A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 83 · Part 3 · Section 4

A Body of Practical Divinity · Sermon 83 · Part 3 · Section 4

p. 487VSE IV. Of Exhortation, To all in General.

1. Branch. If there be such a glorious Kingdom to come, believe this great Truth; Socinians deny it. The Rabbins say the great dispute between Cain and A…l was about the world to come, Abel affirmed it, Cain denied it; this should be engraven upon our hearts as with the point of a Diamond; there is a blessed Kingdom in reversion, Psal. 58.11. Doubtless there is a Reward for the Righteous. Let us not haesitate through unbelief; doubting of Principles is the next way to denying them: Unbelief as Sampson, would pull down the Pillars of Religion; be confirmed in this, there is a Kingdom of Glory to come; whosoever denies this cuts a sunder the main Article of the Creed, Life Everlasting.

2. Branch. If there be such a blessed Kingdom of Glory to come, let us take heed least we miss of this Kingdom; let us fear least we lose Heaven by short shooting; trembling in the Body a Malady, in the Soul a Grace; this fear is not a fear of Diffidence or Distrust, such a fear as discourageth the Soul, for such a fear frights from Religion, it cuts the Sinews of Endeavour; but this holy fear least we miss of the Kingdom of Heaven, is a fear of diligence; it quickens us in the use of means, and puts us forward that we may not fail of our hope, Heb. 11.6. Noah being moved with fear prepared an Ark: Fear is a watch Bell to awaken sleepy Christians; it guards against security; it is a spur to a sluggish heart: He who fears he shall come short of his Journey rides the faster; And indeed this Exhortation to fear least we miss of this Kingdom, is most necessary, if we consider two things;

First. There are many who have gone many steps in the way to Heaven, yet have fallen short of it; Mark 12.34. Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God; yet he was not near enough.

Quest. How many steps may a Man take in the way to the Kingdom yet miss of it?

Resp. 1. He may be adorned with Civility, he may be morally righteous, he may be prudent, just, temperate, he may be free from paenal Statutes; this is good, but not enough to bring a Man to Heaven.

2. He may hang out the Flag of a glorious Profession▪ yet fall short of the Kingdom; the Scribes and Pharisees went far, they sate in Moses Chair, were Expounders of the Law, they pray'd, gave Alms, were strict in the observation of the Sabbath; if one had got a Thorn in his Foot, they would not pull it out on the Sabbath day, for fear of breaking the Sabbath; they were so externally devout in Gods worship, that the Iews thought, that if but two in the all World went to Heaven the one should be a Scribe and the other a Pharisee; but the Mantle of their Profession was not lined with Sincerity; they did all for the applause of Men, therefore they missed of Heaven, Mat. 5.20. Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of God.

3. A Man may be a Frequenter of Ordinances, and yet miss of the Kingdom; 'tis a good sight to see People flock as Doves to the Windows of Gods House; 'tis good to lye in the way where Christ passeth by, yet be not offended if I say, one may be an Hearer of the word, and fall short of Glory; Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly, yet beheaded Iohn, instead of beheading his sin: the Prohpet Ezekiel's Hearers did come with as much delight to his Preaching, as one would do to a fit of Musick, Ezek. 33.32. Thou art to them as a lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant Voice, and can play well on an Instrument, they hear thy Words, but they do them not. What is it to hear ones Duty and not do it? As if a Phisician prescribe a good Receipt, but the Patient doth not take it.

4. A Man may have some trouble for sin, and weep for it, yet miss of the Heavenly Kingdom.

Quest. Whence is this?

Answ. 1. A Sinners tears are forced by Gods Judgments; as water which comes out of a Still is forced by the fire. 2. Trouble for sin is transient, it is quickly over again; as some that go to Sea are Sea-sick, but when they come to Land they are well again. So Hypocrites may be Sermon-sick, but this trouble doth not last, the sick fit is soon over. 3. A Sinner weeps but goes on in sin; his sins are not drowned in his tears.

5. A Man may have good desires yet miss of the Kingdom; Numb. 23.10. O that I might dye the death of the righteous.

p. 488Quest. Wherein do these desires come short?

Answ. 1. They are sluggish. A Man would have Heaven but will take no pains: As if one should say he desires water, but will not let down the bucket into the well; Prov. 21.25. The desire of the slothful kills him, his hands refuse to labour. 2. The Sinner desires Mercy but not Grace; he desires Christ as a Saviour, but not as he is the …oly One; he desires Christ only as a bridge to lead him over to Heaven. Such desires as these may be found among the damned.

6. A Man may forsake his Sins, Oaths, Drunkenness, Uncleanness, yet come short of the Kingdom.

Quest. Whence is this?

Answ. 1. He may forsake gross sins, yet he hath no reluctancy against heart sins, Pride, Unbelief, and the first risings of Malice and Concupiscence. Though he dams up the Stream, yet he lets alone the Fountain; though he lop and prune the Branches, yet he doth not strike at the Root of it. 2. Though he leaves Sin (for fear of Hell, or because it brings shame and penury) yet he still loves Sin; as if a Snake should cast her Coat, yet keep her Poyson; Hos. 4.8. They set their heart on their iniquity. 3. 'Tis but a partial forsaking of Sin; though he leave one Sin he lives in some other. Herod reformed very much, Mark 6.20. foreign, He did many things, but he lived in Incest. Some leave Drunkenness and live in Covetousness; they forbear Swearing and live in Slandering. It is but a partial reformation, and so they miss of the Kingdom of Glory. Thus you see there are some who have gone many steps in the way to Heaven, yet have come short. Some have gone so far in Profession that they have been confident their estate hath been good, and they should go to the Kingdom of Heaven, yet have missed it: Luke 13.25. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without and to knock, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. How confident were these of Salvation, they did not beseech but knock, as if they did not doubt to be let into Heaven; yet to these Christ saith, I know you not whence you are: Depart from me ye workers of iniquity: Therefore fear and tremble least any of us miss of this Kingdom of Heaven.

Secondly, This fear is necessary if we consider what a loss it is to lose the Heavenly Kingdom. All the tears of Hell are not sufficient to lament the loss of Heaven! They who lose the Heavenly Kingdom, lose Gods sweet Presence, the ravishing viewes and smiles of Gods Glorious Face. Gods Presence is the Diamond in the Ring of Glory; Psal. 16.11. In his presence is fulness of joy. If God be the Fountain of all Bliss, then to be separated from him is the Fountain of all Misery. They who lose the Heavenly Kingdom lose the Society of Angels, and what sweeter Musick than to hear them praise God in Consort, they lose all their Treasure, their white Robes, their sparkling Crowns; they lose their hopes, Iob 8.14. Whose hope shall be cut off. Their hope is not an Anchor but a Spiders Web: If hope deferred makes the heart sick, Prov. 13.12. what then is hope disappointed? They lose the end of their being. Why were they Created but to be enthron…d in Glory? Now to lose this is to lose the end of their being: As if an Angel should be turned to a worm. There are many aggravations of the loss of this Heavenly Kingdom.

1. The eyes of the Wicked shall be opened to see their loss; now they care not for the loss of Gods Favour because they know not the worth of it. A Man that loseth a rich Diamond and took it but for an ordinary Stone, is not much troubled at the loss of it; but when he comes to know what a Jewel he lost, then he laments. He whose Heart would never break at the sight of his sins, shall now break at the sight of his loss. Phinehas his Daughter, when she heard the Ark was lost, cryed out, The Glory is departed; 1 Sam. 4.21. When the Sinner sees what he hath lost, he hath lost the Beatifical Vision, he hath lost the Kingdom of Heaven; now he will cry out in horrour and despair, The Glory, the everlasting Glory is departed.

2. A second aggravation of the loss of this Kingdom will be, that Sinners shall be upbraided by their own Conscience: This is the worm that never dyes, Mark 9.44. viz. a self-accusing Mind. When Sinners shall consider they were in a fair way to the Kingdom; they had a possibility of Salvation; though the door of Heaven were strait, yet it was open; they had the means of Grace; the jubilee of the Gospel was proclaimed in their ears; God called but they refused; Jesus Christ offered them a plaister of his own Blood to heal them, but they trampled it under foot; the Holy Spirit stood at the door of their heart knocking and crying to them to receive Christ and Heaven, but they repulsed the Spirit, and sent away this Dove, and now they have, through their own folly and wilfulness, lost the Kingdom of Heaven: This self-accusing Conscience will be terrible, like a venomous Worm gnawing at the Heart.

p. 4893. A third aggravation of the loss of Heaven will be to look upon others that have gained the Kingdom; the happiness of the Blessed will be an eye-sore; Luke 13.28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Iacob, and all the Prophets in the kingdom of God, and you your selves thrust out. When the Wicked shall see those whom they hated and scorned to be exalted to a Kingdom, and shine with Robes of Glory, and they themselves miss of the Kingdom, this will be a dagger at the heart, and make them gnash their teeth for envy.

4. A fourth aggravation is, this loss of the Kingdom of Heaven is accompanied with the punishment of Sense. He who leaps short of the Bank falls into the River; such as come short of Heaven fall into the River of Fire and Brimstone; Psal 9.17. The wicked shall be turned into hell: And how dreadful is that? If when but a spark of Gods Anger lights into the Conscience here, it is so torturing, what will it be to have mountains of Gods Wrath thrown upon the Soul? Psal. 90.11. Who knoweth the power of thy anger? The Angel never poured out his Vial but some woe followed; Rev. 16.3. when the bitter Vials of Gods Wrath are poured out, Damnation follows. Dives cryes out, O I am tormented in this flame; Luke 16.24. In Hell there's not a drop of Mercy. There was no Oyl or Frankincense used in the Sacrifice of Jealousie, Numb. 5.15. in Hell no Oyl of Mercy to lenifie the Sufferings of the Damned, nor Incense of Prayer to appease Gods Wrath.

5. A fifth aggravation of the loss of this Kingdom will be, to consider on what easie and reasonable terms Men might have had this Kingdom. If indeed God had commanded impossibles, to have satisfied his Justice in their own Persons, it had been another matter, but what God did demand was reasonable, only to do that which was for their good, to accept of Christ for their Lord and Husband, only to part with that which would damn them, if they kept their Sins; these were the fair terms on which they might have enjoyed the Heavenly Kingdom: Now to lose Heaven, which might have been had upon such easie terms, will be a cutting aggravation; it will rend a Sinners Heart with rage and grief, to think how easily he might have prevented the loss of the Heavenly Kingdom.

6. It will be an aggravation of the loss of Heaven for Sinners to think how active they were in doing that which lost them the Kingdom; they were felo de se. What pains did they take to resist the Spirit, to stifle Conscience, they sinned while they were out of breath; Ier. 9.5. They weary themselves to commit iniquity. What difficulties did Men go through, what did they endure for their Sins, how much shame and pain, how sick was the Drunkard with his cups, how sore in his Body was the Adulterer, and what marks of his sin did he carry about him? What dangers did Men adventure upon for their Lusts, they adventured Gods Wrath, and adventured the Laws of the Land. O how will this aggravate the loss of Heaven, how will this make Men curse themselves, to think how much pains they were at to lose happiness. How will this sting Mens Consciences to think, had they taken but as much pains for Heaven as they did for Hell they had not lost it.

7. Aggravation of the loss of this Kingdom, it will be an eternal irreparable loss; Heaven once lost can never be recovered. Worldly losses may be made up again; if a Man lose his Health he may have it repaired by Physick, if a Man be driven out of his Kingdom he may be restored to it again; as King Nebuchadnezzar was, Dan. 4.36. My honour returned to me, and I was established in my Kingdom. King Henry VI. was deposed from his Throne, yet restored again to it, but they who once lose Heaven can never be restored to it again: After millions of years they are as far from obtaining Glory as at first. Thus you see how needful this Exhortation is, that we should fear least we fall short of this Kingdom of Heaven.

Quest▪ What shall we do that we may not miss of this Kingdom of Glory?

Resp. 1. Take heed of those things which will make you miss of Heaven. 1. Take heed of Spiritual Sloath. Many Christians are settled upon their lees, they are loath to put themselves to too much pains. It is said of Israel, They despised the pleasant land: Psal. 106.24. Canaan was a Paradise of Delight, a Type of Heaven; I, but some of the Iews thought it would cost them a great deal of trouble and hazard in the getting, and they would rather go without it; They despised the pleasant land. I have read of certain Spaniards that live where there is great store of Fish, yet are so lazy that they will not be at the pains to catch them, but buy of their Neighbours; such a sinful sloath is upon the most, that though the Kingdom of Heaven be offered to them, yet they will not put themselves to any labour for it. They have some faint velleities and desires, O that I had this Kingdom; like a Man that wisheth for Venison but will not hunt for it; Prov. 13.4. The soul of the sluggard wisheth and hath nothing. Men could be content to have the Kingdom of Heaven, if it would drop as a ripe Fig into their p. 490mouth, but they are loath to fight for it. O take heed of Spiritual Sloath; God never made Heaven to be an hive for drones. We cannot have the World without labour, and do we think to have the Kingdom of Heaven? Heathens will rise up in Judgment against many Christians, what pains did they take in their Olympick Races, when they ran but for a Crown of Olive or Myrtle intermixed with Gold, and do we stand still when we are running for a Kingdom? Prov. 19.15. Sloathfulness casts into a deep sleep. Sloath is the Souls sleep. Adam lost his Rib when he was asleep. Many a Man loseth the Kingdom of Heaven when he is in this deep sleep of sloath.

2. Take heed of Unbelief. Unbelief kept Israel out of Canaan; Heb. 3.19. So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief; and it keeps many out of Heaven. Unbelief is an enemy to Salvation, 'tis a damning sin, it whispers thus, to what purpose is all this pains for the Heavenly Kingdom, I had as good sit still, I may come near to Heaven, yet come short of Heaven; Ier. 18.12. And they said, there is no hope. Unbelief destroyes hope, and if you once cut this sinew, a Christian goes but lamely in Religion if he goes at all. Unbelief raiseth jealous thoughts of God, it represents him as a severe Judge, this discourageth many a Soul and takes it off from Duty. Beware of unbelief, believe the Promises; Lam. 3.25. God is good to the Soul that seeks him; seek him earnestly and he will open both his Heart and Heaven to you. Deus volentibus non deest; do what you are able and God will help you. While you spread the sails of your endeavour Gods Spirit will blow upon these sails, and carry you swiftly to the Kingdom of Glory.

3. If you would not miss of the Heavenly Kingdom take heed of mistake, imagining the way to the Kingdom of Heaven to be easier than it is; 'tis but a sigh, or Lord have Mercy. There's no going to Heaven per saltum, one cannot leap out of Dalilahs lap into Abrahams bosom. The Sinner is dead in trespasses, Eph. 2.1. is it easie for a dead Man to restore himself to life? Is Regeneration easie? Are there no pangs in the new birth? Doth not the Scripture call Christianity a warfare and a race? And do you fancy this easie? The way to the Kingdom is not easie, but the mistake about the way is easie.

4. If you would not miss of the Heavenly Kingdom, take heed of delayes and procrastinations. Mora trahit periculum. It is an usual delusion, I will mind the Kingdom of Heaven but not yet; when I have gotten an Estate, and am grown old, then I will look after Heaven, and on a sudden Death surprizeth Men, and they fall short of Heaven. Delay strengthens sin, hardens the heart, and gives the Devil fuller possession of a Man. Take heed of adjourning and putting off seeking the Kingdom of Heaven till it be too late. Caesar deferring to read a Letter put into his hand was killed in the Senate-house. Consider how short your Life is; 'tis a Taper soon blown out. Animantis cujus que vita in fuga est; The Body is like a Vessel tun'd with breath, Sickness broacheth it, Death draws it out; delay not the business of Salvation a day longer; sometimes Death strikes and gives no warning.

5. If you would not come short of the Kingdom of Heaven, take heed of prejudice. Many take a prejudice at Religion, and on this Rock dash their Souls; they are prejudiced at Christs Person, his Truths, his Followers, his Wayes.

(1.) They are prejudiced at his Person; Matth. 13.57. And they were offended in him; what is there in Christ that Men should be offended at him? He is the pearl of price, Matth. 13.46. are Men offended at Pearls and Diamonds? Christ is the wonder of Beauty, Psal. 45.2. Fairer than the children of men; is there any thing in Beauty to offend? Christ is a mirrour of Mercy, Heb. 2.17. why should Mercy offend any? Christ is a Redeemer, why should a captive slave be offended at him who comes with a summe of Money to ransom him? The prejudice Men take at Christ is from the inbred pravity of their hearts. The eye that is sore cannot endure the light of the Sun; the fault is not in the Sun, but in the sore eye. There are two things in Christ Men are prejudiced at. 1. His Means. The Iewes expected a Monarch for their Messiah; but Christ came not with outward Pomp and Splendor; His Kingdom was not of this World: The Stars which are seated in the lightest Orbs are least seen; Christ who was the bright Morning Star was not much seen, his Divinity was hid in the dark Lanthorne of his humanity; all who saw the Man did not see the Messiah; this the Jews stumbled at, the Means of his Person. 2. Men are prejudiced at Christs strictness; they look upon Christ as austere, and his Lawes too severe, Psal. 2.3. Let us break their bands, and cast away their cords from us. Though to a Saint Christs Laws are no more burdensome than Wings are to a Bird; yet to the Wicked Christs Laws are a yoke, and they love not to come under restraint; hence it is they hate Christ. Though they pretend to love him as a Saviour, yet they hate him as he is the holy One.

p. 491(2.) Men are prejudiced at the Truths of Christ. 1. Self-denyal. A man must deny his Righteousness, Phil. 3.9. his Duties and Moralities: he would graft the hope of Salvation upon the stock of his own Righteousness. 2. He must deny his Unrighteousness. The Scripture seals no patents to Sin, it teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, Tit. 2.11. We must divorce those Sins which bring in Pleasure and Profit. 3. Forgiving of injuries, Mark 11.25. These Truths Men are prejudiced at; they can rather want forgiveness from God than they can forgive others.

(3.) Men are prejudiced at the Followers of Christ. 1. Their paucity; there are but few (in comparison) that embrace Christ; but why should this offend? Men are not offended at Pearls and precious Stones, because they are but few. 2. Their Poverty; many that wear Christs livery are low in the World; but why should this give offence? (1.) Christ hath better things than these to bestow upon his Followers; the holy Anointing, the white Stones, the hidden Manna, the Crown of Glory. (2.) All Christs Followers are not humbled with Poverty; Abraham was rich in Gold and Silver as well as rich in Faith: Though not many Noble are called, yet some Noble; Acts 17.12. Honourable women which were Greeks believed; Constantine and Theodosius were Godly Emperours; so that this stumbling block is removed. 3. Their Scandals. Some of Christs Followers under a mask of Piety commit sin, this begets a prejudice against Religion; but doth Christ or his Gospel teach any such thing? The Rules he prescribes are holy: Why should the Master be thought the worse of because some of his Servants prove bad.

(4.) Men are prejudiced at the Wayes of Christ; they expose them to Sufferings; Matth. 16.24. Let him take up his cross and follow me; many stumble at the Cross. There are as Tertullian, delicaetuli, silken Christians, who love their ease; they will follow Christ to Mount Oliver to see him transfigured, but not to Mount Golgotha to suffer with him. But alas, what is Affliction to the Glory that follows: The weight of Glory makes Affliction light; Adimant Caput non Coronam. O take heed of prejudice, this hath been a stumbling stone in Mens way to Heaven, and hath made them fall short of the Kingdom.

6. If you would not miss of the Kingdom of Heaven take heed of Presumption. Men presume all is well, and take it as a principle not to be disputed that they shall go to Heaven. The Devil hath given them Opium to cast them into a deep sleep of security. The presumptuous Sinner is like the Leviathan, made without fear: He lives as bad as the worst, yet hopes he shall be saved as well as the best; He blesseth himself, and saith he shall have peace though he goes on in sin; Deut. 29.19. As if a Man should drink Poyson yet not fear but he should have his health. But whence doth this presumptuous hope arise? Surely from a conceit that God is made up all of Mercy. 'Tis true God is merciful, but withal he is just too; Exod. 34.6, 7. Keeping mercy for thousands, and that will by no means clear the guilty. If a King did proclaim that only those should be pardoned who came in and submitted, should any still persisting in Rebellion claim the benefit of that Pardon? Dost thou hope for Mercy who wilt not lay down thy Weapons, but stand out in Rebellion against Heaven? None might touch the Ark but the Priests; none may touch this Ark of Gods Mercy, but holy, consecrated Persons. Presumption is heluo Animarum, the great devourer of Souls. A thousand have missed of Heaven by putting on the broad spectacles of Presumption.

7. If you would not miss of the Heavenly Kingdom take heed of the delights and pleasures of the Flesh; soft pleasures harden the heart. Many people cannot endure a serious Thought, but are for Comedies and Romances, they play away their Salvation. Homines capiuntur voluptate ut pisces hamo, Cicero. Pleasure is the sugred bait Men bite at, but there is an hook under; Iob 21.12. They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoyce at the sound of the organ: And a parallel Scripture, Amos 6.4. That lye upon beds of ivory, that chant to the sound of the viol, that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief oyntments. The pleasures of the World do keep many from the pleasures of Paradise▪ What a shame is it that the Soul, that princely thing which swayes the sceptre of Reason, and is akin to Angels, should be enslaved to sinful pleasure. Beard in his Theatre, speaks of one who had a Room richly hung with fair Pictures, he had most delicious Musick, he had the rarest Beauties, he had all the Candies and curious Preserves of the Confectioner, thus did he gratifie his Senses with Pleasure, and swore he would live one week like a God, though he were sure to be damned in Hell the next day. Diodorus Siculus observes, that the Dogs of Sicily while they are hunting among the sweet Flowers lose the scent of the Hare; so many while they are hunting after the sweet pleasures of the World lose the Kingdom of Heaven. 'Tis, saith Theophylact, one of the worst sights to see a Sinner go laughing to Heaven.

p. 4928 If you would not fall short of the Kingdom of Heaven, take heed of Worldlimindedness; a covetous Spirit is a dunghil Spirit, it choaks good Affections, as the earth puts out the fire. The World hindred the young Man from following Christ, abiit tristis, he went away sorrowful, Luke 18.23. which extorted those words from our Saviour, Verse 24. How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God? Divitiae saeculi sunt laquei Diaboli, Bern. Riches are golden Snares. If a Man were to climb up a steepy Rock, and had Weights tied to his Legs, it would hinder him from his ascent: Too many Golden Weights will hinder us from climbing that steepy Rock which leads to Heaven; Exod. 14.3. They are entangled in the Land, the Wilderness hath shut them in. So it may be said of many, they are entangled in earthly Affairs, the World hath shut them in: The World is no Friend to Grace; the more the Child sucks the weaker the Nurse is; and the more the World sucks and draws from us, the weaker our Grace is, 1 Iohn 2.15. Love not the world. Had a Man a Monopoly of all the wealth of the World, were he able to empty the Western Parts of Gold, and the Eastern of Spices; could he heap up Riches to the Starry heaven, yet his heart would not be filled: Covetousness is a dry dropsy: Ioshua who could stop the course of the Sun, could not stop Achan in his covetous pursuit of the Wedge of Gold: he whose heart is lockt up in his Chest, will be lockt out of heaven: Some Ships that have escaped the Rocks, have been cast away upon the Sands: Many who have escaped gross Sins, have been cast away upon the Worlds Golden Sands.

9. If you would not come short of the Kingdom of heaven, take heed of indulging any sin; one Mill-stone will drown as well as more; and one sin lived in will damn as well as more: Vbi regnat peccatum non potest regnare Dei regnum, Hierom. If any one sin reign, it will keep you from reigning in the kingdom of heaven; especially keep from sins of Presumption, which wast Conscience, vastare Conscientiam, Tertul. and the Sin of your natural Constitution, the peccatum in delitiis, Aug. the darling Sin, Psal. 18.23. I have kept my self from mine iniquity. That Sin which my heart would soonest decoy and flatter me into; as in the Hive there is one Master-Bee, so in the heart one Master-sin: O take heed of this!

Quest. How may this sin be known?

A. 1. That Sin which a Man cannot endure the Arrow of a reproof should shoot at, that is the bosom sin; Herod could not brook to have his Incest medled with, that was a noli me tangere: Men can be content to have other sins declaimed against, but if a Minister put his Finger upon the sore, and toucheth upon one special sin, then igne micant oculi, they are enraged and spit the Venome of Malice.

2. That sin which a Mans heart runs out most to, and he is most easily captivated by, that is the Dalilah in the Bosom: One Man is overcome with wantonness, another by worldliness; 'tis a sad thing a Man should be so bewitched by a beloved sin, that if it ask him to part with not only half the kingdom, but the whole Kingdom of heaven, he must part with it to gratify that Lust.

3. That sin which doth most trouble a Man and fly in his Face in an hour of sickness and distress, that is the sin he hath allowed himself in, and is his complexion sin: When Ioseph's Brethren were distressed their sin in selling their Brother came into their Remembrance, Gen. 42.21. We were verily guilty concerning our Brother, &c. So when a Man is upon his sick-bed, and Conscience shall say, thou hast been guilty of such a sin, the sin of slandring, or uncleanness, Conscience reads a Man a sad Lecture, it affrights him most for one sin, that is the Complection sin.

4. That sin which a Man is loathest to part with, that is the endeared sin: Iacob could of all his Sons most hardly part with Benjamin, Gen. 42.36. Will ye take Benjamin away? So saith the Sinner, this and that Sin I have left, but must Benjamin go too? must I part with this delightful sin? that goes to the heart; as it is with a castle that hath several Forts about it, the first and second Fort are yeilded, but when it comes to the main Castle the Governour will rather fight and dye then yeild that: So a Man may suffer some of his Sins to be demolished, but when it comes to one, that is like the taking of the Castle, he will never yeild to part with that; surely that is the Master-sin; take heed especially of this sin; the strength of sin lies in the beloved sin: This is like an humour striking to the heart which brings Death. I have read of a Monarch, that being pursued by the Enemy, he threw away the Crown of Gold on his head, that he might run the faster▪ So that sin which thou didst wear as a Crown of Gold, throw it away that thou maiest run the faster to the Kingdom of heaven: O if you would not lose Glory, mortify the beloved sin, set it as Vriah in the Fore-front of the battle to be slain; by plucking out this right eye, you will see the better to go to heaven.

p. 50010. If you would not fall short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of inordinate Pashion; many a Ship hath been lost in a storm; and many a Soul hath been lost in a storm of unruly Passions: Every Member of the Body is infected with sin; as every Branch of Wormwood is bitter; but the Tongue is full of deadly poyson, Iam. 3.8. Some care not what they say in their Passion, they will censure, slander, wish evil to others; how can Christ be in the heart when the Devil hath taken possession of the tongue? Passion disturbs reason, it is brevis insania, a short Frenzy; Ionah in a Passion flies out against God, Ionah 4.9. I do well to be angry to the death. What to be angry with God, and to justify it? I do well to be angry, the Man was not well in his Wits; Passion unfits for Prayer, 1 Tim. 2.8. I will therefore that Men pray lifting up holy hands without Wrath He that prays in wrath may lift up his hands in Prayer, but he doth not lift up holy hands. Water when it is hot soon boils over; so when the heart is heated with Anger it soon boils over in fiery passionate Speeches. Some curse others in their Passion: They whose tongues are set on fire, let them take heed that they do not one day in Hell desire a drop of water to cool their tongue O if you would not miss of the heavenly kingdom, beware of giving way to your unbridled Passions; some say words are but wind, but they are such a wind as may blow them to Hell.

11. If you would not fall short of the heavenly kingdom, beware of too much indulging the sensual Appetite, Rom. 13.14. Make not Provision for the flesh; the Greek Word foreign, to make Provision, signifies to be Caterers for the flesh, Phil. 3.19. Whose God is their Belly. The Throat is a slippery place; Iudas received the Devil in the Sop; and often the Devil slides down in the Liquor: Excess in Meat and Drink clouds the Mind, choakes good Affections, provokes Lust; many a Man digs his own Grave with his Teeth; the Heathen could say, magnus sum & ad mojora natus quam ut sim corporis mei mancipium, Sen. He was higher born then to be a slave to his Body: To pamper the Body and neglect the Soul is to feed the Slave and to starve the Wife: Take such a proportion of food as may recruit Nature not surfeit it: Excess in things lawful hath lost many the kingdom of heaven. A Bee may suck a little honey from the leaf, but put it in a Barrel of honey and it is drowned; to suck temperately from the Creature God allows, but excess ingulphs Men in Perdition.

12. If you would not fall short of the Kingdom of Heaven, take heed of injustice in your dealings; defrauding lies in two things, First, mixing Commodities; as if one mix bad Wheat with good, and sell it for pure Wheat, this is to defraud, Isa. 1.22. Thy Wine is mixed with Water. Second, Giving scant Measure, Amos 5.8. Making the Ephah small; Ephah was a Measure which the Iews used in selling; they made the Ephah small, they scarce gave measure; I wish this be not the sin of many, Hos. 12.7. He is a Merchant, the Ballances of deceit are in his hand. Can they be holy which are not just? Mic. 6.11. Shall I count them pure with the wicked Balances? Is his heart sincere who hath false Weights? This hath made many they could not reach heaven, because of their over reaching.

13. If you would not miss of the Kingdom of Heaven, take heed of evil Company; there is a necessary Commerce with Men in buying and selling, else, as the Apostle saith, We must go out of the World, 1 Cor. 5.10. But do not voluntarily choose the Company of the wicked; 1 Cor. 5.11. I have written to you not to keep Company. Do not incorporate into the Society of the wicked, or be too much familiar with them: The wicked are foreign, God haters; and 2 Chron. 19.2. Shouldst thou joyn with them that hate the Lord? A Christian is bound by vertue of his Oath of Allegiance to God in Baptism, not to have intimate converse with such as are Gods sworn Enemies; 'tis a thing of bad report: What doth Christs Dove among Birds of Prey? What do Virgins among Harlots? The Company of the wicked is very defiling, 'tis like going among them that have the Plague; Prov. 6.27. He that toucheth Pitch shall be defiled. Psal. 106 35. They were mingled among the heathen and learned their Works. If you mingle bright Armour with rusty, the bright Armour will not brighten the rusty, but the rusty Armour will spoil the bright. Such as have had religious Education, and have some inclinations to good, yet by mixing among the wicked they will be apt to receive hurt; the bad will sooner corrupt the good, then the good will convert the bad; Pharaoh learned Ioseph to swear, but Ioseph did not learn Pharaoh to pray. There is a strange attractive power in ill company to corrupt and poison the best dispositions; they damp good Affections: Throw a Fire-ball into the Snow and it is soon quenched. Among the wicked you lose your heat of zealous affections; by holding familiar correspondence with the wicked one shall hear them disswading him from strict Godliness, that it will debar him of his Liberty and Pleasure, Act. 28.2. This Sect is every where spoken against. Hereupon he who before did look towards Heaven, begins to be discouraged, and gradually declines from goodness.

p. 494(1.) There steals upon him a dislike of his former religious course of Life; that he was righteous over-much; stricter then needed.

(2.) There is instilled into his Heart a secret delight of evil; he begins to like foolish scurrilous discourse; he can hear Religion spoken against and be silent, nay, well pleased; he loves Vanity, and makes a sport of sin.

(3.) He is by degrees so Matamorphosed and made like the Company he converseth with, that he now grows into a disgust and hatred of his former sober ways; he is ill-affected towards good Men; he is transformed into scoffing Ishmael, a breathing devil; and becomes at last as much the Child of Hell, as any of that graceless damned Crew he conversed with; and what is the end of all? a blot in the Name, a Moth in the Estate, a Worm in the Conscience. O if you would not miss of the kingdom of Heaven beware of …vil Company: Bad Company is the Bane and Poison of the Youth of this Age: Such as were once soberly inclined, yet by coming among the Prophane they grow familiar, till at last they keep one another Company in Hell.

14. If you would not miss of the Kingdom of Heaven take heed of parlying with the Fleshy part; the Flesh is a Bosom Traitor. When an Enemy is gotten within the Walls of a Castle, it is in great danger to be taken. The Flesh is an Enemy within; the Flesh is a bad Counsellour; the Flesh saith there is a Lion in the Way; it discourageth from a religious strictness; the Flesh saith as Peter did to Christ, Spare thy self; the Flesh saith as Iudas, What needs all this wast? what needs this praying? why do you wast your strength and Spirits in Religion? What needs all this wast? the Flesh cries out for ease and pleasure. How many by consulting with the Flesh have lost the Kingdom of Heaven!

15. If you would not fall short of Heaven take heed of Carn…l Relations: Our Carnal Friends are often Bars and Blocks in our way to Heaven; they will say Religion is preciseness and singularity: a Wife in the bosom may be a Tempter; Iob's Wife was so, Iob 2.9. Dost thou still retain thy Integrity? curse God and dye. What still pray? What dost thou get by serving God? Iob where are thy Earnings? what canst thou show thou hast had in Gods Service, but Boyles and Ulcers? and dost thou still retain thy integrity? throw off Gods Livery, renounce Religion. Here was a tentation handed over to him by his Wife: The Woman was made of the Rib, the Devil turned this Rib into an Arrow, and would have shot Iob to the heart, but his Faith quenched this fiery Dart. Beware of Carnal Relations: We read, that some of Christs kindred laid hold on him, and would have hindred him when he was going to Preach, Mark 3.21. They said he is beside himself. Our kindred sometimes would stand in our way to Heaven, and judging all zeal rashness would hinder us from being saved: Such Carnal Relations Spira had, for advising with them whether he should remain constant in his Orthodox Opinion, they perswaded him to recant and so abjuring his former Faith he fell into horrour and dispondency of Mind. Galeacius Marquess of Vico found his Carnal Relations a great Block in his way, and what ado had he to break through their Tentations? Take heed of a snare in your Bosom: 'Tis a brave saying of Ierom, Si Mater mihi ubera ostendat, &c. If my Parent should perswade me to deny Christ, if my Mother should show me her breast that gave me suck, if my Wife should go to charm me with her Embraces, I would forsake all and fly to Christ.

16. If you would not fall short of the Kingdom of Heaven, take heed of falling off; beware of Apostacy; he misseth of the Prize who doth not hold out in the Race; he who makes shipwrack of the Faith cannot come to the haven of Glory. We live in the fall of the Leaf; Men fall from that goodness they seemed to have; some are turned to Error, others to Vice; some to drinking and dicing, others to whoring; the very Mantle of their Profession is fallen off: 'Tis dreadful for Men to fall off from hopeful beginnings: The Apostate saith Tertullian seems to put God and Satan in the Ballance, and having weighed both their Services, prefers the Devils Service and proclaims him to be the best Master, in which respect, the Apostate is said to put Christ to open shame, Heb. 6.6. This is sad at last, Heb. 10.38. If you would not miss of Glory take heed of Apostacy, those who fall away must needs fall short of the Kingdom.

1. If we would not come short of this Heavenly Kingdom, let us be much in the exercise of Self-denyal; Matth. 16.24. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself. He who would go to Heaven must deny self-righteousness, Cavendum est a propria justitia; Phil. 3.9. That I may be found in him not having my own righteousness. The Spider weaves a web out of her own Bowels; an Hypocrite would spin a web of Salvation out of his own Righteousness: We must deny our Civility in point of Justification. Civility is a good staff to walk with among Men, but it is a bad ladder to climb up to Heaven. We must deny our holy things in point of Justification. Alas, how are our Duties checkered with Sin. Put Gold in the fire and there comes out dross; p. 495our most golden services are mixed with unbelief. Deny self-righteousness; use Duty but trust to Christ. Noahs Dove made use of her wings to fly, but trusted to the Ark for safety. Let Duties have your diligence but not your confidence. Self-denyal is via ad regnum; there is no getting into Heaven but through this strait gate of self-denyal.

2. The second means for the obtaining of the Kingdom is serious Consideration: Most Men fall short of Heaven for want of Consideration.

1. Consideration. We should often consider what a Kingdom Heaven is. 'Tis called Regnum paratum, a Kingdom prepared, Matth. 25.34. which implyes something that is rare and excellent. God hath prepared in his Kingdom, such things as eye hath not seen nor ear heard; 1 Cor. 2.9. Heaven is beyond all hyperbole. In particular, in this Coelestial Kingdom are two things.

(1.) A stately Pallace.

(2.) A Royal Feast.

(1.) A stately Pallace. 1. It is large and hath several stories; for the dimensions of it, it is twelve thousand furlongs, Rev. 21.15. or as it is in some Greek Copies, twelve times twelve thousand furlongs, a finite number put for an infinite; no Arithmetician can number these furlongs: Though there be an innumerable company of Saints and Angels in Heaven yet there is infinitely enough room to receive them. 2. The Pallace of this Kingdom is lucid and transparent; 'tis adorned with light, foreign, The light is sweet. Hell is a dark dungeon, but the Pallace above is bespangled with light; Col. 1.12. Such illustrious beams of Glory shine from God as shed a brightness and splendour upon the Empyrean Heaven. 3. This Pallace of the Kingdom is well scituated for a good Air and a pleasant prospect. There is the best Air which is perfumed with the odours of Christs Oyntments; and a most pleasant prospect of the bright Morning-Star. 4. The Pallace is rich and sumptuous; it hath Gates of Pearl, Rev. 21.21. it is enriched with white Robes and Crowns of Glory; and this Pallace never falls to decay, and the dwellers in it never dye, Rev. 22.5. They shall reign for ever and ever.

(2.) A Royal Feast: It is called, The marriage supper of the lamb, Rev. 19.9. which Bullinger and Gregory the great, understand of the magnificent Supper prepared in the Kingdom of Heaven. A Glorious Feast it will be in respect of the Founder, God; the Glorified Saints shall feast their eyes with Gods Beauty, and their hearts with his Love; a delicious Feast it will be in respect of the festivity and holy Mirth. What Joy when there shall be the Anthems and Triumphs of Glorified Spirits; when Saints and Angels shall twist together in an inseparable union of Love, and lye in each others sweet embraces; a Royal Banquet it shall be where there is no surfeit, because continually a fresh course served in. The serious Consideration what a Kingdom Heaven is, would be a means to quicken our endeavour in the pursuit after it. What causeth Men to make Voyages to the Indies, but the consideration of the Gold and Spices which are to be had there; did we survey and contemplate the Glory of Heaven, we should soon take a Voyage, and never leave till we had arrived at the Coelestial Kingdom.

2. Consideration, How it will trouble you if you should perish, to think you came short of Heaven for want of a little more pains. The Prophet Elisha bid the King of Israel smite the ground six times, and he smote but thrice and stayed, 2 Kings 13.19. and he lost many Victories by it: So when a Man shall think thus, I did something in Religion but did not do enough, I prayed but it was coldly, I did not put coals to the Incense; I heard the Word, but did not meditate on it, I did not chew the end; I smote but thrice, and I should have smitten six times; had I taken a little more pains I had been happy, but I have lost the Kingdom of Heaven by short shooting. The consideration how terrible the thoughts of this will be, that we should lose Heaven for want of a little more pains, will be a means to spur on our sluggish hearts, and make us more diligent to get the Kingdom.

3. The third means for the obtaining this Kingdom is to keep up Daily Prayer, Psal. 109.4. I give my self to Prayer. Prayer inflames the affections, and oyls the wheels of the endeavour; Prayer prevails with God, it unlocks his Bowels, and then he unlocks Heaven; all that have got to Heaven have crept thither upon their knees: The Saints now in Heaven have been Men of Prayer; Daniel prayed three times a day, Iacob wrestled with God in Prayer, and as a Prince prevailed; this Prayer must be fervent, else it is thuribulum sine prunis, as Luther, a Golden Censer without Fire. O follow God with Prayers and Tears, say as Iacob to the Angel, Gen. 32.26. I will not let thee go except thou bless me. Prayer vincit invincibilem, Luther, it conquers the Omnipotent; Elijah by Prayer opened Heaven; by ardent and constant Prayer Heaven is at last opened to us.

p. 4964. If you would obtain the Heavenly Kingdom get a love to Heaven. Love puts a Man upon the use of all means to enjoy the thing loved. He that loves the World how active is he, he will break his sleep and peace for it; he that loves Honour what hazards will he run, he will swim to the crown in Blood. Iacob loved Rachel, and what would not he do, though it were serving a two seven years Apprenticeship, for obtaining her? Love carries a Man out violently to the Object loved. Love is like Wings to the Bird, like Sails to the Ship; it carries a Christian full sail to Heaven; Heaven is a place of Rest and Joy, 'tis Paradise, and will you not love it? Love Heaven and you cannot miss it: Love breaks through all opposition, it takes heaven by storm: Love though it labour is never weary; it is like the Rod of Myrtle in the Travellers hand which makes him fresh and lively in his travel▪ and keeps him from being weary.

5. If you would obtain the Kingdom of Heaven make Religion your business. What a Man looks upon as a foreign, a thing by the by, he doth not much mind. If ever we would have Heaven we must look upon it as our main concern: Other things do but concern our livelyhood, this concerns our Salvation; then we make Religion our business when we wholly devote our selves to Gods service, Psal. 139.18. we count those the best hours which are spent with God; we give God the cream of our affections, the flower of our time and strength; we traffique in Heaven every day, we are Merchants for the Pearl of price. He will never get an Estate who doth not mind his Trade; he will never get heaven who doth not make Religion his foreign, his main business.

6. If you would obtain the Kingdom of Heaven, bind your hearts to God by sacred Vowes. Vow to the Lord that (by his Grace) you will be more intent upon heaven than ever, Psal. 56.12. Thy vowes are upon me, O God. A Vow binds the Votary to Duty; he looks upon himself as obliged by his Vow to cleave to God. Bees when they fly in a great Wind ballast themselves with little stones that they may not be carried away with the Wind; so we must fortifie our selves with strong Vowes, that we may not be carried away from God with the violent wind of temptation. No question a Christian may make such a Vow, because the ground of it is Morally good, he vowes nothing but what he is bound to do by vertue of his Baptismal Vow, namely to walk with God more closely, and to pursue heaven more vigorously.

7. If you would obtain the Kingdom embrace all seasons and opportunities for your Souls, Eph. 5.15. Redeeming the time. Opportunity is the cream of time; the improving the seasons of Grace is as much as our Salvation is worth. The Marriner by taking the present season while the Wind blowes gets to the haven; by taking the season while we have the means of Grace, and the wind of the Spirit blowes, we may arrive at the Kingdom of heaven. We know not how long we shall enjoy the Gospel; the seasons of Grace like Noahs Dove, come with an Olive-branch in their mouth, but they soon take Wings and fly. Though they are sweet, yet swift. God may remove the Golden Candlestick from us as he did from the Churches of Asia. We have many sad symptoms, Gray hairs are here and there upon us, Hos. 7.9. therefore let us lay hold upon the present season; they that sleep in Seed-time will beg in Harvest.

8. If you would go to the Kingdom of Heaven you must excubias agere keep a daily Watch; Mark 13.37. I say unto all, watch. Many have lost Heaven for want of watchfulness. Our hearts are ready to decoy us into sin, and the Devil lyes in ambush by his temptations; we must every day set a spy, and keep centinel in our Souls: Hab. 2.1. I will stand upon my watch.

(1.) We must watch our Eyes; Iob 31.1. I made a covenant with my eyes. Much Sin comes in by the eye: When Eve saw the tree was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes, then she took; Gen. 3.6. First she looked and then she lusted; the eye by beholding an impure Object sets the heart on fire; the Devil oft creeps in at the window of the eye. Watch your eyes.

(2.) Watch your Ear. Much Poyson is conveyed through the ear. Let your ear be open to God, and shut to Sin.

(3.) Watch your Hearts: We watch suspicious persons; The heart is deceitful, Ier. 17.9. Watch your heart; 1. When you are about holy things; it will be stealing out to vanity. When I am at Prayer, saith S. Hierom, Aut per porticum deambulo aut de foenore computo, either I am walking through Galleries, or casting up Accompts. 2. Watch your heart when you are in Company. The Basilisk poysons the herbs he breaths on; the breath of the wicked is infectious. Nay, watch your hearts when you are in good Company; such as have some good in them, yet may be some grains too light; they may have much levity of Discourse, and if no scum boils up, yet too much froth. The Devil is subtle, and he can as well creep into the Dove, as he did once into the Serpent. Satan tempted Christ by an Apostle. 3. Watch your hearts in Prosperity; now you are in danger of Pride. The higher the Water of the p. 497Thames riseth, the higher the Boat is lifted up; the higher that Mens Estates rise, the higher their Hearts are lifted up in Pride In Prosperity you are in danger not only to forget God, but to lift up the heel against him; Deut. 32.15. Iesurun waxed fat and kicked. It is hard to carry a full Cup without spilling, and to carry a full prosperous Estate without sinning. Turpi fregerunt saecula luxu divitiae molles. Sen. Trag. Sampson fell asleep in Dalilahs lap; many have fallen so fast asleep in the lap of Prosperity that they have never awaked till they have been in Hell. 4. Watch your hearts after holy Duties. When Christ had been Praying and Fasting then the Devil tempted him, Mat. 4.23. After our combating with Satan in Prayer, we are apt to grow secure, and put our Spiritual Armour off, and then the Devil falls on and wounds us. O if you would get Heaven be alwayes upon your Watch-tower, set a spy, keep close centinel in your Souls: Who would not watch when it is for a Kingdom.

9. If you would arrive at the Heavenly Kingdom get those three Graces which will undoubtedly bring you thither.

(1.) Divine Knowledge. There's no going to Heaven blindfold. In the Creation, Light was the first thing which was made; so 'tis in the new Creation, Knowledge is the Pillar of Fire which goes before us, and lights us into the Heavenly Kingdom. 'Tis light must bring us to the inheritance in light; Col. 1.12.

(2). Faith. Faith ends in Salvation; 1 Pet. 1.9. Receiving the end of your faith, Salvation. He who believes is as sure to go to Heaven as if he were in Heaven already; Acts 16.31. Faith toucheth Christ, and can he miss of Heaven who toucheth Christ? Faith unites to Christ, and shall not the Members be where the Head is? All have not the same degree of Faith; we must distinguish between the direct act of Faith, and the reflex act, Affiance and Assurance; yet the least seed and spark of Faith gives an undoubted title to the Heavenly Kingdom. I am justified because I believe, not because I know I believe.

(3.) Love to God. Heaven is prepared for those that love God, 1 Cor. 2.9. Love is the Soul of Obedience, the Touchstone of Sincerity. By our loving God we may know he loves us, 1 Iohn 4.19. and those whom God loves he will lay in his bosom. Ambrose in his Funeral Oration for Theodosius, brings in the Angels hovering about his departing Soul, and being ready to carry it to Heaven, asked him, What that Grace was he had practised most upon Earth, Theodosius replyed, Dilexi, dilexi, I have loved, I have loved; and strait-way he was by a convoy of Angels translated to Glory. Love is a sacred Fire kindled in the breast, in the flames of this Fire the devout Soul ascends to Heaven.

10. If we would obtain this Heavenly Kingdom let us labour for Sincerity; Prov. 28.18. Whosoever walketh uprightly shall be saved. The sincere Christian may fall short of some degrees of Grace, but he never falls short of the Kingdom; God will pass by many failings where the heart is right; Numb. 23.21. True Gold, though it be light, hath grains of allowance; Psal. 51.6. Thou desirest truth in the inward parts. Sincerity is the sauce which seasons all our Actions, and makes them savoury; it is the ingredient into every Grace: It is called Faith unfeigned, 2 Tim. 1.5. and Love foreign in sincerity, Eph. 6.24. Coyn will not go currant that wants the Kings stamp; Grace is not currant if it be not stamped with Sincerity. Glorious Duties sowred with Hypocrisie are rejected, when great Infirmities sweetned with Sincerity are accepted. If any thing in the World bring us to Heaven it is Sincerity: Sincerity signifies plainness of heart, Psal. 32.2. In whose Spirit there is no guile. The plainer the Diamond is the richer.

(1.) Sincerity is when we serve God with our heart; we do not only worship him but love him. Cain brought his Sacrifice, but not his Heart: This is Gods delight, a Sacrifice flaming upon the Altar of the Heart. A sincere Christian, though he hath a double principle in him, Flesh and Spirit, yet he hath not a double heart, his heart is for God.

(2.) Sincerity is when we aim purely at God in all we do. The Glory of God is more worth than the Salvation of all Mens Souls. A sincere Christian though he comes short in Duty yet he takes a right aim. As the herb Heliotropium turns about according to the motion of the Sun; so a Godly Mans actions do all move towards the Glory of God

11. If we would obtain the Heavenly Kingdom, let us keep up fervency in Duty, What is a dead form without the power? Rev. 3.16. Because thou art luke-warm, neither hot nor cold, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Fervency puts life into Duty; Rom. 12.11. Fervent in Spirit serving God; foreign, Boyling over. Christ prayed foreign, yet more earnestly, Luke 22.44. When the Fire on the Golden Censer was ready to go out, Aaron was to put more Coals to the Incense. Praying with Devotion p. 498is putting more Coals to the Incense; 'tis not Formality but Fervency will bring us to Heaven: The Formalist is like Ephraim, a Cake not turned, hot on one side and dough on the other. In the external part of Gods Worship he seems to be hot, but as for the Spiritual part of Gods Worship he is cold. Oh if you would have the Kingdom of Heaven keep up heat and fervour in Duty. Eliah was carried up to Heaven in a fiery Chariot; if you would go to Heaven you must be carried thither in a fiery Chariot of Zeal: 'Tis violence takes the Kingdom of Heaven.

12. If we would arrive at the Heavenly Kingdom let us cherish the motions of Gods Spirit in our hearts. The Marriner may spread his Sails, but the Ship cannot get to the Haven without a gale of Wind; so we may spread the sails of our endeavour, but we cannot get to the Haven of Glory without the North and South-wind of Gods Spirit blow; how nearly therefore doth it concern us to make much of the motions of Gods Spirit; motions to Prayer, motions to Repentance. 2 Sam. 5.24. When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thy self, for then shall the Lord go out before thee: So when we hear as it were a voice within us, a secret inspiration stirring us up to good Duties, we should then bestir our selves; while the Spirit works in us, we should work with the Spirit. Many Men have Gods Spirit striving with them, he puts good motions in their hearts, and holy purposes, but they neglecting to prosecute these good motions, the Spirit is thereby grieved, and being grieved, withdraws its assistance, and that assistance being gone there is no getting to Heaven. Oh make much of the motions of the Spirit, it is as much as your Salvation is worth. The Spirit of God is compared to fire, Acts 2.2. if we are careful to blow this spark, we may have fire to inflame our affections, and to light our feet into the way of peace. If we quench the Spirit by our neglecting and resisting its motions, we cut our selves off from Salvation. The Spirit of God hath a drawing-power, Cant. 1.4. The Blessed Spirit draws by attraction, as the Loadstone the Iron. In the preaching of the Word the Spirit draws the heart up to Heaven in holy longings and ejaculations. Now when the Spirit is about thus to draw us, let us take heed of drawing back left it be to perdition: Heb. 10. We should do as Noah, when the Dove came flying to the Ark, he put forth his hand and took it into the Ark, so when this sweet Dove of Gods Spirit comes flying to our hearts, and brings a gracious impulse as an Olive-branch of Peace in its mouth. O take this Dove into the Ark, entertain the Spirit in your hearts, and it will bring you to Heaven.

Quest. But how shall we know the motions of the Spirit from a delusion?

Answ. The motions of the Spirit are alwayes agreeable to the Word. If the Word be for Holiness so is the Spirit: The Spirit perswades to nothing but what the Word directs; which way the tyde of the Word runs, that way the Wind of the Spirit blows.

13. We obtain the Kingdom of Heaven by uniform and chearful Obedience; Obedience is the Road through which we travail to Heaven; many say they love God, but refuse to obey him; doth he love the Princes Person who slights his Commands?

(1.) Obedience must be uniform, Psal. 119.6, Then shall I not be ashamed, Lo Eboth, I shall not blush when I have respect to all thy Commandments; as the Son goes through all the signs of the Zodiack, so must we through all the duties of Religion: If a Man be to go an hundred Miles, and he goes ninety nine Miles, and there stops, he comes short of the Place he is to travel to; if with Herod we do many things that God commands, yet if we lye in the total neglect of any duty we come short of the Kingdom of Heaven; for Instance, If a Man seem to make Conscience of duties of the first Table, and not the duties of the second; if he seem to be religious but is not just, he is a Transgressor, and is in danger to lose Heaven; a good heart is like the Needle which points that way which the Loadstone draws, so he moves that way which the Word draws.

(2.) Obedience must be chearful; I delight to do thy Will O my God, yea thy Law is within my heart, Psal. 40.8. That is the sweetest Obedience which is chearful, as that is the sweetest Honey which drops from the Comb freely: God doth sometimes accept of willingness without the work, but never of the Work without willingness; Zach. 5 9. There came out two Women and the wind was in their wings. Wings are swift, but wind in the Wings denotes great swiftness; an Emblem of the swiftness and chearfulness which should be in Obedience; we go to Heaven in the way of Obedience.

14. If we would obtain this Kingdom, be much in the Communion of Saints; one Coal of Juniper will warm and inflame another; when the heart is dead and frozen the Communion of Saints will help to warm it, Mal. 3.16. They that feared the Lord spake often one to another. Christians should never meet (saith Mr. Bolton) but speak of their meeting together in Heaven: One Christian may be very helpful by Prayer and Conference p. 499to another, and give him a lift towards Heaven. Old Latimer was much strengthened and comforted by hearing Mr. Bilnyes Confession of Faith. We read that when Moses his hands were heavy, and he was ready to let them fall, Aaron and Hur staid up his hands, Exod. 17.12. A Christian who is ready to faint under Tentation, and lets down the hands of his Faith, by conversing with other Christians, he is strengthened and his hands are held up; a great benefit of holy Conference is Counsel and Advise: If a Man, saith Chrysostom, who hath but one head to advise him, could make that head an hundred heads to advise him, he would be very wise: A single Christian hath this benefit by the Communion of Saints, they are as so many heads to advise him what to do in such a case or exigence: By Christian conference the Saints can say, Did not our heart burn within us? Communion of Saints we have in our Creed, but 'tis too little in our practise: Men usually travel fastest in Company, we travel fastest to Heaven in the Communion of Saints.

15. If we would attain to this Kingdom of Heaven, let us be willing to come up to Christs terms; many will be cheapening, and bid something for the Kingdom of Heaven, they will avoid gross sin, and will come to Church and say their Prayers; and yet all this while they are not willing to come up to Gods Price, that is, they will not renounce the Idol of self Righteousness, flying only to Christ as to the Horns of the Altar; they; will not sacrifice their bosom-sin; they will not give God Spirit-worship, serving him with zeal and intenseness of Soul, Iohn 4.24. they will not forgive their Enemies: they will not part with their carnal profits for Christ; they would have the Kingdom of Heaven, but they will not come up to the Price: If you would have this Kingdom, do not article and indent with Christ, but accept of his Terms; say, Lord, I am willing to have the Kingdom of Heaven whatever it cost me; I am willing to pluck out my right eye, to part with all for the Kingdom; here is a blank paper I put into thy hand, Lord write thy own Articles, I will subscribe to them.

16. If we would obtain the Heavenly Kingdom, let us attend to the holy Ordinances; thus God brings Souls to heaven; Act. 27.31. Except ye abide in the Ship ye cannot be saved. Some People would leap out of the Ship of Ordinances, and then God knows whether they leap; but except ye abide in the Ship of Ordinances ye cannot be saved; especially if you would get to Heaven attend to the VVord preached: It was by the Ear, by our first Parents listening to the Serpent, that we lost Paradise; and it is by the Ear, by the hearing of the word, that we get Heaven, Isa. 55.3. Hear and your Soul shall live. God sometimes in the preaching of the word drops in that holy Oyl into the Ear which softens and sanctifies the heart: The word preached is called the Ministry of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 3.8. because the Spirit of God makes use of this Engine to convert Souls: If the word preached doth not work upon Men, nothing will, not Judgment, or Miracles, no, nor though one should arise from the Dead, Luke 16.31. If a glorified Saint should come out of Heaven, and assume a Body, and tell you of all the glory of Heaven, and the joys of the blessed, and perswade you to believe; if the preaching of the word will not bring you to Heaven, neither would his Rhetorique do it who rose from the dead. In Heaven there will be no need of Ordinances, but there is while we live here: The Lamp needs Oyl, but the Star needs none. While the Saints have their Lamp of Grace burning here, they need the Oyl of Ordinances to be continually dropping upon them; but there will be no need of this Oyl when they are Stars in Heaven. If you intend to get to Heaven, be swift to hear; for faith comes by hearing, Rom. 10.14, 17. Peter let down the Net of his Ministry and at one draught catch'd three thousand Souls. If you would have Heavens Door opened to you, wait at the Posts of Wisdoms Door.

17. If you would arrive at Heaven, have this Kingdom ever in your eye: Our blessed Lord looked to the Joy which was set before him, and Moses had an eye to the Recompence of Reward, Heb. 11.26. Let the Kingdom be much in our thoughts; Meditation is a means to help us to Heaven.

Quest. How doth it help?

Answ. 1. As it is a means to prevent sin, no Sword like this to cut asunder the Sinews of Tentation; it is almost inpossible to sin presumptuously with the lively thoughts and hopes of Heaven: It was when Moses was out of Sight that Israel set up a Calf and worshipped it; so it is when the Kingdom of Heaven is out of sight, I mean out of Mens thoughts, that they set up their Lusts and idolize them; the Meditation of Heaven banisheth sin; he who thinks of the weight of Glory, throws away the weights of sin.

2. The … on the Kingdom of Heaven would excite and quicken Obedience, we should think we could never pray enough, never love God enough who hath prepared such a Kingdom for us, immensum Gloria calcar habet: Saint Paul had Heaven in p. 493his eye, he was once caught up thither, and how active was he for God, 1 Cor. 15.10. This would oyl the Wheels of Obedience.

3. It would make us strive after Holiness, because none but such are admitted into this Kingdom, only the pure in heart shall see God, Mat. 5. Holiness is the Language of Heaven, it is the only coin will pass currant in Heaven; this considered would make us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, perfecting Holiness in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7.1.

Thus you see how the Meditation of Heaven would be a means to bring us thither.

18. The last means for obtaining the Heavenly Kingdom is, Perseverance in Holiness, Rev. 2.10. Be thou faithful unto death, and thou shalt receive the Crown of Life. In Christians non initia sed finis laudantur, Hierom.

1. Is there such a thing as persevering?

2. How doth a Christian come to persevere?

3. What are the Incouragements?

4. What Helps?

1. Is there such a thing as persevering till we come to Heaven? The Arminians deny it, and truly that any one holds out to the Kingdom is a wonder; if you consider,

1. What a world of Corruption is mingled with Grace; Grace is apt to be stifled, as the Coal to be choaked with its own ashes: Grace is oft like a Spark in the Sea, 'tis a wonder it is not quenched: 'Tis a wonder sin doth not do to Grace as sometime the Nurse to the Child, overlay it that it dye; so that this Infant of Grace is not smothered.

2. The Implacable malice of Satan; he denies that we should have a Kingdom, when he himself is cast out; it cuts him to the heart to see a piece of dust and clay be made a bright Star in Glory, and he himself an Angel of Darkness; he will Acheronta movere, move all the Powers of Hell to hinder us from the Kingdom; he spits his Venome, shoots his fiery Darts, raiseth a storm of persecution, yea, and prevails against some; Rev. 12.4. There appeared a great red Dragon, and his Tail drew the third part of the Stars of Heaven, and did cast them to the Earth. By the Dragon is meant the Heathenish Empire; now when his Tail cast so many to the Earth, it is a wonder that any of the Stars keep fixed in their Orb.

3. The Blandishments of Riches: The Young man in the Gospel went very far, thou art not far from the Kingdom of God; but he had rich Possessions, and these golden weights hindred him from the Kingdom, Luke 18.23. Ionathan pursued the Battle till he came at the Honey-comb, and then he stood still, 1 Sam. 14.27. Many are forward for Heaven till they tast the sweetness of the World; but when they come at the Honey-comb, then they stand still and go no further; Faenus pecuniae funus animae. Those who have escaped the Rocks of gross sins, yet have been cast away upon the Golden Sands: What a wonder therefore that any doth hold on till he comes to the Kingdom.

4. A wonder any holds out in Grace, and doth not tire in his march to Heaven; if you consider the difficulty of a Christians Work, he hath no time to lye fallow, he is either watching or fighting; nay, a Christian is to do those Duties which to the eye of sence and reason seem inconsistent: While a Christian doth one duty he seems to cross another, e. g. he must come with holy boldness to God in Prayer, yet must serve him with fear; he must mourn for sin, yet rejoyce; he must be contented, yet covet, 1 Cor. 12.32. contemn Mens Impieties, yet reverence their Authority: What difficult work is this; a wonder any Saint arrives at the Heavenly Kingdom, to this I might add, the evil Examples abroad, which are so atractive, we may say, the Devils are come among us in the likeness of Men; what a wonder is it that any Soul perseveres till it comes to the Kingdom of Heaven; but as great a wonder as it is, there is such a thing as perseverance; a Saints perseverance is built upon three immutable Pillars.

(1.) Gods Eternal Love: We are inconstant in our Love to God; but he is not so in his Love to us, Ier. 31.9 I have loved thee with an everlasting Love; a havath gnolam, with a Love of Eternity. Gods Love to the Elect is not like a Kings Love to his Favourite, when it is at the highest Spring-Tide it soon ebbs; but Gods Love is eternized; God may desert, not disinherit; he may change his Love into a Frown, not into hatred; he may alter his Providence, not his decree: When once the Sun-shine of Gods Electing Love is risen upon the Soul, it never sets finally.

(2.) A Saints Perseverance is built upon the Covenant of Grace; … a firm impregnable Covenant: This you have in the words of the sweet Singer of Israel, 2. Sam. 23.5. p. 501God hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure. 'Tis a sweet Covenant that God will be our God; the marrow and quintessence of all Blessing; and it is a sure Covenant, that he will put his Fear in our heart, and we shall never depart from him, Ier. 32.40. This Covenant is inviolable, cannot be broken; indeed sin may break the Peace of the Covenant, but it cannot break the Bond of the Covenant.

(3.) The third Pillar Perseverance is built upon is the Mistical Union: Believers are incorporated into Christ, they are knit to him as Members to the Head, by the Nerve and Ligament of Faith, that they cannot be broken off, Eph. 5.23. What was once said of Christs natural Body is as true of his mistical Body, Iohn 19.36. A bone of it shall not be broken. As it is impossible to sever the Leaven and the Dough when they are once mingled, so it is impossible when Christ and Believers are once united ever by the Power of Death or Hell to be separated: How can Christ lose any Member of his Body and be perfect? You see on what strong Pillars the Saints Perseverance is built.

2 Quest. How doth a Christian hold on till he comes to the Kingdom? How doth he persevere?

Resp. 1. Auxilio Spiritus: God carries on a Christian to perseverance by the Energy and vigorous working of his Spirit: The Spirit maintains the Essence and Seed of Grace, it doth foreign blow up the Sparks of Grace into an holy Flame; Spiritus est Vicarius Christi, Tertul. 'tis Christs Deputy and Proxy, is it every day at work in a Believers heart, exerting Grace into Exercise, and ripening it into perseverance: The Spirit doth carve and polish the Vessels of Mercy, and make them fit for Glory.

2. Christ causeth perseverance and carries on a Saint till he comes to the Heavenly Kingdom, vi orationis, by his Intercession: Christ is an Advocate as well as a Surety; he prays that the Saints may arrive safe at the Kingdom, Heb. 7.25. Wherefore he is able to save them, foreign, to the uttermost, (i. e. perfectly) seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them; that Prayer he made for Peter on Earth he prays now in Heaven for the Saints, that their Faith fail not, Luke 22.32. that they may be with him where he is, Iohn 17.24. and sure if he pray that they may be with him in his Kingdom, they cannot perish by the way: Christs Prayer is efficacious; if the Saints Prayers have so much force and prevalency in them: Iacob had power with God, and as a Prince prevailed, Hos. 12.4. By Prayer Eliah unlocked Heaven: If the Prayers of the Saints have so much power with God, then what hath Christs Prayer? how can the Children of such Prayers miscarry? how can they fall short of the Kingdom, who have him praying for them who is not only a Priest but a Son? and besides what he prays for as he is Man, that he hath power to give as he is God; thus you see how a Christian comes to Persevere till he comes to the Kingdom.

Object. But methinks I hear some Christians say, if only perseverance obtains the Kingdom, they fear they shall not come thither, they fear they shall faint by the way, and the weak legs of their Grace will never carry them to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Answ. Wert thou indeed to stand in thy own strength thou mightest fall away; that Branch withers and dies which hath no Root to grow upon; thou growest upon the Root Christ, who will be daily sending forth vital influence to strengthen thee; thou art imbecil and weak in Grace, yet fear not falling short of Heaven; For,

1. God hath made a promise to weak Believers; what is a bruised Reed but the Emblem of a weak Faith, yet it hath a Promise made to it, Mat. 12.20. A bruised Reed he will not break. God hath promised to supply the weak Christian with so much Grace as he shall need, till he comes to Heaven: Beside the two Pence which the good Samaritan left to pay for the Cure of the poor wounded Man, he passed his Word for all that he should need beside, Luke 10.35. So, Christ doth not only give a little Grace in hand, but his Bond for more, that he will give as much Grace as a Saint shall need till he comes to Heaven, Psal. 84.11. The Lord will give Grace and Glory, that is, a fresh supply of Grace till it be perfected in Glory.

2. God hath most care of his weak Saints, who fear they shall never hold out till they come to the Kingdom; doth not the Mother tend the weak Child most? Isa. 40.11. He will gather the Lambs in his Arms, and carry them in his Bosom. If thou thinkest thou art so weak that thou shalt never hold out till thou comest to Heaven, thou shalt be carried in the Arms of the Almighty, he gathers the Lambs in his Arms; Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah marched before hi… People, and his Power is their Rear-ward, so that none of them faint, or dye in their March to Heaven.

3. Quest. What are the Encouragements to make Christians hold on till they come to the Kingdom of Heaven?

Answ. 1. It is a great Credit to a Christian not only to hold forth the Truth, but to hold fast the Truth till he comes to Heaven; when Grace doth flourish into perseverance, p. 502and with the Church of Thyatira our last works are more then our first, Rev. 2.19. This is insigne honoris a Star of Honour: 'Tis matter of renown to see gray hairs shine with golden vertues: the Excellency of a thing lies in the finishing of it: What is the excellency of a Building? not when the first stone is laid, but when it is finished; so the beauty and excellency of a Christian is when he hath finished his Faith, having done his work is landed safe in Heaven.

2. You that have made a progress in Religion, have not many Miles to go before you come at the Kingdom of Heaven; Rom. 13.11. Now is our Salvation neerer then when we believed. You who have hoary hairs, your green Tree is turned into an Almond-tree, you are near to Heaven, it is but going a little further and you will set your Feet within Heaven Gates; Oh therefore now be encouraged to hold out, your Salvation is nearer then when you first began to believe: Our diligence should be greater when our Salvation is nearer: When a Man is almost at the end of the Race will he now tire and faint? will he not put forth all his strength, and strain every Limb that he may lay hold upon the Prize? Our Salvation is now nearer, the Kingdom is as it were within sight; how should we now put forth all our strength that we may lay hold upon the Garland of Glory: Doctor Taylour when he was going to his Martyrdom, I have (saith he) but two Stiles to go over and I shall be at my Fathers House. Though the way to Heaven be up hill, you must climb the steepy Rock of Mortification, and though there be Thorns in the way, viz. Sufferings, yet you have gone the greatest part of your way, you are within a few days march of the Kingdom, and will not you persevere? Christian pluck up thy Courage, fight the good fight of Faith, pursue Holiness, 'tis but a while and you shall put off your Armour, and end all your weary Marches, and receive a Victorious Crown; your Salvation is nearer, you are within a little of the Kingdom, therefore now presevere, you are ready to commence and take your Degree of Glory.

3. The blessed promise annexed to Perseverance; the promise is a Crown of Life, Rev 2.10. Death is a Worm that feeds in the Crowns of Princes, but behold here a living Crown, and a never-fading Crown, 1 Pet. 5.4. and Rev. 2.28. He that overcometh, and keepeth my works to the end I will give him Stellam matutinam, the Morning Star: The Morning Star is brighter then the rest; this Morning Star is meant of Christ; as if Christ had said, I will give to him that perseveres some of my Beauty, I will put some of my illustrious Rays upon him, he shall have the next degree of Glory to me, as the Morning Star is next the Sun; will not this animate and make us hold out, we shall have a Kingdom, and that which is better then the Kingdom, a bright Morning Star.

4 Quest. What are the means conducing to perseverance, or what shall we do that we may hold out to the Kingdom?

Resp. 1. Take up Religion upon good Grounds, not in a Fit or Humour, or out of worldly design, but be deliberate, weigh things well in the Ballance, Luke 14.28. Which of you intending to build a Tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost: Think with your selves what Religion must cost you, it must cost you the parting with your sins, and what is may cost you, it may cost you the parting with your Lives; consider if a Kingdom will not countervail your Sufferings; weigh things well and then make your choice, Psal. 119.30. I have chosen the way of thy Truth. Why do many Apostatize and fall away, but because they did never sit down and count the cost.

2. If we would hold out to the Kingdom, let us cherish the Grace of Faith, 1 Cor. 1.24. By Faith ye stand; Faith like Hercules Club it beats down all Oppositions before it; 'tis a conquering Grace.

Quest. How comes Faith to be so strong?

Resp. Faith fetcheth Christs strength into the Soul, Phil. 4.13. foreign. A Captain may give his Soldier Armour, but not strength: Faith partakes of Christs strength, and Faith gets strength from the promise; as the Child by sucking the Breast gets strength, so doth Faith by sucking the Breast of the Promise; hence Faith is such a wonder working Grace, and enables a Christian to persevere.

3. If you would hold out to the Kingdom, set before your Eyes the Examples of those Noble, Heroick Saints who have persevered to the Kingdom; Vivitur Exemplis, Examples have more influence upon us then Precepts, Iob 23.11, 12. My Foot hath held his steps: Though the way of Religion hath Flints and Thorns in it, yet my Foot hath held his steps, I have not fainted in the way, nor turn'd out of the way; Daniel held on his Religion, and would not intermit Prayer, though he knew the writing was signed against him, and a Prayer might cost him his life, Dan. 6.10. The blessed Martyrs persevered to the Kingdom through Sufferings; Saunders that holy Man said, p. 503Welcome the Cross of Christ, my Saviour began to me in a bitter Cup, and shall I not pledge him? Another Martyr kissing the Stake said, I shall not lose my Life, but change it for a better, instead of Coals I shall have Pearls. What a spirit of gallantry was in these Saints; let us learn Constancy from their Courage. A Souldier seeing his General fight valiantly, is animated by his Example, and hath new Spirits put into him.

4. Let us add fervent Prayer to God, that he would inable us to hold out to the Heavenly Kingdom: Psal. 119.117. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe. Let us not presume on our own strength. When Peter cryed to Christ on the water, Lord save me, then Christ took him by the hand, Matth. 14.30. but when he grew confident of his own strength, then Christ let him fall. O pray to God for auxiliary Grace. The Child is safe when held in the Nurses armes; so are we in Christs armes. Let us pray that God will put his fear in our hearts that we do not depart from him; and that Prayer of Cyprian, Domine quod caepisti perfice, ne in portu naufragium accidat, Lord perfect that which thou hast begun in me, that I may not suffer shipwrack when I am almost at the haven.

3. Branch. Let us press forward with the greatest diligence to this Kingdom: And here let me lay down some powerful Perswasives, or Divine Arguments, to make you put to all your strength for the obtaining this blessed Kingdom.

1. This is the great errand for which God hath sent us into the World to prepare for this Heavenly Kingdom; Matth. 6.33. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. First in time, before all things; and first in affection, above all things. Great care is taken for the atchieving Worldly things; Matth. 6.25. To see people labouring for the earth, as Ants about a Molehill, would make one think this were the only errand they came about: But alas, what is all this to the Kingdom of Heaven? I have read of a devout Pilgrim travelling to Ierusalem, who passing through several Cities, where he saw many stately Edifices, Ware and Monuments, he would say, I must not stay here, this is not Jerusalem: So when we enjoy Worldly things, Peace and Plenty, and have our presses burst out with new Wine, we should say to our selves, this is not the Kingdom we are to look after, this is not Heaven: 'Tis Wisdom to remember our errand. It will be but sad upon a Death-bed for a Man to think he was busying himself only about trifles, playing with a feather, and neglected the main thing he came into the World about.

2. The seeking after the Heavenly Kingdom will be judged most prudent by all Men at last. Those who are regardless of their Souls now, will before they dye wish they had minded Eternity more; when Conscience is awakened, and Men begin to come to themselves: Now what would they give for the Kingdom of Heaven? How happy were it if Men were of the same mind now, as they will be at Death. Death will alter Mens opinions; then those who did most slight and disparage the wayes of Religion, will wish their time and thoughts had been taken up about the excellent Glory. At Death Mens eyes will be opened, and they will see their folly when it is too late. If all Men, even the worst, will wish at last they had minded the Kingdom of Heaven, why should not we do that now, which all will wish they had done when they come to dye.

3. This Kingdom of Heaven deserves our utmost pains and diligence; it is Glorious beyond Hyperbole. Suppose Earthly Kingdoms more magnificent than they are, their Foundations of Gold, their Walls of Pearl, their Windows of Sapphire, yet they are not comparable to the Heavenly Kingdom; foreign, Chrys. If the Pavement of it be bespangled with so many bright shining Lights, glorious Stars, what is the Kingdom it self? 1 Iohn 3.2. It doth not yet appear what we shall be. This Kingdom exceeds our Faith. How sublime and wonderful is that place where the blessed Deity shines forth in his immense Glory, infinitely beyond the comprehension of Angels.

(1.) The Kingdom of Heaven is a place of Honour; there are the glorious Triumphs and sparkling Crowns. In other Kingdoms there is but one King, but in Heaven all are Kings: Rev. 1.6. Every Saint glorified partaker of the same Glory as Christ doth; Iohn 17.22. The glory thou hast given me I have given them.

(2.) This Kingdom is a place of Joy; Matth. 25.21. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. To have a continual aspect of Love from Gods face, to be crowned with Immortality, to be foreign, as the Angels of God, to drink of the Rivers of Pleasure for ever, this will cause Raptures of Joy. Sure it deserves our utmost pains in pursuing and securing this Kingdom. Iulius Caesar coming towards Rome with his Army, and hearing the Senate and People fled from it, said, They that will not fight for this City, what City will they fight for? If we will not take pains for the Kingdom of Heaven what Kingdom will we take pains for. It was the speech of the Spies to their p. 504Brethren, Iudg. 18.9. We have seen the land, and behold it is very good, and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. We have had a lively description of the Glory of Heaven, we find the Kingdom is very good, why then do we sit still? Why do we not operam navare put forth our utmost zeal and industry for this Kingdom? The diligence of others in seeking after Earthly Kingdoms, shames our coldness and indifferency in pursuing after the Kingdom of Heaven.

4. The time we have to make sure of the Heavenly Kingdom is very short and uncertain; take heed it doth not slip away before you have prepared for the Kingdom. Time passeth on apace, Cito pede praeterita vita: It will not be long before the silver cord be loosed, and the golden bowl broken, Eccles. 12. The skin wherein the Brains are inclosed as in a bowl, this golden bowl will soon be broken. Our Soul is in our Body as the Bird is in the Shell, which soon breaks and the Bird flyes out; the Shell of the Body breaking, the Soul flyes into Eternity. We know not whether we shall live to another Sabbath: Before we hear another Sermon-bell go, our Passing-bell may go. Our Life runs as a swift stream into the ocean of Eternity. Brethren, if our Time be so minute and transient, if the taper of Life be so soon wasted, or perhaps blown out by violent death, how should we put to all our strength, and call in help from Heaven that we may obtain the Kingdom of Glory. If time be so short, why do we wast it about things of less moment, and neglect the one thing needful, which is the Kingdom of Heaven. A Man that hath a great work to be done, and but one day for the doing of it, had need work hard: We have a great work to do, we are striving for a Kingdom, and alas we are not certain of one day to work in, therefore what need have we to bestir our selves, and what we do for Heaven, to do it with all our might.

5. To excite our diligence, let us consider how inexcusable we shall be if we miss of the Kingdom of Heaven, who have had such helps for Heaven as we have had: Indians who have Mines of Gold, have not such advantages for Glory as we; they have the light of the Sun, Moon and Stars, and the light of R…ason, but this is not enough to light them to Heaven: But we have had the light of the Gospel shining in our Horizon; we have been lifted up to Heaven with Ordinances; we have had the Word in season and out of season. The Ordinances are the pipes of the Sanctuary which empty the golden Oyl of Grace into the Soul, they are scala ParAdisi, the Ladder by which we ascend to the Kingdom of Heaven: Deut. 4 7. What nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? We have had Heaven and Hell set before us, we have had Counsels of Friends, Warnings, Examples, the Motions and Inspirations of the Holy Ghost, how should all these spurs quicken us in our pace to Heaven? Should not that Ship sail apace to the Haven which hath Wind and Tide to carry it? The Tide of Ordinances, and the Wind of the Spirit. Surely if we through negligence miss of the Kingdom of Heaven, we shall have nothing to say for our selves; we shall be as far from excuse as from happiness.

6. You cannot do too much for the Kingdom of Heaven; you cannot pray too much, sanctifie the Sabbath too much, love God too much; you cannot over-do. In secular things a Man may labour too hard, he may kill himself with working; but there is no fear of working too hard for Heaven: In virtute non est verendum ne quid nimium sit, Seneca. The World is apt to censure the Godly, as if they were too zealous, and did over-strain themselves in Religion. Indeed a Man may follow the World too much, he may make too much hast to be rich. The Ferry-man may take in too many Passengers into his Boat, to the sinking of his Boat; so a Man may heap up so much Gold and Silver as to sink himself in Perdition, 1 Tim. 6.9. but one cannot be too earnest and zealous for the Kingdom of Heaven; there is no fear of excess here; when we do all we can for Heaven, we come short of the Golden Rule set us, and of Christs Golden Pattern; when our Faith is highest, like the Sun in the Meridian, yet still foreign, there is something lacking in our Faith, 1 Thess. 3.1. so that all our labour for the Kingdom is little enough. When a Christian hath done his best, yet still he hath sins and wants to bewail.

7 By this you may judge of the state of your Souls, whether you have Grace or no, by your earnest pursuit after the Heavenly Kingdom. Grace infuseth a Spirit of activity into a person; Grace doth not lye dormant in the Soul, 'tis not a sleepy habit, but it makes a Christian like a Seraphim swift and winged in his Heavenly motion; Grace is like fire, it makes one burn in love to God, and the more he loves him, the more he presseth forward to Heaven where he may fully enjoy him. Hope is an active Grace, 'tis called a lively hope, 1 Pet. 1.3. hope is like the spring in the Watch, it sets all the wheels of the Soul a running: Hope of a Crop makes the Husbandman sow his seed; hope of Victory makes the Souldier fight; and a true hope of Glory p. 505makes a Christian vigorously pursue Glory. Here is a Spiritual Touchstone to try our Grace by. If we have the anointing of the Spirit, it will oyl the wheels of our endeavour, and make us lively in our pursuit after the Heavenly Kingdom. No sooner had Paul Grace infused, but presently, Behold he prayes; Acts 9.11. The Affections are by Divines called the Feet of the Soul, if these Feet move not towards Heaven, it is because there is no Life.

8. Your labour for Heaven is not lost: Perhaps you may think it is in vain that you have served God, but know, that your pains is not lost. The Seed is cast into the Earth and it dyes, yet at last it brings forth a plentiful Crop; so your labours seem to be fruitless, but at last they bring you to a Kingdom. Who would not work hard for one hour, when for that hours work he sh…uld be a King as long as he lived. And let me tell you, the more labour you have put forth for the Kingdom of Heaven, the more degrees of Glory you shall have. As there are degrees of Torment in Hell, Matth. 23.14. so of Glory in Heaven. As one Star differs from another in Glory, so shall one Saint; 1 Cor. 15.41. Though every Vessel of Mercy shall be full, yet one Vessel may hold mor… than another. Such as have done more work for God, shall have more Glory in the Heavenly Kingdom. Could we hear th… Saints departed speaking to us from Heaven, sure they would speak after this manner, Were we to leave Heaven a while, and live on the Earth again, we would do God a thousand times more service than ever we did; we would pray with more Life, act with more Zeal; for now we see, the more hath been our labour the greater is our reward in Heaven.

9. While we are labouring for the Kingdom, God will help us; Ezek. 36.27. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. The Promise encourageth us, and Gods Spirit inableth us. A Master gives his Servant work to do, but he cannot give him strength to work; but God as he cuts us out work, so he gives us strength, Psal. 86.16. Give thy strength unto thy servant. God not only gives us a Crown when we have done running, but gives us legs to run; he gives exciting, assisting Grace: Lex jubet, Gratia juvat. The Spirit helping us in our work for Heaven makes it easie. If the Loadstone draw the Iron, it is not hard for the Iron to move▪ If God Spirit drawes the heart, now it moves towards Heaven with facility and alacrity.

10. The more pains we have taken for Heaven the sweeter Heaven will be when we come there. As when an Husbandman hath been grafting Trees, or setting Flowers in his Garden, it is pleasant to review and look over his labours; so when in Heaven we shall remember our former zeal and earnestness for the Kingdom, it will sweeten Heaven and add to the joy of it. For a Christian to think such a day I spent in examining my heart, such a day I was weeping for Sin; when others were at their sport, I was at Prayer, and now have I lost any thing by my Devotion? My Tea…s are wiped away, and the Wine of Paradise chears my heart. I now enjoy him whom my Soul loves, I am possessed of a Kingdom, my labour is over, but my joy remains.

11. If you do not take pains for the Kingdom of Heaven now, there will be nothing to be done for your Souls after death: This is the only fit season for working, and if this season be lost, the Kingdom is forfeited; Eccles. 9.10. Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might, for there is no work, nor device, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest. It was a Saying of Charles the Fifth, I have spent my Treasure, but that I may recover again, I have lost my Health, but that I may have again, but I have lost a great many brave Souldiers, but them I can never have again: So other Temporal things may be lost, and recovered again, but if the term of Life wherein you should work for Heaven be once lost, it is past all recovery, you can never have another season again for your Souls.

12. There is nothing else but this Kingdom of Heaven we can make sure of: We cannot make sure of Life. Quis scit an adjiciant hodiernae crastina Vitae tempora dii superi? Hor. When our Breath goes out we know not whether we shall draw it in again▪ how many are taken away suddenly? We cannot make Riches sure, it is uncertain whether we shall get them. The World is like a Lottery, every one is not sure to draw a Prize: Or if we get Riches we are not sure to keep them; Prov. 23 5. Riches make themselves wings and fly: Experience seals to the truth of this. Many who have had plentiful Estates, yet by Fire, or losses at Sea, they have been squeezed as spunges, and all their Estates exhausted; but if Men should keep their Estates a while, yet Death strips them of all. When Deaths gun goes off away flyes the Estate. 1 Tim. 6.7. It is certain we can carry nothing out of the World: So that there is no making sure any thing here below, but we may make sure of the Kingdom of Heaven; Prov. 11.18. To him that worketh righteousness is a sure reward. He who hath Grace is sure of Heaven, for he hath Heaven begun in him. A Believer hath an evidence p. 506of Heaven; Heb. 11.1. Faith is the evidence of things not seen; he hath an earnest of Glory, 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also given us the earnest of his Spirit; an earnest is part of the whole summe; he hath a sure hope, Heb. 6.19. Which hope we have as an anchor; this anchor is cast upon Gods promise, Titus 1.2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lye hath promised. So that here is great encouragement to take pains for Heaven, we may make sure of this Kingdom.

13. The Kingdom of Heaven cannot be obtained without labour. Non est ad astra mollis e terris vi…. A boat may as well get to land without oars, as we to Heaven without labour. We cannot have the World without labour, and do we think to have Heaven? If a Man digs for Gravel, much more for Gold: Phil. 3.14. I press toward the mark. Heaven Gate is not like that …on-gate, which opened to Peter of its own accord, Acts 12.10. Heaven is not like those ripe figs which fall into the mouth of the eater; Nahum 3.12. No, there must be taking pains. Two things are requisite for a Christian, a watchful eye and a working hand. We must as Hannibal, force a way to the Heavenly Kingdom through difficulties. We must win the garland of Glory by labour, before we wear it with triumph. God hath enacted this Law, That no man shall eat of the Tree of Paradise, but in the sweat of his browes; how then dare any censure Christian diligence; how dare they say, you take more pains for Heaven than needs: God saith foreign, strive as in an agony, fight the good sight of Faith; and these say, you are too strict: But who shall we believe, an holy God that bids us strive, or a prophane Atheist that saith we strive too much.

14. Much of our time being already mispent, we had need work the harder for the Kingdom of Heaven. He who hath lost his time at School, and often played truant, had need ply it the harder that he may gain a stock of Learning; he who hath slept and loytered in the beginning of his journey, had need ride the faster in the evening, least he fall short of the place he is travelling to. Some here present are in their Youth, others in the flower of their Age, others have gray hairs, the Almond tree blossoms, and perhaps they have been very regardless of their Souls or Heaven. Time spent unprofitably is not time lived, but time lost; if there be any such here who have misspent their golden hours, they have not only been sloathful but wastful Servants, how had you need now, redeem the time, and press forward with might and main to the Heavenly Kingdom; 1 Pet 4.3. The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles. It may suffice us that we have lost so much time already, let us now work the harder: Such as have crept as Snails, had need now fly as Eagles to the Paradise of God; if in the former part of your Life you have been as Willows, barren in goodness, in the latter part be as an Orchard of Pomegranats, with pleasant fruits, Cant. 4.13. Recompence former remisness with future diligence.

15. How uncomely and sordid a sloathful temper of Soul is; Zeph. 1.12. I will punish the men who are settled on their lees; Hebr. Hakkophim, Coagulatos, curdled on their lees. Settling on the lees, is an emblem of a dull unactive Soul. The Snail by reason of its slow motion was reckoned among the unclean; Lev. 11.30. A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, Prov. 19.24. he is loath to pull it out, though it be to lay hold on a Crown: Non capit porta illa Caelestis torpore languidos, Brugens. The Devil himself cannot be charged with idleness, 1 Pet. 5.8. foreign, He walketh about. An idle Soul stands in the World for a cypher, and God writes down no cyphers in the Book of Life; Heaven is no hive for Drones; an idle person is fit for a temptation. When the Bird sits still upon the bough, then it is in danger of the gun; one sits still in sloath, then the Devil shoots him with a temptation; standing water putrifies. Heathens will rise up in Judgment against supine Christians. What pains did they take in the Olympick Games, they ran but for a Garland of Flowers, or Olive, foreign, saith Chrys…stom, and do we sit still who run for a Kingdom? How can he expect a Reward that never works, or a Crown that never fights? Inertia animae somnus, sloath is the Souls sleep. Adam when he was asleep lost his Rib; and when a person is in the deep sleep of sloath, he loseth Salvation.

16. Holy activity and industry doth enoble a Christian: Labor splendore decoratur, Cicero. The more excellent any thing is, the more active. The Sun is a glorious Creature, it is ever in motion, going its circuit: Fire is the purest Element, and the most active, 'tis ever sparkling and flaming: The Angels are the most Noble Creatures, they are represented by the Cherubims with Wings displayed. The more active for Heaven the more illustrious, and the more do we resemble the Angels. The Phenix flyes with a Coronet on its head; the industrious Soul hath his Coronet, his labour is his ensign of honour.

p. 50717. It is Mercy that there is a possibility of Happiness, and that upon our pains taking we may have a Kingdom; by our Fall in Adam we forfeited Heaven; why might not God have dealt with us as with the lapsed Angels? they had no sooner sinned but were expell'd Heaven never to come thither more; we may say as the Apostle, Rom. 11.22. Behold the Goodness and severity of God. To the Apostate Angels behold the severity of God that he should throw them down to Hell for ever; to us behold the goodness of God, that he hath put us into a possibility of Mercy, and if we do but take pains, there is a Kingdom stands ready for us; how may this whet and sharpen our Industry, that we are in a Capacity of Salvation; and if we do but what we are able, we shall receive an eternal weight of Glory.

18. Our labour for the Kingdom of Heaven is minute and transient, it is not to last long; our labour expires with our life; 'tis but a while and we shall leave off working, for a little labour an eternal Rest: Who would think much to wade through a little water, that were sure to be crowned as soon as he came at shore. Christians let this encourage you, you have but a little more pains to take, a few Tears more shed, a few more Sabbaths kept, and behold an Eternal Recompence of Reward; what are a few Tears to a Crown? a few Minutes of time to an Eternity of Glory?

19. What striving is there for earthly Kingdoms which are corruptible, and subject to change: With what Vigour and Alacrity did Hannibal's Soldiers continue their March over the Alps and craggy Rocks; and Caesars Soldiers fight with Hunger and Cold. Men will break through Laws and Oaths, they will swim to the Crown in Blood; will they venture thus for earthly Promotions? and shall not we strive more for an Heavenly Kingdom? foreign, Chrysost. This is a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, Heb. 12.28. A Kingdom where there is unparallel'd Beauty, unstained Honour, unmixed joy; a Kingdom where there shall be nothing present, which we could wish were removed, nor nothing absent, which we could wish were enjoyed: Sure if there be any Spark of Grace or true Generosity in our Breasts, we will not suffer our selves to be out-striven by others, we will not let them take more pains for earthly Honours, then we do for that excellent Glory which will crown all our desires.

20. How much pains do some Men take to go to Hell, and shall not we take more pains to go to Heaven? Ier. 9.5. They weary themselves to commit Iniquity. Sinners hackny themselves out in the Devils Service: What Pains do some Men take to satisfy their unclean Lusts! they wast their Estates, wear the shameful marks of their sin about them; they will visit the Harlots house though it stands the next door to hell, Prov. 7.27. Her house is the way to Hell. What pains do others take in persecuting! Holiness is the white they shoot at: 'Tis said of Antiochus Epiphanes, he undertook more tedious Journies, and went upon greater hazards to vex and oppose the Iews, then any of his Predecessors had done in getting of Victories. The Devil blows the horn, and Men ride Pos… to hell, as if they feared hell would be full ere they could get thither: When Satan had entred into Iudas, how active was Iudas! he goes to the High Priests, from them to the Band of Soldiers, and with them back again to the Garden, and never left till he had betrayed Christ: How industrious were the idolatrous Iews, so fiercely were they bent upon their sin, that they would sacrifice their Sons and Daughters to their Idol Gods, Ier. 32.35. Do Men take all this Pains for hell, and shall not we take pains for the Kingdom of Heaven? The wicked have nothing to encourage them in their Sins, they have all the threatenings of God as a flaming Sword against them. O let it never be said that the Devils Servants are more active then Christs, that they serve him better, who rewards them only with Fire and Brimstone, then we do God who rewards us with a Kingdom.

21. The labour we take for Heaven is a labour full of pleasure, Prov. 3.17. A Man sweats at his Recreation, tires himself with hunting, but there is a delight he takes in it which sweetens it: Rom. 7.22. I delight in the Law of God, in the inner Man, Gr. foreign, I take pleasure. Not only is the Kingdom of Heaven delightful, but the way thither: What delight hath a gracious Soul in Prayer, Isa. 56.7. I will make them joyful in my house of Prayer. While a Christian weeps there is joy drops with Tears; while he is musing on God he hath such illapses of the Spirit, and as it were such Transfigurations of Soul, that he thinks himself half in Heaven, Psal. 63.5, 6. My Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my Mouth shall praise thee with joyful Lips, when I remember thee upon my Bed, &c. A Christians work for Heaven is like a Bridegrooms work on the Morning of the Marriage day, he puts on his Vesture and wedding Robes, in which he shall be married to his Bride; so in all the Duties of Religion we are putting on those wedding Robes, in which we shall be married to Christ in Glory: O what solace and inward Peace is there in close walking with God, Isa. 32.17. The Work of Righteousness shall be Peace. Serving of God is like gathering of Spices or p. 508Flowers, wherein there is some labour, but the labour is recompenced with delight: Working for Heaven is like digging in a Gold Mine, the digging is labour, but getting the Gold is pleasure: O then let us bestir our selves for the Kingdom of Heaven; it is a labour full of Pleasure; a Christian would not part with his Joy for the most delicious Musick; he would not exchange his Anchor of Hope for a Crown of Gold: Well might David say in keeping thy Precepts there is great Reward, Psal. 19.11. not only after keeping thy Precepts, but in keeping them; a Christian hath both the Spring Flowers and the Crop; inward delight in serving God, there is the Spring Flowers; and the Kingdom of Glory at last, there is the full Crop.

22. How industrious have the Saints in former Ages been, they thought they could never do enough for Heaven; they could never serve God enough, love him enough, minus te amavi, Domine, Austin. Lord I have loved thee too little. What Pains did Saint Paul take for the Heavenly Kingdom, Phil. 3.13. Reaching forth unto those things which are before; foreign the Greek Word to reach forth, signifies to stretch out the neck, a Metaphor from Racers who strain every Limb, and reach forward to lay hold on the Prize. Anna the Prophetess, Luke 2.37. departed not from the Temple, but served God with Fastings and Prayers night and day. Basil the Great by much labour and watching exhausted his bodily strength. Let Racks, Pullies, and all torments come upon me (said Ignatius) so I may win Christ. The Industry and Courage of former Saints who are now crowned with Glory should provoke our diligence, that so at last we may sit down with them in the Kingdom of Heaven.

23. The more pains we take for Heaven, the more welcome will Death be to us: What is it makes Men so loath to dye? they are like a Tenant that will not out of the House, till the Sergeant pull him out; they love not to hear of Death; why so? because their Conscience accuseth them that they have taken little or no pains for Heaven; they have been sleeping when they should have been working; and now they are afraid least Death should carry them Prisoners to Hell: Whereas he who hath spent his time in serving of God, he can look Death in the Face with comfort, he was wholly taken up about Heaven, and now he shall be taken up to Heaven; he traded before in Heaven, and now he shall go to live there, Phil. 1.23. Cupio dissolvi, I desire to be dissolved, and be with Christ: Paul had wholly laid out himself for God, 1 Cor. 15.10. and now he knew there was a Crown laid up for him, and he longed to take Possession. Thus I have given you twenty three Perswasives or Arguments to exert and put forth your utmost diligence for the obtaining the Kingdom of Heaven; O that these Arguments were written in all your Hearts, as with the Point of a Diamond; and because delaies in these Cases are dangerous, let me desire you to set upon this Work for Heaven presently, Psal. 119.60. I made hast, and delayed not to keep thy Commandments. Many People are convinced of the necessity of looking after the Kingdom of Glory, but they say as those, Hagg. 1.2. The time is not yet come: They adjourn and put off, till their time is slip'd away, and so they lose the Kingdom of Heaven; beware of this fallacy; delay strengthens sin, hardens the heart, and gives the Devil fuller possession of a Man; 1 Sam. 21.8. The Kings business requires hast; so the business of Salvation requires hast; do not put off an hour longer; volat ambiguis mobilis alis hora; what assurance have you that you shall live another day? have you any lease of life granted? why then do you not presently arise out of the Bed of Sloath, and put forth all your strength and Spirits that you may be possessed of the Kingdom of Glory? should not things of the highest importance be done first? setling a Mans Estate, and clearing the Title to his Land, is not delayed, but done in the first place; what is there of such grand importance as this, the saving of your Souls, and the gaining of a Kingdom? therefore to day hear Gods Voice, now mind Eternity, now get your Title to Heaven cleared before the Decree of Death bring forth; what imprudence is it to lay the heaviest Load upon the weakest Horse? so to lay the heavy Load of Repentance on thy self when thou art infeebled by sickness, the Hands shake, the Lips quiver, the Heart faints: O be wise in time, now prepare for the Kingdom: He who never begins his Voyage to Heaven but in the storm of Death, it is a thousand to one if he doth not suffer an Eternal Shipwrack.