Again, as a Christian may do it, and ought to do it, and cannot but do it ; —
Boct. 7. So I add further, he r/Jories in it. To be heavenly-minded, and exercised in spiritual dutifts, is his happiness and his joy. He is never so well, never so much himself, as when he is most possessed with heavenly- mindedness, and most frequent or exercised in spiritual duties. So far forth as he is a Christian, and enlarged with the Spirit of Christ, so far forth he glories in holy actions, in heavenly-mindedness.
Use. Is this in all true Christians ? What then may ice think of the most part in the ivorld, that j^rof ess religion hut from the teeth outward? They are not risen with Christ, as the ambitious man, the covetous man, the volup- tuous man. They savour not the things that are above. They have no new nature ; for if they had, it would lead them higher than these things. Those that live in defilements of the flesh, shew that they have no new natures ; for if they had, they should get strength against them, at least they would have a continual conflict and wrestling in themselves to overcome them.
For trial of thy estate, see what power is there of the Spirit of God in thee to make thee heavenly- minded : to joy in things that are above, more than in all the world besides. If thou find this power in thee, then thou art a Christian indeed. Thou canst then speak by experience what is the work of the Spirit ; and thou knowest well what is the virtue of the resur- rection of Christ. Then thou canst say with St Paul that thou art still striving to find the virtue of Christ more and more in thee, to make thee more fu% assured of thy part in Christ, and to find the power of his Spirit subduing corruption in thee more and more, Phil. iii. 9 and 10. Let us therefore labour for this power. This is to ' seek the things that are above.' Labour to find a want of them, that we have not so much of them as we have need of. Labour then to know the excellency of them : esteeming of them to be more excellent than all other things. When all other things leave us, then they will comfort us. Labour also to see an hope to grow in them. Thou hast hope to attain unto them, because the same Spirit is promised thee that raised up Christ from the dead. Use then all sanctified means for the attaining of these spiritual good things. Use heavenly means for heavenly things. Attend upon the ordinances of God, labour with him in prayer, that he would make us such as he may delight in, fit us for that estate that he hath provided for us. Labour to increase in all holy actions ; take heed of all contrary courses, of worldly-mindedness, of the pleasures of the world, that they draw not away thy heart from an earnest seeking of heavenly things as we should be. We are all seekers. We are a genera- tion of seekers. As the psalmist saith, we are seeking while we are here ; our possessing is hereafter, Ps. xxiv. 6.
Labour, therefore, to see the want of heavenly graces, and to esteem of them aright ; and to see hope to attain them, and hope to increase them ; and use the means, and avoid all contrary courses. So shall you find the virtue of Christ's resurrection raising you up more and more to seek after heaven and heavenly things, ' those things that are above.'
THE HIDDEN LIFE.
THE HIDDEN LIFE.
NOTE.
' The Hidden Life' is another selection of Two Sermons from ' Evangelical Sacri- fices' (4to, 1640). Its separate title-page is given below.* — G.
* T H K HIDDEN LIFE.
In two Funerall Sermons upon Col. 3. 3, 4.
By
The late Learned and Reverend Divine, KiCH. SiBBS:
Doctor in Divinity, M''- of Katherine Hall
in Camhridge, and sometimes Preacher
to the Honourable Society of
Gra yes-Inne.
1 John 3. 2. Beloved, now yee are the Sonnes of God, and it doth not appeare what wee shall be.
London,
Printed by E. Pursloio, for N. Bourne, at the Pioy-
all Exchange, and R. Harford at the gilt
Bible in Queenes head Alley, in Pater-
Noster-Piow. 16 3 9.
THE HIDDEN LIFE.
For ye are dead, your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. — Col. III. 3, 4.
The dependence of these words, in a word, is this. The apostle, after he had laid the grounds of some doctrines, he doth frame the building of a holy life and conversation. It is in vain to believe well unless a man work accordingly. He that lives against his faith shall be damned, as he that believes against it. Thereupon in this chapter he comes to raise their aflfections to be heavenly-minded, and stirs them up to subdue whatsoever is contrary to heavenly-mindedness. And because it is a duty of great moment to be heavenly-minded, and to subdue base affections, he inserts weighty reasons between. ' If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above.' And among other reasons there is this, ' Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.' And thereupon he forceth seek- ing of the things that are above, and the mortifying of earthly members. For the duties of Christianity are to be applied two ways ; to be heavenly affected, and to subdue that which is contrary ; to be heavenly-minded, and to mortify our earthly members. Now how shall we do both ? ' For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God,' &c.