It were well if we would try ourselves by things of so uncontrollable evidence. What can any object unto the truth of these things, or the necessity of this duty ? If it be otherwise with us, it is from one of these two causes ; either we are not convinced of the truth and reality of them, or we have no delight in them, because we are not spiritually minded. Do we think that men may turmoil themselves in earthly thoughts all the day long, and when they are freed of their affairs, betake themselves unto those that are vain and useless, without any stated converse with things above, and yet enjoy life and peace ? We must take other measures of things, if we intend to live unto God, to be like him, and to come unto the enjoyment of him.
What is the matter with men that are so stupid ? They all generally desire to go to heaven, at least when they can live here no longer. Some indeed have no other regard unto
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it, but only that they Would not go to hell. But most would 'die the death of the righteous,' and have their latter end like his; yet few there are who endeavour to attain a right notion of it, to try how it is suited unto their principles and desires ; but content themselves with such general notions of it as please their imaginations. It is no wonder if such persons seldom exercise their minds or thoughts about it, nor do they so much as pretend to be spiritually minded. But as for those who are instructed in these things, who profess their chiefest interest to lie in them,not to abound in medi- tation concerning them, it argues indeed that whatever they profess, they are earthly and carnal.
Again ; meditate and think of the glory of heaven, so as to compare it with the opposite state of death and eternal misery. Few men care to think much of hell, and the ever- lasting torments of the wicked therein. Those do so least, who are in the most danger of falling thereinto. They put far from them the evil day, and suppose their covenant with death and hell to be sure. Some begin to advance an opi- nion that there is no such place, because it is their interest and desire that there should be none. Some out of profane- ness make a scoff at it, as though a future judgment were but a fable. Most seem to think that there is a severity in thoughts about it, which it is not fit we should be too much terrified withal. Some transient thoughts they will have of it, but not suffer them to abide in their minds, lest they should be too much discomposed. Or they think it not consistent with the goodness of Christ to leave any men in that condition ; whereas there is more spoken directly of hell, its torments and their eternity, by himself, than in all the Scripture besides. These thoughts in most proceed from an unwillingness to be troubled in their sins, and are useful unto none. It is the height of folly for men to endeavour the hiding of themselves for a few moments from that which is unavoidably coming upon them unto eternity ; and the due consideration whereof, is a means for an escape from it. But I speak only of true believers. And the more they are conversant in their thoughts about the future estate of eternal misery, the greater evidence they have of the life and confidence of faith. It is a necessary duty to consider
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it, as what we were by nature obnoxious unto, as being children of wrath ; what we have deserved by our personal sins, as ' the wages of sin is death ;' what we are delivered from through Jesus the Deliverer, who saves us from the wrath to come; what expression it is of the indignation of God against sin, who hath prepared this Tophet of old ; that we may be delivered from sin, kept up to an abhorrency of it, walking in humility, self-abasement, and the admira- tion of divine grace. This therefore is required of us, that in our thoughts and meditations, we compare the state of blessedness and eternal glory, as a free and absolute effect of the grace of God in and through Christ Jesus, with that state of eternal misery, which we had deserved. And if there be any spark of grace or of holy thankfulness in our hearts, it will be stirred up unto its due exercise.
Some it may be will say, that they complained before that tliey cannot get their minds fixed on these things. Weakness, weariness, darkness, diversions, occasions, do prevalently obstruct their abiding in such thoughts. I shall speak farther unto this afterward. At present I shall only suggest two things. 1. If you cannot attain, yet continue to follow after ; get your minds in a perpetual endeavour after an abode in spiritual thoughts. Let your minds be rising towards them every hour; yea, a hundred times a day, on all occasions, on a continual sense of duty ; and sigh within yourselves for deliverance, when you find dis- appointments, or not a continuance in them. It is the sense of that place, Rom. viii. 23 — 26. 2. Take care you go not backwards and lose what you have wrought. If you neglect these things for a season, you will quickly find yourselves neglected by them. So I observe it every day in the hearing of the word. Whilst persons keep up themselves to a dili- gent attendance on it where they find it preached unto their edification, they find great delight in it, and will undergo great difficulties for the enjoyment of it ; let them be di- verted from it for a season, after a while it grows indifferent unto them, any thing will satisfy them that pretends unto tlie same duty.