But Jacob dwelt in Tents: that is, lived as a Pilgrim or stranger,1 professing himself an heir of the Promise made to Abraham. Though we be not all bound to dwell in Tents, and to be Pilgrims in that sense, yet we else are all bound to have our hearts withdrawn from earthly things, and set on heaven, to count this world and the things of it no better than a Tent or a Tabernacle, weak, fickle, and uncertain, and so to carry our selves towards it, and to be in it, even as in a strange country, not as in an habitation of our own, in which we mean to settle our selves. To behave our selves in the world as strangers, and to the world and things thereof, as to a strange place, through which we are travelling to our own country: This is a noble thing, a divine, a celestial thing. A most remarkable difference betwixt a true & a false hearted Christian, because one hath the right, and the other contents himself with counterfeit goodness. Thus did our Lord Jesus Christ live; thus Paul; thus all the Saints; and thus are we commanded to live, even as Pilgrims and strangers. And it stands in this, that we make no reckoning of earthly things in comparison of heavenly, and that we desire earthly things none other way but in order to heavenly, and use earthly things only so, as to be furtherances to our earthly being, and do not suffer them to steal away our affections from heaven, nor to hinder our diligent and constant practising of all those things that do directly concern our heavenly estate. Thus to mind, not the things below, but the things above, is a sure proof of a man truly enlightened and sanctified, and made conformable to the death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In a word, it stands in esteeming all earthly things as vanity and vexation of spirit, and using them all as furtherances to our spiritual well-being, otherwise making none account of them at all. ⟨p. 46⟩For so doth a stranger use the country wherein he travelleth, and all the things and persons that he doth meet withal therein. Now let us make use to our selves of this great virtue, by blaming our own selves for being so far unlike to Jacob in this matter. How far we are from dwelling in Tents, and from behaving our selves as Pilgrims in the world, is it not more than manifest? O how much esteem do we make of worldly things and persons? how are our hearts set upon them?
But Iacob dwelt in Tents: that is, lived as a Pilgrim or stranger,1 professing himself an heire of the Promise made to Abraham. Though we be not all bound to dwell in Tents, and to be Pilgrims in that sence, yet we else are all bound to have our hearts withdrawne from earthly things, and set on heaven, to count this world and the things of it no better than a Tent or a Tabernacle, weake, fickle, and uncertaine, and so to carry our selves towards it, and to be in it, even as in a strange countrey, not as in an habitation of our owne, in which wee meane to settle our selves. To behave our selves in the world as strangers, and to the world and things thereof, as to a strange place, through which we are travelling to our own country: This is a noble thing, a divine, a celestiall thing. A most remarkable difference betwixt a true & a false hearted Christian, because one hath the right, and the other contents himselfe with counterfeit goodnesse. Thus did our Lord Iesus Christ live; thus Paul; thus all the Saints; and thus are we commanded to live, even as Pilgrims and strangers. And it stands in this, that we make no reckoning of earthly things in comparison of heavenly, and that we desire earthly things none other way but in order to heavenly, and use earthly things only so, as to be furtherances to our earthly beeing, and doe not suffer them to steale away our affections from heaven, nor to hinder our diligent and constant practising of all those things that doe directly concerne our heavenly estate. Thus to minde, not the things below, but the things above, is a sure proofe of a man truly enlightned and sanctified, and made conformable to the death and Resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ. In a word, it stands in esteeming all earthly things as vanity and vexation of spirit, and using them all as furtherances to our spirituall well-being, otherwise making none account of them at all. ⟨p. 46⟩For so doth a stranger use the countrey wherein he travelleth, and all the things and persons that he doth meet withall therein. Now let us make use to our selves of this great vertue, by blaming our owne selves for being so far unlike to Iacob in this matter. How farre we are from dwelling in Tents, and from behaving our selves as Pilgrims in the world, is it not more than manifest? O how much esteeme doe we make of worldly things and persons? how are our hearts set upon them?
- 13. He lived as a Pilgrim, professing himself an heir of the promise made to Abraham.3. He lived as a Pilgrim, professing himself an heire of the promise made to Abraham.
