I o S ER 111 Q N S upon the Serm. IL teth a qualification, and performanceofduty in the perfon, to whom the promise is made; therefore before we can be certain of our own intereft,we mull not onlyperform the duty, and have the qualification, but we muff certainly know that we have done that which the promise requireth, and are duly qualifi4l, and then our Title to Heaven is incom- parably more fure, than any man'sTitle. to his poflef ions, and inheritance here upon Earth. Therefore, I !hall here first fhew,What are thequalifrcations of thojewho flail have this Blefed Eftate- Secondly, The feveral degrees of certainty about our intereft. Thirdly, What reasons there are, whywe should attend upon this work with all diligence ; that we may come to a full confidence. I. What are the qualifications of theft who (hall have this Blefd Eftate? 'Tis the moil Important Queflion which we can put to our Souls, Tfal, 24. Who Jhall afcend into the hillofthe Lord ? And who (hall ftand is his Holy Place? Who (hall be admit- ted intothe place of his fpecial residence? I anfwer, 1. Sometimes, they are delcribed 4 theirfaith in Chrift : As gob. r 1.25, z6. He that believeth and liveth in me, though he were dead, yet (hall be live, and whofoever liveth and believeth in me, (hall never dye, or not dye for ever, as the word may be rendred : The true believer that fo believeth in Chrift, that he liveth in him, that is, who hath accepted of Gods Covenant, and is become Chrifls difciple, obferving his ftrifk fpiritual laws, and running all hazards for his fake, united to Chrift fo as to live in him. Bodily death Mall not extinguifh, the life which is begun and maintained by faith.in Chrift, Job. 6. 40. This is the will of him that feat me, that every one that Teeth the Son, andbelieveth on him, may have everlafling life, and I will raife him up at the lafl day: This is Gods exprefs will. The poor firmer needeth not doubt of it ; if you do fee the Son, and believe on him, that is, fee him, and know him Spiritually, fee him in the light of the Spirit. Heretofore men faw him bodily, and had no benefit. And now many fee him in the Common report and Tradition by the light of humane credulity, that haveno benefit by him. But thofe that fee him in the Promife have a Right and Title that fee him fo, as to fee beauty in him, that they can trample upon allthtngs as Dung and Drofs, renounce themfelves, and all worldly and fleshly lulls, and ,flee to himastheir All-fufficient Saviour, and can venture their Souls in his hand, and groe u_p themfelves to keep his Commandments, and abiddin his Love. in short; thofe who ri,believe içlt bim, as to live in him, and to him. idly. They are de- fcribed to be new treaturçs, or the fantified, Joh. 3.3, 5. Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the Kingdom of God. And agaiq, o..5. Cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Heaven is the Inheritance of Saints, Col. a. 12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which bath made as meet to be partakers, of the Inheritance ofthe Saints in light. And Ails 26. r8- That they may receive. forgivenefs of Sin, and Inheritance among them which. are Sanílifred by Faith, that is in me, Heb. lo. 14. By one offering be bath perfétled for ever them that are Sanflifzed. No unclean , thing (hall enter there. If thou haft the Heaven- ' ly Birth, will. he deprive thee of thy Birth-right to which he himfelf begot thee of in- corruptible feed t r Pet. 1. 3. Blef/ed be the Gotland Father of our Lord left's Chrifl,which according to his abundant mercy,. bath begotten us again utto a lively hope, by the refurretli- on of JeJus Chrif! from the dead. If Holy, he will place thee,among his Holy ones. Thefe are the Terms to which we mull unalterably Hand. If we be not born again it is but felf flattery, that filleth us with vain conceits, like the Mad-man inAthens,who Challeng- ed all the (hips which came into the harbour to be his own. idly. They are defcribed, by their Heavenly mind, affelions and converfatiens, Mat. 6. 19. zo, zl. They who make it their work to lay up treafure in Heaven, have chofen Heaven for their Portion. That feek it in the firft place, Matth. 6.33. That groan, long, wait for it. In the verses next the Text, whofe converfation is in Heaven, Phil. 3.2.o. Dem nihil facit frailra, Ifhe hath given thee an Heavenly mind and affeâions, he will give thee Heaven its felt. He would notitir up theft defires in vain, let his fervants a longing after that, which he never meanethto give them, or beflowupon them, when there is a fuitablenefs between the perfon and the fiate, when our affecuions are weaned from the world, and fet upon Heavenly things. This Houle is fitted for us, if we are fitted for it, Rom. 9. z3. That he might make known the riches of his Glory on the Peels of Mery, wbicbbe had afore prepared unto Glory. There is a meetnefs, Col. r. sa. Affoon as we are newborn, and do believe in Chrift, we have a Right and Title In short. If your whole lives be a con- tinual motion, and nearer approach towards this Bate of rest. 4thly. They are defcrib- edby their fruitfulnefs in good works, and ads of felf denying obedience, Math. 25. 34. 35. &c. 1 Tim. 6. 18, 19. That they do good, that they be rich in goodworks ; ready to distribute
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