Meetness for Heaven Promoted, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Meetneſs for Heaven, by being mortified to Sin, Time, and Earthly Objects, and being elevated to Heavenly Objects.
4. THE laſt thing wherein meetneſs for Heaven doth conſiſt, is a being dead or being mortified to all things below and alive, and lively to God and things above. It is true, converting grace deadens the heart to all ſublunaries, and lifts it up to divine things: Yea, ſometimes the firſt convictions take off the ſinners Spirit more then is meet, and quite damps the affections to lawful comforts, and makes him think he muſt do nothing in worldly buſineſs, but give himſelf to Reading, Praying and Hearing; but Gods grace in a little time diſcovers this to be a Temptation: Yet as grace gets the upper hand, and the Chriſtian mellows and ripens for glory, ſo he is mortified and gradually transformed and advanced.
1. By further victory over his corruptions; for as the Chriſtian perfects holineſs in the fear of God, ſo he doth by degrees cleanſe himſelf from all filthineſs both of Fleſh and Spirit. 2 Cor. 7.1. Sin and grace being like two buckets at one chain, as the one comes up the other goes down: Or as the ebbing and flowing of the Sea, where it gaineth in one place it loſeth in another; the more holineſs, the leſs ſin. Now the Chriſtian grows ſtronger and ſtronger; The inward man is renewed day by day, 2 Cor. 4.16. So the body of ſin is weakened, till at laſt, his fleſhly luſts are laid at his feet, and ſpiritual ſins pay tribute to the grace of God in his Soul. Pride, hardneſs, unbelief and ſecurity, keep the Chriſtian humble and watchful, jealous of himſelf, and maintaining ſpiritual conflicts againſt them, ſo occaſionally he is a gainer by his loſſes, a riſer by his falls; however the Chriſtian grows more in ſight of, and ſerves under the burden of ſin; as Paul he cryes out, Oh wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death? Rom. 7.24. O ſaith the Chriſtian, what ſhall I do with this untoward heart? I am weary of theſe Daughters of Heth: Fain would I get rid of this indwelling corruption: Sin I hope hath not dominion over me; but oh when ſhall the time come that it ſhall have no indwelling within me? But this is my grief and I muſt bear it, I am diſcontentedly contented with my burden: Diſcontent with ſin, content with Gods pleaſure: But there's nothing makes me weary of the World but ſin: Could I live without ſin, I ſhould live without ſorrow: The leſs ſin the more of Heaven: Lord ſet me at liberty.
2. By looſening the affections from all worldly injoyments. Oh how ſapleſs and inſipid doth the World grow to the Soul that is a making meet for Heaven. He is crucified to the World, and the World to him, Gal. 6.14. In vain doth this Harlot think to allure me by her laying out her two fair Breaſts of Profit and Pleaſure. Surely I have behaved and quieted my ſelf, as a Child that is weaned of his Mother: My Soul is even as a weaned Child; Pſal. 131.2. There's no more relliſh in theſe gaudy things to my pallate, then in the white of an Egg; every thing grows a burden to me, were it not duty to follow my calling, and be thankful for my injoyments. Methinks I injoy my Wife, Husband and deareſt Relations, as if I had none; I weep for outward loſſes, as if I wept not; rejoyce in comforts below as if I rejoyced not; 1 Cor. 7.29.—30. my thoughts are taken up with other objects: The men of the world ſlight me, many ſeem to be weary of me, and I am as weary of them: [Non eſt mortale quod opto] Its none of theſe earthly things that my Heart is ſet upon; my Soul is ſet on things above, my treaſure is in Heaven, and I would have my Heart there alſo: I have ſent before me all my goods into another Country, and am ſhortly for flitting; and when I look about me, I ſee a bare, empty houſe, and am ready to ſay with Monica, [quid hic facio?] what do I here? My Father, Husband, Mother, [Jeruſalem above,] my Brethren, Siſter, beſt Friends are above: Methinks I grudge the World any thing of my Heart, and think not theſe temporal viſible things worth a caſt of my Eye compared with things inviſible and eternal: 2 Cor. 4. 18. I do not only ſay with afflicted Job, chap. 7.16. I loath it, I would not live alway; but even with Solomon in the top of all Earthly felicity, Eccl. 2.17, 18. Therefore I hated life, — yea I hated all my labour which I had taken under the Sun: i. e. In compariſon, or in competition with Heavenly injoyments.
3. By ſpiritualizing Worldly things, and uſing them as ſteps by which the Soul mounts Heavenwards. The Believer conſiders theſe things were made not for themſelves but for higher ends: All things are as Talents to trade with for another World, Matth. 25.16. for an account muſt be given of them; not only Ordinances and Goſpel-priviledges, but Providences both ſweet and ſevere, yea, Creature-comfors, yea, all viſible objects. Thus our Lord [who had grace in perfection] made notable Spiritual improvement of outward Water, Bread, vines for holy ends; and the more Heavenly the Chriſtian is, the liker he is to his Head, and ſo meeter for Heaven. Whatever this golden hand of Faith toucheth is turned into Gold. The Chriſtian fetcheth honey thus out of the hard Rock: Out of the eater comes meat. O ſaith the believing Soul, if meat be ſo ſweet to an hungry ſtomach, how much more excellent is Gods loving kindneſs? If drink be ſo refreſhing to the thirſty ſoul, oh how ſweet are thoſe rivers of pleaſures? Surely his love is better then wine. If it be ſo pleaſant for the Eyes to behold the Sun, how amiable is the Son of Righteouſneſs? How ſweet is home to the weary Traveller? And the Haven to the weather-beaten Mariner? But infinitely ſweet and contentful is Heaven to the tempted, burdened, tired Saint: Methinks all I ſee, and do, and have, minds me of my home; and ſaith, Ariſe, depart, this is not thy reſt. When I am abroad in a ſtorm, I haſt to a ſhelter: Oh think I then, that I were with my dear Lord, who is as the ſhadow of a great Rock in a weary Land! When I conſider my dim Eyes, my decrepit Feet, my palſie Hands, my panting Lungs; Oh think I, when ſhall this ſilver cord be looſned, and the bowl broken at the Ciſtern? That my Soul may return to God. This is a pitiful ruinous Cottage, when ſhall I be brought into the Kings Pallace? In this my Earthly Tabernacle methinks I find now a pin looſened, and a ſtake taken down, then I ſay and ſigh with the bleſſed Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 5.4. We which are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened, not for that we would be uncloathed, but cloathed upon, that mortality might be ſwallowed up of life. Here's the Soul taking wing to fly into another World.
4. The Chriſtian is made meet for Heaven by intimate familiarity with the God of Heaven: This indeed is the height of a Chriſtians perfection on Earth. The fitter for, and freer intercourſe with God, the fitter is that Soul for glory. VVhat is Heaven but the injoyment of God? The nearer God the nearer Heaven; for where the King is there is the Court: Truly, ſaith the Apoſtle, Our fellowſhip is with the Father, and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt. 1 Jo. 1.3. Communion with God, and aſſimilation to God is the life and perfection of our Religion; and the former leads on to the latter, 2 Cor. 3.18. But we all with open face, beholding as in a glaſs the glory of the Lord, are changed into the ſame image from glory to glory, as by the ſpirit of the Lord. As grace increaſeth glory increaſeth; and the viſion of God (tho' but through a glaſs, mightily increaſeth grace, and fitteth for glory. Now it is ſaid of ſome great perſons, that they have ſpoken more with God then with Man. Oh faith the Chriſtian, I could not tell how to ſpend my time if my Soul had not ſometime free acceſs to, and intercourſe with my beſt friend above. Oh that it were oftner and longer; [ſed rara hora, brevis moka] it were a brave reſemblance of Heaven to have fixed communion with him; but however I write that day as black and loſt wherein God and my Soul are not together. I cannot be content in a publick ordinance when I miſs my beloved: I follow him into my Cloſet, and there uſually I find him whom my Soul loveth: O then think I, that God would now ſtop this breath, and tranſlate my Soul into his immediate preſence! That as its ſaid of Moſes that he dyed at the mouth or kiſs of God, Deut. 34.5. (ſo ſome read it) that he was kiſsed to death, or overpoured with divine embraces: VVould to God it were thus with me! Methinks I am loath to part with theſe firſt-fruits without a full harveſt; now let me go over Jordan, and ſee that goodly Mountain and Lebanon: Oh let me not return down into this tempting world, to be baniſht again from thee! O come thou down to me, or take me up to thee: Its pity my Soul ſhould be thus tantalized with the ſight of that which I cannot at preſent injoy; well, ſince it is thy pleaſure I am content to be diſmounted and deſcend down to take my lot with the riſing Sons of Adam; only I will be ſtretching out Neck and Arms, and be looking for, and haſting to the coming of my dear Lord. Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly: Make haſt my beloved, and be thou like to a Roe, or to a young Hart upon the mountains of ſpices.
Object. You will ſay, ſuch an height of meetneſs for the Heavenly inheritance as you have deſcribed is not practicable or attainable in this life; if none be ſaved but ſuch as you have deſcribed, woe be to all the world.
Anſw. 1. Moſt part of men are not capable of this actual meetneſs, not having the habitual; namely, a relation to God, and a principle of ſaving grace; and no wonder if unexperienced perſons call this Enthuſianiſm, and unintelligible nonſenſe, for wiſdom is too high for a fool; its not to be thought ſtrange if ſome ſpeak evil of that they know not, and turn real experiments into a ridicule: Alas, they have no grace, how then can they exerciſe it? How can they evidence a title to Heaven that have none? How can they diſpatch their work, that never begun it to purpoſe? Or be mortified to things below, that have their portion in this preſent life, were never divorced from their luſts, and have no treaſure above? We may pity ſuch ſouls, for Salvation is far from the wicked.
2. But Wiſdom is juſtified of her Children. Sanctified ſouls know what theſe things mean, and tho' the beſt complain of their low attainments, yet the weakeſt ſincere Chriſtian can ſet to his ſeal, that ſomething of theſe things he hath found in his boſom as to ſincerity, and is aiming at further degrees, and is not content to ſit down ſhort of perfection, but is preſſing toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jeſus. Phil. 3.14.
3. There's a great difference in Chriſtians attainments in this world. Some active vigorous ſouls get nearer to God then others; ſome are Children, others Fathers, others are young Men, that are ſtrong, and the word of God abides in them, and they have overcome the wicked one, 1 Joh. 2.12, 13, 14. The meaneſt child God hath in his Family will own and follow his Father, tho' ſome dare not ſay, he is my Father: But ſome are grown up to great intimacy with God, as that choice man of God, Mr. Holland, that ſaid on his Death-bed, Speak it when I am gone, and Preach it at my Funeral, that God deals familiarly with man.
4. Yet its every ones duty to endeavour after the higheſt pitch of meetneſs that is attainable in this life: For as it is the nature of true grace to become deeper and deeper, like the waters in Ezekiels viſion, and aſcend higher and higher, as the flame or riſing Sun; ſo the Chriſtian dare not but obey Gods command to grow in grace, and ſees it neceſſary to comply with our Lords command, Mat. 24.44. Therefore be ye alſo ready. And this is one reaſon (amongſt the reſt which I ſhall next add,) what a Godly dying Miniſter of my acquaintance ſaid, That the beſt preparation of the beſt man, is all little enough when we come to dye. But more of this anon. This is the former head, What is that meetneſs for Heaven that Chriſtians muſt have, or endeavour after.