t 9 8. The Expectationof(brills Coming, or, C birch ; Thefouls underthe /altar c>y, How long Lord, holy and true, wilt thou net avenge our blood on thofe that dwell upon the earth? All the Saints departed, their ¡oils cry to God to fini h thefe daycs of fin , and haften the coming of Chrift. And bcfidcs this, thisfurther benefit we have, that we are all membersof the fame body ; there is agathertngunder one Head (as theApoftle calleth.it) under Chrift : they arc the fuperiour members, we the inferiour, all joyned under one common Head. Laftly, the Saints on earth have intereft one in another : by vertu&of this corn- anularon theyhave iatcrcPt an the prayc s, in the gifts, in the wealth one ofanother, fo far asncceflity and love requireth. f i r fthly, and laftly, as in earthly Cities, and Corporations, there is trading and trafficking, buying and felling,e;c. So here, this heavenlycoa,verlation codliiteth in a kind of heavenly trafftck, ( as the word itnporteth;) We either arc all, or lhould be all heavenly merchants, .even here upon earth. The krtnydorn ofheaven it compared, to a treafare had in a field, which when a man findeth, be hrdeth re, andfor, joy departeth, andfelleth all that he bath, andbureth ecat held,, It is com- pared to a Pearl, which when a ntandefcrieth the excellencynf¡t, he givethall that he bath to poffefs that Pearl : There is a heavenly, thing, that is worthall that we can give, and it mull be bought too. It is our Saviours coinf l ; come boyof me, yea, _.come buy wineandmilkwtthout money, without price. It muff be bought, but bought without money : thereis nothing that is fubjeét to corruption,that can buy heavenly things ; Buy of me eye falve, that you mayfee, and gold that you may be made rich, andgarments, thatyour nakednefsmay not appear. This muff be bought, butwhat mull we give for it Chrift tells us ; he faith that he himfclf is the Pearl, the treafure, and that which we muff give for him,,is no morebut this Let a man deny himfelf, and take sep his croft, and thenfollow him. He mull deny his worldly pleafures, his carnal affeftions, the love ofhis tufts, he mull renounce his fins ; If thy right hand offend thee, cut it ofand call itfrom thee; ifthy right eye offend thee, pluckit out andcafI it from thee a What is that? that a man lhould difmember hitrtfelf? No fuch matter ; What then ? To do that which a man ac- counteth as harfh a piece of work,' as to pluck out his eye, or cut off his hand; that is, to mortifie his carnal affeftions, to part with his fweeteft lulls, which a man holdeth as dear , and lets as high a rateupon, as on his right hand, or his right eye ; there lhould be no fin fo precious, no gain fo fweet, no pleafure lode-' lightful, but aman lhould be willing to let it for Chrift : there lhould be no word- ly thing whatfoevcr, that a man lhould fó fit his heart upon, bur if perfecntion' for the Gofpel (hould come, he lhould be contented to leave it for Csrill, and in the mean fpace to let his affeftions hang loofe to ir, that whenfoever Chrift thall call him to part with hiselate, with his contentments, with himfelt, he may letall fall for his fake,and theGolpels. This is the heavenly traffickof a Chriltian. I might here lay down fome tryals,hy whichmenmay be able to judge öf them-, felves in this particular, whether their converfatton be in heaven. 1 will inftancu but in force generals, becaufe I haften to that I principally intend. See how thy affeftions land ; fuch as is a mans mind, fach is the man : filchas is a mans affeétion, filch is his converfation :,a heavenly affedfion argueth aheayenly. converfation ; a heavenly converfation, prcfuppofeth a heavenly affe&ion : for it is impofhble for anyman to walk in a heavenly courfe, but he that is ofa heavenly mind. It Iheweth the error of thofe men shut'think , that that pitch of holinefs, and careful walking with God in newnefs of life, is too atria a point to be preffed what( fay they) will you have us to beSaints ? are wenot men? lihall we not have infirmities Ih11 ? Yes that thou wilt, when thouhaft done what thou canit. But here is the thing: What is the bent of thy heart ? what is the ftrerrgth ofthy mind? what is the en- deavour of thy whole man ? which way are thy affeftions carried ? What dole thou mourn for molt ? what doll thou rejoyce in molt? what dolt thouhope for molt ? According to thyaffe tions,fo will thylabour andendeavour be. A heavenly heart That are on earth. 5. They are inriched wish heavenly trea fire. Mat. 13. Ifa.tr. I. The traffiek of' a Chriftian what. How to know whether our conve,fatio,, be in Heaven. By our aflvâ.- ous. Note.
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