Sermon CLII    Deuteronomy xii. 30.  Take heed to thyself, that
thou be not snared by following them after they be de stroyed
from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods
saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I
do likewise.  When I consider our ascension in this life, (that
which David speaks of, Who shall ascend into the hill of the
Lord1?) I see the prophet adds there, as another manner of
expressing the same thing, And who shall stand in that holy
place? Quis ascendet, et quis stabit? A man does not ascend,
except he stand. And such an ascension (an ascension without a
redescent) Moses provides for here. First, they should ascend to
an abolishing of all idolatry; and then they should stand in
that state, persevere in that station, and perpetuate that
ascension to themselves, by shutting themselves up against any
new re-entries of that idolatry  1 Psalm xxiv. 30.  which had
been once happily banished from amongst them. The inchoation of
this ascension, that step which