Semi. XI V. Rpon Earth. " an Inn, and not as quitting mine own Honie and Habitation ; Nature having " aligned this World to us as a Placeto fojourn, but not to dwell in. " Which is the fame with what the Apoftle fays in the Text, concerning the Patriarchs, They confefed that they were Pilgrims and Strangers in the Earth ; and concerning alt Chriítians, Chap. 13. 14. Here we bave no continuing City ; but we feek one to come. But I do not intend to follow the Metaphor too clofe, and to vex and torture it by purfuing all thole little Parallels and Similitudes, which a lively .Fancy might make or find, betwixt the Condition of Strangers and Pilgrims, and the Life ofMan during his Abode and Patfage through this World. I will infift only upon two Things, which feem plainly to be defigned and intended by this Meta- phor, and they are thefe ; I. That our Condition in this World is very troublefome and unfettled ; They confefedthat they were Strangers and Pilgrims in the Earth. II. It implies a Tendency to a Future Settling, and the Hopes and Expe&a- tion ofa happier Condition, into which we Mall enter when we go out of this World. For fo it follows in the very next Words after the Text ; They confe/fed that they were Strangers andPilgrims on the Earth : For they that fayfilch things, declare plainly that they feek a Country. They that fayfilch things ; that is, they that acknowledge themfelves to have lived in fuch a reliefs and uncertain Con- dition in this World, travelling from one Place to another, as the Patriarchs Ahrá- ham, Ifaac, and Jacob did, and yet pretend to be perfwaded of the Goodnefs of God, and the Faithfulnefs of his Promife, in which-he folemnly declared hie: elf to be their God, do hereby plainly thew, that they expo& fouie happier Condi tion hereafter, wherein that great Promife of God will be made good to them to the full. And thefe arc two very weighty and ufeful Confiderations, that we fhould both underftand our prefent Condition in this World, and our future Hope and Ex- pe&ation after our Departure out of it, that fo we may demean our felves fuitably to both thefeConditions ; both as it is fit for thofe who look upon theinfelves as Pilgrims and Sojourners in this World, and likewife as it becomes thofe who feek and expefl a better Country, and hope to be made Partakers of a bleffed Immor- tality in another World. I (hall briefly fpeak to both thefe ; and then Phew what Effe& and Influence the ferious Meditation of thefe two Points ought to have ulon every one of us. I. That our Condition in this World is very troublefome and unfettled. This I take to be principally intended in the Metaphor of Strangers and Pilgrims. Such was the Life of the Patriarchs,' which is here fpoken of in the Text ; they had no confiant Abode and fix'd Habitation, but were continually wandering from one Kingdom and Country to another ; in which Travels they were ex- pofed to a great many Hazards and Dangers, Affli&ions and Miferies, Affronts and Injuries, as we read at large in the Hiftory of their Travels in the Old Te- ftament. And fuch is our Condition in this World ; it is often 'troublefome, and always uncertain and unfettled. 'Tis often very troublefome : Not to infift upon the weak Condition of Infancy and Childhood, the Helplefnefs of that State, and Infufficiency ofit for its own Prefervation, and the Supply of its natural Wants and Neceffities : Not to men- tion the dangerous Vanity and defperate Folly of Youth, nor the Infirmities and Contempts, the many tedious and wearifom Days and Nights that Old Age is commonly grieved and aftlided withal, to that degree, as to make Life not only unpleafant, but almoft an intolerable Burden to us. Not to dwéll upon thefe, which yet take up and poffefs a great Share and Portion of our Lives : Ifwe look upon Man in his befi State, we than find him, as David bath long fnce pro- nounced on him, to be altogether Vanity. We need not go a Pilgrimage, and travel into remote Countries, to make Life more troublefom and uneafy. In what Part of the World foever we are; even that which we improperly call our own Home and Native Country, we £hall meet with Trouble and Inconvenience enough co convince us, that we are but Strangers in it. Mote efpecially Coed IVIen are p P liareçu- ly IO5
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