The saints everlasting rest

Secondly, A heavenly mind is freest from sin, because it is of clearest understanding in spiritual matters. A man that is much in conversing above, hath truer and livelier apprehensions of things concerning ⟨p. 285⟩GOD and his soul, than any reading or learning can beget: though perhaps he may be ignorant in divers controversies, and matters that less concern salvation; yet those truths which must establish his soul, and preserve him from temptation, he knows far better than the greatest scholars; he hath so deep an insight into the evil of sin, the vanity of the creature, the brutishness of sensual delights, that temptations have little power on him; for these earthly vanities are Satan's baits, which with the clear-sighted have lost their force. In vain (saith Solomon) the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And in vain doth Satan lay his snares to entrap the soul that plainly sees them. When the heavenly mind is above with GOD, he may from thence discern every danger that lies below: nay, if he did not discover the snare, yet were he likelier far to escape it than any others. A net or bait that is laid on the ground, is unlikely to catch the bird that flies in the air; while she keeps above, she is out of the danger, and the higher the safer; so it is with us. Satan's temptations are laid on the earth, earth is the place, and earth is the ordinary bait: how shall these ensnare the christian, who hath left the earth and walks with GOD?

Secondly, A heavenly mind is freest from sin, because it is of clearest understanding in spiritual matters. A man that is much in conversing above, hath truer and livelier apprehensions of things concerning ⟨p. 285⟩GOD and his soul, than any reading or learning can beget: though perhaps he may be ignorant in divers controversies, and matters that less concern salvation; yet those truths which must establish his soul, and pr•serve him from temptation, he knows far better than the greatest scholars; he hath so deep an insight into the evil of sin, the vanity of the creature, the brutishness of sensual delights, that temptations have little power on him; for these earthly vanities are Satan's baits, which with the clear-sighted have lost their force. In vain (saith Solomon) the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And in vain doth Satan lay his snares to ontrap the soul that plainly sees them. When the heavenly mind is above with GOD, he may from thence discern every danger that lies below: nay, if he did not discover the snare, yet were he likelier far to escape it than any others. A net or bait that is laid on the ground, is unlikely to catch the bird that flies in the air; while she keeps above, she is out of the danger, and the higher the safer; so it is with us. Satan's temptations are laid on the earth, earth is the place, and earth is the ordinary bait: how shall these ensnare the christian, who hath left the earth and walks with GOD?