BUt you will say, How should we do to get this our Conversasation to be in Heaven? it’s an excellent Conversation indeed, Oh that we might attain unto it!
The First Rule
First, Take this Rule, Be perswaded that it is attainable. Let Christians conclude thus with themselves, it is possible for me to live a life of Heaven while I am upon the earth: There is a Heaven to be got, it will mightily stir up the spirit of a Christian if he do beleeve this. I may live in Heaven here, with God, and Christ, and his Angels, and Saints; there are some that have attain’d to this; and how have they attain’d to it? not by their own strength, they were men subject to the same infirmities that you are, even Paul himself that had his Conversation in Heaven, was subject to many infirmition But through the strength of Christ he can do all things, he was nothing in himself; reade but the 7. of the Romans, Paul saith there of himself, that he was even sold under sin, and when he would do good, evil was present with him: and he was led captive, and he found a Law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind, and he had many corruptions and was feign to have a prick in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to humble him: and he spake of this Heavenly Conversation, not only that he had it himself, but writing to the Philippians they attain’d to it; they were a Church that were very spiritual, but were but poor and mean in respect of some others, and they had not those eminent gifts that the Corinthians had, and yet the Philippians had their Conversations in Heaven: therefore it is a thing that is attainable.
The Second Rule
Secondly, If you would get your Conversations in Heaven, Labor to keep a cleer conscience, keep a Heaven in your conseience. Those men that do fully and defile their consciences, they lose their intercourse with Heaven, and indeed, the presence of the God of Heaven is tedious to them, they be loth to go into his presence when once they have defiled consciences, If there be a Hell in a mans conscience, there will not be a Heaven in his Conversation., but let men and women labor to keep conscience clean, and a Heaven there, and then there will be a Heaven in their Conversations.
The Third Rule
Watch opportunicies for Heavenly exercises, though you have much business in the world, watch time. You that are servants, you should not indeed neglect your Masters business, for you may serve God in the work of your Master, but yet you must watch opportunities; get alone, and if you cannot have any long time let it be so much the frequenter, watch all opportunities for Heavenly exercises, for meditation, for prayer, for reading, for conversing with God: Oh! we might get many opportunities to get our souls in Heaven if we would but watch; and those that are diligent to watch opportonities for Heavenly exercises, and prize opportunities for them, they are the men and women that will come to attain to a Heavenly Conversation, that do not’ make it as a light matter whether they have converse with God or no in holy duties: Christians that would have their Conversations in Heaven, they must look upon their opportunities for Heavenly exercises, they eye them, as that wherein much of the joy and comfort of their lives consists.
The Fourth Rule
Forget not this in the next place, (I speak now to Christians that would feign have their Conversations in Heaven) I say to you, Take heed and be careful that you rest not in formallity; watch to get opportunities, but be not formal in duties in them. Oh! this will mightily darken your Conversations, it will make them very earthly, there will be no beauty at all in them if you come to rest in formallity in holy performances: There’s many Christians that we hope may have some good at the bottom, yet growing to a form in Religion they never honor their profession, they have little comfort to their own souls, they go on in a dead hearted condition, they know not what it is to have communion with God, Oh beware of that; that we are all by nature subject too; those that have enlightenings of conscience, they dare not but take opportunities for Heavenly duties; but then comes in the temptation of the Devil, and the corruption of our own hearts; when I have done my task, then it’s over, I have prayed, I but you have been in Heaven that while? what converse with God have you had there? Oh take heed of formallity! it will exceedingly hinder your Conversation. But now, a Christian though of never such weak parts, can but chatter to God, and speak a few broken words and half sentences, yet if he doth not rest in formallity he may have much converse with God, whereas others that have excellent parts, yet resting in the work done, never knows what the meaning is of having a Conversation in Heaven.