2.  And do not let the thoughts of the rareness of the place make thee say in thy heart, ‘This is too good for me;’ for I tell thee, heaven is prepared for whosoever will accept of it, and they shall be entertained with hearty good welcome.  Consider therefore, that as bad as thou have got thither.  Thither, went scrubbed beggarly Lazarus, &c.  Nay, it is prepared for the poor.  “Hearken, my beloved brethren,” saith James; that is, take notice of it, “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom?” Therefore, take heart, and run, man.

THE SIXTH MOTIVE.—­Think much of them that are gone before.  First, How really they go into the kingdom.  Secondly, How safe they are in the arms of Jesus.  Would they be here again for a thousand worlds?  Or if they were, would they be afraid that God would not make them welcome?  Thirdly, What would they judge of thee, if they knew thy heart began to fail thee in thy journey, or thy sins began to allure thee, and to persuade thee to stop thy race?  Would they not call thee a thousand fools, and say, ’O that he did but see what we see, feel what we feel, and taste of the dainties that we taste of!  Oh! if he were one quarter of an hour to behold, to see, to feel, to taste, and enjoy but the thousandth part of what we enjoy, what would he do? what would he suffer? what would he leave undone?  Would he favor sin?  Would he love this world below?  Would he be afraid of friends, or shrink at the most fearful threatenings that the greatest tyrants could invent to give him?’ Nay, those who have had but a sight of these things by faith, when they have been as far off from them as heaven from earth, yet they have been able to say with a comfortable and merry heart, as the bird that sings in the spring, that this and more shall not stop them from running to heaven.

Sometimes, when my base heart hath been inclining to this world, and to loiter in my journey towards heaven, the very consideration of the glorious saints and angels in heaven; what they enjoy, and what low thoughts they have of the things of this world together; how they would befool me if they did but know that my heart was drawing back, hath caused me to rush forward, to disdain these poor, low, empty, beggarly things, and to say to my soul, ’Come, soul, let us not be weary; let us see what this heaven is; let us even venture all for it, and try if that will quit the cost.  Surely Abraham, David, Paul, and the rest of the saints of God, were as wise as any are now, and yet they lost all for this glorious kingdom.  O therefore, throw away sinful lusts, follow after righteousness, love the Lord Jesus, devote thyself to his fear;—­I’ll warrant thee he will give thee a goodly recompense.’  Reader, what sayest thou to this?  Art thou resolved to follow me?  Nay, resolve, if thou canst, to get before me.  So run, that ye may obtain.