Heavenly-Mindedness

The mystery of Christ's glory leads us to godliness (1 Tim. 3:16) by stirring us up to being heavenly-minded. The apostle divinely exhorts the Colossians, 'If you are risen with Christ, seek the things that are above' (Col. 3:1). From our communion with Christ, being raised and ascended into heaven, and seated in glory, he calls them to be heavenly-minded. That our thoughts should be where his glory is, where our Head is. Certainly, there is nothing in the world stronger to enforce a heavenly mind than this, to consider where we are, in our Head. There is our inheritance; there are a great many of our fellow-brethren; there is our country; there is our happiness. We are for heaven, and not for this world. This life is but a passage to that glory that Christ has taken up for us. Why should we have our minds grovelling here upon the earth? If we have interest in Christ, who is at the right hand of God, it is necessary that our souls be raised to heaven in our affections before we are there in our bodies. All who are Christians are in heaven in their spirit and lifestyle beforehand. Our heavy, dull, earthly souls, being touched by his Spirit, will ascend. When iron is touched by a magnet, though it is a heavy body, it ascends to the magnet, it follows it. Christ as the magnet of heaven, has an attracting force which draws us up. If we have communion with Christ and have our hearts touched by his Spirit, he will draw us up even though of ourselves we are heavy and lumpish. This meditation, that Christ our Head is in glory, and that we are in heaven in him, and that our happiness is there, it will purge and refine us from our earthliness, and draw up our iron, heavy, cold hearts.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
The Fountain Opened, Works, vol. 5, pp. 536-37
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