Use 4: 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 [reconstructed: Abel] was about the world to come, Abel affirmed it, Cain denied it; this should be engraved upon our hearts as with the point of a diamond; there is a blessed kingdom in reversion (Psalm 58:11). 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 a malady, in the soul a grace; this fear is not a fear of diffidence or distrust, such a fear as discourages the soul, for such a fear frights from religion, it cuts the sinews of endeavor; 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 (Hebrews 11:6). 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 12:34). You are 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 yet miss of it?

Resp. 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.

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' chair, were expounders of the law, they prayed, gave alms, were strict in the observation of the sabbath; if one had got a thorn in 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 the all 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 (Matthew 5:20). Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of God.

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 where Christ passes 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 Ezekiel's hearers did come with as much delight to his preaching, as one would do to a fit of music (Ezekiel 33:32). You are to them as a lovely song of one that has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument, they hear your 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 does not take it.

4. A man may have some trouble for sin, and weep for it, yet miss of the heavenly kingdom.

Quest. From where is this?

Answ. 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 seasick, but when they come to land they are well again. So hypocrites may be sermon-sick, but this trouble does 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.

5. A man may have good desires yet miss of the kingdom (Numbers 23:10). O that I might die the death of the righteous.

Quest. Wherein do these desires come short?

Answ. 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 (Proverbs 21:25). The desire of the slothful kills him, his hands refuse to labor. 2. The sinner desires mercy but not grace; he desires Christ as a Savior, but not as he is the [reconstructed: 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.

6. A man may forsake his sins, oaths, drunkenness, uncleanness, yet come short of the kingdom.

Quest. From where is this?

Answer 1. He may forsake gross sins, yet he has 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 fountain; though he lops and prunes the branches, yet he does not strike at the root of it. 2. Though he leaves sin (for fear of Hell, or because it brings shame and penury) yet he still loves sin; as if a snake should cast her coat, yet keep her poison; (Hosea 4:8) They set their heart on their iniquity. 3. It is but a partial forsaking of sin; though he leave one sin he lives in some other. Herod reformed very much (Mark 6:20). [reconstructed: He did many things], but he lived in incest. Some leave drunkenness and live in covetousness; they forbear swearing and live in slandering. It is but a partial reformation, and so they miss of the Kingdom of Glory. Thus you see there are some who have gone many steps in the way to Heaven, yet have come short. Some have gone so far in profession that they have been confident their estate has been good, and they should go to the Kingdom of Heaven, yet have missed it: (Luke 13:25) When once the master of the house is risen up, and has shut to the door, and you begin to stand without and to knock, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. How confident were these of salvation, they did not beseech but knock, as if they did not doubt to be let into Heaven; yet to these Christ says, I know you not from where you are: Depart from me you workers of iniquity. Therefore fear and tremble lest any of us miss of this Kingdom of Heaven.

Secondly, this fear is necessary if we consider what a loss it is to lose the Heavenly Kingdom. All the tears of Hell are not sufficient to lament the loss of Heaven! They who lose the Heavenly Kingdom, lose God's sweet presence, the ravishing views and smiles of God's glorious face. God's presence is the diamond in the ring of glory; (Psalm 16:11) In his presence is fullness of joy. If God be the fountain of all bliss, then to be separated from him is the fountain of all misery. They who lose the Heavenly Kingdom lose the society of angels, and what sweeter music than to hear them praise God in consort. They lose all their treasure, their white robes, their sparkling crowns; they lose their hopes, (Job 8:14) Whose hope shall be cut off. Their hope is not an anchor but a spider's web: if hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12), 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 Heavenly Kingdom.

1. The eyes of the wicked shall be opened to see their loss; now they care not for the loss of God's favor because they know not the worth of it. A man that loses 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's daughter, when she heard the Ark was lost, cried out, The Glory is departed; (1 Samuel 4:21). When the sinner sees what he has lost, he has lost the beatific vision, he has lost the Kingdom of Heaven; now 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 9:44), namely, a self-accusing mind. When sinners shall consider they were in a fair way to the Kingdom; they had a possibility of salvation; though the door of Heaven were strait, yet it was open; they had the means of grace; the jubilee of the Gospel was proclaimed in their ears; God called but they refused; Jesus Christ offered them a plaster of his own blood to heal them, but they trampled it under foot; the Holy Spirit stood at the door of their heart knocking and crying to them to receive Christ and Heaven, but they repulsed the Spirit, and sent away this dove, and now they have, through their own folly and willfulness, lost the Kingdom of Heaven: this self-accusing conscience will be terrible, like a venomous worm gnawing at the heart.

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 eye-sore; (Luke 13:28) There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you 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; (Psalm 9:17) 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? (Psalm 90:11) Who knows the power of your anger? The angel never poured out his vial but some woe followed; (Revelation 16:3) when the bitter vials of God's wrath are poured out, damnation follows. Dives cries out, O I am tormented in this flame; (Luke 16:24). In Hell there's not a drop of mercy. There was no oil or frankincense used in the sacrifice of jealousy (Numbers 5:15); in Hell no oil of mercy to alleviate the sufferings of the damned, nor incense of prayer to appease God's wrath.

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 impossibles, to have satisfied his 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, 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.

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; (Jeremiah 9:5) 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 his 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 taken but 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 Nebuchadnezzar was, (Daniel 4:36) My honor returned to me, and I was established in my kingdom. King Henry the sixth 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 years they are as far from obtaining glory as at first. Thus you see how needful this exhortation is, that we should fear lest we fall short of this kingdom of heaven.

Question: What shall we do that we may not miss of this kingdom of glory?

Response 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: (Psalm 106:24) Canaan was a paradise of delight, a type of heaven; but 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 neighbors; 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 labor for it. They have some faint velleities and desires, O that I had this kingdom; like a man that wishes for venison but will not hunt for it; (Proverbs 13:4) The soul of the sluggard wishes and has 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 labor, and do we think to have the kingdom of heaven? Heathens will rise up in judgment against many Christians, what pains did they take in their Olympic races, when they ran but for a crown of olive or myrtle intermixed with gold, and do we stand still when we are running for a kingdom? (Proverbs 19:15) Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep. Sloth is the soul's sleep. Adam lost his rib when he was asleep. Many a man loses the kingdom of heaven when he is in this deep sleep of sloth.

2. Take heed of unbelief. Unbelief kept Israel out of Canaan; (Hebrews 3:19) So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief; and it keeps many out of heaven. Unbelief is an enemy to salvation, it is a damning sin, it whispers thus, to what purpose is all this pains for the heavenly kingdom, I had as good sit still, I may come near to heaven, yet come short of heaven; (Jeremiah 18:12) And they said, there is no hope. Unbelief destroys hope, and if you once cut this sinew, a Christian goes but lamely in religion if he goes at all. Unbelief raises jealous thoughts of God, it represents him as a severe judge, this discourages many a soul and takes it off from duty. Beware of unbelief, believe the promises; (Lamentations 3:25) God is good to the soul that seeks him; seek him earnestly and he will open both his 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 endeavor God's Spirit will blow upon these sails, and carry you swiftly to the kingdom of glory.

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 is no going to heaven per saltum, one cannot leap out of Delilah's lap into Abraham's bosom. The sinner is dead in trespasses, (Ephesians 2:1) is it easy for a dead man to restore himself to life? Is regeneration easy? Are there no pangs in the new birth? Does 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.

4. If you would not miss of the heavenly kingdom, take heed of delays and procrastinations. Mora trahit periculum. It is a usual delusion, I will mind the kingdom of heaven but not yet; when I have gotten an estate, and am grown old, then I will look after heaven, and on a sudden death surprises men, and they fall short of heaven. Delay strengthens sin, hardens the heart, and gives the Devil fuller possession of a man. Take heed of adjourning and putting off seeking the kingdom of heaven till it be too late. Caesar deferring to read a letter put into his hand was killed in the Senate-house. Consider how short your life is; 'tis a taper soon blown out. Animantis cujusque vita in fuga est; the body is like a vessel filled with breath, sickness broaches it, death draws it out; delay not the business of salvation a day longer; sometimes death strikes and gives no warning.

5. If you would not come short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of prejudice. Many take a prejudice at religion, and on this rock dash their souls; they are prejudiced at Christ's person, his truths, his followers, his ways.

(1.) They are prejudiced at his person (Matthew 13:57): And they were offended in him; what is there in Christ that men should be offended at him? He is the pearl of price (Matthew 13:46). Are men offended at pearls and diamonds? Christ is the wonder of beauty (Psalm 45:2): Fairer than the children of men; is there anything in beauty to offend? Christ is a mirror of mercy (Hebrews 2:17); why should mercy offend any? Christ is a Redeemer; why should a captive slave be offended at him who comes with a sum of money to ransom him? The prejudice men take at Christ is from the inbred depravity of their hearts. The eye that is sore cannot endure the light of the sun; the fault is not in the sun, but in the sore eye. There are two things in Christ men are prejudiced at. 1. His means. The Jews expected a monarch for their Messiah; but Christ came not with outward pomp and splendor; his kingdom was not of this world: the stars which are seated in the lightest orbs are least seen; Christ who was the bright Morning Star was not much seen, his divinity was hid in the dark lantern of his humanity; all who saw the man did not see the Messiah; this the Jews stumbled at, the means of his person. 2. Men are prejudiced at Christ's strictness; they look upon Christ as austere, and his laws too severe (Psalm 2:3): Let us break their bands, and cast away their cords from us. Though to a saint Christ's laws are no more burdensome than wings are to a bird; yet to the wicked Christ's laws are a yoke, and they love not to come under restraint; hence it is they hate Christ. Though they pretend to love him as a Savior, yet they hate him as he is the Holy One.

(2.) Men are prejudiced at the truths of Christ. 1. Self-denial. A man must deny his righteousness (Philippians 3:9), his duties and moralities: he would graft the hope of salvation upon the stock of his own righteousness. 2. He must deny his unrighteousness. The Scripture seals no patents to sin, it teaches us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:11). We must divorce those sins which bring in pleasure and profit. 3. Forgiving of injuries (Mark 11:25). These truths men are prejudiced at; they can rather want forgiveness from God than they can forgive others.

(3.) Men are prejudiced at the followers of Christ. 1. Their paucity; there are but few (in comparison) that embrace Christ; but why should this offend? Men are not offended at pearls and precious stones, because they are but few. 2. Their poverty; many that wear Christ's livery are low in the world; but why should this give offence? (1.) Christ has better things than these to bestow upon his followers; the holy anointing, the white stones, the hidden manna, the crown of glory. (2.) All Christ's followers are not humbled with poverty; Abraham was rich in gold and silver as well as rich in faith: though not many noble are called, yet some noble (Acts 17:12): honorable women which were Greeks believed; Constantine and Theodosius were godly emperors; so that this stumbling block is removed. 3. Their scandals. Some of Christ's followers under a mask of piety commit sin, this begets a prejudice against religion; but does Christ or his gospel teach any such thing? The rules he prescribes are holy: why should the master be thought the worse of because some of his servants prove bad.

(4.) Men are prejudiced at the ways of Christ; they expose them to sufferings (Matthew 16:24): Let him take up his cross and follow me; many stumble at the cross. There are as Tertullian, delicaetuli, silken Christians, who love their ease; they will follow Christ to Mount Olivet to see him transfigured, but not to Mount Golgotha to suffer with him. But alas, what is affliction to the glory that follows: the weight of glory makes affliction light; Adimant Caput non Coronam. O take heed of prejudice, this has been a stumbling stone in men's way to heaven, and has made them fall short of the kingdom.

6. If you would not miss of the kingdom of heaven take heed of presumption. Men presume all is well, and take it as a principle not to be disputed that they shall go to heaven. The Devil has given them opium to cast them into a deep sleep of security. The presumptuous sinner is like the Leviathan, made without fear: he lives as bad as the worst, yet hopes he shall be saved as well as the best; he blesses himself, and says he shall have peace though he goes on in sin (Deuteronomy 29:19). As if a man should drink poison yet not fear but he should have his health. But where does this presumptuous hope arise? Surely from a conceit that God is made up all of mercy. 'Tis true God is merciful, but also he is just (Exodus 34:6-7): Keeping mercy for thousands, and that will by no means clear the guilty. If a king did proclaim that only those should be pardoned who came in and submitted, should any still persisting in rebellion claim the benefit of that pardon? Do you hope for mercy who will not lay down your weapons, but stand out in rebellion against heaven? None might touch the Ark but the priests; none may touch this Ark of God's mercy, but holy, consecrated persons. Presumption is heluo Animarum, the great devourer of souls. A thousand have missed of heaven by putting on the broad spectacles of presumption.

7. If you would not miss of the heavenly kingdom take heed of the delights and pleasures of the flesh; soft pleasures harden the heart. Many people cannot endure a serious thought, but are for comedies and romances, they play away their salvation. Homines capiuntur voluptate ut pisces hamo, Cicero. Pleasure is the sugared bait men bite at, but there is a hook under; (Job 21:12) They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ: And a parallel Scripture, (Amos 6:4) That lie upon beds of ivory, that chant to the sound of the viol, that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments. The pleasures of the world do keep many from the pleasures of paradise. What a shame is it that the soul, that princely thing which sways the scepter of reason, and is akin to angels, should be enslaved to sinful pleasure. Beard in his Theatre, speaks of one who had a room richly hung with fair pictures, he had most delicious music, he had the rarest beauties, he had all the candies and curious preserves of the confectioner, thus did he gratify his senses with pleasure, and swore he would live one week like a god, though he were sure to be damned in hell the next day. Diodorus Siculus observes, that the dogs of Sicily while they are hunting among the sweet flowers lose the scent of the hare; so many while they are hunting after the sweet pleasures of the world lose the kingdom of heaven. It is, says Theophylact, one of the worst sights to see a sinner go laughing to heaven.

8. If you would not fall short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of worldly-mindedness; a covetous spirit is a dunghill spirit, it chokes good affections, as the earth puts out the fire. The world hindered the young man from following Christ, abiit tristis, he went away sorrowful (Luke 18:23), which extorted those words from our Saviour, verse 24: How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God? Divitiae saeculi sunt laquei Diaboli, Bern. Riches are golden snares. If a man were to climb up a steep rock, and had weights tied to his legs, it would hinder him from his ascent: Too many golden weights will hinder us from climbing that steep rock which leads to heaven; (Exodus 14:3) They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut them in. So it may be said of many, they are entangled in earthly affairs, the world has shut them in: The world is no friend to grace; the more the child sucks the weaker the nurse is; and the more the world sucks and draws from us, the weaker our grace is (1 John 2:15): Love not the world. Had a man a monopoly of all the wealth of the world, were he able to empty the western parts of gold, and the eastern of spices; could he heap up riches to the starry heaven, yet his heart would not be filled: Covetousness is a dry dropsy. Joshua who could stop the course of the sun, could not stop Achan in his covetous pursuit of the wedge of gold: he whose heart is locked up in his chest, will be locked out of heaven. Some ships that have escaped the rocks, have been cast away upon the sands: Many who have escaped gross sins, have been cast away upon the world's golden sands.

9. If you would not come short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of indulging any sin; one millstone will drown as well as more; and one sin lived in will damn as well as more: Vbi regnat peccatum non potest regnare Dei regnum, Hierom. If any one sin reign, it will keep you from reigning in the kingdom of heaven; especially keep from sins of presumption, which waste conscience, vastare Conscientiam, Tertul. and the sin of your natural constitution, the peccatum in delitiis, Aug. the darling sin (Psalm 18:23): I have kept myself from my iniquity. That sin which my heart would soonest decoy and flatter me into; as in the hive there is one master-bee, so in the heart one master-sin: O take heed of this!

Quest. How may this sin be known?

A. 1. That sin which a man cannot endure the arrow of a reproof should shoot at, that is the bosom sin; Herod could not brook to have his incest meddled with, that was a noli me tangere: Men can be content to have other sins declaimed against, but if a minister put his finger upon the sore, and touches upon one special sin, then igne micant oculi, they are enraged and spit the venom of malice.

2. That sin which a man's heart runs out most to, and he is most easily captivated by, that is the Delilah in the bosom: One man is overcome with wantonness, another by worldliness; it is a sad thing a man should be so bewitched by a beloved sin, that if it ask him to part with not only half the kingdom, but the whole kingdom of heaven, he must part with it to gratify that lust.

3. That sin which does most trouble a man and fly in his face in an hour of sickness and distress, that is the sin he has allowed himself in, and is his complexion sin: When Joseph's brethren were distressed their sin in selling their brother came into their remembrance (Genesis 42:21): We were verily guilty concerning our brother, etc. So when a man is upon his sick-bed, and conscience shall say, you have been guilty of such a sin, the sin of slandering, or uncleanness, conscience reads a man a sad lecture, it affrights him most for one sin, that is the complexion sin.

4. That sin which a man is most loath to part with, that is the endeared sin: Jacob could of all his sons most hardly part with Benjamin (Genesis 42:36). Will you take Benjamin away? So says the sinner, this and that sin I have left, but must Benjamin go too? Must I part with this delightful sin? That goes to the heart; as it is with a castle that has several forts about it, the first and second fort are yielded, but when it comes to the main castle the governor will rather fight and die than yield that: so a man may suffer some of his sins to be demolished, but when it comes to one, that is like the taking of the castle, he will never yield to part with that; surely that is the master-sin; take heed especially of this sin; the strength of sin lies in the beloved sin: this is like a humor striking to the heart which brings death. I have read of a monarch, that being pursued by the enemy, he threw away the crown of gold on his head, that he might run the faster. So that sin which you did wear as a crown of gold, throw it away that you may run the faster to the kingdom of heaven: O if you would not lose glory, mortify the beloved sin, set it as Uriah in the forefront of the battle to be slain; by plucking out this right eye, you will see the better to go to heaven.

10. If you would not fall short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of inordinate passion; many a ship has been lost in a storm; and many a soul has been lost in a storm of unruly passions: every member of the body is infected with sin; as every branch of wormwood is bitter; but the tongue is full of deadly poison (James 3:8). Some care not what they say in their passion, they will censure, slander, wish evil to others; how can Christ be in the heart when the Devil has taken possession of the tongue? Passion disturbs reason, it is brevis insania, a short frenzy; Jonah in a passion flies out against God (Jonah 4:9). I do well to be angry to the death. What to be angry with God, and to justify it? I do well to be angry, the man was not well in his wits; passion unfits for prayer (1 Timothy 2:8). I will therefore that men pray lifting up holy hands without wrath. He that prays in wrath may lift up his hands in prayer, but he does not lift up holy hands. Water when it is hot soon boils over; so when the heart is heated with anger it soon boils over in fiery passionate speeches. Some curse others in their passion: they whose tongues are set on fire, let them take heed that they do not one day in Hell desire a drop of water to cool their tongue. O if you would not miss of the heavenly kingdom, beware of giving way to your unbridled passions; some say words are but wind, but they are such a wind as may blow them to Hell.

11. If you would not fall short of the heavenly kingdom, beware of too much indulging the sensual appetite (Romans 13:14). Make not provision for the flesh; the Greek word [in non-Latin alphabet], to make provision, signifies to be caterers for the flesh (Philippians 3:19). Whose God is their belly. The throat is a slippery place; Judas received the Devil in the sop; and often the Devil slides down in the liquor: excess in meat and drink clouds the mind, chokes good affections, provokes lust; many a man digs his own grave with his teeth; the Heathen could say, magnus sum & ad majora natus quam ut sim corporis mei mancipium, Sen. He was higher born than to be a slave to his body: to pamper the body and neglect the soul is to feed the slave and to starve the wife: take such a proportion of food as may recruit nature, not surfeit it: excess in things lawful has lost many the kingdom of heaven. A bee may suck a little honey from the leaf, but put it in a barrel of honey and it is drowned; to suck temperately from the creature God allows, but excess engulfs men in perdition.

12. If you would not fall short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of injustice in your dealings; defrauding lies in two things. First, mixing commodities; as if one mix bad wheat with good, and sell it for pure wheat, this is to defraud (Isaiah 1:22). Your wine is mixed with water. Second, giving scant measure (Amos 5:8). Making the Ephah small; Ephah was a measure which the Jews used in selling; they made the Ephah small, they scarce gave measure; I wish this be not the sin of many (Hosea 12:7). He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand. Can they be holy which are not just (Micah 6:11)? Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances? Is his heart sincere who has false weights? This has made many they could not reach heaven, because of their over-reaching.

13. If you would not miss of the Kingdom of Heaven, take heed of evil company; there is a necessary commerce with men in buying and selling, else, as the Apostle says, we must go out of the world (1 Corinthians 5:10). But do not voluntarily choose the company of the wicked (1 Corinthians 5:11). I have written to you not to keep company. Do not incorporate into the society of the wicked, or be too much familiar with them: the wicked are [illegible], God-haters; and (2 Chronicles 19:2) should you join with those who hate the Lord? A Christian is bound by virtue of his oath of allegiance to God in Baptism, not to have intimate converse with such as are God's sworn enemies; it is a thing of bad report: what does Christ's dove among birds of prey? What do virgins among harlots? The company of the wicked is very defiling, it is like going among those who have the plague (Proverbs 6:27). He that touches pitch shall be defiled. (Psalm 106:35) They were mingled among the heathen and learned their works. If you mingle bright armor with rusty, the bright armor will not brighten the rusty, but the rusty armor will spoil the bright. Such as have had religious education, and have some inclinations to good, yet by mixing among the wicked they will be apt to receive hurt; the bad will sooner corrupt the good than the good will convert the bad; Pharaoh taught Joseph to swear, but Joseph did not teach Pharaoh to pray. There is a strange attractive power in ill company to corrupt and poison the best dispositions; they damp good affections: throw a fireball into the snow and it is soon quenched. Among the wicked you lose your heat of zealous affections; by holding familiar correspondence with the wicked one shall hear them dissuading him from strict godliness, that it will debar him of his liberty and pleasure (Acts 28:2). This sect is everywhere spoken against. Hereupon he who before did look towards Heaven, begins to be discouraged, and gradually declines from goodness.

(1.) There steals upon him a dislike of his former religious course of life; that he was righteous over-much; stricter than needed.

(2.) There is instilled into his heart a secret delight of evil; he begins to like foolish scurrilous discourse; he can hear religion spoken against and be silent, nay, well pleased; he loves vanity, and makes a sport of sin.

(3.) He is by degrees so metamorphosed and made like the company he converses with, that he now grows into a disgust and hatred of his former sober ways; he is ill-affected towards good men; he is transformed into scoffing Ishmael, a breathing devil; and becomes at last as much the child of Hell, as any of that graceless damned crew he conversed with; and what is the end of all? A blot in the name, a moth in the estate, a worm in the conscience. O if you would not miss of the kingdom of Heaven beware of evil company: bad company is the bane and poison of the youth of this age: such as were once soberly inclined, yet by coming among the profane they grow familiar, till at last they keep one another company in Hell.

14. If you would not miss of the Kingdom of Heaven take heed of parleying with the fleshly part; the flesh is a bosom traitor. When an enemy is gotten within the walls of a castle, it is in great danger to be taken. The flesh is an enemy within; the flesh is a bad counselor; the flesh says there is a lion in the way; it discourages from a religious strictness; the flesh says as Peter did to Christ, Spare yourself; the flesh says as Judas, What needs all this waste? What needs this praying? Why do you waste your strength and spirits in religion? What needs all this waste? The flesh cries out for ease and pleasure. How many by consulting with the flesh have lost the Kingdom of Heaven!

15. If you would not fall short of Heaven take heed of carnal relations: our carnal friends are often bars and blocks in our way to Heaven; they will say religion is preciseness and singularity: a wife in the bosom may be a tempter; Job's wife was so (Job 2:9). Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die. What, still pray? What do you get by serving God? Job, where are your earnings? What can you show you have had in God's service, but boils and ulcers? And do you still retain your integrity? Throw off God's livery, renounce religion. Here was a temptation handed over to him by his wife: the woman was made of the rib, the Devil turned this rib into an arrow, and would have shot Job to the heart, but his faith quenched this fiery dart. Beware of carnal relations: we read, that some of Christ's kindred laid hold on him, and would have hindered him when he was going to preach (Mark 3:21). They said he is beside himself. Our kindred sometimes would stand in our way to Heaven, and judging all zeal rashness would hinder us from being saved: such carnal relations Spira had, for advising with them whether he should remain constant in his orthodox opinion, they persuaded him to recant and so abjuring his former faith he fell into horror and despondency of mind. Galeacius Marquess of Vico found his carnal relations a great block in his way, and what ado had he to break through their temptations? Take heed of a snare in your bosom: it is a brave saying of Jerome, Si Mater mihi ubera ostendat, &c. If my parent should persuade me to deny Christ, if my mother should show me her breast that gave me suck, if my wife should go to charm me with her embraces, I would forsake all and fly to Christ.

16. If you would not fall short of the Kingdom of Heaven, take heed of falling off; beware of apostasy; he misses of the prize who does not hold out in the race; he who makes shipwreck of the faith cannot come to the haven of glory. We live in the fall of the leaf; men fall from that goodness they seemed to have; some are turned to error, others to vice; some to drinking and dicing, others to whoring; the very mantle of their profession is fallen off: it is dreadful for men to fall off from hopeful beginnings: the apostate, says Tertullian, seems to put God and Satan in the balance, and having weighed both their services, prefers the Devil's service and proclaims him to be the best master, in which respect, the apostate is said to put Christ to open shame (Hebrews 6:6). This is sad at last (Hebrews 10:38). If you would not miss of glory take heed of apostasy, those who fall away must needs fall short of the Kingdom.

1. If we would not come short of this heavenly Kingdom, let us be much in the exercise of self-denial (Matthew 16:24): If any man will come after me, let him deny himself. He who would go to Heaven must deny self-righteousness, Cavendum est a propria justitia (Philippians 3:9): That I may be found in him not having my own righteousness. The spider weaves a web out of her own bowels; a hypocrite would spin a web of salvation out of his own righteousness: We must deny our civility in point of justification. Civility is a good staff to walk with among men, but it is a bad ladder to climb up to Heaven. We must deny our holy things in point of justification. Alas, how are our duties checkered with sin. Put gold in the fire and there comes out dross; our most golden services are mixed with unbelief. Deny self-righteousness; use duty but trust to Christ. Noah's dove made use of her wings to fly, but trusted to the ark for safety. Let duties have your diligence but not your confidence. Self-denial is via ad regnum; there is no getting into Heaven but through this strait gate of self-denial.

2. The second means for the obtaining of the Kingdom is serious consideration: Most men fall short of Heaven for want of consideration.

1. Consideration: We should often consider what a Kingdom Heaven is. 'Tis called Regnum paratum, a Kingdom prepared (Matthew 25:34), which implies something that is rare and excellent. God has prepared in his Kingdom, such things as eye has not seen nor ear heard (1 Corinthians 2:9). Heaven is beyond all hyperbole. In particular, in this celestial Kingdom are two things.

- (1.) A stately palace. - (2.) A royal feast.

(1.) A stately palace. 1. It is large and has several stories; for the dimensions of it, it is twelve thousand furlongs (Revelation 21:15), or as it is in some Greek copies, twelve times twelve thousand furlongs, a finite number put for an infinite; no arithmetician can number these furlongs: Though there be an innumerable company of saints and angels in Heaven yet there is infinitely enough room to receive them. 2. The palace of this Kingdom is lucid and transparent; 'tis adorned with light, [illegible Greek text], The light is sweet. Hell is a dark dungeon, but the palace above is bespangled with light (Colossians 1:12). Such illustrious beams of glory shine from God as shed a brightness and splendor upon the Empyrean Heaven. 3. This palace of the Kingdom is well situated for a good air and a pleasant prospect. There is the best air which is perfumed with the odors of Christ's ointments; and a most pleasant prospect of the bright morning star. 4. The palace is rich and sumptuous; it has gates of pearl (Revelation 21:21), it is enriched with white robes and crowns of glory; and this palace never falls to decay, and the dwellers in it never die (Revelation 22:5). They shall reign for ever and ever.

(2.) A royal feast: It is called, The marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9), which Bullinger and Gregory the Great understand of the magnificent supper prepared in the Kingdom of Heaven. A glorious feast it will be in respect of the founder, God; the glorified saints shall feast their eyes with God's beauty, and their hearts with his love; a delicious feast it will be in respect of the festivity and holy mirth. What joy when there shall be the anthems and triumphs of glorified spirits; when saints and angels shall twist together in an inseparable union of love, and lie in each other's sweet embraces; a royal banquet it shall be where there is no surfeit, because continually a fresh course served in. The serious consideration what a Kingdom Heaven is, would be a means to quicken our endeavor in the pursuit after it. What causes men to make voyages to the Indies, but the consideration of the gold and spices which are to be had there; did we survey and contemplate the glory of Heaven, we should soon take a voyage, and never leave till we had arrived at the celestial Kingdom.

2. Consideration: How it will trouble you if you should perish, to think you came short of Heaven for want of a little more pains. The Prophet Elisha bid the King of Israel smite the ground six times, and he smote but three times and stayed (2 Kings 13:19), and he lost many victories by it: So when a man shall think thus, I did something in religion but did not do enough, I prayed but it was coldly, I did not put coals to the incense; I heard the Word, but did not meditate on it, I did not chew the end; I smote but three times, and I should have smitten six times; had I taken a little more pains I had been happy, but I have lost the Kingdom of Heaven by short shooting. The consideration how terrible the thoughts of this will be, that we should lose Heaven for want of a little more pains, will be a means to spur on our sluggish hearts, and make us more diligent to get the Kingdom.

3. The third means for the obtaining this Kingdom is to keep up daily prayer (Psalms 109:4): I give myself to prayer. Prayer inflames the affections, and oils the wheels of the endeavor; prayer prevails with God, it unlocks his bowels, and then he unlocks Heaven; all that have got to Heaven have crept there upon their knees: The saints now in Heaven have been men of prayer; Daniel prayed three times a day, Jacob wrestled with God in prayer, and as a prince prevailed; this prayer must be fervent, else it is thuribulum sine prunis, as Luther, a golden censer without fire. O follow God with prayers and tears, say as Jacob to the angel (Genesis 32:26): I will not let you go except you bless me. Prayer vincit invincibilem, Luther, it conquers the Omnipotent; Elijah by prayer opened Heaven; by ardent and constant prayer Heaven is at last opened to us.

4. If you would obtain the heavenly kingdom get a love to heaven. Love puts a man upon the use of all means to enjoy the thing loved. He that loves the world how active is he, he will break his sleep and peace for it; he that loves honor what hazards will he run, he will swim to the crown in blood. Jacob loved Rachel, and what would not he do, though it were serving a two seven years apprenticeship, for obtaining her? Love carries a man out violently to the object loved. Love is like wings to the bird, like sails to the ship; it carries a Christian full sail to heaven; heaven is a place of rest and joy, it is Paradise, and will you not love it? Love heaven and you cannot miss it: love breaks through all opposition, it takes heaven by storm: love though it labor is never weary; it is like the rod of myrtle in the traveler's hand which makes him fresh and lively in his travel and keeps him from being weary.

5. If you would obtain the kingdom of heaven make religion your business. What a man looks upon as a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a thing by the by, he does not much mind. If ever we would have heaven we must look upon it as our main concern: other things do but concern our livelihood, this concerns our salvation; then we make religion our business when we wholly devote ourselves to God's service (Psalm 139:18). We count those the best hours which are spent with God; we give God the cream of our affections, the flower of our time and strength; we traffic in heaven every day, we are merchants for the pearl of price. He will never get an estate who does not mind his trade; he will never get heaven who does not make religion his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, his main business.

6. If you would obtain the kingdom of heaven, bind your hearts to God by sacred vows. Vow to the Lord that (by his grace) you will be more intent upon heaven than ever (Psalm 56:12). Your vows are upon me, O God. A vow binds the votary to duty; he looks upon himself as obliged by his vow to cleave to God. Bees when they fly in a great wind ballast themselves with little stones that they may not be carried away with the wind; so we must fortify ourselves with strong vows, that we may not be carried away from God with the violent wind of temptation. No question a Christian may make such a vow, because the ground of it is morally good, he vows nothing but what he is bound to do by virtue of his baptismal vow, namely to walk with God more closely, and to pursue heaven more vigorously.

7. If you would obtain the kingdom embrace all seasons and opportunities for your souls (Ephesians 5:15). Redeeming the time. Opportunity is the cream of time; the improving the seasons of grace is as much as our salvation is worth. The mariner by taking the present season while the wind blows gets to the haven; by taking the season while we have the means of grace, and the wind of the Spirit blows, we may arrive at the kingdom of heaven. We know not how long we shall enjoy the Gospel; the seasons of grace like Noah's dove, come with an olive branch in their mouth, but they soon take wings and fly. Though they are sweet, yet swift. God may remove the golden candlestick from us as he did from the churches of Asia. We have many sad symptoms, gray hairs are here and there upon us (Hosea 7:9), therefore let us lay hold upon the present season; they that sleep in seedtime will beg in harvest.

8. If you would go to the kingdom of heaven you must excubias agere keep a daily watch (Mark 13:37). I say to all, watch. Many have lost heaven for want of watchfulness. Our hearts are ready to decoy us into sin, and the Devil lies in ambush by his temptations; we must every day set a spy, and keep sentinel in our souls (Habakkuk 2:1). I will stand upon my watch.

(1.) We must watch our eyes (Job 31:1). I made a covenant with my eyes. Much sin comes in by the eye: when Eve saw the tree was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes, then she took (Genesis 3:6). First she looked and then she lusted; the eye by beholding an impure object sets the heart on fire; the Devil often creeps in at the window of the eye. Watch your eyes.

(2.) Watch your ear. Much poison is conveyed through the ear. Let your ear be open to God, and shut to sin.

(3.) Watch your hearts: we watch suspicious persons; the heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). Watch your heart; 1. When you are about holy things; it will be stealing out to vanity. When I am at prayer, says Saint Jerome, Aut per porticum deambulo aut de foenore computo, either I am walking through galleries, or casting up accounts. 2. Watch your heart when you are in company. The basilisk poisons the herbs he breathes on; the breath of the wicked is infectious. Nay, watch your hearts when you are in good company; such as have some good in them, yet may be some grains too light; they may have much levity of discourse, and if no scum boils up, yet too much froth. The Devil is subtle, and he can as well creep into the dove, as he did once into the serpent. Satan tempted Christ by an apostle. 3. Watch your hearts in prosperity; now you are in danger of pride. The higher the water of the Thames rises, the higher the boat is lifted up; the higher that men's estates rise, the higher their hearts are lifted up in pride. In prosperity you are in danger not only to forget God, but to lift up the heel against him (Deuteronomy 32:15). Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked. It is hard to carry a full cup without spilling, and to carry a full prosperous estate without sinning. Turpi fregerunt saecula luxu divitiae molles. Sen. Trag. Samson fell asleep in Delilah's lap; many have fallen so fast asleep in the lap of prosperity that they have never awaked till they have been in hell. 4. Watch your hearts after holy duties. When Christ had been praying and fasting then the Devil tempted him (Matthew 4:23). After our combating with Satan in prayer, we are apt to grow secure, and put our spiritual armor off, and then the Devil falls on and wounds us. O if you would get heaven be always upon your watchtower, set a spy, keep close sentinel in your souls: who would not watch when it is for a kingdom.

9. If you would arrive at the heavenly kingdom get those three graces which will undoubtedly bring you there.

(1.) Divine knowledge. There's no going to Heaven blindfold. In the creation, light was the first thing which was made; so it is in the new creation, knowledge is the pillar of fire which goes before us, and lights us into the heavenly Kingdom. It is light must bring us to the inheritance in light (Colossians 1:12).

(2.) Faith. Faith ends in salvation (1 Peter 1:9). Receiving the end of your faith, salvation. He who believes is as sure to go to Heaven as if he were in Heaven already (Acts 16:31). Faith touches Christ, and can he miss of Heaven who touches Christ? Faith unites to Christ, and shall not the members be where the head is? All have not the same degree of faith; we must distinguish between the direct act of faith, and the reflex act, affiance and assurance; yet the least seed and spark of faith gives an undoubted title to the heavenly Kingdom. I am justified because I believe, not because I know I believe.

(3.) Love to God. Heaven is prepared for those that love God (1 Corinthians 2:9). Love is the soul of obedience, the touchstone of sincerity. By our loving God we may know he loves us (1 John 4:19), and those whom God loves he will lay in his bosom. Ambrose in his funeral oration for Theodosius, brings in the angels hovering about his departing soul, and being ready to carry it to Heaven, asked him, What that grace was he had practiced most upon earth, Theodosius replied, Dilexi, dilexi, I have loved, I have loved; and straightaway he was by a convoy of angels translated to glory. Love is a sacred fire kindled in the breast, in the flames of this fire the devout soul ascends to Heaven.

10. If we would obtain this heavenly Kingdom let us labor for sincerity (Proverbs 28:18). Whoever walks uprightly shall be saved. The sincere Christian may fall short of some degrees of grace, but he never falls short of the Kingdom; God will pass by many failings where the heart is right (Numbers 23:21). True gold, though it be light, has grains of allowance (Psalm 51:6). You desire truth in the inward parts. Sincerity is the sauce which seasons all our actions, and makes them savory; it is the ingredient into every grace: It is called faith unfeigned (2 Timothy 1:5), and love [illegible] in sincerity (Ephesians 6:24). Coin will not go current that wants the King's stamp; grace is not current if it be not stamped with sincerity. Glorious duties soured with hypocrisy are rejected, when great infirmities sweetened with sincerity are accepted. If anything in the world bring us to Heaven it is sincerity: Sincerity signifies plainness of heart (Psalm 32:2). In whose spirit there is no guile. The plainer the diamond is the richer.

(1.) Sincerity is when we serve God with our heart; we do not only worship him but love him. Cain brought his sacrifice, but not his heart: This is God's delight, a sacrifice flaming upon the altar of the heart. A sincere Christian, though he has a double principle in him, flesh and spirit, yet he has not a double heart, his heart is for God.

(2.) Sincerity is when we aim purely at God in all we do. The glory of God is more worth than the salvation of all men's souls. A sincere Christian though he comes short in duty yet he takes a right aim. As the herb Heliotropium turns about according to the motion of the sun; so a godly man's actions do all move towards the glory of God.

11. If we would obtain the heavenly Kingdom, let us keep up fervency in duty, What is a dead form without the power (Revelation 3:16)? Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Fervency puts life into duty (Romans 12:11). Fervent in spirit serving God; [illegible], boiling over. Christ prayed [illegible], yet more earnestly (Luke 22:44). When the fire on the golden censer was ready to go out, Aaron was to put more coals to the incense. Praying with devotion is putting more coals to the incense; it is not formality but fervency will bring us to Heaven: The formalist is like Ephraim, a cake not turned, hot on one side and dough on the other. In the external part of God's worship he seems to be hot, but as for the spiritual part of God's worship he is cold. Oh if you would have the Kingdom of Heaven keep up heat and fervor in duty. Elijah was carried up to Heaven in a fiery chariot; if you would go to Heaven you must be carried there in a fiery chariot of zeal: It is violence takes the Kingdom of Heaven.

12. If we would arrive at the heavenly kingdom let us cherish the motions of God's Spirit in our hearts. The mariner may spread his sails, but the ship cannot get to the haven without a gale of wind; so we may spread the sails of our endeavor, but we cannot get to the haven of glory without the north and south-wind of God's Spirit blowing; how nearly therefore does it concern us to make much of the motions of God's Spirit; motions to prayer, motions to repentance. 2 Samuel 5:24. When you hear the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then you shall bestir yourself, for then shall the Lord go out before you: So when we hear as it were a voice within us, a secret inspiration stirring us up to good duties, we should then bestir ourselves; while the Spirit works in us, we should work with the Spirit. Many men have God's Spirit striving with them, he puts good motions in their hearts, and holy purposes, but they neglecting to prosecute these good motions, the Spirit is thereby grieved, and being grieved, withdraws its assistance, and that assistance being gone there is no getting to heaven. Oh make much of the motions of the Spirit, it is as much as your salvation is worth. The Spirit of God is compared to fire (Acts 2:2); if we are careful to blow this spark, we may have fire to inflame our affections, and to light our feet into the way of peace. If we quench the Spirit by our neglecting and resisting its motions, we cut ourselves off from salvation. The Spirit of God has a drawing-power (Song of Solomon 1:4); the blessed Spirit draws by attraction, as the lodestone the iron. In the preaching of the Word the Spirit draws the heart up to heaven in holy longings and ejaculations. Now when the Spirit is about thus to draw us, let us take heed of drawing back lest it be to perdition (Hebrews 10). We should do as Noah, when the dove came flying to the ark, he put forth his hand and took it into the ark, so when this sweet dove of God's Spirit comes flying to our hearts, and brings a gracious impulse as an olive branch of peace in its mouth. O take this dove into the ark, entertain the Spirit in your hearts, and it will bring you to heaven.

Quest. But how shall we know the motions of the Spirit from a delusion?

Answ. The motions of the Spirit are always agreeable to the Word. If the Word be for holiness so is the Spirit: the Spirit persuades to nothing but what the Word directs; which way the tide of the Word runs, that way the wind of the Spirit blows.

13. We obtain the kingdom of heaven by uniform and cheerful obedience; obedience is the road through which we travel to heaven; many say they love God, but refuse to obey him; does he love the prince's person who slights his commands?

(1.) Obedience must be uniform (Psalm 119:6), Then shall I not be ashamed, [illegible], I shall not blush when I have respect to all your commandments; as the sun goes through all the signs of the Zodiac, so must we through all the duties of religion: If a man be to go a hundred miles, and he goes ninety nine miles, and there stops, he comes short of the place he is to travel to; if with Herod we do many things that God commands, yet if we lie in the total neglect of any duty we come short of the kingdom of heaven; for instance, if a man seem to make conscience of duties of the first table, and not the duties of the second; if he seem to be religious but is not just, he is a transgressor, and is in danger to lose heaven; a good heart is like the needle which points that way which the lodestone draws, so he moves that way which the Word draws.

(2.) Obedience must be cheerful; I delight to do your will, O my God, yes, your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8). That is the sweetest obedience which is cheerful, as that is the sweetest honey which drops from the comb freely: God does sometimes accept of willingness without the work, but never of the work without willingness; Zechariah 5:9. There came out two women and the wind was in their wings. Wings are swift, but wind in the wings denotes great swiftness; an emblem of the swiftness and cheerfulness which should be in obedience; we go to heaven in the way of obedience.

14. If we would obtain this kingdom, be much in the Communion of Saints; one coal of juniper will warm and inflame another; when the heart is dead and frozen the Communion of Saints will help to warm it (Malachi 3:16). They that feared the Lord spoke often one to another. Christians should never meet (says Mr. Bolton) but speak of their meeting together in heaven: one Christian may be very helpful by prayer and conference to another, and give him a lift towards heaven. Old Latimer was much strengthened and comforted by hearing Mr. Bilnyes' confession of faith. We read that when Moses' hands were heavy, and he was ready to let them fall, Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands (Exodus 17:12). A Christian who is ready to faint under temptation, and lets down the hands of his faith, by conversing with other Christians, he is strengthened and his hands are held up; a great benefit of holy conference is counsel and advice: if a man, says Chrysostom, who has but one head to advise him, could make that head a hundred heads to advise him, he would be very wise: a single Christian has this benefit by the Communion of Saints, they are as so many heads to advise him what to do in such a case or exigence: by Christian conference the saints can say, Did not our heart burn within us? Communion of Saints we have in our Creed, but it is too little in our practice: men usually travel fastest in company, we travel fastest to heaven in the Communion of Saints.

15. If we would attain to this Kingdom of Heaven, let us be willing to come up to Christ's terms; many will be cheapening, and bid something for the Kingdom of Heaven, they will avoid gross sin, and will come to Church and say their prayers; and yet all this while they are not willing to come up to God's price, that is, they will not renounce the idol of self-righteousness, flying only to Christ as to the horns of the altar; they will not sacrifice their bosom-sin; they will not give God spirit-worship, serving him with zeal and intenseness of soul (John 4:24). They will not forgive their enemies: they will not part with their carnal profits for Christ; they would have the Kingdom of Heaven, but they will not come up to the price: If you would have this Kingdom, do not article and indent with Christ, but accept of his terms; say, Lord, I am willing to have the Kingdom of Heaven whatever it cost me; I am willing to pluck out my right eye, to part with all for the Kingdom; here is a blank paper I put into your hand, Lord write your own articles, I will subscribe to them.

16. If we would obtain the Heavenly Kingdom, let us attend to the holy ordinances; thus God brings souls to heaven (Acts 27:31). Except you abide in the ship you cannot be saved. Some people would leap out of the ship of ordinances, and then God knows whether they leap; but except you abide in the ship of ordinances you cannot be saved; especially if you would get to Heaven attend to the Word preached: It was by the ear, by our first parents listening to the serpent, that we lost Paradise; and it is by the ear, by the hearing of the word, that we get Heaven (Isaiah 55:3). Hear and your soul shall live. God sometimes in the preaching of the word drops in that holy oil into the ear which softens and sanctifies the heart: The word preached is called the Ministry of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:8), because the Spirit of God makes use of this engine to convert souls: If the word preached does not work upon men, nothing will, not judgment, or miracles, no, nor though one should arise from the dead (Luke 16:31). If a glorified saint should come out of Heaven, and assume a body, and tell you of all the glory of Heaven, and the joys of the blessed, and persuade you to believe; if the preaching of the word will not bring you to Heaven, neither would his rhetoric do it who rose from the dead. In Heaven there will be no need of ordinances, but there is while we live here: The lamp needs oil, but the star needs none. While the saints have their lamp of grace burning here, they need the oil of ordinances to be continually dropping upon them; but there will be no need of this oil when they are stars in Heaven. If you intend to get to Heaven, be swift to hear; for faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:14, 17). Peter let down the net of his ministry and at one draught caught three thousand souls. If you would have Heaven's door opened to you, wait at the posts of Wisdom's door.

17. If you would arrive at Heaven, have this Kingdom ever in your eye: Our blessed Lord looked to the joy which was set before him, and Moses had an eye to the recompense of reward (Hebrews 11:26). Let the Kingdom be much in our thoughts; meditation is a means to help us to Heaven.

Quest. How does it help?

Answ. 1. As it is a means to prevent sin, no sword like this to cut asunder the sinews of temptation; it is almost impossible to sin presumptuously with the lively thoughts and hopes of Heaven: It was when Moses was out of sight that Israel set up a calf and worshipped it; so it is when the Kingdom of Heaven is out of sight, I mean out of men's thoughts, that they set up their lusts and idolize them; the meditation of Heaven banishes sin; he who thinks of the weight of glory, throws away the weights of sin.

2. The [reconstructed: meditation] on the Kingdom of Heaven would excite and quicken obedience, we should think we could never pray enough, never love God enough who has prepared such a Kingdom for us, immensum Gloria calcar habet: Saint Paul had Heaven in his eye, he was once caught up there, and how active was he for God (1 Corinthians 15:10). This would oil the wheels of obedience.

3. It would make us strive after holiness, because none but such are admitted into this Kingdom, only the pure in heart shall see God (Matthew 5). Holiness is the language of Heaven, it is the only coin will pass current in Heaven; this considered would make us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Thus you see how the meditation of Heaven would be a means to bring us there.

18. The last means for obtaining the Heavenly Kingdom is, perseverance in holiness (Revelation 2:10). Be you faithful to death, and you shall receive the Crown of Life. In Christians non initia sed finis laudantur, Hierom.

- 1. Is there such a thing as persevering? - 2. How does a Christian come to persevere? - 3. What are the encouragements? - 4. What helps?

1. Is there such a thing as persevering till we come to Heaven? The Arminians deny it, and truly that any one holds out to the Kingdom is a wonder; if you consider,

1. What a world of corruption is mingled with grace; grace is apt to be stifled, as the coal to be choked with its own ashes: Grace is often like a spark in the sea, it is a wonder it is not quenched: It is a wonder sin does not do to grace as sometime the nurse to the child, overlay it that it die; so that this infant of grace is not smothered.

2. The implacable malice of Satan; he denies that we should have a Kingdom, when he himself is cast out; it cuts him to the heart to see a piece of dust and clay be made a bright star in glory, and he himself an angel of darkness; he will Acheronta movere, move all the powers of Hell to hinder us from the Kingdom; he spits his venom, shoots his fiery darts, raises a storm of persecution, indeed, and prevails against some (Revelation 12:4). There appeared a great red Dragon, and his tail drew the third part of the stars of Heaven, and did cast them to the earth. By the Dragon is meant the Heathenish Empire; now when his tail cast so many to the earth, it is a wonder that any of the stars keep fixed in their orb.

3. The blandishments of riches: The young man in the Gospel went very far, "you are not far from the Kingdom of God;" but he had rich possessions, and these golden weights hindered him from the Kingdom (Luke 18:23). Jonathan pursued the battle till he came at the honeycomb, and then he stood still (1 Samuel 14:27). Many are forward for heaven till they taste the sweetness of the world; but when they come at the honeycomb, then they stand still and go no further; Faenus pecuniae funus animae. Those who have escaped the rocks of gross sins, yet have been cast away upon the golden sands: What a wonder therefore that any does hold on till he comes to the Kingdom.

4. A wonder any holds out in grace, and does not tire in his march to heaven; if you consider the difficulty of a Christian's work, he has no time to lie fallow, he is either watching or fighting; in fact, a Christian is to do those duties which to the eye of sense and reason seem inconsistent. While a Christian does one duty he seems to cross another, for example: he must come with holy boldness to God in prayer, yet must serve him with fear; he must mourn for sin, yet rejoice; he must be contented, yet covet (1 Corinthians 12:32); contemn men's impieties, yet reverence their authority: What difficult work is this. A wonder any saint arrives at the heavenly Kingdom; to this I might add, the evil examples abroad, which are so attractive, we may say, the devils are come among us in the likeness of men; what a wonder is it that any soul perseveres till it comes to the Kingdom of Heaven. But as great a wonder as it is, there is such a thing as perseverance; a saint's perseverance is built upon three immutable pillars.

(1.) God's eternal love: We are inconstant in our love to God; but he is not so in his love to us (Jeremiah 31:9): "I have loved you with an everlasting love;" a havath gnolam, with a love of eternity. God's love to the elect is not like a king's love to his favorite, when it is at the highest spring-tide it soon ebbs; but God's love is eternized; God may desert, not disinherit; he may change his love into a frown, not into hatred; he may alter his providence, not his decree. When once the sunshine of God's electing love is risen upon the soul, it never sets finally.

(2.) A saint's perseverance is built upon the covenant of grace; [illegible] a firm, impregnable covenant: This you have in the words of the sweet singer of Israel (2 Samuel 23:5): "God has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure." It is a sweet covenant that God will be our God; the marrow and quintessence of all blessing; and it is a sure covenant, that he will put his fear in our heart, and we shall never depart from him (Jeremiah 32:40). This covenant is inviolable, cannot be broken; indeed sin may break the peace of the covenant, but it cannot break the bond of the covenant.

(3.) The third pillar perseverance is built upon is the mystical union: Believers are incorporated into Christ, they are knit to him as members to the head, by the nerve and ligament of faith, that they cannot be broken off (Ephesians 5:23). What was once said of Christ's natural body is as true of his mystical body (John 19:36): "A bone of it shall not be broken." As it is impossible to sever the leaven and the dough when they are once mingled, so it is impossible when Christ and believers are once united ever by the power of death or hell to be separated: How can Christ lose any member of his body and be perfect? You see on what strong pillars the saints' perseverance is built.

Question 2. How does a Christian hold on till he comes to the Kingdom? How does he persevere?

Response 1. Auxilio Spiritus: God carries on a Christian to perseverance by the energy and vigorous working of his Spirit. The Spirit maintains the essence and seed of grace, it does [illegible] blow up the sparks of grace into a holy flame; Spiritus est Vicarius Christi, Tertullian — it is Christ's deputy and proxy, is it every day at work in a believer's heart, exerting grace into exercise, and ripening it into perseverance. The Spirit does carve and polish the vessels of mercy, and make them fit for glory.

2. Christ causes perseverance and carries on a saint till he comes to the heavenly Kingdom, vi orationis, by his intercession: Christ is an advocate as well as a surety; he prays that the saints may arrive safe at the Kingdom (Hebrews 7:25): "Therefore he is able to save them," [illegible], "to the uttermost," (that is, perfectly) "seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them." That prayer he made for Peter on earth he prays now in heaven for the saints, that their faith fail not (Luke 22:32), that they may be with him where he is (John 17:24), and sure if he pray that they may be with him in his Kingdom, they cannot perish by the way. Christ's prayer is efficacious; if the saints' prayers have so much force and prevalency in them: Jacob had power with God, and as a prince prevailed (Hosea 12:4). By prayer Elijah unlocked heaven: If the prayers of the saints have so much power with God, then what has Christ's prayer? How can the children of such prayers miscarry? How can they fall short of the Kingdom, who have him praying for them who is not only a priest but a Son? And besides what he prays for as he is man, that he has power to give as he is God; thus you see how a Christian comes to persevere till he comes to the Kingdom.

Objection. But I think I hear some Christians say, if only perseverance obtains the Kingdom, they fear they shall not come there, they fear they shall faint by the way, and the weak legs of their grace will never carry them to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Answer. Were you indeed to stand in your own strength you might fall away; that branch withers and dies which has no root to grow upon; you grow upon the root Christ, who will be daily sending forth vital influence to strengthen you; you are imbecile and weak in grace, yet fear not falling short of heaven; for,

1. God has made a promise to weak believers; what is a bruised reed but the emblem of a weak faith, yet it has a promise made to it (Matthew 12:20): A bruised reed he will not break. God has promised to supply the weak Christian with so much grace as he shall need, till he comes to Heaven. Beside the two pence which the good Samaritan left to pay for the cure of the poor wounded man, he passed his word for all that he should need beside (Luke 10:35). So, Christ does not only give a little grace in hand, but his bond for more, that he will give as much grace as a saint shall need till he comes to Heaven (Psalm 84:11). The Lord will give grace and glory, that is, a fresh supply of grace till it be perfected in glory.

2. God has most care of his weak saints, who fear they shall never hold out till they come to the kingdom; does not the mother tend the weak child most? Isaiah 40:11: He will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom. If you think you are so weak that you shall never hold out till you come to Heaven, you shall be carried in the arms of the Almighty — he gathers the lambs in his arms. Christ the lion of the tribe of Judah marched before his [reconstructed: people], and his power is their rear-guard, so that none of them faint, or die in their march to Heaven.

3. Question: What are the encouragements to make Christians hold on till they come to the kingdom of Heaven?

Answer 1. It is a great credit to a Christian not only to hold forth the truth, but to hold fast the truth till he comes to Heaven. When grace does flourish into perseverance, and with the church of Thyatira our last works are more than our first (Revelation 2:19), this is insigne honoris, a star of honor. It is matter of renown to see gray hairs shine with golden virtues: the excellency of a thing lies in the finishing of it. What is the excellency of a building? Not when the first stone is laid, but when it is finished; so the beauty and excellency of a Christian is when he has finished his faith, having done his work and is landed safe in Heaven.

2. You that have made a progress in religion have not many miles to go before you come at the kingdom of Heaven (Romans 13:11): Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. You who have hoary hairs, your green tree is turned into an almond-tree — you are near to Heaven, it is but going a little further and you will set your feet within Heaven's gates. Oh, therefore now be encouraged to hold out, your salvation is nearer than when you first began to believe. Our diligence should be greater when our salvation is nearer: when a man is almost at the end of the race, will he now tire and faint? Will he not put forth all his strength, and strain every limb that he may lay hold upon the prize? Our salvation is now nearer, the kingdom is as it were within sight; how should we now put forth all our strength that we may lay hold upon the garland of glory. Doctor Taylor when he was going to his martyrdom said, I have but two stiles to go over and I shall be at my Father's house. Though the way to Heaven be uphill, you must climb the steep rock of mortification, and though there be thorns in the way, namely sufferings, yet you have gone the greatest part of your way, you are within a few days' march of the kingdom, and will not you persevere? Christian, pluck up your courage, fight the good fight of faith, pursue holiness — it is but a while and you shall put off your armor, and end all your weary marches, and receive a victorious crown. Your salvation is nearer, you are within a little of the kingdom, therefore now persevere, you are ready to commence and take your degree of glory.

3. The blessed promise annexed to perseverance; the promise is a crown of life (Revelation 2:10). Death is a worm that feeds in the crowns of princes, but behold here a living crown, and a never-fading crown (1 Peter 5:4 and Revelation 2:28). He that overcomes, and keeps my works to the end, I will give him Stellam matutinam, the morning star. The morning star is brighter than the rest; this morning star is meant of Christ. As if Christ had said, I will give to him that perseveres some of my beauty, I will put some of my illustrious rays upon him, he shall have the next degree of glory to me, as the morning star is next the sun. Will not this animate and make us hold out — we shall have a kingdom, and that which is better than the kingdom, a bright morning star.

4. Question: What are the means conducing to perseverance, or what shall we do that we may hold out to the kingdom?

Response 1. Take up religion upon good grounds, not in a fit or humor, or out of worldly design, but be deliberate, weigh things well in the balance (Luke 14:28): Which of you intending to build a tower, sits not down first and counts the cost. Think with yourselves what religion must cost you — it must cost you the parting with your sins, and what it may cost you — it may cost you the parting with your lives. Consider if a kingdom will not countervail your sufferings; weigh things well and then make your choice (Psalm 119:30): I have chosen the way of your truth. Why do many apostatize and fall away, but because they did never sit down and count the cost.

2. If we would hold out to the kingdom, let us cherish the grace of faith (1 Corinthians 1:24): By faith you stand. Faith, like Hercules' club, beats down all oppositions before it; it is a conquering grace.

Question: How does faith come to be so strong?

Response: Faith fetches Christ's strength into the soul (Philippians 4:13) [illegible]. A captain may give his soldier armor, but not strength. Faith partakes of Christ's strength, and faith gets strength from the promise; as the child by sucking the breast gets strength, so does faith by sucking the breast of the promise. Hence faith is such a wonder-working grace, and enables a Christian to persevere.

3. If you would hold out to the Kingdom, set before your eyes the examples of those noble, heroic saints who have persevered to the Kingdom; Vivitur Exemplis, examples have more influence upon us than precepts (Job 23:11-12). My foot has held his steps: though the way of religion has flints and thorns in it, yet my foot has held his steps, I have not fainted in the way, nor turned out of the way. Daniel held on his religion, and would not intermit prayer, though he knew the writing was signed against him, and a prayer might cost him his life (Daniel 6:10). The blessed martyrs persevered to the Kingdom through sufferings; Saunders that holy man said, Welcome the Cross of Christ, my Savior began to me in a bitter cup, and shall I not pledge him? Another martyr kissing the stake said, I shall not lose my life, but change it for a better, instead of coals I shall have pearls. What a spirit of gallantry was in these saints; let us learn constancy from their courage. A soldier seeing his general fight valiantly, is animated by his example, and has new spirits put into him.

4. Let us add fervent prayer to God, that he would enable us to hold out to the Heavenly Kingdom (Psalm 119:117): Hold me up, and I shall be safe. Let us not presume on our own strength. When Peter cried to Christ on the water, Lord save me, then Christ took him by the hand (Matthew 14:30), but when he grew confident of his own strength, then Christ let him fall. O pray to God for auxiliary grace. The child is safe when held in the nurse's arms; so are we in Christ's arms. Let us pray that God will put his fear in our hearts that we do not depart from him; and that prayer of Cyprian, Domine quod caepisti perfice, ne in portu naufragium accidat, Lord perfect that which you have begun in me, that I may not suffer shipwreck when I am almost at the haven.

3. Branch. Let us press forward with the greatest diligence to this Kingdom: and here let me lay down some powerful persuasives, or divine arguments, to make you put to all your strength for the obtaining this blessed Kingdom.

1. This is the great errand for which God has sent us into the world to prepare for this Heavenly Kingdom (Matthew 6:33): Seek first the kingdom of God. First in time, before all things; and first in affection, above all things. Great care is taken for the achieving worldly things (Matthew 6:25). To see people laboring for the earth, as ants about a molehill, would make one think this were the only errand they came about: but alas, what is all this to the Kingdom of Heaven? I have read of a devout pilgrim traveling to Jerusalem, who passing through several cities, where he saw many stately edifices, wares and monuments, he would say, I must not stay here, this is not Jerusalem. So when we enjoy worldly things, peace and plenty, and have our presses burst out with new wine, we should say to ourselves, this is not the Kingdom we are to look after, this is not Heaven. It is wisdom to remember our errand. It will be but sad upon a deathbed for a man to think he was busying himself only about trifles, playing with a feather, and neglected the main thing he came into the world about.

2. The seeking after the Heavenly Kingdom will be judged most prudent by all men at last. Those who are regardless of their souls now, will before they die wish they had minded eternity more; when conscience is awakened, and men begin to come to themselves: now what would they give for the Kingdom of Heaven? How happy were it if men were of the same mind now, as they will be at death. Death will alter men's opinions; then those who did most slight and disparage the ways of religion, will wish their time and thoughts had been taken up about the excellent glory. At death men's eyes will be opened, and they will see their folly when it is too late. If all men, even the worst, will wish at last they had minded the Kingdom of Heaven, why should not we do that now, which all will wish they had done when they come to die.

3. This Kingdom of Heaven deserves our utmost pains and diligence; it is glorious beyond hyperbole. Suppose earthly kingdoms more magnificent than they are, their foundations of gold, their walls of pearl, their windows of sapphire, yet they are not comparable to the Heavenly Kingdom; [in non-Latin alphabet], Chrysostom. If the pavement of it be bespangled with so many bright shining lights, glorious stars, what is the Kingdom itself? 1 John 3:2. It does not yet appear what we shall be. This Kingdom exceeds our faith. How sublime and wonderful is that place where the blessed Deity shines forth in his immense glory, infinitely beyond the comprehension of angels.

(1.) The Kingdom of Heaven is a place of honor; there are the glorious triumphs and sparkling crowns. In other kingdoms there is but one king, but in Heaven all are kings (Revelation 1:6). Every saint glorified is a partaker of the same glory as Christ does (John 17:22): The glory you have given me I have given them.

(2.) This Kingdom is a place of joy (Matthew 25:21): Enter into the joy of your Lord. To have a continual aspect of love from God's face, to be crowned with immortality, to be [in non-Latin alphabet], as the angels of God, to drink of the rivers of pleasure forever, this will cause raptures of joy. Sure it deserves our utmost pains in pursuing and securing this Kingdom. Julius Caesar coming towards Rome with his army, and hearing the senate and people fled from it, said, They that will not fight for this city, what city will they fight for? If we will not take pains for the Kingdom of Heaven what Kingdom will we take pains for. It was the speech of the spies to their brethren (Judges 18:9): We have seen the land, and behold it is very good, and are you still? Be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. We have had a lively description of the glory of Heaven, we find the Kingdom is very good, why then do we sit still? Why do we not put forth our utmost zeal and industry for this Kingdom? The diligence of others in seeking after earthly kingdoms, shames our coldness and indifference in pursuing after the Kingdom of Heaven.

4. The time we have to make sure of the heavenly kingdom is very short and uncertain; take heed it does not slip away before you have prepared for the kingdom. Time passes on apace, Cito pede praeterita vita: It will not be long before the silver cord be loosed, and the golden bowl broken (Ecclesiastes 12). The skin wherein the brains are enclosed as in a bowl, this golden bowl will soon be broken. Our soul is in our body as the bird is in the shell, which soon breaks and the bird flies out; the shell of the body breaking, the soul flies into eternity. We know not whether we shall live to another Sabbath: Before we hear another sermon-bell go, our passing-bell may go. Our life runs as a swift stream into the ocean of eternity. Brethren, if our time be so minute and transient, if the taper of life be so soon wasted, or perhaps blown out by violent death, how should we put to all our strength, and call in help from Heaven that we may obtain the kingdom of glory. If time be so short, why do we waste it about things of less moment, and neglect the one thing needful, which is the kingdom of Heaven. A man that has a great work to be done, and but one day for the doing of it, had need work hard: We have a great work to do, we are striving for a kingdom, and alas we are not certain of one day to work in, therefore what need have we to bestir ourselves, and what we do for Heaven, to do it with all our might.

5. To excite our diligence, let us consider how inexcusable we shall be if we miss of the kingdom of Heaven, who have had such helps for Heaven as we have had: Indians who have mines of gold, have not such advantages for glory as we; they have the light of the sun, moon and stars, and the light of [reconstructed: reason], but this is not enough to light them to Heaven: But we have had the light of the gospel shining in our horizon; we have been lifted up to Heaven with ordinances; we have had the Word in season and out of season. The ordinances are the pipes of the sanctuary which empty the golden oil of grace into the soul, they are scala Paradisi, the ladder by which we ascend to the kingdom of Heaven (Deuteronomy 4:7). What nation is there so great who has God so near to them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? We have had Heaven and Hell set before us, we have had counsels of friends, warnings, examples, the motions and inspirations of the Holy Ghost, how should all these spurs quicken us in our pace to Heaven? Should not that ship sail apace to the haven which has wind and tide to carry it? The tide of ordinances, and the wind of the Spirit. Surely if we through negligence miss of the kingdom of Heaven, we shall have nothing to say for ourselves; we shall be as far from excuse as from happiness.

6. You cannot do too much for the kingdom of Heaven; you cannot pray too much, sanctify the Sabbath too much, love God too much; you cannot over-do. In secular things a man may labor too hard, he may kill himself with working; but there is no fear of working too hard for Heaven: In virtute non est verendum ne quid nimium sit, Seneca. The world is apt to censure the godly, as if they were too zealous, and did over-strain themselves in religion. Indeed a man may follow the world too much, he may make too much haste to be rich. The ferryman may take in too many passengers into his boat, to the sinking of his boat; so a man may heap up so much gold and silver as to sink himself in perdition (1 Timothy 6:9). But one cannot be too earnest and zealous for the kingdom of Heaven; there is no fear of excess here; when we do all we can for Heaven, we come short of the golden rule set us, and of Christ's golden pattern; when our faith is highest, like the sun in the meridian, yet still [illegible], there is something lacking in our faith (1 Thessalonians 3:1). So that all our labor for the kingdom is little enough. When a Christian has done his best, yet still he has sins and wants to bewail.

7. By this you may judge of the state of your souls, whether you have grace or no, by your earnest pursuit after the heavenly kingdom. Grace infuses a spirit of activity into a person; grace does not lie dormant in the soul, it is not a sleepy habit, but it makes a Christian like a Seraphim swift and winged in his heavenly motion; grace is like fire, it makes one burn in love to God, and the more he loves him, the more he presses forward to Heaven where he may fully enjoy him. Hope is an active grace, it is called a lively hope (1 Peter 1:3). Hope is like the spring in the watch, it sets all the wheels of the soul running: hope of a crop makes the farmer sow his seed; hope of victory makes the soldier fight; and a true hope of glory makes a Christian vigorously pursue glory. Here is a spiritual touchstone to try our grace by. If we have the anointing of the Spirit, it will oil the wheels of our endeavor, and make us lively in our pursuit after the heavenly kingdom. No sooner had Paul grace infused, but presently, Behold he prays (Acts 9:11). The affections are by divines called the feet of the soul, if these feet move not towards Heaven, it is because there is no life.

8. Your labour for heaven is not lost: Perhaps you may think it is in vain that you have served God, but know, that your pains is not lost. The seed is cast into the earth and it dies, yet at last it brings forth a plentiful crop; so your labours seem to be fruitless, but at last they bring you to a kingdom. Who would not work hard for one hour, when for that hour's work he should be a king as long as he lived. And let me tell you, the more labour you have put forth for the kingdom of heaven, the more degrees of glory you shall have. As there are degrees of torment in hell (Matthew 23:14), so of glory in heaven. As one star differs from another in glory, so shall one saint (1 Corinthians 15:41). Though every vessel of mercy shall be full, yet one vessel may hold more than another. Such as have done more work for God, shall have more glory in the heavenly kingdom. Could we hear the saints departed speaking to us from heaven, sure they would speak after this manner, Were we to leave heaven a while, and live on the earth again, we would do God a thousand times more service than ever we did; we would pray with more life, act with more zeal; for now we see, the more has been our labour the greater is our reward in heaven.

9. While we are labouring for the kingdom, God will help us (Ezekiel 36:27): I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. The promise encourages us, and God's Spirit enables us. A master gives his servant work to do, but he cannot give him strength to work; but God as he cuts us out work, so he gives us strength (Psalm 86:16): Give your strength to your servant. God not only gives us a crown when we have done running, but gives us legs to run; he gives exciting, assisting grace: Lex jubet, Gratia juvat. The Spirit helping us in our work for heaven makes it easy. If the loadstone draw the iron, it is not hard for the iron to move. If God's Spirit draws the heart, now it moves towards heaven with facility and alacrity.

10. The more pains we have taken for heaven the sweeter heaven will be when we come there. As when a husbandman has been grafting trees, or setting flowers in his garden, it is pleasant to review and look over his labours; so when in heaven we shall remember our former zeal and earnestness for the kingdom, it will sweeten heaven and add to the joy of it. For a Christian to think such a day I spent in examining my heart, such a day I was weeping for sin; when others were at their sport, I was at prayer, and now have I lost any thing by my devotion? My tears are wiped away, and the wine of paradise cheers my heart. I now enjoy him whom my soul loves, I am possessed of a kingdom, my labour is over, but my joy remains.

11. If you do not take pains for the kingdom of heaven now, there will be nothing to be done for your souls after death: This is the only fit season for working, and if this season be lost, the kingdom is forfeited (Ecclesiastes 9:10): Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work, nor device, nor wisdom in the grave where you go. It was a saying of Charles the Fifth, I have spent my treasure, but that I may recover again, I have lost my health, but that I may have again, but I have lost a great many brave soldiers, but them I can never have again: So other temporal things may be lost, and recovered again, but if the term of life wherein you should work for heaven be once lost, it is past all recovery, you can never have another season again for your souls.

12. There is nothing else but this kingdom of heaven we can make sure of: We cannot make sure of life. Quis scit an adjiciant hodiernae crastina Vitae tempora dii superi? Horace. When our breath goes out we know not whether we shall draw it in again — how many are taken away suddenly? We cannot make riches sure, it is uncertain whether we shall get them. The world is like a lottery, every one is not sure to draw a prize: Or if we get riches we are not sure to keep them (Proverbs 23:5): Riches make themselves wings and fly: Experience seals to the truth of this. Many who have had plentiful estates, yet by fire, or losses at sea, they have been squeezed as sponges, and all their estates exhausted; but if men should keep their estates a while, yet death strips them of all. When death's gun goes off away flies the estate. (1 Timothy 6:7) It is certain we can carry nothing out of the world: So that there is no making sure any thing here below, but we may make sure of the kingdom of heaven (Proverbs 11:18): To him that works righteousness is a sure reward. He who has grace is sure of heaven, for he has heaven begun in him. A believer has an evidence of heaven (Hebrews 11:1): Faith is the evidence of things not seen; he has an earnest of glory (2 Corinthians 1:22): Who has also given us the earnest of his Spirit; an earnest is part of the whole sum; he has a sure hope (Hebrews 6:19): Which hope we have as an anchor; this anchor is cast upon God's promise (Titus 1:2): In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie has promised. So that here is great encouragement to take pains for heaven, we may make sure of this kingdom.

13. The Kingdom of Heaven cannot be obtained without labor. Non est ad astra mollis e terris [reconstructed: via]. A boat may as well get to land without oars, as we to Heaven without labor. We cannot have the world without labor, and do we think to have Heaven? If a man digs for gravel, much more for gold: (Philippians 3:14) I press toward the mark. Heaven gate is not like that [reconstructed: iron]-gate, which opened to Peter of its own accord (Acts 12:10). Heaven is not like those ripe figs which fall into the mouth of the eater (Nahum 3:12). No, there must be taking pains. Two things are requisite for a Christian, a watchful eye and a working hand. We must as Hannibal, force a way to the heavenly kingdom through difficulties. We must win the garland of glory by labor, before we wear it with triumph. God has enacted this law, that no man shall eat of the tree of Paradise, but in the sweat of his brows; how then dare any censure Christian diligence; how dare they say, you take more pains for Heaven than needs: God says [illegible], strive as in an agony, fight the good fight of faith; and these say, you are too strict: But who shall we believe, a holy God that bids us strive, or a profane atheist that says we strive too much.

14. Much of our time being already misspent, we had need work the harder for the Kingdom of Heaven. He who has lost his time at school, and often played truant, had need ply it the harder that he may gain a stock of learning; he who has slept and loitered in the beginning of his journey, had need ride the faster in the evening, lest he fall short of the place he is travelling to. Some here present are in their youth, others in the flower of their age, others have gray hairs, the almond tree blossoms, and perhaps they have been very regardless of their souls or Heaven. Time spent unprofitably is not time lived, but time lost; if there be any such here who have misspent their golden hours, they have not only been slothful but wasteful servants, how had you need now, redeem the time, and press forward with might and main to the heavenly kingdom; (1 Peter 4:3) The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles. It may suffice us that we have lost so much time already, let us now work the harder: Such as have crept as snails, had need now fly as eagles to the Paradise of God; if in the former part of your life you have been as willows, barren in goodness, in the latter part be as an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits (Song of Solomon 4:13). Recompense former remissness with future diligence.

15. How uncomely and sordid a slothful temper of soul is; (Zephaniah 1:12) I will punish the men who are settled on their lees; Hebrew Hakkophim, Coagulatos, curdled on their lees. Settling on the lees, is an emblem of a dull, inactive soul. The snail by reason of its slow motion was reckoned among the unclean (Leviticus 11:30). A slothful man hides his hand in his bosom (Proverbs 19:24), he is loath to pull it out, though it be to lay hold on a crown: Non capit porta illa Caelestis torpore languidos, Brugens. The Devil himself cannot be charged with idleness (1 Peter 5:8), [illegible], He walks about. An idle soul stands in the world for a cipher, and God writes down no ciphers in the book of life; Heaven is no hive for drones; an idle person is fit for a temptation. When the bird sits still upon the bough, then it is in danger of the gun; one sits still in sloth, then the Devil shoots him with a temptation; standing water putrifies. Heathens will rise up in judgment against supine Christians. What pains did they take in the Olympic games, they ran but for a garland of flowers, or olive, [illegible], says Chrysostom, and do we sit still who run for a kingdom? How can he expect a reward that never works, or a crown that never fights? Inertia animae somnus, sloth is the soul's sleep. Adam when he was asleep lost his rib; and when a person is in the deep sleep of sloth, he loses salvation.

16. Holy activity and industry does ennoble a Christian: Labor splendore decoratur, Cicero. The more excellent any thing is, the more active. The sun is a glorious creature, it is ever in motion, going its circuit: fire is the purest element, and the most active, it is ever sparkling and flaming: the angels are the most noble creatures, they are represented by the cherubims with wings displayed. The more active for Heaven the more illustrious, and the more do we resemble the angels. The Phoenix flies with a coronet on its head; the industrious soul has his coronet, his labor is his ensign of honor.

17. It is mercy that there is a possibility of happiness, and that upon our pains taking we may have a kingdom; by our fall in Adam we forfeited Heaven; why might not God have dealt with us as with the lapsed angels? They had no sooner sinned but were expelled Heaven never to come there more; we may say as the Apostle (Romans 11:22), Behold the goodness and severity of God. To the apostate angels behold the severity of God that he should throw them down to Hell forever; to us behold the goodness of God, that he has put us into a possibility of mercy, and if we do but take pains, there is a kingdom stands ready for us; how may this whet and sharpen our industry, that we are in a capacity of salvation; and if we do but what we are able, we shall receive an eternal weight of glory.

18. Our labor for the Kingdom of Heaven is minute and transient, it is not to last long; our labor expires with our life; it is but a while and we shall leave off working, for a little labor an eternal rest: Who would think much to wade through a little water, that were sure to be crowned as soon as he came at shore. Christians let this encourage you, you have but a little more pains to take, a few tears more shed, a few more Sabbaths kept, and behold an eternal recompense of reward; what are a few tears to a crown? A few minutes of time to an eternity of glory?

19. What striving is there for earthly kingdoms which are corruptible, and subject to change: With what vigor and alacrity did Hannibal's Soldiers continue their March over the Alps and craggy rocks; and Caesar's Soldiers fight with hunger and cold. Men will break through laws and oaths, they will swim to the crown in blood; will they venture thus for earthly promotions? And shall not we strive more for a heavenly kingdom? [illegible], Chrysost. This is a kingdom which cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). A kingdom where there is unparalleled beauty, unstained honor, unmixed joy; a kingdom where there shall be nothing present, which we could wish were removed, nor nothing absent, which we could wish were enjoyed: Sure if there be any spark of grace or true generosity in our breasts, we will not suffer ourselves to be out-striven by others, we will not let them take more pains for earthly honors, than we do for that excellent glory which will crown all our desires.

20. How much pains do some men take to go to Hell, and shall not we take more pains to go to Heaven? (Jeremiah 9:5) They weary themselves to commit iniquity. Sinners hackney themselves out in the Devil's service: What pains do some men take to satisfy their unclean lusts! They waste their estates, wear the shameful marks of their sin about them; they will visit the harlot's house though it stands the next door to Hell (Proverbs 7:27): Her house is the way to Hell. What pains do others take in persecuting! Holiness is the white they shoot at: 'Tis said of Antiochus Epiphanes, he undertook more tedious journeys, and went upon greater hazards to vex and oppose the Jews, than any of his predecessors had done in getting of victories. The Devil blows the horn, and men ride [reconstructed: Post] to Hell, as if they feared Hell would be full ere they could get there: When Satan had entered into Judas, how active was Judas! He goes to the high priests, from them to the band of soldiers, and with them back again to the garden, and never left till he had betrayed Christ: How industrious were the idolatrous Jews, so fiercely were they bent upon their sin, that they would sacrifice their sons and daughters to their idol gods (Jeremiah 32:35). Do men take all this pains for Hell, and shall not we take pains for the kingdom of Heaven? The wicked have nothing to encourage them in their sins, they have all the threats of God as a flaming sword against them. O let it never be said that the Devil's servants are more active than Christ's, that they serve him better, who rewards them only with fire and brimstone, than we do God who rewards us with a kingdom.

21. The labour we take for Heaven is a labour full of pleasure (Proverbs 3:17). A man sweats at his recreation, tires himself with hunting, but there is a delight he takes in it which sweetens it: (Romans 7:22) I delight in the Law of God, in the inner man, Gr. [illegible], I take pleasure. Not only is the kingdom of Heaven delightful, but the way there: What delight has a gracious soul in prayer (Isaiah 56:7): I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. While a Christian weeps there is joy drops with tears; while he is musing on God he has such illapses of the Spirit, and as it were such transfigurations of soul, that he thinks himself half in Heaven (Psalm 63:5-6): My Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my Mouth shall praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, etc. A Christian's work for Heaven is like a bridegroom's work on the morning of the marriage day, he puts on his garments and wedding robes, in which he shall be married to his Bride; so in all the duties of religion we are putting on those wedding robes, in which we shall be married to Christ in glory: O what solace and inward peace is there in close walking with God (Isaiah 32:17): The work of righteousness shall be peace. Serving of God is like gathering of spices or flowers, wherein there is some labour, but the labour is recompensed with delight: Working for Heaven is like digging in a gold mine, the digging is labour, but getting the gold is pleasure: O then let us bestir ourselves for the kingdom of Heaven; it is a labour full of pleasure; a Christian would not part with his joy for the most delicious music; he would not exchange his anchor of hope for a crown of gold: Well might David say in keeping your precepts there is great reward (Psalm 19:11), not only after keeping your precepts, but in keeping them; a Christian has both the spring flowers and the crop; inward delight in serving God, there is the spring flowers; and the kingdom of glory at last, there is the full crop.

22. How industrious have the saints in former ages been, they thought they could never do enough for Heaven; they could never serve God enough, love him enough, minus te amavi, Domine, Austin. Lord I have loved you too little. What pains did Saint Paul take for the heavenly kingdom (Philippians 3:13): Reaching forth to those things which are before; [illegible] the Greek word to reach forth, signifies to stretch out the neck, a metaphor from racers who strain every limb, and reach forward to lay hold on the prize. Anna the Prophetess (Luke 2:37) departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. Basil the Great by much labour and watching exhausted his bodily strength. Let Racks, Pulleys, and all torments come upon me (said Ignatius) so I may win Christ. The industry and courage of former saints who are now crowned with glory should provoke our diligence, that so at last we may sit down with them in the kingdom of Heaven.

23. The more pains we take for heaven, the more welcome will death be to us. What is it makes men so loath to die? They are like a tenant that will not out of the house, till the sergeant pull him out; they love not to hear of death; why so? Because their conscience accuses them that they have taken little or no pains for heaven; they have been sleeping when they should have been working; and now they are afraid lest death should carry them prisoners to hell. Whereas he who has spent his time in serving of God, he can look death in the face with comfort, he was wholly taken up about heaven, and now he shall be taken up to heaven; he traded before in heaven, and now he shall go to live there (Philippians 1:23). Cupio dissolvi, I desire to be dissolved, and be with Christ. Paul had wholly laid out himself for God (1 Corinthians 15:10), and now he knew there was a crown laid up for him, and he longed to take possession. Thus I have given you twenty-three persuasives or arguments to exert and put forth your utmost diligence for the obtaining the kingdom of heaven. O that these arguments were written in all your hearts, as with the point of a diamond. And because delays in these cases are dangerous, let me desire you to set upon this work for heaven presently (Psalm 119:60). I made haste, and delayed not to keep your commandments. Many people are convinced of the necessity of looking after the kingdom of glory, but they say as those (Haggai 1:2), The time is not yet come. They adjourn and put off, till their time is slipped away, and so they lose the kingdom of heaven. Beware of this fallacy; delay strengthens sin, hardens the heart, and gives the devil fuller possession of a man. (1 Samuel 21:8) The king's business requires haste; so the business of salvation requires haste; do not put off an hour longer. Volat ambiguis mobilis alis hora — what assurance have you that you shall live another day? Have you any lease of life granted? Why then do you not presently arise out of the bed of sloth, and put forth all your strength and spirits that you may be possessed of the kingdom of glory? Should not things of the highest importance be done first? Settling a man's estate, and clearing the title to his land, is not delayed, but done in the first place. What is there of such grand importance as this, the saving of your souls, and the gaining of a kingdom? Therefore today hear God's voice, now mind eternity, now get your title to heaven cleared before the decree of death bring forth. What imprudence is it to lay the heaviest load upon the weakest horse? So to lay the heavy load of repentance on yourself when you are enfeebled by sickness, the hands shake, the lips quiver, the heart faints. O be wise in time, now prepare for the kingdom. He who never begins his voyage to heaven but in the storm of death, it is a thousand to one if he does not suffer an eternal shipwreck.