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conversation that, as yet, you have no title to heaven at all, and in that state<br />
shall never come there. If your treasure was there, your heart could not be on<br />
things so distant. In a word, our company will be a part of our happiness in<br />
heaven, and it is a singular part of our furtherance to it, or hinderance from it.<br />
4. Avoid frequent disputes about lesser truths, and a religion that lies<br />
only in opinions. <strong>The</strong>y are usually least acquainted with a heavenly life, who<br />
are violent disputers about the circumstantials of religion. He whose religion<br />
is all in his opinions, will be most frequently and zealously speaking his<br />
opinions; and he whose religion lies in the knowledge and love of God in<br />
Christ, will be most delightfully speaking of that happy time when he shall<br />
enjoy them. He is a rare and precious Christian, who is skilful to improve<br />
well-known truths. <strong>The</strong>refore let me advise you who aspire after a heavenly<br />
life, not to spend too much of your thoughts, your time, your zeal, or your<br />
speech, upon disputes that less concern your souls; but when hypocrites are<br />
feeding on husks or shells, do you feed on the joys above. I wish you were<br />
able to defend every truth of God, and to this end would read and study; but<br />
still I would have the chief truths to be chiefly studied, and none to cast out<br />
your thoughts of eternity. <strong>The</strong> least controverted points are usually most<br />
weighty, and of most necessary, frequent use to our souls. <strong>The</strong>refore study<br />
well such Scripture precepts as these: "Him that is weak in the faith receive<br />
ye, but not to doubtful disputations. Foolish and unlearned questions avoid,<br />
knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not<br />
strive." "Avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and<br />
strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain." "If any man<br />
teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our<br />
Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is<br />
proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words,<br />
whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of<br />
men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is<br />
godliness; from such withdraw thyself."<br />
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