`5erm. CXLI. an llrgument for f eliing Things above. 269 ration of Chrift's humane Nature, and his being advanced to be thé Ring And Governour of his Church, having all Power and Judgtnen't committed to him. Luke 24, 26. Chrift's Afcenfion, and his fitting at the Right Hand of God, iscal- led, Hisentring into his Glory. Ought he not to havefffered thefe Things, and then to enter into his Glory ? That is, to be invefted with all Power and Authority for the Good of the Church. But moft particularly the Apoftle defcribes this, Eph. I. 20, 2I, 22. And fit hint at his own Right Hand in heavenly Places, far above all Principalities, andPowers, andMight, andDominion, andeveryName that is named ;, not only in this World, but thatwhich is to come; and hathput all Things underhis Feet, andgiven hint to be Head over all Things to the Church. And now the Force of this Argument is from the Relation that is between the Head and the Members, between Chrift and Chriftians: The Members have àti. Afettion for the Head, which makes them afpire Heavenwards; and the Head Bath an Influence upon the Members. If I be lifted up from the Earth, lays our Lord, I will dram all Men unto me. This isfpoken of his Crucifixion, ftgnify- ingwhat Death he fhould die, as the Text tells us, John I2. 32, 33. But it is pro- portionably true of his Afcenfion, and fitting at the Right Hand of God; for there is a Power and Virtue in the Refurrection ofChrift, and in hisAfcenfion in- to Heaven, as well as in his Death, to draw all Men to him. The Gift of God's Holy Spiritis the Fruit of his Afcenfionand Exaltation at the Right Hand of his t4lajefly on high : And 'tis by the powerful Operation of the Spirit of God upon our Hearts, that we are raifed to Newnefs of Life, and our Affections fix'dupon Heavenly Things. We are naturally bowed down to the Earth, and inclined toi theThings of this World, curve in Terris anime, &Ctleflium inane: : But our glorified Saviour fitting at the Right Hand of God, by the Power Of his Spirit, draws our Affe&ions to him. The IiId And laft Argument, which is but implied in the Text, is the tranfcendent and incomparable Excellency of Heavenly Things, above Things on the Earth, which the Apoltle intimates by the Oppofition, Set your Affetlions otiThings abóve; not on Things on the Earth. Earthly Things are perifhingand tranfitory, grofs änd unfatisfaCtory, and cannot be the Felicity of an immortal Soul, being neither fuited to the Spiritual Nature, nor tothe immortal Duration of our Souls ; they can neither fat(sfie us while we live, nor preferve us from Death, nor comfort us in it, nor accompany us into the other World, nor contribute any Thing to our Happinefs there; and if they can do nothing towards our Happinefs, why fhould we fet our Hearts upon them? They that feek for Happinefs in Earthly Things, Me like the Women fitting over our Saviour's Sepulchre, with their Faces bowed down to the Earth, they feek the Living among the Dead; our Happinefs is net here, 'cis rifen, 'tis above. Let our Hearts afcend thither, where our Happinefsand Our Treafure is. Why fhould we beftow our Affections upon thefe low and mean Things, when there are incomparably better Objects to fix them upon. The Inference from all this (hall be, toengage and perfwade ús by all thefe Ar- guments and Confiderations, to leek and mind the Things which are above, whereChrifl jittethat the Right Hand of God, and to have our Converfationt here, where Our Saviour be, Andfrom whencealfo we look for him again, to change theft vile Bodies, that they nia:y be made like unto his glorious Body, according to the Working of that mighty Power, where- by he is able to fubdue all Things to himfelf. Let all our Actions have relation to ano- ther World, and our Converfation declare, that we are mindful of another Country, that is, aHeavenly. Is Chrift our Head rifen and afcended into Heaven ?.Let us in our Hearts and Affe&ions follow him thither, and patiently wait 'till he receive our Souls, and raife our Bodies, and take us wholly to himfelf, that we may be for ever with the Lord. The Refurredion of Chrift is a Denion(Èration of a future State after this Life, and a Pledge of a ble(l'ed Immortality in another World. For our Lord by his _Refurreétion from the Dead bath conquered Death, and abolifh'd ir, and brought Life and Imnsortality to Light. He is the Firfl-fruits ofthem that flept, and his Refur- reiion is inEatneft and AfTurànce Of ours; and from thence the.Apoftle makes this Inference,Thérefore, nsybeloved Brethren, beyefiedfaff and in Monéable,,alWays abonnd- ing in. the Writo f the Lord ; fórafnuch as ye know thatjóur Labórir /hall Mit be in
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