The Happiness of the Church, Biblical commentary 1 · Part 6
Heauenly.
This Citie is on earth, but not of earth. This is not terrestriall Ierusalem: tGala. 4. 25.She is in bondage with her children. She was not onelyonly then vnderunder the Romane seruitude literally: but according to Pauls meaning allegorically, shee could not attaine the liberty of the Spirit, but abideth vnderunder the wrath of God, and horrour of conscience. But this Ierusalem is heauenly. uReu. 21. 2.I saw the holy City, new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heauen, prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband.
Now it is called Heauenly in three respects; Of Birth, of Conuersation, of Inheritance. Ortus coelestis quoad originem: progressus coelestis quoad conuersationem; finis coelestis quoad translationem. Here is all heauenly. xGala. 4. 26 Hugo Card.Ierusalem that is aboue is free, the mother of vsus all. In hoc quòd dicitur sursum, originis altitudo: quòd Ierusalem, pacis multitudo: quòd libera, libertatis magnitudo: quòd mater, faecunditatis amplitudo: quòd nostrum omnium, charitatis latitudo. The Church in the Creede hath three properties; Holy, Catholike, knit in a communion. The word Aboue intimates, she is Holy: the word Mother, that shee is knit in a communion: the word Of all, that she is Catholike.
Ierusalem is a type of the Catholike Church, in Election, Collection, Dilection. First for Election, yPsal. 132. 13.The Lord hath chosen Sion. That out of all Cities, this out of all Nations. a1. Pet. 2. 9.Ye are a chosen generation, a peculiar people: enclosed from the Commons of this world, Gods owne appropriation. 2. For Collection; that was walled with stone, this hedged in with grace. bEsay 5. 2.God planted a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill: and he fenced it. It is well mounded, and the Citizens of it linked together with the cEph. 4. 3.Bond of peace. 3. For dilection; Beautifull for situation, the Palace of the great King: the Sanctuary of his holy worship, his Presence-chamber: d1. Tim. 3. 15.the pillar and ground of the truth. There ePsal. 122. 5.was the seate of Dauid: here the Throne of the duplicate page duplicate page fReue. 3. 7.Sonne of Dauid, that openeth and no man shutteth, that shutteth and no man openeth. A heauenly Citie.
1. In respect of her Birth and beginning heauenly. For the Lord of heauen hath gIam. 1. 18.begate her of immortall seed by the word of truth. Art thou a Christian? behold thy honourable birth and beginning. Was it an honourable stile, Troianus origine Caesar? Then much more, Coelestis origine sanctus: EueryEvery Saint is by his originall heauenly. Beare thy selfe nobly, thou hast a celestiall generation.
2. In respect of growth and continuance heauenly. Our conuersation is in heauen: Wee liue on earth, yet saith the Phil. 3. 20.Apostle, our conuersation is expresly in heauen. Our affections are so set on it, that wee scarce looke vponupon this world: wee so runne to our treasure there, that wee forget to be rich here: but like the Saints cast our money at our feet. Act. 4. Corpore ambulantes in terris, corde habitantes in coelis. Our bodies walke on earth, our hearts dwell in heauen. To the hating and despising world vvee answere; Nil nobis cum Mundo, nil vobis cum Coelo. Wee hauehave small share in this world, you hauehave lesse in the world to come.
3. In respect of the End. Ideo dicitur coelestis, quia coelum sedes eius. Our soules are neuer quiet, till they come Ambr.to their wished home. hEphe. 1. 3.Thus hath GOD blessed vsus with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places. The Church in her worst part is below, in her best aboue. Earth is Patria loci, but heauen Patria iuris. As Irishmen are dwellers in Ireland, but Denisons of England. We iIob 4. 19.dwell in houses of clay, vvhose foundation is in the dust, but are ruled by the Lawes of that supernall Citie. kIohn 17. 24.Father, my will is that those thou hast giuen mee, may be with mee where I am. Amator mortuus est in corpore proprio, vi…us in alieno. A Louer is dead in his owne body, aliue in anothers. Animus velut Plato.pondere, amore fertur, quocunque fertur; saith August. LoueLove waighes and swayes the soule, whither soeuer it be carried. Exi de terra tua, said God to Abraham; lGen. 12. 1.Get thee out of thy Country: yea rather de terra non tua, from a Country that is none of thine, vntounto a Land that I will shew thee; thy owne Land, the kingdome of Heauen. Though man be called mIere. 22. 29.Earth, Earth, Earth; thrice with one breath: (earth by procreation, earth by sustentation, earth by corruption, saith Bernard) yet the Christian is not Habitator, sed accolaterrae; not a dweller, but a passenger on the earth. nHebr. 13. 14For here we hauehave no continuing City, but we seek one to come. An Englishman that traffiques in Turkie, and gets wealth in Turkie, yet plants not in Turkie, but transports for England. A Christian what euer hee gets on earth, treasures vp in heauen. Socrates being asked what Countryman he was, answered, Sum ciues mundi, I am a Citizen of the world. But a Christian must answere, Sum ciues coeli, I am a Citizen of heauen. Forsake wee this home-stall with a ready mind, when GOD calls vsus. And the Lord grant vsus so to liue in this Citie of Grace, that wee may all liue for euer in the City of Glory, through Iesus Christ.