The young man's guide through the wilderness of this world to the heavenly Canaan…

2, Follow thy Worldly businesses with an Heavenly mind, as a Citizen of Heaven, and a Pilgrim on Earth. Though thou hast thy hand in the Earth, yet let thine eye, and thine heart, be towards Heaven, often meditating on heavenly things, and setting thy thoughts and affections on things above: As S. Paul, when he was at Rome in his body, yet was at Coloss in his Spirit, Col. 2. 5. So though as yet we are absent from Heaven in our bodies, yet in our Spirits we may be continually present there: and there let us daily be, both searching into the blessedness of that better Country, and studying our way thither, and laying up a treasure for our selves there.

There is scarce any worldly business which calls for the continual intention of thy thoughts upon it; but some spare time may be gained from it for spiritual thoughts, and heavenly meditations. And great care and watchfulness there should be against such an overintention of mind upon whatever earthly affairs, as does shut the Lord out of doors, and throw Heaven under our feet. Let our whole life be a walking with God, as Enochs was, Gen. 5. 22. Let us learn the skill to serve the Lord in our serving the necessities of our bodies: and let us often catch at opportunities for more immediate converses with him. Learn particularly these two things.

1. To spiritualize all outward objects and occurrences, by raising matter of heavenly meditations from the same. There is no creature in which there are not manifest footsteps of the Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of God. Every flower, or spire of grass, every worm, or ⟨p. 61⟩fly, declare the power of our great Creator. How much more the curious Fabric of mans Body, and the glorious Host of Heaven? from each of which thou mayst take occasion to think of God with admiration, As a Christian seeth all things in God; so may he see God in all things, and thereby make some spiritual use and improvement of them. He may with the Bee suck sweetness out of every flower, not only for sensual delight, but also for spiritual profit. And truly the benefit of the Creature is half lost, if there be nothing but an outward use made o them. The brute Beasts can behold the outward things; if man see, and learn no more, what is his Excellency above the Beasts? A wise Physician can extract some good out of those Herbs, that ignorant persons cast away as useless. In like manner wise Christians can and ought to extract some spiritual profit to themselves out of every Creature which they behold, and every Providence that they meet with: By which blessed Art of Heavenly Chemistry, thou mayst both please thy fancy, and profit thine own heart.