The Spiritual Chemist, Meditations · Meditation 56
Meditation LVI. VponUpon going up an high Mountain.
LOrd, who ſhall dwell in the Mountain of thy holineſs? was a queſtion made by the Prophet David, but the anſwer returned unto it was by the Spirit of God, who can give the beſt Character of all thoſe who ſhall be received into Claritatis Conſortium, a fellowſhip of glory and bliſs, as Tertullian expreſſeth it. The ſcituation of the place, the quality of the perſons do both ſpeak it to be a work of difficulty, and diſvover alſo the ground of the paucity of the Travellers in whoſe hearts thoſe waies and aſcentions are that ſeek to God. Moſt of the men of the world, like Abrahams Servants, ſtay below at the foot of the hill, while he and his Son go up to worſhip; or chooſe rather, like Ahimaaz, to run the way of the Plain, than, with Cuſhi, the way that was craggy and mountainous. But few there be that ſee under what a neceſſity they lie of obtaining of heaven, and of dwelling in the Mountain of Gods holineſs, or underſtand the comfort that a continued progreſs in this Journey yields to thoſe to whom Salvation is nea…er, than when they firſt believed. Can it therefore be amiſs to evince thoſe who are yet to make the firſt ſtep towards their own happineſs, what timely diligence they had need to uſe, that in the end they may not fall ſhort of it? And to encourage thoſe that are on their way, that they may go from ſtrength to ſtrength, till they appear before God in Sion. And how may I better do either, than by ſhewing to one, the great distance in which they ſtand from heaven, and to the other, the good proficiency they have made, which is oft times as indiſcernable to themſelves, as the ſwift motion of the Ship is to them that are in it. There being no Complaint more frequent in the mouths of Saints, than that they have got no farther, than what many years ſince they judged themſelves to have attained unto. The natural mans diſtance is far greater than he thinks of, ſo that he cannot eaſily ſtep into Heaven as he preſumes. He is not born near its Conſines or Borders; but in the very extremity of remoteneſs from it. The diſtance is not only a diſtance of place, but of diſproportion, and unlikeneſs, whereby he is wholly unmeet for it: Yea, there is in him not only a diſſimilitude, but a formal contrariety and oppoſition againſt heaven, which muſt be deſtroyed and taken away before he can come thither. He is darkneſs, and Heaven is an Inheritance in light. He is a Sink of filthineſs, and Heaven is a place of purity; He is wholly Carnal, and the happineſs of Heaven is ſpiritual; And what fellowſhip (ſaith the Apoſtle) hath righteouſneſs with unrighteouſneſs? what Communion hath light with darkneſs? And what Concord hath Chriſt with Belial? Can it then be rationally thought an eaſie taske to ſubdue this contrariety; and to make fleſh and bloud meet to inherit heaven? Doth not the ſtraitneſs of the way, and the height of its aſcent, require a putting off, and a caſting away, every ſin that hinders from running the Chriſtian Race, and aſcending the holy Hill? Is it not neceſſary, that the oppoſition and diffimilitude extending it ſelf over the whole man, that an anſwerable change ſhould be made in every part? I have read, that it is affirmed by excellent Artiſts, that though gladneſs and grief be oppoſites in nature, yet they are ſuch neighbours and Conſiners in Art, that the leaſt touch of the Pencil will tranſlate a crying into a laughing Face. But ſuch is not the oppoſition between ſin and grace, as to admit ſo facile a change in the turning of a Sinner into a Saint. It is not effected by a ſmall touch made upon the face, but by a powerful work upon the heart, yea, upon the whole ſou… Doth not the Scripture ſet it forth by a New Birth, by a New Creation, which are of all mutations the greateſt, and fully evince the vaſt diſtance that is between every natural man and Salvation? Deceive not your ſelves therefore O ye looſe Profeſſors, nor ye fond and preſumptuous Moraliſts, who are apt to think that the ſhadows of your duties and civilities will extend themſelves to the top of this holy Mountain; and who when you read of the young man who anſwered Chriſt diſcreetly, that he was not far from the Kingdom of heaven, judge your ſelves both in knowledge and practice his Equals, and that you want not many ſteps of entring into that bleſſed Canaan of reſt and glory. For what will proximities or degrees of nearneſs avail if the end it ſelf be not attained?
Exaltations towards heaven, if they lift not into heaven, ſerve only to make the downfall the greater; and no man ſtumbles more dangerouſly, than he who is upon the brow of an high Mountain in reſpect of ruine? It is not then a ground for any to ſl…ck their pace, or intermit their diligence in heavens way upon the confidence that they have not far to go. But rather to intend their care and pains, that they loſe not thoſe things which they have wrought, but that they may receive a full reward. And this let me ſay, if an apprehended nearneſs work not ſuch effects, it is a dream, not a reality; a preſumption, rather than a progreſs, and will have as ſad an iſſue as the happineſs of that poor Fiſherman, who, ſleeping in the ſides of a Rock, dreamed that he was a King, and leaping up ſuddenly for joy, found himſelf miſerably broken and rent in the bottom of it.
But I fear that while I propound the difficulties, which are great, as well as many, intending thereby to ſhake only the Pillars of thoſe mens Confidence, who conſider neither the length of the way, nor the hardneſs of the task by which Salvation is attained; that I may diſhearten others, who, after all their travel and labour, complain that they have ſtriven much and gained little; and that their hopes of laying hold on Eternal life do rather languiſh than encreaſe, doubting that the Journey is much too long for their ſhort life to finiſh. Gladly therefore I would lift up the hands which hang down, and ſtrengthen the feeble knees, that they might be animated in the way, and not deſpair of the end. Now how can this be better done, than by giving ſuch Signs and Evidences that will beſt ſerve to manifeſt their motion and proficiency; the not diſcerning of which is the ground of thoſe fears of their ſpending their ſtrength in vain, and their labouring for nought? And is not this more readily perceived by looking downwards to thoſe objects that are below, than by looking upwards to the heavens, which will after all climbing to them ſeem to be ſtill at the like diſtance as they were at firſt.
Suppoſe that a man after hard labour and toyl in reaching the top of ſome high and ſteep Cliff, ſhould conclude that he had wearied himſelf to no purpoſe, in the gaining of a delightful proſpect, becauſe the Sun appears to be at the ſame diſtance, and alſo of equal bigneſs, as when he was at the bottom of it; or that the Stars ſeem ſtill to be but as ſo many twi…ckling watch lights, without the leaſt encreaſe of their dimenſions, or variation of their figure: Might he not be eaſily refuted, by bidding him to look down to thoſe Plains from whence he had aſcended, and behold into what narrow ſcantlings and proportions thoſe ſtately buildings and Towers were ſhrunk and contracted, whoſe greatneſs as well as beauty he erewhile ſo much admired? And may I not with the like facility anſwer and reſolve the diſcouraged Chriſtian, who calls in queſtion the truth of his heavenly progreſs, becauſe all thoſe glorious objects which his Faith eyes, and his ſoul deſires to draw nigh unto, ſeem ſtill to be as remote from him, as at his firſt ſetting out, by wiſhing him to conſider, whether he cannot ſay, that though heavenly objects do not encreaſe in their magnitude or luſtre, by the approach that he makes to them; that yet all earthly objects do ſenſibly loſe theirs by the diſtance that he is gone from them? And if he can but ſo do, ſurely he hath no cauſe of deſpairing to obtain heaven, who hath travelled ſo far on the way as to loſe well near the ſight of Earth. If once his faith hath raiſed him to that height, as to make the glory of the world to diſappear, and to be as a thing of nought, it will quickly land him in heaven, where his fears of miſcarrying as well as his laſſ…ude in working will be ſwallowed up in an everlaſting reſt. And he that did once believe more than he ſaw, ſhall for ever ſee far more than ever he could have believed. Lord therefore do thou, who giveſt power to the faint, and to them that have no might, encreaſe ſtrength to me, who wait upon thee; renew my ſtrength, that I may mount up with wings as an Eagle, and may run and not be weary, and walk and not faint, untill I come to the utmoſt bound of the everlaſting hills, and behold thy face in glory.