Keach - Houston-Packer Collection BS537 .K4 1779

Book IV. s A I N T s COMPARED TO p I L G R I M s. 733 SI M I LE. P A R A L L E L. and that the.r Accompts are in and may alfo enjoy divine Confolation in the faith – good Order, that fo they may fee ful Performance of the Duties of CJu-iltianity. a good End of their Affatrs, and enjoy Comfort in the Management thereof. SAINTS COMPARED TO p I L G R I M s. <f'hey conjejfed, that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth, Heb. xi. 13. . I befeech you, as Strangers and Pi!gnms, to abftatn from jlejh(y Lttjls, that war aga:n.ft the Spirit, I Pet. ii. I 1. Note. The Saints of God are in thefe Scriptures compared to Strangers and Pilgrims. S I M I LE. PARALLEL. I. A Pilgrim is one that travelleth from one Place to another, and is far from H ome. I.THE Saints of God are fpiritual Travellers, they are far from their Father's Houfe, Hea– ven is their eyerlafiing Home, and thither they are going. All the holy Patriarchs and Prophets confeffed they were Pilgrims on the Earth. Jacob faid, '!'he Days of the Years of my Pilgrimage, rather than the Days of my Life, becaufe of the Uncertainty of his Abode here, and in refpeCl: of his removing from Place to Place, Gen. xlvii. 9· II. A Pilgrim that fets out in 11. So the fpiritual Pilgrim, when he firtt fets a Ion<> Journey, takes care to free om in the Ways of God, L1ys afide every Weight, himfdf of all manner of Weights, and the Sin that doth fo eafily befet him, Heb. and unnecelTary Bunhens, and xii. 1. It greatly behoves him fo to do; for one whatfoever elfe may tend to weary, Sin ca~fied in the Bofom, or the inordinate Love or unfit him for his Journey. to any Thing or Perfon of this World, will prove of dreadful Confequence to him. The young Man in the Gofpel had gone a great Way, feemed to be a very zealous Pilgrim; but he had fuch a cruel Burthen upon his Shoulders, that he tired before he came to the End of his Journey. Covetoufnefs, or an unfatisfied Defire after the Things of this World, is compared to a Burden, or Load of thick Clay: Who enlargeth his Dejires os Hell, and cannot be Jatisfied, &c. Wo to him that mcreafeth that which is not his; how long ? .4nd to him that ladeth himfelf with thick Clay, Hab. ii. 5, 6. Would not 11Man that hath a long Journey to go, be laughed at, ihould he carry with him a lheavy Burden of Dirt and Rubbi!h? Such Fools are many ProfeJfors. See Runner. III. A Pilgrim in his Travels IlL So the Pilgrim that would travel to the goes up-hill and down-hill; fomeNew Jerufalem, meets with various Ways and Paf– times he meets with good Way, fages. 1. He mull: go out of the horrible Pit of <md fometimes with bad Way : Prophanenefs; that is Work tnough for the firfi: Sometimes he paffeth over Stiles, Day's Journey. 2. Through the Brook of fin– and throu~h dirty Lanes ; and cere ){epentance, or true Contrition, for every one then again through green Fields that leaves open Prophanenefs, is not truly peni– and pleafant Pafi:ures, and delighttent. 3· Down the Valley of Self-denial, a very ful Paths, till he come to his dedifficult Paffage. 4· Over the Mountains of Op- • fired Place. pofition; for the Devil and all will firaitway make head againfi: him. 5· Over the Stile ot carnal Reafon : Immediately 1 conjulted nol with Flejb and Blood. 6. Into the pleafant Ways of the New Covenant. 7· So upon the Top of the Rock of Ages, and there he may take a ProfpeCl: of his own Country. IV. A Pilgrim, that hath a long IV. So the [pi ritual Pilgrim fpares no Colts, and difficult Way to travel, is very omits no Study, to get the bel): Information ima– thoughtful how to find the right ginable, of the ready Way to the Land of Pro– Way, being a Stranger in that mife. He ceafeth not to enquire of fuch as pre– Country through which he mufi tend themfelves to be Guides, and fuch as know pafs. And befides, being told the Way; but finding them to be ihort-fi<>hted, there are many crofs Ways and and ignorant of the Way themfelves, hefeek~ fur– Turnings, and hard difficult Pafther. And a~ he goes along., one cries, This is 9 A the

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