Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

cise our thoughts to meditations of things above. Without it all our religion is but vain. And as I fear men are generally wanting and defective herein in point of practice, so I do also, that many, through the darkness of their minds, the weakness of their intellects, and ignorance of the nature of all things unseen, seldom set themselves to the contemplation of them. I shall therefore give some few directions for the practice of this duty.

CHAPTER VI.

Directions to the exercise of our thoughts on things above: things future, invisible, and eternal: on God himself, with the difficulties of it, and oppositions to it, and the way of their removal. Right notions of future glory stated.

WE have treated in general before of the proper objects of our spiritual thoughts, as to our present duty. That which we were last engaged in, is an especial instance in heavenly things; things future and invisible, with the fountain and spring of them all in Christ and God himself. And because men are generally unskilled herein, and great difficulties arise in the way of the discharge of this part of the duty in hand, I shall give some especial directions concerning it.

First, Possess your minds with right notions and apprehensions of things above, and of the state of future glory. We are in this duty "to look at the things which are not seen." It is by faith only we have a prospect of them; for "we walk by faith and not by sight." And faith can give us no interest in them, unless we have due apprehensions of them; for it doth but assent and cleave to the truth of what is proposed to it. And the greatest part of mankind both deceive themselves, and feed on ashes in this matter. They fancy a future estate, which hath no foundation but in their own imaginations. Where

fore the apostle, directing us to seek and mind the "things that are above," adds, for the guidance of our thoughts, the consideration of the principal concern of them, "where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God." He would lead us to distinct apprehensions of those heavenly things, especially of the presence of Christ in his exaltation and glory. Wherefore, the true notion of these things with which we are to possess our minds, may here be considered.

All that have an apprehension of a future state of happiness agree in this matter, that it contains in it, or is accompanied with a deliverance and freedom from all that is evil. But in what is so, they are not agreed. Many esteem only those things that are grievous, troublesome, wasting, and destructive to nature to be so; that is, what is penal, in pain, sickness, sorrow, loss, poverty, with all kind of outward troubles, and death itself, are evil. Wherefore they suppose, that the future state of blessedness will free them from all these things, if they can attain to it. This they will lay in the balance against the troubles of life, and sometimes it may be against the pleasures of it, which they must forego. Yea, persons profane and profii gate will, in words at least, profess that heaven will give them rest from all their troubles. But it is no place of rest for such persons.

To all others, also, to believers themselves, these things are evil, such as they expect a deliverance from in heaven and glory. And there is no doubt but it is lawful for us, and meet that we should contemplate them, as those which will give us a deliverance from all outward troubles, death itself, and all that leads to it. Heaven is promised as rest unto them that are troubled. It is our duty, under all our sufferings, reproaches, persecutions, troubles, and sorrows, to raise up our minds to the contemplation of that state wherein we shall be freed from them all. It is a blessed notion of heaven, that God shall therein "wipe away all tears from our eyes," or remove far from us all causes of sorrow. And it would be to our advantage, if we accustomed our minds more to this kind of relief

than we do; if, upon the incursion of fears, dangers, sorrows, we did more readily retreat to thoughts of that state wherein we shall be freed from them all; even this most inferior consideration of it would render the thoughts of it more familiar, and the thing itself more useful to us. Much better it were, than on such occasions to be exercised with heartless complaints, uncertain hopes, and fruitless contrivances.

But there is that which, to those who are truly spiritually minded, hath more evil in it than all these things together, and that is sin. Heaven is a state of deliverance from sin, from all sin, in all the causes, concomitants, and effects of it. He is no true believer to whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow, and trouble. Other things, as the loss of dear relations, or extraordinary pains, may make deeper impressions on the mind by its natural affections at some seasons, than ever our sins did at any one time, in any one instance. So a man may have a greater trouble in sense of pain, by a fit of the tooth-ache, which will be gone in an hour, than in a hectic fever or consumption, which will assuredly take away his life. But take in the whole course of our lives, and all the exercises of our souls in spiritual judgment as well as natural affection, and I do not understand how a man can be a sincere believer, to whom sin is not the greatest burden and sorrow.

Wherefore, in the first place, it belongs to the true notion of heaven, that it is a state wherein we shall be eternally freed from sin, and all the concerns of it, but only the exaltation of the glory of God's grace in Christ, by the pardon of it. He that truly hates sin and abhors it, whose principal desire and design of life is to be freed from it, so far as it is possible; who walks in self-abasement through a sense of his many disappointments, when he hoped it should act in him no more, cannot, as I judge, but frequently betake himself for refreshment to thoughts of that state wherein he shall be freed from it, and triumph over it to eternity. This is a notion of heaven that is easily apprehended and fixed on the mind, which we may

dwell upon to the great advantage and satisfaction of our souls.

Frequent thoughts and meditations of heaven, under this notion, argue a man to be spiritually minded. For it is a convincing evidence that sin is a burden to him; that he longs to be delivered from it and all its consequents; that no thoughts are more welcome to him, than those of that state wherein sin shall be no more. And although men are troubled about their sins, and would desirously be freed from them, so far as they perplex their minds, and make their consciences uneasy; yet if they are not much in the prospect of this relief, if they find not refreshment in it, I fear their trouble is not such as it ought to be. Wherefore, when men can so wrangle and wrestle with their convictions of sin, and yet take up the best of their relief in hopes that it will be better with them at some time or other in this world, without longing desires after that state wherein sin shall be no more, they can give no evidence that they are spiritually minded.

It is quite otherwise with sincere believers in the exercise of this duty. The considerations of the grace and love of God, of the blood of Christ, of the purity and holiness of that good Spirit that dwelleth in them, of the light, grace, and mercy which they have attained through the promises of the gospel, are those which make the remainders of sin most grievous and burdensome to them. This is that which even breaks their hearts, and makes some of them go mourning all the day long, namely, that any thing of that which alone God hates should be found in them, or be remaining with them. It is in this condition an evidence that they are spiritually minded, if, together with watchful endeavours for the universal mortification of sin, and utter excision of it both root and branch, they constantly add these thoughts of that blessed state wherein they shall be absolutely and eternally freed from all sin, with refreshment, delight, and complacency.

These things belong to our direction for the fixing of our thoughts and meditations on things above. This the meanest and weakest person, who hath the

least spark of sincerity and grace, is capable of apprehending, and able to practise. And it is that which the sense they have of the evil of sin will put them on every day, if they shut not their eyes against the light of the refreshment that is in it. Let those who cannot raise their minds to fixed and stable thoughts of any other notion of these invisible things, dwell on this consideration of them, wherein they will find no small spiritual advantage and refreshment to their souls.

Second, As to the positive part of this glorious future state, the thoughts and apprehensions of men are very various. And that we may know as well what to avoid, as what to embrace, we shall a little reflect on some of them.

1. Many are able to entertain no rational conceptions about a future state of blessedness and glory, no notions wherein either faith or reason is concerned. Imagination they have of something that is great and glorious, but what it is they know not. No wonder if such persons have no delight in, no use of thoughts of heaven. When their imaginations have fluctuated up and down in all uncertainties for a while, they are swallowed up in nothing. Glorious, and therefore desirable, they take it for granted that it must be. But nothing can be so to them, but what is suitable to their present dispositions, inclinations, and principles. And hereof there is nothing in the true spiritual glory of heaven, or in the eternal enjoyment of God. These things are not suited to the wills of their minds and of the flesh, and therefore they cannot rise up to any constant desires of them. Hence, to please themselves, they begin to imagine what is not. whereas what is truly heaven pleaseth them not, and what doth please them is not heaven, nor there to be found, they seldom or never endeavour in good earnest to exercise their thoughts about it.

But

It were well if darkness and ignorance of the true nature of the future state and eternal glory, did not exceedingly prejudice believers themselves, as to their delight in them and meditations about them. They

« AnteriorContinua »