p?. HEAVENLY LIFE UPON EARTH. 227 the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt ; "(z) and instead of these sweet delights in God, thy pride will fill thee with perpetual disquiet. As he that humbleth himself as a little child shall hereafter be greatest in the kingdom -òf heaven,(a) so shall he now be greatest in the foretastes of it. God dwells with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart. of the contrite ones.(b) Therefore humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.(c) And when others are cast down, then thou shalt say, there is lifting up, and he shall save the humble person.(d) 1 7. (6) A slothful spirit is another .impediment to. this heavenly life. And I verily think, there is nothing hinders it more than this in men of a good understand - ing. If it were only the exercise of the body, the mov- ing of the lips, the bending of the knee, -men would as commonly step to heaven, as they go to visit a friend. "But to separate our thoughts and affections from the world, to draw forth all our graces, and increase each in its proper object, and hold them to it. till the work prospers in our hands, this, this is the difficulty. Rea- der, heaven is above thee, and dost thou think to tra- vel this steep ascent without labour and resolution? Canst thou get that earthly heart to heaven, and bring that backward mind to God, whilst thou liest still and takest thine ease ? If lying down at the foot of the hill, and looking towards the top, and wishing we were there, would serve the turn, then we should have daily travellers for heaven. But thekingdom oflaeaven su 'reth violence, and the violent take it by föree.(e) There must be violence used to get these first fruits, as well as to get the full possession. Dost thou not feel it so, though I should not tell thee ?- Will thy heart get upwards ex- cept thou drive it ? 'Thou knowest that heaven is all thy -hope, that nothing below can yield thee rest; that a heart seldom thinking of heaven, can fetch but little (z) Isa. lvii. 20. (a) Matt. xviii. 4. (b) Isa. lvii. 15. (c) James iv. 10. (d) Job xxii, 29. (e) Matt. xi. 12.
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