Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses

If you be heirs of glory, the kingdom of God is within you, by virtue of your regeneration and union with Christ. (1.) The kingdom ⟨p. 317⟩of heaven has the throne in thy heart, if thou hast a right to that kingdom: Christ is in thee: and God is in thee; and having chosen him for thy portion, thy soul has taken up its everlasting rest in him, and gets no kindly rest but in him; as the dove, until she came into the ark. To him the soul habitually inclines, by virtue of the new nature, the divine nature, which the heirs of glory are partakers of, Psal lxxiii. 25. "Whom ha•e I in heaven but thee." "And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee," (2.) The laws of heaven are in thy heart, if thou art an heir of heaven, Heb. viii. 10. I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts. Thy mind is enlightened in the knowledge of the laws of the kingdom, by the Spirit of the Lord, the instructor of all the heirs of glory: for whoever may want instruction, sure an heir to a crown shall not want it. It is written in the prophets; and they shall all be taught of God. John vi. 45. Therefore though father and mother leave them early, or be in no concern about their Christian education, and they be soon put to work for their daily bread; yet they shall not lack teaching. Withal thy heart is charged, and thou bearest God's image, which consists in righteousness and true holiness, Eph. iv. 24. Thy soul is reconciled to the whole law of God, and at war with all known sin. In vain do they pretend to the holy kingdom, who are not holy in heart and life; for without holiness no man shall see the Lord, Heb. xii. 14. If heaven is a rest, it is for spiritual labourers, and not for loiterers. If it is an eternal triumph, they are not in the way to it, who avoid the spiritual warfare, and are in no care to subdue corruption, resist temptation, and to cut their way to it, through the opposition made by the devil, the world, and the flesh. (3.) The treasure in heaven is the •hief in thy esteem and desire, for it is your treasure, and where your treasure is, there will your heart be also, Marth. vi. 21. If it is not the things that are seen, but the things that are not seen, which thy heart is in greatest care and concern to obtain; if thou art driving a trade with heaven, and thy chief business lies there; it is a sign thy treasure is there, for thy heart is there.