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lified for converfing with God, fo far it ufually enjoys Him. Therefore, with all Diligence keep thy Heart, for out of it are the Iffues of Life (o). More particularly,

as

20. (1) Get thy Heart as clear from the World thu canft. Wholly lay by the Thoughts of thy Bufinefs, Troubles, Enjoyments, and every Thing that may take up any Room in thy Soul. Get it as empty as thou poffibly canft, that it may be the more capable of being filled with God. If thou couldst perform fome outward Duty with Piece of thy Heart, while the other is abfent, yet this above all I am fure thou canft not. When thou shalt go into the Mount of Contemplation, thou wilt be like the covetous Man at the Heap of Gold, who, when he might take as much as he could, lamented that he was able to carry no more; fo thou wilt find as much of God and Glory, as thy narrow Heart is able to contain, and almost nothing to hinder thy full Poffeffion, but the Incapacity of thy own Spirit. Then thou wit think, "O that this Underftanding, and thefe Affections, ❝ could contain more! It is more my Unfitnefs than "any Thing elfe, that even this Place is not my "Heaven. God is in this Place, and I know it not. "This Mount is full of Chariots of Fire, but mine "Eyes are fhut, and I cannot fee them. O the "Words of Love Chrift hath to speak, and Wonders "of Love He hath to fhew, but I cannot bear them "yet! Heaven is ready for me, but my Heart is "unready for Heaven." Therefore, Reader, feeing thy Enjoyment of God in this Contemplation much depends on the Capacity and Difpofition of thy Heart, feek Him here, if ever, with all thy Soul. Thrust not Chrift into the Stable, and the Manger, as if thou hadft better Guefts for the chief Rooms. Say to all

(0) Prov, iv. 23.

thy

thy worldly Bufinefs and Thoughts, as Chrift to his Difciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

Or

as Abraham to his Servants, when he went to offer Ifaac, Abide ye here, and I will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. Even as the Priests thrust King Uzziah out of the Temple, where he prefumed to burn Incenfe, when they faw the Leprofie upon him; fo do thou thruft thofe Thoughts from the Temple of thy Heart, which have the Badge of God's Prohibition upon them.

$21, (2) Be fure to fet upon this Work with the greatest Solemnity of Heart and Mind. There is no trifling in holy Things. God will be fanctified in them. that come nigh Him (p). Thefe fpiritual, excellent, Soul raifing Duties, are, if well ufed, moft profitable; but when ufed unfaithfully, moft dangerous. Labour therefore to have the deepest Apprehenfions of the Prefence of God, and His incomprehenfible Greatnefs. If Queen Ether muft not draw near, till the King bald out the Sceptre; think, then, with what Reverence thou fhouldft approach Him, who made the Worlds with the Word of His Mouth, who upholds the Earth as in the Palm of His Hand, who keeps the Sun, Moon, and Stars in their Courses, and who fets Bounds to the raging Sea. Thou art going to converfe with Him, before whom the Earth will quake, and Devils do tremble, and at whofe Bar thou and all the World muft fhortly ftand, and be finally judged. O think! I fhall then have lively "Apprehenfions of His Majefty. My drowly Spirits "will then be awakened, and my Irreverence be laid "afide; and why should I not now be rouzed with "the Senfe of His Greatnefs, and the Dread of His "Name poffefs my Soul?" Labour alfo to apprehend the Greatnefs of the Work which thou attempteft,

(p) Lev, x. 3.

tempteft, and to be deeply fenfible both of its Importance and Excellency. If thou waft pleading for thy Life at the Bar of an earthly Judge, thou wouldst be ferious; and yet that would be a Trifle to this. If thou waft engaged in fuch a Work as David against Goliah, on which the Welfare of a Kingdom depended; in itself confidered, it were nothing to this. Suppofe thou waft going to fuch a Wrestling as Jacob's, or to fee the Sight which the three Difciples faw in the Mount; how feriously, how reverently, wouldst thou both approach and behold! If but an Angel from Heaven fhould appoint to meet thee, at the fame Time and Place of thy Contemplations; with what Dread wouldst thou be filled? Confider then, with what a Spirit thou fhouldft meet the Lord, and with what Serioufnefs and Awe thou fhouldít daily converfe with Him. Confider alfo the bleffed Iue of the Work, if it fucceed; it will be thy Admiffion into the Prefence of God, and the Beginning of thy eter nal Glory on Earth; a Means to make thee live above the Rate of other Men, and fix thee in the next Room to the Angels themfelves, that thou mayft both live and die joyfully. The Prize being fo great, thy Preparations fhould be anfwerable. There is none on Earth live fuch a Life of Joy and Bleffednefs, asthose that are acquainted with this heavenly Converfa. tion. The Joys of all other Men are but like a Child's Play, a Fool's Laughter, or a fick Man's Dream of Health. He that trades for Heaven is the only Gainer, and he that neglects it is the only Lofer. How seriously, therefore, fhould this Work be done?

CHAP.

CHAP. XIV.

What Ufe heavenly Contemplation makes of Confideration, Affections, Soliloquy, and Prayer.

1. The Reader is invited to engage in heavenly Contemplation; 2. and to that End is (1) directed in the Ufe of Confideration, § 3-8. the great Influence of which over the Heart is reprefented in feveral InRances: $9. Then (II) it is fhewn how heavenly Contemplation is promoted by the Affections; particularly, $10-12. (1) by Love, $13. (2) Defire, $ 14. (3) Hope, § 15. (4) Courage or Boldness, 16-18. and (5) Jey. $19. A Caution is added concerning this Exercife of the Affections. § 20-22. (III) The Chapter concludes with fome Account of the Ufefulness of Soliloquy, and Prayer, in heavenly Contemplation.

$1. AVING fet thy Heart in Tune, we now come to the Mufick itself.

HAVIN

Having got an Appetite, now approach to the Feaft, and delight thy Soul, as with Marrow and Fatnefs. Come, for all Things are now ready. Heaven, and Chrift, and the exceeding Weight of Glory, are before you. Do not make light of this Invitation, nor begin to make Excufes; whatever thou art, rich or poor, tho' in Almshoufes or Hofpitals, tho' in Highways and Hedges, my Commiffion is, if poffible, to compel you to come in; and bleed is he that shall cat Bread in the Kingdom of

God!

God! The Manna lieth about your Tents, walk out, gather it up, take it home, and feed upon it. In order to this, I am only to direct you-how to use Confideration,and Affections, and Prayer.

your

-your Soliloquy,

§ 2. (1) Confideration is the great Inftrument by which this beavenly Work is carried on. This muft be voluntary, and not forced. Some Men confider unwillingly; fo God will make the Wicked confider their Sins, when He fhall fet them in Order before their Eyes (a); fo fhall the Damned confider of the Excellency of Chrift, whom they once defpifed, and of the eternal Joys which they have foolishly loft. Great is the Power which Confideration hath for moving the Affections, and impreffing Things on the Heart; as will appear by the following Particulars.

$3. (1) Confideration, as it were, opens the Door between the Head and the Heart. The Understanding having received Truths, lays them up in the Memory, and Confideration conveys them from thence to the Affections. What Excellency would there be in much Learning and Knowledge, if the Obftructions between the Head and the Heart were but opened, and the Affections did but correfpond to the Underftanding? He is usually the best Scholar, whofe Apprehenfion is quick, ciear, and tenacious; but he is ufually the beft Chriftian, whofe Apprehenfion is the deepest, and moft affectionate, and who has the readieft Paffages, not fo much from the Ear to the Brain, as from that to the Heart. And though the Spirit be the principal Caufe; yet, on our Part, this Paffage must be opened by Confideration.

$4. (2) Confideration prefents to the Affections inje Things which are most important. The most delightful Object does not entertain where it is not feen, nor

(a) Pfalm 1, 21, 22.

the

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