to the E P H E S I A N S. 2jl Heaven is let out to us by them. Here the. allufion, you fee, is to fitting; it is ~ likewif'e compared to walkmg, to walkmg m Shade~, and Woods, and pleafant ~ Places: Zech. 3· 7· /(thou wilt ('.!ep my Charge, ( C11th he to Jofhua and hts Fellows) I wiUgive thee Walks ; it IS to !hew the vartety. It IS hkewi!e compared to an Houfe and when fo, hefpeaks in the Plural, you !ball have Houf'es enough: faith Chrift' In my Father's Houfe are many Manjions; frill in the Plural, as noting the copioufueiS and abundance to each Saint. . Some allege ~hat place to. prove Ccvera! degrees in Glory, but that was not pertment to Chrtft s f'cope, 'Whtch was to affure them all univerfally, and every oue of them, of the GreatneiS of that Glory to come ; all !ball have fo much, as that none !ball envy another: :J(pn c •.,.,. T~nii· notal difparitatem f:!£reditatu, fl.d magmtudtne~t i~ ampltt1ldt.nem, ,1H£ tanta eJl_, !'t i~J~~~6 . 1q fit «.cpeoe)«, Grttct eleganter coptam, abun~a~t~am.vocarunt O:cp6oe,t«v, cum unrcmq; tantum jizppetit, qzw1t1111J Ji pojfideat, nemzm mvzdeat. All m a Man, Body and Soul, and every thing in him, there !ball not be a Toe or a Fmger that is not heavenly, and there !ball be none of th_efe but !ball have heavenly Objects for them. Therefore he placeth us, I fay? m the mtdft of Heavenlies, as he hath done Chrift himfelf; for the Phrafe IS ufed of htm, chap. 1. ver.f. 20. He hJth Jet him at his own right hand in Heavenlies ; it.is in the Plural there too. But then you fee, our T ranflators have put m the word [Places J but it is not in the Greek, it is there only Heavenlies ; but thts was taken in to anfwer the Phraf'e of{ittillg, becaufe we are laid to fit,therefore they \Jave made up the Sence, and added [Places.] But my Brethren, it is not to be underftood only ofP!aces or Dignities, or Thrones, but that we are fet in the midfl: of heavenly things ; in Heavmlies, faith he. Even as Earth is one thing, and earthly things another; fo Heaven is one thing, and heavenly things another. You !ball find the Phrafe ufed of all the things in Heaven, be they what they will, in Heb. 8. 5· Who ferve, uith he, zmto tbe exampk and jhadow of heavenly things. All the things of the Gof'pel, are called all, h;,~e:J.vux.; heavenly things; and chap. 9· 23. you have the fame : It .was necejfary that the 'Pattern of things in the Heavens foould be purified ...with theft, but the heavenly things th(mfelves with better Sacrifices: Heavenly things themfelvcs, not 'Places only. ·So that to fit in Heavcnlies, is as much as to fay, that you !ball fit there, as a Man fits in his Houfe of which he bath polfeffion, fits in the midfl: of all that is there, havmg all at command. All there, I fay, is hea– venly, all the Objects, all the Company ; yet norwithfl:anding I do not deny, but that to fit in Heavenlies refers alf'o, and the Metaphor will carry it necelfarily, unto the Place it felf, and the Dignities there. The Obfervations which I !ball make ftom hence are the{e : Firf15 That all your Places, and what Happinefs you fhall have in Heaven, Obfcrv. 1 ; are ready for you. That is clear and plam out of the Text, for you are faid to lit now iJJ ht<venly Places in Chrif1. It may be thefe Obfervations would lfave come in better afterwards, but being mentioned, I will go on with them now. In 2 Cor. 5· I . We /;pow, that if OHr earthly Houfe of this Tabernacle ,.ere dijfolved, ''" have a Buildivg ofGod, eternal in the Heavens. He !peaks in the prefent Tenfe, it is ready for me, faith he, if my Soul were out of my Body. I told you before, out of I Sam. 20. that it was the manner when theKing fate at Meat, every Noble-man had his Seat, and if he came not) no Man took up his place, his Seat was empty ; for it is faid, that David'sSeat was empty ; the place according to every Man's Ran! was left empty. We do now lit in heavenly places in Chrift, all our Places are made ready, and they do but wait till the Souls of Men come thither, and till the latter day. Therefore in I 'Pet. 1. he faith, We are begotten to an Inheritance immortal, &c. referved in Heaven ftJr 111, ready to he revealed. It is kept for you, your places !ball never be taken over your Heads, and are ready;. there you fit, and Jefus Chrifl: poffeffeth them till you come thither; you fit in Chrifl: now, and when you come thither, you !ball fit with Chrifl:. Secondly; You fee that we are all here upon Ea:th but Strangers. • He C.ith, Obfc - we now fit in Heaven in Chrifl:, our places are ther~. They confijfed them [elves crv, 3 ' StraNgers, Heb. 11. r3· altho they had a Land promtfed them here. There is a Houte
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