Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 14 – Chapter 21
CHAP. XIV. An Heavenly Converſation is a convincing Converſation.
I Shall not need to come again and tel you, what Heavenly Converſation is, it hath been opened at large to you; but for the ſetting an edg upon this Exhortation:
Firſt, Know, That a Heavenly Converſation will be a very convincing Converſation; then you will convince men that you have ſomwhat more than they have when they ſee you live Heavenly; for the men of the world they know the things of the world, are the things that their hearts are upon, and that which they mind; but now, when they ſee thoſe that profeſſe Religion mingle themſelves with the earth as they do, then they will think that they are acted by the ſame principles that themſelves are; but now, Heavenly Converſations will convince them, when they behold them walking above in the whol courſe of their lives, when they ſee an evenneſs and proportion in their courſe; take them at all times, and in all buſineſſes, they carry themſelves as men of another world: As a man that is a ſtranger to a place, may for a while act it ſo, as he may ſeem to be one that is a native in the place, but one that is born in the place, will go nigh to find him out in one thing or other: and ſo, 'tis very hard for men to carry themſelves ſo if they have not true grace, though they appear ſometimes to be very Heavenly, yet one that is a true Citizen of Heaven will diſcern them at one time or other if they have not grace; yea, the truth is, carnal men wil diſcover themſelves that they are born of the earth, and are of their Countrie, his ſpeech betrais him, he is a Giliadite: But when Chriſtians ſhal in their conſtant way have their Converſations in Heaven, then their Cōverſations are very convincing; There are the Raies of Heaven about them, they have the luſtre of Heaven ſhining whereſoever they go, and in all company, ſurely ſuch a man ſeems to be in Heaven continually; So it will force it from the very Conſciences of men to ſay, Certainly theſe are the Citizens of Heaven; if there be any Denizens of the new Jeruſalem while they live upon the earth, theſe they are. I remember it's ſaid of that Martyr Dr. Taylor, That he did rejoyce that he ever came into the priſon to be in company with that Angel of God Mr. Bradford, Mr. Bradford's Converſation, it was Angel-like, like an Angel of Heaven, and did convince almoſt every where, where he went: Oh! 'tis of great uſe that Chriſtians ſhould live convincing Converſations. You know what Dives ſaid to Abraham, That he would have one ſent to warn his brethren, that they might not come to that place: ſaith Abraham, They have Moſes and the Prophets: Oh but ſaith Dives, If one riſe from the dead, they would hear him. I may ſay thus, If God ſhould ſend one from Heaven to live among men, and to preach to them, ſurely they would regard him. Would it not be a great benefit to the world if God ſhould ſend ſome one Saint from Heaven, or Angel to converſe in a bodily way among us? Truly, Chriſtians ſhould live ſo, as if they came from Heaven every day, as if they had been in Heaven and converſing with God. When they go to perform duty in a morning, and get alone between God & their ſouls, they ſhould never leave ſtriving till they get their hearts ſo in Heaven, and get themſelves upon the Mount, ſo as when they come down to their family their very faces may ſhine, ſo that you may ſee by their Converſations, that certainly they have been with God upon the Mount this day.
Now I appeal to you in this, Do you live ſo, as that your family, and your neighbors may ſee that you have bin this morning in Heaven? Every morning we ſhould have ſome converſe with Heaven, which if we had, our Converſations would be convincing all the day long, and very profitable it would be to the world; Chriſtians that live Heavenly Converſations they are (I ſay) of very great uſe in the places where they live. As I remember it's ſaid concerning Chriſt, When he aſcended up to Heaven, he gave gifts to men. And if we could oftener aſcend up to Heaven, we ſhould be more able to be beneficial to the world.
CHAP. XV. An Heavenly Converſation is growing.
AN Heavenly Converſation is, a growing Converſation. Oh! they grow mightily, they do thrive in grace exceeding much in a very little time, they grow to attain to a very great meaſure of Communion with God the Father, and with Jeſus Chriſt, and every day they grow more and more ſpiritual, having ſo much of heaven within them: It's true, when they come into Heaven, they ſhall be perfect: But now, the fetching from Heaven is that that makes them grow, it muſt be the influence from Heaven that muſt cauſe the grouth of Saints; As now, ſuppoſe that the ground upon which flowers and herbs grow, be never ſo fertile in its ſelf, and the herbs or plants be never ſo well rooted in the earth, yet if there be not an influence of heaven upon them they will not grow much, nay not at all, but quickly wither: So it is with Chriſtians, let them have never ſo much means of growing below, never ſo many Ordinances, yet if they have not rich dews from above they wil not grow, or if there be any growth, yet either they wil bear no fruit, or elſe it will be very ſhrifled and ſowre fruit. You know, that fruit that hath the moſt of the beams of the Sun that comes from heaven upon it, that fruit grows riper and ſweeter than other fruit; fruit that grows in the ſhade, that hath the influence of Heaven kept off from it, it is ſowre fruit. And the reaſon that the Saints have ſo little fruit, and that it is ſo ſowre, it is becauſe that they have not more influences from heaven, they do not ſtand in the open Sun, their ſouls are not preſented dayly before God, and have the warm beams of the Sun of Righteouſneſſe ſhining from Heaven upon them; but there is ſomething between Heaven and their ſouls: but a Converſation in Heaven, as it would be a Convincing Converſation, ſo it would be a Growing Converſation.
CHAP. XVI. An Heavenly Converſation brings much glory to God.
ANd then, It would be a Converſation glorifying God much. Oh! the Glory that God would have from a Converſation in Heaven! Let your light ſo ſhine before men, that others beholding your good works, may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven. Then indeed the Image of the God of Heaven is held forth when mens Converſations are heavenly, the Lord takes much delight to have his glory to be diſpenſed abroad by his Saints, to have ſome reflection upon the world: As in a glaſſe, though beams of the Sun do not ſhine upon a wall, yet by a glaſſe you may take the beams of the Sun and caſt the reflection of them upon a wal: ſo thoſe beams of the glory of God that ſhine in Heaven, the Saints by their Heavenly Converſation may (as it were by a glaſſe) take them and reflect them upon the world, and upon the faces of men: the hearts of the Saints ſhould be as a glaſſe taking the beams of the glory of God and caſting them up and down where they are, and ſo your Heavenly Father ſhould come to be glorified by you. Let every Chriſtian think thus, My Converſation is thus and thus; but what glory do I bring to God by my Converſation? do others glorifie God by beholding the luſtre of the holineſs of God in me? do they ſee cauſe to bleſſe God that they ſee ſo much of the glory of God in me? Certainly, there is more of the glory of God ſhines in the gracious, holy, ſpiritual Converſation of a Chriſtian, than ſhines in the Sun, Moon, and Stars, than in Heaven, and Earth: I mean, for the works of Creation and Providence that are in Heaven and Earth; the creatures that God hath made, as the Sun, Moon, and Stars; and here in this world, the Seas, the Earth, the Plants, and the like, though they have much of the glory of God, yet a Heavenly Converſation declares more of the glory of God than all theſe. You know what the Pſalmeſt ſaith, The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Firmament ſhew his handy work. It may be ſpoken more fully of Heavenly Converſations, the Heavenly Converſations of the Saints, declare the glory of God; and thoſe that ſhine in the Firmament of the Church are ſtars, (for the Church is the firmament, and the Saints be there as ſtars) & they declare the Handy work of God. Now though its true, As in Heaven there's one ſtar differs from another ſtar in glory: and ſo in Chriſtians, every one cannot attain to ſo much glory as another, yet every one is a ſtar, the meaneſt Chriſtian that lives, the weakeſt Beleever that is, yet ſhould be as a ſtar in the firmament, though he cannot ſhine ſo gloriouſly as the Sun, or as other ſtars, yet there ſhould be never a Beleever, never a godly man or woman in the Church but ſhould ſhine as a ſtar in the firmament, but ſhould be as the Goſpel is, even a mirror wherein we might behold the glory of God, in whom we may behold the glory of God even (as it were) with open face: An Heavenly Converſation is a Converſation glorifying God.
CHAP. XVII. An Heavenly Converſation bringeth much glory to the Sanits.
AN Heavenly Converſation, it's a Converſation that will bring much glory to your ſelves: Though it's true, that the Saints ſhould aim at the glory of God moſt, yet there will come glory to themſelves whether they will or no if their Converſations be in Heaven: it's impoſſible but that in the conſcience of men they ſhould be honored walking in a Heavenly Converſation: There's an excellent Scripture, that ſhews, that in our glorifying of God, we glorifie our ſelves alſo: 2 Theſſ. 1. 11, 12. the Aploſtle he praies for them, Wherefore alſo (ſaith he) we pray alwaies for you, that our God would count you worthy of this Calling, and fulfill all the good pleaſure of his goodneſs, and the work of faith with power: To what end? That the Name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. He praies for the Theſſalonians, That they might walk ſo, that they might have ſo much of the grace of God in them, that the Name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt might be glorified in them. Oh! this is that that all the Saints ſhould deſire, and endeavor after, That the Name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſhould be glorified in them; and ye in him ſaith he: Labor you, that Chriſt may be glorified in your lives, and you ſhall be glorified in him. We ſhould deſire that Chriſt may have glory in our glory, & then we ſhall have glory in Chriſts glory: this is a ſweet and bleſſed life, when as the Saints have ſuch hearts, as they can ſay, Lord, let me have no glory, but that thou mayeſt have glory in. Then ſaith God, Is it ſo? Doeſt thou deſire no further glory in this world, but that I may have glory in? then I will have no glory in this world, but what thou ſhalt have glory in: Chriſt will make us partakers of his glory, as well as we ſhall make him partaker of our glory. Oh! An Heavenly Converſation that glorifies God, will glorifie the Saints too.
CHAP. XVIII. An Heavenly Converſation will make Suffering eaſie.
HEavenly Converſation, it will make all ſufferings to be very eaſie, it will be nothing to ſuffer any thing you meet withall in this world, if your Converſations be in Heaven: All revilings, and reproaches, and wrongs, they will be nothing, if you get but a Heavenly Converſation, you will contemn all theſe things that the men of the world think to be ſuch great matters: Men that have converſed in Heaven, never will be much offended for any ſufferings: 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light afflictions which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory: While we look not at the things which are ſeen, but at things which are not ſeen; for the things which are ſeen are temporal, but the things which are not ſeen are eternal. All but light afflictions, Why? for our eye is above all theſe things. And it's a notable paſſage that in the Goſpel, if you examine the place of Chriſts transfiguration upon the mount, there Chriſt ſhewed his glory unto ſome Diſciples, that he carried with him; and this is that that I would note from it, do but obſerve in the ſtory who were the Diſciples that Chriſt carried with him to ſee his glory, they were, Peter, James, and John; now afterwards if you compare that ſtory with the ſtory of Chriſt being in his Agony, which was preſently after; where his ſoul was heavie unto death, when he was to be betraied, and to be crucified the next day, and fell groveling upon the earth, & ſweat clodders of blood through the anguiſh that was upon his ſpirit, & cried out, Oh Lord! If it be poſſible let this cup paſs from me. Here's a great deal of difference between Chriſt in his Agony, and upon the mount in his Transfiguration; and obſerve, that Chriſt would have none of his Diſciples ſee him in his Agony, but Peter, James, and John, only thoſe three that ſaw him in his transfiguration upon the mount in his glory.
The note from hence is, That thoſe that can converſe much with Chriſt in glory, can converſe with Chriſt in Heaven, can ſee Heaven, they may be permitted to ſee Chriſt in his Agony and it will do them no hurt. But now, for the other Diſciples that did not ſee Chriſt in his Glory, if they had ſeen Chriſt in his Agony, it might have offended them, Is this our Lord and Maſter that is in ſuch a fearful Agony at this time? Oh! it would have offended them; but now, the other that ſaw him glorified, it offended them not; Well, though he be in an agony now, yet we know him to be a glorious Savior, and we will beleeve and truſt in him ſtill. So, if we can converſe with God in glory upon the mount, what ever agony we ſee Chriſt in afterwards we ſhall be able to bear it: when Stephen had the ſtones ratling about his ears, yet when he ſaw the Heavens opened it was nothing to him then, he fell aſleep, he rejoyced in the expectation of Heaven. And if you reade in the Book of Martyrs, ever when they came to their ſufferings you may ſee how they did rejoyce, when they did think of Heaven, and remember eternal life. Saith one woman to her child that was going to be burnt, when as the people thought ſhe would have rung her hands, and made great lamentations to have ſeen her child ſtepping into the flames, ſhe ſaid nothing but this, Remember eternal life my ſon. Oh! converſing with Heaven makes all ſufferings in the world nothing.
CHAP. XIX. Heavenly Converſation brings much joy.
THen, Oh the ſweetneſs and comfort that there will be while the ſoul is converſing in Heaven! Oh the joy and the peace that will come to the Soul in the certain evdience that the ſoul is partaker in the Death, Reſurrection, and Interceſſion of Jeſus Chriſt! (I ſay) thoſe whoſe Converſations are in Heaven, by this they come to have certain evidence to their ſouls, that they have their portion in the Death, in the Reſurrection, in the Aſcention, in the Interceſſion of Jeſus Chriſt, and this will afford comfort enough. That Scripture in the 3. Coloſ. 1. If ye then be riſen with Chriſt, ſeek thoſe things that are above where Chriſt ſitteth on the right hand of God; ſet your affection on things above, not on things on the earth: for ye are dead and your life is bid with Chriſt in God. When Chriſt who is our life ſhall appear, then ſhall ye alſo appear with him in glory. Here's an evidence that you are riſen with Chriſt, that you are dead to the world, and have intereſt in his Aſcention, and are partakers of his Reſurrection, and have part in his Interceſſion. Thoſe that have their Converſations in Heaven now, they may know certainly that they are riſen from death to life, that when Chriſt aſcended, he went to Heaven to take poſſeſſion for them, yea, that they are in Heaven where Chriſt is: He hath ſet us in Heavenly places together with Chriſt Jeſus: For he is there as a common head: That they are aſcended with Chriſt already, and that Chriſt is there as an Advocate making Interceſſion for them to the Father, theſe will be the conſolations of thoſe that have their Converſation in Heaven.
CHAP. XX. An Heavenly Converſation is very ſafe.
ANd then, A Converſation in Heaven, is a very ſafe Converſation, you will be free from ſnares and temptations. As an Eearthly Converſation ſubjects unto temptations; ſo a Heavenly Converſation will free us from temptations. When is the bird in danger of the Lime-twig or Net but when ſhe comes to pick below upon the ground? but if ſhe could but keep her ſelf above alwaies, ſhe were free then from the Snare and Net: It's Chryſoſtoms ſimilitude, Keep above, and then ye be free from the ſnare of the fowler. It's a ſafe Converſation.
CHAP. XXI. An Heavenly Converſation gives abundant enterance into Glory.
AND then, It will cauſe an abundant enterance into the Kingdom of Heaven. When they come to die, Oh how joyfully wil they die! what abundant enterance will be made into the everlaſting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jeſus Chriſt? For when they die they ſhall but change their place, they ſhall not change their company: they ſhall but go to their Fathers houſe to be partakers of thoſe manſions Chriſt before hath prepared.
Oh my brethren! labor to have your Converſations in Heaven, and know, that this is not a matter only that concerns eminent Chriſtians, but all Chriſtians; and ſee how the Apoſtle charges this upon the Theſſalonians, 1. Epiſtle 2. 11. As you know how we exhorted and comforted, and charged every one of you, (as a Father doth his children) that you would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory. That is, That you would walk in a Converſation anſwerable to the glorious Kingdom of God that you are called to, according to your high calling, we ſhould walk worthy of it: We are charged ſo to do: and as it's ſaid concerning Chriſt in the Goſpel by Saint John, he ſpake concerning himſelf, But the Son of man which is in Heaven. So it ſhould be ſaid of every child of God, ſuch a one that is in Heaven, not only ſuch a one that ſhall go to Heaven, but that is in Heaven for the preſent.