With Mary she had chosen the better part; Her youth it was a full maturity. Grave although young; who in her heart did prize Christ was her study, his glory was her aim; A knowing woman, and an humble too, Which joyed all Christians who had with her to do. A praying woman and believing too, She lived the sermons which on earth she heard, A woman which had more than common worth; I want a tongue, enough to set it forth. Her latest precious breathings had respect To nothing more than divine dialect; Which she committed to her mourning friends, In exhortations to their better ends. Could prayers, tears, and sighs have kept her here, This we'll apply, that though we lose her here, But stay, needs she encomiums? Reader, know, But now, dear friends, let's mourn in hope and weep, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and away, reserved in heaven for you.-1 PET BELOVED, I have chosen this text upon a double gro 1. To make a diversion of immoderate sorrow an own spirit and yours, who are most nearly concerne And, 2. Because it will afford us matter most suitable to and condition of this glorified saint, at whose funeral In the inscription, verses 1, 2, you have first a holy ing first by whom this epistle was written, viz. Pet Jesus Christ; secondly, to whom it was written. N scribed two ways: first, by their outward condition, tered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia There are divers opinions about these strangers, but t and received opinion among the learned is, that Peter to the converted Jews, scattered through the provinces with much opposition and affliction for the gospel's they are described by their spiritual and inward condi forth, (1.) By the fundamental cause of it, to wit, election (2.) By the final cause, to wit, sanctification of obedience. (3.) By the subservient cause, to wit, reconciliati obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. In the third verse you have, (1.) A very stately pr can hardly be matched again, 'Blessed be the God a Lord Jesus Christ.' (2.) You have regeneration or described, and that [1] First, By the principal efficient cause thereof, w Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' [2] By the impulsive cause thereof, the mercy described by the quantity of it, 'abundant.' [3] By the immediate effect thereof, a 'lively ho 1 Pareus. Compare the 2d of the Acts, the 8th of the Acts, and with the 1st and 2d verses of this chapter. se whereof is shewed to be the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the d, 1 John iii. 2, 3. Now hope is called a lively hope, 1.] Because it makes a man lively and active for God and goodness. 2.] Because it cheers, comforts, and revives the soul. It brings, it eds, it feeds, it preserves spiritual life in the soul. This lively hope ke Myrtilus his shield, which after the use he had of it in the field, ing it with him at sea, and suffering shipwreck, it served him for a t to waff him to shore, and so preserved his life. This lively hope shield ashore, and an anchor at sea. 3.] It is called a lively hope, in opposition to the fading, withering, ng hopes of hypocrites, and profane persons, Whose hope is as a ler's web,' 'the crackling of thorns under a pot,' and 'the giving up he ghost." Christian's hope is not like that of Pandora, which may fly out of box, and bid the soul farewell; no, it is like the morning light: the t beam of it shall commence into a complete sunshine; it is aurora dii, and it shall shine forth brighter and brighter till perfect day; the hypocrite's hope, the presumptuous sinner's hope is like a cloud, -he morning dew. Now, in my text you have the object about which this 'lively hope' xercised; and that is, 'an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away' [What these words import I shall shew you en I open that doctrine which I intend to stand upon at this time], erved in heaven for you.' There are three heavens: the first is cœlum aërium, the airy heaven, ere the fowls of heaven do fly; the second is cœlum astriferum, ere the stars of heaven are; the third is cœlum beatorum, the heaven he blessed, where God appears in eminency, and where Christ shines glory; and this is the heaven the text speaks of. 'he text will afford several points, but I shall only name one, which tend to stand on at this time, and that is this, Doct. That God reserves the best and greatest favours and blessings believers till they come to heaven. Tow, I shall prove this proposition by an induction of particulars; then give you the reasons of it. I will begin with the inheritance zen of in the text. ven. The best inheritance is reserved for believers till they come to This is clear and fair in the text, yet I shall make this furout to you thus: 1.) First, The inheritance reserved for believers till they come to ven, is a pure, undefiled, and incorruptible inheritance. It is an ritance that cannot be defiled nor blemished with abuse one way or her. Other inheritances may, and often are, with oaths, cruelty, d, deceit, &c. The Greek word auíavros signifies a precious stone, ch, though it be never so much soiled, yet it cannot be blemished defiled; yea, the oftener you cast it into the fire, and take it out, the e clear, bright, and shining it is. All earthly inheritances are true Torpus spirando, anima sperando vivit, as the body lives by breathing, so the soul by The early form of 'waft'?-G. ig. The giver of its name to the Myrtoan sea.-G. 5 Vide Zanchium. ction of Jesus Christ from t active for God and goodnes ion to the fading, withers, andora, which may fly t out which this 'lively b um aërium, the airy hear shall only name one, whit is this, atest favours and blessing an induction of particulars 5 Vide Zanchium. gardens of Adonis, where we can gather nothing but tr rounded with many briers, thorns, and thistles, Gen. iii Oh the hands, the hearts, the thoughts, the lives that h stained, and polluted with earthly inheritances! Oh the carnal conscience, the vain boastings, the sensual j inheritances have filled and defiled poor souls with! heritances, they are no better than the cities which Hiram, which he called Cabul, 1 Kings ix. 13, that is t or dirty. The world doth but dirt and dust us. But, (2.) Secondly, It is a sure, a secure, inheritance: ance reserved in heaven for you.' See the text. The is here rendered 'reserved,' is from rngiw, tereo, which solicitously, to keep as with watch and ward. This in and secured to us by promise, by power, by blood, by fore must needs be sure. It is neither sin, nor Satar that can put a Christian by his inheritance. Christ ha possession of it in their names and in their rooms; an to them. If weakness can overcome strength, impoten then may a Christian be kept out of his inheritance, But earthly inheritances they are not sure, they are n often doth might overcome right, and the weakest How many are kept out, and how many are cast out, ances, by power, policy, craft, cruelty. It was a comp inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens, (3.) Thirdly, It is a permanent, a lasting, inher inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth Greek word auágavros is the proper name of a flower, w and green after it hath a long time hung up in the hot heritance that shall continue as long as God himself co inheritance there shall be no end. Though other i be lasting, yet they are not everlasting; though some before they have an end, yet they have an end. Whe the Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, and Roman kingdo gloria mundi; but the glory of believers shall never it shall never grow old nor rusty: I Pet. v. 4, And Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of gl not away. A believer's inheritance, his glory, his hap edness, shall be as fresh and flourishing after he hath sand thousands of years in heaven as it was at his first Earthly inheritances are like tennis-balls, which are down from one to another, and in time wore out, 1 creature is all shadow and vanity; it is filia noctis, lil Man can sit under its shadow but a little, little whil and dies; it quickly fades and withers. There is a of all earthly inheritances, that will consume them in comforts and contents are but like a fair picture th the ice, which continueth not; or like the morning passeth away; but a believer's inheritance endureth 'Heb. vi. 12-20; Rom. viii. 33, 39; Eph. ii. 6; John xiv. 1-3, heritance were not kept for us, it might haply go the same way par Daniel ii. 44, vii. 27; Heb. xii. 27, 28; 2 Peter i. 11. |