good, than the good will convert poison of the youth of this age; the bad. Pharaoh learned Joseph such as were once soberly into swear, but Joseph did not clined, yet by coming among the learn Pharaoh to pray. There is profane, they grow familiar, till a strange attractive power in ill at last they keep one another company to corrupt and poison company in hell. the best dispositions; they damp A. 14. If you would not miss good affections. Throw a fire- of the kingdom of heaven, take ball into the snow, and it is soon heed of parleying with the fleshly quenched. Among the wicked part; the flesh is a bosom-traitor. you lose your heat of zealous af- When an enemy is gotten within fections: by holding familiar cor- the walls of a castle, it is in great respondence with the wicked, one danger to be taken. The flesh is shall hear them dissuading him an enemy within; the flesh is a from strict godliness, that it will bad counsellor; the flesh saith, debar him of his liberty and plea-"There is a lion in the way.' sure, Acts xxviii. 22., "This It discourageth from a religious sect is every where spoken against." strictness; the flesh saith, as PeHereupon he, who before did ter did to Christ, 'spare thyself;' look towards heaven, begins to be the flesh saith, as Judas, discouraged, and gradually de- needs all this waste?' What clines from goodness. needs this praying? Why do you waste your strength and spirits in religion? What needs all this waste? The flesh cries out for ease and pleasure. How many, by consulting with the flesh, have lost the kingdom of heaven! (1.) There steals upon him a dislike of his former religious course of life; that he was righteous over-much, stricter than needed. (2.) There is instilled into his heart a secret delight of evil; he begins to like foolish scurrilous liscourse; he can hear religion poken against, and be silent, ay, well pleased; he loves vaity, and makes sport of sin. what A. 15. If you would not fall short of heaven, take heed of carnal relations; our carnal friends are often bars and locks in our way to heaven; they will say, (3.) He is by degrees so meta- religion is preciseness and singunorphosed, and made like the larity. A wife in the bosom may ompany he converseth with, be a tempter; Job's wife was so, hat now he grows into a disgust Job ii. 9., "Dost thou still rend hatred of his former sober tain thy integrity? Curse God, vays; he is ill-affected towards and die." What! still pray? food men, he is transformed into What dost thou get by serving coffing Ishmael, a breathing de- God? Job, where are thy earnil; and becomes at last as much ings? What canst thou shew child of hell, as any of that thou hast had in God's service, raceless damned crew he con- but boils and ulcers? And dost ersed with. And what is the thou still retain thy integrity? nd of all? A blot in the name Throw off God's livery, renounce -a moth in the estate-a worm religion. Here was a tentation n the conscience. O, if you handed over to him by his wife ; would not miss of the kingdom of the woman was made of the rib, leaven, beware of evil company! the devil turned this rib into an Bad company is the bane and arrow, and would have shot Job the glory, take heed of apostacy; those who fall away, must needs fall short of the kingdom. to the heart, but his faith quench-lance, and having weighed both ed this fiery dart. Beware of their services, prefers the devil's carnal relations: we read that service, and proclaims him to be some of Christ's kindred laid hold the best master; in which reon him, and would have hindered spect, the apostate is said to put him when he was going to preach, Christ to open shame, Heb. vi. Mark iii. 21., "They said, he is 6. This is sad at last, Heb. x. beside himself." Our kindred 38. If you would not miss of sometimes would stand in our way to heaven, and, judging all zeal rashness, would hinder us from being saved. Such carnal 1. If we would not come short of relations Spira had; for, advising this heavenly kingdom, let us be with them whether he should re- much in the exercise of self-demain constant in his orthodox nial, Mat. xvi. 24., "If any man opinion, they persuaded him to will come after me, let him deny recant; and so, abjuring his for- himself." He who would go to mer faith, he fell into horror and heaven must deny self-righteousdespondency of mind. Galeacius, ness. Cavendum est a propria Marquis of Vico, found his carnal justitia: Phil. iii. 9., "That I relations a great block in his way; may be found in him, not having and what ado had he to break my own righteousness.' The through their tentation? Take heed of a snare in your bosom. It is a brave saying of Jerom, Si mater mihi ubera ostendat, &c. If my parent should persuade me to deny Christ,-if my mother should shew me her breast that gave me suck,—if my wife should go to charm me with her embraces, I would forsake all and fly to Christ.' spider weaves a web out of her use A. 16. If you would not fall short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of falling off; beware of apostacy; he misseth of the prize, who doth not hold out in the race; he who makes shipwreck of the faith, cannot come to the haven of glory. We live in the fall of the leaf; men fall from that goodness they seemed to have, some are turned to error, others to vice, some to drinking and dicing, and others to whoring, the very mantle of 2. The second means for the their profession is fallen off: It obtaining of the kingdom is seis dreadful for men to fall off rious consideration; most men from hopeful beginnings! The fall short of heaven for want of apostate, saith Tertullian, seems consideration. to put God and Satan in the ba 1st Consideration. We should paratum,- -a often consider what a kingdom" the marriage-supper of the heaven is; it is called regnum Lamb," Rev. xix. 9., which Bul"kingdom prepar- linger and Gregory the Great understand of the magnificent supper prepared in the kingdom of heaven. A glorious feast it will be, in respect of the founder, God, —the glorified saints shall feast their eyes with God's beauty, and their hearts with his love; a delicious feast it will be, in respect of the festivity and holy mirth, -what joy when there shall be 1. A stately palace. (1.) It is the anthems and triumphs of glolarge, and hath several storeys; rified spirits? When saints and for the dimensions of it, it is angels shall twist together in an twelve thousand furlongs, Rev. inseparable union of love, and lie xxi. 15. Or, as it is in some in each others sweet embraces; a Greek copies, twelve times twelve royal banquet it shall be, where thousand furlongs, a finite num- there is no surfeit, because conber put for an infinite; no arith- tinually a fresh course is served metician can number these fur- in. The serious consideration longs; though there be an innu- what a kingdom heaven is, would merable company of saints and be a means to quicken our endeaangels in heaven, yet there is in-vours in the pursuit after it. finitely enough of room to receive What causeth men to make voythem. (2.) The palace of this ages to the Indies, but the consikingdom is lucid and transparent; deration of the gold and spices it is adorned with light, the light which are to be had there? Did is sweet. Hell is a dark dungeon, we survey and contemplate the but the palace above is bespangled glory of heaven, we would soon with light, Col. i. 12. Such il- take a voyage, and never leave till lustrious beams of glory shine we had arrived at the celestial from God as shed a brightness kingdom. and splendour upon the empyrean 2d Consideration. How it heaven. (3.) This palace of the will trouble you, if you should kingdom is well situated for a perish, to think you came short good air, and a pleasant prospect; of heaven for want of a little there is the best air, which is more pains! The prophet Elisha perfumed with the odours of bid the King of Israel smite the Christ's ointments; and a most ground six times, and he smote pleasant prospect of the bright but thrice, and stayed, 2 Kings morning-star. (4.) The palace xiii. 19.; and he lost many vicis rich and sumptuous; it hath tories by it; so, when a man gates of pearl, Rev. xxi. 21. It is enriched with white robes and crowns of glory; and this palace never falls to decay, and the dwellers in it never die, Rev. xxii. 5., They shall reign for ever and ever. 2. A royal feast. It is called shall think thus, "I did some-. thing in religion, but did not do enough; I prayed, but it was coldly; I did not put coals to the incense; I heard the word, but did not meditate on it; I did not chew the cud; I smote but thrice, and I should have smitten six times; had I taken a little more pains, I had been happy, but I have lost the kingdom of heaven by short-shooting," the consideration, ticeship for obtaining her? Love carries a man out violently to the object loved. Love is like wings to the bird, like sails to the ship; how terrible the it carries a Christian full sail to heaven; heaven is a place of rest and joy, it is paradise, and will you not love it? Love heaven, and you cannot miss it; love breaks through all opposition, it takes heaven by storm; love, 3. The third means for obtain- though it labour, is never weary; ing this kingdom is to keep up it is like the rod of myrtle in the daily prayer, Ps. cix. 4., "I give traveller's hand, which makes myself to prayer." Prayer in him fresh and lively in his travel, flames the affections, and oils the and keeps him from being weary. wheels of endeavour; prayer pre5. If you would obtain the vails with God, it unlocks his kingdom of heaven, make religion bowels, and then he unlocks hea- your business. What a man ven; all that have got to heaven looks upon as a parergon,—a thing have crept thither upon their by the by,-he doth not much knees; the saints now in heaven mind. If ever we would have have been men of prayer; Daniel heaven, we must look upon it as prayed three times a day; Jacob our main concern; other things wrestled with God in prayer, and, do but concern our livelihood, as a prince, prevailed; this prayer this concerns our salvation; then must be fervent, else it is thuri- we make religion our business, bulum sine prunis, as Luther,- -a when we wholly devote ourselves golden censer without fire. O to God's service, Ps. cxxxix. 18. follow God with prayers and We count those the best hours tears! Say, as Jacob to the an- which are spent with God; we gel, Gen. xxxii. 26., "I will not give God the cream of our affec let thee go except thou bless me." tions, the flower of our time and Prayer vincit invincibilem, Lu- strength; we traffic in heaven Ꭲ Ꮋ Ꭼ Ꭱ ; it conquers the Omnipo- every day, we are merchants for tent. Elijah, by prayer, opened the "pearl of price." He will heaven; by ardent and constant not get an estate, who doth not prayer, heaven is at last opened mind his trade; he will never get heaven, who doth not make religion his main business. thought of this will be, that we should lose heaven for want of a little more pains, will be a means to spur on our sluggish hearts, and make us more diligent to get the kingdom. to us. 4. If you would obtain the heavenly kingdom, get a love to 6. If you would obtain the heaven. Love puts a man upon kingdom of heaven, bind your the use of all means to enjoy the hearts to God by sacred vows. thing loved. He that loves the Vow to the Lord, (that by his world, how active is he? He grace) you will be more intent will break his sleep and peace for upon heaven than ever, Ps. lvi. it. He that loves honour, what 12., "Thy vows are upon me, 0 hazards will he run? He will God!" A vow binds the votary swim to the throne in blood. to duty; he looks upon himself Jacob loved Rachel, and what as obliged by his vow to cleave to would not he do, though it were God. Bees, when they fly in a serving a two seven-years appren- great wind, ballast themselves with little stones, that they may temptations; we must every day not be carried away with the set a spy, and keep sentinel in wind; so we must fortify our-our souls, Hab. ii. 1., “ I will selves with strong vows, that we stand upon my watch." may not be carried away from (1.) We must watch our eyes, God with the violent wind of Job xxxi. 1., "I made a covetemptation. No question, a nant with my eyes." Much sin Christian may make such a vow, comes in by the eye. When Eve because the ground of it is saw the tree was good for food, morally good; he vows nothing and pleasant to the eyes, then she but what he is bound to do by took, Gen. iii. 6. First she virtue of his baptismal vow, looked, and then she lusted; the namely, to walk with God more eye by beholding an impure obclosely, and to pursue heaven ject, sets the heart on fire; the more vigorously. devil oft creeps in at the window of the eye. Watch your eyes. 7. If you would obtain the kingdom, embrace all seasons and opportunities for your souls, Eph. V. 16., "Redeeming the time." Opportunity is the cream of time; the improving seasons of grace is as much as our salvation is worth. The mariner, by taking the present season, while the wind blows, gets to the haven; by taking the season while we have the means of grace, and the wind of the Spirit blows, we may arrive at the kingdom of heaven. We know not how long we shall enjoy the gospel; the seasons of grace, like Noah's dove, come with an olive-branch in their pany. The basilisk poisons the mouth, but they soon take wings herbs he breathes on; the breath and fly. Though they are of the wicked is infectious. Nay, watch your hearts when you are in good company; such as have some good in them, yet may be some grains too light; they may have much levity of discourse, and, if no scum boils up, yet too much froth. The devil is subtle, and he can as well creep into the dove as he did once into the serpent. Satan tempted Christ by an apostle.-3. Watch your hearts in prosperity; now you are in danger of pride. The higher the water of the Thames riseth, the higher the boat is lifted up; the higher that men's estates rise, the higher their hearts are lifted up (2.) Watch your ear. Much poison is conveyed through the ear. Let your ear be open to God, and shut to sin. (3.) Watch your hearts: we watch suspicious persons, "The heart is deceitful," Jer. xvii. 9. Watch your heart, 1. When you are about holy things, it will be stealing out to vanity. When I am at prayer, saith St. Hierom, aut per porticum deambulo, aut de fænore computo; either I am walking through galleries, or casting up accounts.-2. Watch. your hearts when you are in com sweet, yet swift. God may remove the golden candlestick from us, as he did from the churches of Asia. We have many sad symptoms, "Grey hairs are here and there" upon us, Hos. vii. 9. Therefore let us lay hold upon the present seasons; they that sleep in seed-time will beg in harvest. 8. If you would go to the kingdom of heaven, you must excubias agere, keep a daily watch, Mark xiii. 37., "I say unto all, watch." Many have lost heaven for want of watchfulness. Our hearts are ready to decoy us into sin, and the devil lies in ambush by his |