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VERSE 14.
HEE insisteth in the proofe of the latter effect; they seeke a Country out of the world: therefore they are strangers.
Where, 1. What manner of City it was, which they sought. 2. The reward for seeking of it.
The confirmation of it is by a collection deduced out of their owne confession.
They that confesse themselves to be strangers on the earth, doe give notice to all the world, that they look for a permanent Country in heaven, and so dyed in that faith: but these confesse themselves, &c. Ergo.
Such base, such contemptible things of this world: manifest it to all.
With a fervent desire, not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Where they shall abide for ever.
This world then is not our Country. Socrates is highly commen∣ded for his answer, being demanded what Country man he was, he answered 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 mundanus. The whole world is my Country: all Countries are alike to me. Yet in truth wee have no Country in the world. England is not our Country: Heaven, properly to speake, is our Country: as Christ sayes, call no man father here on earth; so call no Country your Country on the earth.
Now heaven is our Country; so we must seeke it; it is worth the seeking, and we cannot have it without seeking: seeke the kingdom of God—We must seeke it by prayer, reading of Scripture, hearing of Sermons, by godly and fervent desire of the heart, by heavenly me∣ditations—Our whole life ought to be a continuall seeking of hea∣ven: but alas we seeke for silver and gold, Sheep, and Oxen, houses and lands, and let heaven goe; we are like Aesops dogge, that snat∣ched at the shadow, and lost the substance. We seeke more for sha∣dowes, then for the substance: all the weeke long we are seeking of the world, and scant on the Lords Day, no day in the weeke doe we seeke heaven.