never do enough for heaven ; they could never serve God enough, love him enough Minus te amavl Domine, Aug. Lord, I have loved thee too little. What pains did St. Paul take for the heavenly kingdom ? Phil, iii. 13., " Reaching forth unto those things which are before." The Greek Avord to reach forth, signifies to stretch out the neck, — - a metaphor from racers, who strain every limb, and reach forward to lay hold on the prize. Anna the prophetess, Luke ii. 37., " departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day." Basil the great, by much labour and watching, exhausted his bodily strength. " Let racks, pullies, and all torments come upon me (said Ignatius) so I may win Christ !" The industry and courage of for- mer saints, who are now crowned with £flo- ry, should provoke our diligence, that so at last we may sit down with them in the kingdom of heaven.
23. The more pains we take for heaven, the more welcome will death be to us ; what is it makes men so loath to die ? They are like a tenant that will not go out of the house till the sergeant pull him out ; they love not to hear of death ; why so ? Because their conscience accuseth them that they have taken little or no pains for heaven , they have been sleeping when they should have been working, and now they are afraid lest death should carry them prisoners to hell ; whereas he who hath spent his time in serving of God, he can look death in the face with comfort; he was wholly taken up about heaven, and now he shall be taken up to heaven ; he traded before in heaven, and now he shall go to live there, Phil. i. 23., Cupio dissolvi, — " I desire to depart, and to be with Christ." Paul had wholly laid out himself for God, 1 Cor. xv. 10., and now he knew, there was a crown laid up for him, .and he longed to take posses- sion. Thus I have given you twenty-three persuasives or arguments to exert and put forth your utmost diligence to the obtaining the kingdom of heaven. O that these ar- guments were written in all your hearts, as with the point of a diamond ! And, because delays in these cases are dangerous, let me desire you to set upon this work for heavei) ])resently, Ps. cxLx. CO., " I made haste, and
OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
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delayed not to keep tliy commandments." Many people are convinced of the necessity of looking after the kingdom of glory, but they say as those, Hag. i. 2., " The time is not yet come." They adjourn and put oflF till their time is slipped away, and so they lose the kingdom of heaven. Beware of this fallacy; delay strengthens sin. hardens the heart, and gives the devil fuller posses- sion of a man ; 1 Sam. xxi. 8., " The king's business requires haste : so the business of salvation requires haste ; do not put off an hour longer ; volat nmbiguis mobilis alls liora. What assurance have you that you shall live another day ? Have you any lease of life granted ? Why then do you not pre- sently arise out of the bed of sloth, and put forth all your strength and spirits, that you may be possessed of the kingdom of glory ? Should not things of the highest importance be done first ? Settling a man's estate, and clearing the title to his land, is not delayed, but done in the first place : what is there of such grand importance as this, the saving of your souls, and the gaining of a king- dom ? Therefore to-day hear God's voice, — now mind eternity, — now get your title to heaven cleared before the decree of death bring forth. What imprudence is it to lay the heaviest load upon the weakest horse ? So to lay tlie heavy load of rej)entance on thyself, when tliou art cnfcobled by sick- ness, tl)c hands sliake, tlie lips quiver, the heart faints. O be wise in time ; now pre- pare for the kingdom ! He who never be- gins his voyage to heaven but in the storm of deatli, it is a thousand to one if he doth not suffer an eternal shipwreck.
Use 6th. Of Exhortation.
If there be such a glorious kingdom a- coming, then you who have any good hope through grace, you that are the heirs of this kingdom, let me exhort you to six things :
I. Often take a prospect of this licavcniv kingdom; climb up the celestial mount; take a turn, as it were, in heaven every day, by holy meditation, Ps. xlviii. 12, 13., '' A\'alk about Zion, tell the towers thereof, mark ye well her bulwarks." See wliat a glorious kingdom heaven is; go tell the towers, view the palaces of the heavenly Jerusalem ; Christian, show thy heart the