Head V. . 397 as at Sa;d's table David's p!t1.ce •v..iar empty, when he was not thae to occupy ~t himfelf, 1 Sam. xx:. 2 5. And now. .that the appointed time is come, they are brought in ~o take their feveral places in glory, fet apart and ref~r.ved· for them, till they fhould come at them. . Us E. I fha!l !hut up my difcourfe -on this fubjecr, with ,a word of application. ( 1.) To <til \t>ho claim a right to ,this kingJom. ( 2 ) To thefe who indeed have a right to ', it . ( ~·) To thefe who have flOt a right thereto. • Firft 1 5inee it is evident, .there is oo promifcuo~s ~.dmi.f.fion into the kin,gdom of heaven, and none d,o obtam tt, but ,there whofe claim to it is folcmnly tried by the greatjudge, and, after trial, fufiained 2"3 good an~ valid; it i-s tlecefl"ary that all of us impani~lly try and examine whither~ accord– .ing to the laws 0f\the kingdom, contained in the. holy fcr ~ptu~es, we can ve.rify and m:ike g.ood o.ur claim to: this king– .Dom ? The ho.pes of heaven, which moft men ha\'e, are ,built 'on fuch fandy foundations, as can neve! a pi de tbe .trial; ha.ving no ground in the word, but in .t~i'r own de– .luded fancy t fuch hopes will leave thofe who en ter tain .them, miferably difappointed .at laft. Wherefore, it is Mt .QJ",ly our du ty, but oudntere!l, to .put the matter to a fair trial, in time. lf we find, we have no right to heaven io– ,.deed, we.are 1et \n the w:ty; and wha.t we _h~ve not, .~e ·tnay obtam: 'but 1f we find we have a rtght to It, we wtl~ ,then h2ve the comfor~ of a happy profpe& into eternity; ·which is the grea.tdt comfort one is capable of in the wcrld. If ye enquire, How ye may know whether ye have a right ,to heaven, or not? 1 anfwer, ye .mufl know that by the Hate ye are-now in. / Ji ye are yet in your natural flate, ye ar.e children ot wrath, and not childr en ·of this kingdom : for ,th:n fiate, to ' them ,who Eve and di e in it, i!fue$ in eternal -rnifery. If you be brch1ght into t'nejlatt ojgrace~ youhave ~ juit claim to the fi:ate of glory; for grace will certainly if– fue in glory at Ie~gth.', This ki ogdqm it an inheritance, which non.e bdt the children o.f God can jafHy~aim: . no•,v, we become the children of Gorl. by•eg'euer.ationand l:lni o'a with Chrifi his Son: and ifchildren, .then hein, heirr of . God, and joint ~heirJ •with Chrijl. Rom. viii. 17. Thefe then are the gre_at poi.:: ts upon whicl) ooe's evidences for the. ftate of. ~lor}' do deped. And therefore I refer vou to . . J L 1 what
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