Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
The Fourth Ʋſe.
AND that rebukes even ſuch as are truly godly, many that yet do fail exceeding much in this thing: Oh! their Converſations are too low, are too earthly; If they would examine their hearts ſtrictly they cannot ſay, that their Converſations are in heaven, I am a ſtranger upon earth, ſaith David. But many may ſay, that they are ſtrangers in heaven. Whereas earth ſhould be the place of our pilgrimage, and heaven our home; but it's quite otherwaies, heaven is rather the place where moſt profeſſors are ſtrangers, and earth is the place of their habitation, they caſt up a thought now and then to heaven, as now and then men will caſt up their eyes and look upon heaven, but where's your heart? where's the great workings of your ſpirits? It's a ſpeech of the Lord, ſaith he, Heaven is my Throne, and Earth is my Foot-ſtool: Spiritual things they are to be look'd upon as the good things, as the Throne of God, & thoſe earthly things only as the things of Gods foot-ſtool: but now, How many are there that have Earth their throne and Heaven their foot-ſtool! that is, Heavenly things are made ſubordinate to earthly things; Oh! this ſhould not be in any of thoſe that profeſſe themſelves to be Chriſtians, none of the Saints ſhould ſatisfie themſelves in any life but this, to be able to ſay, I bleſſe God, my Converſation is in Heaven, though God let me live upon the earth, yet my converſation is in Heaven. What an unworthy thing it is for one that doth profeſſe to have his portion and his inheritance in Heaven, yet to have the heart ſo mingled here with the earth; In Gen 45. 20. ſaith Joſeph in ſending for his father, Regard not your ſtuffe, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. Regard not the ſtuff, do not let it grieve you to forſake your ſtuff, leave all your lumber behind you, for all the good things of Egypt are yours. Oh what a ſhameful thing is it, that Chriſtians ſhould regard their ſtuff ſo much as they do, that hope to have the good things, not of Egypt, but of Heaven its ſelf to be theirs! Surely if we have ſeen the things of Heaven, one would think that all the things of the earth ſhould be darkened in our eyes: 2 Cor. 3. 10. That which was glorious (ſaies the text) had no glory in compariſon of the greater glory. That Scripture I confeſſe, is ſpoken in comparing of the Law and the Goſpel, there was a glory in the delivering of the Law, but that had no glory in compariſon of the greater glory, that is, in compariſon of the Goſpel; for in the Goſpel we behold as in a glaſſe with open face the glory of God, and are changed into the ſame image, as from glory to glory: But we may apply it thus; As the things of the earth that were glorious before in your eyes, yet in compariſon of the greater glory, ſhould not at all be glorious; though before converſion theſe things were glorious, & grant it, that there is ſome kind of glory upon the things of this world, that they are gilded and varniſh't over, but in compariſon of the greater glory they are not glorious at all, though they that never ſaw any thing elſe as glorious but the things of the world, yet thou that haſt ſeen the greater glory ſhouldſt not account theſe things glorious: Oh therefore Chriſtians, lift up your hearts to Henven, and let your Converſations be in Heaven: Though God hath ſo ordered it, that you muſt live here a while and muſt be content, for indeed to ſome Chriſtians that have their Converſations in Heaven, it's a great part of their ſelf-denial, and of their ſubjection to God, to be willing to live upon the earth, and to ſtay from Heaven till Gods time come; This is a riddle and a myſtery to many, that it ſhould be a part of our Salvation, Obedience, yea, of Self-denial, though they had Crowns of Glory, though they were Kings and Princes here in this world, to be willing to ſtay here. We might come to attain this, if our Converſations were in Heaven, and our hearts there. As we reade of Daniel, though God ſo ordered it, that he could not live at Jeruſalem where the Temple was, yet he would open his window towards Jeruſalem, he would ever be looking that way. And ſo, though God hath ſo ordered it, that we cannot come yet to live in this Heavenly Jeruſalem bodily, and in that full way as hereafter we expect to do, yet we ſhould open our window, our eyes, and the doors of our hearts ſhould be open towards Heaven. I remember I have read of Edward the Firſt King of England, that had a mighty mind to go to Jeruſalem, but becauſe he could not go, for death prevented him, he gave charge to his Son to carry his heart thither. And ſo it ſhould be with us, we ſhould endeavour to have our hearts there, and to have as much of Heaven as we can though we cannot be there our ſelves in nature: Every creature hath put into it by the God of nature an inſtinct to move to its proper place; as now, becauſe the proper place of fire is above, there is an inſtinct of nature in fire to aſcend to its proper place. And the proper place of earth is below, and therefore it will fall down to the Center! a heavie thing that hath much earth in it, though it breaks its ſelf to pieces yet it will fall down towards its Center: and ſo it will be with a Chriſtian, though he break himſelf to pieces, whatſoever he ſuffers, yet he hath an inſtinct to carry him to his proper place; fire becauſe its proper place is above, if it be kept down by violence, what a mighty power there is in fire to make way for its ſelf that it may get up, that's the very reaſon of the mighty force that there is in Guns, becauſe there is fire in the pouder that is kept in, when the pouder is once fir'd, becauſe the fire would get up above, therefore it breaks with violence, and if it cannot have vent to get out, it breaks any thing in the world for it muſt out, that it may get up to it's own place; and ſo it ſhould be with a Chriſtian, there ſhould be a ſtrong impetiouſneſs to get up to his own place; that would be an evidence indeed that Heaven is thy proper place: Oh Chriſtians lift up your hearts, and let your Converſations be in Heaven.