ten Vir,~ins Opened and Applied. our King, he is our Law-giver alfo,/fa.33.22. Nay the fame Lawes by which we !hall be ruled in Heaven, we have here, and we are now under : That as our Divines f.1y againH the PapiHs, though before Mofcs his time,rhere \Vas not fcriptio verbi yet rbere \Vas verbumfcriptum, which the Patriarchs had before rhe Floud, and afrerward until Mofes his rime : So I fay here, though in Heaven rhe external Letter and fcription both of Law and Gofpel, Onll be abolifhed, becaufe they need the;n not when the day-(hr is rifen, 2 Pet. r .I 9· Yet the living Rules of both for fubHance, fhall remain; rhe end of the MiniHry i> ro bring us to the unity of Fairh in a perfe8: eflare, Eph.4·13· ThereforeFaith fhallnorceafe, when Mini(lers !hall, and that perfect man Jhall come. · Our Fairh indeed fhall nor rhen by fuch glaffes fee Chri/1, nor adhere unro ChriH, by fuch means of Promifes at~d Ordinance> as we do now, but without them we fhall both fee, and for ever adhere to him who is our King ar that day;and though indeed rhe Law is no,v abolifhed , as a·Covenant of life , yet in Jhall ever remain as a Rule of life; perfett fubje8:ion to it, is the happineffe of Saints in Heaven, I Joh.I. as a he.m comraryt0 it is the grearefi mifery of the Saints on earth, Rom.7.24· 3. B~caufe here are rhe Sub;eas of Heaven, Eph.2.I 9· Fellow-Citizens of the Reafon 3• Sainrs,nor only on earth, bur as Paul freakerh, Phil.).20.0ur converfation(or,as ·ic may be rendred,our free Burge!le-fhip) is in Heaven. God l.:limfelf harh canonized all the trne Members of vif,ble Churches with the name ef Saints, throughout the whole new Tell:ament, here are rhe gre1t heirs of Heaven, nay, poffeffours of Heaven by Faith, as others are by fee ling, as near and dear to God (in fome refpeet) as thofe that be in Heaven already; becaufc the fame motive which makes him love them, makes him love rhefe, though poor ab;eas, and out-~aHs of the w.:>rld ; there is bur a payer-wall of their bodies between them and Heaven, only here is the difference, they there, are Subjeetsin their own conntrey; thefe here, are the fame Counrreymen, only firangersfora.rime hereupon earth: Some define a Kingdom to be. domin~ttm r~gisin populumfubjeCfum. If C~riH (the Kino) was prefenc,and his Laws publifhed, but there were no people robe fub JCCt ro hi~, there could be no Kingdom; but when the King, Laws, and SubjeCts of Heaven are here mer topether in rhe vili.ble Church, here is now the Kingdom of Heaven. 4· Becaufe here is rhe very Glory of Heaven begun, that look as the farr:-e Sun Reafon 'f• which fils the Stars with Glory, the very fame l:ieams couch the earrh .alto, fo rhefame Glory which ihines in Heaven, Jhines into the poor Church here, 1 Pet. 5.Io, God bath called his people into his eternal Glory. And Rom. 8. jo. '1fhom Cbrilt h111th jNjlified, them he hathglorified, i.e.he hath begun it here; here in a fpecial manner is the prefence of rhe Anoels in Heaven; Eph. 3· Io. Here rhe pure in heart fee God, and that after another manner, than many rimes they can m their folitarycondirion, Pj111t.63.t,z,3. Artd what is this bur Heaven?. SECT. IV. I. SEE therefore hence their happinefs and hortour, \Vhom God bath called out Uft 1~ of the world, and planted in his Church: What hath the Lord done, but opened the wayro the Tree oflife,and let you irtto Paradife again? Nay(which is tr.ore) What hath he done but taken you up into the very KinodomofHeaven it felf? where you hlve the Lord of glory to be your King, rh~ Laws of Heaven n:ade known, his heart opened, where you have the heirs of Heaven your compamons, and the Angels of Heaven your guard, deGrino to look into thofe thtn<>s which your eyes fee, and your hearts feel, 1 Pet. I. I 2~ Where you have the lo~e of a Fat~er appearing, the Son of God inhabitin'o , and rhe Spirit of Heaven co:r.fornng. Lord what u man that thou art thm 0mindfulof him! That when the Lord feerh it unmeet to take you out of this world up unto He•ven, that B 3 Heaven
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=