2. They are new made or born again, and the tendency of the life of grace is to God and heaven : 2 Peter i. 4, ' Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust.' It is the divine Spirit which is the true Spirit, which carrieth them so far above the world to things to come. The sanctifying Spirit formeth us for this very thing : 2 Cor. v. 5, 'Now he that hath wrought us to this self-same thing is God, who also hath given us the earnest of the Spirit.' He frameth and fitteth men in this life for a state of glory. The heart of a christian is more and more suited to the happiness promised in the gospel ; and as they are fitted for it, so they are inclined to it. A christian is born from above, and seeks to get thither. As all things tend to the place of their ori- ginal, or have a propensity to the place whence they came, as fire and air work upward — you cannot keep them down — so the new nature has a new tendency. Fishes desire to be in the water, and fowls in the air ; they have a peculiar nature to carry them to those places. They that have an earthly and worldly nature are all for the world, and relish nothing but the pleasures of the world. Our souls naturally are inclined to earthly things, but being renewed, have a tendency to heavenly things. Love, which is the heart of the new creature, inclines us to be with God and Christ : Phil. i. 23, ' Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ ; ' 1 Thes. iv. 17, ' And so shall we ever be with the Lord ; ' Col. iii. 1, ' If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,' &c. So it inclines us to perfect grace, and freedom from sin, and full likeness to God, never to dishonour God more; as little seeds by degrees work through the thick clods of earth, and grow up to stalk and flower. In short, the illuminate soul can only discern these things ; the sanctified soul is inclined to them.
3. There is no condition of rest and tranquillity here in the world ; so that a christian is in effect driven hence by the relics of sin, multi- tude of temptations, manifold afflictions. Though the new nature be strongly inclined to God and heavenly things, the old corrupt nature, having the advantage of things present, would sorely tempt us from him. Therefore God ordereth our condition so that we find little else but occasions of groaning in the world. Within we find the relics of sin, and that maketh us long and wait. If any had cause to complain
156 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SeR. XV.
of afflictions, Paul much more ; yet he complains not of that, but of in- dwelling sin : Kom. vii. 24, ' 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? ' A very'beast driven to a place where there is neither ease nor rest wrill groan under it ; but yet temptations on every side molest us and trouble us, and afflictions also. How soon and how often is our worldly happiness interrupted, even then when we think ourselves past all hazards and fears of change ! Ps. xxx. 6, 7, ' In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong ; thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.' No man ever slept upon a carnal pillow but had his rest disturbed before his nap was over. It is tedious for us to think of such a mutable condition ; but let us look upon God's design in it. God ordereth it that we may always think of our remove, and prepare ourselves to rest in our proper place.
Use 1. To press us to this constant and earnest pursuit after heavenly things. Let thoughts, conferences, discourses, actions still show that you are for God and heaven. When you are alone, oh, think of heaven, where your God and Christ is, and where you in a little time hope to be. When you are in company, comfort one another, warm one another with discourses of heaven : ' With these words,' saith the apostle. When you are doing anything for God, let heaven put life into your endea- vours ; doing anything in the world, let heaven regulate and measure your actions ; do it so as you may be true to your great end. When you are suffering anything, loss of estate, credit, and esteem in the world, if it be for heaven, it may be the better borne : I have a better and a more enduring substance. Look not to the state in which you are, but that into which you are a-going. In short, be sure you do not want this evidence that your conversation is in heaven.
Motives to enforce it.
1. You are bound to it by oath in baptism : Col. iii. 1, ' If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.' You are bound to such a heavenly life ; you are planted into the likeness of Christ's death and resurrection. The sacramental resurrection enforceth the obligation ; the real resurrection enforceth the effect.