Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Seven Evidences of mens having their Converſation in Heaven.
NOW then, there are ſome Evidences of Chriſtians having their Converſation in Heaven. As we ſhewed you ſom Evidences of an Earthly Converſation, ſo likewiſe of a Heavenly Converſation: that is, ſome demonſtrations plainly to ſhew, That the Converſations of Chriſtians are in Heaven.
In the firſt place, It's plain certainly, there are Chriſtians that have their Converſations in Heaven; Firſt, becauſe there are Chriſtians that can vilifie all the things of this earth: ſurely except they had their Converſations higher than the earth they could not ſo vilifie the things of the earth. It's an evidence of the height of Heaven, that a man is lifted up very high, that ſhall look vponupon the very Globe of the earth as a very punctum, as a little thing: ſo an evidence that the hearts of the Saints are on high when they can look on the things of the earth as ſmal; it's true, we that are upon the earth look upon the ſtars as ſmall, and the earth as great; but if we were in Heaven we would look upon the ſtars as great and the earth as ſmall, as Paul did, accounted all things but as dung and droſſe, dogs meat, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt: and Luther, that accounted the whol Turkiſh Empire but a Crumb that the great Maſter of the Family caſts to his dog: ſurely here's an argument that the Saints have their Converſations in Heaven that can look upon the things of the earth as ſo mean, and ſo little, as indeed they are.
A ſecond Evidence is this, That they can be content with ſo little in this world, and can live ſuch comfortable lives in the enjoyment of ſo little; perhaps you cannot tell how to have comfortable lives except you have ſo much coming in by the yeer, and ſo much proviſion: but now, one that is heavenly, a godly man or woman, can tell how to live a joyful and happie life in the want of the things of this world; though they have but little, though but bread and water, though but mean habitations, mean cloathes, though but of mean eſteem in the world, yet can go through the world with a joyful heart, bleſſing God all his daies, nothing but admiring, praiſing, and magnifying God for his rich merciemercy; and bleſſing himſelf in God, and accounting his portion to be a goodly portion, and his lot to be fallen into a fair ground. I verily beleeve that there are very many poor, mean people in this world, yet their houſes are more fill'd with bleſſings of God in one day, than many Rich, Great, Noble men have their houſes in twenty or fourty yeers: now this argues that they have their Converſations in Heaven, that though they want comfort never ſo much in this world, yet they can live comfortable lives; ſurely it is ſomthing that doth rejoyce them, when they can ſo rejoyce in the want of theſe outward things, when their joy depend… … upon the things of this world; men that have earthly hearts, if they loſe but their outward comforts, they cry our, Oh we are undone! And you may ſee mightie alteractions in their very countenances, they have nothing to joy their hearts when they loſe the things of the world: but it is no… ſo with the Saints, whatſoever croſſes they meet withal here in this world, yet ſtill they rejoyce in Chriſt, bleſſing God, the courſe of their lives is nothing elle but a continual magnifying, and praiſing God for his merciemercy and goodneſs to them; ſurely they have their Converſations in Heaven.
Thirdly, Not onlie can live joyfullie in the want of manie comforts, but they can ſuffer the loſs of all, yea, ſuffer hard things, ſuffer afflictions, ſuffer torments and tortures with joyful hearts, reade but that 11. of the Heb. at your leiſure, 13, 14 verſes, They confeſſed that they were ſtrangers, and pilgrims on the earth, for they that ſee ſuch duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page things, declare plainly that they ſeek a Country (this Scripture is to be annexed to the ſecond evidence) Mark, They that ſeek ſuch things declare plainly that they ſeek a Countrie, ſurelie there is ſomthing elſe that they ſeek after when they ſet ſo light by the things of this world, For the Saints are not fools, but there is ſome reaſon for what they do, ſurely there is ſomthing in it, for they have the ſame nature as you have, and they have need of comfort as well as you, and had they not ſome other comfort beſides outward comforts, they could not live ſo comfortably in the want of outward comforts, but they that are content with a little, as pilgrims and ſtrangers: they declare plainly that they ſeek a Country; that is the ſecond Evidence.
And then, For the ſuffering of tortures and pains for the ſake of Chriſt. This is another Evidence: and ſo you have in the 10. Heb. 32. But call to remembrance the former daies in which after ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions, partly, whilſt ye were made a gazing ſtock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilſt ye became companions of them that were ſo uſed, and then in the 34. verſe, And took joyfully the ſpoiling of your goods, Why? knowing in your ſelves that ye have in Heaven a better and enduring ſubſtance: This made them take joyfully the ſpoiling of their goods. What? when their goods were ſpoil'd, did they take that joyfully? what were they mad men to rejoyce at the plundering of their eſtates? No, it was no madneſs, It was becauſe they knew in themſelves that they had in Heaven a better and an enduring ſubſtance, and that made them be willing to wander about in ſheeps skins, and goats skins, in leather cloathes, as in the latter end of the 11. of Heb. reade but from the 36. verſe to the end: this argued their Converſations to be in Heaven. If you reade in the ſtorie of the Martyrs, you ſhall find verie often when they came to the ſtake, ſtill their thoughts were in Heaven, and their hearts there, and encouraging one another what they ſhould have in Heaven, and of the glorie that they ſhould have there, that being willing to ſuffer ſuch hard things for Chriſt, and that being able to undergo all with ſo much joy, is an evidence, that there have been Chriſtians in the world that have had their Converſations in Heaven.
A Fourth Evidence of Chriſtians having their Converſations in Heaven is this, That their hearts are ſo fill'd with Heavenly riches. It is an Argument of a man that trades much unto ſuch a place, when he hath his Warehouſe ſtor'd with the Commodities of ſuch a Countrie: As now, though no man ſhould tell me which way his trading lies, that ſuch a man were a Spaniſh or Turkiſh Merchant; yet if I come into his Warehouſe, & find that conſtantlie his Warehouſe is fill'd with thoſe Commodities, I may conclude, that certainlie this man is a Spaniſh or Turkiſh Merchant: he hath the Commodities of the Countrie continuallie in his warehouſe. So, the Saints have much of the riches of Heaven in their hearts continuallie, they have much grace, much holineſſe, much of the Image of God, much ſpiritual life there is there in a Chriſtian, and you may ſee in his Converſation he doth manifeſt (I ſay) much of the Excellencie of Heaven, much of the Glorie of Heaven ſhines in his face; ſurelie his Converſation is in Heaven who hath ſo much of the riches of Heaven in his heart: The heart of the wicked (ſaith the holy Ghoſt) is little worth: Look into the heart of a wicked man, or woman what is there: thy heart that ſhould be thy ſtorehouſe, what is it fill'd withal? it's fill'd with dirt, and droſſe, and filth, and uncleanneſs, the hearts of wicked men are ſtored with thoſe things: but now, look into the hearts of the Saints, they are fill'd with God, with Chriſt, with the holie Ghoſt, with Grace, that ſhews that they have traded much in Heaven; in a conſtant way you ſhal find their hearts fild with grace, and manifeſting much in their lives, and therefore, ſurelie their Converſation is in Heaven.
A fifth Evidence is this, That they are willing to purchaſe the Priviledges of Heaven at ſo dear a rate; namely, The Ordinances that are part of the Priviledges of the Kingdom of Heaven. Now the Ordinances that are the means whereby they come to enjoy ſo much of Heaven, they are willing to purchaſe them at a dear rate, Oh how ever I live, yet let me live where I may enjoy the Ordinances of God, the wels of Salvation, my life cannot be comfortable in the enjoyment of all things in this world if I ſhould be deprived of the breaſts of conſolation; ſurelie they that are willing to purchaſe Heavenly Commodities at ſo dear a rate as the Saints will do, this doth evidentlie declare their Converſations to be in Heaven.
Sixtlie, When they are ſo ſenſible of the ſtoppages between heaven and their own ſouls. If there ſhould be a general ſtoppage of ſhips that are in France, Turkie, or Spain, your Countriemen are not ſenſible at all of it; but your Merchants I'le warrant you would be ſenſible enough of it, and when they come together upon the Exchange, al their converſe would be of it. So it is with thoſe that have their converſations in Heaven; and here's a great difference between thoſe and thoſe that are earthlie minded; tell thoſe that are earthlie of anie ſtoppage in the Intercourſe between them and Heaven, and they know not what you mean, they think you are fools and mad: but the Saints they are ſenſible of it, oh it is a ſore and ſad evil to them, I mean, when at anie time God hides his face from them, when at anie time they go into the preſence of God & can hear nothing from him, can receive no Letters from Heaven (as I may ſo ſay.) If the Poſt doth not come from ſuch a Countrie, the Merchants are troubled at it. So when the Saints ſend up their prayers to Heaven by which they trade thither and can hear nothing from God again; and when they cannot feel thoſe influences from Heaven let into their ſouls as heretofore ſometimes they have done, Oh! they bewail this as a great evil that is upon them above any evil in the world, that influences of Heaven are ſtop'd, and that God ſeems to be a ſtranger unto them, Oh theſe things they complain of one to another, and they make their moans when they feel the ſtoppages of Heaven; this plainlie declares, that they are Traders for Heaven, and that their Converſations are there.
The laſt Evidence of a Saints having his Converſation in Heaven is; His willingneſs to die, to depart this world: The going out of this world with ſo much comfort, joy, peace, and triumph as many of the Saints have done; as we might give you the expreſſions of many of the Saints when they were readie to die, rejoycing at the hope of Eternal life, at their going out of the world; ſurely had they not converſed in Heaven while they lived here, their ſouls would not have been ſo willing to have departed out of their bodies. A man that hath nothing to do in another Country, it may be ſhall be there as a dead man, he goes but with little joy thither: But now, a man that hath had trading to another Country, and he hath great riches, and ſo thriven there, that whatſoever he ſeems to be here, yet there he is a great man: Oh! how comfortably doth that man go to the Country! how glad is he when he takes ſhip and ſees a fair gale, and proſperous wind to carry him to that Country! And ſo it is with the Saints who have their Converſations in Heaven, becauſe they have ſo much riches there, when they come to die they die with joy, and bleſſe God for that day as the moſt bleſſed day that they have ſeen; for they are going now to the Country that they have been trading to all their daies, and where their riches lies. Theſe are the Evidences and Demonſtrations that the Saints have their Converſations in Heaven.