JOHNxiv.I. in my Father's Houfe are maT!y Man}ions ; if it were not /o, I would bave told you: I go to prepare a Place for you. OUR bldfed Saviour in the Words, applies Heavenly Comfort t<i his Difciples, to fupport their drooping Spirits in his abfence from them : He fore: . told his departure; Little Childrm, yet a little while I am with you. TejhaUCh. 13· H· feek me : 1111d tU lfaid to .the Jews, whither ! go, ye cannot come: Jo non:: lfoJ mtto J'Oif. This tenderly affeCl:ed their Hearts : But that their Sorrow might not flow into Defpai r, he affures them, that their Separation lhould not be final, and that it was not the fingular Priviledge of St. Peter, that hcjho,tld follow him hereafter; but Ver. 16· rhat there were Rooms referved in Heaven for them all, and He would return and receive them to Himfelf. This Confolation He addreffes to them in a very affeCl:ionatemanner, Let 11ot yo1tr Heart I be troubled: No Work is more Divine, norie more eh. r9. , , proper and delightful to our Saviour, than to comfort the afRiCl:ed Spirits of his People. He direCl:s them, Ye believe in God, believe alfo i11 me. God is the SupremeObjeCl: of Faith, his unchangeable Love and Faithfulnefs, with his infinite Power in the accomplilhing his Promifes, is the Security of Believers. Chrill:, as Mediator between God and guil ty Creatures, is the immediate ObjeCl: of our Faith ; for he re" ll:ores us to the Favour ofGod, therefore 'tis (aid, we believe in God by him. Af-' P<t . •· ,;, ter this Preface to calm the unquiet Agitations of their Minds, and make them more receptive of comfort, he propefeth to them ; · I . A bJefifd Dofrrine; In lnJ Father'.r Ho11fe are ma11y Mfmjion.r, capable to teceive all his Difciples. 2. Give them an infallible affurance ofit. z. From his inviolate Love ahdTruth If it were not fo, I would have told JOlt. 2. That his going away, was not to reignaldn; in the Kingdom ofGloty, b~tt tq prepare a place for them. The Point that I !hall difcourfe offrom thefe Words, is this ; There is a bleffed Place Above prepared for all the faithful Difciples of Chrifl<, wherein they·!hall be ~~~~b~ ' In the managing this Argument, I will endeavour; z. To repre(ent the Excellencies of this Place fpeci fied..by his Father's Honfe, and th~ .ll:~~n°/,d~:~l~~1n1~rl~~Ise ififu~~~~~e,~~0h;v~1;j'~~~~~(,;~nit~· 1. The Excell encies of this Place may be argued from the Maker of it, and its Attributes fpecified in Scr ipture. Firll:, God is to be the artificial Builder of this City, T•x•Jm. to fignify a correfpondent Excellency in the Work to the Divine Maker. All the H<b. • '· •o' Works of God have a Divine Impreffion of his Power and Providence, but in fome arc more conlpicuouS CharaCl:ersof his PerfeCl:ions: For thewife Author of all Things, hath ordered their fcveral degrees of Excellence, both in the Matter, and various ~~r~!,~d~~~~~f, ~~~;~,.~!t:!1bct~h~1~:,~~f~r ~,~i&Iv1~;:L~~ay~e~~~~~in re0:o~\'d diffufe the richell: Beams of his Goodnefs and Glory to his cliofen Servants for ever, and accordingly is a moll: noble Work of hi s Omnipotent Hand ; and there are t\VO Remarks to oe made in its Creation, from whence we may infer its peculiar Excellency. l z. 'Tis the beginning of the Creation. Amongll: intellectual Beings, the Angels are the Firll:-Born of God's Pow·er ; and in Natural and Divine Prerogatives excel Men. From hence it ts that the Excellency of any praife-worthy Quality in Men, is fet forth by a rcfemblance of the Angels. Excellent Wifdom in David, MJ Lord, the Kil~~. islike an Angel ofGDd. Excellent Eloquence by St. l'aul, is ll:iled theYon'p:es of Angels. Heroick Virtue, and excellent Holincls in the Chrill:iari Church, T he :tf~:fe~0~~ ~·:r,~e ~~~·a~dg~;[/c,~~;;;~e;d~~;e~~a~r~l~~~~V~r1!~)~~. in~~~ ~;,:~ in forming-.tlw material World, the fuprcme Heaven bath the precedence in order ancL dignity, before all the other Parts of it. Indeed Mofes 6nly recltes' parti.cularly ilitr ~reation of the vifib!e World ; and by wbat gradations this great 'Fabr ick \Vith all 1ts Furniture was compleated: And the Hill:ory ofthat is inll:ruCl:ive of the Creatiot¥ of invifible Things, which is exprefly fpecified iti the Gofpe). But, as 'P~rad i Ce was firll: n1ade, and the,, Man created to he the Inhabitant ofit; fo we may infer, that\ 0 oo o o 2 rl:ie
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