THE

INTRODUCTION.

In

In the former part, I have chiefly pressed those duties which must be used for the attainment of this everlasting rest. this I shall chiefly handle those which are necessary to raise the heart to God, and to a heavenly and comfortable life on earth. It is a truth too evident, which an inconsiderate zealot reprehended in Master Culverwell as an error, that many of God's children do not enjoy that sweet life and blessed estate in this world, which God their Father hath provided for them; that is, which he offereth them in his promises, and chargeth upon them as their duty in his precepts, and bringeth even to their hands in all his means and mercies. God hath set open heaven to us in his word, and told every humble, sincere Christian that they shall shortly there live with himself in inconceivable glory; and yet, where is the person that is affected with this promise; whose heart leaps for joy at the hearing of the news; or that is willing, in hopes of heaven, to leave this world? But even the godly have as strange unsavoury thoughts of it, as if God did but delude us, and there were no such glory; and are almost as loth to die as men without hope. The consideration of this strange disagreement between our professions and affections, caused me to suspect that there was some secret, lurking unbelief in all our hearts; and therefore I wrote those arguments in the second part, for the divine authority of the Scripture: and because I find another cause to be, the carelessness, forgetfulness, and idleness of the soul, and not keeping in action that faith which we have, I have here attempted the removal of that cause, by prescribing a course for the daily acting of those graces which must fetch in the celestial delights into the heart.

Oh! the princely, joyful, blessed life, that the godly lose through mere idleness! As the papists have wronged the merits of Christ by their ascribing too much to our own works, so it is almost incredible, how much they, on the other extreme, have wronged the safety and consolation of men's souls, by telling them that their own endeavours are only for obedience and gratitude, but are not so much as conditions of their salvation, or means of their increased sanctification or consolation. And while some tell them that they must look at nothing in themselves, for acceptation with God, or comfort, and so make that acceptance and comfort to be equally belonging to a Christian and a Turk; and others tell them that they must look at nothing in themselves, but only as signs of their good estates; this hath caused some to expect only enthusiastic consolation, and others to spend their days in inquiring after signs of their sincerity. Had these poor souls well understood that God's way to persuade their wills, and to excite and actuate their affections, is by the discourse, reasoning, or consideration of their understandings, upon the nature and qualifications of the objects which are presented to them: and had they bestowed but that time in exercising holy affections, and in serious thoughts of the promised happiness, which they have spent in inquiring only after signs, I am confident, according to the ordinary working of God, they would have been better provided, both with assurance and with joys. How should the heir of a kingdom have the comfort of his title, but by fore-thinking on it? It is true, God must give us our comforts by his Spirit: but how? By quickening up our souls to believe, and consider of the promised glory; and not by comforting us, we know not how, nor why: or by giving men the foretastes of heaven, when they never think of it.

I have here prescribed thee, reader, the delightfulest task to the spirit, and the most tedious to the flesh, that ever men on earth were employed in. I did it first only for myself, but am loth to conceal the means that I have found so consolatory. If thou be one that wilt not be persuaded to a course so laborious, but wilt only go on in thy task of common formal duties, thou mayest let it alone, and so be destitute of delights, except such as the world and thy forms can afford thee; but then, do not, for shame, complain for want of comfort, when thou dost wilfully reject it and be not such a hypocrite as to pray for it,

while thou dost refuse to labour for it. If thou say thy comfort is all in Christ, I must tell thee it is a Christ remembered and loved, and not a Christ forgotten or only talked of, that will solidly comfort. Though the directory for contemplation was only intended for this part, yet I have now premised two other The heart must be taken off from resting on earth before it will be fit to converse above. The first part of saving religion, is the taking God only for our end and rest.

uses.

THE

SAINT'S EVERLASTING REST.

THE FOURTH PART.

CHAP. I.

USE VI.-Reproving our Expectations of Rest on Earth.

SECT. I. Doth this rest remain? How great, then, is our sin and folly to seek and expect it here? Where shall we find the Christian that deserves not this reproof? Surely, we may all cry Guilty!' to this accusation. We know not how to enjoy convenient houses, goods, lands, and revenues, but we seek rest in these enjoyments. We seldom, I fear, have such sweet and heart-contenting thoughts of God and glory, as we have of our earthly delights. How much rest do the voluptuous seek, in buildings, walks, apparel, ease, recreation, sleep, pleasing meats and drinks, merry company, health and strength, and long life! Nay, we can scarce enjoy the necessary means which God hath appointed for our spiritual good, but we are seeking rest in them. Do we want ministers, godly society, or the like helps? Oh! think we, if it were but thus and thus with us, we were well. Do we enjoy them? Oh! how we settle upon them, and bless ourselves in them, as the rich fool in his wealth? Our books, our preachers, sermons, friends, abilities for duty, do not our hearts hug them, and quiet themselves in them, even more than in God? Indeed, in words we disclaim it, and God hath usually the pre-eminence in our tongues and professions; but it is too apparent that it is otherwise in our hearts, by these discoveries: First, Do we not desire these more violently, when we want them, than we do the Lord himself? Do we not cry out more

These must be delighted in, but as means only to help us to God, not aš a happiness to content us without God.

sensibly, 'O my friend, my goods, my health,' than 'O my God!' Do we not miss ministry and means more passionately than we miss our God? Do we not bestir ourselves more to obtain and enjoy these than we do to recover our communion with God? Secondly, Do we not delight more in the possession of these than we do in the fruition of God himself? Nay, be not those mercies and duties most pleasant to us, wherein we stand at greatest distance from God? We can read, and study, and confer, preach, and hear, day after day, without much weariness, because in these we have to do with instruments and creatures; but in secret prayer and conversing with God immediately, where no creature interposeth, how dull, how heartless and weary are we! Thirdly, And if we lose creatures or means, doth it not trouble us more than our loss of God? If we lose but a friend, or health, &c., all the town will hear of it; but we can miss our God, and scarce bemoan our misery. Thus it is apparent, we exceedingly make the creature our rest. Is it not enough that they are sweet delights, and refreshing helps in our way to heaven, but they must also be made our heaven itself? Christian reader, I would as willingly make thee sensible of this sin as of any sin in the world, if I could tell how to do it; for the Lord's greatest quarrel with us is in this point. Therefore I most earnestly beseech thee to press upon thine own conscience these following considerations.

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Sect. II. 1. It is gross idolatry to make any creature or means our rest. To settle the soul upon it, and say, 'Now I am well,' upon the bare enjoyment of the creature. What is this but to make it our God? Certainly, to be the soul's rest, is God's own prerogative. And as it is palpable idolatry to place our rest in riches and honours; so it is but a more spiritual and refined idolatry to take up our rest in excellent means, in the church's prosperity, and in its reformation. When we would have all that out of God which is to be had only in God, what is this but to turn away from him to the creature, and in our hearts to deny him? When we fetch more of our comfort and delight from the thoughts of prosperity, and those mercies which here we have at a distance from, than from the fore-thoughts of our everlasting blessedness, in him: nay, when the thought of that day when we must come to God is our greatest trouble, and we would do thing in the world to escape it; but the enjoyment of creatures, though absent from him, is the very thing our souls desire: when we had rather talk of him than come to enjoy him; and

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