An Expofition of the Epijlle ~ Ser. XVII. Firfl; The Place of rhis Kingdom, it is Heaven; for you know that Heaven ~is called the Throne of the great King, M•t. 5· 34· and cbap. 23. 22. And there Chrifi's Throne is, and Earth is but his Footfrool. Therefore now to fuew you the place of this Kmgdom, he C11th, m Heavenhes. In Ep/Jef 3· 10. Angels are called, Principalities, and 'fowers in heavenly plt~ces, becaufe that Heaven is the pbce which they belong to, whe!eof they are Peers, (and as there are degrees mnongfr the Angels, there are Prmctpalmes andPDwers, fo there are alfo in thefe Heavenlies ; I only cafr that in to confirm the former.) The place, 1 fay, is l·Jc,n·en, tberc is his Throne, and the Footfrool o~ this great King is the Earth, and all the Glory of the Earth 15 trampled under h!S feet; what is Heaven then ? I rhink it isthe meaning of that in Heb. I I. I6. where (peaking ofAbrabam and the i·efr of thole Worthies, when it is laid they defircda better Country, he ~dds, thdt is, m heavenly; and that therefore God ;s not a.fbamed to be called their God for be had prepared for them a.Cit;•. Had they had no other Happinefs and Blelfed: nefs than here below, God being fo great a God, would have been alliamed that his ~hildren lliould have no better condition, but he had provided a City for them; therefore he_is not afhamed to be called thdr God, beca_ufc he had prepa· red fo great a Happmefs for them, a Happmefs hke to that htmfelf .enjoys, and fttch as was fit for the Children of fo great a King. My Brethren, it is for God's 'Honour to make infinite Happinefs there; and for him that is fo great, to pro– fefs and promife fo great Entertainment there, and when we come, not to have it, would caufe fhame : In my Father's Huufe (faith Chrifr) are many Manjions, if it tvere not fo, I wo•ld have told you ; for I would not fhame my felf when you come thither. Secondly; As the word [JitJing J implies Power agd Plcalure, fo this word [l:cavcnly] argues the kind ofPower andPlealure whichwe !hall enjoy.As it is a fit· ring as at a Feafr, to not~ the Plealure, and upon Thrones, to import the Power; fo faith he, underfrand it rightly, it is.all heavenly. Therefore in 2 Tin1. 4· I 8. it is called his heavenly Kingdom ; heavenly, that is, a better, infinitely better than what ishere below, as Heb. II. I6. But you will ask me, Why is it Heaven/ies, in the plural Number ? I ob!Crve this, in the New TeO:ament, when the Heaven of Heavens is fpoken of, it is feldom called Heavenjn the fingular Number in the Greek, but Heavens, as here. And that, 1. In re.gard of the eminent Excellency ~hereo£ The Jews were wont, (as Groti111 obll'rves) when they fpoke of the Heaven of Heavens, to filence the firO:, and Id ufe the lattet; expre'flion only, Heavens, or Heavenlies, as here, as n6t elfe komving how to exprefs the excellency thereo£ And fo il:ill, as that place, namel'y, the Heaven of Heavens, is fpoken of, the firfr is filenced, and it is called Heavens. I could give you a multitude of Places for it. But, 2. After the RefqrreCl:ion there is a fitting in two lorts of Heavenlies : For, firfr, when Jeflls Chrifr comes to Judgmenr 1 he will bring Heaven down with him : Even as at the Earl of Straftord'sTrtal, the Parliament was removed from the ufual place unto Wei1mit!fler·Hall, and the Nobles, and Houfe of Commons, they all met in that made Parliament-Houfe, and it was the Parliament·Houfe,and in all the State of it. I lm .fha/1jit, faith he, (that is, during the Day of Judg– ment,) i!pon twelve Thrones, judging thetwelve Tribes. There is no judging after th_e Day of JuClgment, therefore the Glory that accompanieth prefently after the Refhrre/.Hon, before we go to the Heaven of Heavens, it is heavenly; Jefus Cl\iifr con\cth in .rhe Glory of the Father, and as I laid, brings Heaven down with him. And then there is Heavenlies afterwards, we fuall fit in the third Heavens, whither Paul was rapp"d. And fiu·e there are varieties of thefe Glories, (that is another reafon too,) and of good things there. Wicked M'en for their great Sins deferve a thouland Hells, Co the Saint~ ( if \Ve may fo dcprefs it) fhall have~ thouland Heavens; they fit m bhe mtclft of He.venlies. Therefore whatel'er thmgs are ufeful and delightful, Heaven
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