[1.] What is your chief end and scope ? The chief end and scope must be God and heaven : 2 Cor. iv. 18, afco7rodvTe<;, ' While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal ; but the things which are not seen are eternal ; ' and Phil. iii. 14, 8uokci) Kara okottov, ' I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' What is the design of your lives, the main bent and drift of your conversations ? Is it to please God, and enjoy God, or to heap up riches to yourselves ? If God and the life to come only come in by the by, and be not your designed fixed end, which puts life into your endeavours, you mind earthly things. The end is that which cuts out your work, which formeth your thoughts, chooseth your employments, and by which they are constantly directed and influenced. A present worldly passion may prevail on godly men, but the world is not their great design and interest.
[2.] What is your chief work and business? Next to our scope, our work is to be regarded ; first what you aim at, next what you labour for. If the great business of your hearts, and the endeavours of your lives, be about earthly things, you are earthly-minded. Surely our great business is to obtain salvation by Christ : Phil. ii. 12, * Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.' It is a dangerous thing to miscarry in so weighty a work. All the solicitude and care that we can possibly use is little enough : Acts xxvi. 7, ' Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope
136 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SeR. XI V.
to come.' This is the top care, to which all others give place. But now, if the world engross our time, and strength, and care, and thoughts, and divert us from that necessary diligence and heedfulness with which soul-affairs L should be pursued and attended upon ; this we talk of, this we think of, and pursue with all our might, and seek most after, this constantly sets us a-work ; surely this is most regarded by you.
[3.] What is the chief joy and trouble of your hearts ? Is it to have and want the world ? If to have it : Luke xii. 19, ' I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years ; take thy rest, eat, drink, and be merry.' If the world can keep you quiet in the midst of all the dangers of your soul, and you forget eternity, and can live a quiet merry life apart from God, yea, in the neglect of him, so it may be well with you here, and the peace and pleasure you live upon is more fetched from the world than God and heaven, this is a sure and undeceiving note that you mind earthly things more than heavenly, and prefer the honours, pleasures, and profits of the world before God and your salvation, than which there cannot be a worse temper of heart. The saints fetch their joy and solace from spiritual things : Ps. iv. 6,7, ' Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased ; ' and Ps. cxix. 14, ' I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.' We must often ask ourselves what is the bottom and bosom cause of our comfort, quietness, and peace ? Is it because you are well provided for, and live at ease in the world ? or because God is reconciled to you in Christ, and because you hope to live for ever with him in glory, and have good grounds for this hope and confidence ? Then it is well. A christian may know what he most mindeth, and, which is all one, what he most esteemeth and prizeth, by the grounds and reasons of his joy and trouble : Ps. xciv. 19, ' Thy comforts delight my soul ; ' ' Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled,' Ps. xxx. 7. If disappointment in the world be the cause of our trouble, and happiness in the world feedeth our solace and joy, surely we mind these things most. But more of this anon.
Having considered earthly-mindedness singly, we must now consider it in act or habit.
In act. Alas ! a child of God is too worldly ; he may have too great an esteem of earthly things, but doth not ordinarily mind them before God. The habitual bent and inclination of his will is to God and heaven. In particular acts he may carry himself too much like an earthly-minded man, but his heart is not turned to another happiness, for that is contrary to a state of salvation. No prevalent covetousness or voluptuousness or ambition possesseth his heart instead of God. There is a remainder of worldliness in the godly, as well as other sins ; he may too much use the world, for the pleasure of the flesh more than for the glory of God ; but yet this is not the scope and tenor of his life. He may sometimes desire a greater measure of riches, or honour, or pleasure, than is agreeable with his spiritual happiness ; his desires of earthly things may be too eager, his cares about them too solicitous, his trouble too grievous ; but he is still growing out of