escape, and the rest which their fiery chariot is conveying them to. If the Son of God will walk with us, we are safe in the midst of those flames, which shall devour them that cast us in. Abra 6 ham went out' of his country, 'not knowing whither he went;' because he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt,' because 'he had respect unto the recompense of reward. He forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king;' because he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.' Even Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.' This is the noble advantage of faith, it can look on the means and end together. This is the great reason of our impatience, and censuring God, because we gaze on the evil itself, but fix not our thoughts on what is beyond it. They that saw Christ on. ly on the cross, or in the grave, do shake their heads, and think him lost; but God saw him dying, buried, rising, glorified, and all this at one view. Faith will in this imitate God, so far as it hath the glass of a promise to help it. We see God burying us under ground, but we foresee not the spring, when we shall revive. Could we but clearly see heaven, as the end of all God's dealings with us, surely none of his dealings could be so grievous. If God would once raise us to this life, we should find, that though heaven and sin are at a great distance; yet heaven and a prison... or banishment, heaven and the belly of a whale, or a den of lions, heaven and consuming sickness, or invading death, are at no such distance. But as Abraham saw Christ's day, and rejoiced; so we in our most forlorn state, might see that day when Christ shall give us rest, and therein rejoice. I beseech thee, Christian, for the honour of the gospel, and for thy soul's comfort, be not to learn this heavenly art, when in thy greatest extremity thou hast most need to use it. He that, with Stephen, sees the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, will comfortably bear the shower of stones. The joy of the Lord is our strength, and that joy must be fetched from the place of our joy! and if we walk without our strength how long are we like to endure? § 12. (7) He that hath his conversation in heaven, is the profitable Christian to all about him. When a man is in a strange country, how glad is he of the company of one of his own nation? How delightful is it to talk of their own country, their acquaintance and affairs at home? With what pleasure did Joseph talk with his brethren, and inquire after his father, and his brother Benjamin? Is it not so to a Christian, to talk with his brethren that have been above, and inquire after his Father, and Christ his Lord? When a worldly man will talk of nothing but the world, and a politician of state affairs, and a mere scholar of human learn. ing, and a common professor of his duties; the heavenly man will be speaking of heaven, and the strange glory his faith hath seen, and our speedy and blessed meeting there. O how refreshing and useful are his expressions! 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 distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass, while his lips publish the name of the Lord, and ascribe greatness unto his God! Is not his sweet, discourse of heaven, like the box of precious ointment, which being poured on the head of Christ, filled the house with the odour? All that are near may be refreshed by it. Happy the people that have a heavenly minister! Happy the children and servants that have a heavenly father or master! Happy the man that hath a heavenly companion, who will watch over thy ways, strengthen thee when thou art drooping, and comfort thee with the comfort wherewith he himself hath been so often comforted of God! This is he that will be always blowing at the spark of thy spiritual life, and drawing thy soul to God, and will say to thee as the Samaritan woman, "Come and see one that hath told me all that ever I did; one that hath loved our souls to the death. Is not this the Christ? Is not the knowledge of God and him, eternal life? Is not the glory of the saints, to see his glory?" Come to this man's house and sit at his table, and he will feast 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 counsel thee to buy 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, considering the meekness of his heavenly Pattern: Or if he fall out with you, he is soon reconciled, when he recollects that in heaven you must be everlasting friends. This is the Christian of the right stamp, and all about him are the better for him. How unprofitable is the society of all other sorts of Christians in comparison with this! If a man should come from heaven, how would men long to hear what reports he would make of the other world, and what he had seen, and what the blessed there enjoy? Would they not think this man the best companion, and his discourse the most profitable? Why then do you value the company of saints no more, and inquire no more of them, and relish their discourse no better? For every saint shall go to heaven in person, and is frequently there in spirit, and hath often viewed it in the glass of the gospel. For my part, I had rather have the company of a heav enly-minded Christian, than of the most learned disputants, or princely commanders. 13. (8) No man so highly honoureth God, as he whose conversation is in heaven. Is not a parent disgraced, when children feed on husks, are clothed in rags, and keep company with none but rogues and beggars? Is it not so to our heavenly Father, when we, who call ourselves 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 dust, rather than stand continually in our Father's presence? Surely we live below the children of a king, not according to the height of our hopes, nor the provision of our Father's house, and the great preparations made for 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 interest in us, neither ourselves, nor others could know us to be his people. But when a Christian can live above, and re joice his soul with the things that are unseen; how is God honoured by such a one! The Lord will testify for him, "This man believes me and takes me at my word; he rejoiceth in my promise, before he hath possession; he can be thankful for what his bodily eyes never saw; his rejoicing is not in the flesh; his heart is with me; he loves my presence; and he shall surely enjoy it in my kingdom forever. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Them that honour me, I will honour." How did God esteem himself honoured by Caleb and Joshua, when they went into the promised land, and brought back to their brethren a taste of the fruits, and spake well of the good land, and encouraged the people? What a promise and recompense did they receive? 14. (9) A soul that doth not set its affections on things above, disobeys the commands, and loses the most gracious and delightful discoveries of the word of God. The same God that hath commanded thee to believe, and to be a Christian, hath commanded thee to seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and to set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.* The same God that hath forbidden thee to murder, steal, or commit adultery, hath forbidden thee the neglect of this great duty; and darest thou wilfully disobey him? Why not make conscience 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 thee not to forsake thy own mercies. Besides, what are all the most glorious descriptions of heaven, all those discoveries of our future blessedness, and precious promises of our rest, but lost * Col. iii. 1, %. |