SOlomon tells us, Ecclesi­astes 1. 2. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every pur­pose under the Sun: A time to be born and a time to dye. 'Tis [Page 2] worth our observing, that he sayes not a time to be born and a time to Live, or, a time to live and a time to dye, But a time to be born and a time to dye; Intimating thereby the duration of mans life to be so inconsiderable, that it deserves not the Nam [...] or Title of time, Orimur, Morimur we are born, and we forthwith dye we step, as it were out of one Grave into another: out of the Grave o [...] our Mothers wombe into the Grav [...] of the Earth our Common Mother again. But however mans first motion from the wombe to the Grave be so short and swift, yet his next from th [...] Grave to Eternity is unmeasurabl [...] and incomprehensible. Man goet [...] to his long home saith Solomon, 12 Eccles. 5. the state of man after thi [...] life is called his Long home, [...], So the Septuagint renders it: to his house of Eternity: house so long, that the line of timeselfe is too short to measure it. [...] thought can imagine it, no expression can declare it, Semper minus dicitur Drexelius de Aeter­nit. quòd de aeterno dicitur aut cogitatur.

To this long home Death conveye [...] [Page 3] every man, death being that door which lets man into his [...] his house of Eternity. A Christian should not look on this world as his dwelling place or home, 'tis but his Tabernacle or Inne, we have here no certain dwelling place: thy dwelling 1 Cor. 4. 11 house must be [...], an house Eternall, no such is to be had in this visible world; for the things which are seen are temporall, but the things which are not seen are Eter­nall.

A great part of this Epistle is Apologeticall: written for the vin­dication of Paul's Person, Ministry, and the Gospel it self which he preached, The Gospel and professi­on of it lay under a very great preju­dice For above 300 years together the Roman Bishops suffered Martyr­dome one after ano­ther Jaco­bus Revius Hist. pontif. Rom. in those dayes, by reason of the Cross and persecution that did eve­ry where attend them; Tanquam Evangelij Genius: Christianus and Crucianus being almost all one; es­pecially this lot fell heaviest on the Apostles and Preachers of it, scarce one of them for many years toge­ther, died a Natural Death, but were buried out of the world in some [Page 4] fierce storme of persecution ver. 11 we which live. i. e. we Apostles, an alway delivered unto death for Jesu [...] sake. q. d. There is but a few of u [...] now left alive, through the rage o [...] our persecutors, and we which do live we bear about in our bodies the dying [...] the Lord Jesus. ver. 10. we are troubled on every side, perplexed, persecuted, we doe Mortaliter vivere & vitaliter mori. 'Tis scarce worthy to be called living, Non est vivere sevalere vita: yet all this notwith­standing, we faint not, v. 16. w [...] repent not of our engaging in th [...] work of the Gospel; why? wha [...] was it supported and encourage [...] them? see v. 17. For our light afflicti­on which is but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding eterna [...] weight of glory. No translation ca [...] reach the height of the Apostles Rhetoricke Notandae sunt ele­gantissimae Antitheses quovis eti­am De­mosthene non indig­nae. Beza in loc. in those expressions; fo [...] Afflicton; there is glory; for ligh [...] affliction a weight of Glory, fo [...] Momentany affliction, an exceedin [...] Eternal weight of Glory. Concer [...] ­ing Paul's afflictions, we may read little Martyrology of them, 2. Cor [...] [Page 5] 11. 23, 24, &c. In stripes above mea­sure, in prisons frequent, in Deaths oft; of the Jewes five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I bea­ten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered ship-wrake; anight and a day have I been in the deep in journeying of­ten, in peril of waters in perill of Rob­bers, &c. One of these Gospel-chaines would feel very heavy to us, yet Paul makes light of them all, setting a­gainst them, An exceeding Eter­nal weight of Glory, which they work for him. A farther support in his sufferings, he and his Fellow­sufferers had from the Consideration En quid nobis faci­l [...]s tole [...]atu faciat om­nes mundi hujus mise­rias, n [...]mpe si cogitati­ones no­stras ad regni caelest­is [...]ternita­tem trans­f [...]ramus, Calvin. in loc. laid down in my Text, We look not at things which are seen, but at things which are not seen. q. d. we set not much by the things of this world, we reckon little upon them, we aime not at them, for they are all but Tem­poral. The object of our desires, aimes and endeavours are things not seen, which are Eternal.

The Text may be called a pair of Scripture Scales or Balances, in which may be observed,

[Page 6] 1. The Commodities weighed, they are things which are seen and things which are not seen.

2. The great Difference appear­ing betwixt them upon the weight of them; the superpondinm of things not seen. Things that are seen be­ing weighed are found very light, very vanities, they are but [...] for a season, for a while, so the Heb. 11. 35 Matth. 13. 21. word is elsewhere translated. Bu [...] things that are not seen they weig [...] very heavy, they are all Eternal. Eternity makes every thing weighty whether it be Glory or Misery. [...] the verse foregoing my Text, w [...] have [...]. An Eternal weight of Glory.

3. The right improvement to b [...] made of this knowledg of the difference between things that are see [...] and things that are not seen, implye [...] in that word [...], which signifi [...] so to look, as the Archer at the [...] he aims at: we make not these worldly things that are seen our aime, [...] catch not at them, we linger no [...] after them, we trouble not our selve [...] much about them, our aimes ar [...] [Page 7] higher, we look at things that are not seen, that are Eternal. Many pro­fitable Lessons might be learnt out of the words, as

Christian Religion teacheth us to know and believe things that are not 1 Doct. Heb. 1. 11 seen. Our Christian faith makes e­vident to us things not seen. Some things we know by sence, as the Sun shining, and fire burning; others by reason, as the Creation of the world: but our Christian Religion hath revealed to our knowledg such things, as neither the eye of sense, nor Reason have seen. Our low­statured dwarfe-understandings, by the help of Scripture-Revelation, have been advanced to some Disco­very of things Eternal. Christiani­ty calls the mind off from poring on those low trivial objects of perish­ing things that are seen, and employes it, in the Contemplation and stu­dy of things Eternal.

Christianity puts men upon making it their great Business to look after 2 Doct. things eternal; we Christians, we Beleevers look at things that are not seen; 'tis not [...], but [...], we [Page 8] do not only look on them by intel­lectual speculations, but we look at and after them affectionately and pra­ctically in our dayly endeavours and intentions. This is to be a Christia [...] to purpose, to be dayly busy abou [...] things Eternal. This is indeed Christians calling: Christians shoul [...] be mainly skilful about things eternal, and mainly painful about thing eternal. Things of this life, temporal things should be your [...] your by-business, you should [...] them, as if you did them not, use [...] world, as if you used it not; the wor [...] 1 Cor. 7. 39. 30. should be served only with God Leavings; it should have but th [...] fragments of thy time, and the fragments of thy affections; things eternal should in all things have precedence and preheminence. He tha [...] believes not things eternal is an in fidel, but he that believes them, ye [...] lookes not after them, is worse the an Infidel: yet alas, how full [...] all streets of such men, that arraking all kennels, and scrapin [...] Dunghils, turning over every ston [...] for worldly pelfe, gathering things [Page 9] temporal, but scattering things eter­nal; eternal [...]ad immortal Souls. Think of it, Christians, things eter­nal are worth your looking after: and if you would walk worthy of the Name whereby you are called, you must sequester your selves from the world, leave the looking after it to men of this world (of whom you shall hear more anon) whose calling it is, whose portion it is; do you de­vote, and dedicate your selves chief­ly to the care of things eternal. But I come to a third Observation, which I chiefly intend to handle at this time.

It is Eternity makes the great dif­ference 3. Doct. between things that are seen and things that are not seen. The things of this life are but for a sea­son, but the things of the life to come are eternal. If the good things and evil things of this life and the life to come were to be compared and weighed one against the other, many other differences would ap­pear, to give the things of the life to come precedence; But that which mainly, infinitely, indeed, casts the [Page 10] Scale, makes the things of the life to come to preponderate is this word Eternity: they are all eternal: eternally good or eternally evil; you do but weigh a grain of sand against a huge Mountain, a drop of water against the whole Ocean, or a pins head against the whole globe of hea­ven and earth, that weigh a tempo­ral good against an eternal good; or a temporal evil against an eternal evil. I'l speak a little to three parti­culars for the better clearing up this Doctrine.

• 1. What is meant here by things seen and things not seen?
• 2. What by Temporal and Eter­nal?
• 3. What are those things not seen, eternal which Christians are to look after?

1. Things seen and not seen what are they?

Man, you all know, Consists of two parts, a Carnal part and a Spiritual, a Body and Soul, Flesh and Spirit, an Earthen vessel and a Spiritual Treasure, a Candle and a Lanthorn, a plain Cabinet and a [Page 11] Rich Treasure: The Body one part of Man is visible, the Soul being a Spirit is invisible: According to this double part of man, one of which may be seen, the other cannot be seen, all things which concern man may be di­vided either into suchthings as maybe seen, or as may not be seen. The things which immediately concern the bo­dy, whether good, as life, health, wealth, food, Rayment, liberty, Friends &c. or evil, as, Sickness, Pains, Poverty, Nakedness, death, &c. are all Objecta sensibilia things which may be seen, they do incurrere in sensum. Men that walke by sight look much at them and are much affected with them: In this sense the Apostle 1 John 2. 16. calls wealth the lust of the eye. But the things which im­mediately Concern the Soul, whe­ther good, as Grace and Glory, or evil as Sinne and misery, guilt and wrath; as the soul it selfe is a thing not seen, eternal, so are those con­cernments of it: therefore only re­garded and lookt after by men that walk not by sight but by faith. So 2 Cor. 5. 7. that upon the point, by things that [Page 12] are seen, and that are not seen, may be meant the same which in 1 Tim. 4. 8. is exprest by the things of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. The things of the life that now is, are temporal, but the things of the life to come are eternal.

2. What is meant by Temporal and Eternal? Tis a very easy and a very hard Question; what is Time? what is Eternity? The durations of all beings are Philosophically divided into three kinds, Tempus, Aevum, and Aeternitas: But Theological­ly into two only, Time and Eternity. Time in eneral in the Lump, signi­fies the Duration or Continuance of things from the beginning of the world to the end of it; Time being measured, as Philosophers say, per motum primi mobilis, by the motions of the heavens extrinsecally: when the heavens therefore shall be dis­solved, Time shall be no more. Rev. 10. 6. Time in the Nature of it including 1. a Beginning. 2. Succession. 3. An end. And by its parts 'tis Differenc­ed by past, Present, and Future. This is time in General [...].

[Page 13] 2. Time in particular called [...] of which the word [...] in my Text is Compounded, is a part, por­tion or quantum of this Time, a little arme of this Sea, a Page or two of this whole Book; [...] old Father Time it selfe is but an Infant of a span long to this great Giant, Eternity: [...] season, is a limbe of this little Infant: Time it selfe is but a mo­ment, a minute of Eternity; and sea­son is a Minutulum of this Minute, a very inconsiderable thing: yet 'tis by this that all particular worldly things are measured; they are not said to be [...] but [...] They are not measured by the whole yard, of time, but by the inch of season, they are but for a while, for a sea­son.

But what is Eternity? without blushing I may reply as an acute Di [...]putant once did to a hard argu­ment, Respondeo me non posse Respon­dere, My answer to this Question is, that it is a question past my skill to answer: or as the Philosopher Sy­monides did to King Hieron's questi­on, What is God? he required three [Page 14] dayes one after another to meditate an answer to it, and at last told him he was farther from knowing what to Answer, then when the Question was first propoundrd, for that Quò plus cogitaret, plus cogitandum occur­reret, the deeper we digge, the faste [...] and higher will water rise upon us to drown our very meditations. Many descriptions are given of it, which I will not spend time in rehearsing: only Note a common Distinction of E­ternity into Increated & Created, Ab­soluta & Participata; a Complete perfect Eternity that is God's, and an Incomplete inperfect eternity Communicated to some Creatures Gods Being is every way infinite, S [...] are all the Perfections of it: In wis­dom, Omniscience is his infinite Per­fection, in power, Omnipotency, it Presence, Immensity, in Duration Eternity. Gods Eternity includes four things; 1. That God was from everlasting without any beginning Psal. 90. 2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world: Even from Everlasting to Everlasting thou [Page 15] art God. In Isaiah 57. 15. he is cal­led the High and Lofty One that In­habiteth Eternity. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth; 1 Gen. [...] But God, the Creatour of heaven and earth himself, was without be­ginning, from everlasting.

2. That Gods Being hath no end­ing; God did not begin to bee, God cannot cease to bee, Rev. 10. 6. He lives for ever and ever 1 Tim. 6. 16. he only hath Immortality; God only hath it Intrinsecally, Essentially, independently, some Creatures have it by Communion, from Gods good will and pleasure, and in subordinati­on to Gods glory. God only is from Everlasting to everlasting, To be eternal, A parte ante and a parte post, both is Gods incommunicably.

3. In Gods Eternity there is no succession, no prius & posterius, no yesterday and to morrow, all things being equally present to God's Eter­nity. One therefore calls it Duratio Drexelius. semper praesens, unum perpetuum [...]o­die quod non transit in praeteri [...]um aut [...]uturum. Gods knowledg compre­hends things a thousand years distant [Page 16] one from another more exactly the [...] ours can doe things of yesterday Psal. 90. 4▪ Heri no­strum cras, & pridem, Semper ti­bi nunc & idem: Tu­um Deus, [...]odiernum Indivisum sempiter­num. Hil­deberti Hymnus. Vsser. D [...] Symb. Things come to our knowledg, som [...] before, some after others; 'tis not so with God's: This, some schoolemen have Illustrated by such a simi­litude, A man standing on the to [...] of some high mountain, or hill to se [...] an army marching, he sees th [...] whole body of it at once, thoug [...] possibly one part of it be many mile [...] distant from another; another ma [...] standing on the ground sees but very little at a time, first one ra [...] of men then another, one troo [...] after another, one Regiment afte [...] another, some before, some behind some coming, others going, other gone. Thus do we that stand [...] this low valley of time see an [...] know things successively, and compute by dayes and years, yesterda [...] and to Morrow, last and next year One Generation passeth away and an [...] ther cometh: but the High and Lo [...] ty Eccles. 1. 4. One that inhabits Eternity know no yesterdayes nor to morrows, hi [...] eternity possesseth altogether, all a [...] once. God's Eternity is interminabil [...] [Page 17] vitae tota simul possessione. If thou sayest thou canst not conceive how Boetius t [...]is should be; I only say to thee [...] the words of a Learned Philoso­ [...]er, Si scires quid Deus esset, Deus Cardanus [...], None but God can compre­hend God.

4. Gods Eternity is Causall: he dispences and measures out the dura­tion and Continuance of all other b [...]ings: he sets out their races, and stages, when they shall begin, and when end. The times and seasons Eccles. 3. 1. of every thing under the Sun are ap­pointed by him: the Sun it self and Heavens keep the Courses he ap­points them: and when he will, Time shall be no more; This is in­created Eternity.

2. The Creatures eternity is Com­municated and dependant, and tis Rev. 10. 6 but an half eternity: God is from everlasting to everlasting; the Crea­tures is from such a time, when it be­gan, To everlasting. Me thinks it makes my weak understanding as it were giddy to stand a little and look either backward from everlasting or forward to everlasting. One quar­ter [Page 18] of an houres deep meditation of eternity makes head and heart fall Facilius toto ann [...] solem aestivu [...] meridia­num perf [...]ras oculis, quam homo tem­poris exi gui parte aeterni­tatis Lu­cem intel­lectu possie contempla­ri. Card. an aking, as not able to bear it. As the eye can bear with ten or twenty or thirty Candles all lighted at a time in a roome and look on them without any pain or trouble, but a little gazing on the Sun weakens and dazles it, being Excellens Sen­sibile: so it is with the weak eye of man's understanding, if you keep it within the Horison or compass of time (although at hundred and thousand years distance) it will hold out with vigour and quickness; but if thy thoughts approach a little neer Eternity to Consider it serious­ly, thou wilt presently be sensible of a great weakness in thy Intellect­ualls, thy head will scarce hold out to serve thy hearts Necessity about the considerations of Eternity. So much at present for that second par­ticular whats meant by Temporal, and Eternal.

3. What are those unseen eternal things which Christians look after? I might instance in many particulars Take these four.

[Page 19] 1. The new Spiritual life of a Christian in his union to Christ be­gan by Regeneration. As natural life consists in the Conjunction of the body and Soul: So does spiritu­al in the union of the soul to Christ. And as the body without the soul is dead, so is the soul without Christ. Eph. 1. 12 This spiritual life of a Believer is a very secret hidden thing, Colos. 2. 3. your life is hid with Christ in God, 'tis hid from the world, and hid of­tentimes from believers themselves, so that they are often in great feares and troubles about their spiritual Condition: whether in Christ, or out of Christ, they cannot tell. They are not to be numbred the many careful thoughts that the hearts of true Christians are filled with, about this one thing, Their Regenera­tion. This is a thing not seen, not regarded, nor understood by the world, yet this is an eternal thing, your souls passing from death to life, its first step towards that life that is eternal over this narrow bridge of Regeneration. Oh Sirs, [Page 20] hath this been looked after by you, your New-birth? many talke much of their Birth, and Parentage, and Ancestors, you are but meanly des­cended and base-born all of you, that are not born again of water and of the Spirit. The differences of men by flesh and blood, and ti­tles John 3. 5. of honour, such as are Gentle­men, Esquires, Knights, Lords, &c. are but temporal, for a while, but the differences of men by nature and the Spirits regenerate and unregene­rate these are Eternal.

2. Justification or the sense of sin pardoned, Thy person accepted, God reconciled, these are things greatly looked after and laboured for by good Christians, yet things not seen nor discerned by the world, Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. This hidden manna are the Comforts of the Spirit of God in the hearts of believers upon the sense of their Reconciliation to [Page 21] God: The white stone is their ab­solution and Justification. It being a manner used in some Iudicatories to give a white stone in token of ap­probation and absolution, and a black stone in token of Condemnati­on or rejection. O this white stone Believers search and look and dig for as a Treasure!

Justification is an eternal thing Rom. 8. 30: whom he justified, them he also glorified,

3. Adoption, the Souls Relation to God in a state of Son-ship, that's a thing not seen, Relationes non in­currunt in sensus; this is a thing that Beleevers are inquisitive after, to have the Spirit of God bearing wit­nesse with their Spirits, that they are the Children of God, Rom. 8. 16. God hath a seed among the children of men, whom having new-begotten by his Spirit he hath certainly adop­ted 1 John. 3. 1. to be his children, his affection to them exceeds farre yours, who are Natural parents towards your Isa. 49. 15. children: he hath Paternal affecti­ons towards them, and they filial dispositions towards him, he a pa­ternal [Page 22] care and providence over them, they filial Confidences and Mat. 25. 34. John. i4. 2 Dependences on him, as you pa­rents lay up for your Children, so does God for them. This Dignity indeed hath no outward appearance to discover it self to the world. It doth not yet appear who are Gods sons, nor how such shall be glori­fied: The heirs of eternal glory walke up and down the streets 1 John 3. 2 of the world in very contemp­tible appearances. Sometimes in Sheep-skins, and goat-skins, be­ing destitute, as having nothing, yet Heb. 11. 37. 2 Cor. 6. i0 possessing all things, two or three of them sometimes are crouded toge­ther into one poor thatcht cottage, yet not one of these (though it be a thing not seen of the world) stirs abroad without a guard of Angels & the Spi­rit of glory and of God resteth on them. Psal. 91. 11. 1 Pet. 4. i4 The poor petty heirs of this world make a great shew and noise where they goe, they are looked after, and pointed at, There goes such a Knights eldest son, such a Lords heir, &c. only the sons of God and children of the Most High, who shall every one of [Page 23] them inherit an Eternal Kingdome, their glory is a thing not seen, there­fore is not their condition valued by men of the world: but Blessed is that Soul, who has received this New-name of a Son or daughter of the Lord Almighties:

4. The last thing which I shall 2 Cor. 6. 1 [...]. name among things not seen which believers look after is an Inheritance in heaven, uncorruptible, undefiled, 1 Pet. 1. 4. that fadeth not away, while other men are busied wholly in laying up for themselves treasures on earth, they are laying up for themselves treasures in heaven. 1. Cor. 2. 9. Such things as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, n [...]ither have entred into the heart of man, for them that love him. God is preparing heaven for them, and they are preparing them­selves for heaven; They are clear­ing up their evidences, and securing their titles to Glory, by making their calling & Election sure, they observing wisely how slippery mens present standings are on earthly possessions, are laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come [Page 24] that they may lay hold on eternal life, 1 Tim. 6. 19. O this heavenly inheri­tance is that, which a Beleever hath his eye upon on all occasions! His short Commons on outward Mercies he makes up often with the remem­brance of the plentiful feast provi­ded for him in his fathers house, and Kingdome. His heavy afflictions are made light by Considering that 2 Cor. 4. 27 exceeding eternal weight of Glory they worke for him. The yoke of Duty and service is made easy by having Respect unto the recompence of Reward; when ever any thing trou­bles Heb. ii. 26 him, or goes amiss with him here among things temporal, the Con­sideration of heaven and things e­ternal makes amends for all. Thus a beleever looks at these things which are not seen, which are eter­nal; I come to Application.

This Doctrine, that the things of this world are but for a season hath a Use 1. double aspect, as the Israelites cloud, a darke side and a light side, it Exo. i4. 20. looks very sadly upon all those whom the Scripture calls Men of this Psa. i7. i4. world; men in this world we are all, [Page 25] but not all, I hope; men of this world. To men of this world I may call and say in the words of the A­postle James, James 5. 1. 2. Go to now ye▪ men of the world, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you; your riches are corrupted, and your garments moth-eaten. Here is the Canker and the rust, and the moth that is consuming all your treasure, this one word [...] they are all but for a season. I'el give you 4 Characters of men of this world.

1. Men, all whose skill and dex­terity is about things of this world; shrewd men, very knowing about worldly affaires, but altogether ig­norant about the matters of Eter­nity. The world is the only book they study; Therein they are soundly book-learned. As David did on Gods law, so do they herein, me­ditate 1 Isal. 2. day and night; This booke hath three leavs 1 John 2. 16. Riches, Pleasures and Honours.

1. The Covetous man's Genius or Lust carries him after wealth, this leafe he is daily thumming, beating [Page 26] his braine and studying new wayes to enlarge his est [...]te, by adding house to house, and purchase to pur­chase, contriving new engines to draw more of the Riches of the world into his possession: and to a notable perfection, herein many of them at­tain, being verstin all the Topicks and Common places of profit and gain; having got in a readinesse all sorts of money-traps to catch it, where-ever it is stirring and to be had: per fas & nefas Rem, rem quocunque modo, rem.

The voluptuous man, his teeth water more after pleasures and sen­sual delights, feasting and gaming, and riotous living; he gives his heart to seek and search out all man­ner of mirths and pleasures; As So­lomon describes his own Courses in the time of his vanity. Eccles. 2. 1. 2. to the 10. v. Solomon shews there what large provision he made to sa­tisfie this lust, sumptuous diet; stately buildings, orchards, Gar­dens, Forests, Parkes, Fishponds, Musick vocall, and instrumentall, he with-held not his heart from any joy [Page 27] that his eyes desired; As a young prodigal Citizen of London I have See a me­morable story in B [...]ards Theater of Gods Judgment 2 part pag. 1 [...]0. read of, who had a great longing to give all his five sences a pleasure at once, and allowed to the delight of every sence a several hundred pound: by which and such like pra­ctises within the space of three years he wasted an estate of thirty thou­sand pound in money left him by his father, besides Land, Plate, Jewels, and houses furnished very richly to a great value. Tis not a little cost and pains men of this lust are at, to maintaine and give it sa­tisfaction.

3. The Ambitious man is of an as­piring mind, he is climbing higher and higher after honours and pre­ferments, his head is never without a plot to promote this his design. These three, which one calls the worlds Trinity, in serving of these, men of the world are wholly taken up: and many live under the Repute of notable wise men, for the skill they have attained in these worldly businesses. Poore Creatures! the subject of our skill are things that [Page 28] are but for a while, therefore for a while youl go for wise men, wise for a time, but fools Eternally. How will these wi­ser men of the world see themselves shortly befool'd! me thinks I hear the Noise of their cry at the day of Judgement in the words of Saul. Behold we have played the fool and have erred exceedingly: you have a 1 Sam. 26. 10. Proverb, Penny wise and pound foo­lish, such are men of this world; wise in temporalls, fools in Eternals. Looke to it, Sirs, that none of you be such, wise to buy and sell and make bargains, to Contrive wayes of enlarging your estates, and rai­sing your families, but in the My­steries of Godliness, and matters of Salvation, such as Regeneration, union and Communion with Christ, Living by faith, having our Con­versation in heaven, &c. grossly ig­norant and void of understanding.

2. Men whose labour and activity is wholly or chiefly for things of this world; men whose practise is dire­ctly opposite to our Saviours pre­cept John. 6. 27. They labour for the meat that perisheth, but they labour [Page 29] not for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life. Great week-day Labourers in gathering the perishing things of this world; but Lords-day loyterers when they should be ga­thering heavenly Manna for life E­ternal. Industry and diligence in an honest Calling, though never so poore and mean in the Account of men is well-pleasing to God: I would not be thought to reprove or reproach that: I wish heartily ma­ny pretenders to Religion now a dayes would make more conscience of that duty: I thinke it also one of the great sins and reproaches of our Nation that it abounds with so many vagrant beggers and extrava­gant Gentlemen, living, the one as if they were above, the other, beneath all honest calllngs: But the sin I am now describing, and disgracing is, when men will toil and moil, run and ride, rise early and sit up late, in pains-taking about the things of this life; but will not be brought to like or practise any exercise in Reli­gion, in which pains must be taken, al­though the profit and advantage of [Page 30] it be an Eternal good; When Estates and preferments in the wo [...]ld which are but [...]or a while, are sought with the hazard of eternal Soules; which are lost for [...] of looking af [...]r. O ye Sons of men how long will ye love varity and seek after lea [...]ng? Psal. 4. 2▪ why labour you for that which [...] not? the dayes are Com­ing when you will reflect on your [...] for these temporal things, with Solomons words Eccles. 1. 3. Isa. 55. 2. what profit hath a man of all his la­bours which he taketh under the Sun? so Eccles. 2. 11. you will look on all the works your hands have wrought; and on the labour you have laboured to do, and the Result of all will be vanity and vexation of Spirit, there was no profit un­der the Sun. You that now are all for profit and gain, to whom dulcis odor lucri ex re quâlibet, you will be miserably disappointed, you'l find there was no profit under the Sun, pro [...]t will be found to be amongst things that are not seen, things e­ternal which you looked not after. What a vain thing is it for a man to [Page 31] busy himself in drawing curious images or letters in the sand or dust, which one blast of wind will sudden­ly deface and spoil, and in a mo­ment obliterate the pains of many hours or dayes? O it might be hap­py for many mens soules, if one tenth part of that time, labour, and pains which is spent about things temporal; were spent about things eternal. Consider with what shame and torment of spirit you will stand before God at the Day of Judge­ment: under this remembrance; what profit of all my labour under the Sun? None, none at all, your la­bour was misplaced, it was about perishing things; In stead of profit behold nothing but anguish and vex­ation of Spirit.

3. Men of this world are such, all whose treasure, estate and portion lies in this world: 'tis all visible, con­sisting only of things which are seen. As we say of some men, they are great men in their own Country, their estate lies altogether in one Country, there they have great Command, great interest and Re­spect, [Page 32] many Tenants and retainers, great Alliance, they beare all the sway, but out of their Country, they are No body, they pass to and fro unregarded: so is it with many, who in this world bear a great sway through their worldly greatnesse, by their purse and power they can have any thing, and do any thing here below; But Alas, you see all, all lies on this side the Holy Land, here lies all their estate, they have no treasure; nor inheritance in heaven, their friends dwell all on earth: in heaven there's none cares for them: they have much kindred and ac­quaintance on earth, but strangers to heaven, God ownes them not, Abraham is ignorant of them, and Israel will not acknowledg them, one stroke of death utterly undoes them, and bereaves them of all at once. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye they are thrown out of all, they are cast down and shall not be able to rise. Psal. 37. 35, 36. I have seen the wicked in great power and Psal. 36. [...]2. spreading himself like a green Bay­tree: yet he passed away and lo he was [Page 33] not, I sought him but he could not be found. Death like a Bayly or Serjeant comes with a writ of arrest, seizes upon all, and carries them away to prison, where they must be for ever without any hope of Redemption. This will be the end of men of this world. O Sirs, me thinks you should sit trembling under all your enjoyments to see this one word [...] For a while, written upon the forehead of them all; For a Souldier to have an honourable sword of Knighthood girt about him (as one once had) and a piece of match of a few inches lye by him burning, with which his life must extinguish and end also, where would his eye think you be most? on his sword, or his burning match? would not this more dismay him than that could rejoyce him? This word [...] for a while lies like a piece of match, burning by all your enjoyments; thy goodly Houses, rich Lands, Portions, Jewels, plea­sant Gardens, stately Parks, Dear Relations, are all within a few in­ches of going out at once, and thou [Page 34] thy selfe shalt be left in utter dark­nesse.

4. Lastly, men of this world are such, whose hearts are wholly set on things of this world: Their projects and designs are all for the world, nothing goes neer their hearts to affect them or afflict them, but things of this world, worldly losses and crosses, worldly gaines and advantages: if they rejoyce, 'tis in corne or wine, or some world­ly good, if they mourn and walke heavily, 'tis under some worldly loss and disappointment. Me thinks this should be heart-breaking News to you, to hear of all at once thus suddenly departing from you: It goes to your hearts now, to part with a little of your wealth though to cloath the naked, or feed the hungry, how will you beare the loss of all? how painful is the pluck­ing, out but of one tooth, that stands fast in the flesh? To have all knockt out together is intolerable: you whose hearts sticke so fast, and cleave so close to the world, weep and houle for the miseries that are coming upon [Page 35] you, who must have all at once rent and [...]orn from you. It is storied of Full. Holy State. a German Prince that being admo­nished by Revelation to search for a writing in an old w [...]ll: which should neerly concern him, he found one containing one [...]y these two words; Post sex; After six, whereupon the Prince conceived his death was fore­told; that after six dayes it should ensue, which made him pass those six dayes in Continual preparation for death; but those six dayes being past, without the event he expect­ed, he persevered in his Godly Re­solution six weeks, six moneths, six years, and on the first day of the seventh year the Prophecy was ful­filled, but otherwise then he inter­preted it; for thereupon he was chose Emperour of Germany, ha­ving before gotten such a habit of Piety, that he Continued in that Religious course for ever after. Brethren, that writing in the wall did no more concern the Prince, then this in my text does you all, whose hearts are set on the world; Ponder and meditate seriously on [Page 36] this word [...] for a while, this estate is but for a while, these plea­sures but for a while, these trea­sures, this Husband, Wife, Chil­dren are but for a while; the Prin­ces while was Post sex, after six, Thine may be Ante sex. It may be as the Rich fooles in the Gospel was, Luke 12. 20. Hâc Nocte, this night; so little may the while be, that those things which are seen will abide with thee. Oh, that you would take up some wise Resolu­tions from this Consideration; name­ly these two.

1. Regulate and moderate your affections towards them; let this meditation allay the heat of your affections towards worldly things: Let not things of so short a durati­on, take so deep a rooting in thy affections. Love the world, and the things of it, as thou dost the good accommodations of an Inne, not as thy home; Facilitate thy part­ing with them, Considering them often under this Representation of being Temporal, but for a season, for a while. I have read of a Roman [Page 37] Senator, that having a very curi­ous Cupboard of Glasses, in which he took much delight, they being all upon the occasion of a great feast he made, brought forth and set upon a table; while he was plea­singly viewing of them, it came in­to his thoughts what brittle Com­modities they were, and how easi­ly broke, broke they would be, one by one servant, another by another, and the breaking of one would more anger him then they were all worth; he to prevent this evil, layes his hand on the cloth on which they stood, and by one pluck himself breaks them all at once. Sirs, all our Creature-enjoyments consist­ing of things which are seen, are like a Cupboard of glasses, fair to the eye, but very brittle and fadeing. Inter peritura vivimus. A glass is not easier broken then all worldly Inter peri­tura vivi­mus. Sen [...] ­ca. things beside, and break they all will; Fire comes and breaks one, sick ness another, violence another, death first one child, then another, one friend after another, and if thy af­fections be not well regulated, there [Page 38] will be more evil in thy immoderate grief for the loss of one, then ever there was good in the enjoyment of all; to prevent this; breake thy heart off from them all, which can­not be better done, then by dwel­ling much in thy thoughts upon this Notion of them: As being but for a while, for a season.

2. Resolve not to hazard the loss of invisible Eternal things, for things which are but temporal, for a while. You know the fable of the dog, that lost the meate he had in his mouth, by Catching at the shadow of it in the waters, De te Fabula narratur, may it be said to every worldling. Suppose a man having a purse of gold in his pocket, and coming into a market, where he finds men scrambling for apples on the ground, amongst them he runs into a croud, loses his purse of gold, but gets an apple, which he falls of eating, but before he had halfe eaten it, that is snatched out of his hands also; This egregious fool hazarded his gold for an apple, and then loses gold and apple too: thus do vaine [Page 39] men, whose hearts are set upon the world; venture with eternal soules any where, upon any desperate pro­ject, in scrambling for the things of the world, Precious eternal soules are scattered and lost in mens busy gathering the dust of the world; and within a few dayes death comes and snatches all that out of thy hands also: This will be the Con­clusion, you that will hazard things Eternal for things temporal, will lose both temporal and Eternal, you have seen the dark side of this Doctrine: with which it lookes sadly upon men of this world.

This Doctrine hath a light side for 2. true Israelites, a comfortable aspect on all true Believers; wicked men have all their good things in this life; 'tis sad to them therefore to consider they are all but for a season, but believers have all their evils in this life, 'tis therefore their comfort that they are but for a while, their foul way lies all here below, the shorter the better for them: whatever thou seest here below, that is at any time bitter [Page 40] or grievous to thee, Remember for thy comfort 'tis but for a while.

1. Thy own sins, those are now great eye-sores to thee, and grievous to behold; the hardnesse and dead­nesse of thy heart, thy vain thoughts, earthly affections, the wandrings of thy paths out of Gods wayes; thou never lookest upon thy heart or life, but thou sighest to see lusts and sin abounding and superabounding: but be of good comfort these evils are but for a while, thy heart ere long shall be perfectly renewed and totally purified, thou shalt look and shalt not see all over the least mat­ter for sighs and tears, not a spot nor wrinkle shall be left all over thee: thy soul shall not be long as a bird tyed by the wing, it shall mount up, and be in the midst of things eter­nal; it shall be soiled no more by conversing with things temporal, it shall deal only with things Eternal: 2 Cor. 5. 6. 7. 1 Thes. 4. 17. 18. while thou art present in the body, thou art absent from the Lord, but thou shalt after a little while be for ever with the Lord.

[Page 41] 2. Other men's sins; they are great evils which thou [...]eest under the Sun: and they are great trou­bles and torments to gracious Soules. He that is not troubled for other mens sins, is not troubled for his own. Lots righteous Soul was vexed, wracked, tortured from day to day to see the ungodly conver­sation of the Sodomites. Rivers of 2 Pet. 2. 7, 8. water's run down mine eyes, sayes David. Psal. 119. 130. Because men keep not thy law. Psal. 120. Psal. 5, 6. Woe is me that I sojourn in M [...] ­sech, That I dwell in the tents of Ke­dar: 'tis but for a while that thou shalt see the reeling drunkard, and hear the oaths of swearers, and the idle frothy talke of vain men; The wickedness of the wicked shall be at an end; Thou shalt not alwayes see the Psal. 7. 9. prosperity of the wicked to tempt, nor the adversity of the Godly to discourage thee. Ps. 37. 35, 38. I have seen the wicked in great power, But the transgressors shall be destroyed to­gether, the end of the wicked shall be cut off; while God exerciseth his patience in forbearing them, thou [Page 42] must exercise thy zeal in reproving them, and thy repentance in mourn­ing for them. 3. Thy own suffer­ings and afflictions, of what Na­ture or kind soever, they are but for a while, but for a moment, in the verse foregoing my Text; Remem­ber this as a lenitive to allay the smart of thy afflictions. Thy aking head, thy Palsy hands, thy trem­bling heart, thy Gouty leggs; all these are but for a while. Thy slan­dred innocency, disgraced Name, impoverisht estate, all these are but for a while. 1 Pet. 1. 6. there are two Cordialls together, ye are now in heaviness for a season, if need be; For a season, If need be. The pa­tient complains his Physick makes him sick at the heatt, his Physician comforts him by telling him, 'tis but for a little season, and it was needfull, his strong disease needed such strong Physick. Thou art apt to cry out in the bitterness of thy Soul, How long Lord, how long, Holy and True? God answers thee in his word [...] be patient, 'tis but for a season, for a moment [Page 43] Nubecula est, citò transibit. This meditation is a soft Pillow for thee, to lay thy aking head and heart on, to keep thee from fainting in the day of adversity. 4. The Calamity of God's Church and people, Sions sufferings, Jerusalem's breaches: The true legitimate sons of Sion cannot but grieve and mourn to see their Mothers distresses, many a time do they sit down by the waters side weeping to Remember Sion Psal. 137. 5. If I forget thee O Je­rusalem, Let my right hand forget her cunning, To see the potency and prevalency of the Churches En­emies, Gebal, Ammon, Amaleck, Philistine, &c. all uniting their pow­er against Sion; To see the paucity of Sions friends, and they divided amongst themselves, to see her wall broken down, her treasure profa­ned, her precious Corner-stone it selfe vilified and made light of, his truths corrupted, ordinances despi­sed, Ministers reproached, and dis­cipline mocked at; these are sad ob­jects for gracious soules to look on, yet these things are to be seen, and [Page 44] to be seen in our dayes, and in our own Countrey, but our Comfort is, these things also are but for a season; as thou seest them, so Jesus Christ the Churches head and husband who sitteth in the heavens, he seeth them, Rsal. 102. 13. and he will arise and have mercy on Si­on, for the time to favour her, yea the set time is come; Sion Militant shall be Sion Triumphant. The time is com­ing when all those that mourned for her, shall rejoyce for joy with her. Isa. 66. 13

Thus may this Doctrine, that these things that are seen are but temporal, be improved to the Comfort of Believers.

I'l onely adde one use more which shall be of exhortation, from Ʋse 2. the latter part of the Doctrine, That the things which are not seen are Eternal. There are, Christians, you hear things eternal, and you to whom I am speaking of these things are all of you such as must live eter­nally amongst things Eternal. The Continuances of your beings here among things seen, may be diffe­rent from each other, some may be longer, others shorter; but in the [Page 45] world to come however in kind your beings may differ infinitely, as farre as heaven and hell, yet in duration they will all agree to be Eternal. Many of us live as if they had never heard of things Eternal, most as if they did not believe any such things, and truly even the best of us do not improve as we ought the knowledg of things Eternal. Now my exhor­tation to you all is, that you would seriously Consider and meditare on those things Eternal. I will direct my exhortation of you to three par­ticulars for your Meditation.

1. Meditate seriously on Eternity it selfe; which is the Interminable, Infinite, endlesse duration of a being. Eternity makes good things infinite­ly good, and evil things infinitely evil. The happiness of the Saints in heaven, and the misery of the damned in hell, have both of them a vast Circumference; but the very Center of both is this one thing E­ternity; The Crowns of Glorified Saints, and the Chains of torment­ed Sinners are both made so weighty by this inclining of Eternity. The [Page 46] mind of man is a vessel too narrow indeed, to form or contain a medi­tation which may bear any propor­tion to Eternity: yet some Devout men have well improved their medi­tation, to helpe to affect us with the thoughts of Eternity. One discours­ing of the Eternal sufferings of the damned in hell, thus represents them; if (sayes he) the whole world from the lowest bottome of the earth, to the highest top of heaven, were filled with small grains of sand as close as they could possibly lye to­gether, and every thousandth year an Angel should come and fetch away one of them, untill the whole heap were spent; if then the prison door of hell might be set open, and the damned set at Liberty, it would be jowful News to them, yet those years, although innumerable, are nothing to Eternity. Another thus, if God should make this Motion to the damned, that every thousandth year they should shed one single tear, all which should be kept together, untill they amounted to the quantity of a great Ocean, and, [Page 47] then with this sea of their tears he would quench the fire of hell and their torments should be at an end; there would (sayes he) be great joy in hell at this merciful motion, but the weight of Eternity in their suf­ferings, presseth them down every day lower and lower, with incon­ceivable, unsupportable misery. O Eternity, My Brethren, if you could make your thoughts but stick to it, if you would every day task them to some solemn meditations of it, if you would breath them every day, by walking up this high hill Eternity, and there be taking a pro­spect of things that are not seen, you would find it exceeding health­ful to your soules, I would commend it to you as a [...] Physick to cure all soul-diseases and distem­pers. If I were asked what were good to make a proud man humble; Let him meditate seriously on Eter­nity; what will make a vain man se­rious, a covetous worldling heaven­ly minded; a loose liver, strict and precise; a wicked man good, and a good man better and better; let [Page 48] them all daily seriously thinke on Eternity. Your hearts, it is likely, will be very averse from the practise of this duty, as a foul stom [...]ck nausea [...]es all Physick; but you that tender the health of your soules, en [...]orce it down, let it be part of thy daily Spiritual dyet, some warme draughts, some serious thoughts of Eternity. Many ex­cellent advantages and benefits might be shewn you, would follow from this duty. This would make Jesus Christ sweet and precious in­deed, to you that have obtained him, whether you look on Eternal good things, or eternal evil things; he being a Sun by which are com­municated Psal. 84. 11. to you all eternal good things; and a shield by which you are defended from all Eternal evil things. And you that are yet out of Christ, how anxious and industri­ous would this make you to obtain him. In this life thou canst make a shift without Christ, thou art well provided against the evils of this life, and well furnisht with the good things of it. Many friends thou hast [Page 49] who profess themselves thine till death, but Christ can only make good to a Soul, Thine eternally. This would keep your hearts in awe of sinne, for fear of after claps and after-reckonings in Eternity; This would put you upon exact and circumspect walking; This would make you like, and chuse the wayes of holiness. I have read of a Pro­fane loose witty Gentleman, be­ing seriously asked what he thought of the severe strict life of Religious men, and what of the voluptuous, ungodly debauch'd courses of such as himself; he answer'd, Cum istis mallem vivere, cum illis mallem mo­ri, I had rather live with these, but I would be glad to dye with those, said he, as Balaam, let me die the death of the righteous; Serious fre­quent meditations of Eternal things would make you willing to live with them, as well as to die with them; to fast and pray, and sowe in teares with them on earth; as well as to feast, and triumph, and reap in joy with them in heaven. This would make you less earthly and more hea­venly [Page 50] minded, this would make you chuse suffering before sinning, the reproaches of Egypt before the pleasures and honours of Pharaohs court. This would make Christs yoke easie, because of Eternal plea­sures; and sins yoke heavy, because of Eternal wrath: this would make you fight the good fight of faith va­liantly, and hold out to the end without fainting; in hopes to ob­taine that incorruptible Crown of Eternal Glory.

Having meditated on Eternity in General; let thy next step be to con­sider thy Eternal things in particular; Having set before thy thoughts Eter­nal joyes, and eternal torments, eternal happiness, and eternal mise­ry, a Heaven Eternal, and an hel eternal; O my soul, which of these Eternals will be thine? for tempo­rals, thou art well enough, thy lot is fallen into a good ground, thou art well situated, well accommoda­ted with Wealth, Honours, Houses, Lands, Friends, Relations; but these are thy temporals, thy Moment a­nea; What are thy Eternals? this [Page 15] world is but thy Inne, where must thy home be, in Heaven or in hell? I do but sojourn here, where must I dwell and abide? where will my Eternal mansion be? who must be my Eternal Companions God and his Saints, or the Devil and his An­gels? must I dwell with Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob, with the innu­merable company of Angels, and Spi­rits of Just men made perfect, or with Cain, and Pharaoh, and Judas, with the Divel and his Angels and Legions of unclean Spirits? 'tis said Acts 1. 25. of Judas at his death he went to his own place. Brethren, as sure as you have all places of abode here on earth, which you call your own homes, so shall every one of us have either in heaven or hell a home that shall be our own place. In this world neither the wicked nor the Righteous are in their own places; here for the most part the wicked and the ungodly have got the upper places, the Children of God sit low­er-most, Dives sits at his table feast­ing, and Lazarus lies at his Gate begging; Beltshazars place here is [Page 52] a throne of Majesty, and righteous Daniel a prison and a Den of Lions. But it shall be quite otherwise when all by death enter into their own proper places in Eternity; The worst places in the world are too good for sinners, and the best in hea­ven are prepared for Saints, who in Christ are blessed with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Me thinks this should be a very affecting medi­tation, Ephes. 1. 3. O my Soule where wilt thou be when thou art gone to thy own place! when thou art removed from hence, and shalt have left Husband, and Wife and Children, Neighbours and Friends, and all these things that are seen, where will thy abiding place be? Where must I spend my Eternity, which can indeed never be spent? certainly if men would but use all diligence, as the Apostle sayes, 2 Pet. 1 10. they might come to know where their Eternal mansion shall be: every man in this world may be said to chuse his own place in the world to come: Joshua 24. 15. Chuse you, sayes Joshuah to the Israelites, whom you will serve; but as for me and my [Page 53] house we will serve the Lord. Psa. 119. 173. I have chosen thy precepts, sayes David: he that chuses Christ for his Lord and King, to be ruled by his word, to be Sanctified and guided by his Spirit; he consequently chuses hea­ven for his future habitation. But you that here refuse to serve the Lord, that will not let Jesus Christ reigne over you; you that chuse your lusts for your Lords, and walke after the flesh as a servant after his Master; you that chuse Mammon for your Master, and the world for your portion; you turn your back upon heaven, and run head-long to destruction; you make a Covenant with death, and an agreement with hell. Isa. 28. 18. That there shall be your habitation, what a gnawing worme will this be in the Consciences of wicked men for ever in hell, to consider. This is a place of our own chusing; here is the same Company we chose for our acquaintance on earth, we cared not for Communion with Saints, nor fellowship with God on earth; here we are sentenced to an everlasting separation from them; we are just­ly [Page 54] miserable being made so by our own choice and consent; volenti non fit injuria? O Israel, thou hast de­stroyed Hos. 13. 9. thy self! Lastly, proceed a little farther in thy meditations concerning Eternity; what provision and preparation hast thou made for Eternity? The fool in the Gospel Luke 12. 19. applauded himself in this, that he had much goods laid up for many years, but nothing was laid up for Eternity: hast thou been any wiser? Faelix, quem faciunt, &c. hath his woful Example item'd thee into more Carefulness? what art thou provided with for thy long home in Eternity? It is a commonly known true saying, Ex hoc momento aeterni­tas, The great weight of Eternity hangs upon this small wire of time: time hath an influence on Eternity: a few drops of bloud will discolour a great quantity of water, the well or ill-spending of this moment of time will colour the great sea of Eterni­ty into a white of happinesse or blacke of misery; Thinke seriously of it, Christians every action, word or thought of thine will make thy [Page 55] Eternity better or worse. My houres preaching and your hearing at this time will adde either to both our eternal happiness, or to both our eternal miseries. All that we now do will rebound againe upon us in Eternity; As when we put a lump of Sugar into a cup of wine or wa­ter: it falls presently to the bottome out of sight, but there it dissolves and diffuseth it selfe over the whole cup, and may be tasted in every parcel of it, thus do all our actions sinke as it were out of sight, and out of memory into the bottom of Eternity; there they operate and ef­fect either our happiness or misery, which will be felt and tasted by us throughout all Eternity. Every wound which thou now givest thy Soule by sinne, kept never so secret now, will then fall on bleeding open­ly and smarting Eternally. O what miserable abused Soules will then be to be seen: most cruelly hackt and hewen with sin, all over full of brui­ses, and putrified sores! every good action and holy duty will then be seen, blossoming forth Peace and [Page 56] Joy and Consolation. Consider that place of the Apostle. Gal. 6. 7, 8. Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap; for he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corrupti­on: but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Eve­ry man is a sower, his actions are his seed, this life is his seed-time, Eternity is his harvest, his reaping­time; The husbandman that sowes oates, does not expect to reap wheate, his crop depends upon his seed.

Sirs, Whatever you do now, is but sowing to Eternity; when you are hearing and praying, you are sowing; when buying and selling, you are sowing; when you are swear­ing and lying you are sowing; and all these several sorts of seeds will certainly come up in Eternity: doest thou ravel out thy time in vanity and sensuality, and sin, and yet look to be happy Eternally? This is to sow thy field with oates or tare, and to look for a crop of wheate; If thy [Page 57] seed be sin, thy crop will certainly be misery. O! what an encouragement should this be to Saints, to be fruitful and abundant in good duties; in Pray­ing, Fasting, Repenting for sin, &c. Although no present difference ap­pears between him that prayes and pray not; The good husbands [...]a [...]d that is well sown, yields at p [...]ese [...] no more profit then the sl [...]gga [...]ds that is unsown, and over [...] with thi [...]les and nettles; the Husbandman w [...]it [...] [...] until the time of [...] [...]omes You Harvest [...]s [...], then you [...] have been [...]owing to the [...] shall reap life [...].

Be abundan [...] [...] of the Lord; For [...] rally shall reap liberally, and he that 2 Cor. 9. 6 soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly: And because all will rise again in E­ternity, [...]o what you do accurately. As that famous Painter Zeuxes, being as­ked why he was so accurate in draw­ing all his pieces? answered, Pingo Aeternitati, I Paint for Eternity. You Pray, and Hear, and Live for Eterni­ty; do all therefore accurately, walk circumspectly. As you would all enter [Page 58] upon Eternity chearfully, prepare and lay up good things towards it, Heb. 11 Tis said of Noah, He being warned of God of things not seen, moved with fear prepared an Ark, to the saving his house. The flood was a thing not seen at first, only by Faith in Gods threat­nings; Noah being warned and believ­ing the threatning prepared an Ark. Beloved, you have all this day been warned of God of things not seen, of things Eternal: There is a great deluge of Eternity coming which will drown and swallow up all those things which are seen, which are but temporal, O let this be your prepara­tion for Eternity! to be preparing an Ark for saving your selves: I do not mean an Ark Literally, as Noahs was, but an Ark Spiritually, and Analogi­cally. In Noahs time some believed not, nor regarded the threatning of a fl [...]od, but continued eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in Luk. 17. 27 marriage, until the flood came and de­stroyed them all: others it is likely were not altogether without fearof it, yet made light of it, and reckoned upon some means of saving themselves [Page 59] by Arks of their own devising, climb­ing the tops of high trees and moun­tains, or such like. But all were de­stroyed that were not in the Arke with Noah. Thus do many through an evil heart of unbelief cashiere and abandon all thoughts of things Eter­nal, as if but fabulous; others too too many reckon upon safety by fals Arks. Poor ignorant creaturs make their good meaning their Arks, the pro­fane mans Ark is his presumption on Gods mercies, Deut. 29. 19. He blesses himself, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, adding drunkenness to thirst; but let such mark what fol­lows, ver. 20. The Lord will not spare him: but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are writ­ten in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.—The Formal Pro­fessor makes his own righteousnesse and external conformity to the Go­spel his Ark; he thinks to be saved by hanging outwardly on the Ark by profession, though he never enter [Page 60] into it by a faith effectual. The Pa­pists Arke is his good works, which he trusts to for Salvation; but alas bre­thren! these are all Arks o [...] Bull­rushes, one small wave of Gods wrath will overturn a thousand such as these. The only true Arke is the Lord Jesus Christ, Act. 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other. Rom. 8. 1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: You have there the Ark, Jesus Christ, the entring into this ark by faith, being in Jesus Christ, & the safety of those who are so entred in, There is no condemnation to such: there may be trouble & tribulation here, but there is no condemnation hereafter to them that are in Jesus Christ. Re­member this, Christians, Christ pos­sessed by faith is the only Ark for your Eternal safety. Riches, and Ho­nors, and worldly greatness, these will be no Arks; things temporal cannot make Arks for Eternal souls. No­thing in Religion which is but exter­nall will be an Ark; outward clothes and garments will not keep the body from dying, nor will outward duties and performances only, keep the soul from perishing. The Name of the [Page 61] Lord Jesus Christ is a strong Tower, an A [...]k unto which every soul that runs by faith shall be saved. O Belie­vers, you who are possest of Christ how may you triumph in the words of that good dying man, Salvus sum & sospes quia habito in vulneribus Christi, Ps. 91. 9, 10. no evil shal befal thee, because thou hast made the Lord thy Ark, even the most high thy habitation: you that are yet unprovided of this Ark, be warned this day to breake off your sins by repentance, least this floud come unawares, and destroy you all, in your unbelief. O tremble to think, how neer those Eternal things may be, which yet you have not looked after; how neer Eternal good things of being gone out of your reach ir­recoverably, and eternal evils of falling upon you unavoidably: ven­ture not to stay any longer in that Condition, in which it is a sin to live, and a misery to die; your living in the world hitherto hath been to worse, then no purpose: your Conversation must all be unravell'd, at the bottome of which you will find nothing but va­nity and vexation of Spirit. Get the impressions of Eternity upon [Page 62] your Soules and so live that the care of Eternal things may be seen in y [...]ur very Countenances; while you look not more at things which are seen, which are temporall, but at the things which are not seen which are Eternall.

I have done with my Text; But something more is expected in refe­rence to the Occasion of this sad meeting; which is the death and fu­neral of the truly Honourable Lady Judith Barrington; never was it my practise (nor indeed my Judgement) to exceed or be long on such Occasi­ons: There being but little Edifica­tion in the best, and great danger in the most funeral Commendations, Funeral Encomiastickes of the Dead (sayes one) prove often Confections of poyson to the Living. It being too usuall (as another sadly Com­plaines) Ʋt eorum vitae laudenter in terris, quorum animae cruciantur in inferno, yet I thinke this Lady whose funerall we now solemnize: was a person of so much worth and merit, that if I had prepared an Alablaster boxe of precious Spikenard to poure [Page 63] upon her name, in the Memorial of her vertues, I need not feare to meet with (as the good Woman in the Gospel did) any ones displeasure or indignation. I could hold you long in a large discourse of her ma­ny accomplishments, whereof I could shew you very great variety, As in Solomons Temple there were three Courts; An Outward Court, an innerand the Holy of Holies.

First I could present you in the Outer Court with her rare Natural Endowments of Understanding, Wit, Memory, Judgement, improved by acquired knowledg in almost all things, wherein I believe she ex­ceeded most of her Sexe, and was in the very upper Forme of Female-Scholars, then might I lead you into the Inner Court, and shew you her Moral Excellencies rarely to be pattern'd, to be admired? but scarce to be imitated. Her singular Pru­dence, Meekness, Sobriety, Integrity; Affability mixt with much Gravity; Humility with great Eminency; Temperance and Moderation in midst of great abundance, where [Page 64] can you shew me so many rich Stones in one Ring together againe? But (3) I can, as the Apostle sayes, shew you a more excellent way. This is a Christians Holy of Holies, a heart possest of Christ, A Soule Beautified with Saving Grace, Parts and Natural Edowments: Moral Habits and Virtues of themselves without Grace, are but Splendida Peccata, Glittering Sinnes: Ful­gent coram hominibus, coram Deo sor­dent, In comparison of Christ, they are but dirt and dung. If Christ be not in you, if he dwell not in your hearts by Faith, theremay be glit­tering, but no Gold. Except Christ be in in you, you are Reprobates, Reprobate Silver shall men call you, 2 Cor. 13. 5 because the Lord will reject you. A Christians treasure lies not in na­tural Jer. 6. 30 and moral gifts, but super­natural Grace.

Here I might shew you how God had enriched her with the knowledg of himself and Jesus Christ, whom to know is life Eternal: with sound­nesse in the Faith, having preserv­ed her from making shipwrack of [Page 65] Faith in these stormy tempestuous times, with love to Jesus Christ, having heard her with tears be­wailing the deadnesse of her affe­ctions to Christ, and Spiritual things.

I cannot but mention an excellent speech of hers a few dayes before her sicknesse, to a worthy person, and dear Relation, Let us (saith she) love one another more and more, and let us not love our selves in one another, but Christ in one another; that love will be sure to last and abide. Her love to the Ordinances and Saints might be remembred; she had, like God her Father, a General [...], a sweet, loving Na­ture to all; and a Special [...] to the houshord of Faith. Her Compassionatenesse to those in mi­sery was eminent, and her Cha­rity even to her enemies; for such she wanted not altogether, though altogether undeserved; making good thereby that old saying, Mi­sera est fortuna quae caret inimico; which I'l English in our Savior Christs [Page 68] words, Wo be to you when all men speak well of you; yet to her e­nemies Luk. 6. 26 she would not render evil for evil, but sought to overcome their evil with good. Though I be but a very dull Orator, yet having such plenty of pretious matter before me, I doubt not but with very little enlargement, I might draw tears from the eys of the greatest strangers to join with us in Lamenting the Losse of this ex­cellent person.

But give me leave to recal that word again, that word Losse; let us not say that she is lost, Nemo per­ditus est quem Deus in custodiam Erasmus. rapuit. As our Saviour Christ said of the Maiden, She is not dead but sleepeth; so we of her, She is not lost but laid up: As in a house where pretious things, Plate, Vessels of Silver or Gold are suffered for a while to go a­bout the house for common uses, which afterwards the Master of the house taking and Locking them up out of sight; Servants mis­sing [Page 65] them speak as if they were lost: Thus did God suffer this Vessel of honour to go about this his house even for common uses; we had leave to Converse with her, to eat with her, to Drink with her, to Pray and Confer with her, but the Master of the house hath now removed her out of sight, she is laid up amongst those things which are not seen, that are Eternall. She is n [...]t lost, we know where she is; I trust through the mercies of God in Christ to her, we may say, She is ascended to her Father and our Father, to her God and our God. From henceforth weep we no more for her, but let us weep for our selves, our sins challenge all our tears; for them weep and spare not: Grudge at every tear spent and laid out upon other occasi­ons, as waste, and of which no profit is to be made, only on this account; What you sow in Teares, you shall reap in Joy: we have Eternal things to look after, and [Page 68] our time is but short. Concerning Temporal things, when we have them, we must rejoice as though we rejoiced not; and when we misse them, we must weep as though we wept not. As Grotius in a Consolatory Letter, to a great man in France, after the death of his wife, told him, He had so ma­ny importaent businesses of State (Ne­gotia Grot. Epist ad Mau­rerium. 25 tantae molis ac tanti laboris) incumbent on him, which cal­led to him Hoc age lugere tibi non vacat, that he had no leisure to be sad, no time for weeping. E­ternal things are alwayes knock­ing at our doors, and crying in our ears, Hoc agite, mind your Businesse.

Your businesse lies all in that Scripture which you have heard opened, with an Item from which I will dismisse you, That you So live henceforth as those who looke not at the things which are seen, which are Temporal; But [Page 69] so live as becomes those who looke at things which are not seen, which are Eternal.