HEAVENLY LIFE UPON EARTH. 229 ease, be better ; and, as a wise man, make thy choice accordingly. Yea, let me add for thy encouragement Thou needest not employ thy thoughts more than thou now dost ; it is only to fix them upon better and more pleasant objects. Employ but as many serious thoughts every day upon the excellent glory of the Iife to come, as thou now dost upon wordly affairs, yea, on vanities and impertinences, and thy heart will soon be at hea- ven. On the whole, it is "the field of the slothful that is all grown over with thorns and nettles ; and the de- sire of the slothful killeth his joy, for his hands refuse to labour : and it is the slothful man that saith, there is a lion in the way, a lion is in the streets. As the door turneth upon its hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom ; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth,(f) though it be to feed himself with the food of life. What is this but throwing away our consolations, and conse- quently the precious" blood that bought them ? " For he that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.(g) Apply this to thy spiritual work, and study well the meaning of it. 8. (7) Contentment with the mere preparatives to this heavenly life, while we are utter strangers to the life itself, is also a dangerous and secret hinderance. When we take up with the mere study of heavenly things, and the notions of them, or the talking with one another about them as if this were enough to make us heavenly. None are in more danger of this snare than those that are employed in leading the de- votions of others. especially preachers of the gospel. O how easily may such be deceived ! While they do nothing so much as read, and study of heaven; preach and pray, and talk of heaven ; is not this the heavenly life ? Alas ! all this is but mere preparation : this is but collecting the materials, not erecting the building itself. It is but gathering the manna for others, and not eating and digesting it. ourselves. As he that sits at home (f) Prov. xxiv. 30, 31. xxi. 25. xxvi. 13-15. (g) Prov. xviii. 9.
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