Here is the opposite carriage of sound believers, and the reason of it. The false christians minded earthly things, and the true christians had their conversation in heaven. The people of God and the people of the world are of divers, dispositions ; the one are under the power and influence of the wisdom of the flesh, and the other are under the government of a heavenly mind. The natural life in them is overruled by grace. Now our way should be with the wise above ; not with the worldly wise who mind earthly things, but with the godly wise whose conversation is in heaven.
The word TroXiTevfia, which we translate ' conversation,' noteth our manner of living as burghers and citizens, not of earth, but of heaven ; that is the city where we are free, and have the right of citizens, though we dwell on earth. Many that, dwelt out of the city of Rome had the jus civitatis Romanaz, the privileges of the city of Rome belonging to them ; as the privilege of being a free man of Rome belonged to one that lived in Judea : Acts xxii. 28, 'And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, I was free born.' So we, though we are not in heaven, yet carry ourselves as belonging to heaven.
JDoct. That a good christian should behave himself as a denizen of the heavenly city. I shall show you — (1.) What it is ; (2.) Why.
I. What. I will open that in these considerations —
1. That heaven is a city. A city is taken for three things —
[1.] A place fit for a comfortable and safe habitation.
[2] For a political society and community living in that place, or at least belonging to it.
[3 ] For the condition and estate belonging to that place and com- munity. All these respects are proper here.
[1.] A city is put for a place or habitation, consisting of many houses ; for multitudes and vicinity of buildings make a city in this sense. So is heaveu a city, a place fitted and furnished from the creation of the world to be the habitation of the blessed; and so it is called 'a city which hath foundations,' Heb. xii. 10, because it standeth on the eternal love of Goil, Mat. xxv. 34, the everlasting merit of Christ, Heb. ix. 12, and his unchangeable covenant: 1 Peter i. 15, 'The word of God endureth for ever, and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.' The best things in the world stand upon an earthly founda- tion, which soon mouldereth away and faileth. We and all things
148 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SeR. XV.
about us are subject to great uncertainties. If a man be but two or three years absent from an earthly city, he will see a new face of things when he cometh again, all things are altered and changed from what he left them ; but in heaven there is the same face of things to all eternity. Here we have no fxivovaav ttoXiv, ' no abiding city,' Heb. xii. 14. Again, this city is said to be 'prepared for us,' Heb. xi. 16. It is fitted by the goodness and love of God. He had not done enough to answer his love in the covenant if he had not prepared a better place than the world to be the mansion and residence of his people. To be a God to any is to be an infinite and eternal benefactor. Our Saviour proveth the resurrection from these words, ' I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living,' Mat. xxii. 32.
[2.] Sometimes it is taken for a political society and community, or a corporation under one magistracy or governing power, and ruled by the same laws, and enjoying the same common privileges and immunities. So it is said, Eph. ii. 19, 'Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God ; ' Heb. xii. 22, 23, ' Ye are come to Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.' This is a part of our happiness, that we and the holy angels and blessed saints make up but one community that shall for ever serve and praise the Lord.
[3.] It is taken for the condition and estate of those societies which all the members enjoy there, and the same common privileges ; the estate is glorious and everlasting. In the city of God there are eternal honours, riches, and pleasures, peace, safety, full and enduring joy ; nothing is wanting which the heart of man can desire ; the estate is answerable to the place and company, full and perfect happiness. Well, then, here are all things which may be comprised in the name of a city ; here is habitation, society, and estate. The habitation is heaven ; the society, saints and angels ; the estate, perfect peace and eternal happi- ness, none of which can be found in the world. It is true they that are in their pilgrimage are not admitted to the full of these privileges till they come home to their own city and country. We are not yet capable of reigning with God, and being admitted into his immediate presence. But though the possession of our full privileges be deferred, with patience we must wait for it ; partly because we have a title by God's grant ; the new covenant is the charter of this corporation, and it will in time bring us to heaven, as it hath done others before us ; partly because if the time of our pilgrimage seem long and tedious, it will shortly expire, and then beginneth our everlasting rest ; partly because, besides actual right to eternal life, we have here some first- fruits of this blessed estate. That part above have the full possession of it, but we have the first-fruits ; we have justification, and immunity from God's wrath and curse: Eom. viii. 33, 'Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth.' We have adoption : Eph. i. 5, ' Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ.' Sanctification : Eph. v. 25, 26, 'Christ