thing he came into the world | the glorious triumphs and spark about. ling crowns. In other kingdoms there is but one king, but in heaven all are kings, Rev. i. 6. Every saint glorified partakes of the same glory as Christ doth, John xvii. 22., "The glory thou gavest me, I have given them." 2. The seeking after the heavenly kingdom will be judged most prudent by all men at last. Those who are most regardless of their souls now, will, before they die, wish they had minded eternity more. When conscience is (2.) This kingdom is a place awakened, and men begin to come of joy, Mat. xxv. 21., "Enter to themselves, now, what would thou into the joy of thy Lord." they give for the kingdom of hea- To have a continual aspect of ven? How happy were it, if love from God's face, to be men were of the same mind now, crowned with immortality,—to as they will be at death! Death be as the angels of God,—to drink will alter men's opinions; then of the rivers of pleasure for ever, those who did most slight and this will cause raptures of joy. disparage the ways of religion, will wish their time and thoughts had been taken up about the excellent glory. At death men's eyes will be opened, and they will see their folly when it is too late. If all men, even the worst, will wish at last that they had minded the kingdom of heaven, why should not we do that now, which all will wish they had done when they come to die? Sure it deserves our utmost pains in pursuing and securing this kingdom! Julius Cæsar coming towards Rome with his army, and hearing the senate and people had fled from it, said, they that will not fight for this city, what city will they fight for?" If we will not take pains for the kingdom of heaven, what kingdom will we take pains for? It was the speech of the spies to 3. This kingdom of heaven de- their brethren, Judg. xviii. 9., serves our utmost pains and dili-" We have seen the land, and be gence; it is glorious, beyond hy- hold it is very good; and are ye perbole. Suppose earthly king- still? Be not slothful to go, and doms more magnificent than they to enter to possess the land." are, their foundations of gold,- We have had a lively description their walls of pearl,-their win- of the glory of heaven; we find dows of sapphire,-yet they are the kingdom is very good; why not comparable to the heavenly then do we sit still? Why do kingdom. If the pavement of it we not operam navare,-put forth be bespangled with so many our utmost zeal and industry for bright shining lights, glorious this kingdom? The diligence of stars, what is the kingdom itself? others in seeking after earthly 1 John iii. 2., “ It doth not yet kingdoms, shames our coldness appear what we shall be." This and indifferency in pursuing after kingdom exceeds our faith. How the kingdom of heaven. sublime and wonderful is that 4. The time we have to make place where the blessed Deity shines forth in his immense glory, infinitely beyond the comprehension of angels ! (1.) The kingdom of heaven is a place of honour; there are sure of the heavenly kingdom is i vill not be long before" the silver to heaven with ordinances; we cord be loosed, and the golden have had the word in season and bowl broken," Eccl. xii. The out of season. The ordinances skull, wherein the brains are in- are the pipes of the sanctuary, closed as in a bowl, this golden which empty the golden oil of bowl will soon be broken. Our grace into the soul; they are soul is in our body, as the bird is scala paradisi,-the ladder by in the shell, which soon breaks, which we ascend to the kingdom and the bird flies out; the shell of heaven, Deut. iv. 7., "What of the body broken, the soul flies nation is there so great who hath into eternity. We know not whe- God so nigh unto them, as the ther we shall live to another sab- Lord our God is in all things that bath; before we hear another we call upon him for?" We sermon-bell go, our passing-bell have had heaven and hell set bemay go. Our life runs as a swift fore us, we have had counsels stream into the ocean of eternity. of friends, warnings, examples, Brethren, if our time be so mi- the motions and inspirations of nute and transient,-if the taper the Holy Ghost,-how should all of life be so soon wasted, or per- these spurs quicken us in our haps blown out by violent death, pace to heaven? Should not that -how should we put to all our ship sail apace to the haven, strength, and call in help from which had wind and tide to carry heaven, that we may obtain the it? The tide of ordinances, and kingdom of glory? If time be so the wind of the Spirit. Surely if short, why do we waste it about we, through negligence, miss of things of less moment, and neglect the kingdom of heaven, we shall "the one thing needful," which have nothing to say for ourselves; is the kingdom of heaven? A we shall be as far from excuse as man that hath a great work to be from happiness. done, and but one day for the doing of it, hath need to work hard we have a great work to do, we are striving for a kingdom, and alas! we are not certain of one day to work in; therefore, what need have we to bestir ourselves, and what we do for heaven, to do it with all our might! 5. To excite our diligence, let us consider how inexcusable we shall be, if we miss of the kingdom of heaven. Who have had such helps for heaven as we have had? Indians who have mines of gold, have not such advantages for glory as we; they have the light of the sun, moon, and stars, and the light of reason, but this is not enough to light them to heaven: but we have had the light of the gospel shining in our horizon; we have been lifted up 6. You cannot do too much for the kingdom of heaven: you cannot pray too much, sanctify the sabbath too much, love God too much,-you cannot overdo. In secular things a man may labour too hard, he may kill himself with working; but there is no fear of working too hard for heaven. In virtute non est verendum ne quid nimium sit, SENECA. The world is apt to censure the godly, as if they were too zealous, and did overstrain themselves in religion. Indeed a man may follow the world too much, he may make too much haste to be rich; the ferryman may take in too many passengers into his boat, to the sinking of his boat: so a man may heap up so much gold and silver, as to sink himself in perdition, 1 Tim. vi. 9. But one cannot be too earnest and zealous 8. Your labour for heaven is for the kingdom of heaven; there is no fear of excess here, when we do all we can for heaven, we come short of the golden rule set us, and of Christ's golden pattern; when our faith is highest, like the sun in the meridian, yet still there is something lacking in our faith, 1 Thess. iii. 1., so that all our labour for the kingdom is little enough. When a Christian hath done his best, yet still he hath sins and wants to bewail. not lost; perhaps you may think it is vain that you have served God; but know that your pains are not lost. The seed is cast into the earth, and it dies, yet at last it brings forth a plentiful crop so your labours seem to be fruitless, but at last they bring you to a kingdom. Who would not work hard for one hour, when, for that hour's work, he should be a king as long as he lived? And let me tell you, the more la7. By this you may judge of bour you have put forth for the the state of your souls, whether kingdom of heaven, the more de you have grace or not, by your grees of glory you shall have. earnest pursuit after the heavenly As there are degrees of torment kingdom. Grace infuseth a spi- in hell, Mat. xxiii. 14., so of rit of activity into a person; grace glory in heaven. "As one star doth not lie dormant in the soul; differs from another in glory," so it is not a sleepy habit, but it shall one saint, 1 Cor. xv. 41. makes a Christian like a seraphim, Though every vessel of mercy swift and winged in his heavenly shall be full, yet one vessel may motion; grace is like a fire, it hold more than another. Such makes one burn in love to God; as have done more work for God, and, the more he loves him, the shall have more glory in the heamore he presseth forward to heavenly kingdom. Could we hear ven, where he may fully enjoy the saints departed speaking to us him. Hope is an active grace, it from heaven, sure they would is called "a lively hope," 1 Pet. speak after this manner: were we i. 3. Hope is like the spring in to leave heaven a while and live the watch, it sets all the wheels on the earth again, we would do of the soul a-running; hope of a God a thousand times more service crop makes the husbandman sow than ever we did; we would his seed; hope of victory makes pray with more life, act with more the soldier fight; and a true hope zeal; for now we see, the more of glory makes a Christian vigo- hath been our labour, the greater rously pursue glory. Here is a is our reward in heaven. spiritual touchstone to try our 9. While we are labouring for grace by if we have the anoint- the kingdom, God will help us, ing of the Spirit, it will oil the Ezek. xxxvi. 27., "I will put wheels of our endeavour, and my Spirit within you, and cause make us lively in our pursuit af- you to walk in my statutes. ter the heavenly kingdom. No The promise encourageth us, and sooner had Paul grace infused, God's Spirit enableth us. but presently," Behold, he prays," master gives his servant work to Acts ix. 11. The affections are do, but he cannot give him by divines called the feet of the strength to work; but God, as soul:' if these feet move not to- he cuts us out work, so he gives wards heaven, it is because there us strength, Ps. lxxxvi. 16, "Give thy strength unto thy is no life. : A have lost a great many brave soldiers, but them I can never have again." So other temporal bless servant." God not only gives us a crown when we have done running, but gives us legs to run; he gives exciting, assisting grace,-ings may be lost and recovered lex jubet, gratia juvat,-the Spi- again; but if the term of life, rit helping us in our work for wherein you should work for heaven, makes it easy. If the heaven, be once lost, it is past all loadstone draw the iron, it is not recovery, you can never have anohard for the iron to move: if ther season again for your souls. God's Spirit draw the heart, now it moves towards heaven with facility and alacrity. 12. There is nothing else but this kingdom of heaven we can make sure of; we cannot make 10. The more pains we have sure of life. Quis scit an adjicitaken for heaven, the sweeter ant hodiernæ crastina vitæ temheaven will be when we come pora dii superi? HOR. When there. As when an husbandman our breath goes out, we know not hath been grafting trees, or setting whether we shall draw it in flowers in his garden, it is plea- again! How many are taken sant to review and look over his away suddenly? We cannot labours; so, when in heaven, we make riches sure, it is uncertain shall remember our former zeal whether we shall get them; the and earnestness for the kingdom, world is like a lottery, every one it will sweeten heaven, and add is not sure to draw a prize; or, if to the joy of it. For a Christian we get riches, we are not sure to to think, such a day I spent in ex- keep them, Prov. xxiii. 5., amining my heart,-such a day I "Riches certainly make themwas weeping for sin,-when others selves wings and fly away." Exwere at their sport, I was at perience seals to the truth of this. prayer, and now have I lost any Many who have had plentiful thing by my devotion? My estates, yet, by fire, or losses at tears are wiped away, and the sea, they have been squeezed as wine of paradise cheers my heart; spunges, and all their estates exI now enjoy him whom my soul hausted: but if men should keep loves I am possessed of a king- their estates a while, yet death dom; my labour is over, but my strips them of all. When joy remains. death's gun goes off, away flies 11. If you do not take pains for the estate, 1 Tim. v. 7., "It is the kingdom of heaven now, there certain we can carry nothing" out will be nothing to be done for of the world; so that there is no your souls after death; this is the making sure of any thing here only fit season for working, and below, but we may make sure of if this season be lost, the kingdom the kingdom of heaven, Prov. xi. is forfeited, Eccles. ix. 10., 18., "To him that soweth righ"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to teousness shall be a sure reward.' do, do it with thy might, for there He who hath grace is sure of is no work, nor device, nor wis- heaven, for he hath heaven begun dom in the grave whither thou in him. A believer hath an evi " goest. It was a saying of dence of heaven, Heb. xi. 1., Charles V., "I have spent my " Faith is the evidence of things treasure, but that I may recover not seen." He hath an earnest again; I have lost my health, but of glory, 2 Cor. i. 22., "Who that I may have again; but I hath also given the earnest of the Spirit." An earnest is part of work the harder for the kingdom the whole sum. He hath a sure of heaven; he who hath lost his hope, Heb. vi. 19., "Which time at school, and often played hope we have as an anchor." truant, had need ply it the harder, This anchor is cast upon God's that he may gain a stock of learnpromise, Tit. i. 2., "In hope ing; he who hath slept and loiof eternal life, which God that tered in the beginning of his cannot lie promised." So that journey, had need ride the faster here is great encouragement to in the evening, lest he fall short take pains for heaven, we may of the place he is travelling to. make sure of this kingdom. Some here present are in their 13. The kingdom of heaven youth, others in the flower of cannot be obtained without la- their age, others have grey hairs ; bour. Non est ad astra molis e the almond-tree blossoms, and terris via. A boat may as well perhaps they have been very reget to land without oars, as we to gardless of their souls and heaheaven without labour. We canven. Time spent unprofitably is not have the world without labour, not time lived, but time lost; if and do we think to have heaven? there be any such here, who have If a man digs for gravel, much misspent their golden hours, they more for gold, Phil. iii. 14., “I have not only been slothful, but press toward the mark." Hea- wasteful servants; how had you ven's gate is not like that iron gate need now to redeem the time, and which opened to Peter of its own press forward _with_might and accord, Acts xii. 10. Heaven is main to the heavenly kingdom? not like those ripe figs which 1 Pet. iv. 3., "The time past of "fall into the mouth of the our life may suffice us to have eater," Nah. iii. 12. No, there wrought the will of the Gentiles." must be taking pains. Two things It may suffice us that we have are requisite for a Christian,-a lost so much time already, let us watchful eye, and a working hand. We must, as Hannibal, force a way to the heavenly kingdom through difficulties. We must win the garland of glory by labour, before we wear it with triumph. God hath enacted this law, that no man shall eat of the tree of paradise, but in the sweat of his brow: how then dare any censure Christian diligence? how dare they say you take more pains for heaven than needs? God saith, 'Strive as in an agony,'fight the good fight of faith;' and they say, you are too strict:' but whom shall we believe? An holy God that bids us strive, or a profane atheist that saith we strive too much? 6 14. Much of our time being already misspent, we had need now work the harder; such as have crept as snails had need now fly as eagles to the paradise of God; if, in the former part of your life, you have been as willows, barren in goodness, in the latter part be as an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits," Cant. iv. 13. Recompense former remissness with future diligence. 66 15. How uncomely and sordid a slothful temper of soul is, Zeph. i. 12., "I will punish the men that are settled on their lees:" (Heb.) "Crudled on their lees." Settling on the lees is an emblem of a dull inactive soul. The snail, by reason of its slow motion, was reckoned among the unclean, Lev. xi. 30., "A slothful man hideth his hand in his |
