HEAVENLY LIFE UPON EARTH. 205 and know no other conversation but earthly, no won- der if their understanding be darkened, and Satan takes them captive at his will. How can worms and moles see, whose dwelling is always in the earth? While this dust is in their eyes, no wonder they mis- take gain for godliness, sin for grace, the world for God, their own wills for the law of Christ, and, in the issue, hell for heaven. But when a Christian with- draws himself from his worldly thoughts, and begins to converse with God in heaven, methinks he is as Nebuchadnezzar, taken from the beasts of the field to the throne, and his reason returneth unto him. When he bath had a glimpse of eternity, and looks down on ,the world again, how doth he charge with folly his neglects of Christ, his fleshly pleasures, his earthly cares ! How doth he say to his laughter, it is mad ! -and to his vain mirth what death it ! How doth -he verily think there is no man in bedlam so truly mad, as wilful sinners, and unworthy slighters of Christ and glory! This makes a dying man 'usually wiser than others, because he looks o.n eternity as near, and bath more heart - piercing thoughts of it, than he ever had in health and prosperity. Then many of the most bit- ter enemies of the saints have their eyes opened, and, like Balaam, cry ,out, O that I might die the death of the righteous, and that my last end might be like his ! Yet let the same men recover, and lose their appre- hension of the life to come, and how quickly do they lose their understandings with it ! Tell a dying sin- ner of the riches, honours, or pleasures, of the world, and would he not answer, " What is all this to .me, who must presently appear before God, and give an account of all my life ?" Christian, if the apprehend- ed nearness of eternity will work such strange effects upon the ungodly, and make them so much wiser than before ; O what rare .effects would it produce in thee, if thou couidst always dwell in the views of God, and in lively thoughts of thy everlasting state! Surely a believer, if he improve his faith, may ordi. narily have more quickening apprehensions of the life
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