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will be inconceivably greater! When the wise men saw the star that led to Christ, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy;(0) but I shall shortly see him, who is himself the bright and morning Star.(p) If the disciples departed from the sepulchre with great joy, when they had but heard that the Lord was risen from the dead;(9) what will be my joy, when I shall see him reigning in glory, and myself raised to a blessed communion with him! Then shall I indeed have beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness; and Sion shall be made an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.(r) Why then do I not arise from the dust, and cease my complaints? Why do I not trample on vain delights, and feed on the foreseen delights of glory? Why is not my life a continual joy, and the savour of heaven perpetually upon my spirit?"

§ 19. Let me here observe, that there is no necessity to exercise these affections, either exactly in this order, or all at one time. Sometimes one of thy affec tions may need more exciting, or may be more lively than the rest; or, if thy time be short, one may be exercised one day, and another upon the next; all which must be left to thy prudence to determine. Thou hast also an opportunity, if inclined to make use of it, to exercise opposite and more mixed affections; such as -hatred of sin, which would deprive thy soul of these immortal joys;-godly fear, lest thou should abuse thy mercy;-godly shame and grief, for having abused it; -unfeigned repentance;-self-indignation;-jealousy over thy heart;-and pity for those who are in danger of losing these immortal joys.

§ 20. (III.) We are also to take notice, how heavenly contemplation is promoted by soliloquy and prayer. Though consideration be the chief instrument in this work, yet, by itself, it is not so likely to affect the heart. In this respect contemplation is like preaching, where the mere explaining of truths and duties is seldom attended with such success, as the lively application of

(0) Matt. ii. 10.
(9) Matt. xxviii. 7, 8.

(p) Rev. xxii. 16.
(r) Isa. lxi. 3. lx. 15.

them to the conscience; and especially when a divine blessing is earnestly sought for to accompany such application.

21. (1) By soliloquy or a pleading the case with thyself, thou must in thy meditation quicken thy own heart. Enter into a serious debate with it. Plead with it in the most moving and affecting language, and urge it with the most powerful and weighty arguments. It is what holy men of God have practised in all ages. Thus David, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.(s) And again, Bless the Lord, O my soul! and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul! and forget not all his benefits," &c.(t) This soliloquy is to be made use of according to the several affections of the soul, and according to its several necessities. It is a preaching to one's self; for as every good master or father of a family is a good preacher to his own family; so every good Christian is a good preacher to his own soul. Therefore the very same method which a minister should use in his preaching to others, every Christian should endeavour after in speaking to himself. Observe the matter and manner of the most heart-affecting minister; let him be as a pattern for your imitation; and the same way that he takes with the hearts of his people, do thou also take with thy own heart.-Do this in thy heavenly contemplation; explain to thyself the things on which thou dost meditate; confirm thy faith in them from scripture; and then apply them to thyself, according to their nature, and thy own necessity. There is no need to object against this, from a sense of thy own inability. Doth not God command thee "to teach the scriptures diligently unto thy children, and talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up?"(u) And if thou must have some ability to teach thy children, much more to teach thyself; and if thou canst talk of divine things to others, why not also to thy own heart?

(s) Ps. xlii. 11. () Ps. ciii. 1, 5. (u) Deut. vi. 7.

§ 22. (2) Heavenly contemplation is also promoted by speaking to God in prayer, as well as by speaking to ourselves in soliloquy. Ejaculatory prayer may very properly be intermixed with meditation, as a part of the duty. How often do we find David, in the saine psalm, sometimes pleading with his soul, and sometimes with God? The apostle bids us speak to ourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs;(v) and no doubt we may also speak to God in them. This keeps the soul sensible of the divine presence, and tends greatly to quicken and raise it. As God is the highest object of our thoughts, so our viewing of him, speaking to him, and pleading with him, more elevates the soul, and excites the affections, than any other part of meditation.— Though we remain unaffected, while we plead the case with ourselves; yet when we turn our speech to God, it may strike us with awe; and the holiness and majesty of him whom we speak to, inay cause both the matter and words to pierce the deeper. When we read, that Isaac went out to meditate in the field, the margin says to pray: for the Hebrew word signifies both. Thus in our meditations, to intermix soliloquy and prayer, (sometimes speaking to our own hearts, and sometimes to God,) is, I apprehend, the highest step we can advance to in this heavenly work. Nor should we imagine it will be as well to take up with prayer alone, and lay aside meditation. For they are distinct duties, and must both of them be performed. We need one, as well as the other, and therefore shall wrong ourselves, by neglecting either. Besides, the mixture of them, like music, will be more engaging; as the one serves to put life into the other. And our speaking to ourselves in meditation, should go before our speaking to God in prayer. For want of attending to this due order, men speak to God with far less reverence and affection than they would speak to an angel, if he should appear to them; or to a judge, if they were speaking for their lives. Speaking to the God of heaven in prayer, is a weightier duty than most are aware of.

(v) Ephes. v. 19.

CHAP. XV.

Heavenly Contemplation assisted by sensible Objects, and guarded against a treacherous Heart.

§1. As it is difficult to maintain a lively impression of heavenly things, therefore § 2. (I.) heavenly contemplation may be assisted by sensible objects; § 3. (1) if we draw strong suppositions from sense; and § 4-11. (2) if we compare the objects of sense with the objects of faith, several instances of which are produced. § 12. (II.) Heavenly contemplation may also be guarded against a treacherous heart, by considering, § 13, 14. (1) the great backwardness of the heart to this duty, § 15, (2) its trifling in it, § 16. (3) its wandering from it, § 17. (4) its too abruptly putting an end to it.

§ 1. THE most difficult part of heavenly contemplation is to maintain a lively sense of heavenly things upon our hearts. It is easier, merely to think of heaven a whole day, than to be lively and affectionate in those 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 supernatural, is prone to decline and languish, unless it be continually excited. Sense is strong, according to the strength of the flesh; and being natural, continues while nature continues. The objects of faith are far off; but those of sense are nigh. We must go as far as heaven for our joys. To rejoice in what we never saw, nor ever knew the man, that did see, and this upon a mere promise in the Bible, is not so easy as to rejoice in what we see and possess. It must therefore be a point of spiritual prudence, to call in sense to the assistance of faith. It will be a good, work, if we can make friends of these usual enemies, and make them instruments for raising us to God, which are so often the means of drawing us from him. Why hath God given us either our senses, or their common objects, if they might not be serviceable to his praise? Why doth the Holy Spirit describe the glory of the New Jerusalem, in expressions that are even grateful

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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 phrases as a glass, in which we must see the things themselves imperfectly represented, till we come to an immediate and perfect sight.-And besides showing how heavenly contemplation may be assisted by sensible objects, -this chapter will also show how it may be preserved from a wandering heart.

§ 2. (I.) In order that heavenly contemplation may be assisted by sensible objects, let me only advise-to draw strong suppositions from sense, and to compare the objects of sense with the objects of faith.

3. (1) For the helping of thy affections in heavenly contemplation, draw as strong suppositions as possible from thy senses. Think on the joys above, as boldly as scripture hath expressed them. Bring down thy conceptions to the reach of sense. Both love and joy are promoted by familiar acquaintance. When we attempt to think of God and glory without the scripture manner of representing them, we are lost, and have nothing to fix our thoughts upon; we set them so far from us that our thoughts are strange, and we are ready to say, 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, will produce little joy. Therefore put Christ no farther from you than he hath put himself, lest the divine nature be again inaccessible. Think of Christ as in our own glorified nature. Think of glorified saints, as men made perfect. Suppose thyself a companion with John, in his survey of the New Jerusalem, and viewing the thrones, the majesty, the heavenly hosts, the shining splendour which he saw. Suppose thyself his fellow-traveller into the celestial kingdom; and that thou hadst seen all the saints in their white robes, with palms in their hands; and that thou hadst heard those songs of Moses, and of the Lamb. If thou hadst really seen and heard these things, in what a rapture wouldst thou have been! And the more seri

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