S E C T. 7· Of the mamter of D etJying our external Relat£(Jns. THe direClions of Scif-dmyal in refpect of uur Rc!l!tions, are thefc.-- r. Let us have them, as if we had them not: This is the exprellion of the A1 Cor. 7· 2 9• pollle: The time isJlwrt (faith he) and wh>t then? it remains, that both they th:'t have 39• wives, be'" tho 11 gh they had none, and they that weep as they that wept not, 1 atid tmy that rcjoyce as if they rejoyced not. 1. The""" zs jhm : The Apo!Hc here_ al.udes to Sea. fairing men that have almofl: done the1r voyage, and begm tu ilnke fa1le, and to fold them up together, and arc even putting mto harbom; So 1t ts With us; vur tlme zs jhort, as foon as we begin our voyage, we are ready to flnkc fa1le ]Jrefcntly. 2. Jt remaws, that both they that have wives, be as thongh they had none? &c. q. d. You that.are rea~y to cafl anchor. trouble not your felves about thefe thmgs, but rather be ye Headfa.t, gird up the loynes of your mindes, let your care be grcatdl: for Heaven ; and as for rhefc outward Relatiom, be as if you had none, or think as foon as you are a lhore, you !hall have none ; do not glut your felves, but moderate your hearts in all fuch com~ forts as thcfe. 2. Let us refigne up all to God. This we have done, and this we mufl do !till. 1 , This we have done in that day when we made up our bargain for Chrifl. Every foul that comes to Chrif!, he parts with all to buy that Pearl, and in felling all he fells not onely his corruptions and lulls, but his father, mother, wife, children, all relations condition~lly. z. This we mull: do il:ill; we mull: give up all to God ; we and they, and all muf! be at the command of Chrill:, at the pleafurc of God and Chrifl ; indeed nothing is properly called our own but God and Chrifl ; all other things arc ~ads gifts, lent of God, and therefore of due (as occafion is) we mull give up all to God again. 3. In all things, yea above all things be we fill'd with the Spirit. This will take off our thoughts from other things that are inferiour : If our foulcs be once filled with the thingsofo. better life, then wife, children, parents, friends will never draw away our hearts. 0 that our fouls would but mount up and take a view of thofe rare things that are provided for us in another life ! What ! to have God our Father, Angels our keepers, to be the friends, brethren, companions of Angels! Weigh thefe things daily, and then we fhall deny our Relations here: Thefe on earth may be comforts, but what i> earth to heaven? what are thefe joyes to joyes eternal? 4- Let us mufc on the many Relations betwixt Chrif! and us; he is our Greatour,we the work of his hands; he is our Shepherd,we the flock of his paf!urc; he is our Father, the great Father ofthe Family, who provides all,things neceffary for them that be un– der his government, and we are his children; he is ouu Bridegroom, we his Spoufe :. Now if Chrill: be in ll:ead of all Relations, how lhould we but leave all for Chrifl:? As a woman leaves her fathers houfe, and her own people, to co-habite with her husband, fo lhould we Leave our countroy with Abraham ; Leave yourfriends with Levi; Leave our P•ffefftons with the. Di.fl:ipLcs.: yea, be re;~dy to leave our life with Paul for the tefl:imony, honour, and ferv!Ce of Chnf!. The foul that is related to Chrift, hath enough in Chrill: to plcafc and delight it felf. Though all friends, according to the flelh, become f!ran– gers or prove cpem1cs, yet Chrill: is in f!ead of all friends. Gen. 12. 1. Deur·B· 9' Matth. 4· 22. 5· Let us imitate them (as occafion is) who for Chrif!s fake have not onely in will, but aClually parted with their deareft Relations. Thus Mofes refufed that relation, ro Hch 11 . 24, be C:,lled thefonne_of Pharaohs daughter, choofng rather to (ujfer ajjlitliontvith the people 2 s ,26. of vod, then to enjoy the pleafures offn for afeafon. Thus the Apoftlcs of Chr-ifl: rcfufed not fame but all their Relations; Behold we h~<veforfak!fn all,and followed thee. To whom Mauh. 19. 27. Chnil anfwered, every one that hath forfak!n houfes, or brethren, or ffters, orfather, or mother, or ~vife,, or chddrcn, or lands for my names fak!, jhall rece.ve an htmdred-fold (whtch Chnll: g1ves'them mbefl:owing himfelf on them) and jhall mhc-rzt overlajfmg jh life.ld r was ')eroms faying, Ifthe Lord Chrift jhould call me to htm, though m;'[ather _oujh ')IC"' the w~y, and my motherjhould hang about my neck._, I wmldgo over my father, and alze off my mother, and run to my Chrijf. But this was onely faid ; if you would ~now a greater ma~ter then this done and practifcd, I !hall give you one notable mRbalnlhce, enough to t)lflamc all our hearts towards Chrifl: and his rruth in the very pu 1 mg of lt. · I have
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