soul begin to flag, and thy thoughts to fly abroad, call them back, hold them to their work, and when thou hast once in obedience to God tried this work, and followed on till thou hast got acquainted with it, and kept a close guard upon thy thoughts till they are accustomed to obey, thou wilt then find thyself in the suburbs of heaven, and, as it were, in a new world; thou wilt then find, that there is, indeed, sweetness in the work of God, and that the life of Christianity is a life of joy; thou wilt meet with those abundant consolations, which thou hast prayed, and panted, and groaned after, and which so few Christians ever here obtain, because they know not the way to them, or else make not conscience of walking in it.

My beloved friends, let me bespeak your consciences in the name of Christ, and command you, by his authority, that you faithfully set about this weighty duty, and fix your eye more steadfastly on your heavenly rest, and daily delight in the forethought thereof. I beseech you, if ever I shall prevail with you in any thing, let me prevail with you in this, to set your hearts where you expect a rest and treasure. Do not wonder that I persuade you so earnestly; though, indeed, if we were truly reasonable in spiritual things, as we are in temporal, it would be a wonder that men should need so much persuasion to so sweet and plain a duty; but I know the employment is high, the heart earthly, the hindrances many and great, and therefore I fear, before we have done and explained more fully the nature of the duty, that you will confess all these persuasions little enough.

I will here lay down some moving considerations which, if you will but vouchsafe to ponder thoroughly and deliberately weigh with an impartial judgment, I doubt not they will prove effectual with your hearts and make you resolve upon this excellent duty.

I. Consider that a heart set on heaven will be one of the most unquestionable evidences of thy sincerity and of a work of saving grace upon thy soul. You are much in inquiring after marks of sincerity, and I blame you not; it is dangerous mistaking in a matter

wherein a man's everlasting salvation is concerned You are often asking, How shall I know that I am truly sanctified? Why, here is a mark that will not deceive you, if you can truly say that you are possessed of it, even a heart set upon heaven. Would you have an infallible sign, not from me, or from any man, but from the mouth of Jesus Christ himself, which all the enemies of the use of marks can make no exception against? Why, here is one, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Know once assuredly where your heart is, and you may easily know that your treasure is there. God is the saints' treasure and happiness; heaven is the place where they shall fully enjoy him. A heart set upon heaven, is therefore, nothing more than a heart set upon God, desiring this full enjoyment. And surely a heart set upon God through Christ, is a true evidence of saving grace. External actions are most easily discovered; but those of the heart are the surest evidences. When thy learning will be no good proof of thy grace; when thy knowledge, thy duties, thy gifts, will fail thee; when arguments drawn from thy tongue and thy hand may be confuted; yet then will this argument from the bent of thy heart prove thee sincere. Take a poor Christian that has a weak understanding, a failing memory, a stammering tongue, yet whose heart is set on God; he has chosen him for his portion, his thoughts are on eternity, his desires are there his dwelling there; he considers that day a day of imprisonment wherein he has not taken one refreshing view of heaven: I had rather die in this man's condition, and have my soul in his soul's case, than in the case of him that has the most eminent gifts, and is most admired by his fellow-men, whose heart is not thus taken up with God. The man whom Christ will find out at the last day, and condemn for want of a wedding garment, will be he that wants this frame of heart. The question will not then be, How much hast thou known, or professed, or talked? but, how much hast thou loved, and where was thy heart? Why, then, Christians, as you would have a sure tes

timony of the love of God, and a clear proof of your title to glory, labour to get your hearts above. God will acknowledge that you truly love him, and take you for his faithful friends, when he sees your hearts are set upon him. Get but your hearts once truly in heaven, and without all question ye yourselves will follow. If sin and satan keep not thence your affections, they will never be able to keep away your persons.

II. Consider that a heart in heaven is the highest excellency of your soul, and the noblest part of your Christian disposition. As there is not only a difference between men and beasts, but also among men, between the noble and the base; so there is not only a common excellency, whereby a Christian differs from the world, but also a peculiar nobleness of soul, whereby the more excellent differ from the rest: and this lies especially in a higher and more heavenly frame of spirit. O, to hear such an heavenly saint, who has been wrapt up in his contemplations of God, and is newly come down from the views of Christ,what discoveries will he make of those superior regions! What ravishing expressions drop from his lips! How high and sacred is his discourse! This, this is the noble Christian. As those are the most famous mountains that are highest; and those the fairest trees that are tallest; and those the most glorious pyramids whose tops reach nearest to heaven so is he the choicest Christian, whose heart is most frequently, and most delightfully there. For my part, I value this man before the ablest, the richest, the most learned man in the world.

III. Consider that a heavenly mind is a joyful mind, and the nearest and the surest way to a life of comfort. Can a man be at the fire and not be warm; or in the sunshine, and not have light? Can your heart be in heaven, and not have comfort? What could make so many frozen uncomfortable Christians, but living so far as they do from heaven? And what makes some few so warm and comfortable, but their living higher than others do, and their frequent near

access to God? Beloved friends if we would but try this life with God, and keep our hearts above, what a spring of joy would be within us, and all our graces be fresh and green! How would the face of our souls be changed, and all that is within us rejoice! How would we forget our winter sorrows, and withdraw our souls from our sad retirements! How early would we rise, as birds in the spring, to sing the praise of our great Creator! O Christian, get above! Believe it, that region is warmer than this here below. Those that have been there have found it so, and those that have come thence have told us so. I dare appeal to thy own experience, or to the experience of any soul that knows what the joys of a Christian are. When is it that you have the largest comforts? Is it not after such an exercise as this, when thou hast raised up thy heart, and conversed with God, and talked with the inhabitants of the upper world, and viewed the mansions of the saints and angels, and filled thy soul with the fore-thoughts of glory?

Brethren, if you have never tried this life of heavenly contemplation, I do not wonder that you walk uncomfortably, that you are always complaining, and live amidst continual sorrows. Can you have comforts from God, and never think of him? Can heaven rejoice you, when you do not remember it? Does any thing in the world gladden you, when you think not of it? Must not every thing first enter by your judgment and consideration, before it can delight your heart and affections? If you were possessed of all the treasures of the earth; if you had a title to the highest dignities and dominions, and yet never thought of them, surely they would never rejoice you. Whom then should we blame, that we are so void of consolation, but our own negligent, unskilful hearts? God has provided for us a crown of glory, and promised to set it shortly on our heads, and we will not so much as think of it. He exhibits it in the Gospel to us, and bids us behold it and rejoice; but we will not so much as look at it; and yet we complain of want of comfort

What a perverse course is this, both against God and our own joys! It is by believing that we are filled with joy and peace; and no longer than we continue our believing. It is in hope that the saints rejoice, yea, in the hope of the glory of God, and no longer than they continue hoping. God's Spirit works our comforts, by setting our own spirits to work upon the promises, and raising our thoughts to the place of our comforts. God delights his people, by taking them as it were by the hand, and leading them into heaven, and showing them himself, and their everlasting rest with him. God does not cast in our joys while we are idle, or taken up with other things; but as he gives to man the fruits of the earth, while we plough, and sow, and weed, and water, and dress it, so does he give the joys of the soul. Yet I do not deny, that if any should so think to work out his own comfort by meditation, as to attempt it in his own strength, and not do all in subordination to God, nor perceive the necessity of the Spirit's assistance, the work will prove like the workman, and the comfort he would gather from it mere vanity; even as the husbandman's labour without the sun, and rain, and blessing of God.

Though perhaps in some extraordinary cases, God may cast extraordinary joys into the soul, yet this is not his usual way. And if you observe the spirit of most forlorn, uncomfortable, despairing Christians, you will find the reason to be, their ungrounded expectation of such extraordinary joys; and accordingly their spirits are tossed up and down, and are most inconstant. Sometimes when they meet with such joys, or at least think so, they are cheerful and lifted up; but because these are usually short-lived joys, they are soon cast down; and ordinarily that is their more lasting temper. Thus they are tossed up and down as a ship at sea, but are always in extremes. Whereas God is most constant; Christ is the same, Heaven the same, the promises the same; and if we took the right course for obtaining our comfort from these, surely our comforts would be more settled and constant, though not always the same.