True Happinefs. :r:1}: ~, ma~~:::.z,fl~~t~~~,~~qA~d :~a~~~:h~s~~fi',;~~~ ~~i~~a~7~~~ ~:f:ri~i~~~;fe City. ?fit ~n Cbf'P·. 21. of this Book from V er. ro. eo the end. of the Cbnpter, And, Rev. ::11. JD: bnef, lt 1~ ~othmg el~e hut !ftaVten; the New Jerufalem, tht'lt Holy Ciry, tke R_';;/Z~ . C1ty of . the .Lwmg God, mto whscb no unclean thing jludl enter. For without are !F ~:1:rh .:ntie:orc~ers; and Whoremo~gers~ and Idolaten, ami who[onNr IO'tJeth and 'w;,~~lirit Thirdly., What is it to enter 1hrough the Gates into the c;r 1 . to enttr. .! I anfwer, Tho~gh in the foregoing Chapter this CitJ i.s defc;ihed to have through tweldte Ga1,o, and m them the Names of th~ Twelve Tribes of Hrael, to lignifie to us, ~he G~w that through the Grace of the Gofpel, there is· a Paff.1ge and an: Inlet intO ~~~~o ~he Jfeav~n fort all thofe that are true lfra,trw; yet, in true propriety of. Sp'f:ech~ 1 there 1S but one Way, and but one Gate ro Heaven: Ye~, and our Savtdur tells Mat. 7 • us, tha't Way is narrow, and that Gate is ftrait; for fo we find his Words Strait l4. H tbe GtJte, tmd narro1v i4 the !¥ay, that lea1eth unto Life, and few there·be th;t find it. The Commandments of God are .thrs Gate to the Heavenly City, and the two Tables of the Law are the tw~ Lea~es of this Gate, through which every one muft pafs, that hop~s to be admttt.ed toto the Nnv Jtru{alttN. And althriugfr Pfd. 119. D11v;J feems to make thts G~cc Tery large, when he tells us, ThJ Commandments 96. are ~xcudf"g br.oad; yet that IS ol!ly eo be ~nderfiood concer~ing the Authority of tts lnJunChons, not of,the Ltbercy of tts Indulgence. It ts exce-eding broad in. theExtent of irs preceptive Po~er,fot it preiCribes Rules to all our ThoUghts Words, and ACtions, and to every Circumfiance of each; but it is eXceeCiini narrow aQd firait in the ·Scope and Allowance chat it gives us; that as foon may a Camel go thro!'gb the Ejt of a Nwlle, as we pafs through this Gate with the Burthen ·of one unmorcified Lufi, or one unrepenced Sin. Quell; . ~ut ..'fhy. is it f~id, That thofo tha~ do God's c_ommandments may enter through tht CattJ inro the City? Can any cmer m as a Tbtef, or a Robber, over the Wall? Or can any, as an Enemy, fcale chofeEcernal Ramparts, and take it by Invafion? Anfw. : I anfwer: This is fo exprefi'ed, to denote the free AccefS and AOmiffion of thofe in Heaven, who are careful to obey the Commandmerits ofGod upon Earth: Such as thefe are freeborn Citizens of Heaven; their whole Eitarc, their whole , Traffick, all their Treafure and Livelihood is laid up there; they are free Deni- '. z.ens by the Charter of the New Covenant, they may challenge Ingiefs as their Rev. 1 \ 1 . Right and Due; and he who bath the KeJS of David, wbo opmtth and 110Man flmtttb and flmttth and no Man optneth, opens the Door eo thefe, and lets them into th.ofe Eternal Manfions, which he hath purchas'd and prepar'd for them. IV. The fourth and lafi Query eo beenquir'd into, is concerning chat Right which What Obedience to God's Commands gives us unto this Tree of Life, and to this Hea- ~~;:m" ve?lr Cir;; ~hat is, eo Ecernal Life and Glory. Now here I fhall branch out gi1Jtth 1 , this Que1 y m to Two; a~d fo I fhall !Jlew you, . :h~ Tm of I. \Vhat chat Obtdien_ce 1s, wh1~h gtv~s us a Rtgbt t? Heaven. Li(,, aml II. What that Right 1s, that thts Obtdttnct doth connrm. . '~!h~ 1-l~R- . I \V hat that Obtdienc~ is, which gives os a Right to Heaven. '1JmlJ1~'ty. 1. an[UJcr :' It is not a Legal Ohttliwce, _or_ a Perfect _Perfonal Righceouf~tefs, th.at :.; now gives up this Right to Heaven; tillS ts very plam, hecaufe to con!hcute thts, what sp:rt Jcis neceffitry t:hat there he both Original Purity in our Natures, which fince the ~ Z~f~~7'~·s Fall ,is miferably viti.ated ~nd corrupted; and alfOaSinlefs Perfe.d:io!lin o~r Lives, mmtioned in r11c con!l:anc Qb{ervauon ofevery Jota ofthe Law, both as to 1ts Excenuon, and J intheText. Intention. chat we obey it in every part and tittle of it, and that our Obedience I . unto everY parr beraifed tot he higheft degree of Love, Zeal, and Charity. This • ~~~~;~~: Title .was once good, but it is now. loft, by the Fall, in the common Ruinc and · Rublfh of Mankind ; and he who harh ~or another 'Ji~J:, upon ~et'ter and eafier · Terms; wilt find Cbcruhims,and ~he Flammg Sword of DI~neju{bcc~ fer to guard the 71'ee of Life from his Approaches, ~s one ~nee t.hey dtd ~ram gudry Addm. , II. There is therefore another Obulmtct whtch gt.ves a R1gb; umo. the Tru of · I:i1 i.~~~n- Lift, and _chat is an Evangelical Ob~dicnce, whtch accordmg to .the Gmce, gdhat Condiifcenfi'on and Equity of the Goipel, fhall be accepted unco, and rewarded · ohiime. "eh Everlafli;g HappineCS. Now rhisEvangelical Obedience confirls net indeed ' ~1 Innocency and Perfection, but in fin cere De fires, and porporrionable En~ ' ~eavours after ir; when we {hive eo the urmoft w live holily, and eo walk n_1ore ·· ·· · flnCll?
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=