The Saints Everlasting Rest, Conclusion 2
The Conclusion.
THus, Reader, I have given thee my best advice, for the attaining and maintaining a Heavenly Conversation. The maner is imperfect, and too much mine own; but for the main matter, I dare say, I received it from God. From him I deliver it thee, and his charge I lay upon thee, That thou entertain and practise it. If thou canst not do it methodically and fully, yet do it as thou canst; onelyonly, be sure thou do it seriously and frequently. If thou wilt believe a man that hath made some small tryal of it, thou shalt finde, it will make thee another man, and elevate thy soul, and clear thine understanding, and polish thy conversation, and leave a pleasant savor upon thy heart; so that thy own experience will make thee confess, That one hour thus spent will more effectually revive thee, then many in bare external duties; and a day in these contemplations will afford thee truer content, then all the glory and riches of the Earth. Be acquainted with this work, and thou wilt be (in some remote sort) acquainted with God: Thy joyes will be spiritual, and prevalent, and lasting, according to the nature of their Blessed Object; thou wilt have comfort in life, and comfort in death: VVhen thou hast neither wealth, nor health, nor the pleasure of this world, yet wilt thou have comfort: Comfort without the presence, or help of any Friend, without a Minister, without a Book, when all means are denied thee, or taken from thee, yet maist thou have vigorous, real comfort. Thy graces will be mighty, and active, and victorious; and the daily joy which is thus fetcht from Heaven, will be thy strength. Thou wilt be as one that standeth on the top of an exceeding high Mountain; he looks down on the world as if it were quite below him: How small do the Fields, and VVoods, and Countreys, seem to him? Cities and Towns seem but little spots. Thus despicably wilt thou look on all things here below. The greatest Princes will seem below thee but as Grashoppers; and the busie, contentious, coveteous world, but as a heap of Ants. Mens threatnings will be no terror to thee; nor the honors of this world, any strong enticement: Temptations will be more harmless, as having lost their strength; and Afflictions less grievous, as having lost their sting; and every Mercy will be better known and relished.
Reader, it is, under God, in thine own choice now, whether thou wilt live thus blessed, or not; and whether all this pains, which I have taken for thee, shall prosper or be lost. If it be lost through thy laziness, (which God forbid) be it known to thee, thou wilt prove the greatest looser thy self. If thou value not this Heavenly Angelical life, how canst thou say that thou valuest Heaven? And if thou value not it, no wonder if thou be shut out. The power of godliness lieth in the actings of the soul: Take heed that thou stick not in the vain deluding form. O man! VVhat hast thou to minde, but God and Heaven? Art thou not almost out of this world already? Dost thou not look every day, when one disease, or other, will let out thy soul? Doth not the Bier stand ready to carry thee to the Grave? and the VVorms wait to feed upon thy face and heart? What if thy Pulse must beat a few strokes more? and what if thou have a few more breathes to fetch, before thou breathe out thy last? and what if thou have a few more nights to sleep, before thou sleep in the dust? Alas, what will this be, when it is gone? And is it not almost gone already? Very shortly thou wilt see thy glass run out, and say thy self, My life is done! my time is gone! its past recalling! there's nothing now, but Heaven or Hell before me! O where then should thy heart be now, but in Heaven? Didst thou but know what a dreadful thing it is, to have a strange and doubtful thought of Heaven; when a man lies dying, it would sure rowze thee up. And what other thoughts, but strange, can that man have, that never thought seriously of Heaven, till then? Every mans first thoughts are strange about all things: Familiarity and acquaintance comes not in a moment, but is the consequent of Custom, and frequent Converse. And strangeness naturally raiseth dread, as familiarity doth delight. What else makes a Fish or a wilde Beast flie from a man; when domestick Creatures take pleasure in his company? So wilt thou flie from God (if thou knewest how) who should be thy onelyonly happiness, if thou do not get this strangeness removed in thy life time? And is it not pity, that a childe should be so strange to his own Father, as to fear nothing more, then to go into his presence? and to think himself best, when he is furthest from him? and to flie from his face, as a wilde Creature will do from the face of a man? Alas, how little do many godly ones differ from the world, either in their comforts, or willingness to die? and all because they live so strange to the place, and Fountain of their comforts. Besides, a little verbal, or other outside duties, or talking of controversies and doctrines of Religion, or forbearing the practice of many sins, how little do the most of the Religious differ from other men? when God hath prepared so vast a difference hereafter. If a word of Heaven fall in now and then in their conference, alas, how slightly is it, and customary, and heartless? And if their Prayers or Preaching have heavenly expressions, they usually are fetcht from their meer invention, or memory, or Books, and not from the experience, or feeling of their hearts. O what a life might men live, if they were but willing and diligent! God would have our joyes to be far more then our sorrows; yea, he would have us to have no sorrow, but what tendeth to joy; and no more then our sins have made necessary for our good. How much do those Christians wrong God and themselves, that either make their thoughts of God, the in-let of their sorrows, or let these offered joyes lie by, as neglected or forgotten? Some there be that say, It is not worth so much time and trouble, to think of the greatness of the joyes above; so we can make sure they are ours, we know they are great. But as these men obey not the Command of God, which requireth them to have their Conversation in Heaven, and to set their Affections on things above; so do they wilfully make their own lives miserable, by refusing the delights that God hath set before them. And yet if this were all, it were a smaller matter; if it were but the loss of their comforts, I would not say so much: But see what abundance of other mischiefs do follow the absence of these Heavenly Delights.
First, It will damp, if not destroy, our very love to God; so deeply as we apprehend his bounty and exceeding love to us, and his purpose to make us eternally happy▪ so much will it raise our love: Love to God, and delight in him, are still conjunct. They that conceive of God, as one that desireth their blood and damnation, cannot heartily love him.
Secondly, It will make us have seldom and unpleasing thoughts of God; for our thoughts will follow our love and delight.
Thirdly, And it will make men to have as seldom and unpleasing speech of God: For who will care for talking of that which he hath no delight in? What makes men still talking of worldliness or wickedness, but that these are more pleasant to them then God?
Fourthly, It will make men have no delight in the service of God, when they have no delight in God, nor any sweet thoughts of Heaven, which is the end of their services. No wonder if such Christians complain, That they are still backward to Duty; that they have no delight in Prayer, in Sacraments, or in Scripture it self: If thou couldst once delight in God, thou wouldst easily delight in duty; especially, that which bringeth thee into the neerest converse with him: But till then, no wonder if thou be weary of all; (further then some external excellency may give thee a carnal delight.) Doth not this cause many Christians to go on so heavily in secret duties? like the Ox in the Furrow, that will go no longer then he is driven, and is glad when he is unyoaked?
Fifthly, Yea, it much endangereth the perverting of mens judgments, concerning the ways of God, and means of Grace, when they have no delight in God and Heaven. Though it be said, Perit omne judicium cum res transit in affectum, That Judgment perisheth, when things pass into Affection; yet that is but when Affection leadeth the Judgment, and not when it followeth. Affection holdeth its object faster then bare Judgment doth. The Soul will not much care for that Truth, which is not accompanied with suitable goodness; and it will more easily be drawn to believe that to be false, which it doth not delightfully apprehend to be good; which doubtless is no small cause of the ungodlies prejudice, against the ways of God, and of many formal mens dislike of extemporate Prayers, and of a strict observation of the Lords day: Had they a true delight in God, and heavenly Things, it would rectifie their judgments better then all the arguments in the world. Lose this delight once, and you will begin to quarrel with the Ordinances and Ways of God, and to be more offended at the Preachers imperfections, then profited by the Doctrine.
Sixthly, And it is the want of these Heavenly Delights in God, that makes men so entertain the delights of the flesh: This is the cause of most mens voluptuousness, and flesh-pleasing. The Soul will not rest without some kinde of delights: If it had nothing to delight in, either in hand, or in hope, it would be in a kinde of Hell on Earth, vexing it self with continual sorrow and despair. If a Dog have lost his Master, he will follow somebody else. Men must have their sweet Cups, or delicious Fare, or gay Apparel, or Cards, or Dice, or Fleshly Lasts, to make up their want of delight in God: (How well these will serve in stead of God, our fleshly youths will be better able to tell me, when we meet at Judgment.) If men were acquainted with this Heavenly Life, there would need no Laws against Sabbath breaking, and riotousness; nor would men need to go for mirth to an Alehouse or a Tavern: They would have a far sweeter pastime, and recreation neerer hand.
Seventhly also, This want of Heavenly Delights, will leave men under the power of every Affliction; they will have nothing to comfort them, and ease them in their sufferings, but the empty, uneffectual pleasures of the flesh; and when that is gone, where then is their delight?
Eighthly, Also it will make men fearful, and unwilling to die: For who would go to a God, or a place that he hath no delight in? or, who would leave his pleasure here, except it were to go to better? O, if the people of God would learn once this Heavenly Life, and take up their delights in God, whilest they live, they would not tremble, and be disconsolate at the tidings of death.
Ninthly, Yea, this want of Heavenly Delight, doth lay men open to the power of every Temptation: A little thing will tice a man from that which he hath no pleasure in.
Tenthly, Yea, it is a dangerous preparative to total Apostacy. A man will hardly long hold on in a way that he hath no delight in; nor use the means, if he have no delight in the end: But as a Beast, if you drive him a way that he would not go, will be turning out at every gap. If you be Religious in your actions, and become over to God in your outward Conversa…ion, and not in your delight, you will shortly be gone, if your trial be strong. How many young people have we known, who by good education, or the perswasion of friends, or for fear of Hell, have been a while kept up among Prayers, and Sermons, and good company, as a Bird in a Cage; when, if they durst, they had rather have been in an Alehouse, or at their sports; and at last, they have broke loose, when their restraint was taken off, and have forsaken the way that they never took pleasure in. You see then, that it is not a matter of indifferency, whether you entertain these Heavenly Delights, or not; nor is the loss of your present comfort, all the inconvenience that follows the neglect.
And now Christian Friends, I have here lined you out a Heavenly precious Work; would you but do it, it would make you men indeed: To delight in God, is the work of Angels, and the contrary is the work of devils. If God would perswade you now to make conscience of this duty, and help you in it by the blessed influence of his Spirit, you would not change your lives with the greatest Prince on the Earth. But I am afraid, if I may judg of your hearts by the backwardness of my own, that it will prove a hard thing to perswade you to the work, and that much of this my labor will be lost. Pardon my jealousie; it is raised upon too many and sad experiments. What say you; Do you resolve on this Heavenly course, or no? Will you let go all your sinful fleshly pleasures, and daily seek after these higher delights? I pray thee hear, shut the Book, and consider of it, and resolve on the duty, before thou go further.—Let thy Family perceive, let thy Neighbors perceive, let thy Conscience perceive, yea, let God perceive it, that thou art a man that hast thy daily Conversation in Heaven. God hath now offered to be thy daily delight: Thy neglect is thy refusal. What? Refuse delight? and such a Delight? If I had propounded you onelyonly a course of Melancholy, and Fear, and Sorrow, you might better have demur'd on it. Take heed what thou dost; Refuse this, and refuse all: Thou must have Heavenly Delights, or none that are lasting. God is willing that thou shouldst daily walk with him, and fetch in consolations from the Everlasting Fountain; if thou be unwilling, even bear thy loss: And one of these days, when thou liest dying, then seek for comfort where thou canst get it, and make what shift for contentment thou canst: Then see whether thy fleshly delights will stick to thee, or give thee the slip; and then Conscience, in despight of thee, shall make thee remember, That thou wast once perswaded to a way for more excellent pleasures, that would have followed thee through death, and have lasted thee to Everlasting. What man will go in rags, that may be clothed with the best? or feed on pulse, that may feed of the best? or accompany with the vilest, that may be a companion to the best? and admitted into the presence, and favor of the greatest? And shall we delight so much in our clothing of flesh? and feed so much on the vain pleasures of Earth? and accompany so much with sin and sinners? When Heaven is set open, as it were, to our daily view, and God doth offer us daily admittance into his presence? O how is the unseen God neglected! and the unseen Glory forgotten, and made light of? and all because they are unseen!Heb. 11.1. and for want of that Faith, which is the Substance of things hoped for, and the Evidence of things that are not seen?
But for you, sincere Beleevers, whose hearts God hath weaned from all things here below, I hope you will value this Heavenly Life, and fetch one walk daily in the New Jerusalem! I know God is your Love, and your desire; and I know you would fain be more acquainted with your Saviour; and I know it is your grief, that your hearts are not more neer him; and that they do no more feelingly and passionately love him, and delight in him. As ever you would have all this mended, and enjoy your desires, O try this Life of Meditation on your Everlasting Rest! Here is the Mount Ararat, where the fluctuated Ark of your Souls must Rest. O let the World see by your Heavenly Lives, That Religion lieth in something more then Opinions, and Disputes, and a task of outward Duties: Let men see in you, what a Life they must aim at. If ever a Christian be like himself, and answerable to his Principles and Profession, it is when he is most serious, and lively in this Duty, when, as Moses before he died, went up into Mount Nebo, to take a survey of the Land of Canaan; so the Christian doth ascend this Mount of Contemplation, and take a survey by Faith of his Rest. He looks upon the glorious delectable Mansions, and saith, Glorious things are deservedly spoken of thee, O thou City of God: He heareth, as it were, the melody of the Heavenly Chore, and beholdeth the excellent employment of those Spirits, and saith, Blessed are the people that are in such a case, yea, blessed are they that have the Lord for their God: He next looketh to the glorified Inhabitants of that Region, and saith, Happy art thou, O the Israel of God, a people saved by the Lord, the Shield of thy Strength, the Sword of thine Excellency. When he looketh upon the Lord himself, who is their Glory, he is ready with the rest, to fall down and worship him that liveth for ever, and say, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come; Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive Glory, and Honor, and Power. When he looks on the Glorified Saviour of the Saints, he is ready to say, Amen, to that new Song, Blessing, honor, glory, and power be to him that sitteth on the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever; for he hath redeemed us out of every Nation by his blood, and made us Kings, and Priests to God. When he looketh back on the Wilderness of this VVorld, he blesseth the believing, patient, despised Saints; he pitieth the ignorant, obstinate, miserable World; and for himself, he saith as Peter, It is good to be here; or as David, It is good for me to draw neer to God; for all those that are far from him, shall perish.
Thus as Daniel in his captivity, did three times a day open his window toward Jerusalem, though far out of sight, when he went to God in his Devotions; so may the believing Soul in this captivity to the flesh, look towards Jerusalem which is above: And as Paul was to the Colossians, so may he be with the Glorified Spirits,Col. 2.5. Absent in the flesh, but present in Spirit, joying in beholding their (Heavenly) Order. And as Divine Bucholcer in his last Sermon, before his death, did so sweetly descant upon those comfortable words, John 3.16. [Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish, but have Everlasting Life.] That he raised, and ravished the hearts of his (otherwise sad) hearers: So may the Meditating Beleever do, (through the Spirits assistance) by his own heart. And as the pretty Lark doth sing most sweetly, and never cease her pleasant ditty, while she hovereth aloft, as if she were there gazing into the glory of the Sun; but is suddenly silenced when she falleth to the Earth: So is the frame of the Soul, most Delectable and Divine, while it keepeth in the views of God by Contemplation: But, alas, we make there too short a stay, but down again we fall, and lay by our musick.
But, O thou, the Merciful Father of Spirits, the Attractive of Love, and Ocean of Delights, draw up these drossie hearts unto thy self, and keep them there, till they are spiritualized and refined; and second these thy Servants weak Endevors, and perswade those that read these lines, to the practice of this Delightful, Heavenly Work. And, O suffer not the Soul of thy most unworthy Servant to be a stranger to those Joyes which he unfoldeth to thy people, or to be seldom in that way, which he hath here lined out to others: But, O keep me while I tarry on this Earth, in daily serious Breathings after thee, and in a Believing, Affectionate Walking with thee: And when thou comest, O let me be found so doing; not hiding my Talent, nor serving my Flesh, nor yet asleep with my Lamp unfurnished; but waiting, and longing for my Lords return. That those who shall read these Heavenly Directions, may not read onelyonly the fruit of my Studies, and the product of my fancy; but the hearty breathings of my active Hope and Love: That if my heart were open to their view, they might there read the same most deeply engraven, with a Beam from the Face of the Son of God; and not finde Vanity, or Lust, or Pride within, where the words of Life appear without: That so these lines may not witness against me; but proceeding from the heart of the Writer, may be effectual through thy Grace, upon the heart of the Reader; and so be the savor of Life to both. Amen.
Glory be to God in the highest:
On Earth Peace:
Good-wil towards Men.
FINIS.