Serin. -XV. Sojourners 11on Earth. II. Our Condition in this World being a State of Pilgrimage, it implies a Ten- dency to a future Settlement, and the Hopes and Expe&ation of a happier Con- dition, into which we fhall enter fo loon as we leave this World. For fo it fol., lows immediately after the Text ; They conffed that they were Pilgrims and Strangers on the Earth ; For they that fay fuch Things, declare plainly that they feek a Country. They that fay fuch Things ; that is, They that acknowledge them- felves to have lived in fuch a retlefs and uncertain Condition in this World, tra- velling from one Place to another, as the Patriarchs Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob did ; and yet pretend to be perfwaded of the Goodnefs of God, and the Faith- fuinefs ofhis Promife, in which he fo folemnly declares himfelf to be their God; do hereby plainly Mew, that they expel fume happier Condition hereafter, wherein that great Promife of God will be made good to them to the full ; fo that he need not be afiamed to have been called their God. Having handled at large thefe two Particulars, I come now to thew what In- fluence the Confideration of them ought to have upon our Lives and Pra&ices.. And if this be our Condition in this World, and thefe our Hopes and Expe&ations as to another Life ; if we be Pilgrims and Strangers in the Earth, and look fbr a better Country, that is, an Heavenly ; this ought to have a great Influence upon us in thefe following Refpeds, which I did but briefly mention before, but !hall now profecute and prefs more largely. I. Let us entangle and incumber our felves as little as we can in this our Pil- grimage : Let us not engage our Affe&ions too far in the Pleafures and Advan- tages of this World, becaufe we are not to flay in it, but to pafs thro' it. Upon this Confederation, the Apoftle St. Peter Both fo earneftly exhort Chriftians to preferve themfelves from flefhly Lufts, t Pet. 2. I t. Dearly beloved, I befeech you, as Strangers and Pigrims, to abflainfrom flefhly Luffs, which war againfl the Soul. Thegratifying of our inordinate Lufts, and our carnal and fenfual In- clinations, is direly oppofite both to the Nature of our immortal Spirits, and to their great Defign and Bufinefs in this World. Flefhly Lulls do not only pollute and defile, but even quench and extinguifh our Diviner Part, and do work the Ruin and Deftru&ion of it ; they fink our Affedions into the Mud and Filth of this World, and do entangle and detain them there ; in a word, they do wholly indifpofe and unfit us for that Pure, and Spiritual, and Divine Life, which alone can qualify us for our Heavenly Country and Inheritance. And therefore while our Souls are fojourning in this World, we fhould abftain from them, and pre- ferve our felves unfpotted and untainted by them, as being altogether unufeful, and perfecdly contrary to the Laws and Manners of our Heavenly Country. If we wallow in brutifh and filthyLufts, as we pafs through this World ; our Na- tive Country, when our Souls think to return to it, will reject us and caft us our: When we come to Heaven's Gate, and knock there, expelling to be ad- mitted, and (hall cry, Lord, Lord, open unto us; He will bid us to depart from him, becaufe we have been Workers of Iniquity. .Nothing that is unclean can enter into Heaven. He who is to receive us into thofe bleffed Manfions, hath declared it to be his immutable Refolution and Decree, that without Holinefs no Man(hallfee the Lord. And therefore as ever we hope to fee God in that hap-, py and blifsful State, we inuit cleanfe our felves from all Filthinefs ofFlefhand Spirit, and perfefl Holinefs in the Fear of God; that having reuder'd our felveç as like Him as we can in this World, we may be capable of the bleffed Sight and Enjoyment of Him in the other. And as for the Advantages of this World, let us not purfue them too eagerly. We may take the Conveniencies which fairly offer themfelves to us, and be con- tent to want what we cannot honeftly have, and without going out of the way ofour Duty; confidering that we are Travellers, and that a little will ferve for our Paffage and Accommodation in our Pilgrimage. And beyond that, why should we fo earneftly covet more, and trouble our felves for that which is riot necef- fary to our Journey ? Why fhould we at any time deal unjuftly to attain any of thisWorld's Goods ? They will Rand us in ftead for fo little a while, that we can tease no Temptation to injure or opprefs any Man, to break the Peace of our Con
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