§ 18. (12.) Once more consider, there is nothing, but heaven, worth setting our hearts upon. If God have them not, who shall? If thou mind not thy rest, what wilt thou mind? Hast thou found out some other god? Or something that will serve thee instead of rest? Hast thou found on earth an eternal happiness? Where is it? What is it made of? Who was the man that found it out? Who was he that last enjoyed it? Where dwelt he? What was his name? Or art thou the first that ever discovered heaven on earth? Ah wretch! trust not to thy discoveries, boast not of thy gain, till experience bid thee boast. Disquiet not thyself, in looking for that which is not on earth; lest thou learn thy experience with the loss of thy soul, which thou mightest have learned on easier terms; even by the warnings of God in his Word, and the loss of thousands of souls before thee. If Satan should _take thee up to the mountain_ of temptation, _and shew thee all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them_; he could shew thee nothing that is worthy thy thoughts, much less to be preferred before thy rest. Indeed, so far as duty and necessity require it, we must be content to mind the things below; but who is he that contains himself within the compass of those limits? And yet if we ever so diligently contract our cares and thoughts, we shall find the least to be bitter and burdensome. Christian, see the emptiness of all these things, and the preciousness of the things above. If thy thoughts should, like the laborious bee, go over the world from flower to flower, from creature to creature, they would bring no honey or sweetness home, save what they gathered from their relations to eternity. Though every truth of God is precious, and ought to be defended; yet even all our study of truth should be still in reference to our rest: For the observation is too true, "that the lovers of controversies in religion, have never been warmed with one spark of the love of God. And as for minding the affairs of church and state;" so far as they illustrate the providence of God, and tend to the settling of the gospel, and the government of Christ, and consequently to the saving our own souls, and those of our posterity, they are well worth our diligent observation; but these are only their relations to eternity. Even all our dealings in the world, our buying and selling, our eating and drinking, our building and marrying, our peace and war, so far as they relate not to the life to come, but tend only to the pleasing of the flesh, are not worthy the frequent thoughts of a Christian. And now doth not thy conscience say, that there is nothing but heaven, and the way to it, that is worth thy minding?
§ 19. Now, reader, are these considerations weighty, or not? Have I proved it thy duty to keep thy heart on things above, or have I not? If thou say, not; I am confident thou contradictest thy own conscience. If thou acknowledge thyself convinced of the duty; that very tongue of thine shall condemn thee, and that confession be pleaded against thee, if thou wilfully neglectest such a confessed duty. Be thoroughly willing, and the work is more than half done. I have now a few plain directions to give you for your help in this great work; but, alas! it is in vain to mention them, except you be willing to put them in practice. However, I will propose them to thee, and may the Lord persuade thy heart to the work!