9 ci The Expecáatioya of Chriff.r Corr:ing, or, Divifitaiia of dte eorés. Ohferv. t. The Saints on dearth have a heavenly con- vetfatioti: What it it. The privi- ledges thereof. r.Their names are written in heaven. Luke ro.2o. z. They are governed by the law of God. 3. They are lafely kept. loll w not fuck, but be yefollowers ofus, for our converfätton is in heaven, from whevice we lookfor the 5'aviour,theLord jefris Chrifl, &c. and follow tholewhichwalk, ;o as to have its for an earmple : This is the example he would haste them imitate. Inthe words your have thefc things confiderabic. Fn ft, What theconverfation of thcfe men was, whom the ApofHç sould have the lhihpinns to follow. Their converfarion was a heavenly co;'verfaraon : Our e onverfar ton is in heaven. Secondly, the reafon or incouragemetít that they had to this imiration, to walk fiheavenly, ubile they were onearth; beeaufefrom thencewe lookfòrs Saviour', the herd jefrit Chr¡fÈ. Thirdly, the hercfit by that Saviour, whom they lookfor from heaven: Hefhai change ourvile body, that it may be faPubonedlike to his glorious body. Fourthly, the means by which this great work than be affceted; Accordinä to the worki.óg whereby .he is able tofubdue all things Unto hiefe f' For the fir f2, (to touch it only in a word). there is fromthat, there two enter < clearly aiding. Firll, That there is a heavenly ion,erfation cfthe Saints on earth. Secondly, That while they are on earth , they are now flitted in heaven. Our converftiod on heaven He faith not only it lhall be in heaven, ( though there it tball he perfl tcd) but it it now in heaven, in regard of our prefent state and pealffion. Concerning the firfl, that the Saints on earth have a heavenly converfariort. Von mufti know, that theword here Politeama, trattiatcdeonverfation, fbnifìith frtclr a roerle of life, and of trafick, as is in Cities and Corporations, where many are knit, and trusted together in one common fociety, in one common freedom: Our converfation is in hear.en that is, we have a kind of heavenly traffick, .a heavenly trade, while we ÿ[e upon earth. There are divers things wherein there is an agreement between the carriages and cons itions ofmen in Cities, and Societies here on earth, and this of the Saint*" of God, that have their converfationi inheaven. I will only in brief run thenOver, this being not the thing that I purpofelyaime at. , First, in Cities and Corporations there is a Regifter, wherein the names of the Free=menare inrolled. So in heaven al.fothere is a Regifter, a certain bookof Re- cords (as it were) wherein are written thenames ofas many, as God bathappoint- ed to 'life : Rejoyce not (faithour Saviour) in this, that thedevils arefubdued unto you, but rejoyce, thatyour names are writtenin heaven : And all that arenot found written in the book of life, are raft into the lade that burneth with fire and brimffone,.> Rev zo. í5. God in his fecret counfel andpurpofe, in his fpecial provideneeand love, takes notice of all his fcrvants, even of their names, and he hyh them as: furc, is if they were written down in a book, there is not one man that conical to heaven, but the Lórd knows him already to be ifman ordàined to that cfiate, and condition. Secondly, as in all Cities and"Societies, there is a certain law whereby they are all governed,' in obedience to which they live. So there is a lawwhereby all are Citizensofheaven, all the hou/holdofGodaregoverned, that law whichtheApoftic Saint James ealleth the royal law ; a law which commandeth the very fpirits o .men ; a law that difpofcth the whole man to a heavenly frame, and fubjectios to the will ofGod, the greatKing ofHeaven;` fo tbat a man while he is here below, by degrees is drawn off from theworld in his affeCtiensi, and difpofttion, and car- riaoe ;' and made Eatableanctconformahleto the rule of righteoufttefs. Thirdly, as in all Cities, there isakind offafety and fecurity to thole thatdwell' there , not only as they are encompaffedwith walls , hut alto as there is watching and warding, fome waking while othersfleep tokeep the reft in.fafety. So in this heavenly fociety ; theAngels pitch their Tents about thof that fear god; nay tb`e Lord himfelfù the Shephiard of 'five!, that neither fluníberets norfleepeth ; while menoppofethem, Goddefends them; while men are labouring andplotting, and devilingagainftthem, and they (itmaybe) are feeureand fear nodanger'; God difzeffetli''
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=