There must be a qualification of those that heaven, is jirovided for ^
They must be such as love God, such as are altered, and changed, and sanctified to love him ; because no unclean thing shall enter in thither ; because we cannot so much as desire heaven without a change. We cannot have communion there with Christ and those blessed souls without like- ness to them, which must be by a spirit of love ; our natures must be altered. Therefore it is a vain presumption for any man to think of heaven unless he find his disposition altered. For we may read our eternal con- dition in heaven by our disposition upon earth. The apostle Peter saith, 1 Pet. i. 3, ' Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that hath begotten us to a lively hope of an inheritance immortal and undefiled, reserved in heaven.' So that the inheritance in heaven, we are begotten to it ; we must be new born ; we must have a new birth before we can * Qu. ' should not ?'— Ed. t Cf. Fsalm xiv. 1 ; Prov. xviii. 7 ; Luke xii. 20.— G.
180 A GLANCE OF UEAVEN.
inherit it ; ' lie liatli begotten us to an inheritance immortal,' &c. He that is not a child may not think of an inheritance. Put case there be never so many glorious things in heaven that ' eye hath never seen nor ear ever heard,' &c., if our names be not in Christ's will, that we are not his, and prove ourselves to be his, by the alteration of our dispositions, what are all those good things to us, when our names arc not contained there !
It is called a hope of life, ' a lively hope,' 1 Pet. i. 3 ; because he that hath this ' hope purgeth himself.' It makes him vigorous and active in good. If his hope of life make him not lively, he hath no hope of life at all. Therefore those that will look for heaven (that Satan abuse them not by false confidence), let them look w'hcther God have altered their hearts ; that the work of grace be wrought in some measure. For God hath not ordained these great things for his enemies ; for blasphemers, that take God's name iu vain ; that run on in courses contrary to his will and word ; that live in sins against the light of nature ; do you think he hath provided these great matters for them '? He hath another place for them. There- fore let us not be abused by our own false hearts to think of such a happy condition. Unless we find ourselves changed, unless we be new born, we shall never enter into heaven.
* Lord, Lord,' say they. Christ brings them in pleading so, ' Lord, Lord ;' not that they shall say so then, that is not the meaning ; but now they cherish such a confidence. Oh we can speak well, and we can pray well, * Lord, Lord.' Oh thou vain, confident person, thy confession and profession, ' Lord, Lord,' shall do thee no good. I will not so much as own thee; ' Away hence, thou worker of iniquity,' Mat. xxv. 41. Thy heart tells thee thou livest in sins against conscience. Away, avaunt, I will none of thee. God in mercy to us will have the trial of the truth of our evidence in us. The ground of all our salvation is his grace, his free favour, and mercy in his own heart ; but we cannot go thither ; he would have us to search within ourselves, and there we shall find ' love,.'
' God hath prepared for those that love him.'
Obs. In particular, therefore, those that God hath x>'^'ovided so excellent things for, they are such as lore him. They are such, first of all, that are beloved of him ; and shew that they are beloved of him by their love to him. Therefore, when the papists meet with such phrases, they think of merit. He hath provided heaven for them that love him, and shew their love in good works. But we must know that this is not brought in as a cause why, but as a qualification of the persons who ; who shall inherit heaven, and who shall have these great things. It is idle for them to think that these things are prepared for those whom God foresees would do such and such good works. It is as if we should think he hath pro- vided these happy things for those that are his enemies. For how could he look for love from us in a state of corruption, when the best thing in us was enmity to him ? Is it not a vain thing to look for light from darkness ? to look for love from enmity and hatred ? Therefore how could God fore- see anything in us, when he could see nothing but enmity and darkness in our dispositions by nature ?
And then (as we shall see afterward) this love in us it must be with all our heart, and soul, and might. It is required and commasded ; and when we do all this, we do but what we are bound to do. But they abuse such places upon so shallow ground, that indeed it deserves not so much as to be mentioned.