V gR. If. Ephefians, Claap.3. 399 are taken into Gadsfamily, to live under his roof:. The eonfideration Its the fpeci- of this made David fo to,defire the houfe of Godabove all things. ChriRiansf to one thing have 1 defred ofthe Lord, that I will _peke after, that 1 may lc taken into dwell in the haufeof the Lord, ali.the ¿ayes efmy life, to beholdthe beau- y' ty ofthe Lord : for faithhe ; They that dwell in thy houfe, fhall befatsf- r1;6,1 ffedwith thegoodneffe of thy houfc. To be of Gods houle andfamily, The pri. ;tcd- implyes'many excellent benefits , dignities and priviledges, which gcsto be of thole enjoy from God that are true Chrifttans, which others arenot Gds family. partakers of A houfc is given for reft and fafe harbour , and quiet re- y pole : So the Lord fpeakerh for the comfort of his Church : There /flail bea tabernacle for a fhadow in the day time from the heat, andfor a place ofrefuge, andfor a Covert fromfiarme andfrom raine : his meaning is, that all his people fhall be as men within doores, flickered and defended againft all evils, others (hall be as menwithout doores, ex- poled to all ftormsoftrouble andforrow. It is the office and duty ofa Matter of ahoule, togive. quiet andcomfortable reif to thofe that are under his roofe ; as Lot pleadedwith the Sodomitesfor the three vtngels, Pfaff , .7,5 that came into his haute. The Lord maketh his to dwell in fafety. The Pfa. rz7.z. belovedofthe Lord fhall dwell in fafety. Canft thou not fleepe comfor- tably nor fecurely,but artdifquieted with cares, feares, griefes Con- fider and fee, if finne bath not turned thee out of Gods favour, and flinttheeas a dogge out ofGods family : What is the reafon men live fo uncomfortably, barking, fighting and quarrelling one with another, and neither give themfelves reft norothers e becaufe they are dogs ¡hut out ofdoores, from under Gods roofe , living in the darkneffe ofignorance and prophaneneffe, in the night ofthis world, barking at the moon, and at their own fhádowes,andcan findno reft to their own hearts, nor fuller others to tell, fuch is the Condition of all thofe, that live out of the houle and ChurchofGod. If then thouwoulditreft in God ,purge and cat out Gnne, God is a houle and habitation only for his Saints, and they are his temples in whomhe dwels, and the temple of God muff be holy. Muff men think God is a common Inne to entertaine álhcommers, and to lodge all revilers and vagrants , be they of what condition theywill , they may revell, fwcare, lye and doe what they lift, Every man(fay they) for bimfelfe, and Ged form all. No no, God is no Common Inne, but die onely houle and habitation for his fervants to lodge in. A fecond priviledge of Gods domeftick is, that they have more fpeciall acquaintance andknowledge of God inhis houfe then others have: For as no man or matter of a houfe,.but makes himfelfe more inwardly acquainted, andhis Counfels, purpofes and wayes to thofe that dwell in his houle, then to others: So befides that that God ma- nifefteth himfelfe in all the world , yet efpecially he hathchofen his Church tobe that houle , where toplace his Name and to make him - felfe knowne and acquainted, where we may have belt experience of Gods faving love, mercy, power : So that ifwe would know God aright to falvation,and be throughly acquainted with him andwith his 4
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