How stand we affected towards it, in what disposition are our hearts thereto? Those fruits of righteousness, by which the soul is qualified to appear without offence in the day of Christ; the several graces of the Sanctifying Spirit; are nothing else but so many holy Principles, all disposing the soul towards this blessedness, and the way to it, Mortification, Self-denial, and godly sorrow, take it off from other objects, the World, Self, and Sin, Repentance (that part of it which respects God) turns the course of its motion towards God, the end. Faith directs it, through Christ the way. Love makes it more freely; desire, earnestly; joy, pleasantly; hope, confidently; humility, evenly; fear, circumspectly; patience, constantly, and perseveringly. All conspire to give the Soul aright disposition towards this blessedness. The result of them all is heavenliness; an heavenly temper of spirit. For they all (one way, or other) as so many Lines, and Rays, have respect to a blessedness in God (which is heaven) as the point, at which they aim; and (the cuspis) the point in which they meet, in order to the touching of that objective point is heavenliness. This is the ultimate, and immediate disposition of heart, for this blessedness; the result (the terminus productus) of the whole work of righteousness, in the Soul; by which 'tis said to be as it were, gnota ad gloriam, begotten to the eternal inheritance, ⟨p. 262⟩Concerning this therefore, chiefly institute thy inquiry. Demand of thy self, is my soul yet made heavenly? bent upon eternal blessedness or no? And here thou mayest easily apprehend of how great concernment it is, to have the right notion of heaven; or future blessedness, as was urged under the foregoing Rule. For if thou take for it, another thing; thou missest thy mark, and art quite beside thy business. But if thou retain a right, and scriptural state and notion of it; the Rule thou art to judge by, is sure; They shall have heaven whose hearts are intent upon it, and framed to it. Scripture is every where pregnant, and full of this.
How stand we affected towards it, in what disposition are our hearts thereto? Those fruits of righteousnesse, by which the soul is qualified to appear without offence in the day of Christ; the several graces of the Sanctifying Spirit; are nothing else but so many holy Principles, all disposing the soul towards this blessednesse, and the way to it, Mortification, Self-denial, and godly sorrow, take it off from other objects, the World, Self, and Sin, Repentance (•that part of it which respects God) turns the course of its motion towards God, the end. Faith directs it, through Christ the way. Love makes it more freely; desire, earnestly; joy, pleasantly; hope, confidently; humility, evenly; fear, circumspectly; patience, constantly, and perseveringly. All conspire to give the Soul aright disposition towards this blessedness. The result of them all is heavenliness; an heavenly temper of spirit. For they all (one way, or other) as so many Lines, and Rayes, have respect to a blessedness in God (which is heaven) as the point, at which they aim; and (the cuspis) the point in which they meet, in order to the touching of that objective point is heavenliness. This is the ultemate, and immediate disposition of heart, for this blessedness; the result (the terminus productus) of the whole work of righteousness, in the Soul; by which 'tis said to be as it were, gnota ad gloriam, begotten to the eternal inheritance, ⟨p. 262⟩Concerning this therefore, chiefly institute thy inquiry. Demand of thy self, is my soul yet made heavenly? bent upon eternal blessednesse or no? And here thou mayest easily apprehend of how great concernment it is, to have the right notion of heaven; or future blessedness, as was urged under the foregoing Rule. For if thou take for it, another thing; thou missest thy mark, and art quite beside thy business. But if thou retain a right, and scriptural state and notion of it; the Rule thou art to judge by, is sure; They shall have heaven whose hearts are intent upon it, and framed to it. Scripture is every where pregnant, and full of this.
