Heavenly-Mindedness and Earthly-Mindedness, Title page – Publishers note
Heavenly - mindedneſs, AND Earthly-mindedneſs.
In Two PARTS.
With an APPENDIX Concerning Laying hold on Eternal life.
By JOHN ROWE.
LONDON: Printed by J. C. for Francis Tyton, at the three Daggers in Fleetſtreet. MDCLXXII.
To the READER.
IT is the chief point of Wiſdom, to know what is true happineſs: If we place happineſs in that which is not happineſs, we ſhall be deceived ſo much the more at laſt. The things of this world cannot be happineſs to us, becauſe the ſoul muſt live beyond them: when the ſoul is gone out of the body, it ſees it ſelf incircled with broad and vaſt … ternity: and when it is in its ſeparate ſtate, it meets with none of thoſe ſenſible Objects, which it endavoured to ſuck contentment from, whilſt it lived in the body: at what a loſs then muſt that ſoul be for happineſs, who knew no other happineſs, but what was to be taken in from ſenſible things?
The deſigne of this ſmall Tract is to put us upon the contemplation of that which muſt be happineſs to us at laſt. It is no difficult thing for us to come in our thoughts, to the end of all thoſe things which now we take comfort in: Life it ſelf, and all the comforts of it, muſt ſhortly have an end. Now ſince all theſe things muſt have an end, a ſhort and ſpeedy end, it may not ſeem unreaſonable for us to conſider what the next ſtate of things is like to be, and what it is that muſt make us happy at laſt. 2 Cor. 4.18.The things that are ſeen are temporal, but the things which are not ſeen are eternal. The minde of man is not quieted (neither indeed can it be) until it meets with ſomething that will be happineſs to it; and it never meets with happineſs, until it ſindes all the good it would have, and alſo knows it ſhall have that good always, without diminution, intermiſſion or ceſſation. God alone is an infinite and an eternal good. Nothing can be happineſs to the reaſonable creature, but to enjoy him as the chief good, and to acquieſce in him as its laſt ond; and then is the minde quieted, when it comes to ſix and reſt in him. The ſcope of the whole Diſcourſe is, to gather in our ſouls from ſenſible things unto God, and to ſix them in the contemplation of that which muſt be our happineſs at laſt. That which was mainly deſigned in the firſt Part, which concerns Heavenly-mindedneſs, was to make ſome Eſſay how we might be brought to ſome ſuitableneſs and conformity to the life of Heaven, and to ſhew (ſo far as we could) how we might be led into the beginnings of that life here on earth: And that is the true reaſon, why that which concerns that Matter is more inſiſted on, and drawn out to a greater inlargement then might ſeem preportionable to the reſt of the Diſcourſe. The other Part, which concerns Earthly-mindedneſs, was not to be omitted, becauſe it lyes ſo full in the Text; and too ſad experience teacheth, that we need not more to be ſtirred up to the deſire and love of eternal things, then we do need to be warned againſt the love of this World, which is the great Rock upon which many Profeſſors ſplit their Profeſſion; and indeed, the great obſtacle which keeps them off from the purſuit of eternal things. All that I ſhall add more, is, that if Divine Grace help us to get up a little into the Spirit of the future life, I am perſwaded we ſhall finde it the ſweeteſt frame of ſpirit whilſt we live, and to be ſure, moſt comfortable to us when we come to dye. I doubt not, but upon experience this will be found true, that the firm and ſtedfaſt belief, the deſire and expectation of eternal things, is much more ſweet then the highest injoyment of temporal things: And it will be no grief of heart to us when we come to dye, that we have been a little acquainted with, and in ſome ſort accustomed unto that life here on earth, which must be our life when we enter into the other world, and muſt continue to be ſo unto Eternity.
THere is newly printed a Book, intitled, The worm that dyeth not: Or, Hell-torments in the certainty and eternity of them; plainly diſcovered in ſeveral Sermons preached on Mark 9.48. by that painful and laborious Miniſter of the Goſpel, William Strong: publiſhed by Dr. Thomas Manton, and Mr. Jo. Rowe. Sold by Fran. Tyton, at the three Daggers in Fleetſtreet.