2-14 CONTEMPLATION ASSISTED [Chap. 15. on thy soul 4 Thinkwith thyself, G6 What is this earnest to the full inheritance ! Alas, all this light, that so amazeth and rejoiceth me, is but a candle lighted from heaven to lead me thither through this world of darkness ! If some godly men have been overwhelmed with joy till they have cried out, ' Hold, Lord, stay thy hand ; I can bear no more !' what then will be my joys in heaven, when my soul shall be so capable of seeing and enjoying God, that though the light be ten thousand times greater than the sun, yet my eyes shall be able for ever to behold it !" Or if thou hast not yet felt these sweet foretastes, (for every believer hath not felt them,) then make use of such delights as thou hast felt, in order the better todiscern what thou shalt here- after feel. Secondly. I am now to show howheavenly contemplation may be preserved from a wandering heart. Our chief work here is to discover the danger, and that will direct to the fittest remedy. The heart will, prove the greatest hinderance in this heavenly employment ; either, by backwardness to it ; or, by trifling in it ; or, by frequent excursions to other objects ; or, by abruptly ending the work before it is well begun. As you value the comfort of this work, these dangerous evils must be faithfully resisted. 1. Thou wilt find thy heart as backward to this, I think, as to any work in the world. O what excuses will it make ! What evasions will it find out ! What delays and demurs, when it is ever somuch convinced ! Either it will question whether it be a duty or not ; or, if it be so to others, whe- ther to thyself. It will ,J11 thee, " This is a work for minis- ters that have nothing else to study ; or for persons that have more leisure than thou hast." If thou be a minister, it will tell thee, " This is the duty of the people ; it is enough for thee to meditate for their instruction, and let them meditate on what they have heard." As if it was thy duty only to cook their meat and serve it up, and they alone must eat it, digest it, and live upon it. If all this will not do, thy heart will tell thee ofother business, or set thee upon some other duty ; for it had rather go to any duty than this Perhaps it will tell thee, " Other duties are greater, and therefore this must give place to them,because thou hast no time for both. Public business is more important ; to study and preach for the saving ofsouls, must be preferred before
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