SERMON PHIL. iii. 20. -Our Conversation is in Heaven. HIS to the Philippians is the most ardent, affectionate, and, if I may so speak, inflamed Epistle which has been left us by St. Paul, who, in Zeal and Labour, was the greatest of the Apostles It is throughout but one continued Expreffion of the warmest Zeal and Affection for the Success of the Gospel, and the Salvation of Souls, as consequent upon it; of the greatest Neglect and Contempt of all the Enjoyments, and all the Sufferings of this World; and of the most earnest and restless Defires and Longings after the Enjoyments of another. And the whole is written in fo divine and heavenly a Manner, that it feems impofsible to read and peruse it diligently, without being affected and warmed by it; without feeling more of the Spirit and Devotion of the Apostle, than any Man can express; and without being, in some Meafure, like Saul among the Prophets of the Old Testa M4 ment; ment; who no fooner heard their Conversation and Prophecies but he became a Prophet too. It was written by St. Paul when he was in Bonds, and suffering Persecution for the Cross of Christ; and as he knew not but those Sufferings might bring him to his Grave, they therefore inspired him with fresh Vigour and Life in his Labours, by giving him a nearer Prospect of Heaven. And the Design of the Epistle in general is plainly to offer his own Example to the Philippians, as a Pattern for them to walk by; and to press upon them an Imitation of that Zeal, and Love, and Joy in the Gospel, which they had seen so eminent in him, and of that Heavenly-Mindedness which he here so pathetically breathes out to them. Those Things, says he, which ye have both learned, and received, and beard, and feen in me, do; and the God of Peace shall be with you. And so in the Pafsage of which the Text is a Part, Brethren, fays he, be Followers together of me, and mark them which walk so, as ye have us for an Enfample; for our Conversation is in Hea ven. The Use that I shall at present make of these Words of the Apostle is to confider, I. What is to be understood by having our I. The first Thing to be confidered is, what is to be understood by having our Conversation in Heaven. Under which Expression, I conceive, is signified our having 1. A Knowledge and Belief of it. 2. An Hope in it. 3. Frequent and serious Meditations upon it. 4. Earnest Longings and Defires of it. And 5. Our living in such a Manner as will best prepare us for it. All this is plainly implied in this Expreffion; and all this was the constant Practice of our holy Apostle, who herein recommends his own Example to us, as worthy of our Imitation. 1. The first and lowest Sense which can be put upon these Words is, that they imply our having fome Knowlege of, and Belief in, the Happiness of Heaven, For we can in no Sense be said to converse with those, to whom we are entirely and absolutely Strangers; or to have our Conversation in a Place which we neither know nor believe does exist. And therefore, before we can be faid to have our Conversation in Heaven, we must first be fully convinced that such a Place awaits us; must first know and be assured, that a future Happiness is there prepared for us, before we shall employ so much Care and Solicitude about it, as this Expreffion will appear to imply. He that cometh to God, says the Apostle, must first believe that be is; and he that will converse in Heaven must first believe, that he may come thither: And must know, and be fatisfied, that his Redeemer liveth; and that though after his Skin Worms destroy his Body, yet in his Flesh be shall fee God. - Nor is it enough barely to believe this, we must likewise 2dly, Have some Hope of enjoying it, before we shall be able to converfe with such Subjects. Our Belief that there is such a Place, and that the Happiness of it is ever fo complete and perfect, will very little affect us, unless we can likewife confider ourselves as concerned in it. Our own Happiness is one great End for which we were formed; the Creator has interwoven the Defire of it into our very Make and Constitution; and the Pursuit of it, if rightly understood, is every Man's Duty, in all the Actions of his Life. We shall therefore pursue Heaven with very little Application, unless we are first filled with Expectations of enjoying the Glories of it. Our Conversation there must be founded in, and derived from, the joyful Hopes and Expectation of its Bliss; and it will not be enough to engage our Affections to believe what is written in the Law and the Prophets, unless unless we likewise have Hope towards God, and can rejoice in Hope of enjoying that Glory of God, which, at the great Day of Retribution shall be revealed to ourselves: And therefore I have mentioned this Hope, as the second Particular to be understood by our having a Conversation in Heaven. nevertheless, as this Hope, and the Faith and Knowledge before-mentioned are rather Things implied by that Conversation than Parts of it, I therefore hasten to what is more particularly the Subject of this Discourse, namely, But 3dly, Our having serious and frequent Meditations upon it. This is what the Apoftle must neceffarily and directly mean by having our Conversation in Heaven. For, to converse in Heaven is to retire from the World, and the Concerns of it, and to raise ourselves by devout Contemplations into the Prefence of God. 'Tis to fix our Thoughts with Attention and Seriousness on the Lamb who there fits upon the Throne for ever and ever; and diftinctly to survey, as far as the Powers of Man can do, the many Glories that surround him. 'Tis to confider how happy they must needs be, who shall be admitted to the Sight of the Author of all Perfection, and be made to partake of his Glories, who is the Fountain of all Glory and Happiness. 'Tis to remember that every Defect will here be supplied, every Defire satisfied; and to make ourselves |