CHA P. XV.

Heavenly Contemplation affifted by fenfible Objects, and guarded against a treacherous Heart.

§ 1. As it is difficult to maintain a lively Impreffion of heavenly Things, therefore $ 2. (I) heavenly Contemplation may be affifted by fenfible Objects; § 3. (1) if we di aw jirong Suppofitions from Senfe; and §4-11. (2) if we compare the Objects of Senfe with the Objects of Faith, feveral Inflances of which are produced. $ 12. (II) Heavenly Contemplation may also be guarded against a treacherous Heart, by confidering, $13, 14. (1) the great Backwardness of the Heart to this Duty, $15. (2) its trifling in it, § 16. (3) its wandering from it, and § 17. (4) its too abruptly putting an End to it.

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$ 1. HE moft difficult Part of heavenly Contemplation, is to maintain a lively Senfe of heavenly Things upon our Hearts. It is eafier, merely to think of Heaven a whole Day, than to be lively and affectionate in thofe Thoughts a Quarter of an Hour, Faith is imperfect, for we are renewed but in Part; and goes against a World of Resistance; and, being fupernatural, is prone to decline and languifh, unless it be continually excited. Senfe is ftrong, according to the Strength of the Flefh; and being natural, continues while Nature continues. The Objects of Faith are far off; but thofe of Senfe are

nigh. We must go as far as Heaven for our Joys. To rejoice in what we never faw, nor ever knew the Man that did fee, and this upon a mere Promife-in the Bible; is not fo eafy, as to rejoice in what we fee and poffefs. It must therefore be a Point of spiritual Prudence, to call in Senfe to the Affittance of Faith. It will be a good Work, if we can make Friends of thefe ufual Enemies, and make them laAruments for raifing us to God, which are fo of en the Means of drawing us from Him. Why hath God given us either our Senfes, or their common Objects, if they might not be serviceable to His Praife? Why doth the Holy Spirit defcribe the Glory of the new Jerufalem, in Expreffions that are even grateful to the Flesh? Is it that we might think Heaven to be made of Gold and Pearl? or that Saints and Angels eat and drink? No, but to help us to conceive of them as we are able, and to use these borrowed Phrafes as a Glafs, in which we must fee the Things themselves imperfectly reprefented, till we come to an immediate and perfect Sight.And befides shew. ing how heavenly Contemplation may be affifted by fenfible Objects, his Chapter will alfo fhew how it may be preferved from a wandering Heart.

§ 2. (I) IN order that heavenly Contemplation may be affifted by fenfible Objects, let, me only advife-to draw ftrong Suppofitions from Senfe,and to compare the Objects of Senje with Objects of Faith.

§ 3. (1) For the helping of thy Affections in heavenly Contemplation, draw as frong Suppofitions as poffible from thy Senfes. Think on the Joys above, as boldly as Scripture hath expreffed them. Bring down thy Conceptions to the Reach of Senfe. Both Love and Joy are promoted by familiar Acquaintance. When we attempt to think of God and Glory, without the Scripture-Manner of reprefenting them, we are loft,

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309 and have nothing to fix our Thoughts upon; we set them fo far from us, that our Thoughts are ftrange, and we are ready to fav; What is above us, is nothing to us. To conceive of God and Glory, only as above our Conception, will beget but little Love; or as above our Love, wil produce little Joy. Therefore put Chrift no farther from you, than He hath put Himself, left the divine Nature be again inacceffible. Think of Chrift, as in our own glorified Nature. Think of glorified Saints, as Men made per fect. Suppofe thyfelf a Companion with John in his Survey of the new ferufalem, and viewing the Thrones, the Majefty, the heavenly Hofts, the thining Splendor, which he faw. Suppofe thyfelf his FellowTraveller into the celeftial Kingdom, and that thou hadft feen all the Saints in their white Robes, with Palins in their Hands; and that thou hadst heard thofe Songs of Mofes, and of the Lamb. If thou hadst really feen and heard thefe Things, in what a Rapture wouldst thou have been? And the more seriously thou putreft this Suppofition to thyfelf, the more will thy Meditation elevate thy Heart. Don't, like the Papifts, draw them in Pictures; but get the livelieft Picture of them in thy Mind that thou poffibly canft, by contemplating the Scripture-Account of them, till thou canft fay, Methinks fee a Glimpfe of Glory! "Methinks I hear the Shouts of Joy and Praife, and ftand by Abraham and David, Peter and Paul, " and other triumphant Souls! Methinks I even fee "the Son of God appearing in the Clouds, and the "World standing at His Bar to receive their Doom;

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and hear Him fay, Come ye bleffed of my Father; "and fee them go rejoicing into the Joy of their "Lord! My very Dreams of thefe Things have fometimes greatly affected me, and thould not thefe juft Suppofitions much more affect me? What

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"if I had feen, with Paul, those unutterable Things! "Or, with Stephen, had feen Heaven opened, and "Chrift fitting at the right Hand of God? Surely that "one Sight was worth his Storm of Stones. What "if I had feen, as Micaiah did, the Lord fitting upon "His Throne, and all the Haft of Heaven fanding on "His right Hand, and on His left? Such Things "did thefe Men of God fee; and i fhall fhortly fee ❝ far more than ever they faw, till they were loofed "from Flesh, as I muft be.". Thus you fee how it excites our Affections in this heavenly Work, if we make strong and familiar Suppofitions from our bodily Senfes, concerning the State of Bleffedness, as the Spirit hath in condefcending Language expreffed it.

§ 4. (2) The other Way in which our Senfes may promote this heavenly Work, is, by comparing the Objects of Senfe with the Objects of Faith. As for Inftance:

You may ftrongly argue with your Hearts, from the corrupt Delights of fenfual Men, to the Joys above. Think with yourselves; "Is it fuch a Delight to

a Sinner to do wickedly? And will it not be de"lightful indeed to live with God? Hath the Drun. "kard fuch Delight in his Cups, that the Fears of "Damnation will not make him forfake them? Will "the Whoremafter rather part with his Credit, "Eftate, and Salvation, than with his brutifh De"light? If the Way to Hell can afford fuch Plea"fure, what then are the Pleasures of the Saints in "Heaven? If the covetous Man hath so much Plea"fure in his Wealth, and the ambitious Man in "Places of Power and Titles of Honour; what then "have the Saints in everlafting Treafures, and in "heavenly Honours, where we fhall be fet above

Principalities and Powers, and be made the glo"rious Spouse of Chrift? How delightfully will

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the Voluptuous follow their Recreations from Morning to Night, or fit at their Cards and Dice, Nights and Days together? O the Delight we << fhall have, when we come to our Reft, in behold

ing the Face of the living God, and in finging <forth Praifes to Him and the Lamb!"Compare alfo the Delights above, with the lawful and moderate Delights of Senfe. Think with thy felf, "How sweet

is Food to my Tafte when i am hungry; especially "if it be, as Ifaac faid, fuch as I love, which my "Temperance and Appetite incline to? What "Delight then muft my Soul have in feeding upon "Chrift, the living Bread, and in eating with Him at "His Table in His Kingdom? Was a Mefs of Pottage "fo fweet to Efau in his Hunger, that he would buy it at fo dear a Rate as his Birth-right? How highly

then should I value this never-perishing Food? "How pleafant is Drink in the Extremity of Thirst, "fcarcely to be exprefled; enough to make the

Strength of Sampfon revive? O how delightful will

it be to my Soul to drink of that Fountain of living "Water, which whofo drinketh it shall thirst no more? "How delightful are grateful Odours to the Smell; <c or Mufick to the Ear; or beautiful Sights to the

Eye? What Fragrance then hath the precious Oint"ment which is poured on the Head of our glorified 66 Saviour, and which must be poured on the Head of "all His Saints, and will fill all Heaven with its "Odour? How delightful is the Mufick of the hea

venly Hoft? How pleafing will be thofe real Beau"ties above? How glorious the Building not made "with Hands, the Houfe that God Himself dwells "in, the Walks and Profpects in the City of God, "and the celeftial Paradife!"

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Compare alfo the Delights above, with thofe we find in natural Knowledge. Thefe are far beyond

the