CHAP. XII. Directions how to lead a heavenly Life upon Earth (2)

[318]   Romans xiv, 1.

[319]   2 Timothy ii, 23, 24.

[320]   Titus iii, 9.

[321]   1 Timothy vi, 3-5.

§ 6. (5.) 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 out of heaven, it must needs keep thy heart from heaven. 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 will certainly keep our hearts from paradise, and increase the cursed separation from our God. Intercourse with God will keep men low, and that lowliness will promote 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-abhorrence 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 free access to God, and savor most of the life above. The delight of God is in him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at his word;[322] and the delight of such a soul is in God; and where there is mutual delight, there will be freest admittance, heartiest welcome, and most frequent converse. But God is so far from dwelling in the soul that is proud, that he will not admit it to any near access; the proud he knoweth afar off;[323] God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.[324] A proud mind is high in conceit, self-esteem, and carnal aspiring; a humble mind is high, indeed, in God's esteem, and in holy aspiring. These two sorts of high-mindedness are most of all opposite to each other, as we see most wars are between princes and princes, not between a prince and a ploughman. Well then, art thou a man of worth in thine own eyes? Art thou delighted when thou hearest of thy esteem with men, and much dejected when thou hearest that they slight thee? Dost thou love those best that honor thee, and think meanly of them that do not, though they be otherwise men of godliness and honesty? Must thou have thy humors fulfilled, and thy judgment be a rule, and thy word a law to all about thee? 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 submit to humble confession, when thou hast sinned against God; or injured thy brother? Art thou one that lookest strange at the godly poor, and art almost ashamed to be their companion? Canst thou not serve God in a low place, as well as a high? Are thy boastings restrained more by prudence or artifice than humility? Dost thou desire to have all men's eyes upon thee, and to hear them say, "This is he?" Art thou unacquainted with the deceitfulness and wickedness of thy heart? Art thou more ready to defend thy innocence, than accuse thyself, or confess thy fault? Canst thou hardly bear a close reproof, or digest plain dealing? If these symptoms be undeniably in thy heart, thou art a proud person. There is too much of hell abiding in thee, to have any acquaintance with heaven; thy soul is too like the Devil, to have any familiarity with God. A proud man makes himself his God, and sets up himself as his idol; how then can his affections be set on God? How can he possibly have his heart in heaven? Invention and memory may possibly furnish his tongue with humble and heavenly expressions, but in his spirit there is no more heaven than there is humility. I speak the more of it, because it is the most common and dangerous sin in morality, and most promotes the great sin of infidelity. O Christian! if thou wouldst live continually in the presence of thy Lord, lie in the dust, and he will thence take thee up. Learn of him to be meek and lowly, and thou shalt find rest unto thy soul.[325] Otherwise thy soul will be like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt;[326] and instead of these sweet delights in God, thy pride will fill thee with perpetual disquiet. As he that humbleth himself as a little child, shall hereafter be greatest in the kingdom of heaven;[327] so shall he now be greatest in the foretastes of that kingdom. God dwells with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.[328] Therefore humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.[329] And when others are cast down, then thou shalt say, there is lifting up, and he shall save the humble person.[330]

[322]   Isaiah lxvi, 2.

[323]   Psalm cxxxviii, 6.

[324]   1 Peter v, 5.

[325]   Matthew xi, 29.

[326]   Isaiah lvii, 20.

[327]   Matthew xviii, 4.

[328]   Isaiah lvii, 15.

[329]   James iv, 10.

[330]   Job xvii, 29.

§ 7. (6.) A slothful spirit is another impediment to this heavenly life. And I verily think there is nothing hinders it more than this in men of a good understanding. If it were only the exercise of the body, the moving of the lips, the bending of the knee; men would as commonly step to heaven, as they go to visit a friend. But to separate our thoughts and affections from the world, to draw forth all our graces, and increase each in its proper object, and hold them to it till the work prospers in our hands; this, this is the difficulty. Reader, heaven is above thee, and dost thou think to travel this steep ascent without 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 a 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.[331] 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? Thou knowest that heaven is all thy hopes, that nothing below can yield thee rest, that a heart seldom thinking of heaven, can fetch but little comfort thence; and yet dost thou not lose thy opportunities, and lie below, when thou shouldst walk above, and live with God? Dost thou not commend the sweetness of a heavenly life, and judge those the best Christians that use it, and yet never try it thyself? As the sluggard that stretches himself on his bed, and cries, 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! How many read books, and hear sermons, expecting to hear of some easier way, or to meet with a shorter course to comfort, than they are ever like to find in Scripture? Or they ask for directions for a heavenly life, and if the hearing them will serve, they will be heavenly Christians; but if we shew them their work, and tell them, they cannot have these delights on easier terms, then they leave us, as the young man left Christ sorrowful. If thou art convinced, reader, that this work is necessary to thy comfort, set upon it resolutely: If thy heart draw back, force it on with the command of reason: If thy reason begin to dispute, produce the command of God, and urge thy own necessity, with the other considerations suggested in the former chapter. Let not such an incomparable treasure lie before thee, with thy hand in thy bosom; nor thy life be a continual vexation, when it might be a continual feast, only because thou wilt not exert thyself. Sit not still with a disconsolate spirit, while comforts grow before thine eyes, like a man in the midst of a garden of flowers, that will not rise to get them, and partake of their sweetness. This I know, Christ is the fountain; but the well is deep, and thou must get forth this water before thou canst be refreshed with it. I know, so far as you are spiritual, you need not all this striving and violence; but in part you are carnal, and as long as it is so, there is need of labor. It was a custom of the Parthians, not to give their children any meat in the morning, before they saw the sweat on their faces with some labor. And you shall find this to be God's usual course, not to give his children the taste of his delights, till they begin to sweat in seeking after them. Judge therefore whether a heavenly life, or thy carnal ease, be better; and as a wise man, make thy choice accordingly. Yet let me add for thy encouragement, Thou needest not employ thy thoughts more than thou now dost; it is only to fix them upon better and more pleasant objects. Employ but as many serious thoughts every day upon the excellent glory of the life to come, as thou now dost on worldly affairs, yea, on vanities and impertinencies, and thy heart will soon be at heaven. On the whole, it is the field of the slothful, that is all grown over with thorns and nettles; and the desire of the slothful killeth his joys, for his hands refuse to labor; and it is the slothful man saith, there is a lion in the way, a lion in the streets. As the door turneth upon its hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom, it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth,[332] though it be to feed himself with the food of life. What is this but throwing away our own consolations, and consequently the precious blood that bought them? For he that is slothful in his work, is brother to him that is a great waster.[333] Apply this to thy spiritual work, and study well the meaning of it.

[331]   Matthew xi, 12.

[332]   Proverbs xxvi, 30. 31. xxi, 25. xxvi, 13-15.

[333]   Proverbs xviii, 9.

§ 8. (7.) Contentment with the mere preparatives to this heavenly life, while we are utter strangers to the life itself, is also a dangerous and secret hinderance. When we take up with the mere study of heavenly things, and the notions of them, or the talking with one another about them; as if this were enough to make us heavenly. None are in more danger of this snare, than those that are employed in leading the devotions of others, especially preachers of the gospel. O how easily may such be deceived! while they do nothing so much as read and study of heaven; preach, and pray, and talk of heaven; is not this the heavenly life? Alas! all this is but mere preparation: This is but collecting the materials, not erecting the building itself: It is but gathering the manna for others, and not eating and digesting it ourselves. As he that sits at home may draw exact maps 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. A blind man, by learning, may dispute of light and colors; so may you set forth to others that heavenly light, which never enlightened your own souls, and bring that fire for the hearts of your people, which never warmed your own hearts. What heavenly passages had Balaam in his prophecies, yet how little of it in his spirit? Nay, we are under a more subtle temptation, than any other men, to draw us from this heavenly life. Studying and preaching of heaven more resembles a heavenly life, than thinking and talking of the world does; and the resemblance is apt to deceive us. This is to die the most miserable death, even to famish ourselves, because we have bread on our tables; 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 for the refreshment of our own souls.

§ 9. (II.) Having thus shewed thee what hinderances will resist thee in the work, I expect that thou resolve against them, consider them seriously, and avoid them faithfully, or else thy labor will be in vain. I must also tell thee, that I here expect thy promise, as thou valuest the delights of these foretastes of heaven, to make conscience of performing the following duties: the reading of which, without their constant practice, will not bring heaven into thy heart. Particularly, be convinced that heaven is the only treasure and happiness;—labor to know that it is thy own—and how near it is;—frequently and seriously talk of it;—endeavor to raise thy affections nearer to it in every duty;—to the same purpose improve every object and event;—be much in the angelical work of praise; possess thy soul with believing thoughts of the infinite love of God; carefully observe and cherish the motions of the Spirit of God;—nor even neglect the due care of thy bodily health.