Ver. 5. Fifth Chap. 2d Ep. to the C O R I N T H. 3 ed with the blot of everlafting Maine, they points everlafting glory. For in the days of their folemn Feflivals, they appeared in white Garments. So we are bidden, r Thef. z. iz. to walk worthy of God, who bath called us to his Kingdom, and bú glory. Meaning fuitably, and becoming the God whom we ferve, and the glory and bleffednefs which we expe&. But, r. What is the meetnefs ? This framing and preparing of us ? (Olt irnplyeth a re; motefitnefs,which is regeneration. For in our natural °Rate wewett wholly unfit : part- ly, being under Gods Curfe, Gal. 3. a 3.. fK Eph. z. 3. and fo uncapable to enjoy that Bleflednefs which God hath appointed us unto. Partly, beingdead inTrefpafl-es and Sins, Eph.z. r. and fo unable to help our felves. Therefore'tis God alone that maketh us to come out of that corrupt eftate. Surely we ought to be changed, lab: 3. ; Except a man be born again, he cannot enterinto the Kingdom of God. And flefh and blood cannot in- herit the Kingdom of God, r Cor. 15 . 5o. That thefe impediments may be removed, and we made fit, God reneweth us by his Spirit, worketh in us a new life of Grace, a Divine Nature, a Spiritual and new Being, to make us capable of Spiritual and Divine Things : Of our(elves we arenotftt to thinkagood thought.- There is a great unfitnefs of any Spiri- tual good, to underftand it, to do it, to receiveit. Well then, fnen we ought to be chan- ged, and made new creatures before we can be partakers of Spiritual benefits, God's powerful operation is necefEry. Fie mutt frame us for this very thing (z.) It implieth an allual preparation, and a farther degree of meetnefs. After we are entred into the new eftate, thoughat firft Converfion we have a right, and fo are remotely capable, yet we are not meet, and nextly capable of injoying this blefed eftate : a Child in the Cradle hatha right -tothe Inheritance, yet he is not fit tomanage it till he come to juft years of maturity and difcretion. They diftinguifh of fus Hiereditarium, and fus Aptitudinale: An Heir is not admitted to the management of his right. 'Tis true we are begotten to a lively hope, t Pet, r. ;. But we have not the poffeffion of the Inheritance, as foon as we have the hope of it, or a right to it. 'Tis true, God could at once have caft his People in- to anexa& fitnefs, as he made Adam happy in an Iaflant. But God will work congru- oufly, and therefore ordinarily he worketh by degrees. As a feed groweth firft into a (prig, and then into a Tree, fo the new creature proceedeth by degrees, till it come to perteaion : We are not ordinarily meet,s. Till we are exercifed and tried 'Twas not fit that the Kingdom ofGrace and Glory ihould be the fame, but the one a paffage to the other, as he called us to glory andvertue, a. Pet. r. 3. To glory or eternal life as the end, by Grace and Holinefs as the way and means. And the Apoflle faith, Eph. a. t o. We are hisWorhmanfhip, Created-by Chrifi fefeauntogood works, which he bath appointed that we fhould walk inthem. So as the new Creature was fitted for good works, and good works and Holinefs are the way to our per£el °Rate, as in a Journey, there is a way that lieth from one place unto another, ordinarily 'tis fit that we fhould not be tranflated to Hea- ven as foon as new made, but a while exercifed. 'Tis fit our Journey íhould not be a leap or tride. But we fhould by degrees advance to- Heaven by a powerful and fruitful exer- cife of Godlinefs; firfttryed,and exercifed here, and then Crowned hereafter, z Tim. z. 5. None that friveth_ f or the Mallery is Crowned unlefshe flrive lawfully. There is fomething to be done, and fuffered here below; we receive our reward hereafter: Firft ferve our gene- ration bythe will of -God, and then gathered to the Bleffed, There would be no room or place for Temptations, if God did not keep us for a while under the exercife of that Grace whichGod hath planted in us. Therefore he doth not glorify us as foon as we are Converted; no, but when we overcome. 'Tis fl -ill. to him - that .overcometh, Rev. z. 7. r r: 57..26. To him that overcometh will)" give to eat of the Tree of life, which is in the midi of the Paradife of -God. Thofe that have paired the Pikes, gotten over their difficulties. They that hope to go to Heaven without Blows, -look for an eftate which God doth not ordinarily vouchfafe unto his People, Heb. 6. t z. That ye be not floathful, but followers of them subo through faith and patience inherit the promifes; if we look to them that went be -. fore us, or to thófe who ftriveand run with us, t Pet. -5.9 Every one have their exercife and tryals, and all the faith and patience they can poifibly- get,,feerneth little enough to carry them thorough. z. Till we are-mortified, and more dead to the World. -What fhould a finful and fenfual perfon, who doteth upon the Pleafures and Honours of the World, do with Heaven. and the company of God, and the communion of Saints ? No; there muff be a time to fit us and prepare us, that we may be weaned from the World, and Worldly objedts, by degrees. The noifeof Ax and- Fjammer were not to be heard in the Tetnple, the Stones were to be fitted andfquared elfewhere So the Lord humbleth us- by many li&ions, and crucifteth us to the World, Gal.'6. 4. -that we -maybe fitted for the Hea- verily
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