and that all the Sermons which thou hast heard of Heaven, and all the notions that thou hast conceived of this Rest, may be turned into the blood and spirits of Affection, and thou mayest feel them revive thee, and warm thee at the heart, and mayest so think of heaven as heaven should be thought on.

There are two accesses of Contemplation (saith Bernard ) one in Intellection, the other in Affection, one in Light, the other in Heat, one in Acquisition, the other in Devotion. If thou shouldst study of nothing but Heaven while thou livest, and shouldst have thy thoughts at command, to turn them hither on every occasion, and yet shouldst proceed no further then this; this were not the Meditation that I intend, nor would it much advantage or better thy soul; as it is thy whole soul that must possess God hereafter, so must the whole in a lower measure possess him here. I have shown you in the beginning of this Treatise, how the soul must enjoy the Lord in Glory, to wit, by knowing, by loving, and joying in him; why, the very same way must thou begin thy enjoyment here.

So much as thy Understanding and Affections are sincerely acted upon God, so much dost thou enjoy him: And this is the happy Work of this Meditation. So that you see, here is somewhat more to be done, then barely to remember and think of Heaven; as Running, and Ringing, and Moving, and such like labors, do not only stir a hand or a foot, but do strain and exercise the whole body, so doth Meditation the whole soul.

As the Affections of Sinners are set on the world, and turned to Idols, and fallen from God, as well as the Understanding; so must the Affections of men be reduced to God, and taken up with him, as well as the Understanding; and as the whole was filled with sin before, so the whole must be filled with God now; as St. Paul saith of Knowledge, and Gifts, and Faith to remove mountains, that if thou have all these without Love, Thou art but as sounding Brass, or as a tinkling Cymbal ; so I may say of the exercise of these, If in this work of Meditation, thou do exercise Knowledge, and Gifts, and Faith of Miracles, and not exercise Love, and Joy, thou dost nothing, thou playest the child and not the man, the Sinners part, and not the Saints, for so will Sinners do also: If thy Meditation tends to fill thy Note-Book with notions and good sayings concerning God, and not thy heart with longings after him, and delight in him, for ought I know thy Book is as much a Christian as thou. Mark but David's description of the blessed man, Psal. 1.3. His delight is in the Law of the Lord, and therein doth he meditate day and night.

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SECT. VI.

4. I Call this Meditation [Set and Solemn] to difference it from that which is Occasional and Cursory. As there is Prayer, which is solemn, (when we set ourselves wholly to the duty) and Prayer, which is sudden and short, commonly called, Ejaculations, (when a man in the midst of other business doth send up some brief request to God;) so also there is Meditation solemn, (when we apply ourselves only to that work;) and there is Meditation which is short and cursory, (when in the midst of our business we have some good thoughts of God in our minds.) And as solemn Prayer is either, First, See, (when a Christian observing it as a standing duty, doth resolvedly practice it in a constant course;) or secondly, Occasional, (when some unusual occasion doth put us upon it at a season extraordinary;) so also Meditation admits of the like distinction. Now, though I would persuade you to that Meditation which is mixed with your common labors in your callings; and to that which special occasions do direct you to; yet these are not the main thing which I here intend: But that you would make it a constant standing duty, as you do by Hearing, and Praying, and Reading the Scripture; and that you would solemnly set yourselves about it, and make it for that time your whole work, and intermix other matters no more with it, then you would do with prayer, or other duties. Thus you see, as it is differenced by its act, what kind of Meditation it is that we speak of, viz. It is the set and solemn acting of all the powers of the Soul.

SECT. VII.

THe second part of the Difference is drawn from its object, which is [Rest] or the most blessed estate of man, in his everlasting enjoyment of God in Heaven. Meditation hath a large field to walk in, and hath as many objects to work upon, as there are matters, and lines, and words in the Scripture, as there are known Creatures in the whole Creation, and as there are particular discernible passages of Providence, in the Government of the persons and actions, through the world: But the Meditation that I now direct you in, is only of the end of all these, and of these as they refer to that end: It is not a walk from Mountains to Valleys, from Sea to Land, from Kingdom to Kingdom, from Planet to Planet: But it is a walk from Mountains and Valleys, to the Holy Mount Zion ; from Sea and Land, to the Land of the Living; from the Kingdoms of this world, to the Kingdom of Saints; from Earth to Heaven; from Time to Eternity: It is a walking upon Sun, and Moon, and Stars; it is a walk in the Garden, and Paradise of God▪ It may seem far off; but spirits are quick; whether in the body, or out of the body, their motion is swift: They are not so heavy, or dull, as these earthly lumps; nor so slow of motion, as these clods of flesh. I would not have you cast off your other Meditations; but surely, as Heaven hath the preeminence in perfection, so should it have the preeminence also in our Meditation. That which will make us most happy when we possess it, will make us most joyful when we meditate upon it; especially, when that Meditation is a degree of Possession, if it be such affecting Meditation as I here describe.

You need not here be troubled with the fears of the world, lest studying so much on these high matters, should craze your brains, and make you mad, unless you will go mad with delight, and joy, and that of the purest and most solid kind: If I set you to meditate as much on Sin and Wrath, and to study nothing but Judgment and Damnation, then you might justly fear such an issue. But its Heaven and not Hell, that I would persuade you to walk in; its Joy and not Sorrow, that I persuade you to exercise. I would urge you to look upon no deformed object, but only upon the ravishing glory of Saints, and the unspeakable excellencies of the God of glory, and the beams that stream from the face of his Son. Are these such sadding, and madding thoughts? will it distract a man to think of his only happiness? will it distract the miserable to think of mercy? or the captive and prisoner, to sores •• deliverance? or the poor to think of riches and honor approaching? Neither do I persuade your thoughts to matters of great difficulty, or to study thorny and knotty controversies of Heaven, or to search out things beyond your reach: If you should thus set your wit and invention upon the Tenters, you might be quickly distracted or distempered indeed. But it is your Affections, more then your wits and inventions, that must be used in this heavenly employment we speak of: They are Truths which are commonly known and professed, which your souls must draw forth and feed upon. The Resurrection of the body, and the Life everlasting, are Articles of your Creed, and not nicer controversies. Me thinks it should be liker to make a man mad, to think of living in a world of woe, to think of abiding in poverty and sickness, among the rage of wicked men, then to think of living with Christ in bliss: Me thinks, if we be not mad already, it should sooner distract us, to hear the Tempests and roaring Waves, to see the Billows, and Rocks, and Sands, and Gulfs, then to think of arriving safe at Rest. But Wisdom is justified of all her children; Knowledge hath no enemy, but the ignorant. This heavenly course was never spoke against by any, but those that never either knew it or used it. I more fear the neglect of men that do approve it, then the opposition or Arguments of any against it. Truth looseth more by loose friends, then by sharpest enemies.

SECT. I.

T Hus I have opened to you the nature of this duty, and by this time I suppose you pa • tly apprehend what it is, that I so press upon you; which when it is opened more particularly, you will more fully discern. I now proceed to direct you in the work; where I shall first show you how you must set upon it; and secondly, how you must behave yourself in it; and thirdly, how you shall shut it up. And here I suppose thee to be a man that dost conscionably avoid the forementioned hindrances, and conscionably use the forementioned helps, or else it is in vain to set thee a higher lesson, till thou hast first learned that: Which if thou have done, I then further advise thee: First, Somewhat concerning the time and season; secondly, somewhat concerning the place; and thirdly, somewhat concerning the frame of thy Spirit.

And first for the time, I advise thee, that as much as may be, it may be set and constant. Proportion out such a part of thy time to the work.

Stick not at their scruple, who question the stating of times as superstitious: If thou suit out thy time to the advantage of the work, and place no more Religion in the time itself, thou needest not to fear lest this be superstition. As a workman in his shop will have a set place for everyone of his Tools and Wares, or else when he should use it, it may be to seek: So a Christian should have a set time for every ordinary duty, or else when he should practice it, its ten to one but he will be put by it. Stated time is a hedge to duty, and defends it against many temptations to omission. God hath stated none but the Lord's day himself, but he hath left it to be stated, and determined by ourselves, according to every man's condition and occasions, least otherwise his Law should have been a burden, or a snare. Yet hath he left us general rules, which by the use of Reason, and Christian Prudence, may help us to determine of the fittest times. Its as ridiculous a question of them that ask us, [Where Scripture commands us to pray so oft, or at such hours, privately or in families?] as if they asked, [Where the Scripture commands, that the Church-House, (or Temple) stand in such a place? or the Pulpit in such a place? or my seat in such a place? or where it commands a man to read the Scriptures with a pair of Spectacles, &c. ] Most that I have known to break this bond of duty, and to argue against a stated time, have at last grown careless of the duty itself, and shown more dislike against the work, then the time. If God give me so much money or wealth, and tell me not in Scripture, how much such a poor man must have, nor how much my family, nor how much in clothes, and how much in expenses; is it not lawful, yea and necessary that I make the division myself, and allow to each the due proportion? So if God do bestow on me a day or a week of time, and give me such and such work, to do in this time, and tell me not how much I shall allot to each work; Certainly, I must make the division myself, and cut my coat according to my cloth, and proportion it wisely and carefully too, or else I am like to leave something undone. Though God hath not told you, at what hour you shall rise in the morning, or what hours you shall eat and drink, yet your own Reason, and experience will tell you, that ordinarily you should observe a stated time. Neither let the fear of customariness and formality deter you from this. That Argument hath brought the Lord's Supper from once a week to once a quarter, or once a year; and it hath brought family-duties with too many of late, from twice a day to once a week, or once a month; and if it were not, that man being proud, is naturally of a Teaching humor, and addicted to works of popularity and ostentation, I believe it would diminish Preaching as much: And will it deal any better with secret duties? especially this of Holy Meditation? I advise thee therefore, if well thou mayest, to allow this duty a stated time, and be as constant in it, as in Hearing and Praying: Yet be cautious in understanding this. I know this will not prove every man's duty; some have not themselves, and their time at command, and therefore cannot set their hours; such are most servants, and many children of poor or carnal parents; and many are so poor, that the necessity of their Families will deny them this freedom. I do not think it the duty of such, to leave their labors for this work, at certain set times, no nor for Prayer, or other necessary worship: No such duty is at all times a duty, Affirmatives specially. Positives bind not semper & ad semper. When two duties come together, and cannot both be performed, it were then a sin to perform the lesser. Of two duties we must choose the greater, though of two sins we must choose neither. I think such persons were best to be watchful, to redeem time as much as they can, and take their vacant opportunities as they fall, and especially to join Meditation and Prayer, as much as they can, with the very labors of their callings. There is no such enmity between laboring and meditating, or praying in the Spirit, but that both may conveniently be done together▪ Yet I say (as Paul in another case) if thou canst be free, use it rather: Those that have more time a spare from worldly necessaries, and are Masters to dispose of themselves, and their time, I still advise, That they keep this duty to a stated time. And indeed, it were no ill husbandry, nor point of folly, if we did so by all other duties: If we considered of the ordinary works of the day, and •• ited out a fit season, and proportion of time to every work, and fixed this in our memory and resolution, or wrote it in a Table, and kept in our Closets, and never brake it, but upon unexpected, or extraordinary cause. If every work of the day, had thus its appointed time, we should be better skilled, both in redeeming time, and performing duty.

SECT. II.

2. I Advise thee also, concerning thy time for this duty, That as it be stated, so it be frequent; Just how oft it should be, I cannot determine, because men's several conditions may vary it: But in general, that it be frequent the Scripture requireth, when it mentioneth meditating continually, and day and night. Circumstances of our condition, may much vary the circumstances of our duties. It may be one man's duty to hear or pray oftener then another's; and so it may be in this Meditation. But for those that can conveniently omit other business, I advise, That it be once a day at least. Though Scripture tell us not, how oft in a day we should eat or drink, yet prudence and experience will direct us, to twice or thrice a day, according to the temper and necessities of our bodies. Those that think they should not tie themselves to order or number of duties, but should then only meditate or pray, when they find the Spirit provoking them to it, do go upon uncertain and unchristian grounds. I am sure, the Scripture provokes us to frequency, and our necessity secondeth the voice of Scripture; and if through my own neglect, or resistance of the Spirit, I do not find it so to excite and quicken me, I dare not therefore disobey the Scripture, nor neglect the necessities of my own soul . I should suspect that Spirit which would turn my soul from constancy in duty; if the Spirit in Scripture bid me meditate or pray. I dare not forbear it, because I find not the Spirit within me, to second the command: if I find not incitation to duty before, yet I may find assistance, while I wait in performance. I am afraid of laying my corruptions upon the Spirit, or blaming the want of the Spirits assistance, when I should blame the backwardness of my own heart; nor dare I make one corruption a plea for another; nor urge the inward rebellion of my Nature, as a Reason for the outward disobedience of my life: And for the healing of my natures backwardness, I more expect, that the Spirit of Christ should do it in a way of duty, (which I still find to be his ordinary season of working) then in a way of disobedience, and neglect of duty. Men that fall on duty according to the frame of their spirits only, are like our ignorant vulgar, (or if you will, like the Swine) who think their appetite should be the only rule of their eating: When a wise man judgeth both of quantity and quality, by Reason and Experience; least when his appetite is depraved, he should either surfeit or famish. Our Appetite is no sure rule for our times of duty, but the Word of God in general, and our Spiritual Reason, Experience, Necessity, and convenience in particular, may truly direct us.

Three Reasons especially should persuade thee to frequency in this Meditation on Heaven.

1. Because seldom conversing with him will breed a strangeness betwixt thy soul and God: Frequent society breeds familiarity, and familiarity increaseth love and delight, and maketh us bold and confident in our addresses. This is the main end of this duty, that thou mayest have acquaintance and fellowship with God therein. Therefore if thou come but seldom to it, thou wilt keep thyself a stranger still, and so miss of the end of the work. O, when a man feels his need of God, and must seek his help in a time of necessity, when nothing else can do him any good, you would little think what an encouragement it is, to go to a God that we know, and are acquainted with. O, saith the heavenly Christian, I know both whither I go, and to whom; I have gone this way many a time before now: It is the same God that I daily conversed with; it is the same way that was my daily walk: God knows me well enough, and I have some knowledge of him. On the other side, What a horror and discouragement to the soul it will be, when it is forced to fly to God in straits, to think: Alas, I know not whither to go; I never went the way before; I have no acquaintance at the Court of Heaven: My soul knows not that God, that I must speak to; and I fear he will not know my soul! But especially when we come to die, and must immediately appear before this God, and expect to enter into this Eternal Rest, then the difference will plainly appear: Then what a joy will it be to think, I am going to the place that I daily conversed in; to the place from whence I tasted so frequent delights; to that God whom I have met in my Meditations so oft. My heart hath been at Heaven before now, and tasted the sweetness that hath oft revived it; and (as Jonathan by his honey) if mine eyes were so enlightened, and my mind refreshed, when I tasted but a little of that sweetness, what will it be when I shall feed on it freely? On the other side, what a terror must it be to think, I must die, and go I know not whither; from a place where I am acquainted, to a place where I have no familiarity, or knowledge. O, Sirs, it is an inexpressible horror to a dying man, to have strange thoughts of God and Heaven: I am persuaded there is no cause so common, that makes death even to godly men unwelcome and uncomfortable. Therefore I persuade thee to frequency in this duty, That seldomness breed not estrangedness from God.

2. And besides that, seldomness will make thee unskillful in the work, and strange to the duty, as well as to God. How unhandsomely and clumsily do men set their hands to a work that they are seldom employed in! Whereas frequency will habituate thy heart to the work, and thou wilt better know the way which thou daily walkest; yea, and it will be more easy and delightful also: The Hill which made thee pant and blow at the first going up, thou mayest run up easily when thou art once accustomed to it. The heart which of itself, is naturally backward, will contract a greater unwillingness through disuse: And as an untamed Colt not used to the hand, it will hardly come to hand, when thou shouldst use it.

3. And lastly, Thou wilt lose that heat and life by long intermissions, which with much ado thou didst obtain in duty. If thou eat but a meal in two or three days, thou wilt lose thy strength as fast as thou gettest it; if in holy Meditation thou get near to Christ, and warm thy heart with the fire of Love; if thou then turn away, and come but seldom, thou wilt soon return to thy former coldness. If thou walk or labor, till thou hast got thee heat, and then sit idle all day after, wilt thou not surely lose thy heat again? especially, it being so spiritual a work, and so against the bent of nature, we shall be still inclining to our natural temper.

If water that is heated be long from the fire, it will return to its coldness, because that is its natural temper. I advise thee therefore that thou be as oft as may be in this soul-raising duty, least when thou hast long rowed hard, against the stream or tide, and wind, the boat should go further down by thy intermission, then it was got up by all thy labor; And least when thou hast been long rolling thy stony heart towards the top of the hill, it should go faster down when thou dost slack thy diligence. Its true, the intermixed use of other duties, may do much to the keeping thy heart above, especially secret prayer; but Meditation is the life of most other duties: and the veiws of heaven is the Life of Meditation.

SECT. III.

3. COncerning the Time of this duty, I advise thee that thou choose the most seasonable Time. All things are beautiful and excellent in their season. Unseasonableness may lose thee the fruit of thy labor; It may rise up disturbances and difficulties in the work; Yea it may turn a duty to a sin: when the seasonableness of a duty doth make it easy, doth remove impediments, doth embolden us to the undertaking, and doth ripen its fruit.

The seasons of this duty are either first, extraordinary or secondly, ordinary.

1. The ordinary season for your daily performance, cannot be particularly determined by man: Otherwise God would have determined it in his word; But men's conditions of employment, and freedom, and bodily temper are so various, that the same may be a seasonable hour to one, which may be unseasonable to another. If thou be a servant, or a hard laborer, that thou hast not thyself, nor thy time at command, thou must take that season which thy business will best afford thee: Either as thou sittest in the shop at thy work, or as thou travellest on the way, or as thou liest waking in the night. Every man best knows his own time, even when he hath least to hinder him of his business in the world. But for those whose necessities tie them not so close, but that they may well lay aside their earthly affairs, and choose what time of the day they will, My advice to such is, that they carefully observe the temper of their body and mind, and mark when they find their spirits most active, and fit for contemplation, and pitch upon that as the stated time. Some men are freest for all duties when they are fasting, and some are then unfittest of all. Some are fit for duties of humiliation at one season and for duties of exaltation at another. Every man is the meetest judge for himself. Only give me leave to tender you my observation, which time I have always found fittest for myself, and that is, The evening, from Sun setting to the twilight: and sometime in the night when it is warm and clear. Whether it be anything from the temperature of my body, I know not: But I conjecture that the same time would be seasonable to most tempers; for several natural reasons, which I will not now stand to mention. Neither would I have mentioned my own experience in this, but that I was encouraged hereunto by finding it suit with the experience of a better and wiser man then myself, and that is Isaac: for it is said in Gen. 24.63. That he went to Meditate in the field at the eventide: and his experience I dare more boldly recommend unto you then my own. And as I remember Doctor Hall in his excellent Treatise of Meditation, gives you the like account of his own experience.

SECT. IIII.

2. THe Lord's day is a time exceeding seasonable for this exercise. When should we more seasonably contemplate on Rest, then on that day of Rest which doth typ • fie it to us? Neither do I think that typifying use is ceased, because the Antitype is not fully yet come. However it being a day appropriated to Worship and spiritual duties, me thinks we should never exclude this duty which is so eminently spiritual. I think verily this is the chiefest work of a Christian Sabbath, and most agreeable to the intent of its positive institution. What fitter time to converse with our Lord, then on that day, which he hath appropriated to such employment, and therefore called it, The Lord's Day ? What fitter day to ascend to heaven, then that on which our Lord did arise from earth, and fully triumph over death and hell, and take possession of Heaven before us? The fittest temper for a true believer, is to be in the spirit on the Lord's Day: This was Saint Johns temper on that day. And what can bring us to this ravishment in the spirit, but the spiritual beholding of our ravishing glory? Surely though an outward ordinance may delight the ear, or tickle the fancy, yet it is the views of God that must ravish the soul. There is a great deal of difference betwixt the receiving of the word with joy, Mat. 13.20. and being in the spirit on the Lord's Day, Rev. 1 10.

Two sorts of Christians I would entreat to take notice of this especially.

1. Those that spend the Lord's day only in public worship; either through the neglect of this spiritual duty of Meditation, or else by their overmuch exercise of the public, allowing no time to private duty: Though there be few that offend in this last kind, yet some there are, and a hurtful mistake to the soul it is. They will grow but in gifts, and common accomplishments▪ if they exercise but their gifts in outward performances.

2. Those that have time on the Lord's day, for idleness, and vain discourse; and find the day longer then they know how well to spend: Were these but acquainted with this duty of contemplation, they would need no other recreation nor pastime; they would think the longest day short enough, and be sorry that the night hath shortened their pleasure.

Whether this day be of positive Divine Institution, and so to us Christians of necessary observation, is out of my way to handle here: I refer those that doubt, to what is in Print on that subject, especially Master George Abbot against Broad, and (above all) Master Cawdrey and Master Palmer their Sabbatum Redivivum. Its an encouragement to the doubtful, to find the generality of its rational opposers, to acknowledge the usefulness, yea necessity of a stated day, and the fitness of this above all other days. I would I could persuade those that are convinced of its morality, to spend a greater part of it in this true spirituality. But we do in this as in most things else; think it enough that we believe our duty, as we do the articles of our faith, and let who will put it in practice. We will dispute for duty, and let others perform it: As I have known some drunkards upon the Ale bench will plead for godly men, while themselves are ungodly: So do too many for the observation of the Lord's day, who themselves are unacquainted with this spiritual part of its observation. Christians, let heaven have some more share in your Sabbaths, where you must shortly keep your everlasting Sabbath. As you go from stair to stair till you come to the top, so use your Sabbaths as steps to glory, till you have passsed them all, and are there arrived. Especially you that are poor men, and servants, that cannot take time in the week as you desire, see that you well improve this day: Now your labor lies not • o much upon you, now you are unyoaked from your common business; Be sure as your bodies Rest from their labors, that your spirits seek after Rest with God. I admonish also those that are possessed with the censorious devil, that if they see a poor Christian walking privately in the fields on the Lord's Day, they would not Pharisaically conclude him a Sabbath breaker, till they know more: It may be he takes it as the opportunest place, to withdraw himself from the world to God; Thou seest where his body walks, but thou seest not where he is walking in the spirit. Hannah was censured for a woman drunk, till Eli heard her speak for herself; and when he knew the truth, he was ashamed of his censure. The silent spiritual worshipper is most liable to their censure, because he gives not the world an account of his worship.

Thus I have directed thee to the fittest season for the ordinary performance of this heavenly work.

SECT. V.

2. FOr the extraordinary performance, these following are seasonable times. 1. When God doth extraordinarily revive and enable thy spirit. When God hath kindled thy spirit with fire from above, it is that it may mount aloft more freely. It is a choice part of a Christians skill, to observe the temper of his own spirit, and to observe the gales of grace, and how the spirit of Christ doth move upon his. Without Christ we can do nothing. Therefore let us be doing, when he is doing: and be sure not to be out of the way, nor asleep when he comes. The sails of the windmill stir not without the wind: therefore they must set them a going when the wind blows: Be sure that thou watch this wind and tide, if thou wouldst have a speedy voyage to Heaven. A little labor will set thy heart a going at such a time as this, when another time thou mayest study and take pains to little purpose. Most Christians do sometime find a more then ordinary reviving and activeness of spirit; take this as sent from heaven to • alse thee thither: And when the spirit is lifting thy heart from the earth▪ be sure thou then lift at it thyself. As when the Angel came to Peter in his prison and Irons, and smo • e him on the side, and raised him up saying, Arise up quickly, gird thyself, • inde on thy sandals▪ and cast thy garment about thee, and follow me; And Peter arose and followed till he was delivered, Act. 12.7.8, &c. So when the spirit finds thy heart in prison and Irons, and smites it, and bids thee, Arise quickly and follow me, be sure thou then arise, and follow, and thou shall • find thy chains fall off, and all doors will open, and thou wilt be at Heaven before thou art aware.

SECT. VI.

2. WHen thou art cast into perplexing troubles of mind, through suffering, or fear, or care, or temptations, then is it seasonable to address thyself to this duty. When should we take our cordials but in our times of fainting? When is it more seasonable to walk to heaven, then when we know not in what corner on earth to live with comfort? or when should our thoughts converse above, but when they have nothing but grief to converse with below? Where should. Noah's Dove be but in the Ark, when the waters do cover all the earth; and she cannot find Rest for the sole of her foot? What should we think on but our fathers house, when we want even the husks of the world to feed on? Surely God sends thee thy afflictions to this very purpose. Happy thou poor man, if thou make this use of thy poverty: and thou that art sick, if thou so improve thy sickness. It is seasonable to go to the Promised Land, when our burdens and tasks are increased in Egypt; and when we endure the dolors of a grievous wilderness. Believe it, Reader, if thou knewest but what a cordial in thy griefs and care, the serious views of glory are, thou wouldst less fear these harmless troubles, and more use that preserving reviving Remedy: I would not have thee, as Mountebanks, take poison first, and then their Antidote to show its power; so to create thy affliction to try this remedy: But if God reach thee forth the bitterest cup, drop in but a little of the Tastes of Heaven, and I warrant thee it will sufficiently sweeten it to thy spirit; If the case thou art in, seem never so dangerous, take but a little of this Antidote of Rest, and never fear the pain or danger. I will give thee to confirm this, but the Example of David, and the Opinion of Paul, and desire thee thoroughly to consider of both. In the multitude of my thoughts within me (saith David ) thy comforts delight my soul, Psal. 94.19. As if he should say, I have multitudes of sadding thoughts that crowd upon me, thoughts of my sins, and thoughts of my foes, thoughts of my dangers, and thoughts of my pains; yet in the midst of all this crowd, one serious thought of the comforts of thy Love, and especially of the comfortable life in Glory, doth so dispel the throng, and scatter my cares, and disperse the clouds that my troubles had raised, that they do even revive and delight my soul. And Paul when he had cast up his full accounts, gives thee the sum in Rom. 8▪ 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us : Study these words well, for everyone of them is full of life. If these true sayings of God, were truly and deeply fixed in thy heart, and if thou couldst in thy sober Mediditation, but draw out the comfort of this one Scripture, I dare them it would sweeten the bitterest cross, and in a sort make thee forget thy trouble (as Christ saith, A woman forgets her travail for joy that a man is born into the world ) yea, and make thee rejoice in thy tribulation. I will add but one Text more, 2 Cor 4.16.17. For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward is renewed day by day, For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen; For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

SECT. VII.

3. ANother fit Season for this heavenly duty is, When the Messengers of God do summon us to die; when either our gray hairs, or our languishing bodies, or some such like forerunners of death, do tell us that our change cannot be far off; when should we most frequently sweeten our souls, with the believing thoughts of another life, then when we find that this is almost ended? and when Flesh is raising fears and terrors? Surely no men have greater need of supporting joys, then dying men; and those joys must be fetched from our eternal joy. Men that have earthly pleasures in their hands, may think they are well, though they taste no more, but when a man is dying and parting with all other pleasures, he must then fetch his pleasure from Heaven, or have none; when health is gone, and friends lie weeping about our beds, when houses, and lands, and goods, and wealth cannot afford us the least relief, but we are taking our leave of earth forever, except a hole for our bodies to rot in; when we are daily expecting our final day, its now time to look to heaven, and to fetch in comfort and support from thence; and as heavenly delights are sweetest, when they are unmixed and pure, and have no earthly delights conjoined with them, so therefore the delights of dying Christians are ofttimes the sweetest that ever they had: Therefore have the Saints been generally observed to be then most Heavenly when they were nearest dying; what a Prophetical blessing hath Jacob for his sons, when he lay a dying? And so Isaac? what a heavenly Song! what a Divine Benediction doth Moses conclude his life withal, Deut. 32. & 33. Nay, as our Savior increased in Wisdom and Knowledge, so did he also in their blessed expressions, and still the last, the sweetest, what a heavenly prayer? what heavenly advice doth he leave his Disciples when he is about to leave them? when he saw he must leave the world and go to the Father, how doth he wean them from worldly expectations? How doth he mind them of the Mansions in his Fathers House? and remember them of his coming again to fetch them thither? and open the union they shall have with him, and with each other? and promise them to be with him to behold his Glory? There's more worth in those four Chapters, John 14.15.16.17. then in all the Books in the world beside; When Blessed Paul was ready to be offered up, what heavenly Exhortation doth he give the Philippians? what advice to Timothy ? what counsel to the Elders of the Ephesian Church? Acts 20. How near was S. John to heaven in his banishment in Patmos, a little before his translation to Heaven? what heavenly discourse hath Luther in his last sickness? How close was Calvin to his Divine studies in his very sickness, that when they would have dissuaded him from it, He answers, Vultisne me otiosum a domino apprehendi? What, would you have God find me idle? I have not lived idly, and shall I die idly? The like may be said of our famous Reynolds. When excellent Bucholcer was near his end, he wrote his Book De Consol • ti • ne Decumbentium. Then it was that Tossianus wrote his Vade mecum. Then Doctor Preston was upon the Attribut • s of God ; And then Mr Bolton was on the Joyes of Heaven. It were end less to enumerate the eminent examples of this kind. It is the general temper of the spirits of the Saints, to be then most Heavenly when they are nearest to Heaven. As we use to say of the old and the weak, that they have one foot in the grave already, so may we say of the godly, when they are near their Rest, they have one foot (as it were) in Heaven already; When should a Traveler look homewards with joy, but when he is come within the sight of his home? Its true, the pains of our bodies, and the fainting of our spirits may somewhat abate the liveliness of our joy, but the measure we have, will be the more pure and spiritual, by how much the less it is kindled from the Flesh. O that we who are daily languishing, could learn this daily heavenly conversing! and could say as the Apostle in the forecited place, 2 Cor. 4.16, 17, 18! O that every gripe that our bodies feel, might make us more sensible of future ease! and that every weary day and hour might make us long for our eternal rest! That as the pulling down of one end of the balance is the lifting up of the other, so the pulling down of our bodies might be the lifting up of our souls! that as our souls were usually at the worst when our bodies were at the best, so now they might be at the best when our bodies are at the worst▪ why should we not think thus with ourselves? why everyone of these gripes that I feel are but the cutting of the stitches for the ripping off mine old attire, that God may clothe me with the glory of his Saints; Had I rather live in these rotten rags, then be at the trouble and pains to shift me? Should the Infant desire to stay in the womb, because of the straitness and pains of the passage? or because he knows not the world that he is to come into? nor is acquainted with the fashions or inhabitants thereof? Am I not nearer to my desired rest, then ever I was? If the remembrance of these griefs will increase my joy, when I shall look back upon them from above; why then should not the remembrance of that joy abate my griefs, when I look upwards▪ to it from below? And why should the present feeling of these dolors so much diminish the foretastes of Glory, when the remembrance of them will then increase it? All these gripes and woes that I feel, are but the farewell of sin and sorrows: As Nature useth to struggle hard a little before death, and as the devil cast the man to the ground and tore him, when he was going out of him, Mark 9.26. so this tearing and troubling which I now feel, is but at the departure of sin and misery; for as the effects of Grace are sweetest at last, so the effects of sin are bitterest at the last, and this is the last that ever I shall taste of it: when once this whirlwind and earthquake is past, the still voice will next succeed; and God only will be in the voice, though sin also was in the earthquake and whirlwind.

Thus Christian, as every pang of sickness should mind the wicked of their eternal pangs, and make them look into the bottom of hell, so should all thy woe and weakness mind thee of thy near approaching joy, and make thee look as high as heaven: and (as a Ball) the harder thou art smitten down to earth; the higher shouldst thou rebound up to heaven. If this be thy case who readest these lines, (and if it be not now, it will be shortly) if thou lie in consuming painful sickness, if thou perceive thy dying time draw on, O where should thy heart be now but with Christ? Methinks thou shouldst even behold him, as is were, standing by thee, and shouldst bespeak him as thy Father, thy Husband, thy Physician, thy Friend! Methinks thou shouldst even see, as it were, the Angels about thee waiting to perform their last office to thy soul, as thy friends wait to perform theirs to thy body; Those Angels which disdained not to bring the soul of a scabbed Beggar to heaven, will not think much to conduct thee thither. O look upon thy sickness, as Jacob did on Josephs Chariots, and let thy spirit revive within thee, and say, It is enough, that Joseph, that Christ, is yet alive, for because he lives I shall live also, Joh. 14.19. As thou art sick and needest the daintiest food, and choicest Cordials, so here are choices then the world affords, here is the food of Angels and glorified Saints; here is all the joys that heaven doth yield, even the Vision of God, the sight of Christ, and whatsoever the blessed there possess; This Table is spread for thee to feed on in thy sickness, these dainties are offered thee by the hand of Christ: He hath written thee the Receipt in the Promises of the Gospel, He hath prepared thee all the ingredients in Heaven, only put forth the hand of Faith, and feed upon them, and rejoice & live; The Lord saith to thee, as he did to Elias, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee, 1 Kings 19.7. Though it be not long, yet the way is foul: I counsel thee therefore that thou obey his voice, and arise and eat, and in the strength of that meat thou mayest walk till thou come to the Mount of God; Dye not in the ditch of horror or stupidity; but (as the Lord said to Moses ) Go up into the Mount, and see the Land that the Lord hath promised, and die in the Mount ; And as old Simeon when he saw Christ in his infancy in the Temple, so do thou behold him in the Temple of the New Jerusalem as in his Glory, and take him in the arms of thy Faith, and say, Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eye (of Faith) hath seen thy salvation ; As thou wast never so near to Heaven as now, so let thy spirit be nearer it now then ever.

So you have seen which is the fittest season for this duty: I should here advise thee also of sometimes unseasonable; but I shall only add this one Caution; The unseasonable urging of the most spiritual duty, is more from the Tempter then from the Spirit of God: When Satan sees a Christian in a condition wherein he is unable and unfit for a duty, or wherein he may have more advantage against us by our performance of it, then by our omitting it, he will then drive on as earnestly to duty, as if it were the very spirit of Holiness: that so upon our omitting or ill performance, he may have somewhat to cast in our teeth and to trouble us with. And this is one of his ways of deceiving, when he transforms himself into an Angel of Light. It may be when thou art on thy knees in prayer, thou shalt have many good thoughts will come into thy mind: or when thou art hearing the word, or at such unseasonable times: Resist these good thoughts as coming from the devil, for they are formally evil, though they are materially good; Even good thoughts in themselves may be sinful to thee. It may be when thou shouldst be diligent in thy necessary labors, thou shalt be moved to cast aside all, that thou mayest go to Meditation or to Prayer; These motions are usually from the spirit of delusion: The spirit of Christ doth nothing unseasonably: God is not the God of confusion but of order.

SECT. VIII.

THus much I thought necessary to advise thee concerning the time of this duty. It now follows that I speak a word of the fittest place. Though God is everywhere to be found by a faithful soul; Yet some places are more convenient for a duty then others.

1. As this is a Private and spiritual duty, so it is most convenient that thou retire to some private place. Our spirits had need of every help, and to be freed from every hindrance in the work: And the quality of these circumstances, though to some they may seem small things, doth much conduce to our hindrance or our help. Christ himself thought it not vain to direct in this circumstance of private duty, Mat. 6.4, 6, 18, If in private prayer we must shut our door upon us, that our Father may hear us in secret; so is it also requisite in this Meditation. How oft doth Christ himself depart to some mountain, or wilderness, or other solitary place? For occasional Meditation I give thee not this advise, but for this daily set and solemn duty, I advise, that thou withdraw thyself from all society, yea though it were the society of godly men, that thou mayest a while enjoy the society of Christ: If a student cannot study in a crowd, who exerciseth only his invention and memory, much less when thou must exercise all the powers of thy soul, and that upon an object so far above nature: When thy eyes are filled with the persons and actions of men, and thine ears with their discourse; its hard then to have thy thoughts and affections free for this duty. Though I would not persuade thee to Pythagoras his Cave, nor to the Hermets Wilderness, nor to the Monks Cell; yet I would advise thee to frequent solitariness, that thou mayest sometimes confer with Christ and with thyself, as well as with others. We are fled so far from the solitude of superstition, that we have cast off the solitude of contemplative devotion. Friends use to converse most familiarly in private, and to open their Secrets, and let out their affections most freely. Public converse is but common converse. Use therefore (as Christ himself did, Mark 1.35.) to depart sometimes into a solitary place, that thou mayest be wholly vacant for this great employment. See Mat. 14.23. Mark 6.47. Luke 9.18▪ 36. John 6.15, 16. We seldom read of God's appearing by himself, or his Angels, to any of his Prophets or Saints in a throng; but frequently when they were alone.

And as I advise thee to a place of retiredness; so also that thou observe more particularly, what place and posture best agreeth with thy spirit: Whether within doors, or without; whether siting still, or walking. I believe Isaac's example in this also, will direct us to the place and posture, which will best suit with most, as it doth with me, viz. His walking forth to meditate in the field at the eventide. And Christ's own example in the places forecited; gives us the like direction. Christ was used to a solitary Garden, that even Judas when he came to betray him, knew where to find him, John 18.1, 2. And though he took his Disciples thither with him, yet did he separate himself from them for more Secret devotions, Luke 22.41. And though his meditation be not directly named but only his praying yet it is very clearly implied, Matth. 26.38, 39. His soul is first made sorrowful with the bitter meditations on his death and sufferings, and then he poureth it out in prayer, Mark 14.34. So that Christ had his accustomed place, and consequently accustomed duty, and so must we: Christ hath a place that is solitary, whither he retireth himself even from his own Disciples, and so must we: Christ's meditations do go further then his thought; they affect, and p • erce his heart and soul, and so must ours. Only there is a wide difference in the object: Christ meditates on the suffering that our sins had deserved, that the wrath of his Father even passed through his thoughts upon all his soul; But the meditation that we speak of, is on the glory he hath purchased; that the love of the Father, and the joy of the Spirit, might enter at our thoughts, and revive our affections, and overflow our souls. So that as Christ's meditation was the sluice or floodgate, to let in Hell to overflow his Affections: so our meditation should be the sluice to let in Heaven into our affections.

SECT. IX.

SO much concerning the Time and Place of this duty. I am next to advise thee somewhat concerning the preparations of thy heart. The success of the work doth much depend on the frame of thy heart. When man's heart had nothing in it that might grieve the Spirit, then was it the delightful habitation of his Maker. God did not quit his residence there, till man did expel him by unworthy provocations. There grew no strangeness, till the heart grew sinful, and too loathsome a dungeon for God to delight in. And were this soul reduced to its former innocence, God would quickly return to his former habitation; yea, so far as it is renewed and repaired by the Spirit, and purged of its lusts, and beautified with his Image; the Lord will yet acknowledge it his own, and Christ will manifest himself unto it, and the Spirit will take it for his Temple, and Residence. So far as the soul is qualified for conversing with God, so far it doth actually (for the most part) enjoy him. Therefore with all diligence keep thy heart; for from thence are the issues of life, Prov 4.23.

More particularly, when thou fettest on this duty, First, Get thy heart as clear from the world as thou canst; wholly lay by the thoughts of thy business, of thy troubles, of thy enjoyments, and of everything that may take up any room in thy soul. Get thy soul as empty as possibly thou canst, that so it may be the more capable of being filled with God. It is a work (as I have said) that will require all the powers of thy soul, if they were a thousand times more capacious and active then they are; and therefore you have need to lay by all other thoughts and affections, while you are busied here. If thou couldst well perform some outward duty with a piece of thy heart, while the other is absent, yet this above all I am sure thou canst not. Surely, if thou once address thyself to the business indeed, thou wilt be as the covetous man at the heap of Gold; that when he might take as much as he could carry away, lamented that he was able to bear no more: So when thou shalt get into the Mount in contemplation, thou wilt find there, as much of God and Glory, as thy narrow heart is able to contain; and almost nothing to hinder thy full possession, but only the uncapableness of thy own Spirit. O then (wilt thou think) that this understanding were larger, that I might conceive more! that these affections were wider to contain more! it is more my own unfitness, then anything else, which is the cause, that even this place is not my Heaven! God is in this place, and I know it not. This Mount is full of the Angels of God, but mine eyes are shut and cannot see them. O the words of love that Christ hath to speak! O the wonders of love that he hath to show! But, alas, I cannot bear them yet! Heaven is here ready at hand for me, but my uncapable heart is unready for Heaven! Thus wouldst thou lament, that the deadness of thy heart doth hinder thy joys; even as a sick man is sorry that he wants a stomach, when he sees a feast before him.

Therefore, Reader, seeing it is much in the capacity, and frame of thy heart, how much thou shalt enjoy of God in this contemplation; be sure that all the room thou hast be empty: and (if ever) seek him here with all thy soul: Thrust no • Christ into the stable, and the manger, as if thou hadst better guests for the chiefest rooms. Say to all thy worldly business and thoughts, as Christ to his Disciples, Sit you here, while I go and pray yonder, Matth. 26.36. Or as Abraham when he went to sacrifice Isaac, left his servants and Ass below the Mount, saying, Stay you here, and I and the Lad, will go yonder and worship, and come again to you: So say thou to all thy worldly thoughts, Abide you below, while I go up to Christ, and then I will return to you again. Yea, as God did terrify the people with his threats of death, if any one should dare to come to the Mount, when Moses was to receive the Law from God; so do thou terrify thy own heart, and use violence against thy intruding thoughts, if they offer to accompany thee to the Mount of Contemplation. Even as the Priests thrust Uzziah the King out of the Temple, where he presumed to burn incense, when they saw the Leprosy to arise upon him; so do thou thrust these thoughts from the Temple of thy heart, which have the badge of God's prohibition upon them. As you will beat back your dogs, yea, and leave your servants behind you, when yourselves are admitted into the Princes presence; so also do by these. Your selves may be welcome, but such followers may not.

SECT. X.

2. BE sure thou set upon this work, with the greatest seriousness that possibly thou canst. Customariness here, is a killing sin. There is no trifling in holy things; God will be sanctified of all that draw near him. These spiritual, excellent, soul-raising duties, are the most dangerous, if we miscarry in them, of all. The more they advance the soul, being well used, the more they destroy it, being used unfaithfully: As the best meats corrupted, are the worst. To help thee therefore to be serious when thou settest on this work; First, Labor to have the deepest apprehensions of the presence of God, and of the incomprehensible Greatness of the Majesty which thou approachest. If Rebecca veil her face at her approach to Isaac ; if Esther must not draw near, till the King hold forth the Scepter; if dust and worms-meat must have such respect, Think then with what reverence thou shouldst approach thy Maker: think thou art addressing thyself to him, that made the Worlds with the word of his mouth; that upholds the Earth as in the palm of his hand; that keeps the Sun, and Moon, and Heavens in their courses; that bounds the raging Sea with the Sands, and saith, Hitherto go, and no farther: Thou art going about to converse with him, before whom the Earth will quake, and Devils tremble; before whose bar thou must shortly stand, and all the world with thee, to receive their doom. O think, I shall then have lively apprehensions of his Majesty; my drowsy spirits will then be wakened, and my stupid unreverence be laid aside: Why should I not now be roused with the sense of his Greatness, and the dread of his Name possess my soul?

Secondly, Labor to apprehend the greatness of the work, which thou attemptest, and to be deeply sensible both of its weight and height; of its concernment and excellency. If thou were pleading for thy life at the bar of a Judge, thou wouldst be serious; and yet that were but a trifle to this: If thou were engaged in such a work as David was against Goliath, whereon the Kingdoms deliverance did depend, in itself considered, it were nothing to this. Suppose thou were going to such a wrestling as Jacob's ; suppose thou were going to see the sight, which the three Disciples saw in the Mount: How seriously! how reverently wouldst thou both approach and behold? If the Sun do suffer any notable Eclipse, how seriously do all run out to see it? If some Angel from Heaven should but appoint to meet thee, at the same time and place of thy contemplations, how dreadfully, how apprehensively wouldst thou go to meet him? Why, consider then with what a Spirit thou shouldst meet the Lord; and with what seriousness and dread thou shouldst daily converse with him: When Manoah had seen but an Angel, he cries out, We shall surely die, because we have seen God, Judge 13.22.

Consider also, the blessed Issue of the work, if it do succeed; it will be an admission of thee into the presence of God, a beginning of thy Eternal Glory on Earth; a means to make thee live above the rate of other men, and admit thee into the next room to the Angels themselves; a means to make thee live and die, both joyfully and blessedly: So that the prize being so great, thy preparations should be answerable. There is none on Earth that live such a life of joy and blessedness, as those that are acquainted with this Heavenly conversation: The joys of all other men are but like a childes play, a fools laughter, as a dream of health to the sick, or as a fresh pasture to a hungry Beast. It is he that trades at Heaven, that is the only gainer; and he that neglecteth it, that is the only loser. And therefore how seriously should this work be done!

SECT. I.

H Aving shown thee how thou must set upon this work, I come now to direct thee in the work itself, and to show thee the way which thou must take to perform it. All this hath been but to set the Instrument (thy heart) in tune; and now we are come to the Music itself: All this hath been but to get thee an appetite; it follows now, That thou approach unto the Feast; that thou sit down, and take what is offered, and delight thy soul, as with marrow and fatness. Whoever you are, that are children of the Kingdom, I have this message to you from the Lord, Behold, the dinner is prepared; the Oxen and fatlings are killed: Come, for all things are now ready. Heaven is before you; Christ is before you; the exceeding Eternal weight of Glory is before you: Come therefore, and feed upon it: Do not make light of this invitation, ( Matth. 22.5.) nor put off your own mercies with excuses; ( Luke 14.18.) what ever thou art, Rich or poor, though in Alms-houses or Hospitals though in Highways or Hedges, my Commission is, if possible, to compel you to come in; And blessed is he that eateth bread in the Kingdom of God, Luke 14.15. The Manna lieth about your Tents; walk forth into the Wilderness, gather it up, take it home, and feed upon it: so that the remaining Work is only to direct you, how to use your hands and mouth to feed your stomach, I mean, how to use your • nderstandings for the warming of your Affections, and to fire your Hearts by the help of your Heads. And herein it will be necessary that I observe this Method; First, to show you what instrument it is that you must work by. Secondly, Why, and how this way of working is like to succeed and attain its end. Thirdly, What powers of the soul should here be acted, and what are the particular Affections to be excited, and what objective Considerations are necessary thereto, and in what order you should proceed. Fourthly, By what acts you must advance to the height of the work. Fifthly, What advantages you must take, and what helps you must use for the facilitating your success. Sixthly, In what particulars you must look narrowly to your hearts through the whole: And I will be the briefer in all, left you should lo • e my meaning in a crowd of words, or your thoughts be carried from the Work itself, by an over-long and tedious Explication of it.

SECT. II.

1. THe great Instrument that this Work is done by, is Ratiocination, Reasoning the case with yourselves, Discourse of mind, Cogitation, or Thinking, or, if you will, call it Consideration. I here suppose you to know the things to be considered, and therefore shall wholly pass over tha • Meditation of Students, which tends only to Speculation or Knowing; They are known Truths that I persuade you to consider; for the grossly ignorant that know not the Doctrine of everlasting Life, are, for the present, uncapable of this duty.