Ver. 34 xxvtb Chapter of St. MATTHEW, 16 my' Heart, my Boforn, my Glory. Oar neareft Commnnioü with Chri/t, is not till we be tranflated into Heaven. Come, dra w near to me, be not afraid of my Majefty4 this was it the Saints longed for, and now they enjoy it : When ¡hall 1 come, and appear before God! faith Holy David, Pfal. 42. 2. You that had an Heart upon my Mfr. Invitation to come to me, and leek after mein the Kingdom of Grace; come near to me now in the Kingdom of Glory. The Godly dd not fd much de- fire to come near to Chrrft, as Chrifi defireth to come near to them. Where have you been all this while ? Come, come, I am ready to receive you ; you are welcome Guefts to me : We have been too long afunder. ,Oh ! How ravilhing will this be to every gracious Heart, that loved and longed for this Day ! (2.) toes q.4,..75, Inherit. Our happy and bleffed Eftate we have, and hold by In- heritance : I Pet. 3. 9. Te are called to Inherit á Bleffing. That noteth a Tenure free' full, and fore. This Heritage, 1. Is Free. We do not poffefs it as Bond -men, or Servants only ; we do not come to this Happinefs by our own Earning, and Purchafe ; but as Heirs of Chrift. Adam's Tenure was that of a Servant ; the Bleffrngs he expe&ed from God were meer Wa- ges. We hold Promifes in another manner : Our Title is by Adoption, which we have immediately upon clofing with Chrif, yoh. 1.12. by vertue ofour Sonlhip, Rom, 8. 17. Not byMerit, but free Gift, Rom. 6.23. 2. A full Tenure. As Children under Age differ but little from a Servant ; but we come then as Heirs to our full Right. A Child, though he be an Heir, and owner of all his Father's Inheritance, in hope ; yet as long as he is a Minor, or un -. der Age, he differeth little or nothing from a Servant, in point of Subje&ion, and as to free Government, and Enjoyment of his Rights and Goods But now, to this Inheritance we come as meet Heirs. They diltinguifh of Yus Hereditarium, and hus Aptitudinale an Hereditary Right, and an Aptitudinal Right. Now, when We ave believed, fu'ffered, and been exercifed enough, we fhall receive out full Inheri- tance ; being made meet for it, Col. 1. 12. 3. A fare Title : It was given us by the Father, and purchafed by the Son ; and we hold it by this Tenure for ever. God the Father gave it : Luk. 1 z. 32. Fear not; little Flock, 'tie your Father's Pleafure to give you a Kingdom. And Chrift hath pur- chafed it, Hob. g. 15. It is left us as a Legacy by him, yob. a 7. 24. And he liveth for ever to be the Executor of his own Teftament, Heb. 7. 5. So that now we are pall all Danger, when once admitted into Poffelfion. III. Here is the Defcription of that Happy Eftate we are invited unto. Where obfèrve, Firft, The- Notion by which 'tis expreffed ; 'tis [ a kingdom.] What can be thought of more Magnificent and Glorious; than a Kingdom ? 'Tis called a Xing- don, (e.) Partly with refpeCt to Chri/l, who is our Head and Chief; in whole Glory we (hall all participate and fhare, in our Places and Capacities. 7efur Chrift is King of Kings, and Lord of Lord, ; and we ¡ball Reign with him as kings : For he bath made us a Royal Priefihood, r Pet. 2.9. And Revel. I. 6. He bath wa(hed us in his own Blood, and made us Kings and Priefis unto God: And Revel. 5.1o. And bath made us unto our God Kings and Prie/is, and we (hall Reign with him. 'Tis begun on Earth fpiritually, but 'Lis perfefted in Heavenglorioufly ; where the Saints [hall be as fo ma- ny Crowned Kings. - (z.) And partly with refpeft to the very thing it Pelf: Our Bleffed Eftate (hall be an Eftate of the highef Dignity and Dominion ; of the fulleft Joy and Content, that Heart can with for. We have no higher Notions, whereby to exprefs a Blef- fed, and happy Eftate : And therefore, our Eternal Glory, whereof we are Parta- kers, is thus let forth ; efpecially to counter- ballance our mean and low Efface in the World. yam. 2. 5. God bath chafers the Poor of the World to be rich in Faith, and Heirs of a Kingdom. The Saints (hall have Dominion in the Morning, Pfal. 43. 14. They [pall fit with Chrifi as Kings upon the Throne; to execute the Judgment written. Oh ! How fhould this warm our Hearts with the Thoughts of thefe things ! (3.) Partly with refpeét to our Lofs by the Fall. In the Creation God put Man in Dominion ; but by fubje&ing- our felves ei the Creature, who was made to be under our Feet, we left our Kingdom, and are become Slaves under the power of Z Brutifh
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