Ab~J!Jlms r~i~;,. then. Chap. to the He6r. ifull, and is not it the beauty of rhc \Torld? A ~cad the 11.chap.ofthe Rcu. and fuppofc that he beauty ofit w~re but outiNard,:lnd worldly .nd fcnfiblc to hum:mc clpacicic: yet is it farre more excellent, th~eucr any vYas in ~his world. I ; A:nd is not there the company of rhe dcitic, of hriHs humanity, bf the holy Angels, and all 'OOd men? And is not their aboundancc of ,vharfocucr belongs to perfeCt happindfc?And is not there fi·ccdon1e from the dcui),finnc,and death? And is it not the Court of God, rhc King of gloric?Thcnwhy doe we not figh and gronc;, and long to be frec..men of this glori– ous ciri:? And though \\'C cannot come to it, s long as we Jiuc in this world; yet ·why doe :vc not Hri!le to come as neere it as may be? In this \Norld, though aman cannot dv\·cll in the hcartofa Citic,yethcwillrathcrdwcllin the B fi#lur!n, then he will not be neere it; and being here, he knuwcs he can foonc Hcppc into the itic.So let vs in thls life come as neere beauen s we may; let vs get into theJitbsr,bt and dwell here. The fuburbtof heaumisGodstrue Church on earth, whet·c his word is freely known and preached, and his holy Sacram3ts adminHhed, and therein God trucly ferued.Let vs affodace outfclucs to this Church, and Jiuc according o the holy lawcsthercof. This is-the fuburbs of hcaucn: fo lhall we be readle to cmer into the glorious citie it fclfe, when the lord callc! s. And as this is for our{elucs;fo ifwe loueour. hi/dre11, or care for their aduanccmcnt, let vs C make them free-men of that citic, whofomak..tr. andbuilder i< God: So /hall we be fure to haue oinfort and ioy of them here, :incl.with them n hcaucn. But if we will haue the'm frce-men1 nhc:auc:n, we: mull ~akc themGddt ~tpprentius on earth: they mu(\ ferue out th.~lr tin1e1 elfe they get no frcedome. This time1 is all·their life. Men are deceiued thatlet tlfeirchildren be the deuibjlauet hcre,and think roihaue them free in hcaucn: let ·vs then bindt our children prciltiz:-es to God, t'hat is, make them his fer– uants here: then affuredly, as iil their repen– tance and regeneration here, they are borne– free;mcn of hcauen; fo after this life they !hall ' inioy the freedome-s and priuilcdg<s of that heaucnly cJuc, whrchw.u madeat~d6Hi!J 6y the D wifotlomeof God. ,r ' L•llly, here we fee bow true it is that Da11id cacbcth, P(al.t 5. 4• No vile p.rfbn can come nheaucn. AndnomarucJI: for ifmen thus and hus defamed, ca:u10t be freemen in theCities· on earth, built bymen; it is likely~that finner-s, ndprofanc men, that care not for repcntan<:c} nd regeneration, (forthey be rh·c vile men) ihall'bc admitted into that citie} wbofc maker nd builder is God? It isthc holy citie,no vn– lcane thmg can corer imo it,.R'euci. 2 I .It is Gods holy moumainc, how ihot1ld vngodlincs :1fccnd thithcr?Pfa!. I;. r. It is'the~newc Ieru:: falem, how ihall the old man, t'hai is, finnefuH corruptionj get into idVVc.nmH thercfcz·c·c~fi ~ - -- – offthe old man, with his:.lu!ls, and "be rcnn' ~ ; cd .in holyncffc: \VC muil become penitent fin~ · ncrs for our liucs pail, and nt>wmt'n for!lercaf ... ; ter; orclfc let vs not·looketb hauc any part i11 j hcauen. ' ~ · . 1 And good rcafon, for God UrhF mak,sr tmd . /milder of it.: Bm he is not the m:~kcr of ftnnc; 1 but the dcuill, and our frhks brought it 0ut1 I and thinkc we the deuills worke fl1all-.come in hc:men? or that God \''/ill build :1houk fot-t\re dcuils naues to dwcl in?Ltt V!I not bede-ceiuedt Bur contrariwiiC, grace and:holyncf!C is Gods I workc: as our foules and bodies \-vcrc the \i\'orl< ofhis hands,fo our re-generation is m~;.~c.li more the workc ofhis owne power andmcr{ic:That man therefore, whocanfay;God asoncchcc made me a man, fo hec hath againe mo.ctc and built me incw man, and a ne.w creatllfe·i th1Jt man is hc,that ibal be ail inhabit:lnt in:that h-ca.. ucnly citic, whofomak.!r and b;;ilder ts the'famt Gud. , In this hGlywayoffaith and rcpcntancc,dld the holy Fathers walkc to this citic ; as Dauid faith, in the name of them~1 ,·Thlf-J I will waitc for thee in /Jolintfe. · · ·: · . . .A:nd·tbus doubtleffc <li<Lthc holy Patri'arke Abrah•m 1 who as he was the Father o(our faith, fo wa>hcalfo apatterne of rqicgtollct and holy life -:-and-·in thar holyne£fc he waited for this ciilct~at f;ath a fOHndation, wh9ft't»,irkfr and{milderuGod. ··•· "- Hitherto we haue h'card the hmy pra&Hi:·of Abrahamtfaithi.\h tWO examples, . . ., . Therei~much more fpokenofrhc exctllCA– cie of hi~faith: but byth~":'ay;rbc h<>l1 Gh'6(\ interlac:eth aworthy ex--ample, cue of.~.Wom4m faith; n~it:.ety,Sarah~·i•~i(e. Th~-fixt Edm– plc,m the ordet ofthdwhol~, lbllowethln-lhc Words6~!·~C·t~O~CXtVCrf~~:;· .. ~-·~~:~,:-~ . next
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