But with many it is not so. Their minds are so full of earthly things, they do so cleave unto them in their affec- tions, that no sense of duty, no example of others, no con- cernment of the glory of God or the gospel can make any impressions on them. If there be yet in them so much life and light of grace, as to design a deliverance from this wo- ful condition, the means insisted on must be made use of.
Especially this advice is needful unto those who are rich, who have large possessions, or abound in the goods of this
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world. The poor, the afflicted, the sorrowful are pronnited from their outward circumstances, as well as excited by inward grace, frequently to remember and to think of tlie things above, wherein lies their only reserve and relief against the trouble and urgency of their present condition. But the enjoyment of these things in abundance, is accom- panied with a two-fold evil, lying directly contrary unto this ^'«ty.
1. A desire of increase and adding thereunto, mrthly enjoyments enlarge men's earthly desires ; and the love of them grows with their income. A moderate stock of waters, sufHcient for our use, may be kept witliin ordinary banks. But if a flood be turned into them, they know no bounds, but overflow all about them. The increase of wealth and riches enlargeth the desires of men after them beyond all bounds of wisdom, sobriety, or safety. He that labours hard for his daily bread, hath seldom such earnest vehement desires of an addition unto what he hath, as many have who already have more than they know how to use, or almost what to do withal. This they must have more, and the last advantage serves for nothing but to stir them up to look out for another. And yet such men would on other accounts be esteemed good Christians, and spiritually minded, as all good Christians are.
2. They draw the heart to value and esteem them, as those which bring in their satisfaction, and make them to differ from those whom they see to be poor and miserable. Now these things are contrary unto, and where they are habitually prevalent, inconsistent utterly with, being spiri- tually minded. Nor is it possible, that any who in the least degree are under their power, can ever attain deli- verance, unless their thoughts are fixed, and their minds thereby possessed with due apprehensions of invisible things and eternal glory.
These are some few of those many advantages which we may obtain by fixing our thoughts and meditations, and thereby our aff'ections on the things that are above. And there are some things which make me willing to give some few directions for the practice of this duty. For whatever else we are and do, we neither are nor can be truly spiritually minded, whereon life and peace depend.
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unless we do really exercise our thoughts unto meditations of things above. Without it all our religion is but vain. And as I fear, men are generally wanting and defective herein in point of practice ; so I do also, that many, through the darkness of their minds, the weakness of their intel- lectuals, and ignorance of the nature of all things unseen, do seldom set themselves unto the contemplation of them. I shall therefore give some few directions for the practice of this duty.
CHAP. VI.
Directions unto the exercise of our thoughts on things above ; things future, invisible and eternal; on God himself , with the difficulties of it, and oppositions unto it, and the tvay of their removal. Riyht notions of future glory stated.
We have treated in general before of the proper objects of our spiritual thoughts as unto our present duty. That wJiich we were last engaged in, is an especial instance in heavenly things ; things future and invisible, with the fountain and spring of them all in Christ and God himself. And because men generally are unskilled herein, and great difficulties arise in the way of the discharge of this part of the duty in hand, I shall give some especial directions concerning it.
1. Possess your minds with right notions and appre- hensions of things above, and of the state of future glory. We are in this duty * to look at the things which are not seen ;' 2 Cor. iv. 16. It is faith only whereby we have a prospect of them ; for 'we walk by faith and not by sight.' And faith can give us no interest in them, unless we have due apprehensions of them. For it doth but assent and cleave unto the truth of what is proposed unto it. And the greatest part of mankind do both deceive themselves, and feed on ashes in this matter. They fancy a future estate, which hath no foundation but in their own imagina- tions. Wherefore the apostle, directing us to seek and mind the ' things that are above', adds for the guidance of our thoughts, the consideration of the principal concern-
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ment of them, ' where Christ sitteth oii the right hiuid oi God;' Col. iii. 1, 2. He would lead us unto distinct ap- prehensions of those heavenly things, especially of the presence of Christ in his exaltation and glory. Wherefore the true notion of these things which we are to possess our minds withal, may here be considered.