The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

he presently adds, where your treasure is, there will your ⟨p. 264⟩hearts be also. If thy treasure, thy great interests, thy precious, and most valuable good, be above; that will attract thy heart, it will certainly be disposed thitherward.

Yet here it must carefully be considered; that, in as much as this blessedness is thy end, i. e. thy Supreme good (as the notion of treasure, also imports) Thy heart must be set upon it above any other enjoyment; else all is to no purpose. 'Tis not a faint, slight, overmastered inclination that will serve the turn; but (as all the forementioned Scriptures import) such as will bespeak it a mans business to seek heaven, his main work; and give ground to say of him, his heart is there. If two lovers solicit the same person, and, speaking of them in comparisons she say, this hath my heart; is it tolerable to understand her, as meaning him she loves less? so absurd would it be to understand Scriptures, that speak of such an intention of heart heaven-ward; as if the faintest desire, or coldest wish, or most lazy, inconstant endeavour were all they meant. No, 'tis a steady prevalent, victorious direction of heart towards the future glory, in comparison whereof, thou despisest all things else (all temporal, terrene things) that must be the (evidential) ground of thy hope to enjoy it. And therefore in this, deal faithfully with thy own soul, and demand of it; Dost thou esteem this blessedness above all things else? Do the thoughts of it continually return upon thee? and thy mind and heart, as it were naturally, run out to it? Are thy chiefest solicitudes, and ⟨p. 265⟩cares taken up about it, least thou shouldst fall short, and suffer a disappointment? Dost thou savour it with pleasure? hath it a sweet and grateful relish to thy Soul? dost thou bend all thy powers to pursue, and press on towards it? Urge thy self to give answer truly to such enquiries; and to consider them seriously, that thou mayest do so.