3.10.2014 'THE HEAVENLY FOOTMAN' by john bunyan

the following is taken from john bunyan's 'searching works'

or a description of THE MAN THAT GETS TO HEAVEN:
together with
The Way He Runs In and The Marks He Goes By.
also some directions
HOW TO RUN SO AS TO OBTAIN.

'and it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad,
that he said, 'escape for thy life;
look not behind thee,
neither stay thou in all the plain;
escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. genesis 19.17.

the author's epistle to all SLOTHFUL AND CARELESS PEOPLE.

friend,
solomon saith, that 'the desire of the slothful killeth him'
and if so, what will slothfulness itself do to those that entertain it?
the proverb is, 'he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame'
and this i dare be bold to say,
no grater shame can befall a man, than to see that he hath fooled away his soul and sinned away eternal life.
and i am sure this is the next way to do it; namely,
to be slothful;
slothful, i say, in the work of salvation.
the vineyard of the slothful man,
in reference to the things of this life,
is not fuller of briars, nettles and stinking weeds
than he that is slothful for heaven,
hath his heart full of heart -choking and soul-damning sin.

slothfulness hath these two evils:
first, to neglect the time in which it should be getting heaven
and by that means doth in the second place,
bring in untimely repentance.
i will warrant you, that he who should lose his soul in this world through slothfulness,
will have no cause to be glad thereat when he comes to hell.
slothfulness is usually accompanied with carelessness
and carelessness is for the most part begotten by senselessness
and senselessness doth again put fresh strength into slothfulness
and by this means the soul is left remediless.
slothfulness shutteth out Christ; slothfulness shameth the soul.

slothfulness is condemned even by the feeblest of all the creatures.
'go to the any, thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise'.
'the sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold'
that is, he will not break up the fallow ground of his heart,
because there must be some pains taken by him that will do it;
'therefore he shall beg in harvest';
that is, when the saints of God shall have their glorious heaven and happiness given to them;
but the sluggard 'shall have nothing';
that is, be never the better for his crying for mercy; according to that in matthew 25.10-12

if you would know a sluggard in the things of heaven,
compare him with one that is slothful in the things of this world.
as
1. he that is slothful is loath to set about the work he should follow;
so is he that is slothful for heaven.
2. he that is slothful is one that is willing to make delays;
so is he that is slothful for heaven.
3/ he that is a sluggard, any small matter that cometh in between, he will make it sufficient excuse
to keep him off from plying his work :
so it is also with him that is slothful for heaven.
4. he that is slothful doeth his work by the halves
and so it is with him that is slothful for heaven.
he may almost, but he shall never altogether, obtain perfection of deliverance from hell;
he may almost, but he shall never (without he mend) be altogether a saint.
5. they that are slothful do usually lose the season in which things are to be done;
and thus it is also with them that are slothful for heaven;
they miss the seasons of grace. and therefore,
6. they that are slothful have seldom or never, good fruit;
so also it will be with the soul sluggard.
7. they that are slothful, are chid for the same;
so also will Christ deal with those that are not active for Him.
'thou wicked and slothful servant, out of thine own mouth will i judge thee.
thou saidst I was thus and thus; wherefore then gavest thou not my money to the bank? etc.
take the unprofitable servant and cast him into utter darkness,
where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

what shall i say?
1. time runs and will be be slothful?
2. much of your lives are past and will you be slothful?
3. your souls are worth a thousand worlds and will ye be slothful?
4. the day of death and judgment is at the door and will you be slothful?
5. the curse of God hangs over your heads and will you be slothful?
6. besides, the devils are earnest, laborious and seek by all means every day,
by every sin, to keep you our of heaven and hinder you of salvation and will you be slothful?
7. also your neighbors are diligent for things that will perish
and will you be slothful for things that will endure for ever/
8. would you be willing to be damned for slothfulness?
9.would you be willing the angels of God should neglect to fetch your souls away to heaven
when you lie a dying and the devils stand by ready to scramble for them?
10. was Christ slothful in the work of your redemption?
11. are his ministers slothful in tendering this unto you?
12. and lastly, if this will not move, i tell you
god will not be slothful or negligent to damn you, (their damnation slumbereth not, II peter 2.3)
nor will the devils neglect to fetch thee, nor hell neglect to shut its mouth upon thee.

sluggard, art thou asleep still?
art thou resolved to sleep the sleep of death?
wilt thou say still, yet a little sleep a little slumber and a little folding of the hands to sleep?
wilt thou yet turn thyself in thy sloth, as the door is turned upon the hinges?
o that i was one that was skillful in lamentation and had but a yearning heart towards thee,
how i would pity thee!
who would i bemoan thee!
o that i could with jeremiah let my eyes run down with rivers of water for thee?
poor soul, lost soul, dying soul, what a hard heart have i that i cannot mourn for thee!
if thou shouldst lose but a limb, a child or a friend, it would not be so much;
but poor man, it is THY SOUL!
if it was to lie in hell but for a day, but for a year, nay, ten thousand years,
it would (in comparison be nothing;
but O it is FOR EVER!
what a soul amazing word will that be, which saith,
'depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire! etc.

objection 'but if i should set in and run as you would have me,
then i must run from all my friends;
for none of them are running that way'.

answer. and if thou dost, thou wilt run into the bosom of Christ and of God
and then what harm will that do thee?

objection. 'but if i run this way, then i must run from all my sins'.

answer. that is true indeed, yet if thou dost not, thou wilt run into hell fire.

objection. 'but if i run this way, then i shall be hated, and lose the love of my friends and relations
and or those that i expect benefit from or have reliance on
and i shall be mocked of all my neighbours'.

answer. and if thou dost not, thou art sure to lose the love and favor of God and Christ
the benefits of heaven and glory and be mocked of God for thy folly.
'I will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh'.
if thou wouldst not be hated and mocked then,
take heed thou by thy folly dost not procure the displeasure and mockings of the great god;
for His mocks and hatred will be terrible, because they will fall upon thee in terrible times,
even when tribulation and anguish taketh hold on thee;
which will be when death and judgment comes, when all the men in the earth
and all the angels in heaven , cannot help thee.

objection. 'but surely i may begin this, time enough, a year or two hence; may i not?'

answer. first, hast thou any lease of thy life?
did ever God tell thee thou shalt live half a year or two months longer?
nay, it may be, thou mayst not live so long.
and therefore, secondly, wilt thou be so sottish (stupified with or as with drink) and unwise,
as to venture thy soul upon a little uncertain time?
thirdly, dost thou know whether the day of grace will last a week longer or not?
for the day of grace is past with some before their life is ended;
and if it should be so with thee, wouldst thou not say,
'o that i had begun to run before the day of grace had been past
and the gates of heaven shut against me'.
but, fourthly, if thou shouldst see any of thy neighbours
neglect the making sure of either house or land to themselves,
if they had it proffered to them, saying,'time enough hereafter', -when the time is uncertain
and besides, they do not know whether ever it will be proffered to them again or no:
i say, wouldst thou not call them fools?
and if so, then dost thou think that thou art a wise man to let thy immortal soul hang over hell by a thread of uncertain time,
which may soon be cut asunder by death?

but to speak plainly, all these are the words of a slothful spirit.
arise, man! be slothful no longer
set foot and heart and all into the way of God and run.
the crown is at the end of the race.
there also standeth the loving forerunner, even Jesus, who hath prepared heavenly provision
to make thy soul welcome
and He will give it thee with a willinger heart than ever thou canst desire it of Him.
O therefore do not delay the time any longer;
but put into practice the words of the men of Dan to their brethren,
after they had seen the goodness of the land of canaan
'arise, say they, for we have seen the land and behold it is very good and are ye still?
(or do you forbear running?)
be not slothful to go and to enter to possess the land.'

farewell. i wish our souls may meet with comfort at the journey's end.  john bunyan....

chapter II directions for this heavenly course

question. 'but how should a poor soul do so to run?
for this very thing is that which afflicteth me sore...to think that i may run and yet fall short.
methinks to fall short at last, oh! it fears me greatly!
pray, tell me therefore, how i should run.

answer. that thou mayst indeed be satisfied in this particular, consider these following things.

the first direction. if thou wouldst so run as to obtain the kingdom of heaven,
then BE SURE THAT THOU GET INTO THE WAY THAT LEADETH THITHER.
for it is a vain thing to think that ever thou shalt have the prize,
though thou runnest ever so fast, unless thou art in the way that leads to it.
set the case, that there should be a man in london that was to run to york for a wager;
now, though he run ever so swiftly, yet if he run full south,
he might run himself out of breath, and be never the nearer the prize, but rather the farther off.
just so it is here.
it is not simply the runner, nor yet the hasty runner, that winneth the crown,
unless he be in the way that leadeth thereto.
i have observed, (that little time which i have been a professor)
that there is a great running to and fro, some this way and some that way;
yet it is to be feared most of them are out of the way
and then, though they run as swift as the eagle can fly they are benefited nothing at all.

here is one runs a Quaking, another a Ranting.
one again runs after the Baptism and another after the Independency.
here is one for Free will and another for Presbytery.
and yet possibly most of all these sects run quite the wrong way
and yet every one is for his life, his soul, either for heaven or hell!

if thou now say, which is the way?
i tell thee it is CHRIST, the son of mary, the Son of God.
Jesus saith, 'I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by Me'.
so then thy business is (if thou wouldst have salvation)
to see if Christ be thine, with all His benefits;
whether he hath covered thee with his righteousness;
whether he hath covered thee with His righteousness;
whether He hath showed thee that thy sins are washed away with his heart blood;
whether thou art planted into Him
and whether thou have faith in Him, so as to make a life out of Him
and conform thee to Him;
that is such faith as to conclude that thou art righteous, because Christ is thy righteousness
and so constrained to walk with Him as the joy of thy heart, because he saved thy soul.
and for the Lord's sake take heed and do not deceive thyself and think thou art in the way upon too slight grounds;
for if thou miss of the way, thou wilt miss of the prize
and if thou miss of that, i am sure thou wilt lose thy soul,
even that soul which is worth more than the whole world.

...only i beseech thee to have a care of thy soul.
and that thou mayst so do, take this counsel.
mistrust thy own strength and throw it away.
down on thy knees in prayer to the Lord, for the Spirit of truth;
search His word for direction.
flee seducers' company.
keep company with the soundest christians, that have most experience of Christ
and be sure thou have a care of Quakers, Ranters, Freewillers;
also do not have too much company with some anabaptists, though i go under that name myself.

i tell thee this is such a serious matter and i fear thou wilt so little regard it,
that the thoughts of the worth of the thing and of thy too light regarding it,
doth even make my heart ache whilst i am writing to thee.
the Lord teach thee the way by His Spirit and then i am sure thou wilt know it. so RUN.

only, by the way, let me bid thee have a care of two things and so i shall pass to the next thing.
1. have a care of relying on thy outward obedience to any of gods commands
or thinking thyself ever the better in the sight of god for that.
2. take heed of fetching peace for thy soul from any inherent righteousness.
but, if thou canst, believe that as thou art a sinner,
so thou art justified freely by the love of God,
through the redemption that is in Christ
and that God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven thee,
not because He saw anything done or to be done, in or by thee, to move Him thereunto to do it.
because this is the right way, the lord put thee into it, and keep thee in it!

the second direction-as thou shouldst get into the way, so thou wouldst also
BE MUCH IN STUDYING AND MUSING ON THE WAY.
you know men that would be expert in any thing, are usually much in the studying of that thing
and so likewise is it with those that quickly grow expert in anything.
this therefore thou shouldst do.

let thy study be much exercised about Christ, who is the say;
what He is
what he hath don
and why he is what he is
and why he hath done what is done
as why He bare the sins of the world
why he was made sin
and why he was made righteousness
why He is in heaven in the nature of man,
and what He doth there.
be much in musing and considering of these things.

be thinking also, enough for thy warning,
of those places which thou must not come near
but leave some on this hand and some on that hand;
as it is with those that travel into other countries.
they must leave such a gate on this hand and such a bush on that hand
and go by such a place where standeth such a thing.
thus therefore you must do.
avoid such things as are expressly forbidden in the word of God.
'withdraw thy foot far from her and come not nigh the door of her house;
for her steps take hold of hell, going down to the chambers of death'.
and so of every thing that is not in the way,
have a care of it that thou go not by it;
come not near it,
have nothing to do with it. SO RUN.

the third direction-not only thus, but, in the next place thou must
STRIP THYSELF OF THOSE THINGS THAT MAY HANG UPON THEE,
TO THE HINDERING OF THEE IN THE WAY TO
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVE:
as covetousness, pride, lust or whatever else thy heart may be inclining unto,
which may hinder thee in this heavenly race.
men that run for a wager, (if they intend to win as well as run,)
do not use to encumber themselves or carry those things about them
that may be a hindrance to them in their running.
'every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things'.
that is, he layeth aside every thing that would be any wise a disadvantage to him;
as saith the apostle, 'let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us'.

it is but a vain thing to talk of going to heaven,
if thou let thy heart be encumbered with those things that would hinder.
would you not say that such a man would be in danger of losing, though he run,
if he fill his pockets with stones, hang heavy garments on his shoulders
and great lumpish shoes on his feet?
so it is here.
thou talkest of going to heaven and yet fillest thy pockets with stones;
that is, fillest thy heart with this world;
lettest that hang on thy shoulders, with its profits and pleasures.
also, alas! thou art widely mistaken.
it thou intendest to win, thou must strip,
thou must lay aside every weight,
thou must be temperate in all things.
thous must SO RUN.

THE FOURTH DIRECTION, beware of by paths.
take heed thou dost not turn into those lanes which lead out of the way.
there are crooked paths, paths in which men go astray,
paths that lead to death and damnation;
but take heed of all those.
some of them are dangerous because of PRACTICE, some because of OPINION; but mind them not.
mind the path before thee;
look right before thee;
turn neither to the right hand nor to the left,
but let thine eyes look right on, even right before thee.
'ponder the path of they feet and let all thy ways be established'.
'turn not to the right hand of to the left. remove thy foot from evil'.
this counsel being not so seriously taken as given, is the reason of that starting from opinion to opinion,
reeling this way and that way,
out of this lane into that lane
and so missing the way to the kingdom.

though the say to heaven be but one,
yet there are many cooked lanes and by paths shoot down upon it, i may say.
and again, notwithstanding the kingdom of heaven be the biggest city,
yet usually those by paths are most beaten, most travellers go those ways
and therefore the way to heaven is hard to be found and hare to be kept in, by reason of these.
yet nevertheless, it is in this case as it was with the harlot of jericho.
she had one scarlet threads tied in her window, by which her house was known;
so it is here, the scarlet stream of Christ's blood runs thoughout the way to the kingdom of heaven.
therefore mind that: see if thou do find the be sprinkling of the blood of Christ in the way;
and if thou do, be of good cheer; thou art in the right way. SUFFER/DENY/DIE

but have a care thou beguile not thyself with a fancy;
for then thou mayst light into any lane or way.
but that thou mayst not be mistaken, consider, though it seem ever so pleasant,
yet if thou do not find that in the very middle of the road there is written with the heart blood of Christ,
that He came into the world to save sinners and that we are justified though we are ungodly,
SHUN THAT WAY.
for this it is which the apostle meaneth men He saith, we have
'boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which He hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, His flesh'.
how easy a matter is it in this our day, for the devil to be too cunning for poor souls,
by calling his bypaths the way to the kingdom!
if such an opinion or fancy be but cried up by one or more, this inscription being set upon it by the devil,
'this is the way of god',
how speedily, greedily and by heaps, do poor simple souls throw away themselves upon it;
especially if it be daubed over with a few external acts of morality, if so good!
but this is because men do not know painted by paths from the plain way to the kingdom of heaven.
they have not yet learned the true Christ and what His righteousness is;
neither have they a sense of their own insufficiency;
but are bold, proud, presumptuous and self conceited. and therefore, take.

the fifth direction
-DO NOT THOU BE TOO MUCH IN LOOKING TOO HIGH IN THY JOURNEY HEAVENWARDS.
you know men that run a race do not use to stare and gaze this way and that;
neither do they use to cast up their eyes too high;
lest haply, through their too much gazing with their eyes after other things,
they in the mean time stumble and catch a fall.
the very same case is this;
if thou gaze and stare after every opinion and way that comes into the world,
also if thou be prying overmuch in god's secret decrees
or let thy heart too much entertain questions about some nice, foolish curiosities,
thou mayst stumble and fall;
as many hundreds in england have done, both in Ranting and Quakery, to their eternal overthrow,
without the marvellous operation of god's grace
be suddenly stretched forth to bring them back again.

take heed therefore.
follow not that proud, lofty spirit,
that devil like, cannot be content with his own station.
david was of an excellent spirit, where he saith,
"Lord, my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty;
neither do i exercise myself in great matters or in things too high for me.
surely i have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother;
my soul is even as weaned child'
do thou SO RUN.

the sixth direction
-take heed that you HAVE NOT AN EAR OPEN TO EVERYONE THAT CALLETH after YOU
as you are in your journey.
men that run, you know, if any do call after them, saying,
'i would speak with you' or 'go not too fast, and you shall have my company with you'
-if they run for some great matter, they use to say, 'alas! i cannot stay,
i am in haste; pray, talk not to me now;
neither can i stay for you;
i am running for a wager:
if i win, i am made;
if i lose, i am undone; and therefore hinder me not,
BUT THOU FOR THE INCORRUPTIBLE GLORY.

i give thee notice of this betimes, knowing that thou shalt have enough call after thee,
even the devil
sin
this world vain company
pleasures
profits
esteem among men
ease
pomp
pride
together with an innumerable company of such companions;
one crying, 'stay for me'
the other saying, 'do not leave me behind'
a third saying, 'and take me along with you'.
'what! will you go, saith the devil, without your sins, pleasures and profits?
are you so hasty?
can you not stay and take these along with you?
-have a care thou do not let thine ear now be open to the tempting, enticing, alluring and soul entangling flatteries of such sink souls as these are.
'my son, saith solomon, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not'.

you know what it cost the young man whom solomon speaks of (in the 7th of proverbs)
that was enticed by a harlot.
'with much fair speech she won him and caused him to yield;
with the flattering  of her lips she forced him, till he went after her as an ox to the slaughter,
as a fool to the correction of the stocks';
even so far, till the dart struck through his live and he knew not that it was for his life.
'hearken unto me now, therefore, saith he,
o ye children and attend to the words of my mouth:
let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths;
for she hath cast down many wounded;
yea, many strong men have been slain, (that is, kept out of heaven) by her.
her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death'.
soul, take this counsel and say,
'satan, sin, lust, pleasure, profit, pride, friends, companions and everything else
-let me alone, stand off, come not nigh me; for i am running for heaven, for my soul, for God, for Christ
-from hell and everlasting damnation!
if i win, i win all
and if i lose, i lose all!
let me alone, for i will not hear'.  SO RUN.

the seventh direction. -in the next place,
BE NOT DAUNTED, THOUGH THOU MEETEST WITH EVER SO MANY DISCOURAGEMENTS
in thy journey thither.
that man that is resolved for heaven,
if satan cannot win him by flatteries, he will endeavour to weaken him by discouragements; saying,
'thou art a sinner',
'thou hast broken God's law',
'thou art not elected',
'thou comest to late, the day of grace is past',
'God doth not care for thee',
'thy heart is naught',
'thou art lazy',
with a hundred other discouraging suggestions.
and thus it was with david, where he saith,
'i had fainted, unless i had believed to see the goodness of the lord, in the land of the living'.
as if he should say, 'the devil did so rage and my heart was so base, that had i judged according to my own sense and feeling, i had been absolutely distracted.
but i trusted to Christ in the promise and looked that God would be as good as His promise,
in having mercy upon me, an unworthy sinner;
and this is that which encouraged me, and kept me from fainting'.

and thus must thou do when satan or the law or thy conscience, do go about to dishearten thee,
either by the greatness of they sins,
the wickedness of thy heart,
the tediousness of the way,
the loss of outward enjoyments,
the hatred that thou wilt procure from the world or the like
then thou must encourage thyself with the freeness of the promise
the tender heartedness of Christ,
the merits of his blood,
the freeness of His invitations to come in,
the greatness of the sin of others that have been pardoned
and that the same god, through the same Christ
holdeth forth the same grace as free as ever.
if these be not thy meditations, thou wilt draw very heavily in the way of heaven
if thou do not give up all for lost and so knock off from following any farther.
therefore, i say, take heart in thy journey
and say to them that seek thy destruction,
'rejoice not against me, O mine enemy:
when i fall, i shall arise;
when i sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.

the eighth direction
-TAKE HEED OF BEING OFFENDED AT THE CROSS THAT THOU MUST GO BY,
BEFORE THOU COME TO HEAVEN.
you must understand (as i have already touched) that
there is no man that goeth to heaven but he must go by the cross.
the cross is the standing way mark, by which all they that go to glory must pass.

'we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of god'.
'yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution'.
if thou art in thy way to the kingdom,my life for thine,
thou wilt come at the cross shortly.
the Lord grant thou dost not shrink at it, so as to turn thee back again.
'if any man will come after me, saith Christ,
let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me'.
the cross!
it stands and hath stood, from the beginning,
as a way mark to the kingdom of heaven.
you know if one ask you the way to such and such a place, you, for the better direction, do not only say,
'this is the say', but then also say,
'you must go by such a gate, by such a stile, such a bush, tree bridge or such like.

why, so it is here; art thou enquiring the way to heaven?
why,i tell thee, CHRIST IS THE WAY;
into Him thou must get, even into His righteousness, to be justified.
and if thou art in Him, thou wilt presently see the cross.
thou must go close by it;
thou must touch it;
nay, thou must take it up or else thou wilt QUICKLY go out of the way that leads to heaven
and turn up some of those crooked lanes that lead down to the chambers of death.

now thou mayst know the cross by these six things:
1. it is known in the doctrine of justification.
2. in the doctrine of mortification.
3. in the doctrine of perseverance.
4. in self denial.
5 in patience.
6. in communion with poor saints.

1. in the doctrine of justification there is a great deal of the cross.
in that, a man is forced TO SUFFER THE DESTRUCTION OF HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS
for the righteousness of another.
this is no easy matter for a man to do.
i assure you it stretcheth every vein in his heart before he will be brought to yield to it.
what! for a man to deny, reject, abhor and throw away all his
prayers, tears, alms, keeping of sabbaths, hearing reading, with the rest,
in the point of justification,
and to count them accursed;
and to be willing, in the very midst of the sense of his sins,
to throw himself WHOLLY upon the righteousness and obedience of another man,
abhorring his own,
counting it as a deadly sin, as the open breach of the law!
i say, to do this indeed and in truth, is the biggest piece of the cross;
and therefore paul calleth this very thing a suffering;
where he saith, 'and i have suffered the loss of all things'
(which principally was his righteousness)
'that i might win Christ and be found in Him,
not having (but rejecting) my own righeousness'. that is the first.

2. in the doctrine of mortification is also much of the cross.
is it nothing for a man to lay hands on his vile opinions,
on his bosom sins,
on his beloved, pleasant, darling sins,
that stick as close to him as the flesh sticks to the bones?
what! to lose all these brave thins that my eyes behold, for that which i never saw with my eyes?
what! to lose my pride, my covetousness, my vain company, sports and pleasures and the rest?
i tell you this is no easy matter;
if it were, what need of all those prayers, sighs, watchings?
what need we be so backward to it?
nay, do you not see, that some men before they will set about this work,
will even venture the loss of their souls, heaven, God, Christ and all?
what mean else all those delays and put offs, saying,
'stay a little longer;
i am loath to leave my sins while i am so young and in health?'
again, what is the reason else that others do it so by the halves, coldly and seldom;
notwithstanding they are convinced over and over and over, nay, and also promise to amend
and yet all is in vain?
i will assure you, to cut off right hands and pluck out right eyes, is no pleasure to the flesh.

3. the doctrine of perseverance is also cross to the flesh;
which is not only to begin but to hold out;
not only to begin fair and to say, 'would i had heaven',
but so to know Christ, to put on Christ and walk with Christ, as to come to heaven.
indeed it is no great matter to begin to look for heaven, to begin to seek the Lord, to begin to shun sin.
Oh! but it is a very great matter to continue, with God's approbation!
'my servant caleb, saith God, because he had another spirit with him
and hath followed Me fully',
(followed Me always: he hath continually followed Me,)
him will I bring into the land'.
almost all the many thousands of the children of israel in their generation,
fell short of perseverance when they walked from egypt towards the land of canaan. 
indeed they went to work at first pretty willingly;
but they were very short winded, they were quickly out of breath
and in their hearts they turned back again into egypt.

it is an easy matter for a man to run hard for a spurt, for a furlong, for a mile or two.
Oh! but to hold out for a hundred, for a thousand, fro ten thousand miles!
that man that doth this, must look to meet with cross, pain and wearisomeness to the flesh;
especially if as he goeth he meeteth with briars and quagmires and other encumbrances,
that make his journey so much the more painful.

nay, do you not see with your eyes daily, that perseverance is a very great part of the cross?
why else do men so soon grow weary?
i could point out many, that after they have followed the ways of God about a twelvemonth,
others it may be two, three or four (some more and some less) years,
have been beat out of wind,
-they have taken up their lodging and rest before they have got half way to heaven,
some in this, some in that sin; and have secretly, nay sometimes openly said,
that the way is too strait, the race too long, the religion too holy
and they cannot hold out -'i can go no farther'.

and so likewise of the other three, namely,
patience, self denial, communion and communication with and to the poor saints:
how hard are these things?
it is an easy matter to deny another man, but it is not so easy a matter o deny one's self;
to deny myself out of love to God, to His gospel, to His saints,
of this advantage and of that gain; nay, of offending them.
that scripture is but seldom read and seldomer put in practice, which saith,
'i will eat no flesh while the world standeth, if it make my brother to offend'.
again, 'we then that are strong, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves'.

but how froward, how hasty, how peevish and self resolved
are the generality of professors at this day!
alas, how little considering the poor, unless it be to say, be thou warmed and filled!
but to give, is a seldom work! also especially to give to any poor.
i tell you all these things are cross to flesh and blood and that man that hath a watchful eye over the flesh
and also some considerable measure of strength against it,
shall find his heart in these things like unto a starting horse,
that is rid without a curbing bridle, ready to start at every thing that is offensive to him;
yea, and ready to run away too, do what the rider can.

it is the cross which keepeth back those that are kept from heaven.
i am persuaded, were it not for the cross, where we have one professor we should have 20
but this cross, that is it which spoileth all.

some men, as i said before, when they come at the cross can go no farther;
but back again to their sins they must go.
others stumble at it and break their necks.
others again, when they see the cross is approaching,
turn aside to the left hand or to the right hand
and so think to get to heaven another way.
but they will be deceived.
'for all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall' mark it, SHALL  suffer persecution'.
there are but few when they come at the cross, cry, 'welcome cross!'
as some of the martyrs did to the stake they were burned at.
therefore, if thou meet with the cross in thy journey, in what manner soever it be,
be not daunted, and say, Alas! what shall i do now?
but rather take courage, knowing that buy the cross is the way to the kingdom.
can a man believe in Christ and not be hated by the devil?
can he make a profession of this Christ and that sweetly and convincingly
and the children of satan hold their tongue?
can darkness agree with light?
or the devil endure that Christ Jesus should be honored both by faith and a heavenly conversation
and let that soul alone at quiet?
did you never read, that the Dragon persecuted the Woman?
and that Christ saith, 'in the world ye shall have tribulation'.

the ninth direction. - BEG OF GOD THAT HE WOULD DO THESE TWO THINGS FOR THEE:
FIRST ENLIGHTEN THINE UNDERSTANDING; and secondly, inflame thy will.
 if these two be but effectually done, there is no fear but what thou wilt go safe to heaven.

one of the great reasons why men and women do so little regard the other world, is,
because they see so little of it.
and the reason why they see so little of it, is, because they have their understanding darkened.
and therefore, saith paul, do not you, believers, walk as do other gentiles
even' in the vanity of their minds, having their understandings darkened,
being alienated from the life of god through the ignorance (or foolishness) that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart'.
walk not as those; fun not with them.
Alas! poor souls, they have their understandings darkened, their hearts blinded,
and that is the reason they have such undervaluing thoughts of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the salvation of their souls.
for WHEN MEN COME TO SEE THE THINGS OF ANOTHER WORLD,
what a God, what a Christ, what a heaven and what an eternal glory there is to be enjoyed;
also when they see that it is possible for them to have a share in it,
i tell you IT WILL MAKE THEM RUN THROUGH THICK AND THIN TO ENJOY IT.
moses, having a sight of this, because his understanding was enlightened,
feared not the wrath of the king,
but chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God
than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
he refused to be called the son of the king's daughter;
accounting it wonderful riches to be accounted worthy
so much as to suffer for Christ, with the poor despised saints
and that was because he saw Him who is invisible and had respect unto the recompense of reward.
and this is that which the apostle usually prayeth for in his epistles for the saints, namely,
That they might know what is the hope of God's calling
and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints
and that they might be able to comprehend with all saints,
what is the breadth and length and depth and height and know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.

PRAY therefore THAT GOD WOULD ENLIGHTEN THY UNDERSTANDING;
THAT WILL BE A VERY GREAT HELP UNTO THEE.
it will make thee endure many a hard brunt (the main force or impact as of an attack) for Christ;
as paul saith, 'after you were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of aflictions'.
you 'took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves
that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance'.
if there be ever such a rare jewel lying just in a man's way,
yet if he see it not, he will rather trample upon it than stoop for it
and it is because he sees it not.
why, so it is here; though heaven be worth ever so much and thou hast ever so much need of it,
yet if thou see it not, that is, have not thy understanding opened or enlightened to see,
thou wilt not regard at all.
therefore, CRY TO THE LORD FOR ENLIGHTENING GRACE
AND SAY, 'LORD, OPEN MY BLIND EYES;
LORD, TAKE THE VEIL OFF MY DARK HEART;
SHOW ME THE THINGS OF THE OTHER WORLD,
AND LET ME SEE THE SWEETNESS, GLORY AND EXCELLENCY OF THEM
FOR CHRIST'S SAKE'. this is the first.  the second is,

the tenth direction.
CRY TO GOD THAT HE WOULD INFLAME THY WILL ALSO
WITH THE THINGS OF THE OTHER WORLD.
for when a man's will is fully set to do such or such a thing,
then it must be a very hard matter that shall hinder that man from bringing about his end.
when paul's will was set resolvedly to go up to jerusalem,
(though it was signified to him before, what he should there suffer,)
he was not daunted at all.
nay, saith he, 'i am ready (or willing) not only to be bound,
but also to die at jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus'.
his will was inflamed by love to Christ and therefore, all the persuasions that could be used wrought
nothing at all.

your self willed people, nobody knows what to do with them.
we use to say so such, 'he will have his own will do all that you can'.
indeed to have such a will for heaven, is an admirable advantage to a man that undertaketh a race thither.
a man that is resolved and hath his will fixed, saith,
'I WILL DO MY BEST TO ADVANTAGE MYSELF;
I WILL DO MY WORST TO HINDER MY ENEMIES.
I WILL NOT GIVE OUT AS LONG AS I CAN STAND;
I WILL HAVE IT OR I WILL LOSE MY LIFE'.
so Job 'though He slay me, yet will i trust in Him'.
so jacob, 'i will not let Thee go except Thou bless me'.

'I will, I will, I will!'
OH THIS BLESSED INFLAMED WILL FOR HEAVEN AND CHRIST.
thy will, i say, if that be rightly set for heaven,
thou wilt not be beat off with discouragements
and this was the reason that when jacob wrestled with the angel,
though he lost a limb, as it were (the hollow of his thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with Him),
yet, saith he, 'i WILL NOT', mark,
'I WILL NOT LET THEE O, EXCEPT THOU BLESS ME'.
get thy will tipt with the heavenly grace and resolution against all discouragements
and then thou goest full speed for heaven,
but if thou falter in thy will and be not sound there,
thou wilt run hobbling and halting all the way thou runnest
and also to be sure thou wilt fall short at last.
the lord give thee a will and courage.

thus have i done with directing thee how to run to the kingdom.
be sure thou keep in memory what i have said unto thee, lest thou lose thy way.
but because i would have thee think of them, take all in short in this little bit of paper.
1. GET INTO THE WAY. then
2. STUDY ON IT. then
3. STRIP AND LAY ASIDE EVERY THING THAT WOULD HINDER.
4. BEWARE OF BY PATHS.
5. DO NOT GAZE AND STARE TOO MUCH ABOUT THEE,
BUT BE SURE TO PONDER THE PATH OF THY FEET.
6. DO NOT STOP FOR ANY THAT CALL AFTER THEE,
whether it be THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL
for all these will hinder thy journey if possible.
7. BE NOT DAUNTED BY ANY DISCOURAGEMENTS THOU MEETEST as thou goest.
8. TAKE HEED AT STUMBLING AT THE CROSS.
9. CRY HARD TO GOD FOR AN ENLIGHTENED HEART
10. AND A WILLING MIND...
and God give thee a prosperous journey.