them but were indeede enemies of the crosse of Christ And that his counsell might take the more place with them he gives them some reasons why they should bee many of them And they are specially two The first is taken from their manners here They make their belly their God they glory in their shame They be muddy minded fellowes that mind and seeke onely after earthly things vers 19. The second is from their end hereafter Whose end is damnation vers 19. An end suitable to their course for hee that sowes to the flesh shall reape of the flesh corruption yea damnation Hell is heaven good for such that looke after such glory that serve so base a god as their gut And whither should their soules goe but where their minds have beene Their minds were bent downewards and what wonder their soules should goe downewards too And this description of these wicked men is illustrated by a contrary description of true holy Christians But our conversation is in Heaven This description stands in opposition to the former in both members First in regard of their manners Their conversation is on earth they minde earthly things But our conversation is in Heaven Secondly In regard of their end vers 21. Their end is damnation but our end shall bee glory and immortality in the words following to the chapters end Now this twentieth verse containes specially two things First a Christians conversation Secondly a Christians expectation A Christians life and a Christians hope First his life is described two waies First as it were negatively by way of contrariety implied in this adversative and crosse particle But which is as much as to say But our life and conversation is not like theirs our conversation is contrary to theirs Secondly Positively It is Heavenly Our conversation is in Heaven Secondly his hope and expectation He lives in heaven with an hope and daily expectation of Christs gracious comming from Heaven to glorifie him But this I meane not to meddle with For the first A Christians life is described negatively But our conversation c. From whence we may observe these things That though the evill examples of wicked Doct. 1 men have great force to corrupt and poyson others yet godly and gracious hearts will keep themselves free from the defilement of their pitch and from the infection of their poyson For many walke of whom I have told you often c. vers 18. Though many even Multitudes multitudes as Ioel 3. 14. have their conversation on earth are very belly-gods earth-wormes muck-worms yet our conversation is in heaven If other persons and families will runne a whooring after strange Gods yet Ioshua and his house will serve the Lord. Iosh 24. 15. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. It was an evill generation in which Noah lived Gen. 6. 11. 12. The earth was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence all flesh had corrupted his way upon earth And yet Gen. 6. 9. Noah was a just man and upright in his generations There never lived worse generations then in Noahs time The great praise of Noah is not so much that he was a just man as that hee was just and upright in his generations in vile and wicked times that though hee lived in corrupt times and generations when as some thinke Idolatry was set up and Gods worship was corrupt and mens manners and lifes were miserably corrupt yet in those generations hee was just and upright It is an hard thing for a man to be hayle sound in a corrupt and unwholesome ayre To live in the Fennes and Marshes and yet not to be sicke and crazy it is an argument of a strong and good constitution indeed To bee good when all men are good is not so great a matter When goodnesse and godlinesse is in fashion though it bee very rare and seldome that so good a fashion comes up yet when it doth come in fashion many may seeme to bee good and godly if it be but to be in the fashion But when goodnesse and religion is quite out of fashion and is as ridiculous as a dresse and a weare out of fashion then to be good godly and religious that 's the great matter indeed that is the thing that is praise-worthy and commendable indeed And so it is with such as are godly indeed They will bee godly in the middest of ungodly generations they will be upright in the middest of corrupt generations Noah was upright in his generations It is no wonder to see fresh fish in fresh waters but all the wonder is to see fresh fish in the salt sea This world is oft compared to the Sea in Scriptures and it is not onely a salt sea but a dead sea like the lake into which Sodom and Gomorah were turned in which they say no fish can live but die so soone as thither they come But godly men are such as not onely keepe fresh in the salt but keepe alive in the dead sea There is a great deale of poyson and pestilence in the evill example of others especially when it is universall and spred like an epidemicall plague but yet true grace is an antidote a spirituall Amulet that preserves in times of universall infection that as in that case Psal 91. 7. so in this it may be said A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee The priviledge of the primitive beleevers Marke 16. 18. They shall take up serpents and if they drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them is and should be still the spirituall priviledge of beleevers that a principle of living grace should so preserve them that deadly things deadly poyson the deadly poyson of other mens evill example should not hurt them Hos 4. 15. Though Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudah sinne Nay more then so Hos 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lies and the house of Israel with deceit but Iudah yet rules with God and is faithfull with the Saints It is amongst others one speciall note of pure religion as the Apostle calles it for a man to keepe him selfe unspotted of the world Iam. 1. 27. There be religions that will give a man leave to wallow in any mire and puddles of the world but pure Religion and powerfull Religion keeps it selfe not only from the puddles and kennels but from the very spots of the worlds mire Grace to a Christian is as the sap to the bowes growing on the tree so long as a bow growes on the tree and receives sap from the roote so long it receives no wet though the raine fall often upon it but when a branch is cut off from the tree and the sap dryed up then the dew and the raine soakes and sinkes into it and it soone rots with the water soaking into it It is so with Christians that have the sappe of grace
Christian lives by faith and faith lives altogether above in heaven faith lives alwaies above upon Christ and with Christ And therefore a Christian must needs live in heaven because hee lives by that which lives altogether in heaven Faith puts the soule in possession of heaven whilest the body is here on earth It is with a Christians faith in this case as it was with Iacobs in that Gen. 48. 22. Moreover I have given unto thee one portion above thy brethren which I tooke out of the hand of the Amorite with my Sword and with my Bow Which is not to bee understood of any thing that was past and already done but he speaks prophetically of that which should afterwards be done by his posterity which his faith made to him as already done as if hee had now already conquered and taken possession of it He speaking the language of faith speakes of a thing to be done as past and done already So faith gives a man possession of heaven whiles hee is on earth and so makes him live in heaven whiles he is here on earth Thirdly in regard of their hearts and affections their loves delights and desires Their hearts and their minds their Neque n. praesentior spiritus noster est ubi animat quaÌ„ ubi amat nisi sorte putetur esse magis ubi invitus tenetur necessitate quam quo spâ—nâ—e fâ—râ—ur alacri volâ—nteâ—e 〈…〉 aâ—lâ—â— dâ—o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ad Eph. hom 5. affections desires and delights are in heaven and so their conversation is there A man is not so much where his body is as where his heart is And a mans heart is not so much where his body is as where his love and affections and desires are Love and desire carry a mans heart thither where the things loved and desired are Where the treasure is there is the heart Matth. 6. Where the treasure is that is loved and desired there the heart is which loveth and desireth A man is not so much said to bee any where so much in respect of position of place as of disposition of affection And the soule is not where it lives but where it loves yea there it lives where it loves Thus therefore have the godly their conversation in heaven because they have their hearts there their affections are raised and mounted up into heaven they minde heaven and heavenly things their desires and longing affections are altogether there So much is here implyed in the Apostles opposition They mind earthly things but our conversation is in heaven The opposition one would have thought should rather have runne thus they minde earthly things But wee minde heavenly things but in stead of this hee saies our conversation is in heaven So that to have a mans conversation in heaven is to minde heavenly things to have his heart and affections in heaven What this conversation in heaven is we may see Col. 3. 1. 2. Seeke the things that are above Above where is that above In heaven above in heaven where Christ sits at the right hand of God And vers 2. Set your affection on things above Still above a Christians thoughts and affections are still above and so hee converses above in heaven Thus had Abraham his conversation in heaven Heb. 11. 10. He looketh for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God How looked he for that City with much affection and desire vers 14 16. They seeke a Countrey they desire an heavenly Countrey Thus Abraham and the Patriarchs had their conversations in heaven by having their minds after heaven Excellent is that description of the Church Cant. 3. 6. Who is this that comes or ascends up out of the Wildernesse like pillars of smoake The world is a wildernesse a Christian hee is comming up out of the wildernesse he is always ascending up out of the wildernes he is raising and lifting up his heart into heaven and he ascends like pillars of smoake Smoke we see arises and ascends in the forme of a pillar and it goes upward to heaven So a Christian hath his heart alienated from the world hee is ever ascending up out of that wildernesse and such are the desires and affections of his heart after heaven that they ascend up like smoake like pillars elations and liftings up of smoake to heaven When the Israelites set Ai on fire Iosh 8. 20. The men of Ai looked behind them and they saw and beheld the smoake of the City ascended up to heaven So such are the affections and desires of the godly after heaven that their affections reeke and smoke and goe up in pillars of smoake to heaven Now when thus the soule of a man is lifted and carried up into heaven in his affections and desires when his heart thus reekes and smoakes towards heaven then is a mans conversation in heaven Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ which is best of all Now when a mans heart hath continuall risings and heavings up heaven-ward when a mans spirit aspires breathes pants after the presence of God in heaven then a man may bee said to have his conversation in heaven See Iacobs expression Gen. 49. 18. O Lord I have waited for thy salvation It is with Gods people as with wayters a wayter hee stands without at the gate or doore of the house but his heart his desires are within doores hee represents to himselfe his being within his speech discourse carriage and behaviour there and so is within whiles he is without So is it with godly men they waite for salvation waite for heaven and though yet whiles here they be without yet in their minds affections and desires they are within The woman that Iohn saw Apoc. 12. 1. had the Moone under her feete The godly live above the Moone above all sublunary things These things are beneath their affections their affections are aloft above the Moone and they that have the Moone under their feet are in an higher region then the earth they have their conversation in heaven by having their affections above all earthly things Many when they are in the publique assemblies and at a sermon hearing the word yet they may bee said to have their conversation in their shops and in their fields because their hearts minds and affections be there So in this case the godly may be said to be in heaven whilst on earth because there bee their hearts and affections The godly may be said to be in heaven whilest they are on earth as the Israelites were said to bee in Egypt whilst they were in the wildernesse Act. 7. 39. They returned into Egypt I but they never came backe into Egypt how then is it sayd that they returned into Egypt They returned sayes the text into Egypt in their hearts Because their hearts affections and desires were in Egypt therefore they are said to returne into Egypt They returned in their hearts and with their
will prevaile for peace and safety from danger Their earnestnesse vehemency fervency and their teares these must bee the rhetoricke and oratory by which they must prevaile Prayer is running unto God but so Runne that yee may obtaine so pray that ye may prevaile for safety So pray with such instance with such fervency with such earnest contention of spirit as that ye may finde entrance into this tower God was Davids Tower and thus hee used to get into this tower not onely by prayer but by this earnest prayer he prayed as men use to runne in case of danger with all his strength Psal 61. 3. Thou hast beene my strong Tower from the enemy and so I hope thou wilt bee still what course takes hee to get into that tower vers 1. Heare my cry O God vers 2. from the ends of the earth c. Hee runnes to the Tower not onely by prayer but by earnest and crying prayer Psal 119. 145. 146. I cryed with my whole heart I ranne to the Tower with all my might and force I cryed unto thee save me It is crying prayer that is saving prayer Knocke and it shall be opened unto you Matth. 7. A man pursued by an enemy running to a tower if hee finde the gate shut how knockes he Hee knockes as loud as hee can hee knockes with all his might knockes and beates at the doore as if hee would beate the doore open His life lies upon it and therefore he knockes not gently and easily but layes on with all his might Secondly It must be Constant else no safety by it A man pursued by an enemy if hee will bee safe must not onely runne for a while and some little part of the way but he must hold on Running till he comes to the Tower If he runne for some time and then growes weary and out of breath and so stands still or sits him downe an enemy may easily overtake and surprise him before hee can get into the Tower It is not simply running in which a mans safety lies but in running into the Tower And how is hee like to runne into the tower that holds not out running till he come to the Tower Hee that stands still sits downe and ceases his running pace may easily be cut off before hee get into the Tower Our safety lies much upon our constancy in seeking God by prayer So runne that ye may obtaine safety by running that is runne constantly and hold on in prayer without wearinesse or sloathfulnesse Iacob not onely wrestled but hee wrestled all night and would not let the Angel goe till hee blessed him He did not wrestle about or two and then give over but he held out wrestling and so prevayled againsl Esau and was fafe from him It must bee constant as well as Instant prayer by which wee must get into the Tower Knocke and it shall be opened unto you A man that will get into the Tower must knocke at the gate and as he must knocke instantly and earnestly so hee must knocke on and not cease knocking till the doore be opend Hee must knocke as Peter knockt at the doore of Maries house Act. 12. 13. Hee knocked at the doore of the gate and though they doe not presently open yet he gives not over knocking but vers 16. Peter continued knocking and then the doore was opened David ioyned both together in his prayers Instancy and Constancy Psal 55. 17. Evening and Morning and at noone will I pray and cry aloud Hee would pray and cry yea and cry aloud Hee was Instant Hee would not doe it once or twice and then set downe and lay it aside but Evevening Morning and at Noone hee would bee assiduous in the duty every day hee would make it his mornings worke his evenings worke and his noones worke to And he would hold out and not faint nor throw up but this course hee would goe on in till the Lord should heare his voice He was constant and why would he hold on this constantly in this duty Because vers 18. Hee hath delivered my soule in peace from the battell that was against me As if hee had said I have heretofore beene in great dangers In those dangers I earnestly and constantly sought God by prayer I ranne unto the Tower of his Name and I was exalted and found safety and therefore I will now doe so againe I will pray and cry aloud I will pray instantly I will pray evening morning and at noone I will pray constantly The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runnes into it want hath Runne or doth sometimes runne but he Runnes hee is alwayes running hee makes it his constant worke he goes on setledly in that course and so is exalted And so much forth is fourth thing in which this running consists and for the first point also The doing of those duties by which wee may get into this Tower The Second generall point is the manner of doing all these duties which is a speciall requisite for the procuring of safety And that manner of Doing them is implyed in this word Runnes The Righteous walkes not goes not they are but slow motions but he Runnes Running is a motion of speed a motion of hast Ionathan commands his lad saying Run find out now the Arrowes that Ishoot and shooting an arrow beyond him he cryed after the lad Make speed hast stay not 1 Sam. 20. 36. 38. That is to Runne to make speed to haste and not to stay The Righteous man then runnes to the Tower that is he doth not onely use all these forenamed meanes and take those courses for his safety but he sets upon them with speed and makes haste to the use of them He not onely beleeves but hee makes hast to set his faith on worke Hee not onely repents but he speedily and quickely goes about that businesse hee out of hand in the first apprehensions of danger sets upon the humbling of his soule and the reformation of his wayes and walking in obedience to God Hee not onely betakes himselfe to prayer but doth it presently and without delaying sets upon the course that may make for his safety He Runnes hee speedily sets this course on foot for feare of being too late and least the danger should overtake him before hee bee Towerd So that hee that will goe wisely to worke must take these courses speedily As in that case the Apostle speakes 1 Corinthians 9. So Runne that yee may obteyne so in this so Runne that yee may obtaine safety So it is so hastily so speedily so quickely Running is a swift speedy and an accelerated motion of the body So should a man that seekes safety goe to this Tower as Lot went to Zoar Genes 19. 22. Haste thee escape thither Implying that his escape did not onely lie in going out of Sodome nor in going unto Zoar but in his Haste from the one and in his Haste to the other as if no Haste
him that hath called you It is impossible to shew forth the vertues of Christ and to follow the vices of the world yea it is impossible to shew forth the vertues of Christ but a man must walke in a crosse and opposite carriage to the vices of the world Christs vertues are opposite and crosse to the vices of the world peculiar people must expresse those vertues and therefore it cannot bee but such as are Gods people should have their courses and behaviour different from and opposite to the world Because Christ hath made the godly a peculiar people to himselfe upon this ground hee lookes for peculiar carriages at their hands contrary to the courses of the world The Arabians and other heathens had a fashion and a custome in their mournings for the dead to cut themselves and to make themselves balde now God hee forbids his people to conforme to those fashions of their neighbour heathens and marke upon what ground he doth it Deut. 14. 1 2. The Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people to himselfe ye shall not cut yourselves nor make any baldnesse betweene your eyes for the dead As if he had said you are a peculiar people in my love therefore I will have you a peculiar people in your carriage I will not have you conforme your selves to heathenish courses and customes no though it be but in matter of cutting your haire but I will have you crosse their courses and customes And if God would not allow them a conformity to the heathens in a matter of cutting their haire then much lesse in matters of greater waight and moment then much lesse in covetousnesse worldlinesse common swearing drunkennesse and uncleannesse It serves to reprove those that professe Vse 1 themselves Christians and yet are so farre from a difference or a contrariety in their courses to the vaine and sinfull courses of the world that they rather frame and conforme to them who though they bee Jewes yet will not sticke to eate Swines-flesh with the Egyptians The Apostles exhortation is Rom. 12. 2. Bee not conformed to this world And he tels us Gal. 1. 4. that Christ gave himselfe that he might deliver us from this present evill world If wee bee delivered from this present evill world how doe wee conforme our selves to this evill world If wee be conformed to this world how are we delivered from this present evill world Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed Such as be transformed should not be conformed to this world If men be transformed by the renewing of their minds then they must not be conformed to this world If conformed to this world how appeares it that we are transformed Transformation and conformity to the world cannot stand together It is an ill sight to see a man transformed into the Image of Christ conformed to this world Urge many with this argument you are Christians and have in your baptisme stipulated and solemnely covenanted an inconformity to this evill world you must not conform to the sinful waies and vanities of prophane persons Tell them that thus and thus men of the world doe from whom Christians should be different to whom Christians should be contrary and what is mens answere even that in a manner which the Israelites gave Samuel when hee disswaded them from having a King 1 Sam. 8. 20. Nay but we will bee like other Nations or as the Jewes said in their hearts Ezek. 20. 32. We will be as the heathen and as the families of the Countries So say what can be sayd men are resolved to do as others doe and not to be unlike others In an ill sence it was that the Jewes were contrary to all men 1 Thess 2. 15. They please not God and are contrary to all men But in a good sense a man may bee contrary to men of the world and not displease God therein Nay hee may so much the more please God by how much hee displeases the World in his contrariety to it It serves to shew that it is no wonder Vse 2 that Christian religion is by men of the world cryed downe for crossenesse and singularity when Religion enjoynes a Christian a crossenesse and a contrariety in his course to the sinfull courses of men in the world Secondly a Christians life is described Positively Our conversation is in Heaven Thence learne this point That the conversation of a godly man and Doct. of a true Christian is in Heaven That whiles he dwels on earth hee lives in Heaven Hee sayes not our conversation shall be in heaven but it is in heaven It is now in heaven for the present Though for a time godly men have their habitation on earth yet is not their conversation where their habitation is but their habitation and commoration on earth and their conversation above in heaven Iohn 17. 11 These are in the world and vers 14. They are not of the world In the world for a time in regard of their locall abode and commoration but not of the world in regard of their conversation because they have their conversation is in Heaven whilest they live here on earth As they are from above Iohn 8. 23. so they live above as they are from Heaven so they live in Heaven And therefore Dan. 7. 18. they are called the saints of the high places as those that have their conversations above in high places even in the highest Heavens And Dan. 8. 10. they are called the host of Heaven and the starres of Heaven The starres have their light and influences here on earth but they have their seate and motion above in the Heavens And in this regard they are said not onely to have their conversation but their habitation in Heaven and are said not onely to live but to dwell in heaven Wee finde Revel 13. 6. 8. two severall sorts of inhabitants dwelling in two severall regions Dwellers in Heaven Dwellers on earth The dwellers on earth they worship the beast they receive Antichrist but the dwellers in Heaven they are blasphemed by him Dwellers on earth are none other but earthly minded Christians who though they had the name of Christians yet had earthly minds and earthly affections and therefore are said to dwell on earth But who were they that dwelt in Heaven Not the Saints gloriously blessed in Heaven but see who they bee vers 7. To make warre with the Saints and to overcome them So that they who dwelt in Heaven were those Saints against whom Antichrist made warre and whom hee overcame Now hee could not make warre with the Saints in glory nor overcome them therefore by these that dwell in Heaven is meant Gods faithfull Saints and people here on earth that should oppose Antichrist and therefore these are sayd to dwell in Heaven because of their heavenly conversation because they had their conversation in Heaven whiles they lived on earth Looke where a mans conversation most is there a man may bee
sayd to dwell and therefore they are sayd to dwell there because their conversation is most there David desires Psal 27. 4. that hee may dwell in the house of the Lord. and Psal 84. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in the house of the Lord. But now no man did dwell in the Temple why then doth David desire to dwell there True no man did dwell there but yet in regard of their continuall frequenting the Temple their daily resorting thither and their attendance there upon holy services they are said to dwell there So no man whilest hee is here on earth can bee literally sayd to dwell in Heaven but yet because the conversation of the godly is most constant and frequent in heaven they trade for heaven they deale for heaven they conferre for heaven they walke for heaven they thinke speake doe they eate drinke sleepe wake live and die for heaven what ever they doe they doe it with an eye to heaven therefore they are said to dwell in heaven Wee shall finde the Church in the booke of the Revelation called heaven so Apoc. 12. 1. Now why is the Church called heaven Not onely because it hath its originall and descent from heaven but because all the true members of the Church have their conversation above in heaven their life in the Church is a life in heaven As Ierusalem which is the mother of us all is above Gal. 4. 26. So the way of life is above to the wise to avoyd from hell beneath Prov 15. 24. And as the way of life is Above so the way of the life of the Saints is above because they walke in the way of life which is above Hell is beneath the way of the Saints is that they may depart from hell beneath The way to depart from hell beneath is to live above in the upper region to live in heaven to have our conversation there So that a godly mans conversation is above that is in Heaven which stands in opposition to Hell beneath How can godly men living here on Quest earth be sayd to have their conversation in heaven They may bee said to have their conversation Answ in Heaven in diverse respects First in regard of their head Iesus Christ in whom they are and unto whom they are united mystically Every true believer is so united to Christ that hee is in Christ Christ hee is in heaven and every true believer being in Christ hee is therefore also in heaven because hee is in him who is in heaven Hence it is that we are sayd to be risen with Christ Col. 3. 1. If ye be risen with Christ yea not onely to be risen but to be ascended and set in heaven with Christ Ephes 2. 6. Hee hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places They that be raised up and sit in heavenly places they are certainely in heaven But how come wee now already to sit in heavenly places See what is added made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus Wee sit not there onely in regard of right but in some sense in fact because wee doe it in Christ our head Such is the union betweene Christ and the godly that what hee did they did in him When Christ was crucified we were crucified in him and with him Galat. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ When Christ was quickned all beleevers were quickned together with him Ephes 2. 5. He hath quickned us together with Christ When he was raised up all believers were raised up together with him Ephes 2. 6. And when he ascended into heaven all believers ascended with him and now that he lives and sits in heaven all believers live sit in heaven with him doing it in him who is their head For Christ ascended into heaven and sits there not as a private person but as the head of the Church in the Name of all the elect and therefore that action is to bee accounted theirs As when an inheritance is given to many brethren in a far countrey the elder brother goes is enstated into the possession of it in the name of all the rest all the rest that are absent are possessed of the place as well as he that is bodily present there It is in this case as it is betweene the head the members of the naturall body Though all the body be under the water yet if the head be above the water wee use to say that the man is above the water So though the faithfull bee here on earth yet Christ their head being in heaven they may also be sayd to be in heaven Thus then the godly are in heaven because they be in Christ their head who is in heaven Iohn 17. 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given mee be with mee where I am The which as they shall at last personally and locally be so also in this sense they now bee whilst on earth as having taken possession and a seate in Heaven in Christ their head Secondly in respect of their faith by which they ascend into heaven and sit there with Christ That looke as it is said of God Rom. 4. 17. that hee calles those things that bee not as if they were so likewise the grace of faith it makes things to bee which are not that is which are not to sense and are not seene with the eye of sence and nature Therefore Heb. 11. 1. Fayth is the subsistence of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene The grace of faith doth give a nullity to things that are as namely to the afflictions miseries and mortality of this life it makes these things bee as if they were not It makes afflictions to bee no afflictions it makes miseries to be no miseries 2 Cor. 6. 9 10. As dying and yet behold we live as chastened yet not killed as sorrowfull yet alwaies rejoycing c. Now as faith gives a nullity to things existent and makes things which are not to be So on the contrary it gives a subsistence to things not being and makes those things to bee which are not Thus did the faith of the beleevers under the old Testament make Christ to bee crucified unto them before hee was crucified or come into the world Hee was to their faith a lambe crucified from the beginning of the world who was not indeed crucified till the latter end of the world And thus are wee by faith already in heaven though here yet on earth This is that Heb. 10. 34. Knowing that you have in your selves a better substance in the heavens How could they have that substance in themselves and in the heavens when they themselves on earth By the worke of faith which makes things to come to be already present A substance in themselves and yet a substance in heaven because they themselves already in heaven by their faith I live by faith saies the Apostle and the just shall live by faith A