238 Abrahams Purçhafé, or favour from the Court, were brought to this place. For there, and himfelf, and his prefentFamilyabout him,whom it might pleafe God to ftrike with Death heknew not hovv foon,theholy Father defired a place feparate,that there might be noming- ling ofthe feleét people of Godvvith thofe that werewithout Godin theretent world, as the Apoftle faith. Novv forthis,there is no diflin&ion inour time,for Chrift beingmad e theCorner J?one,hath made bothvvalls one, theJevves and Gentiles being built upon himfelf,all this difference is taken avvay : But at that time it vvas fit to maintain a diftinótion, to keep a note of difference. A s God fee a mark upon the flefh of Abraham, and upon the houlesof the Ifraelites in Egypt, fo they keptthisin all points,even in their vety Graves,that adifference might be maintained betvveenthe feed of theWoman, and the feed of the Serpent to the uttermoft. Giveme apoffèfon, aburyivng place. Here is theend vvhy he vvould have this'Polfeffion. A $range kindofPoffegion; a thing that every one is born to, no man vvill deny this ; vve fay the land in the Church -yard is every mans, every man is born to that land. Behold loch a land, fuch an inheritance this Father cometh to beg. He hath not a foot ofground in all the vvhole land,no place to dvvell in,but bytheir leaves ; no place to feed on but vvith their confent ; he is content thus to poffefs, to have it upon their hand ; to have his houle upon their liking, and his field and grafs upon their affedtion, and content to be gone, and depart upon their bidding : but vvhen it cometh that his dead mutt be buried, there is no diflodging then, no removing then, that is a Polffion, he makes not other things his Po %ton, but ufeth them ha a tranfitory manner. Sothat the holy Ghoft vvould teach us this, that a mans Grave is his ftronghold, his Poffeiiion. And indeed there is no Pa(/on fo durable andcertain as theGrave: all the lands, and all the means that a man hash in thisvvould, it may in the courfe oftime, either by themifguidence ofthe party, or thefuccefflon of prodigals, be made away,that he that hash had full poffeiions,may not have afoot of land to call his own : fo Poffeonrare alterable, fometime one mans, fometimes anothers, and againanothers,noman knoweth whofe, becaufe they are 4111 removing. But when a man is poffef}ofhis Grave, that is a long Poffe /on, that Leale istime out ofmind, and it holdeth to the coming ofChrif} to Judgement. Though there be a fortofcovetous men in the world,that care not for lucre and gain, to remove dead bodies, to make men pay dear ; and yet prefently when the memory of that payment is gone (in this bate refpeét) to remove them from their natural ref}, and to putnew bodies in their room. Though this (I fay) be praftifed by fotne, yetnotwithftanding the Lord hathordered this that a man fhould have his Grave for ever : and that all Chriftian men fhouldknowthat they haveno fuch true inherent PoffeSett ,. flicking to ,them , and they to ir, as the Grave. Thus the great God bringeth us to life by death, making us poffefs the Grave here for a time, and after poffeffeth us with life and glory, and joy in the higher heavens. Behold Abraham: feehow he beginncth to poffefs the world, by no land, pa- fture,or carable Lordfhip: the fiat thing is a Grave. So every Chriftian mutt make his refolution. The ñrf} houdhold- fluff that ever $eleucue bought in Babylon, was a Sepulchre f}one, a 4one to lay upon him when he was dead ; that hekept in his garden. Sowe Ihouldbeginto make that our.chief utenfil : it should teach every Chriftian muchmore to be mortified fo to theworld, as to be failed upon nothing for a Topgion, fo as the ground where his fícûr (hall .tell in hope, till the Lord receive hiss, and give him his Spirit again. A thong kind of entrance this holyman glade into the holy Land, thatthe f}rft thing betakes.poffeifionof, 4touldbeaplace ofburialfor the, dead. Even fowon- 4eçu ly-Godufeth to work; the proinifedTed,it tiameofthe,deadwombofSarah: and acçprdi Iy..:K,is'an thisosatand faarau{ Hiitorr, ;hatput .of thel,dWd ones,
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