BUt now, our Conversation should be answerable; and now we come more fully up to the scope of the Apostle; But our Conversation is in Heaven.
The Conversations of the Saints that are free Citizens of Heaven ought to be answerable; though their Co-habitations be in this world, yet their Conversation it should be in Heaven; in the 7. of Dan. 10. 18. there you reade of the excellent estate of the Saints, But the Saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever: That that is translated here, The Saints of the most High, it is not only meant of the Most High God, but the Saints of the high Places, so ‘tis translated by some, for the Saints are the Saints of high places in regard of their interest in Heaven, and in regard of their Conversations sutable to the place, in the 2. Ephe. 6. And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. The Saints are set in Heavenly places, Heavenly dignitie, Heavenly privileges, Heavenly prerogatives, yea, and they themselves may be said to be in Heavenly places though their bodies be upon the earth, their souls are in Heavenly places, their Conversation is in Heaven, They are the Saints of the High God, and they are set in high places.
You will say, What is this Conversation that is in Heaven that is here spoken of. I shall open it in these particulars.
The first is, The aim and scope of their hearts, it is Heaven-ward that the Saints look at, as their aim and scope is Heaven, they look upon themselves in this world as pilgrims and strangers, Heaven’s their home, and their eye is there, their end, their scope, whatsoever they do it is for Heaven some way or other to fit them for Heaven, and to lay in for Heaven against they shall come and live there, their Conversation therefore is in Heaven: All that they do, eating, drinking, going about their business, yet I say their aim it is Heaven. I remember it’s reported of Anaragorus a Philosopher, that being asked wherefore he liv’d, he said, he was born to contemplate the Heavens, he made it the end of his life for which he was born to contemplate Heaven; Being a Phylosopher and having understanding in the motions of the Heavens, he took such delight in it, that he accounted it the end for which he was born. So the Saints look at Heaven as their Center that they aim at, that’s their scope: we (saith the Apostle) do not look at things that are seen, but at things that are not seen, nothing in the Earth is our scope, but Heaven is our scope, and so their Conversations may be said to be in Heaven in that respect.
Secondly, Their Conversations are in Heaven, for they are acted by Heavenly principles in all their waies.
Heavenly principles you will say, What are they?
This is a Heavenly Principle, That God is all in all: that’s a Principle that the Saints are guided by, in Heaven they look upon God to be all in all unto them, so do the Saints here, in what they do, in what they are, in what they enjoy, they act upon this Principle, that it’s God that is all in all, whatsoever I see in the creature, yet it’s God that is all in all to me, I act by vertue of this Principle.
That God the infinite First-being, is infinitely worthy of all love for himself, that’s a Heavenly Principle: the Saints that are in Heaven, they look upon the infinite excellencie and glorie of God, they look upon him as the First-Being of all things, having all excellencie, and glorie enough to satisfie all creatures for ever, and look upon him as infinitly worthy of all love and service for himself; know this is a heavenly Principle: So the Saints their conversation is in Heaven, they are acted by heavenly principles; I look upon such and such things in the world whereby I may go in credit, encrease, or comfort, this is an earthly principle: But when my heart is so upon God, that it looks upon him as infinitly excellent and worthy of all love, service, fear, honor, and worship for himself alone, whatsoever becomes of the creature God is worthy of all for that infinite excellencie in himself; this is a heavenly principle: and for one to be acted in his life by such a principle as this is, this is to be acted by heavenly principles, not by such low, and base principles as the men of the world are, but by heavenly principles.
Thirdly, Their Conversations are in Heaven. For here though they live in the world, they have communion with the God of Heaven that is above in the whol course of their lives. In the 1. Epistle by John 1. chap. you have divers excellent expressions about our communion with God. In the 3. verse, That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, That ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly, our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And then in another Scripture we reade of the Communion of the holy Ghost, Thereis Communion with the Father, Son, and holy Ghost. Now what makes Heaven but God? we say, where the King is there’s the Court, where God is there’s Heaven, let God be where he will. There is some controversie among some, where the Saints shall be after the Resurrection; some think it shall be still here, and yet with all the glory that the Scripture speaks of. Now it’s no great matter where it be, so it be where God is, those that have Communion with God, they are in Heaven, their Conversation is in Heaven: now it’s that that is the life of the Saints, their Communion with God; thy life it is to have communion with the Creature, that is for thee to close with the contents of the Creature, and the faculty that is in man to tast any thing, or to have any delight in any thing in this world, when there is a sutable object to the facultie, that’s his Communion with the Creature; As now a Drunkard, there is a kind of Communion that he hath meerly with lude company, and with the creature to please his sence for a while, there’s all the communion that he hath: But what a different Conversation is this, for one meerly to please his sence in meat and drink a little while, and another to have communion with Father, Son, and holy Ghost? The Saints here in this world have not an Imaginary but a Real Communion with the Father Son and holy Ghost.