ambition is to be great in the world, do not only use the most effectual means, and take the most direct courses to accomplish those designs, and attain those ends, but do continually fufpect, and diligently watch against all the moths that would corrupt, the ruft that would confume, the thieves that would plunder their treasures; and, in a word, against all poffible hindrances, defraudations, and disappointments: fo will we fufpect and watch fure against all enemies and traitors to our fouls, if we live here upon eternal designs, if our ambition be to be great in God alone. And the more eminent the danger is, the more will we watch. Have you not found, by experience, which of thefe three have been moft prejudicial to your communion with God? If not, you have not been fo ftudious to know the state, nor pursue the happiness of your own fouls as you might if fo, then watch against that most of all which you have found to be most injurious. For it ordinarily comes to pass, either by the difference of conftitutions, or difference of temptations, or different ways of living, or fome other thing, that God's children are more enfnared by fome one of these than other. Well, be fure to watch and pray, and ftrive more especially against the more especial enemies of your fouls. 2. Live above the body; above bodily enjoyments, ornaments, excellencies. Though these bodily enjoyments be never so sweet, these bodily ornaments never fo glorious, yet is not your happinefs in these. Certainly they live to their lofs, who live upon the excellencies of their own fouls, whether natural or fupernatural, they deprive K 2 them themselves of the infinite glory, fulness, and fufficiency that is in the bleffed God, who take up their happiness in these: much more do they pinch and impoverish their own fouls, who live upon bodily ornaments or excellencies, wherein many inferior creatures do excel them; the rose in beauty, the fun in brightness, the lion in ftrength, the ftag in fwiftnefs, &c. If a woman was as lovely as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the fun; if a man was full of personal grace and majefty, terrible as an army with banners, yet were not their happiness in these accomplishments. Nay, which is worse, these ornaments stand between us and our happiness. When you begin therefore at any time fondly to admire any of these bodily excellencies, then think with yourselves, Oh, but all thefe do not make my foul happy! Nay, this beautiful outfide muft ftink, and be deformed; thefe fair and flourishing members must wither in the duft; this active, ftrong, and graceful body must be buried in difgrace and weakness, before I can attain to entire and perfect happiness. This confideration will advance us to live above the body. 3. Be content to be unbodied for a time. Is it true, that we can no otherwise be happy, no otherways be prefent with God, know him familiarly, enjoy him perfectly and entirely? Cannot we get to him, except we go through the duft? Be it fo then; be content to be unbodied for a time. Occidat modò imperet, could the Heathen say concerning her fon; much rather may a Christian say, concerning his Father, Let him flay me, fo my foul may but reign with him, which is by his reigning reigning in it; let him kill me, so he will but fill ine; let him draw me through the duft of the earth, fo he will but draw me out of this duft of the world, fo he will but draw me nigh unto himfelf, and bring me into a full and infeparable conjunction with my Lord! Methinks I need not ufe many arguments to perfuade a foul that is feelingly overpowered, mastered, ravished with the infinite beauty, goodness, glory, and fulness of his God, to be willing to quit a dusty tabernacle for a time, wherein he is almoft fwallowed up, to depart, and to be entirely fwallowed_up in him. Nay, fuppofe a Christian in the lowest form, who hath but chofen God for his higheft good and only happiness, (as every fincere Chriftian hath) methinks he fhould have learnt this leffon, to comply with that infinite, perfect will, that governs both him and the whole world. I cannot conceive a godly foul, without the fubduing of felf-will; nor fuppofe a fincere faint void at least of the habit of felf-refignation. Therefore I will add no more concerning this, but rise a step higher. 4. Long after an unbodied ftate, defire to depart, and to be with the Lord; groan within yourselves to have mortality fwallowed up of life, in which temper you find the holy apostle.. To be content to die, is a good temper; a temper scarce to be found I think, in any wicked man; not from a right principle, I am fure: but, methinks, it is no very great thing in comparison of what we fhould labour to attain to. Think on it a little, what a strange kind of cold, uncouth phrase it is, Such a man is content to be happy! Men are not faid to be content to be rich, but covetous; not willing K 3 willing to be honoured, but ambitious: and why fhould it only be content to be with God? I am perfuaded there is no fhew or femblance of fatiffactory blifs and happiness for a foul, a noble immortal nature, but only in the fupreme, effential, perfect, abfolute good, the bleffed and eternal good; and fhould not this noble, active being, be carried out with vehement longings after its proper and full happiness, as well as this earthly, fluggish body, is carried with reftlefs appetite after health, and fafety, and liberty? Why fhould a foul alone be content not to be happy, when all other things in the world do fo ardently court, and vehemently pursue their refpective ends and feveral perfections? Certainly if the bleffed and glorious God fhould display himself in all his beauty, and open all his infinite treasures of goodnefs, and sweetness, and fulness, within the view of a foul, it could not but be ravished with the object, earneftly prefs into his prefence, ruere in amplexus, and with a holy impatience throw itself into his arms! There would be need of fetting bounds to the mount, to keep it from breaking through unto the Lord! What is faid of the Queen of the South, when fhe had heard the wifdom, and feen the glory of Solomon, 2 Cbron. ix. 4. would be more true of a Chriftian; there would be no more fpirit left in him. Some have therefore obferved the wifdom of God in engaging the foul in fo dear a union with the body, that it might care for it, and not quit it; yea, the Heathen obferved the wisdom of God in concealing the happy state of a separated foul, that fo men might be content to live out their time, victurofque dii celant, celant, ut vivere durent, fælix effe mori. But, alas! we fee but darkly as through a glass, and our affections towards God are proportionable to our apprehenfions of him; thefe are dark, and therefore those are dull. And Oh! would to God they were but indeed proportionable! for then we fhould love him only, if not earneftly; and defire him entirely, if not fufficiently. Confider what I have hinted concerning the happiness of the foul in the enjoyment of God, and what I have more fully demonftrated concerning the body's hindering of it, and keeping it at a diftance; and then argue, Is happiness the main end of every being? Muft not this foul then, being a noble and immortal nature, needs look out for fome high and noble happiness, fuitable to its excellent felf? Can that be any where, but in the enjoyment of the highest and uncreated Good? And can this never be attained whilst we are in this animal state, in this mortal body, that keeps us at fuch a diftance? Oh why then do we not look out after fo much enjoyment of this bleffed God, as we are now capable of, and long after a departure hence, that we may enjoy him freely and fully, and be eternally happy in him! Oh! be not only content, but even covetous. But what! fhall the foul break the cage, that fhe may take her flight? God forbid! How can he pretend to be a lover of God, who is not formed into his will, fubject to his ordination, content to abide in the ftation that he hath allotted him? But if we may not break it to escape, yet methinks it may be fafe enough, with fubmiffion, to wifh it were broken. If we may not, with Saul, diffolve ourselves. |