§ 15. (10.) It is but equal that our hearts should be on God, when the heart of God is so much on us. If the Lord of glory can stoop so low, as to set his heart on sinful dust, methinks we should easily be persuaded to set our hearts on Christ and glory, and ascend to him, in our daily affections, who so much condescends to us. Christian, dost thou not perceive, that the heart of God is set upon thee, and that he is still minding thee with tender love, even when thou forgettest both thyself and him? Is he not following thee with daily mercies, moving upon thy soul, providing for thy body, preserving both? Doth he not bear thee continually in the arms of love, and promise that _all shall work together for thy good_, and suit all his dealings to thy greatest advantage, and _give his angels charge over thee_? And canst thou be taken up with the joys below, and forget thy Lord, who forgets not thee! Unkind ingratitude! When he speaks of his own kindness for us, hear what he says: _Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me._[308] But when he speaks of our regards to him, the case is otherwise. _Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number._[309] As if he should say, "You will not rise one morning, but you will remember to cover your nakedness, nor forget your vanity of dress; and are these of more worth than your God; of more importance than your eternal life? And yet you can forget these day after day." Give not God cause thus to expostulate with us. Rather let our souls get up to God, and visit him every morning, and our hearts be towards him every moment.
[Footnote 308] Isaiah xlix, 14-16.
[Footnote 309] Jeremiah ii, 32.
§ 16. (11.) Should not our interest in heaven, and our relation to it, continually keep our hearts upon it? There our Father keeps his court. We call him, _Our Father which art in heaven_. Unworthy children! that can be so taken up in their play, as to be mindless of such a Father. There also is Christ, our _Head_, our _Husband_, our _Life_; and shall we not look towards him, and send to him, as oft as we can, till we come to see him face to face? Since _the heavens must receive him, until the times of restitution of all things_; let them also receive our hearts with him. There also is _New Jerusalem, which is the mother of us all_.[310] And there are multitudes of our elder brethren. There are our friends and old acquaintance, whose society, in the flesh, we so much delighted in, and whose departure hence we so much lamented; and is this no attractive to thy thoughts? If they were within thy reach on earth, thou wouldst go and visit them, and why not oftener visit them in spirit, and rejoice beforehand to think of meeting them there? "Socrates rejoiced that he should die, because he believed he should see Homer, Hesiod, and other eminent persons. How much more do I rejoice, said a pious old minister, who am sure to see Christ my Savior, the eternal Son of God, in his assumed flesh; besides so many wise, holy, and renowned patriarchs, prophets, apostles," &c. A believer should look to heaven, and contemplate the blessed state of the saints, and think with himself, "Though I am not yet so happy as to be with you, yet this is my daily comfort, you are my brethren and fellow-members in Christ, and therefore your joys are my joys, and your glory by this near relation is my glory; especially while I believe in the same Christ, and hold fast the same faith and obedience, by which you were thus dignified, and rejoice in spirit with you, and congratulate your happiness in my daily meditations."
[Footnote 310] Galatians iv, 26.