How to be Rich in Heaven.
If it is prudent to provide for the time to come, how much more so to provide for eternity! While to be rich in this world is the passion of thousands, to be rich in the next be mine. An appetite after earthly grandeur, betrays a mean spirit, and a base soul; but an ambition to be great in heaven, is worthy of an heir of God, of an expectant of glory: for it is to the honor of the supreme Potentate, that all his subjects be nobles, be priests, be kings. In this short lifetime is the foundation laid of things of eternal moment, and the wisdom that is from above will teach me to send all my treasures thither. It deserves little or no pity to be poor in this world, but poverty in the other is deplorable beyond the reach of compassion. And yet, according to the capacity of glorified saints, shall that same undiminished fulness be possessed in greater or lesser degree. "How rich died he?" is the speech of fools at the decease of an acquaintance or friend. But none ever die rich but the saints; for, how can that man be said to die rich, when the very moment of his dissolution robs him of his all? "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven," is the admonition of the dear Redeemer. Let me, then, lay down an imperfect plan to myself, how to be rich for eternity. 1. Then, pre-supposing that I am in a gracious state, I must have a Christian contempt of the world. No man ever filled his coffers with sand; so monarch ever wore the pebble in his crown; so the soul that lays up his treasures in heaven, will not concern himself with perishing trifles. If my affections are not weaned from the creature, and set on things above, I shall be but poor in the world to come. 2. I must be watchful in all things. The man that is anxious to be rich will not waste a penny; so must I watch mine actions, my thoughts, my words. Again, I must watch for God, against all my secret sins, and also to reprove the transgressor. A bold and sincere reproof of sin, is a stroke against the enemies of the King, from which a palm of victory shall spring in the world of glory. I must also speak in commendation of the good land, that others may be encouraged to set out for the land of promise. Again, I must watch against carnal sorrow. Should the heir of a crown lament the loss of a feather? What can death do in his family who is the resurrection and the life? It may separate them a little while, but it is only to meet again for ever. Worldly riches give their owners joy, but joy in the Lord increases spiritual riches. So I must guard against carnal delight; none of the gay things of time must be objects of my affection. It would be mean for a noble personage to be charmed with a stable, who has a palace prepared for him; mean for an heir of God to sit down and feed on the refuse of the creation. Again, I must beware of carnal company. These are bankrupts that will spend at my expense, and whatever loss I make by them, yet in their company I shall never be able to add a mite to my celestial treasure. How can I be safe among robbers? They may rob me of a good frame, wound my conscience, and at last leave me with a bleeding heart, which may pain me many days. 3. To grow rich for the world to come, I must study to be heavenly-minded, not by fits and starts, but in one constant, steady, holy frame of spirit. Thus every duty will be my delight; prayer and praise, like my daily food, always pleasant; attendance on the public ordinances, like walking in the King's palace garden; reading the scriptures, like conferring with the dearest friend; and self-examination, like the merchant from a far country, counting over his rich jewels and precious gems, inspecting his gold and silver, that it have the King's stamp, and so be sterling money; that his graces, his duties, his at-244tainments, are approved by scripture and conscience. 4. Holy meditations will mightily augment the spiritual riches. To find God in all things, and at all times, in all places, and in all providences, will enrich my soul for eternity. To find his power in this, his wisdom in that, and his goodness in all, will greatly improve my inquiring, my admiring soul. Meditating much, meditating often, meditating with delight, on him in whom are hid the treasures of wisdom, is a noble way to enrich me for a future world. 5. To be rich in the better country, I must heartily study to approve of all the dispensations of Providence; though not insensible when he frowns, or when he smiles. When the soul of the Christian, with a filial resignation, acquiesces in the conduct of his Almighty Father, however cross to flesh and blood, and, in the midst of all commotions, reposes himself on his unchangeable love, he takes deep root for eternity; while fear and unbelief toss the unstable, like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. It is proper only to children, not to men, to be peevish for toys and trifles; so let the men of this world lament the loss of worldly things but let the heirs of God, the joint-heirs with Christ, rejoice that the treasures of eternity are theirs. 6. To be rich unto God, and for eternity, I must act strong faith on the Rock of ages; for it is from the spoils of battles won by faith, that I amass riches for the invisible world. Faith relying on a reconciled God in all attributes and perfections, on Jesus in all his offices and relations, on the Holy Ghost in all his graces and operations, must remove mountains of difficulty, pluck up trees of corruption, pull down strong-holds of sin, wrestle against principalities and powers, and be more than conqueror at last, through her all-glorious Author and Finisher. 7. I must also redeem time, and improve time; redeem time from this world, and improve it for the world to come. The man of business will be loth to lose a change hour for any trifling amusement; and the soul that would be busy for eternity, should look on every hour as his last hour, and should avoid excess of sloth and slumber. Vain amusements, impertinent employments, are cruel moths of time; and time is to be husbanded, though worlds should be squandered away. As the jeweller deals with gold, so must I with time; he is careful about the filings, and loses nothing; so should I about the smallest divisions of time, the hour, the minute, the moment. It never made a dying person's bed thorny, that, by a bad bargain, he lost such and such a sum; but mis-spent time has made the dying moments of many dismal beyond expression. 8. To be rich in the world to come, I must have an intense love towards God and heavenly things. The men that love the world, pant after the dust of the world, and spare no pains to be rich in the world. A man will never toil himself to gather what he despises; so, unless I prefer heavenly things to earthly, I shall never seek to fill my treasure with invisible excellencies. "He that loveth silver," says the wise man, "shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase." But he that loveth God shall be satisfied with God, and entranced with the exuberant fullness of the covenant. 9. To be rich indeed at last, I must endeavor to maintain communion with God now. To have fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, in all his divine fullness, his glorious perfections, and his gracious ways, is the most enriching course that I can carry on below. Every moment of divine intercourse would be sinking another sum in the bank of heaven, so that I should be wondrous rich at last. He that quits the Indies for Europe, sends his treasures before him; then, though he be poor at his departure from the one country, yet he is rich on his arrival at the other; so well were it with me, if I could detach my thoughts and meditations, my care and affections, my joy and delight, my hope and expectation, from this perishing world, and centre them on that which is to come.—Selected.