Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

All things in nature have a principle to carry them to their proper place; because the place of fire is on high, therefore fire hath a principle to carry it on high; and because the place of earth is below, therefore earth hath a principle to carry it downward: So if the place and centre of the heart be in Heaven, then certainly it hath a principle to move naturally thither, to move upward to heaven; and therefore that soul that hath nothing but a principle to carry it downward to the earth, and to the lusts of it to these things below, heaven is not the proper place for such a soul, and when the soul goes out of the body, it will not go to Heaven: Take earth, and close it in a vessel, and take fire, and put into ⟨p. 665⟩a vessel, open the vessels, and let them out, and they go both to their places; so the souls of men when they are gone out of the body, they go to the place whither they had a principle to carry them, therefore do not think the principle shall be put into them when you dye, but you must have a principle before: if your hearts be pressed down by earthly things, when you dye they will fall down; and therefore observe which way your souls work: Can you say, as in the presence of God, My soul works heavenward, though I have weights of corruption that would weigh me down, yet I have a principle that does work to Heaven? But the consciences of many tell them their souls work downward, to vanity and sensuality, and you have no other principle, and therefore when your souls depart, they fall downward.

All things in nature have a principle to carry them to their proper place; because the place of fire is on high, therefore fire hath a principle to carry it on high; and because the place of earth is below, therefore earth hath a principle to carry it downward: So if the place and center of the heart be in Heaven, then certainly it hath a principle to move naturally thither, to move upward to heaven; and therefore that soul that hath nothing but a principle to carry it downward to the earth, and to the lusts of it to these things below, heaven is not the proper place for such a soul, and when the soul goes out of the body, it wil not go to Heaven: Take earth, and close it in a vessel, and take fire, and put into ⟨p. 665⟩a vessel, open the vessels, and let them out, and they go both to their places; so the souls of men when they are gone out of the body, they go to the place whither they had a principle to carry them, therefore do not think the principle shall be put into them when you dye, but you must have a principle before: if your hearts be prest down by earthly things, when you dye they will fall down; and therefore observe which way your souls work: Can you say, as in the presence of God, My soul works heavenward, though I have weights of corruption that would weigh me down, yet I have a principle that does work to Heaven? But the consciences of many tell them their souls work downward, to vanity and sensuality, and you have no other principle, and therefore when your souls depart, they fall downward.