IIO Vol. I. The Second Sermon we this Text, SERMON XVa Good Men Strangers and Sojourners upon Earth. H E B. Xl. I 3. And confeffed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth. The whole Verfe runs thus. Thefe all died in Faith, not having received the Promifes, but having feen them afar off, and were perfuaded of them, and embraced them, and confeffed that they, &c. Have lately in this Place (upon a particular Day and Occafion begun to handle thefe Words ; I (hall briefly giveyou the Heads of what hath been already delivered, and proceed to what remains. And that which I de- figned from. this Text was, To reprefent to us our prefent Condition in this World, and to awaken us to a due Senfe and Confideration of it. It is the fame Condition that all the Saints and Holy Men that have gone before us were in, in this World ; and we may all of us fay with David, Pfal. 3,9. 12. I am a Stran- ger with Thee, and a Sojourner, as all my Father's were. It is very frequent, not only in Scripture, but in other Authors, to reprefent Our Conditionin this World, by that of Pilgrims andSojourners in a far Country. For the Mind, which is the Man, and our Immortal Souls, which are, by far, the molt noble and excellent Part of our felves, are the Natives of Heaven, and but Pilgrims and Strangers here on the Earth ; and when the Days of our Pil- grimage (hall be accomplifhed, are defigned to return to that Heavenly Country from which they carne, and to which they belong. And for the Explication of this Metaphor, I infifted only upon Two Things, which feem plainly to be defigned and intended by it. I. That our Condition in this World is very troublefom and unfettled; They confeffed that they were Pilgrims andStrangers on the Earth. II. It implies a tendency to a future Settlement, and the Hopes and Experta- tion.of . a happier Condition, . into whichwe (hall enter when we go out of this World. And thefe I told you are Two very Weighty and Ufeful Confiderations ; That we fhould both underftand our prefent Condition in this World, and our future Hopes and Expectation after our Departure out of it ; that fo we may demean our felves fuitably to both thefe Conditions ; both as is fit for thofe who look on themfelves as Pilgrims andSojourners in this World ; and likewife, as it becomes thofe who feek and expefl a better Country, and hope to be Partakers of a Bleffed !immortality in another World. I. That our Condition in this World is very Troublefom and Unfettled; and this is principally intended by the Metaphor of Pilgrims and Strangers. Such was the Life of the Patriarchs here fpoken of in the Text; they hadno confIant Abode and fixt Habitation, but were continually wandering from one Kingdom and Country to another ; in which Travels they were expofed to a great many Dangers and Sufferings, Affronts and Injuries; as we read at large in the Hifto- ry of their Travels in the Old Teftament. And fuch is our Condition in this .World; it is often Troublefome, and always Uuncertain, and Unfettled ; fo that whatever Degree of Worldly Felicity any Man is poffeft of, he bath no Security that it (hall continue for one Moment. II. Our
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