When a worldly Man will talk of nothing but the World, and a Polititian of State-Affairs, and a mere Scholar of human Learning, and a common Profeffor of his Duties; the heavenly Man will be fpeaking of Heaven, and the ftrange Glory his Faith hath feen, and our speedy and bleffed Meeting there. O how refreshing and useful are his Expreffions! How his Words pierce and melt the Heart, and transform the Hearers into other Men! How doth his Doctrine drop as the Rain, and his Speech diftil as the Dew, as the fmall Rain upon the tender Herb, and as the Showers upon the Grafs, while his Lips publifh the Name of the Lord, and afcribe Greatness unto his God! Is not his fweet Difcourfe of Heaven, like the Box of precious Ointment, which, being pour'd on the Head of Chrift, filled the Houfe with the Odeur? All that are near may be refreshed by it. Happy the People that have a heavenly Minifter! Happy the Children and Servants that have a heavenly Father or Mafter! Happy the Man that hath a heavenly Companion, who will watch over thy Ways, ftrengthen thee when thou art weak, chear thee when thou art drooping, and comfort thee with the Comfort wherewith he himself hath been fo often comforted of God! This is he that will be always blowing at the Spark of thy fpiritual Life, and drawing thy Soul to God, and will fay to thee, as the Samaritan Woman, "Come and fee one that hath

told me all that ever I did; one that hath loved our "Souls to the Death. Is not this the Chrift? Is not "the Knowledge of God and Him, eternal Life? Is it not "the Glory of the Saints, to fee his Glory?" Come to this Man's Houfe, and fit at his Table, and he will feaft thy Soul with the Dainties of Heaven: Travel with him by the Way, and he will direct and quicken thee in thy Journey to Heaven: Trade with him in the World, and he will counfel thee to buy

the

the Pearl of great Price. If thou wrong him, he can pardon thee, remembering that Christ-hath pardoned his greater Offences: If thou be angry, he is meek, confidering the Meeknefs of his heavenly Pattern: Or if he fall out with you, he is foon reconciled, when he recollects that in Heaven you must be everlafting Friends. This is the Chriftian of the right Stamp, and all about him are the better for him. How unprofitable is the Society of all other Sorts of Chriftians in Comparison with this! If a Man fhould come from Heaven, how would Men long to hear what Reports he would make of the other World, and what he had feen, and what the Bleffed there Enjoy? Would they not think this Man the best Companion, and his Difcourfe the most profitable? Why then do you value the Company of Saints no more, and enquire no more of them, and relifh their Difcourfe no better? For every Saint fhall go to Heaven in Person, and is frequently there in Spirit, and hath often viewed it in the Glafs of the Gospel. For my Part, I had rather have the Company of a heavenly-minded Chriftian, than of the most learned Difputants, or princely Commanders.

$13. (8) No Man fo highly honoureth God, as he whofe Converfation is in Heaven. Is not a Parent difgraced, when Children feed on Hufks, are cloathed in Rags, and keep Company with none but Rogues and Beggars? Is it not fo to our heavenly Father, when we, who call ourfelves his Children, feed on Earth, and the Garb of our Souls is like that of the naked World; and our Hearts familiarly converse with, and cleave to the Duft, rather than ftand continually in our Father's Prefence? Surely we live below the Children of a King, not according to the Height of our Hopes, nor the Provifion of our Father's House, and the great Preparations made for

his

his Saints. It is well we have a Father of tender Bowels, who will own his Children in Rags. If He . did not first challenge his Intereft in us, neither ourfelves, nor others could know us to be his People. But when a Chriftian can live above, and rejoice his Soul with the Things that are unfeen; how is God honoured by fuch a one! The Lord will testify for him, "This Man believes me, and takes me at my "Word; he rejoiceth in my Promife, before he hath "Poffeffion; he can be thankful for what his bodily "Eyes never faw; his Rejoicing is not in the Flesh; "his Heart is with me; he loves my Prefence; and "he fhall furely enjoy it in my Kingdom for ever. "Bieffed are they that have not feen, and yet have be"lieved. Them that honour me, I will honour." How did God efteem himself honoured by Caleb and Joshua, when they went into the promised Land, and brought back to their Brethren a Tate of the Fruits, and fpake well of the good Land, and encouraged the People? What a Promife and Recompence did they receive?

§14. (9) A Soul that doth not fet its Affections on Things above, difabeys the Commands, and lifes the myft gracious and delightful Discoveries of the Word of God. The fame God that hath commanded thee to believe, and to be a Chriftian, hath commanded thee to feck thofe Things which are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right Hand of God, and to fet your Affection on Things above, not on Things on the Earth (d). The fame God that hath forbidden thee to murder, fleal, or commit Adultery, hath forbidden thee the Neglect of this great Duty; and dareft thou wilfully difobey him? Why not make Confcience of one, as well as the other? He hath made it thy Duty, as well as the Means of thy Comfort, that a double Bond may engage

(d) Col. iii. 1, 2.

engage thee not to forfake thy own Mercies. Befides, what are all the moft glorious Defcriptions of Heaven, all those Discoveries of our future Bleffedness, and precious Promifes of our Reft, but loft to thee? Are not these the Stars in the Firmament of Scripture, and the golden Lines in that Book of God? Methinks thou shouldft not part with one of those Promises, no not for a World. As Heaven is the Perfection of all our Mercies, fo the Promises of it in the Gospel, are the very Soul of the Gofpel. Is a comfortable Word from the Mouth of God of such Worth, that all the Comforts in the World are nothing to it? And doft thou neglect and overlook fo many of them? Why fhould God reveal fo much of his Counfel, and tell us before Hand of the Joys we fhall poffefs, but to make us know it for our Joy? If it had not been to fill us with the Delights of our fore-known Blessedness, He might have kept his Purpose to himfelf, and never have let us know it till we come to enjoy it. Yea, when we had got Poffeffion of our Reft, He might ftill have concealed its Eternity from us, and then the Fears of lofing it would have much diminished the Sweetness of our Joys. But it hath pleafed our Father to open his Counfel, and let us know the very Intent of his Heart, that our Joy might be full, and that we might live as the Heirs of fuch a Kingdom. And fhall we now overlook all? Shall we live in earthly Cares and Sorrows, and rejoice no more in these Discoveries, than if the Lord had never wrote them? If thy Prince had but fealed thee a Patent of fome Lordship, how oft wouldst thou caft thine Eye upon it, and make it thy delightful Study, till thou fhouldft come to poffefs the Dignity itself? And hath God fealed thee a Patent of Heaven, and doft thou let it lie by thee, as if thou hadst forgot it? O that our Hearts were as high

as

as our Hopes, and our Hopes as high as thefe infallible Promifes!

$15. (10) It is but equal that our Hearts fhould be on God, when the Heart of God is fo much on us. If the Lord of Glory can stoop fo low, as to fet his Heart on finful Duft, methinks we fhould eafily be perfuaded to fet our Hearts on Chrift and Glory, and afcend to him, in our daily Affections, who fo much condefcends to us. Chriftian, doft thou not perceive that the Heart of God is fet upon thee, and that He is still minding thee with tender Love, even when thou forgetteft both thyfelf and Him? Is He not following thee with daily Mercies, moving upon thy Soul, providing for thy Body, preferving both? Doth He not bear thee continually in the Arms of Love, and promife that all fall work together for thy Good, and fuit: all his Dealings to thy greateft Advantage, and give his Angels Charge over thee? And canft thou be taken up with the Joys below, and forget thy Lord, who forgets not thee? Unkind Ingratitude! When He fpeaks of his own Kindness, for us, hear what He fays, Zion faid, the Lord hath forfaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a Woman forget her fucking Child, that he should not have Compaflion on the Son of her Womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the Palms of my Hands; thy Walls are continually before me (e). But when He speaks of our Regards to Him, the Cafe is otherwife. Can a Maid forget her Ornaments, or a Bride her Attire; yet my People have forgotten me Days without Number (f). As if He fhould fay, "You "will not rife one Morning, but you will remember "to cover your Nakedness, nor forget your Vanity "of Drefs; and are these of more Worth than your "God; of more Importance than your eternal Life? "And

(e) Ifaiah xlix. 14--16,

(f) Jer, ii. 32.