6 'S E R M' O N S upon the Serm. IL qualification by two witnelles, Confcience, and the, Spirit, Rom-'8. 16. the Spirit it Pelf, beareth witnefs with our Spirit that we are the Children ofGod : As in the mouth of two witneffesevery thing iseftablifhed. God never giveth Heaven but he givethearñeft, z Cor. s. z z. Who hat: alfo fealed w, and given w Le earne/I of the Spirit in our hearts. God never giveth Heaven to any but firlt he prepareth and fitteth them for it, Col. t. {z. Giving thanks unto the Father, which path made us meet to be partakers ofthe inheritance of the ,Saints in light. There is -Some fuitablenefs between the perfon and the Rate ; therefore what bath God doné for you t Or what have you done for God ? You muff look to both. Deus coronat dona fua. Never think he will alter thole eternal Laws of Juftice to fave you ; you are to do fomethingto take hold of eternal life, t Tim. 6. 19. Laying up in flare for themfelves a good Foundation again. fl the time to come, that they may lay hold ors eternal life. And then let us look for it, and long for it more, and Peek after it with all earneftnefs. We have an Houle above, but we are not in it, therefore we fhould long to be at home in the injoyment of the Houfe fitted for us. Your whole lives lhould be a continual motion, and approach toward this Eternal and Glorious eftate of reft. Be- leivers that look, and long, and groan for Heaven, are of a molt noble and divine Spirit. Can a man believe Bleffednefs to come, and not long to enjoy it ? Surely mind and heart will be fet a -work: A tall will make a man long for more ; 'cis but a little while and we (hail have full polïeffion. And the reafon why we have not full poffeflion fanner, is' not becaufe Heaven is not ready for us, but we are not ready for it. And then let us comfort our felves with thefe hopes ofBleffednefs, Heb..3. 6. WhofeHoufe are we, if we bold fall the confidence, and the rejoicing of the dope firm unto the end. Oh let us route this joy, and Rill keep it afoot, to incourage our endeavours, Phil. 3.13, To abate our fears, Lukt 13.32. To moderate our forrows, Het. 10.34. To allay the fears of death. We doby it but change Houles, and it's not an exchange for the worfe, but for the better. Why fhould we then be fo unwilling to it? SERMONI. 2 Cor. 5. r: For we know that if our earthly Houle of this Tabernacle were diffolved, we have a build- ing of God, an Houle not made With hands, Eternal in the Heavens. I come now to the Third Confideration. %II. Y Hat a lure confidencéof this happy and Bleffed Condition maybe had: For r. Here is a fure right. [ We have.) A Chriftian not only 1hall have , Heaven at laft, but he bath it for the prefent; he is not only fure of it at the clofe of his days, but now he hath it : He lath not a poffefion of this upper Houfe, but he bath a full right to it, and is expel ing- and waiting when God (hall call him up thither, and is 1hll preparing for his remove, and ripening for his ever - fafting eftate. The Scripture fpeaketh this in many other places, gob. 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son, bath everlaflin life. So John 5. 24. Verily, verily he that heareth -my word, andbelievethin him that feat me, bath everlafling life, and fhall not come into Condemnation, but is parted from death to life. So Yoh. 6.54. Whofo eateth my Hello, and drinketh my Blood,hath everlafling life, and 1 will raife him up at the laß day. How hath he it now ? He hath it, 1. In `Fromife. In the promifes of the Golpel, when we take hold of the promife, we take hold of the blefling by the root. Therefore believers are laid to take hold of eternal life, r Tim. 6. 12 19. namely, as they take hold of the pro - mife by which their right is fecared to them -As loon as he is converted to God,he is made an heir of eternal life, God bath made a Charter and Grant to him, he hath it upon fuels terms as he is out of the hazard of perifhing. He hath fus ad rem, though not in re, as a man loath a Title to the eftate which he is to poffefs after the death of another. We have it and hold it by Covenant right, though not by aítual pofïefiion. 2. Y.e hath it in Capite. In his Head, Eph. 2.6, He bath raifedus up, and made as to fit together
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