An Expojition of the EpijUe ~ Heaven a!IO. Thele things Chrifl: comprehendeth us for. You read in the Reve· ~ i<~tiom of two !looks, though they come all tO one: the '?ne is the Book of the Lamb, and the other the Bookof Ltfe. There IS a regeflnng as it were upon publick Record of our Names m both: Our Nan:es are recorded in the Book of Life, by eternal Predeflmalton and the Decree ol God ; when Jefus Chrifl: comes to comprehend a Soul, our Names are a new written,there is a new Record made between God the Father, Son, and Holy·Ghofl, that he owneth fuch a Soul that he reprefents it, takes that Soul to work, all that in it which he did repreCema– tively as a publick Perfon for it. Therefore in this fence it might well be faid th>t we arc raifed in him, and fit together in heavenly places in him: we are reck~ned as rifen in him, and as fitting in Heaven in him,from that day he quickned us. For from that day hecomprehcndeth us that we may attain thereunto. 2 .. However in the fecond !'lace, by Faith by which we are quickned, we may be Gnd to po!lefs the Refurrechon of;he dead, and tojit in heavwly places in Chrift : upon qmckmng therefore 1t cometh m afterwards. Fatth mfl:ateth us into all thefe in fttch a manner as not before; and thefe things are alllikewife things to come : for though Jefus Chrifl bath reprefcnted us, when firfl he went to Heaven ye~ <very moment he fitteth there, he frill reprefenteth us : therefore after quick~ing this may well be faid ofos, and we may then reckon our ftlves alive to God a~ fully as Chrift is, or as ever we !hall be. Faith aims to comprehend all that' for which we are apprehended, and comprehended by Jefus Chrifl:, and fo poffeifeth it ftlfofit. And now as Heirs, will pleafe themlelves aforehand, with the think– ing of what they will do with their Eflate, before they come to it: So Faith doth, it fetteth us down in Heaven, fetteth us upon the Shore ofthe other World thinketh ofthe glorious condition we !hall be in there, and what a Glory will b~ put upon Body and Soul, when we !hallj! in heavenly places with Chrift: Why? Becau(easthe Apoflle f.1ith, We fee Jefos Chrift a/read) crowned with G/orl and Ho– nour. Therefore now he that believeth is faid to be entred into Refl, in Heb. 4-6, 9, I r. and yet that Refl: is to come. Nay in Heb. 6. I 9· we are faid, to caft An– chor rvithin the Vail: And in Heb. ro. 2 r, 22. compared with all went before, We do by Faith enter into the Holy of Holicft, and have boldnejifoto do. Alas! the poor People of Ifrael they flood without, and no Man was to look withinthe Vail, but we enter into the Vail, and cafl: Anchor there, and may with boldnefs come there: Obferv. Why? Becaufe we have an High·Prieft fitting there. Now becaufe that upon quickning,Faith begins to work thus,hence the Apofl:le therefore mentioneth thefe two, our riGng again, and fitting in heavenly places, after quickning; and make;: them as it were a new Work upon quickning, becaufe that Faith then comes to apprehend them, and to have the Comfort ofthem. I might add now in the third place,that when a Man is thus quickncd and turned to God, the !late ofthat Man is altered, even in this refpell:, that he cloth now actually fit with Chrifi in Heaven : before, the threatnings of Death to hold him in the Grave, they were (according to toot ftate he flood in) good againfl him, good againfl him in Foroverbi, according to the Covenant of the Word, which God will judg all Men by : but now his ftate is fo altered, that all thefe threatnings cannot come out againfl: him: Why ? Becaufe he is fo comprehended by Chrifi,as that he !itteth in Heaven for him, and he below is in that ftate,as that all the threat· ningsofHell and the Grave, have nothing to dowith'him: they had nothing to do with his Perfon, in refpeCl: ofGod'• Decree before, but in re!pell: of hi• ftate, and in Foro vcrbi they had. I fi1all now give you an Obfervation or two, and fo end. The great Obferva– tion, which I thought to have largely handled is this. That in Chrift as a common Perfon, and as a Pattern ofus, we may be faid to have done, what Jefus Chrifl: d!d or cloth, or wha~ .befalleth him ; and we are reckoned by God to have done Jt. My Brethren, thiS IS one of the greate!l: Hm· ges ofthe Gofpel.
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