The Way to True Happiness, Sermon 3
The third SERMON.
3 Blessed are the poore in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdome of Heauen.
De hisce beatitud videatur Bernard in festo Omnium Sanct.HItherto of generall instructions, and the Euangelists introduction: Now wee come to particulars. Blessed (saith our Sauiour) there he takes his beginning, the first thing he intended was blessednesse, the first of his works blessings, the first word he vtters, is blessed; this is his primary and direct worke, to bring man and blessednesse together, but where rests the blessing? on the poore, but spiritually poore; here's a paradox, the foundation of mans happinesse is layde in misery, Gods courses and wayes are high, not against, but farre aboue mans particular reason, but to the words; in them see, 1. the persons in speech, and then the thing affirmed first, confirmed next, the persons are poore, beggers, pouerty imports a want or scarcity of things, necessarie to life and liueli-hood, eueryevery want of superfluities is not pouerty; then one is said to be poore, when he is destitute of things necessary to life, that is, truely liuely; life is either naturall or spirituall (Carnall life is but death, and therefore we bury that) when a man is destitute of meanes, which tend to the preseruing and cherishing of either life, then is he said to be poore, poore in purse and in the world; if hee be scanted in the one, poore in spirit, if in the other, now the question is, of which pouerty our Sauiour here speaketh,Vid. Estium ad loc. and our answer is this, first, we take the Iesuits word, that vowed pouerty, or outward pouerty voluntarily vndertaken is not here spoken off, for first, the particulars instanced are duties commanded, not perfections onelyonly perswaded, and secondly, if vowed pouerty were the thing here blessed, the blessed Virgin and her blessed Sonne were not vnderunder the blessing here pronounced, if the wisest of themselues and least partiall may bee heard. Secondly,Vid. Caiet. & Guliel de Sanct. amore apud Sixt. Senes. in Biblioth lib. Sext. anno. 18. outward pouerty imposed by God, we doe not vtterly exclude, for though it be neither a blessing in it selfe, nor a cause of blessednesse to man, yet may it befall a blessed man, and bee made an occasion of spirituall pouerty, and thus we yeeld the Disciples, to whom these words are applyed, Luk. 6. to bee in some degree both wayes poore, and to say as the thing is, there is no man becomes spiritually poore, til he be poore either in his outward condition, or inward disposition and opinion, touching externalls; that is, till he hath emptyed himselfe of all conceit of, and and confidence in his wealth, and findes himselfe poore for all his riches, and willing to part goods for grace: But all this will amount to no more, but a bare occasion of blessednesse, and nothing is more cleere then this, that a man may be both outwardly poore and euerlastingly miserable, our third answere therefore is, that spirituall pouerty (which fals vnderunder precept, and is not a meere councell) is here meant; and so our Sauiour expounds himselfe, when he addeth poore (in Spirit) and this pouerty is so tearmed, first, in respect of it's subiect, to wit, mans spirit, chiefly his vnderstanding and iudgement. Secondly, of the obiect, namely, spirituall things; not outward goods. Thirdly and cheifely in respect of the author, the Spirit of God, which first conuinceth a man of the excellency of heauenly things, of his owne vtter emptinesse and want of them, of his extreame need, and strickt duty of hauing them, of the great benefit of getting them, and to conclude of the impossibility of compassing them by his own strength, & possibility of attaineing them by Gods mercy and meanes. Secondly, the same spirit subdues the will, and perswades the heart to a cheerfull vse of Gods meanes in obedience, and with s…me assurance of acceptance. The party then here described is (at the vtmost) one, who being outwardly humbled with the want of riches, or wants in riches, inquires thereupon into his spirituall estate, and there finding himselfe worse then naught, thereupon makes to God for a spirituall supply, and is willing to take it vponupon any tearmes; this is the man: Now what is it that tis affirm'd of this man? hee is (blessed) blessednesse is a concurrene of all excellencies and requisites to mans wel-being without mixture of their contraries, 'tis properly appliable to persons, first, to God, as the Author of all happinesse, and at second hand to man, as the subiect of some, man I say, as he holds communion with God by the graces of the Spirit hereafter metioned, and commended to vsus, either as parts, or as signes; or as meanes, or as effects of our blessednesse: The matter then is, that the spiritually poore is in a blessed condition. But now in the third place, how is this proued? thus, hee is blessed who hath the Kingdome of heauen; and this is the poore mans portion: Therefore, this Kingdome is the blessed estate and gouernement of Christ in grace and glory, one Kingdome, but the roomes are two; an vpper and a lower, knowne by the name of the Church militant and triumphant, the state one in substance, degrees onelyonly varying, this Kingdome, in regard of the quality of it, is tearmed heauenly, in regard of the author and giuer of it is called God's, Luk. 6. as also the poore's in these respects, first 'tis theirs by assignement, 'tis appointed of God and set out for them from all eternity. Secondly, theirs by right; they hauing a right to their Christ. Thirdly, theirs by actuall possession in their head Christ, who in their names stands seized of it, and in themselues; so far as they are spiritually poore, that is, emptied of themselues and filled with God, and this for the words; Doctr. Now to the matter.
Where God intends happinesse, he begins with spirituall pouerty: herein, God deales like a wise Physician, who first makes sicke, that so hee may make whole, like a good Chirurgion, who first cuts, and then cures; like a good builder, who digs downe-ward, that hee may build vpward, thus God vndoes a man before he saues him, marres him, before he makes him; takes him all to peices, and then ioynts him for euer; this to be his method is soone seene: if you trace either his prescriptions or practises, in a plethory or fulnesse he prescribes phlebotomy or some euacuation, thus the rule runnes, is any man (conceitedly) wise, he must empty himselfe and become a foole, that he may bee truely wise, 1 Cor. 3.13. Is hee falsely merry? he must be seriously sad, that he may be sollidly merry, Iam. 4. Is he high? he must be humbled, that he may be high: So runnes Christs bill to the Church of Laodicea, he first sets downe what they were in conceit, they were rich, wise, wanting nothing, secondly, what they were indeed, poore, Reuel. 3.blind, naked, wanting all things, and that done, he aduises them to take vp of him receipts, and eye-salue; that so they might know themselues, and vnderstand their beggery; thus hee prescribes, and accordingly he practises, his first worke is conuiction and downe-casting, this we see in Manasses, first, he claps him vp, and hangs irons enough vponupon him, and then comes vponupon him with a pardon and saluation: thus he dealt with Paul, first, hee vnhorses him, keepes him vnderunder darknes, & on the racke, and when he had master'd him, then hee makes him; this was his course of old, Iob 33. he affrights a man with dreames, afflicts him with paines vponupon his bed, and hauing thus plough'd him, hee after sowes him, and this is his course still, he entertaines vessels of glory, as the goldsmith doth his battered plate: first, beats it all to peices, and then casts it into a new mould, and burnishes it againe. And this method is most rationable, for;
First, till a man be thus poore (that is taken off Reas. 1 from himselfe and all creatures) hee will neuer come where happinesse growes, hee will seeke it eyther in the creatures where it is not to be found, or in himselfe, where it cannot be had; so long as hee is any thing in himselfe, his mind must needes be restlesse, his thoughts boundlesse (for mistake hath no bounds) and therefore hee must needes out of himselfe, if he will be quiet, that is, happy, for what is man in himselfe, but a compound and bundle of sinne and misery? and when would hee make out, if hee were not conuinced of this? Or should hee, yet (secondly) hee would neuer goe to the price of Christ and spirirtuall Reas. 2 graces; 'tis pouerty that enhanceth prices, plenty brings downe the Market; the strong man knowes not the price of health, the full man the worth of bread, Christ is Christ, grace is grace to the poore alone, another man hath too many pearles to giuegive for that one Pearle, Christ; eueryevery sinne is precious to him, eueryevery creature his, eueryevery courser blessing, his goods, his name, his life, all these are his Iewells, and men will not part with their Iewells till they are pincht with wants. Thirdly, could hee prize it, yet would hee neuer prosecute it in the vse of all the meanes; 'tis neede that sets men on worke, and driues them abroad, as it did Iacobs children for bread, Ahab for water: Take me 2. men that are going the to market, the one whereof hath neede, the other hath none; the Reas. 3 first must to the Towne what weather soeuer fall out, though it should raine frogges and toads (as they say) the other cares not whether hee goe or no, hee can goe, or he can chuse, and why? because he hath no such need; if hee goe, for fashions sake he walks about, and it may be cheapens commodities, but if eyther the price be too great, or his opinion of the thing too little, he knowes how to stay longer, and cares not much for further proofe of the Market, but now the former (whose wife and children call on him for bread) must to the place, and to the price too; bread hee wants, and bread he must hauehave, though he lay his coat to pawne: so stands the case here; the full Christian can go or not go to the Market of his soule, can buy or not buy, speed or not speed, as he likes the peniworths, but the poore empty soule must hauehave Christ in his bloud, Christ in his graces, Christ in his ordinances what euer it cost him, thus 'tis with him, when he is once poore, but neuer thus Reas. 4 till hee be poore. In the fourth place, would hee vse the meanes, yet were hee not capable of the thing, I meane happinesse, till hee hath emptied himselfe, and voyded the room, there is no roome for God, he pleaseth to dwell eyther very high or very low,Esay 7.15. as Esay saith, He inhabites eternity, hee dwells also in the humble and contrite heart, if we will hauehave God (and hauehave him we must, if we will be happy) we must be poore and low, then hee will dwell in vsus, and if we meane to inhabit his eternity, we must be nothing in our selues, till a man be at this passe, there's no passage for him to heauen, he must be vntwisted, before he can enter that narrow passage, as Chrst tells vsus, nay, the poore onelyonly receiue the Gospell, which points vsus that way, the poore onelyonly will accept of heauen as a gift, as an almes, the proud will not claime it, vnlesse he can purchase it, or contribute towards it. Lastly, put Reas. 5 case happinesse stood before him, and were ready to drop into his mouth, yet could he not relish or enioy it till hee were poore in spirit; this pouerty of spirit, is the sauce of the soule,Plutarc. in vit. Alex. as Alexander was wont to say, that his hungry dinner was his suppers sauce; vnlesse a man bring this sauce with him, Christ will be no Christ, sweetnesse no sweetnesse, heauen (as I said) no heauen, as wee see in the diuells, whom heauen it selfe could not content, when once they had lost their dependency vponupon God, and reacht after a selfe-sufficiency.
You hauehave heard the point proued, now let's bring it home in the application.
Let eueryevery man now examine and try his owne Vse 1 estate and Title to happinesse. Wee vsually blesse the rich, and hold the poore miserable; it is otherwise in the inward condition: here only the richest is poorest, and they alone that are spiritually poore, are the blessed of the Lord. Of this spirituall pouerty, there are signes of 2. sorts. Some are false: lay them by. These are 1. outward pouerty; some would perswade themselues, they are poore in spirit, because they are poore in purse; but pride oft peepes thorow ragges, dwells in a low cottage, &c. There may be a rich (i. e. an high) heart, where is but a poore estate.
2. Legall pouerty is a false signe: this is when the heart is beaten downe with legall terrors. The difference is, 1. legall pouerty is painfull, and inuoluntary, but spirituall is voluntary, &c. well apayd that God should carry the purse; placeth it's happinesse in God. 2. legall pouerty makes a man despaire, but spirituall lookes to God, and sees remedy. 3. legall driues from God, spirituall drawes to God.
3. Deniall of Gods graces is not this pouerty; as some, because they may not be so rich as they would, will be nothing at all: they see an vnworthines in themselues, and because they are poore, they will needs hauehave Christ so too; this is hypocrisie, or vnthankfulnesse, or vnbeliefe, but not pouerty.
4. The denying of a mans selfe the comforts, that God hath giuen him in Christ, in the word, in the creatures, this is no spirituall pouerty; if you will giuegive it a name, call it pride. These are the false signes: The true are these:
1. Spirituall pouerty is instructiue, conuinceth a man of his owne insufficiency, lets him see an all-sufficiency in God, takes him off from's owne bottom; lets him see that there's nothing in the creature, but he must to God, shewes him the infinite distance betwixt God and himselfe; by this the prodigal is said hauehave to come to himselfe, Manasses to know God himself: For pouerty of spirit, is the sobriety of the soule, makes a man set a true estimate vponupon himselfe, rate himselfe as God rates …i…; and eueryevery one is iust so much worth as God tates him at. Try your selues now by this note. Most men place all substance and tack in wealth, honours, pleasures, &c: see nothing but emptinesse in God, Christ, grace, &c. He that is spiritually poore, is of a contrary iudgement; Spirituall pouerty is humbling, casts a man downe, makes him submit to God both in his direction and correction, lay his face in the dust, see reason, why God should afflict him, say, I doe or I would resigne my selfe to God: So for spirituall things, he will be content to take Gods comforts vponupon Gods tearmes, at Gods times, and by Gods meanes. An humbled begger will stay your leisure, a sturdy rogue snuffes and raile if you serue him not presētly. Try your selues now by this no…: The most when they are afflicted, bustle, storme, see no reason why they should be so hardly dealt withall, especially, when God smites them by an instrument, they cannot take it so: likewise in spiritual things, those that cannot submit to the foolishnesse of preaching, goe about to establish their owne righteousnesse, will needs bring something of their owne toward their saluation, cannot yet hauehave the comfort of being spiritually poore.
Spirituall pouerty is a sensible thing, it pinches, and makes a man complaine, not against God, but against himselfe. Thus and thus hee might hauehave beene, and so much good he might hauehave done, had he been but worth his yeeres, or taken his opportunities. The poore man (you know) is euer querulous, you shall hauehave a whole oration of his wants, if you'll giuegive him the hearing; others hauehave this, and others hauehave that, but hee hath nothing: So a man that's spiritually poore, he wants faith, he wants patience, &c: Search you now by this signe; most complaine of outward wants, as of wealth, &c; but where's the man that's sensible, and cries out of his want of grace?
4. It is subduing, and makes one thankfull for any thing, as a begger that's hunger-staru'd, giuegive him but of the coursest, or but a little, Oh 'tis good, Master, 'tis good: but a sturdy rogue grumbles, if you giuegive but a little, and hee must hauehave drinke too, or he is not contented: so he that is spiritually poore, if God afford him any answer, shew him any fauour, oh how thankfull is he; lesse he thinks himselfe, then the least of all Gods mercies. when he that is high in his owne eyes and vnbroken, thinkes eueryevery thing too little, or not good enough; but wee can stand no longer vponupon the search. Let a second vse be
Vse 2 To perswade vsus to this spirituall pouerty, the high-way to happinesse: Cast away not your purses, but your pride; empty not your coffers, but your mindes, you will say, alas, we are empty already, we hauehave nothing to be proud of: but looke well to the businesse; pride, like the Chamelion will liue vponupon ayre: the more empty a man is of grace, the more conceited; commonly as empty vessels sound loudest: By perswading vsus to this, Obiect. you would makes vsus loose all our comforts, all our hopes.
Sol.Not so. but hereby you shall establish them, whiles you fix your selues on God, place your All in him: heereby the soule comes to be at rest.
Here begins all a mans comfort, holinesse; pouerty of spirit is the bud of Grace, Christ here beginnes with it, as the foundation of holinesse, and first step to happinesse. Misery came into the world by swelling of Spirit, happinesse comes by pouerty of spirit: God deales with vsus herein, as men doe with frantick persons: that are runne besides themselues through pride, or otherwise, and are brought again to their senses by low-diet, and hard vsage: so he reduceth vsus to our right mindes, letting vsus see and sigh vnderunder our owne vilenesse, naughtinesse, nothingnesse. the lower the foundation, the higher the roofe.
Here, for your more happy proceeding, wee will shew you: 1. what this pouerty of spirit is, and 2. how it may be attained. For the first, hee did not much mistake the matter, that made it the same with humility: but pouerty of spirit is a larger thing, reacheth to all creatures, to all conditions, when a man hath no sufficiency of his owne, but is conuinced of all fulnesse of strength and comfort in God. The Spirit tells a man, 1. That grace is fundamētally necessary, 2. That it is not in any creature. 3. That there is help enough in God, and that he is willing to impart it. 4. It subdues the will to take it vponupon Gods termes, and by his meanes, so that God will saue him, hee will refer all to his mercy, owe all to God, nothing to others. And this is spirituall pouerty: a man may be spiritually poore, vtterly voyd of true grace, and yet not poore in spirit; as on the contrary, he may be poore in spirit, which yet is rich in grace. As for the means to attaine this grace, obserue that some things do onelyonly feede pride: auoyd these: as 1. Ignorance: therefore men must get that eye-salue, Reu. 3. that they may see themselues, and other things, as indeed they are, and so be humbled. 2. selfe-louelove, selfe-conceit, breeds selfe-deceit: 3. flattery (this is without vsus) 4. idlenesse.
The meanes to be vsed are: 1. Compare thy selfe with others, that came in after thee (who yet hauehave out-gone thee) with great Paul, with Christ, with God, and seeing the infinite distance, fall downe before him in thy thoughts, as Peter, and say, Depart from mee, for I am a sinfull man. The creature, set in comparison with Gods do vanish, as starres before the Sunne.
2. Apply your selues to Gods meanes, to the Word of God preached in the power and life of it: liue vnderunder a searching Ministry. let this glasse alwayes stand before you, this lets a man see God, and himselfe, as he is: and truth humbles a man. So in affliction, close with God, when he smites you, take his part against your selues, and doe yee smite too; like as the smith and his man, the master strikes, and the man strikes: so when God corrects vsus, we must set in and ioyne with him for the breaking of our owne hearts, making vse of the opportunity.
3. Examine your selues often, and make diligent search into your owne hearts and liues, hee that lookes often vponupon his sinnes and his best seruices, how he failes in the manner, by performing spirituall seruices carnally, shall hauehave enough to humble him. There is nothing more shames and deiects a good heart then this, I hauehave praied, heard, read, &c: 'tis true, but how hauehave I done it? full poorely, slightly, slubberingly.
Comfort to those that are poore in Spirit, they are in a blessed estate. Wee are apt to thinke that God will vndoe vsus, when indeed he will make vsus: he breakes vsus outwardly, that he may build vsus inwardly; and then indeed, a man becomes a man, and neuer before: when once a man is become poore in spirit, the worke is halfe done, the foundation layd; the hardest work of a Christian is to pull downe himselfe, wee all prize our selues at a high rate, howeuer others prize vsus. 2. 'tis a safe estate; he that's poore in spirit is past harme, obtaines that which Austin praied for, neither to deceiue, nor be deceiued: for scuh a one will very hardly bee drawne to hold any thing against the Truth. 3. he is at peace at home, others cannot thinke or speake so meanely of him, as he of himselfe, he easiely agrees with them. That which breakes a proud mans heart, will not breake his sleepe, &c. Obiect.
Oh, but I finde I grow worse and worse!Sol.
This is thy growth in Religion, to finde thine vnprofitablenesse: for here, the better any man is, the worse he iudgeth himselfe to be, the richer,Duarenus, so a… Athens foreign, &c. the poorer. As Duarenus saith, of such as come to the Vniuersity, the first yeere, they are Doctours, in their owne conceits at least, the next yeere they come to be Masters, the thi…d yeere, they are content to bee Batchelours, and the fourth, schollers: so Christians at their first conuersion are high in their owne eyes, know all things, censure all, &c: but afterwards, the longer a man liues, the lower he growes, till with Paul he come to be of sinners the grea…est, but of Saints the least; Therefore be not discouraged, so long as you continue constant, and conscionable in the vse of the meanes, your growth is to see your vnprofitablenesse. Quest.
But how shall I know my spirituall pouerty to be right? Answr.
By these marks. 1. It is peaceable. A horse that's fed at full, and does nothing, will grow so feirce and vnruly, that none shall come neare him with safety: but a poore lade that's hard-fed, and hard put to't, creeps by and steales his way without hurt done to any: So that man that's lofty and vnbroken, carries himselfe so proudly in his place, and is so insolent, that none of his poore neighbours can liue in peace by him: when hee that is poore in spirit, and priuy to his owne vnworthinesse, is at peace with all men, disquiets none.
2. 'Tis praier full. The poore man speakes supplications, saith Salomon: so the poore in Spirit powres forth prayers, with ease and freedome.
3. 'Tis thankefull, for any thing, as we shewed you before.
4. 'Tis mercifull to others, not censorious, cruell, harsh.
Lastly, 'tis emptying, it rids a man of all selfishnesse, selfe-conceipt, selfe-louelove, selfe-pleasing, selfe-dependancy, selfe-sufficiency, once for all, it willingly empties it selfe, and ascribes all fulnesse to God, speaking in Pauls words: And so we come to speake of the reason in these words,2 Cor. 3.5. for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen.
Theirs it is, 1. in right. 2. in possession also, so farre as they are dispossest of themselues, and filled with God: The first thing we note here, is the strength and truth of the Argument, which stands thus. They to whom the kingdome of heauen belongs, are blessed. But such are the poore in spirit: therefore they are blessed. Now in that he thence inferres their happinesse, because theirs is the kingdome heauen, we note, that
They are in a blessed case to whom heauen belongs, Matth. 5.10. Blessed are the persecuted, &c: for theirs is the Kingdome, so vers. 12. Reioyce, for great is your reward in heauen, they are pronounced blessed, onelyonly in relation to the reward, in that they are heyres of heauen, so Mat. 25.34. Come yee blessed of my Father: and how blessed? receiue the Kingdome: The same you may see, Reu. 19 9. Blessed are they which are called to the Supper of the Lamb; vnderstand it of heauen. It implies indeed the state of grace, but that other of glory is primarily here meant, and intended. Reas.
The tru…h of this will appeare, whether you look to things or persons; for the first, heauen is the best estate, and the best kingdome; 1. it is most ample, boundlesse, Reuel. 21.7. He that ouercommeth, shall inherite all things: such shall be Princes in all Lands, Psal. 45. Secondly, tis a most rich kingdome: there is no want of any thing vnderunder or aboue heauen. Thirdly, it is most safe, for they are all friends there; the gates alwayes open. 4. durable, an inherirance incorruptible, vndefiled, and that fades not, but is alwayes fresh and flourishing. Now, if those were accounted happy that liued in the land of Canaan, or in Salomons Court: what must they needs bee, that liue in such a kingdome, as heauen is?
Reas. 2 But secondly, if wee turne vsus to persons, they must needs bee happy, that hauehave part in heauen. The King thereof is happinesse it selfe, the subiects all happy, in him their Light, strength, &c; and t…rough him also: Happy they are, 1. in their company. 2. in their condition; for company, there's happy Dauid, happy Abraham ther's Christ, God blessed for euer: the lowest person there, is an Angell. 2. for their condition, they enioy the lamb, are the spouse, free from sin, temptation, &c; filled with all grace and happinesse, as full eueryevery one, as his vessell can hold: The very place is truly beatificall. The properties of a place are 1. to preserue eueryevery thing safe, as fish is safe in the waters, birds in the ayre, &c; heauen also is a place of safety, there is no feare or suspicion. 2. to quiet things, as we see eueryevery thing rests in its owne place: this is most true of heauen, there's no need of stoole, chaire, bed, or whatsoeuer else here we rest vsus on. 3. to giuegive content, as a bone is at ease in its owne place; if out, restlesse. Heauen is our place, countrey, &c; where is all manner of content, fountaines of comfort, riuers of pleasure, full, and fresh.
Ʋse. 1 Make out after the Blisse (as they spoke in Popery, though in a wrong sense) labour for part in this happy inheritance. Before, wee perswaded you to be poore, nothing in your selues, &c. Now wee come with a crowne in our hand, loose this, and you loose more then your selues: for happinesse is the perfection of your selues. But where shall you finde it? It growes not on earth. Not eueryevery one that hath an earthly kingdome, is thereby happy: Herod was a King, so was Ahab, yet neither of them happy: Iezabel was daughter, wife, mother, sister to a King, yet a cursed woman. Though a man had as many crownes on his head as Ahashuerosh had, all this would not proue him happy Alexander will weepe, that there is not yet another world to subdue. 'Tis heauen only that can make happy, that's our Countrey, there's our Father, our husband, our inheritance: goe then a pilgrimage to this holy land for happinesse: heauen is feisible, and more easie to get then an earthly kingdome. Here we cannot be all kings: there are not kingdomes enough. but there, there is none vnderunder a King. Yea, if men would but take the same paines for heauen, that they doe for hell, they might hauehave it; And then it should bee no more Good-man or Good-wife such a one, but King and Queene such a one: Now to atcheiue t…is kingdome, 1. marry the heyre (not kill the Heyre, as those in the Gospell) and then the inheritance shall be ours. Accept of Christ, and let him hauehave your loues, your hearts; you cannot match your selues better. 2. Beare Christs Company in the way to the Kingdome; There be wayes that lead to all great Cities: God also hath chalked vsus out a way to heauen, namely, his Commandements, and hath told vsus the by-wayes; walke now in this holy way, and so finde rest to your soules. 3. Take hold of heauen here, lay hold vponupon eternall life, 1 Tim. 6. We must hauehave liuery and seison of it here; how so? by adding to the graces of the Spirit, as St. Peter hath it 2 Ep. 1.5. to faith vertue, to vertue knowledge, &c: whereby an entrance shall be abundantly ministred vntounto vsus into the euerlasting kingdome. Thou must bee poore in spirit, pure in heart, meeke, mercifull, &c: by these staires thou must climbe vp to the state of blessednesse, as for the cause meriting it, cry out with the Martyr, None but Christ, None but Christ: I'll be his in life and death, and hee is my gaine and hope in both.
See here the wofull misery of blind man, that iudges amisse altogether, and greatly mistakes himselfe in placing his happinesse in earthly vanityes: like as children whose cheife delight is in toyes and gawdes; set a child on horse-back, and you put him into heauen, hee is then in his kingdome, take away his cherristones, and hee cryes out as one vndone. And such is the iudgement of the world. Let a man hauehave losse in his estate, &c: we thinke him miserable; but if hee meet with a good bargaine, a happy windfall, &c; wee hold him happy. But the truth is, that he onelyonly gaines, that gets God, Christ, peace, heauen, himselfe, though otherwise he bee neuer so great a looser. So long as a man looseth not the whole of his estate, hee doth not account himselfe miserable in some lesser losses. So long as a man hath interest into heauen, he cannot be vnhappy, whatsoeuer outward losses or crosses he vndertakes.
But who be those that shall misse of heauen?
1. All vnrigteous persons. 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Know yee not that the vnrighteous shall not inherite the Kingdome of God? Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, &c; 'tis expresse Scripture. Not, but that such may be saued, if they repent: for such were some of you, but ye are washed, &c: ver. 11. but if they continue to be children of disobedience, such as will not be perswaded, the word (foreign) signifies, then there's no heauen to be had. 2. All vnmercifull men, for to such it shall be said, Depart from me; I hauehave nothing to say to you, Matth. 25. for I was an hungered, and yee gaue mee no meate, &c. Thirdly, all vnholy men: for without holinesse none can see God, God will see such a one to his terror; but he shall neuer see God to his comfort. So Ioh. 3.3, 5. Except a man be borne anew, he cannot see the Kingdome of God. And Heb. 12.14.
Comfort to those that can cleare their title and right to heauen, that hauehave their euidences in readinesse, Ʋse. 3 that are in a blessed case: Therefore feare not little flock, it is your Fathers good pleasure to giuegive you a kingdome. I may say the same of other passions, grieue not, faint not, little flocke, the kingdome's yours: Oppose this to all hard-ships, miseries, disasters, and be comforted: Say here, indeed I am poore, vnderunder winde, nobody, but hereafter I shall hauehave the Kingdome. And let this stay and satifie you against all the brags of the wicked, what great matters they hauehave, one heauen is more worth then all these; As the story reports, that when Charles the fift in a challenge to the King of France, commanded his herald proclaime it with all his Titles: Charles Emperor of such a place, King of such a place, Duke of such a place, &c. bids defiance to the King of France: The King of France on the other side, bad his herald proclaime; The King of France, the King of France, the King of France bids battell to Charles Emperour of Germany, &c: intimating that one kingdome of France was more worth, then all those empty Titles: So may we oppose the Kingdome of heauen to all their vuants of greatnesse, as being far more then all theirs, and when they cry out, money money, pleasures, honours: cry thou, Heauen, heauen, heauen; that answers to all.
Qest.But how shall I know my Title to heauen?
Answ. 1. See how farre you'll deny your selfe for it, what wilt thou do or suffer for a kingdome? canst thou part with an arme or an eye for heauen? be at any paines for …he getting of this pearle? He that will doe nothing, part with nothing for heauen, is not worthy of it.
2. Be sure you hauehave the earnest of heauen here, euen that Spirit of God, whereby we are sealed, Eph. 1 13. Looke then into your selues for pouerty o… spirit, purity of spirit, meekenesse of spirit, &c.
3. HaueHave your conuersation in heauen, Phil. 3. place your thoughts there, your affections there, your comforts there.
4. Be still adding to the graces of the spirit, degree to degree, and act to habit. Hereby you shall hauehave one foote in heauen, and be sure neuer to fall away, but hauehave an entrance into the euerlasting Kingdome, 2 Pet. 1.5. with 11.