524 Book V. 1Looktng unto 'jjcfu.s. Chap. 2. ~ea. 9 . ~~~--~~~~--~~~~~--- yetwhen God is pleafed to convert the foul; then he difcovers thus,:oh man, thou Rrt bornfrom on high, thy for•/ z; ( M 1t were) . a JParkle of God himfelf, thou flrt come from God, andtholl art capabk of comp:umon wtth God, 61Jen wtrh God rhc Father, and God the Son, .and God the Holy Ghoff. 0 confider of thy Co~tntry wiJence thou carruff at (irff, c<rfamfy thor• mver hadff f"'h adtvme and excellent bem!gwm thee toddight onefy ;~the jlejh, to beJervteeable onely to thy. body; 0 look._up lento Jejm . 1 why, this it is that turns rhe heart and fets the converfauon on heavenly things. 2. Becaufe their bell: and choice things are already ic Heaven, As their Father is in Heaven, and their Saviour is i.n Heaven, thi~her he afcended, and there now he fits at the right hand of God ; their Husband IS tn Heaven, their Elder Brother is in Hea– ven, their King is in Heaven ; their Treafure is in Heaven , their Inheritance is in Heaven, their Hope is in Heaven , their Manfion is in Heaven , their chief Friends are !n Heaven, their Subftance is in Heaven, their Reward is i~ Heaven, their Wages are mHeaven: and all thefe thmgs bemg m Heaven, no marva1l the~.r converfations be in Heaven. 3. Becaufe they are going towards Heaven even whiles yet they are on Earth. If the Nobleman (as we forme_rly fuppofed) do once know his condit!on, and begins his tra– vel homeward towards hiS Father.s Court, will he not every mormng that he rifes,. con– verfe YJith them that come from hts father to conduct hull home? doth ir nor do him good to hear any man fpeak of hts fathers Country? Is 1t nor m hiS thoughts, in his talk, in his eye, in his aim, ar every fl:ep? ~.my foul,. if thou ar~ indeed rravailing towards Heaven, bow fuouldfl: thQu but have 1t m thy mouons, affdhons, converfations ? how IJJOuldfl: thou I;> ut daily commune with thy own heart, Heaven i; theplace that ijhall come to ? ere long I jha/1 be there ; I k.porv that m thz; world I ambutfor a while, but in Heavm 1 Thef-4-1?• Ifl,a/lbeforeverandever; tvejhal/be raughr up into the ciMds, to meet the Lord in the ai"r, andfo jha/1 we beever with the Lord. Our very travel towards Heaven implies an P.falm a 4. 7· heavenly converfation, They go from Jlrength to flrentth, till every one of them in Zion appears before God. . . . Luke 17 . 21 • 4· Becaufe much of Heaven1s already m the Satnts, The Kingdom of HeAveni; withHeb. 10, 34 . inyou, faith Chrift; And kpowing in yourfolveJ that ye have ~better and an enduring . p 4 bf!ance. Sur~ly i! r~e Saints have much of Heaven wirbin rhem, it mufl: needs be that thm converfauon IS m J:Ieavc~ ; but they kttow thz; ~n ~hemfelvtJ; rhey know ir by wb:lt God bath revealed m their own hearts ; eternal life 1s already begun in the fouls of God's people; He~ven.is in the~, and t~refore no marvail if their converfation be in Heaven. My meamng IS not as 1f the Samts bad no other Heaven bur that within· them. I know there is an Heaven above; bur fame pieces, or earnefts, or feeds, or be– ginni~gs of that Heaven above is within them .. Is rhe~e- not a renewed nature, an Image of God, a fpark of life, a drop of ~lory m Gods people? Surely yes; And if fa, all rhefe will work heaven-ward ; pnnCJples of grace will have fome a<'tings ofgrace rill we come to glory. 3. By what means fu~uld we attain, or come up to have our converfation in Heaven? ' . r. Let us watch opporrunites for heaven!y exercifes. God now by his Minifl:ers calls, Comeye.to the waters; come ye, b~ey and eat; come, b~ty wine, and milk_ without 11''· SS· '•3· h h 2 Cor. 6. 2 • • money; come to1111e, and you_r foul~J~a!llive. Why now ut e accepted time, b e old now i; the day of falvation: whiles M1mfters call, and we live under the droppmgs of the Word, thefe are opportunities for Heaven; 0 then he that never prayed, let him now pray ; and h~ that never heard, le~ him no~ hear; the .l~rd is no':" come ne~r to us.; Chrifi J efus IS callm~ and mercy IS enrreaung, and love IS befeechmg, and w1fdom lS even hoarfe with crying after us ; 0 lay hold on thefe opportunities for heavenly exer– cifes and then we lhall come up to heavenly converfations. z: Take heed of refting in the formality of duties: many fouls that have enlight– nings of confcience dare not but take opportunities for heavenly duties; but then comes in the temptations of the Devil, and co~ruptions of their own hearts,. and they fay, now duty is done, otolirt,uk_iuver, andwhfitneedsmorc? Alas, alas! It Isnotwhathavewe dont? but where have 1ve been? what have ou~ fouls been in Heaven, with God, and with Chri!l:? have we had any communion with the Fa(her, and with rhe Son in our duties? .o rake heed of formality l it will exceedingly hinder our converfation in Hea– ven. 0 keep our eye fl:ill upon our heart! ask in duty, what affections have been acted? how'much are we got nearer Heavea thereby? ,and by this means we fuall come roan heavenly converfation. , 3· Ler
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