BOOK 8. THE ASCENSION.
CHAPTER 2.
8.2.9. Of Conforming to Jesus in that Respect.
Of Conforming to Jesus in that Respect.
Let us conform to Jesus in the foresaid respects. A serious beholding of Jesus in his ascension, session, and mission of his Spirit, is enough to change us into the same image from glory to glory. It was the sweet saying of an experienced saint, "View a glorified Christ, see him as in that relation and condition, and you will soon have the sparkles of the same glory in your hearts," Christ is now exalted, he is now in glory at the right hand of God; O let all our actings be glorious! let all our walkings, joys, breathings, be as in glory, "If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God; set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth," Col. iii. 1, 2. I shall not in this transaction lay out many particular conformities to Christ's actings, but gather all into one, contained in this text, which is heavenly conversation; seek things above, set your affections above; Christ is gone up, and Christ is set down at God's right hand; and herein if you will conform, let your hearts be in heaven, let your affections be in heaven, let your conversations be in heaven: it is the apostle's own practice, wherein stood his conformity to Jesus Christ, "For our conversation is in heaven," Phil. iii. 20. I do not know any one thing wherein we can be more like to Christ exalted; whilst we are upon earth, than to have our hearts, our conversations with Christ where he is; now then if we be virtually risen with Christ, and ascended with Christ, and set down with Christ in heavenly places, let us spiritually ascend, and sit down with him in these respects; certainly there is a proportion in our heavenly conversations; Oh! let our conversations be in heaven.
In prosecution of this, I shall examine these queries: -- 1. What do we mean by our conversation in heaven? 2. Why must our conversation be in heaven? and 3. By what means must we come up to this conversation in heaven?
1. What do we mean by our conversation in heaven?
(a). By our conversation in heaven, I mean our aim at heaven; as heaven is our home, so our eye is there: whatever we do, our end, our scope is to fit us for heaven, and to lay in for heaven; "We look not (saith the apostle) at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal," 2 Cor. iv. 18. We look not, that is, we aim not at things which are seen: invisible things are the only scope and aim of a gracious soul.
(b). By our conversation in heaven, I mean our communion with Christ in heaven, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ," 1 John i. 3. As it is amongst friends that converse together, they act mutually for the comfort of one another, there is a mutual embracing and opening of their hearts to one another at every turn; so in our conversings with Christ, there is a communion, or a mutual acting of the soul upon Christ, and of Christ upon the soul; we let out our hearts to Christ, and he lets out his heart to us, especially when we are with Christ in his ordinances; it is not enough to call upon God, and to use some broken-hearted expressions. But, "Oh! What communion have I with Jesus Christ? I cannot be satisfied except I taste and see how good the Lord is; I cannot be quiet. except I hear something from heaven this morning" Why, this Is an heavenly conversation.
(c). By our conversation in heaven, I mean our living according to the laws of heaven; in all our ways we must still enquire. What rule is there from heaven to guide me in these ways? Such and such a thing I have a mind to, but will the law of heaven justify me in this? Have I any word from Jesus Christ to guide me in this? Sometimes indeed my lusts, my own ends, and the common course of the world was my rule, but now I dare not act, but according to the will and sceptre of Jesus Christ, now I am guided by the law of heaven. Why, this is an heavenly conversation.
(d). By our conversation in heaven, I mean our thoughts and meditations of heaven and heavenly things, "When I awake (saith David) I am always with thee," Psal. cxxxix. 18. The hearts of believers are frequently upon their heavenly treasures: as it is storied of queen Mary, that a little before her death, she told them, "If they rip her open, they would find Calais in her heart. So it may be said of them, whose conversation is in heaven, if you rip them up, you shall find heaven in their hearts; not a day passes oven their heads without some converse with heaven, without some thoughts or meditations of heaven and heavenly things.
(e). By our conversation in heaven, I mean our affections on heaven, or on Christ in heaven, "Set your affections on things above," Col. iii, 2, i.e. Set your desires, loves, hopes, joys, breathings on heavenly things, our affections are precious things, and are only to be set on precious objects. Oh! what a shame is it to set our affections on the things of this life? Have we a kingdom, a God, a Christ, a crown in heaven to set Our affections upon? And shall we set them upon dross, and dung, and such base things? Are not all our pleasures and vanities base in comparison of Christ? O! be not we so base to set our affections on earthly things, but rather on God and Christ; and this is our heavenly conversation.
(f). By our conversation in heaven, I mean our tradings, our negociations for heaven, even whilst we are upon earth: the word in the original points at this 'hunon gar to polituteuma en ouranois,' our trading is in heaven; though our bodies be not there, yet our tradings are there; we carry and behave ourselves in this life, as free denizens of the city of heaven, our city whereof we are citizens, and whereunto we have right, is in heaven above, in this respect we trade not for trifles, as other men do, but we trade far great things, for high things, we merchandize for goodly pearls, even for God, and for Christ who sitteth at the right hand of God. We see now what we mean by our conversation in heaven.
2. Why is the conversation of the saints in heaven?
(a). Because they know full well, that the original of their souls came from God and heaven; the body indeed was of the dust of the ground, but the soul was the breath of God; so it is said of the first man, "God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul," Gen. ii. 7. The soul had a more heavenly and divine original than any of the other creatures that are here in this nether world; and when God works grace in the soul, and so it begins to know itself, and to return to itself, it then looks on all things here as vile and as contemptible things; it then looks upwards, and begins to converse with things suitable to its original. As it is with a child that hath a noble birth; if transported into another country, and there used like a slave, there set to rake channels, or (as the prodigal) to feed swine; while he is there and knows not his original, he minds nothing but to get victuals, and to do his work that he is set about; but if once he come to know from whence he was, that he is indeed born heir to such a prince in such a country; O! then his thoughts, and mind, and longings, will be altered; "O that I were in my own country! O that I were with my father in his court!" Even so it is with the souls of the sons of men, they are the birth (as I may so speak) of the great King of heaven and earth, and though by the fall of man they came to be as slaves to Satan, yet when God is pleased to convert the soul, then he discovers thus: Oh man! thou art born from on high, thy soul is (as it were) a sparkle of God himself, thou art come from God, and thou art capable of communion with God, even with God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. O! consider of thy country whence thou earnest at first, certainly thou never hadst such a divine and excellent being given thee, to delight only in the flesh, to be serviceable only to thy body: O! look up unto Jesus. Why, this it is that turns the heart, and sets the conversation on heavenly things.
(b). Because their best and choice things are already in heaven. As their Father is in heaven, and their Saviour is in heaven, thither he ascended, and there now he sits at the right hand of God; their husband is in heaven, their elder brother is in heaven, their King is in heaven, their treasure is in heaven, their inheritance is in heaven, their hope is in heaven, their mansion is in heaven, their chief friends are in heaven, their substance is in heaven, their reward is in heaven, their wages are in heaven: and all these things being in heaven, no marvel their conversations be in heaven.
(c). Because they are going towards heaven, even whilst yet they are on earth. If the (noblemen, as we formerly supposed) do once know his condition, and begins his travel homewards towards his Father's court, will he not every morning that he rises, converse with them that come from his Father to conduct him home? Doth it not do him good to hear any man speak of his Father's country? Is it not in his thoughts, in his talk, in his eye, in his aim, at every step? O my soul, if thou art indeed travelling towards heaven, how shouldst thou but have it in thy motions, affections, conversations? How shouldst thou but daily commune with thy own heart? Heaven is the place that I shall come to, ere long I shall be there; I know that in this world I am but for a while, but in heaven I shall be forever and ever; "we shall be caught up into the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we be ever with the Lord," 1 Thess. iv. 17. Our very travel towards heaven, implies an heavenly conversation, "They go from strength to strength, till every one of them in Zion, appears before God," Psal. lxxxiv. 7.
(d). Because much of heaven is already in the saints, "The kingdom of heaven is within you, saith Christ," Luke xvii. 21. "And knowing in yourselves that ye have a better and an enduring substance," Heb. x. 34. Surely, if the saints have much of heaven within them, it must needs be that their conversation is in heaven; but they know this in themselves; they know it by what God hath revealed in their own hearts; eternal life is already begun in the souls of God's people; heaven is in them, and therefore no marvel if their conversation be in heaven. My meaning is not as if the saints had no other heaven but that within them: I know there is a heaven above, but some pieces or earnests, or seeds, or beginnings of that heaven above is within them. Is there not a renewed nature, an image of God, a spark of life, a drop of glory, in God's people? Surely yes; and if so, all these will work heaven-ward; principles of grace will have some actings of grace till we come to glory.
3. By what means should we attain or come to have our conversation in heaven?
(a). Let us watch opportunities for heavenly exercises. God now by his ministers calls, "Come ye to the waters; come ye, buy and eat; come, buy wine and milk without money: come to me, and your souls shall live," Isa. lv. 1, 3. "Why, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation," 2 Cor. vi. 2. Whilst ministers call, and we live under the droppings of the word, these are opportunities for heaven; O then! he that never prayed, let him now pray; and he that never heard, let him now hear; the Lord is now come near to us; Christ Jesus is calling, and mercy is entreating, and love is beseeching and wisdom is even hoarse with crying after us; O lay hold on these opportunities for heavenly exercises! and then we shall come up to heavenly conversation.
(b). Take heed of resting in the formality of duties, many souls that have enlightenings of conscience, dare not but take opportunities for heavenly duties; but then comes in the temptations of the devil, and corruptions of their own hearts, and they say, now duty is done, our task is over, and what needs more? Alas, alas, it is not what have we done, but where have we been? What, have our souls been in heaven, with God and with Christ? Have we had any communion with the Father, and with the Son in our duties? O take heed of formality! it will exceedingly hinder our conversation in heaven; O keep our eye still upon our heart! ask in duty, what affections have been acted? How much are we got nearer heaven thereby? And by this means we shall come to an heavenly conversation.
(c). Let us look up unto Jesus, as hanging on the cross, and as sitting on the throne; this is the apostle's rule, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God," Heb. xii. 2. These two are the objects of a Christian's look, who studies an heavenly conversation, viz. Christ's cross, and Christ's session; by the cross he is the author, and by the throne he is the finisher of our faith; in the first, is set down his love to us; in the second, is set down our hope of him; with high wisdom hath the Holy Ghost exhorted us, with these two motives, to run and not to faint; first, Here is love, love in the cross, "Who loved us, and gave himself for us a sacrifice on the cross," Eph. v. 21. 2. Here is hope, hope in the throne, "To him that overcometh, will I give to sit with me in my throne," Rev. iii. 21. After Christ's death, he arose again, ascended, and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God; and the same is our blessed hope, Christ's throne is not only his place, but ours also; the love of his cross is to us a pledge of the hope of his throne, or of whatsoever else he is worth. Come then, and settle your thoughts and look on this blessed object; a sight of Christ's cross, but especially of Christ's throne, is a blessed mean to wean us from the world, and to elevate and raise up our affections to things above, yea, to form and frame our conversations towards heaven.
(d). Let us wait for the appearing of Jesus Christ, "Our conversation is in heaven, (saith the apostle.) from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ," Phil. iii. 20. Where a man's conversation is, there his expectation may be, and where his expectations are, there a man's conversation is, and will be; if we expect ere long that the Lord Jesus will appear in glory, and that we shall see him, not with other, but with these same eyes, the very waiting for these things, will help our conversation to be heaven-ward. Certainly the day is a coming, when Jesus Christ shall come with his angels in his glory, and then shall the bodies of the saints, shine gloriously before the face of God and Jesus Christ: O the wonder of this day! the glory of Christ shall then darken the glory of the sun, and moon, and stars, but my body shall not be darkened, but rather it shall shine like the glorious body of Jesus Christ; if a candle should be raised to have so much lustre and beauty, as if you should put it into the midst of the sun, yet it would shine, you would think it a strange kind of light; surely it shall be so with the bodies of saints, for though they are put into the midst of the glory of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ, yet their bodies shall shine in beauty and lustre there; now, did we believe this, and wait for it every day, how should it change us? How would it work us to an heavenly conversation? I have a diseased and lumpish body, and my body hinders me in every duty of God's worship, but within a while Christ will come in his glory, and then he will make my body like unto his glorious body, so that I shall be able to look upon the face of God, and to be exercised in holy duties to all eternity, without weariness, without intermission; I have many things here that trouble my mind and spirit, and that hinder me in my converse with heaven, and heavenly things; but within a while Christ will appear with his mighty angels, to be admired of his saints, and then shall I sit as an assessor on the throne, with Jesus Christ to judge the world, and then shall I live forever with him, to be where he is, and enjoy all he has, yea, all that he hath purchased for me by his blood; Oh let me wait for this! let me look for it every day! God hath but a little work for me here on earth, and when that is done, this shall be my condition. Christians! if but every day we would work these things on our souls, it would be a mighty help to make our conversations, heavenly conversations.
(e). Let us observe the drawings and movings, and windings of the Spirit, and follow his dictates; to this purpose Christ ascended, and sat down at God's right hand, and sent down the Holy Spirit, that the Holy Ghost being come down, he might do his office in bringing on our souls towards salvation; and if ever our souls get above this earth, and get acquainted with this living in heaven, it is the Spirit of God that must be as the chariot of Elijah, yea, the very living principle by which we must move and ascend; O then take heed of quenching its motions, or resisting its workings! take we heed of grieving our guide, or knocking off the chariot wheels of this Holy Spirit. We little think how much the life of graces, and the happiness of our souls doth depend upon our ready and cordial obedience to the Spirit of God; when he forbids us our known transgressions, and we will go on, when he tells us which is the way, and which is not, and we will not regard; no wonder if we are strangers to an heavenly conversation; if we will not follow the Spirit, while it would draw us to Christ, how should it lead us to heaven, or bring our hearts into the presence of God? O learn we this lesson! and let not only the motions of our bodies, but also the very thoughts of our hearts be at the Spirit's beck; do we not sometimes feel a strong impulsion to retire from the world, and to draw near to God! O let us not despise or disobey! but take we the offer, and hoist up our sail, while we may have this blessed gale; if we cherish these motions, and hearken to the Spirit, O what a supernatural help should we find to this heavenly-mindedness or heavenly conversation?
Thus far we have looked on Jesus, as our Jesus in his ascension, session, and mission of his Holy Spirit; our next work is to look on Jesus carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his intercession, which he makes, and will make to his Father on our behalf, till his second coming to judgment.