198 now TO LEAD A HEAVENLY [Chap. 12. afar off, we talk of themwith little concern; but when they draw close to us, we tremble at, or rejoice in them. This makes men think on heaven so insensibly, because they conceit it at too great a distance ; they look on it as twenty, thirty, or forty years off. How much better were it to receive " the sentence of death in ourselves," and to look on eternity as near at hand! While I am thinking and writing of it, it hasteth near, and I am even entering into it before I am aware. While thou art reading this, whoever thou art, time posteth on, and thy life will be gone, "as a tale that is told." If you verily believed you should die to-morrow, how seriously would you think of heaven to- night! When Samuel had told Saul, " To-morrow shalt thou be with me," this struck him to the heart. And if Christ should say to a believing soul, " To-morrow shalt thou be with me," this would bring him in spirit to heaven beforehand. Do but suppose that you are still entering into heaven, and it will greatly help you more seriously to mind it. 4. Let thy eternal rest be the subject of thy frequent se- rious discourse, especially with those that can speak from their hearts, and are seasoned themselves with a heavenly nature. It is pity Christians should ever meet together, without some talk of their meeting in heaven, or of theway to it, before they part. It is pity so much time is spent -in vain conversation and useless disputes, and not a serious word of heaven among them. Methinks we should meet together on purpose to warm our spirits with discoursing of our rest. To hear a Christian set forth that blessed, glo- rious state, with life and power, from the promises of the Gospel, methinks, should make us say, " Did not our hearts burn within us, while he opened to us the Scriptures ?" If a Felix will tremble, when he hears hisjudgment powerfully represented, why should not the believer be revived when he hears his eternal rest described ? Wicked men can be delighted in talking together of their wickedness; and should not Christians then be delighted in talking of Christ, and the heirs of heaven in talking of their inheritance ? This may make our hearts revive, as it did Jacob's to hear the message that called him to Goshen, and to see the cha- riots that should bring him to Joseph. O that we were furnished with skill and resolution to turn the stream of
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