372 RIGHT REJOICING. whatever thou lose by it, then, as earth bath thy heart, so earth is thy treasure, and thy name is not written in heaven, but in the dust. 2. If the obtaining of heaven be the principal part of thy care and business, the principal work which thou mindest in the world, it is certain, that thy name is written in heaven ; (Col. iii. 1-4.) otherwise not. _ 3. If, finding thyself lost and filthy in thy sin, thou see the ne- cessity and sufficiency of Christ, and, being desirous of his grace and righteousness, dost unfeignedly take him for thy Savior' and Lord, and give up thyself to be healed, and justified, and saved by him, as the only physician of souls, thou art then his member, and thy name is written in heaven ; John i. 12. and iii. 16. 18. 4. If the heavenly nature be most amiable in thine eyes, and the heavenly life be it that thou most desirest; if thou hadst rather be holy than be unholy, and hadst rather perfectly obey the Lord than live in sin, and longest to be better, and studiest to live in obedience to the Lord, thy name is in heaven, and thither thou art passing, and it will be thy reward. But if thou love not holiness, but hadst rather be excused fróm it, and live in thy sins, thou art as yet no heir of heaven ; John iii. 19. and xii. 26. Psalm i. and cxix. 5. If thy name be written in heaven, thou hast a special love to the heirs of heaven. And the more of heaven thou findest in their hearts and lives, the more amiable they are unto thee, and the sweeter is their converse ; 1 John iii. 14. Psalm xv. 4. I shall name no more. These evidences are sure. By these you may know, while you sit here in these seats, yea, if you lay in the darkest dungeon, that you are the heirs of heaven, and your names are there. But where there is no such work ; no high estimationof heaven, and resolution for it ; no mortification or conquest of the world ; no prevalent care and diligence for heaven; no resignation of the soul to Christ, that by faith and holiness we might follow him to that glory ; no love to holiness, and no delight in the heirs of heaven, such persons are yet aliens to the heavenlynature andinheritance, and cannot rejoice that their names are written in heaven. And now I have set the glass before you, I earnestly entreat you that you will here seriously view the complexion of your souls: It more nearly concerneth you to know whether your names are written in heaven, and where it is that you must dwell forever, than to know how tomanage your trades and business, or to know whether you shall stir from this place alive, or ever see another day. O, sirs, take heed of living in self-deceit till your tryingand recovering time is past ! This is it that your enemy aims at : he
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