Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Seven Rules, or Directions, how to get Heavenly Converſation.
BUt you will ſay, How ſhould we do to get this our Converſaſation to be in Heaven? it's an excellent Converſation indeed, Oh that we might attain unto it!
The Firſt Rule.
Firſt, Take this Rule, Be perſwaded that it is attainable. Let Chriſtians conclude thus with themſelves, it is poſſible for me to live a life of Heaven while I am upon the earth: There is a Heaven to be got, it will mightily ſtir up the ſpirit of a Chriſtian if he do beleeve this. I may live in Heaven here, with God, and Chriſt, and his Angels, and Saints; there are ſome that have attain'd to this; and how have they attain'd to it? not by their own ſtrength, they were men ſubject to the ſame infirmities that you are, even Paul himſelf that had his Converſation in Heaven, was ſubject to many infirmition But through the ſtrength of Chriſt he can do all things, he was nothing in himſelf; reade but the 7. of the Romans, Paul ſaith there of himſelf, that he was even ſold under ſin, and when he would do good, evil was preſent with him: and he was led captive, and he found a Law in his members rebelling againſt the law of his mind, and he had many corruptions and was feign to have a prick in the fleſh, a meſſenger of Satan to humble him: and he ſpake of this Heavenly Converſation, not only that he had it himſelf, but writing to the Philippians they attain'd to it; they were a Church that were very ſpiritual, but were but poor and mean in reſpect of ſome others, and they had not thoſe eminent gifts that the Corinthians had, and yet the Philippians had their Converſations in Heaven: therefore it is a thing that is attainable.
The Second Rule.
Secondly, If you would get your Converſations in Heaven, Labor to keep a cleer conſcience, keep a Heaven in your conſeience. Thoſe men that do fully and defile their conſciences, they loſe their intercourſe with Heaven, and indeed, the preſence of the God of Heaven is tedious to them, they be loth to go into his preſence when once they have defiled conſciences, If there be a Hell in a mans conſcience, there will not be a Heaven in his Converſation., but let men and women labor to keep conſcience clean, and a Heaven there, and then there will be a Heaven in their Converſations.
The Third Rule.
Watch opportunicies for Heavenly exerciſes, though you have much buſineſs in the world, watch time. You that are ſervants, you ſhould not indeed neglect your Maſters buſineſs, for you may ſerve God in the work of your Maſter, but yet you muſt watch opportunities; get alone, and if you cannot have any long time let it be ſo much the frequenter, watch all opportunities for Heavenly exerciſes, for meditation, for prayer, for reading, for converſing with God: Oh! we might get many opportunities to get our ſouls in Heaven if we would but watch; and thoſe that are diligent to watch opportonities for Heavenly exerciſes, and prize opportunities for them, they are the men and women that will come to attain to a Heavenly Converſation, that do not' make it as a light matter whether they have converſe with God or no in holy duties: Chriſtians that would have their Converſations in Heaven, they muſt look upon their opportunities for Heavenly exerciſes, they eye them, as that wherein much of the joy and comfort of their lives conſiſts.
The Fourth Rule.
Forget not this in the next place, (I ſpeak now to Chriſtians that would feign have their Converſations in Heaven) I ſay to you, Take heed and be careful that you reſt not in formallity; watch to get opportunities, but be not formal in duties in them. Oh! this will mightily darken your Converſations, it will make them very earthly, there will be no beauty at all in them if you come to reſt in formallity in holy performances: There's many Chriſtians that we hope may have ſome good at the bottom, yet growing to a form in Religion they never honor their profeſſion, they have little comfort to their own ſouls, they go on in a dead hearted condition, they know not what it is to have communion with God, Oh beware of that; that we are all by nature ſubject too; thoſe that have enlightenings of conſcience, they dare not but take opportunities for Heavenly duties; but then comes in the temptation of the Devil, and the corruption of our own hearts; when I have done my task, then it's over, I have prayed, I but you have been in Heaven that while? what converſe with God have you had there? Oh take heed of formallity! it will exceedingly hinder your Converſation. But now, a Chriſtian though of never ſuch weak parts, can but chatter to God, and ſpeak a few broken words and half ſentences, yet if he doth not reſt in formallity he may have much converſe with God, whereas others that have excellent parts, yet reſting in the work done, never knows what the meaning is of having a Converſation in Heaven.
The Fifth Rule.
Labor to beat down your Bodies, That is, take heed of making proviſion for the fleſh, beware of ſenſual luſts; how came Paul to have his Converſation in Heaven? ſaith he, I 1 Cor. 9. 27. foreign Caſtigo corpus meum. vulg. Comundo corpus meum. Levidum reddo corpus. Aguſt. Eſt metophoraſumpta à pugilibus & ſuctantibus, qui pugnis & verberibus ſe mutuo obtundunt. Chem. Janſ. Aret. Pareus. Piſcat.beat down my body; The word is, Black and blue; club'd it down; as if he ſhould ſay, This body of mine would draw my heart aſide from ſpiritual things, and make me earthly and ſenſual, I wil keep down my body, I will not give that ſatisfaction to the fleſh, and body ſo as to ſtrengthen any temptation that ſhould draw my heart off from Spiritual, and Heavenly things: no, but I beat down my body ſaith he. There's no Chriſtian that is Heavenly but he muſt be very careful and watchful over his ſences while he lives here, to beat down his body, and ſo he may come to have his Converſation in Heaven.
The Sixth Rule.
Labor to be skilful in the myſtery of godlineſs, to draw ſtrength from Jeſus Chriſt in every thing you do. For my Brethren, Chriſt he is Jacob's Ladder. When Jacob lay aſleep he ſaw a ladder on which the Angels did deſcend and aſcend up to Heaven. Now this Jacob's Ladder is no other but Jeſus Chriſt to Chriſtians, and that muſt be ſet up to Heaven; if you would go to Heaven, and converſe with Heaven, it muſt be by Jeſus Chriſt, you muſt be inſtructed in the myſterie of the Goſpel in converſing with God through a Mediator; there is ſuch an infinite diſtance between God and us, that except we have Chriſt the Mediator we can never come to God, nor God come to us; it is only Chriſt the Mediator that is the Ladder: We need not ſay Who ſhall go up to Heaven to fetch Chriſt down? No, we may have Chriſt in our hearts, and ſet up him, and ſo we may go up to Heaven by his Mediation. When as a Chriſtian comes to live in this manner; what I do expect from God, I expect to draw it through a Mediator, and all the ſervices that I tender up to God I tender them up through the hand and heart of Chriſt: Now thoſe that are acquainted with this have much converſe with Heaven: By Jeſus Chriſt the Mediator I may come up there and preſent my ſelf there, though no unclean thing may come there, for God looks upon the Saints through him as righteous, being cloathed with his righteouſneſs, they may come to their Father with boldneſſe, having their Elder brothers garments upon them, they may come and kneel before the Throne of grace, come into Heaven as into the Preſence Chamber and kneel every morning for their Fathers bleſſing; it's by him what we have acceſſe unto the Father: Oh! acquaint thy ſelf with the Myſtery of godlineſſe in drawing all from Chriſt; and tendering all to God through Chriſt: By this Heaven comes down to thee, and by this thou climeſt up to Heaven, this is the Jacob's Ladder. But thoſe men that only look upon God in a natural way, that's thus, Indeed all good things muſt come from God; and ſo they go to prayer, Lord we beſeech thee bleſs us this day, for all good things come from thee. And they ſerve God, their conſciences tell them they muſt worſhip, and ſerve God while they live here: but it is but in a dull natural way: let me leave it in your hearts, All good comes from God through a Mediator, through Jeſus Chriſt the ſecond Perſon in Trinity, God-Man, and all my ſervices are tendered up to God through him; there is this Mediator God-Man that unites God and me together, and ſo by him I have acceptance both for my perſon and all my actions, and by him I come to have other manner of bleſſings than comes from God meerly as Creator, God in bounty beſtows upon the creature many good things, but when we come to deal with God in Chriſt we come to have Heavenly bleſſings, bleſſings beyond the power of nature, yea beyond all thoſe bleſſings that nature can be any conveyance of, beyond the bleſſings that the conduits of the creature are able to hold forth, they have the bleſſing from God imediately, imediately I mean in reſpect of the creature, it's by the mediation of Chriſt, they enjoy God in Chriſt, and ſo come to enjoy God in a Heavenly, Supernatural way: Oh this is the way to have our Converſations in Heaven; and thoſe Chriſtians that are much acquainted with the Goſpel of Chriſt, they come to live far more Heavenly Converſations than others that go on in a dull, heavie, and natural kind of way in ſerving of God: But being not acquainted with this myſterie, their hearts lie low upon the earth, and know not what it is to have their Converſations in Heaven.
The Seventh Rule.
And ſo the next Rule with which I muſt cloſe all is this, Exerciſe much the grace of faith: There is no way to get above the Creature, and above Nature, but by exerciſing the grace of Faith. Many Chriſtians think they muſt exerciſe love to God, and exerciſe ſorrow for ſin; the grace of Repentance, mourning for ſin, that's good, thou ſhouldeſt do that, and thou ſhouldeſt exerciſe patience; but the great grace that is to be imployed if thou wouldeſt attain a Heavenly life, it is, The exerciſe of Faith: and make conſcience to put forth that grace much, for it's by that that we do converſe with God through Chriſt. Though Chriſt be the ladder, yet it's faith that carries us up this ladder, and brings us down again, it's faith that makes the things of Heaven real to the ſoul, Heb. 11. 1. It's faith that is an evidence of things not ſeen, and the ſubſtance of things hoped for, by faith theſe things come to be made real and ſubſtantial things, and as preſent things, faith it is that gives a great excellency to all the things of Heaven its ſelf, and therefore live much by faith, and walk by faith, and not by ſence, and then ſhalt thou be above the world and live in Heaven; and as the fruit of thy faith wait for the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt. Our Converſation is in Heawen (ſaith the Apoſtle) from whence alſo we look for the Savior the Lord Jeſus Chriſt &c. Where a mans Converſation is, there his expectations may be; and where the expectations are, there a mans Converſation is; now our Converſtaion is in Heaven from whence alſo we look for Jeſus Chriſt; as if he ſhould ſay, It's not a motion, do not you think that when we ſpeak of Converſing in Heaven that we pleaſe our own fancies; Oh no, ſaith he, we by faith look upon Heaven as the moſt real thing in the world, for we expect the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ere long to appear in glory bodily, and we ſhall ſee him with theſe eyes, and ſhall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body, we by faith looking upon ſuch glorious things to be ſo real, and ſo at hand, and we waiting for theſe things it's this that makes our Converſation to be in Heaven: our hearts and all are there, becauſe that we expect that theſe things will be made good to us quickly, Oh Chriſtians do but exerciſe your faith in this, in Jeſus Chriſt, and put forth this fruit of faith in waiting for the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt when he ſhall come and appear in his glory, this will help to make your Converſations to be in Heaven; Oh what a bleſſed time will that be when Jeſus Chriſt ſhall come from the Heavens, and appear to thoſe that have been waiting for him! it was a bleſſed thing to have Chriſt here perſonally and to live with him when he was upon the earth though it were in the ſtate of his humiliation, Oh when he ſhall come in his glory, how bleſſed will that be! and when he ſhall change our vile bodies that they may be like unto his glorious body, Oh this will keep the heart in expectation of Chriſt, for then that vile body of thine that is now a body of ſin and death, matter of diſeaſes, a body of weakneſs, and a lump of clay, now it ſhall be made like the glorious body of Jeſus Chriſt to ſhine more glorious than the Sun in the firmament; this will be when Jeſus Chriſt ſhall come with all his Angels in his glory; and this is obſervable, when all the glory of the creature ſhall be darkened with the glory of God and Jeſus Chriſt, yet then the bodies of the Saints ſhall ſhine gloriouſly before the face of God and Jeſus Chriſt, ſurely they ſhall be more glorious than the glory of the Sun, for that you know will be darkened at the coming of Jeſus Chriſt; The great glory of the Father, and Jeus Chriſt, and the Angels ſhall darken the glory of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, but the glory of the bodies of the Saints ſhall be ſo great, as all the glory of God, and Jeſus Chriſt, and the Angels ſhall not darken their glory, but it ſhall appear with a very great luſtre: now if the glory of God, and the Angels ſhould darken it, then to what purpoſe is it that their bodies ſhall be like to the glorious body of Jeſus Chriſt? but certainly it ſhall not darken their glory: If a candle could be raiſed to have ſo much luſtre and beauty as if you ſhould put it into the mideſt of the Sun, yet it would ſhine in the midſt of it, it would be a ſtrange kind of light you would ſay: It ſhall be ſo with the bodies of the Saints, that though they are put into the midſt of the glory of God, and his Son, yet their very bodies ſhall ſhine in beauty and luſtre there: Now did we beleeve this, and wait for it every day, how would it change us! I have a diſeaſed and a lumpiſh body, and my body hinders me in every duty of worſhip, and ſervice, wandering and vain thoughts lodge in me now; I but I'le wait for that time when Chriſt ſhall come in all his glory, and make my body to be like unto his glorious body, to make it to be able to look upon the face of God, and to be able to be exerciſed in holy duties to all eternity without any wearineſs, and without any intermiſſion: ſo ſhall the bodies of the Saints be raiſed to that power, that their bodies ſhall be ſo ſtrong, that their ſouls ſhall be exerciſed about the higheſt things poſſible for a creature to be exerciſed with without wearineſs; wait for this: I have many things here that trouble my mind, and ſpirit, and hinders me in my converſe with Heaven, but within a while the time ſhall come that I ſhall be delivered from all troubles here, when Chriſt ſhall appear with his mighty Angels to be admired of his Saints, and when he ſhall come and take the Saints to judg the world, and ſhall ſet all the Saints upon Thrones to judg the world: the expectation of this time will raiſe the heart very much to be in Heaven.
But then eſpecially, when I conſider the glory that ſhall be upon my ſoul, let me think thus, if this body of mine that is a lump of fleſh ſhall be by the almighty power of God whereby he is able to ſubdue all things unto himſelf, raiſed to that height of glory, to be more glorious than the Sun in the Firmament; then, what height of glory ſhal my ſoul be raiſed too! but then, take not only my ſoul, but my grace, the Divine Nature that is in my ſoul, what ſhall that be raiſed too? The plants are capable to be raiſed to a higher excellency than ſtones; and the Rational creature to a higher excellency than a Senſitive creature; and the Senſitive higher than the Vegetative, and the Supernatural creature to a higher excellency than the Natural: Then raiſe your thoughts thus; My body ſhall be raiſed ſo high, what ſhall my ſoul be then? and what ſhall my graces that are in my ſoul be? Oh! wait for this, it is but for a little while before I ſhall be with God for him to be all in all to my ſoul enjoying full communion with him; (I ſay) exerciſe faith, and wait for it, look for it every day, conſider it's neerer and neerer, your ſalvation is neerer than when at firſt you beleeved, God hath a little work for you here, but as ſoon as this is done this ſhall be my condition, I ſhal ſee my Savior, my ſoul ſhal preſently be with him and enjoy ful communion with him in glory, and my body within a while ſhal be raiſed and ſhall live for ever with him: ſhall be where he is, and ſhall enjoy all that he hath purchaſed by his blood, as much glory as the blood of Chriſt is worth am I capable of; the text ſaith, It ſhall be a weight of glory: I am not here fitted to bear a weight of glory, if the glory of Heaven ſhould ſhine in upon me ſo much as it might, it would ſwallow me up preſently. We reade in the 7. of Dan. upon the glory of God appearing to him, ſaith he, I Daniel fainted, and was ſick certain daies. If God ſhould open the Heavens, and dart in ſome light from Heaven into us ſo as he might, alas we ſhould faint preſently and be ſick and die, No man can ſee God and live; no man here can enjoy that that God hath prepared for his Saints in Heaven and live; therefore let us be content for a while to be as we are, and exerciſe thy faith and hope in what ſhall be; Thou ſhalt be able to bear that weight of glory, and be able to ſtand before the face of God continually to enjoy thoſe things that eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, nor can enter into the heart of man to conceive: nay, though a man hath a ſpiritual eye, and a ſpiritual ear, and a ſpiritual heart enlarged to ſupernatural things, yet they are things not only beyond the eye of ſence, but the eye of reaſon; nay, the eye of faith hath not ſeen them fully, nor ear hath ever heard of, neither can enter into a gracious heart to convince what it is; but thoſe Cluſters that we have of this land of Canaan do ſhew that mere is a glorious reſt for his people. Now by the exerciſe of your faith and hope work theſe things upon your ſouls every day, it would be a mighty help to make your Converſation to be in Heaven; where ſhould my heart and thoughts, where ſhould my life and converſation be, but where I expect ſuch things as theſe are to be revealed very ſoon in the Day of Jeſus Chriſt, in his appointed time, which is at hand.
FINIS.
OF WALKING VVITH GOD
GENESIS, 5. 24.
And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.