170 SEK MONS upon the SERM.XXI. Brutal Lifts ; and till our Bleffed Ellate, we never fully recover it again ; but then we are abfòlutely free,, and at liberty to love and ferve God. Well then, 'tis no mean thing Chrifl inviteth us unto ; but unto a Kingdom, which we thall all joyntly and fever/11y poffefs. There are two quarrellous Pro- nouns, Mount and Tuum, Mme and Thine, which are the occafion of all the Strifes in the World. There (hall be excluded out of Heaven, as the common. Barrettors and Make -bates : There is no Envy, no Uncharitablenefs : There one cannot fay to a,-other, This Part of this Glorious Kingdom is mine, That is yours : For every ut this Kingdom ¡hall be as much an Heir, as if he were foie Heir. Here we ftreighten others, as much as we are enlarged our felves : But there each one hath his full Proportion in that Bleffed Eftate ; each hath the whole, and the rest ne- ver the lefs : As the fame Speech may be heard entirely by me and all ; as the Light of the Sun ferveth all the World : Another hash not the lefs, becaufe I enjoy the whole of it. S. tondly, The Adjana of this Kingdom, is, [That it was prepared for ur.] The word fignifieth made ready : God made ready this State of Happinefs, long e're we were ready for the Poffeffion of it.. Eternal Love laid the Foundation of it ; Merit of infinite Value carried on the Building ; and powerful and effeflual Grace ffill pur- fueth the Work in our Hearts : For we Muff be prepared for. the Kingdom, as well as this Kingdom prepared for us. So that, in fhort, this Kingdom was prepared for us, t. By the. Father's Love : 'Twas his own Love, and moil free Goodnefs, that in- wardly moved him to do all this for us ; Luk. r z. 32. 'Tie your Father's good Plea- fare. 2. By, the Son's Merit and Mediation ; who died, that we fhould live together with him, r Theff. 5. to. 3. By the Santlication of the Spirit, by which we are fitted for this Efate, 2 Cor. 5- S (r.) The Father's Love. The Preparation is abfcribed unto God; r Cor. 2. 9. The things which God hath prepared for them that love him. And Heb. ri. r6. For God kath prepared for them a City. Particularly, by God the Father : So Matth. 2o. 23. It is not mine to give ; but to them for whom it was prepared of my Father. The Fa- ther's Act may be thus conceived : God loved us fo much, as he decreed to give Chri/l for us ; that by his precious Blood he might purchafe and acquire for us a Bleffednefs in Heaven : and in the Fulnefs of Time, accordingly "lent him into the World for that end ; and bound himfelf by Eternal Pathon and Covenant, that all that believe in his Name, should have this Kingdom. This was the Preparation of his Decree. ( z.) 7efus Chrifi by way of Execution of this Decree, maketh a further Prepara- tion; when by his Death he purchafed it, and by his Afcenfion went to feize up- on it in our Name : ;soh. rq. 2. I go to prepare a Place for you. As Chrifl by his Death did purchafe a Right and Title to Heaven ; fo by his Afcenfion he profecu- teth, and applieth that Right : He is gone; as our Harbinger, to take up Rooms for us. As the High - Prieft entred into the molt Holy Place, with the Names of the Children of Vial upon his Breaff and Shoulders, and with the Blood of the Sacri- fices : So he hath entred Heaven with our Names, to prefent the Merit of his Blood continually, and to pour out the Spirit to fit us for Glory. This is his Errand and Bufinefs in Heaven, and he is not unmindful of it. ( 3,) Tue Spirit prepareth se ; without which, all the reit would come to no ef- fett : For it is the Wifdom of God, to difpofe all things into their apt and proper Places. Therefore, the Perlons are prepared, as well as the Place; Rom. 9. 23. Vef- fels of Mercy, which be bath aforehand prepared unto Glory. He worketh Faith in their Hearts, giveth them a Title ; and by fan&ifying, prepareth them for the Poffeffi- on, aiid Enjoyment of it : He that worketh us for this felt fame thing, is God, z Cor. 5. 5. Thirdly, The Application, or Appropriation of this Preparation to the Perfons that £hill now enjoy it ; [For Tote : ] Which refpetts not only the Qalification, but the Per - funs. r. Not only for flab as you, but for you particularly.. In the general, Heaven was
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=