340 OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. [PART I.
verse 24; but on another application of virtue unto him, “ he saw every man clearly,” verse 25. It was not.a sight of another kind which he then received than what he had at first; only its imperfec- tion, whereby he “saw men as trees, walking,” was taken away. Nor will our perfect vision of things above be a grace absolutely of an- other kind from the light of faith which we here enjoy; only what is imperfect in it will be done away, and it will be made meet for the present enjoyment of things here at a distance and invisible. Love shall have its perfection also, and the least alteration im its manner of operation of any grace whatever; and there is nothing that should more excite us to labour after a growth in love to God in Christ than this, that it shall to all eternity be the same in its nature and in all its operations, only both the one and the other shall be made abso- lutely perfect. The soul will by it be enabled to cleave unto God unchangeably, with eternal delight, satisfaction, and complacency. Hope shall be perfect in enjoyment, which is all the perfection it is capable of. So shall it be as unto other graces.
This subjective perfection of our nature, especially in all the faculties, powers, and affections of our souls and all their operations, belongs unto our blessedness, nor can we be blessed without it. All the objective glory in heaven would not, in our beholding and enjoy- ment of it (if it were possible), make us blessed and happy, if our own natures were not made perfect, freed from all disorder, irregular motions, and weak, imperfect operations. What is it, then, that must ' give our natures this subjective perfection? It is that grace alone whose beginnings we are here made partakers of; for therein con- sists the renovation of the image of God in us, and the perfect communication of that image unto us is the absolute perfection of our natures, the utmost which their capacity is suited unto. And this gives us the last thing to be inquired into,—namely, by what means in ourselves we shall eternally abide in that state; and this is, by the unalterable adherence of our whole souls unto God, in perfect love and delight. This is that whereby alone the soul reach- eth unto the essence of God, and the infinite, incomprehensible per- fections of his nature. For the perfect nature hereof, divine revela- tion hath left it under a veil, and so must we do also; nor do I designedly handle these things in this place, but only in the way of a direction how to exercise our thoughts about them.
This is the notion of heaven which those who are spiritually minded ought to be conversant withal; and the true stating of it by faith is a discriminating character of believers. This is no heaven unto any others. Those who have not an experience of the excel- lency of these things in their initial state in this world, and their in- comparable transcendency unto all other things, cannot conceive how
CHAP. VI.] DIRECTIONS FOR OUR THOUGHTS ON THINGS ABOVE, 341
heavenly glory and blessedness should consist in them. Unskilful men may cast away rough wnwrought diamonds as useless stones; they know not what polishing will bring them unto. Nor do men unskilful in the mysteries of godliness judge there can be any glory in rough unwrought grace; they know not what lustre and beauty the polishing of the heavenly hand will give unto it.
It is generally supposed that however men differ in and about re- ligion here, yet they agree well enough about heaven; they would all go to the same heaven. But it is a great mistake; they differ in nothing more; they would not all go to the same heaven. How few are they who value that heavenly state which we have treated of, or do understand how any blessedness can consist in the enjoyment of it! But this, and no other heaven, would we go unto. Other notions there may be, there are of it; which being but fruits and effects of men’s own imaginations, the more they dwell in the contemplation of them, the more carnal they may grow, at best the more supersti- tious. But spiritual thoughts of this heaven, consisting principally in freedom from all sin, in the perfection of all grace, in the vision of the glory of God in Christ, and all the excellencies of the divine nature as manifested in him, are an effectual means for the improve- ment of spiritual life and the increase of all graces in us; for they cannot but effect an assimilation in the mind and heart unto the things contemplated on, when the principles and seeds of them are already inlaid and begun. This is our first direction.
2. Having fixed right notions and apprehensions of heavenly things in our mids, it is our duty to think and contemplate greatly on them and our own concernment in them. Without this all our speculations concerning the nature of eternal things will be of no use unto us. And unto your encouragement and direction take these few short rules relating unto this duty:—Is¢. Here lies the great trial whether we are spiritually minded or no, by virtue of this rule, “ If we are risen with Christ, we will mind the things that are