hope they shall be saved, but you shall never hear them speak of the kingdom of heaven; perhaps of their wares and drugs, or of some rich purchase they have got, but nothing of the kingdom. Can men travel together in a journey, and not speak a word of the place they are travelling to? Are you travellers for heaven, and never speak a word of the kingdom you are travelling to? Herein many discover they do not belong to heaven, for you shall never hear a good word come from them. Verba sunt specula mentis, BERN. The words are the looking glass of the mind, they show what the heart is. 4. Are we heavenly in our trading? Is our traffic and merchandise in heaven? Do we trade in the heavenly kingdom by faith? A man may live in one place, and trade in another, he may live in Ireland, and trade in the West Indies, so, do we trade in the heavenly kingdom? They shall never go to hea, ven when they die, who do not trade in heaven while they live. Do we send up to heaven vollies of sighs and groans? Do we send forth the ship of prayer thither, which fetcheth in returns of mercy? Is our communion "with the Father and with his Son Jesus?" 1 John i. 3. Phil. iii. 20. 5. Are our lives heavenly? Do we live as if we had seen the Lord with bodily eyes? Do we emulate and imitate the angels in sanctity? Do we labour to copy out Christ's life in ours?" 1 John, ii. 6. It was, a custom among the Macedonians, on Alexander's birth-day, to wear his picture about their necks set with pearl and diamond: do we carry Christ's picture about us, and resemble him in the heavenliness of our conversation? If we are thus heavenly, then we shall go to the kingdom of heaven when we die; and truly there is a great deal of reason why we should be thus heavenly in our thoughts, affections, conversation, if we consider, (1). The main end why God hath given us our souls, is, that we may mind the kingdom of heaven; our souls are of a noble extraction, they are akin to the angels, a glass of the Trinity, as Plato speaks. Now, is it rational to imagine, that God would have breathed intó us such noble souls only to look after sensual objects? Were such bright stars made only to shoot into the earth? Were these immortal souls made only to seek after dying comforts! Had this been only the end of our creation, to eat and drink, and converse with earthly objects, worse souls would have served us; sensitive souls had been good enough for us; what need our souls be rational and divine, to do only that work which a beast may do? (2). Great reason we should be heavenly in our thoughts, affections, conversation, if we consider what a blessed kingdom heaven is; it is beyond all hyperbole; earthly kingdoms do scarce deserve the name of cottages compared with it. We read of an angel coming down from heaven, who did tread with his right foot upon the sea, and with his left foot on the earth, Rev. x. 2. Had we but once been in the heavenly kingdom, and viewed the superlative glory of it, how might we, in a holy scorn, trample with one foot on the earth and with the other foot upon the sea? There are rivers of pleasure, gates of pearl, sparkling crowns, white robes,-may not this make our hearts heavenly? It is a heavenly kingdom, and only such go into it as are heavenly. Use 4th. Of exhortation, To all in general. 1. Branch. If there be such a glorious kingdom to come, believe this great truth. Socinians deny it. The Rabbins, say, the great dispute between Cain and Abel, was about the world to come; Abel affirmed it, Cain denied it. This should be engraven upon our hearts as with the point of a diamond, there is a blessed kingdom in reversion, Ps. lviii. 11, "Doubtless there is a reward for the righteous.” Let us not hesitate through unbelief. Doubting of principles is the next way to denying them. Unbelief, as Samson, would pull down the pillars of religion. Be confirmed in this, there is a kingdom of glory to come. Whoever denies this, cuts asunder the main article of the creed, "life everlasting." 2. Branch. If there be such a blessed kingdom, of glory to come, let us take heed lest we miss of this kingdom, let us fear lest we lose heaven by short shooting. Trembling in the body is a malady, in the soul a grace. This fear is not a fear of diffidence or distrust, such a fear as discourageth the soul, for such a fear frights from religion, it cuts the sinews of endeavour; but this holy fear, lest we miss of the kingdom of heaven, is a fear of diligence; it quickens us in the use of means, and puts us forward that we may not fail of our hope, Heb. xi. 7, "Noah, being moved with fear, prepared an ark." Fear is a watch-bell to awaken sleepy Christians; it guards against security; it is a spur to a sluggish heart; he who fears he shall come short of his journey, rides the faster. And indeed this exhortation to fear, lest we miss of this kingdom, is most necessary, if we consider two things; First, There are many who have gone many steps in the way to heaven, yet have fallen short of it, Mark xii. 34, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God;" yet he was not near enough. QUEST. How many steps may a man take in the way to the kingdom of God, yet miss of it? ANS. 1. He may be adorned with civility, he may be morally righteous, he may be prudent, just, temperate, he may be free from penal statutes; this is good, but not enough to bring a man to heaven. A. 2. He may hang out the flag of a glorious profession, yet fall short of the kingdom. The scribes and pharisees went far; they sat in Moses's chair,-were expounders of the law, they prayed, gave alms, were strict in the observation of the sabbath,—if one had got a thorn into his foot, they would not pull it out on the sabbath-day, for fear of breaking the sabbath, they were so externally devout in God's worship, that the Jews thought, that if but two in all the world went to heaven the one should be a scribe, and the other a pharisee,—but the mantle of their profession was not lined with sincerity: they did all for the applause of men, therefore they missed of heaven, Matt. v. 20, "Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of God. A. 3. A man may be a frequenter of ordinances, and yet miss of the kingdom. It is a good sight to see people flock as doves to the windows of God's house; it is good to lie in the way when Christ passeth by; yet, be not offended, if I say, one may be a hearer of the word, and fall short of glory. Herod heard John the Baptist gladly, yet beheaded John instead of beheading his sin; the prophet Exekiel's hearers did come with as much delight to his preaching, as one would do to a fit of music, Ezek. xxxiii. 32, “Thou art to them as a lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but they do them not." What is it to hear one's duty, and not do it? As if a physician prescribe a good recipe, but the patient doth not take it. A. 4. A man may have some trouble for sin, and weep for it, yet miss of the heavenly kingdom. QUEST. Whence is this? ANS. 1. A sinner's tears are forced by God's judgments; as water which comes out of a still is forced by the fire.-2. Trouble for sin is transient, it is quickly over again. As some that go to sea are sea-sick, but when they come to land they are well again; so hypocrites may be sermon-sick, but this trouble doth not last, the sick-fit is soon over.— 3. A sinner weeps, but goes on in sin; his sins are not drowned in his tears. A. 5. A man may have good desires, yet miss of the kingdom, Numb. xxii. 10, “Let me die the death of the righteous!" QUEST. Wherein do these desires come short? ANS. 1. They are sluggish. A man would have heaven, but will take no pains. As if one should say, he desires water, but will not let down the bucket into the well, Prov. xxi. 25. "The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour."—2. The sin ner desires mercy, but not grace; he desires Christ as a Saviour, but not as he is the Holy One; he desires Christ only as a bridge to lead him over to heaven. Such desires as these may be found among the damned. A. 6. A man may forsake his sins, oaths, drunkenness, uncleanness, yet come short of the kingdom. QUEST. Whence is this? ANS. 1. He may forsake gross sins, yet he hath no reluctancy against heart-sins, pride, unbelief, and the first risings of malice and concupiscence. Though he dams up the stream, yet he lets alone the foun makes the heart sick, Prov. xiii. 12, what then is hope disappointed? They lose the end of their being. Why were they created, but to be enthroned in glory? Now, to lose this, is to lose the end of their being, as if an angel should be turned to a worm. There are many aggravations of the loss of this tain; though he lop and prune the branches, 1. The eyes of the wicked shall be opened to see their loss; now they care not for the loss of God's favour, because they know not the worth of it. A man that loseth a rich diamond, and took it but for an ordinary stone, is not much troubled at the loss of it; but when he comes to know what a jewel he lost, then he laments. He, whose heart would never break at the sight of his sins, shall now break at the sight of his loss, Phinehas his wife, when she heard the ark was lost, cried out, "The glory is departed," 1 Sam. iv. 21. When the sinner sees what he hath lost, that he hath lost the beatifical vision, he hath lost the kingdom of heaven; then he will cry out in horror and despair, “The glory, the everlasting glory is departed." 2. A second aggravation of the loss of this kingdom will be, that sinners shall be upbraided by their own conscience; this is the worm that never dies, Mark ix. 44, viz. a self-accusing mind. When sinners shall consider they were in a fair way to the kingdom, they had a possibility of salvaSecondly, This fear is necessary, if we tion, though the door of heaven was strait, consider what a loss it is to lose the heavenly yet it was open,-they had the means of kingdom. All the tears in hell are not suffi- grace,-the jubilee of the gospel was procient to lament the loss of heaven. They claimed in their ears,-God called, but they who lose the heavenly kingdom, lose God's refused,-Jesus Christ offered them a plaster sweet presence, the ravishing views and of his own blood to heal them, but they tramsmiles of God's glorious face. God's pre-pled it under foot, the Holy Spirit stood at sence is the diamond in the ring of glory, Ps. the door of their heart, knocking and crying xvi. 11, "In thy presence is fulness of joy." to them to receive Christ and heaven, but If God be the fountain of all bliss, then, to be they repulsed the Spirit, and sent away this separated from him, is the fountain of all dove, and now they have, through their own misery. They who lose the heavenly king-folly and wilfulness, lost the kingdom of headom, lose the society of angels; and, what ven,-this self-accusing conscience will be sweeter music, than to hear them praise God terrible, like a venomous worm gnawing at in concert? They lose all their treasure, the heart. their white robes, their sparkling crowns; they lose their hopes, Job viii. 14, "Whose hope shall be cut off." Their hope is not an anchor, but a spider's web. If hope deferred 3. A third aggravation of the loss of heaven will be to look upon others that have gained the kingdom; the happiness of the blessed will be an eyesore, Luke xiii. 28, "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out." When the wicked shall see those whom they hated and scorned, to be exalted to a kingdom, and shine with robes of glory, and they themselves miss of the kingdom, this will be a dagger at the heart, and make them gnash their teeth for envy. 4. A fourth aggravation is, this loss of the kingdom of heaven is accompanied with the punishment of sense. He who leaps short of the bank, falls into the river; such as come short of heaven, fall into the river of fire and brimstone, Ps. ix. 17, "The wicked shall be turned into hell." And how dreadful is that! If, when but a spark of God's anger lights into the conscience here, it is so torturing, what will it be to have mountains of God's wrath thrown upon the soul? Ps. xc. 11, “Who knoweth the power of thine anger?" The angel never poured out his vial, but some wo followed, Rev. xvi. 3. When the bitter vials of God's wrath are poured out, damnation follows. Dives cries out, "I am tormented in this flame!" Luke xvi. 24. In hell there is not a drop of mercy. There was no oil nor frankincense used in the sacrifice of jealousy, Numb. v. 15. In hell no oil of mercy to lenify the sufferings of the damned, nor incense of prayer to appease God's wrath. 6. It will be an aggravation of the loss of heaven for sinners to think how active they were in doing that which lost them the kingdom; they were felo de se. What pains did they take to resist the Spirit, to stifle conscience? They sinned while they were out of breath, Jer. ix. 5, "They weary themselves to commit iniquity." What difficulties did men go through? what did they endure for their sins? How much shame and pain? How sick was the drunkard with his cups? How sore in his body was the adulterer! And what marks of sin did he carry about him? What dangers did men adventure upon for their lusts? They adventured God's wrath, and adventured the laws of the land. O how will this aggravate the loss of heaven! How will this make men curse themselves, to think how much pains they were at to lose happiness? How will this sting men's consciences, to think, had they but taken as much pains for heaven, as they did for hell, they had not lost it. 7. Aggravation of the loss of this kingdom, it will be an eternal irreparable loss; heaven, once lost, can never be recovered. Worldly losses may be made up again; if a man lose his health, he may have it repaired by physic; if a man be driven out of his kingdom, he may be restored to it again, as king Nebu chadnezzar was, Dan. iv. 36, "My honour returned to me, and I was established in my kingdom." King Henry VI. was deposed from his throne, yet restored again to it. But they who once lose heaven, can never be restored to it again after millions of as at first. Thus you see how needful this exhortation is, that we should fear lest we fall short of this kingdom of heaven. QUEST. What shall we do, that we may not miss of this kingdom of glory? 5. A fifth aggravation of the loss of this kingdom will be, to consider on what easy and reasonable terms men might have had this kingdom. If indeed God had commanded im-years, they are as far from obtaining glory possibilities, to have satisfied justice in their own persons, it had been another matter: but what God did demand was reasonable, only to do that which was for their good, to accept of Christ for their Lord and Husband, not only to part with that which would damn them, if they kept their sins. These were the fair terms on which they might have enjoyed the heavenly kingdom: now, to lose heaven, which might have been had upon such easy terms, will be a cutting aggravation; it will rend a sinner's heart with rage and grief, to think how easily he might have prevented the loss of the heavenly kingdom. ANS. 1. Take heed of those things which will make you miss of heaven. 1. Take heed of spiritual sloth. Many Christians are settled upon their lees, they are loath to put themselves to too much pains. It is said of Israel, "They despised the pleasant land," Ps. cvi. 24. Canaan was a para. dise of delights, a type of heaven: ay, bát some of the Jews thought it would cost them a great deal of trouble and hazard in the getting, and they would rather go without it; They despised the pleasant land." I have read of certain Spaniards that live where there is great store of fish, yet are so lazy, that they will not be at the pains to catch them, but buy of their neighbours; such a sinful sloth is upon the most, that though the kingdom of heaven be offered to them, yet they will not put themselves to any labour for it. They have some faint velleities and desires, O that I had this kingdom! Like a man that wisheth for venison, but will not hunt for it, Prov. xiii. 4, "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing." Men could be content to have the kingdom of heaven, if it would drop as a ripe fig into their mouth, but they are loath to fight for it. O take heed of spiritual sloth; God never made heaven to be a hive for drones! We cannot have the world without labour, and do we think to have the kingdom of heaven? Heathens will rise up in judgment against A. 4. If you would not miss of the heavenly many Christians: what pains did they take kingdom, take heed of delays and procrastiin their olympic races, when they ran but for nations. Mora trahit periculum. It is an a crown of olive or myrtle intermixed with usual delusion, I will mind the kingdom of gold; and do we stand still when we are run-heaven, but not yet; when I have gotten an ning for a kingdom? Prov. xix. 15, "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep." Sloth is the soul's sleep. Adam lost his rib when he was asleep. Many a man loseth the kingdom of heaven when he is in this deep sleep him;" seek him earnestly and he will open both heart and heaven to you. Deus volentibus non deest. Do what you are able, and God will help you. While you spread the sails of your endeavour, God's Spirit will blow upon these sails, and carry you swiftly to the kingdom of glory. A.3. If you would not miss of the heavenly kingdom, take heed of mistake, imagining the way to the kingdom of heaven to be easier than it is; it is but a sigh, or, Lord have mercy! There's no going to heaven per saltum; one cannot leap out of Delilah's lap into Abraham's bosom. The sinner is Is it easy "dead in trespasses," Eph. ii. 1. for a dead man to restore himself to life? Is regeneration easy? Are there no pangs in the new birth? Doth not the scripture call Christianity a warfare and a race? And, do you fancy this easy? The way to the kingdom is not easy, but the mistake about the way is easy. of sloth. Take estate and grown old, then I will look after heaven; and, on a sudden, death surpriseth men, and they fall short of heaven. Delay strengthens sin, hardens the heart, and gives the devil fuller possession of a man. heed of adjourning and putting off seeking A. 2. Take heed of unbelief. Unbelief the kingdom of heaven, till it be too late. kept Israel out of Canaan, Heb. iii. 19. So Cæsar, deferring to read a letter put into his we see "they could not enter in because of hand, was killed in the senate-house. Conunbelief." And it keeps many out of heaven. sider how short your life is ; it is a taper soon Unbelief is an enemy to salvation, it is a blown out. Animantis cujusque vita in damning sin; it whispers thus, "To what fuga est. The body is like a vessel tuned purpose is all this pains for the heavenly with breath, sickness broacheth it, death kingdom? I had as good sit still; I may draws it out. Delay not the business of salcome near to heaven, yet come short of hea-vation a day longer; sometimes death strikes, ven:" Jer. xviii. 12, "And they said, there is and gives no warning. no hope." Unbelief destroys hope; and if A. 5. If you would not come short of the you once cut this sinew, a Christian goes but kingdom of heaven, take heed of prejudice. lamely in religion, if he goes at all. Unbelief Many take a prejudice at religion, and on raiseth jealous thoughts of God, it represents this rock dash their souls. They are preju him as a severe judge; this discourageth diced at Christ's person, his truths, his folmany a soul, and takes it off from duty. Be-lowers, his ways. ware of unbelief; believe the promises, Lam. (1). They are prejudiced at his person, iii. 25, “God is good to the soul that seeks Matt. xiii. 57, "And they were offended in |
