The Saints' Everlasting Rest

May you not even hear in a preachers Sermons, or in the private duties of another, when they have been most above? When Moses had been with God in the mount, he had derived so much glory from God; that made his face to shine, that the people could not behold him. Beloved friends, if you would but set upon this employment, even so would it be with you: men would see the face of your conversation shine, and say, surely he hath been with God. As the body is apt to be changed into the temper of the air it breaths in, and the food it lives on; so will your spirits receive an alteration according to the objects which they are exercised about: If your thoughts do feed on Christ and heaven, you will be heavenly; if they feed on Earth, you will be earthly. Its true, a heavenly Nature goes before this heavenly employment; but yet the work will make it more heavenly: There must be life, before we can feed, but our life is continued and increased by feeding. Therefore, Reader, let me here inform thee, That if thou lie complaining of deadness and dullness, that thou canst not love Christ, nor rejoice in his Love; that thou hast no life in prayer, nor any other duty; and yet never triedst this quickening course, or at least art careless and unconstant in it: Why, thou art the cause of thy own complaints; thou deadest and dullest thine own heart; thou deniest thy self that life which thou talkest of? Is not thy life hid with Christ in God?¹ Whither must thou go, but to Christ, for it? and whither is that, but to Heaven, where he is? Thou wilt not come to Christ,² that thou mayest have life? If thou wouldst have light and heat, why art thou then no more in the Sunshine? If thou wouldst have more of that Grace which flows from Christ, why art thou no more with Christ for it? Thy strength is in Heaven, and thy life in Heaven, and there thou must daily fetch it, if thou wilt have it. For want of this recourse to heaven, thy soul is as a candle that is not lighted, and thy duties as a sacrifice which hath no fire. Fetch one coal daily from this Altar, and see if thy offering will not burn. Light thy candle at this flame, and feed it daily with Oil from hence, and see if it will not gloriously shine: Keep close to this reviving fire, and see if thy affections will not be warm.

May you not even hear in a preachers Sermons, or in the private duties of another, when they have been most above? When Moses had been with God in the mount, he had derived so much glory from God; that made his face to shine, that the people could not behold him. Beloved friends, if you would but set upon this employment, even so would it be with you: men would see the face of your conversation shine, and say, surely he hath been with God. As the body is apt to be changed into the temper of the air it breaths in, and the food it lives on; so will your spirits receive an alteration according to the objects which they are exercised about: If your thoughts do feed on Christ and heaven, you will be heavenly; if they feed on Earth, you will be earthly. Its true, a heavenly Nature goes before this heavenly imployment; but yet the work will make it more heavenly: There must be life, before we can feed, but our life is continued and increased by feeding. Therefore, Reader, let me here inform thee, That if thou lie complaining of deadness and dulness, that thou canst not love Christ, nor rejoyce in his Love; that thou hast no life in prayer, nor any other duty; and yet never tryedst this quickning course, or at least art careless and unconstant in it: Why, thou art the cause of thy own complaints; thou deadest and dullest thine own heart; thou deniest thy self that life which thou talkst of? Is not thy life hid with Christ in God?