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SEVENTH MEDITATION.

HEAVENLY MINDEDNESS.

"Our conversation is in heaven." (Philipp. iii. 20.)

If I am a Christian, I ought to desire "that mind which was in Christ Jesus." (Philipp. ii. 5.) I ought to follow not only "his steps who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth," (1 Pet. ii. 22), but in whose heart and spirit there was not even a thought that did not look towards heaven.

"Where the treasure is, there will the heart be also." (Luke xii. 34.) And if my real joy and hope were in heaven, there would be my business, there would be my life, thither would be the tendency of all my thoughts and cares and wishes.

Let me consider then the mind and spirit of Christ Jesus.

When only twelve years old, he was found in the Temple, disputing with the doctors, and when asked the reason, his reply was-" Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke ii. 49.)

At another time, with a whip of cords, he expelled the unholy merchants from the Temple, zealous for his Father's glory; thereby fulfilling the prophecy of David, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." (John ii. 17, and Ps. lxix. 9.) The synagogue ever found him ready. "As his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up for to read." (Luke iv. 16.) The Passover (John ii. 13), the Feast of Dedication (John x. 22), and all the festivals of his Church and of his country invariably found him in the Holy City prepared to take his part. The worship of his Heavenly Father, both in public and private the prayer by night and day—in temptation his resort to God-in the garden

his submissive cry, "Nevertheless not my will but thine be done," (Mark xiv. 36)—on the cross his bitter complaint, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. xxvii. 46)—and at the last his dying exclamation, "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." (Luke xxiii. 46.) In all these points, I behold the heavenly-mindedness of my Saviour; his reference of all and every thing in life to God; "In all his ways he acknowledged God, and He directed his paths." (Prov. iii. 6.)

And just so was his teaching.

With the worldly-minded Pharisees, he argues- "What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul." (Matt. xvi. 26.) To his disciples, he says"I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn ye whom ye shall fear.

Fear him who, after

he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell." (Luke xii. 5.) Of alms, he says-" Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to

be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. vi. 1.) Of prayer, he says-" When thou prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (Matt. vi. 6.) Of the whole character, he says-Do not look to men-do not estimate your righteousness by theirs but "be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt. v. 48.)

Thus did he ever speak, contrasting the world with heaven, and man with God; counselling us of the variety and shortness of the one, and the joyful eternity of the other. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God." (James iv. 4.) "Ye cannot be the servants of two masters.

if

Ye must hate the one,

ye love the other." (Luke xvi. 13.)

Then let me consider.

Of which am I the friend? Whose servant am I? "They that are of the world speak of

the world," (1 John iv. 5), yea, and think of "God is not in all their thoughts."

the world. (Ps. x. 4.)

"That which is born of God overcometh the world." (1 John v. 4.) If, therefore, I do not overcome the world, the probability is, that I am not born of God. "The victory that overcometh the world is Faith." (1 John v. 4.) If, therefore, I have not succeeded in overcoming the world, the probability is, that I have not sufficient Faith. And if I have not sufficient Faith, where is my Salvation?

Let me not therefore love that which is the enemy of God.

I must not indeed be "slothful in business," but then I must be "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." (Romans xii. 11.) "I must rise up early, and late take rest, and eat the bread of carefulness;" (Ps. cxxvii. 3); but let it be not for worldly gain, but heavenly gain: let: it be "about my Father's business." O let me not think "that my house shall continue for ever, and that my dwelling place shall