* ' We move, but God moves us.' A frequent sayiug in Lis ' Confessions.' Con- sult Book VII., iii. 4.— G.
328 THE saint's safety in evil tibies.
kept himself undefiled of the world, and conversed with the best people ; every way he carried himself, as much as earth would suffer him, as they do in heaven. Certainly, ' he that hath the hope of a heavenly kingdom, is pure as Christ is pure,' 1 John iii. 3. He endeavours and aims to be holy as God is holy, who hath called him. Faith is of efficacy to conform a Christian's carriage to the likeness of him whom he believes to be so ex- cellent. And therefore they are infidels, and have no saving faith ; profane persons, who live in sins that stain their consciences, and blemish their conversation, not believing that there is a heaven. ' Deceive not your- selves ; neither whoremongers, nor adulterers, nor extortioners,' &c., 1 Cor. vi. 9, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Do men who live in these sins, without remorse, think to come to heaven ? as though they should come out of the puddle to heaven ? No, no; ' away, you workers of iniquity, I know you not,' Mat. xxv. 41, saith Christ. Let no man cherish pre- sumptions of a heavenly kingdom, except he abstain from all sins against conscience. The apostle, when he would urge to holiness of life, uses this argument : * If you be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above, where Clu'ist is, at the right hand of the Father,' Col. iii. 1.
Well, let us oft, I beseech you, present unto our souls the blessed con- dition to come, which will be effectual to quicken and stir us up to every good duty, and comfort us in all conditions whatsoever. What wUl a man care for crosses and losses and disgraces in the world, that thinks of a heavenly kingdom ? What will a man care for ill usage in his pilgrimage, when he knows he is a king at home ? We are all strangers upon earth, now in the time of our absence from God ; what if we suffer indignities, considering that we have a better estate to come, when we shall be some- body ! What if we pass unknown in the world ! It is safe that we should do so ; God will preserve us to his heavenly kingdom, and all that we suffer and endui-e here, it is but a fitting for that place. David was a king anointed many years ere he was actually possessed of his kingdom ; but all that time between his anointing and his investing into the kingdom, it was a preparation of him by humility, that he might know himself, and learn fitness to govern aright. So we are anointed kings as soon as we beheve ; for when we believe in Christ, who is a king, priest, and prophet, we com- municate with his offices ; we have the same blessed anointing poured on our head, and runs down about us, Ps. cxxxiii. 2. But we must be humbled by crosses, and fitted for it; we must be di'awn more out of the world, and be heavenly-minded first.
Rides to discern ivhat our interest in heaven is. Would you know some rules of discerning whether heaven belongs to you or not ? In brief, do but remember the qualification of them that nmst reign ; those that labour daily to purge themselves of all pride and seLf-confidence ; that see no excellency in the creature, in comparison of heaven; that see a vanity in all outward things which makes them humble in the midst of all their bravery; those that see themselves empty of all, without God's favour, ' the poor in spirit, &c., theirs,' saith Christ, ' is the kingdom of heaven,' Mat. v. 3.
2. Faith makes us kings, because thereby we marry the King of heaven ; the church is the queen of heaven, and Christ is the king of heaven. Where this grace is in truth, happiness belongs to that soul.
3. Those that are kings have a roi/al sjnrit. The hopes of a young prince puts into him a great deal of spirit, otherwise, perhaps, above his disposition. So all that are kings have a royal spirit in some measure, which raiseth them above all earthly things, and maketh them see all other things to be nothing
THE saint's safety IN E\^L TIMES. 329
in comparison of Christ, to be but ' dross and dung,' as holy St Paul saith, Philip, iii. 8. Those therefore that are slaves to their base lusts, to riches, honour, pleasure, &c., know not what belongs to this heavenly kingdom. What, do men think to reign in heaven, when they cannot reign over their own base corruptions ! We see David prays to God for an ' enlarged spirit,' Ps. li. 12, that he might be capable of the best things; and certainly those that have this knowledge are of a spirit above the world, ' more excellent than their neighbours,' as the wise man saith, Prov. xii. 26. You cannot shake them with offers of preferment, or with fears ; they will not venture their hope of eternity for this or that base earthly thing ; they are of a more royal spirit than so.