Those views which such a one hath had by faith of the uncreated glories above, of the things in heavenly places where Christ sits at the right hand of God, of the glory within the veil, whereby they have been realized and made present unto his soul, will now visit him every moment, abide with him continually, and put forth their efficacy unto his supportment and refreshment. Alas! what will become of many of us, who are grovelling continually on the earth, whose bellies cleave unto the dust, who are strangers unto the thoughts of heavenly things, when distressing troubles shall befall us ? Why shall we think that refreshing thoughts of things above will then visit our souls, when we resisted their admittance in days of peace ? Do you come to me in your distress, saith Jephtha, when in the time of your peace you drove me from you? When we would thus think of lieavenly things to our refreshment, we shall hardly get them to make an abode with us. I know God can come in by the
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mighty power of his Spirit and grace, to support and comfort the souls of them who are called and even surprised into the greatest of sufferings. Yet do I know also, that it is our duty not to tempt him in the neglect of the ways and means which he hath appointed for the communication of his grace unto us.
Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, as 'the author and finisher of our faith, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame;' Heb. xii. 2. His mediatory glory in the salvation of the church was the matter of the joy set before him. This he took the view and prospect of in all his sufferings, unto his refreshment and supportment. And his example, as 'the author and finisher of our faith,' is more efficaciously instructive than any other rule or precept. Eternal glory is set before us also ; it is the design of God's wisdom and grace, that by the contemplation of it we should relieve ourselves in all our sufferings, yea, and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. How many of those blessed souls, now in the enjoyment of God and glory, who passed through fiery trials and great tribulations, were en- abled to sing and rejoice in the flames by a prepossession of this glory in their minds through believing? yea, some of them have been so filled with them, as to take off all sense of pain under the most exquisite tortures. When Stephen was to be stoned, to encourage him in his sufferings, and comfort him in it, the 'heavens were opened, and he saw Jesus standino- at the rioht hand of God.' Who can conceive what contempt of all the rage and madness of the Jews, what a neglect of all the pains of death, this view raised his holy soul unto ? To obtain therefore such views frequently by faith, as they do who are truly spiritually minded, is the most effectual way to encourage us unto all our sufferings. The apostle gives us the force of this encouragement in a comparison with earthly things, 1 Cor. ix. 25. 'Every man who striveth for the mastery, is temperate in all things ; now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorrupt- ible.' If men, when a corruptible crown of vain honour and applause is proposed unto them, will do and endure all that is needful for the attainment of it, and relieve themselves in their hardships with thoughts and imaginations of attaining it, grounded on uncertain hopes ; shall not we who have a
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crown immortal and invisible proposed unto us, and that with the highest assurance of the enjoyment of it, cheerfully undergo, endure, and suffer, what we are to go through in the way unto it?
4. This is the most effectual means to wean the heart and affections from things here below ; to keep the mind unto an undervaluation, yea, a contempt of them as occasion shall require. For there is a season -wherein there is such a contempt required in us of all relations and enjoyments, as our Saviour calleth, the hating of them ; that is, not abso- lutely, but comparatively, in comparison of him and the gospel, wuth the duties which belong unto our profession ; Luke xiv. 26. * If any man come to me, and hate not father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.' Some I fear, if they did but consider it, would be apt to say, ' This is a hard saying, who can bear it V and others cry out with the disciples in another case, ' Lord, who then can be saved V But it is the word whereby we must be judged, nor can we be the disciples of Christ on any other terms. But here in an especial manner lies the wound and weakness of faith and profession in these our days. ' The bellies of men cleave unto the dust,' or their affections unto earthly things.
I speak not of those who by rapine, deceit, and oppres- sion, strive to enrich themselves ; nor of those who design nothing more than the attainment of greatness and promo- tions in the world, though not by ways of open wickedness ; least of all of them who make religion, and perhaps their mi- nistry therein, a means for the attaining secular ends and preferments. No wise man can suppose such persons, any of them, to be spiritually minded, and it is most easy to disprove all their pretences. But I intend only those at present, whose ways and means of obtaining riches, are lawful, honest, and unblamable ; who use them with some moderation, and do profess that their portion lies in better things ; so as it is hard to fasten a conviction on them in matter of their conversation. Whatever may seem to reflect upon them, they esteem it to be that whose omission would make them foolish in their affairs, or negligent in their duty. But even among these also, there is ofttimes that inordinate love unto present things, that esteem and valuation of them.