236 Abrahams Purcbáfè, or, God, that that fhould be truly performed that was fpoken to them, and therein they retied themfelves, and were as well contented with the good word of God for the future times, for their pofterities, asif they had it performed in their own perlons. l am 4Stranger and4 Sojourner. Here are twowords ; the one, (Afojourncr,) fignifieth, he that paffcthby, as thofe that come to fee divers Countries and Ray not, but are makinghomewards : theother, (Alranger,) ftgnifieth, one that fitteth by in a place. Abrahamwas bothof them ;'for when God commandedhim,he was ready atany timeto diflodge and go his way : as long as he found the mercy of God to him ; that is, as long as there was race, andplenty in the land, he refted'there in that place in his Calling. God appointed him to fit there, and there he fate, but not as heir of the ground, as a Lord, but as one that did it there by favour, asenjoying a piece, ofground for his cattel to feed upon, ( for the Land was not full, but they migat afford fome room to ftrangers ) filch was he, ready to the when God called him. Therefore when God called him to Egypt, he prefently changed the place, andwent to that: and from thence, when God called him again, hecame to ` famre, and therehe dwelt with the Inhabitants of the Land, becaufe he underftood that that was the place that God had felefted for him tomake his poffeffion. It teaches us to learn this voyce ofour Father Abraham ; as children learn to (peak by their Parents, and delightin their language ; fowe (honk! fill delight our felves in this language of the Father of the faithful, to bc, and account our felves f rangersand fojourners amongyou that be the world,amongyou that have your tares fo fixed on the world, that you have no care of heaven : amongyou that will give nothing, but hoardup riches, and you know not to whom you (hall leave them : among you that have nodwelling above in that City,sabefe builder and maáer is Gad : among you that live only on earth, lama firanger amongyou. And being fo (as every Chriftian muttprofefshimfelf) it therefore foiloweth,we muff abftain from all Heftily lufts, and worldly defires, and carnal concupifeences, and. appetites : for ftrangers ufe not to fettle on their dregs in the Country they pats thorow, but as men in motion, they take that which is needful, knowing that they have a Country in another place, the bleffed7ernfalem that it from above, who it the mother ofus all. Secondly, weare to confiderhere the humble conclufion,that Abraham makesout of his pilgrimage, out ofhis ftrangenefs: becaule he was a flranger ; therefore he will be no meddler; asit is an oldrule,ftrangers mull be nomeddlers,they mutt not take what they will, not buy what they will, 'rangers do not purchafe land in a Rrange Country, without the good will of theNatives. Such was the nature of this holy manof God, he would not fo much as makebold with themfor a bury, ing place without their çonlent. One would think it hadbeen eafte for him tohave ventured upon this : whenfoever a man dies, the common curomoofnature, and the lawofNationsyicldeth this privifedge to put their dead into theground, earth to earth : there is nonefo barbarous asto deny, by the light of nature, but theta dead man fhouldbe buried, fit-angers, or Forreiners, or native Inhabitants : there- fore I fay, a man would think that filch a man as Abraham, might fafely have ven- tured upon thisto burySarab, and never told them, and asked their goodwill. But no, the bleffed manwas ofanother mettal, ofa heavenly and fweet difpofrtion, he would trouble noman, he would giveno offence, but carryhimfelfas anAngel of God among them, harmiels to every one, he dcfrcth every mans love, he was careful to avoid any mans difplcafure : and therefore he cometh to them as to great men,andintreateth them,as if it had been for a Lordlhip, or a piece ofaPro- vince, or Come great matter of eRate : he cometh to beg a Grave, he defireth a buryingplace. This Ihould teachus what ought to be our condition in this world,not to be au- daciousand bold, and prefumptuous, as commonly we are one upon another. And I evenf rangers themfelvesi fo forget themfelvesnówadayes,that they make no cOn- fcience
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