Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Secondly, are you begotten unto the hope of ¹these glorious things? Whosoever shall be partaker of this glorious reward, must be one that is born to it. There are some dignities in the world that are got no way, except they be born to them; so if you have this reward, you must be born to it, 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us unto a lively hope: Whosoever hath the true hope of Heaven, it is one that is begotten to it, that is, There must be a mighty work of God upon your hearts, a new birth, a regeneration in you, otherwise there is nothing you have done or can do that can get this reward. In Mat. 19. 28. says Christ unto his Disciples, after Peter had spoken what they had left for him, Ye that have followed me in the Regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel: As if Christ should say, Peter, you have forsaken all and followed me, but know, the bare forsaking is not enough, but you who have felt the work of God regenerating your souls, upon which you have followed me, you shall sit upon twelve thrones: Some do interpret this place Regeneration, the estate of the Gospel, and so make it not to be the work of God upon the soul, but the work of God upon the world, to make a new world; as the glorious estate of the Church under the Gospel is called a new heaven, and a new earth, and so take it, Ye that have followed me in this new world, ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, &c. but I rather ⟨p. 663⟩take it the other way, not wholly excluding this, they are only those that follow Christ in the Regeneration, that shall have this reward.

Secondly, are you begotten unto the hope of ¹these glorious things? Whosoever shall be partaker of this glorious reward, must be one that is born to it. There are some dignities in the world that are got no way, except they be born to them; so if you have this reward, you must be born to it,