The saints everlasting rest

Thirdly, a heavenly mind is fortified against temptations, because the affections are pre-possessed with the delights of another world. When the soul is not affected with good, though the understanding never so clearly apprehend the truth, it is easy for Satan to entice that soul. Mere speculations (be they never so true) which sink not into the affections, are poor preservatives against temptations. He that loves most, and not he that knows most, will easiest resist the motions of sin. There is in a christian a kind of spiritual taste, whereby he knows these things, besides his mere reasoning power: the will doth as sweetly relish goodness, as the understanding doth truth; and here lies much of a christian's strength. If you should dispute with a simple man, and labour to persuade him that sugar is not sweet, or that wormwood is not bitter; perhaps you might by sophistry over-argue his mere reason, but yet you could not persuade him against his sense; whereas a man that hath lost his taste, is easier deceived for all his reason. So it is here. When thou hast had a fresh delightful taste of heaven, thou wilt not be so easily persuaded from it: you cannot persuade a very child to part with his apple, while the taste of its sweetness is yet in its mouth.

O that you would be persuaded to be much in feeding on the hidden manna, and to be frequently tasting the delights of heaven! It is true, it is a great way off from our sense, but faith can reach as far as that. How would this raise thy resolutions, and make thee laugh at the fooleries of the world, and scorn to be cheated with such childish toys! What if the devil had set upon Paul when he was in the third heaven? Could he then have persuaded his heart to the pleasures, or profits, or honours of the world? Though the Israelites below may be enticed to idolatry, and from eating and drinking to rise up to play; yet Moses in the mount with GOD will not do so: and if they had ⟨p. 288⟩been where he was, and had but seen what he there saw, perhaps they would not so easily have sinned. O if we could keep our souls continually delighted with the sweetness above, with what disdain should we spit out the baits of sin!