----------------------------------------------------- 92Z Book. IV Part.V. Looking unto 1tft~r. Chap.1.Sed.9 Eph.r.u Rev.J.11, lay hold on thefe opportunities for heave_nly eJCercifc:s, and then we fhall come up to heavenly converfattons. 2. Take heed of rdl:ing in the form1!1tY' of duties: many foules that have enlighrnings ofconfcience dare not but take opportunities for hc:a\·enly duties; but then comes in the temptari. onsofthe Dive!, and corruptions of their own hearts, and they fay, now duty is done, or our t.tJk.is over, and wh.u needr more ? Alas, alas! Tt is not what h11ve we done? btu where have we been? what have our foule> been in heaven, with God, and with Chrift? have we had any comm .mion with the Father, and with the Son in our duties ? 0 take heed of formalitie ! it will exceedingly hinder our converfarion in heaven ; 0 keep our eye ftill upon our heart! askin duty, what affections have been acted ? how much are we got n~arer heaven thereby? and by this means we fh1ll come to an heavenly converfation. 3. Let us look up unto Jefus as hanging on the Croff,\ and as fitting on the Throne: this is the Apoftles rule, lookJng un· to re(UJ the AHthsur and Finijher ofour fllith, whof or the joy that w.u Jet before him endured the Crof{e, deJPijing the jlutme, and is Jet d8wn at the right hand vf theThrone of God. Thefe two are the objects ofa Chriftians look, who ftudies an heavenly converfation, vi-<:-. Chrifts Croffe, and Chrifts Sellon ; by the Crolfe he is Amhour, and by the Throne he isthe Finifher of our faith; in.the firfi. i~ fcc down his love to us, in the fecond is fer d·' Wn our hope ofhim; wi_th high wifdome hath the Holy · Ghofr exhorted us wi •h rhefe two motives to runne, and not to friat; firft,hereis love, love in the 'Crolfe, who loved m, and gave h;m(elf form, a [.zcrifice on the ('rojfe; 2. Here is hope, hope in the Throne, tv him that overconmh will Igivc tofit with m• in my T ,!,r1m. Afc :r Chr<fh death he ro{i! again, afcended, a•td :s nrHu fet do,vn at the r;.gbt hand of the Throne ofGod; and rhe f~_rne isour b!e lf:d nope, ChnltsThrone is not onely his pL1ce , b'1t ours alfo ; the !ove of hi! Croife 1s to us a pledge of the hopo f h~' fhrope, or ofwhacfoever elfe he is worth.Come t!->e· o" ~ f-<:r tie your thoughts and looks on chis bleifed obj~tt- <> r:~ht of Cl1ri •ts Croff,: , but efpecially of Chr IT• I_, ,, · 1s a bkif.d m~ans to wean us from the w-0 '~ , M . .o elevate and raife up our afftd:ions to things above,
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