The divine life in three treatises

Quest. 10. Have you any hopes of living with God for ever, or not? If you have not, no wonder if you live as beasts, when you have no higher expectations than beasts: When we are so blind as to give up all our hopes, we will also give up all our care and holy diligence, and think we have nothing to do with Heaven. But if you have any such hopes, can you think that any thing is fitter for the chiefest of your thoughts and car••, than the God and Kingdom, which you hope for ever to enjoy? Or is there any thing that can be more suitable, or should ⟨p. 213⟩be more delightful to your thoughts, than to employ them about your highest hopes, upon your endless happiness and joy? and should not that be now the most noble and pleasant employment for your minds, which is nearest to that which you hope to be exercised in for ever? Undoubtedly he that hath true and serious thoughts of Heaven, will highliest value that life on Earth which is likest to the life in Heaven: And he that hateth, or is most averse to that which is nearest to the work of Heaven, doth boast in vain of his hopes of Heaven.

By this time you may see (if you love not to be blind) that mans chiefest business in the world is with his God, and that our thoughts and all our powers are made to be employed upon him, or for him; and that this is no such needless work as Atheists make themselves believe.

Remember that it is the description of the desperately wicked, Psal. 10. 4. that God is not in all his thoughts. And if yet you understand it not, I will a little further show you the evil of such Atheistical unhallowed thoughts.