A FAIR PROSPECT, showing clearly The difference between things that are Seen, & things that are not Seen. IN A SERMON Preached at the FUNERAL Of the HONOURABLE LADY JUDITH BARRINGTON; At KNEBWORTH in HERTFORDSHIRE. By THO. GOODWIN, late Fellow of S. John's College in Cambridge. Now Minister of the Gospel at Southweal, in Essex. Unum mihi satis magnum citò moriendi pretium videtur, Poni extra omne delinquendi periculum. Grot. Epist. ad Gall. LONDON, Printed by A. Maxey, for John Rothwell, at the Fountain in Cheapside. 1658. To the Right Worshipful and virtuous LADY, The Lady JANE CROFTS And To the Worshipful. GOBERT BARRINGTON Esq And Ms lucy BARRINGTON His Pious Consort. Much Honoured, I Was by your entreaties invited to Preach this Sermon, and by your Importunities have been drawn to this Publication of it: whether this Apology will be sufficient for its coming abroad, I know not; 'tis all I have, if not, I must be content with what measure is meted to me The Providential occasion to which it relates, was sad and grievous to many more than yourselves: That Honourable and dear Relation of yours, at whose Funeral it was Delivered (and for whose sake I doubt not of some Acceptance it will find with many, for all its own unworthiness) being one, who for her singular virtues was Generally beloved, and Honoured; Her death cannot be lamented as Immature, for she lived to a good old Age; 'tis the Peculiar privilege of the Godly, they cannot live too long, nor die too soon. It was my observation of her, that her declining age of Nature seemed to be Her improving age of Grace; when her natural strength, and Abilities began to run low, and on Tilt, as it were; Her Spiritual affections seemed as if but fresh broached. This is rare, and so much the more excellent, To see in nature's Autumn, a second spring of Grace. O 'tis sad to observe the many declining professors of these days! many who had once a very good complexion in Religion, how are they now tanned by walking much abroad without the Covering of close Communion with God in his Ordinances. The Lord make you wise herein, and faithful to the eternal interests of your souls; by taking heed to yourselves in these Perilous times, that you steer a right course between the left hand of profaneness and Carnality, and the Right hand of schism, and Novelty. Look first with all Possible care to your foundation, that it be well laid in Regeneration, and heart-renovation; then build upwards, as high as you can in a holy life, and heavenly Conversation. Make Religion your business, and let the Exercises of it in public, Private and Secret have the pre-eminence of all your Employments. Bestow the zeal of your Affections on the Great, and weightier matters of Religion, Faith and godliness, and let it not evaporate or waste itself on the mint and Cummin of forms and opinions. Look on the world, and things of it, as this Sermon gives you a Prospect of them, as being but for a while, the Fashion of them Passing away; Estates, and Honours, Nobility, Gentry, Lords and Ladies are things which shortly will be quite out of Fashion, and Christ will be All in All. Keep Eternity in your thoughts, Christ in your hearts, Heaven in your eyes, the world under your Feet, and in this posture march on daily to life Eternal. For your help and furtherance i● these and all other christia● duties, you may comman● the Assistance of His poo● Prayers and Endeavours, wh● is Yours in all Christian observance THO. GOODWIN Brentwood October. 24 1657. A SERMON Preached at the FUNERAL Of the Honourable Lady JUDITH BARRINGTON 2 Cor. 4. ver. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are Temporal, but the things which are not seen are Eternal. 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 die. 'Tis worth our observing, that he says not a time to be born and a time to Live, or, a time to live and a time to die, But a time to be born and a time to die; Intimating thereby the duration of man's life to be so inconsiderable, that it deserves not the Nam● or Title of time, Orimur, Morimur we are born, and we forthwith die we step, as it were out of one Grave into another: out of the Grave o● our mother's womb into the Grav● of the Earth our Common Mother again. But however man's first motion from the womb to the Grave be so short and swift, yet his next from the 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, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, 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● every man, death being that door which lets man into his {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} his house of Eternity. A Christian should not look on this world as his dwelling place or home, 'tis but his Tabernacle or inn, we have here no certain dwelling place: thy dwelling 1 Cor. 4. 11 house must be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, an house eternal, no such is to be had in this visible world; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. A great part of this Epistle is apologetical: written for the vindication of Paul's Person, Ministry, and the Gospel itself which he preached, The Gospel and profession of it lay under a very great prejudice For above 300 years together the Roman Bishops suffered martyrdom one after another Jacobus Revius Hist. pontiff. Rom. in those days, by reason of the Cross and persecution that did everywhere 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 fierce storm of persecution ver. 11 we which live. i. e. we Apostles, an always 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 do 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 the 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 rhetoric Notandae sunt elegantissimae Antitheses quovis etiam Demosthene non indignae. Beza in loc. in those expressions; fo● Affliction; 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● 11. 23, 24, &c. In stripes above measure, in prisons frequent, in Deaths oft; of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck; anight and a day have I been in the deep in journeying often, in peril of waters in peril 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 Fellow-sufferers 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 aim not at them, for they are all but Temporal. The object of our desires, aims 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, 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 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 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 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. An Eternal weight of Glory. 3. The right improvement to b● made of this knowledge of the difference between things that are see● and things that are not seen, implye● in that word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, which signifi● so to look, as the Archer at the 〈◊〉 he aims at: we make not these worldly things that are seen our aim, 〈◊〉 catch not at them, we linger no● after them, we trouble not our selve● much about them, our aims ar● higher, we look at things that are not seen, that are Eternal. Many profitable Lessons might be learned 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 sense, as the Sun shining, and fire burning; others by reason, as the Creation of the world: but our Christian Religion hath revealed to our knowledge 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 employs 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 believers look at things that are not seen; 'tis not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, we do not only look on them by intellectual speculations, but we look at and after them affectionately and practically in our daily endeavours and intentions. This is to be a Christia● to purpose, to be daily 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 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 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 the fragments of thy time, and the fragments of thy affections; things eternal should in all things have precedence and pre-eminence. He tha● believes not things eternal is an in fidel, but he that believes them, ye● looks not after them, is worse the an Infidel: yet alas, how full 〈◊〉 all streets of such men, that arraking all kennels, and scrapin● dunghills, turning over every ston● for worldly pelf, gathering things 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 yourselves 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 yourselves 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 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 pin's 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'll 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 lantern, a plain Cabinet and a 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, raiment, 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 walk 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 sin and misery, guilt and wrath; as the soul itself is a thing not seen, eternal, so are those concernments of it: therefore only regarded and looked after by men that walk not by sight but by faith. So 2 Cor. 5. 7. that upon the point, by things that are seen, and that are not seen, may be meant the same which in 1 Tim. 4. 8. is expressed 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 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. 2. Time in particular called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of which the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in my Text is Compounded, is a part, portion or quantum of this Time, a little arm of this Sea, a Page or two of this whole Book; {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} old Father Time itself is but an Infant of a span long to this great Giant, Eternity: {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} season, is a limb of this little Infant: Time itself 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 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 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 Simonides did to King Hieron's question, What is God? he required three days one after another to meditate an answer to it, and at last told him he was farther from knowing what to Answer, than when the Question was first propoundrd, for that Quò plus cogitaret, plus cogitandum occurreret, the deeper we dig, 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 God's 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. God's 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 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 creator of heaven and earth himself, was without beginning, from everlasting. 2. That God's Being hath no ending; God did not begin to be, God cannot cease to be, Rev. 10. 6. He lives for ever and ever 1 Tim. 6. 16. he only hath Immortality; God only hath it intrinsically, Essentially, independently, some Creatures have it by Communion, from God's good will and pleasure, and in subordination to God's glory. God only is from Everlasting to everlasting, To be eternal, A part ante and a parte post, both is God's incommunicably. 3. In God's 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. God's knowledge comprehends things a thousand years distant one from another more exactly the● ours can do 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 knowledge, som● before, some after others; 'tis not so with God's: This, some schoolmen 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 the 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 days 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 yesterday's nor tomorrows, hi● eternity possesseth altogether, all a● once. God's Eternity is interminabil●● 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. God's Eternity is causal: he dispenses 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 itself 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 dependent, 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 of an hours 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 aching, 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 room and look on them without any pain or trouble, but a little gazing on the Sun weakens and dazzles it, being Excellens Sensibile: so it is with the weak eye of man's understanding, if you keep it within the horizon 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 near Eternity to Consider it seriously, thou wilt presently be sensible of a great weakness in thy intellectuals, thy head will scarce hold out to serve thy heart's Necessity about the considerations of Eternity. So much at present for that second particular what's 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. 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 fears and troubles about their spiritual Condition: whether in Christ, or out of Christ, they cannot tell. They are not to be numbered 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, hath this been looked after by you, your New-birth? many talk 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 God: The white stone is their absolution and Justification. It being a manner used in some judicatories 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 soul's Relation to God in a state of sonship, that's a thing not seen, Relationes non incurrunt in sensus; this is a thing that believers are inquisitive after, to have the Spirit of God bearing witness 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 far 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 care and providence over them, they filial Confidences and Mat. 25. 34. John. 14. 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 itself to the world. It doth not yet appear who are God's sons, nor how such shall be glorified: The heirs of eternal glory walk up and down the streets 1 John 3. 2 of the world in very contemptible appearances. Sometimes in sheepskins, and goatskins, being destitute, as having nothing, yet Heb. 11. 37. 2 Cor. 6. 10 possessing all things, two or three of them sometimes are crowded together into one poor thatched 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. 14 The poor petty heirs of this world make a great show and noise where they go, they are looked after, and pointed at, There goes such a knight's eldest son, such a Lord's heir, &c. only the sons of God and children of the Most High, who shall every one of them inherit an Eternal kingdom, 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 almighty's: 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 entered 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 men's present standings are on earthly possessions, are laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life, 1 Tim. 6. 19 O this heavenly inheritance is that, which a believer 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 father's house, and kingdom. His heavy afflictions are made light by Considering that 2 Cor. 4. 27 exceeding eternal weight of Glory they work for him. The yoke of Duty and service is made easy by having Respect unto the recompense 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 believer 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 dark side and a light side, it Exo. 14. 20. looks very sadly upon all those whom the Scripture calls Men of this Psa. 17. 14. world; men in this world we are all, 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 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 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 affairs, 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 God's law, so do they herein, meditate 1 Isal. 2. day and night; This book hath three leaves 1 John 2. 16. Riches, Pleasures and Honours. 1. The Covetous man's Genius or Lust carries him after wealth, this leaf he is daily thumbing, beating his brain and studying new ways 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 topics and Common places of profit and gain; having got in a readiness all sorts of money-traps to catch it, wherever 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 shows there what large provision he made to satisfy this lust, sumptuous diet; stately buildings, orchards, Gardens, Forests, parks, Fishponds, music vocal, and instrumental, he withheld not his heart from any joy that his eyes desired; As a young prodigal Citizen of London I have See a memorable story in B●ards theatre of God's judgement 2 part pag. 1●0. read of, who had a great longing to give all his five senses a pleasure at once, and allowed to the delight of every sense a several hundred pound: by which and such like practices 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 maintain 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 world's 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. Poor Creatures! the subject of our skill are things that are but for a while, therefore for a while you'll go for wise men, wise for a time, but fools Eternally. How will these wiser men of the world see themselves shortly befooled! methinks 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 temporals, fools in Eternals. Look to it, Sirs, that none of you be such, wise to buy and sell and make bargains, to Contrive ways 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 practice is directly opposite to our saviour's precept John. 6. 27. They labour for the meat that perisheth, but they labour not for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life. Great weekday Labourers in gathering the perishing things of this world; but lordsday loiterers when they should be gathering heavenly Manna for life Eternal. Industry and diligence in an honest Calling, though never so poor 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 days would make more conscience of that duty: I think it also one of the great sins and reproaches of our Nation that it abounds with so many vagrant beggars 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 painstaking 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 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 souls; 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 days are Coming when you will reflect on your 〈◊〉 for these temporal things, with Solomon's 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'll 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 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 days? O it might be happy for many men's souls, 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, many Tenants and retainers, great Alliance, they bear all the sway, but out of their Country, they are nobody, they pass to and fro unregarded: so is it with many, who in this world bear a great sway through their worldly greatness, 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 owns them not, Abraham is ignorant of them, and Israel will not acknowledge 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 Bay-tree: yet he passed away and lo he was not, I sought him but he could not be found. Death like a bailie or sergeant 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, methinks you should sit trembling under all your enjoyments to see this one word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} For a while, written upon the forehead of them all; For a soldier to have an honourable sword of Knighthood girt about him (as one once had) and a piece of match of a few inches lie 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 rejoice him? This word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 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 thyself shalt be left in utter darkness. 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 near their hearts to affect them or afflict them, but things of this world, worldly losses and crosses, worldly gains and advantages: if they rejoice, 'tis in corn or wine, or some worldly good, if they mourn and walk 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 clothe the naked, or feed the hungry, how will you bear the loss of all? how painful is the plucking, out but of one tooth, that stands fast in the flesh? To have all knocked out together is intolerable: you whose hearts stick so fast, and cleave so close to the world, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon 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 nearly 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 days it should ensue, which made him pass those six days in Continual preparation for death; but those six days being past, without the event he expected, he persevered in his Godly Resolution six weeks, six months, six years, and on the first day of the seventh year the Prophecy was fulfilled, but otherwise than he interpreted it; for thereupon he was chose Emperor 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, than this in my text does you all, whose hearts are set on the world; Ponder and meditate seriously on this word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 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 ant sex. It may be as the Rich fools 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 inn, 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 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 than they were all worth; he to prevent this evil, lays 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 fading. Inter peritura vivimus. A glass is not easier broken than all worldly Inter peritura vivimus. Sen●ca. things beside, and break they all will; Fire comes and breaks one, sickness another, violence another, death first one child, than another, one friend after another, and if thy affections be not well regulated, there will be more evil in thy immoderate grief for the loss of one, than ever there was good in the enjoyment of all; to prevent this; break 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 meat 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 crowd, loses his purse of gold, but gets an apple, which he falls of eating, but before he had half 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 vain men, whose hearts are set upon the world; venture with eternal souls anywhere, upon any desperate project, in scrambling for the things of the world, Precious eternal souls are scattered and lost in men's busy gathering the dust of the world; and within a few day's 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 looks 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 or grievous to thee, Remember for thy comfort 'tis but for a while. 1. Thy own sins, those are now great eyesores to thee, and grievous to behold; the hardness and deadness of thy heart, thy vain thoughts, earthly affections, the wanderings of thy paths out of God's ways; 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 tied 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. 2. Other mens' sins; they are great evils which thou ●eest under the Sun: and they are great troubles and torments to gracious souls. He that is not troubled for other men's sins, is not troubled for his own. Lot's 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, says 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 talk of vain men; The wickedness of the wicked shall be at an end; Thou shalt not always 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 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 aching head, thy Palsy hands, thy trembling heart, thy Gouty legs; all these are but for a while. Thy slandered innocency, disgraced Name, impoverished estate, all these are but for a while. 1 Pet. 1. 6. there are two cordials together, ye are now in heaviness for a season, if need be; For a season, If need be. The patient complains his physic makes him sick at the heat, his Physician comforts him by telling him, 'tis but for a little season, and it was needful, his strong disease needed such strong physic. 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 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} be patient, 'tis but for a season, for a moment Nubecula est, citò transibit. This meditation is a soft Pillow for thee, to lay thy aching head and heart on, to keep thee from fainting in the day of adversity. 4. The Calamity of God's Church and people, zions sufferings, Jerusalem's breaches: The true legitimate sons of Zion cannot but grieve and mourn to see their mother's distresses, many a time do they sit down by the water's side weeping to Remember Zion 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 Zion; To see the paucity of zions friends, and they divided amongst themselves, to see her wall broken down, her treasure profaned, her precious cornerstone itself vilified and made light of, his truths corrupted, ordinances despised, Ministers reproached, and discipline mocked at; these are sad objects for gracious souls to look on, yet these things are to be seen, and to be seen in our days, and in our own country, but our Comfort is, these things also are but for a season; as thou seest them, so Jesus Christ the church's head and husband who sitteth in the heavens, he seeth them, Rsal. 102. 13. and he will arise and have mercy on Zion, for the time to favour her, yea the set time is come; Zion Militant shall be Zion Triumphant. The time is coming when all those that mourned for her, shall rejoice 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'll only add one use more which shall be of exhortation, from use 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 world to come however in kind your beings may differ infinitely, as far 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 knowledge 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 itself; which is the Interminable, Infinite, endless 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 centre 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 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 help to affect us with the thoughts of Eternity. One discoursing of the Eternal sufferings of the damned in hell, thus represents them; if (Says he) the whole world from the lowest bottom of the earth, to the highest top of heaven, were filled with small grains of sand as close as they could possibly lie together, and every thousandth year an Angel should come and fetch away one of them, until 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, until they amounted to the quantity of a great Ocean, and, then with this sea of their tears he would quench the fire of hell and their torments should be at an end; there would (Says 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 breathe 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 souls, I would commend it to you as a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 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 them all daily seriously think on Eternity. Your hearts, it is likely, will be very averse from the practice of this duty, as a foul stom●ck nausea●es all physic; but you that tender the health of your souls, en●orce it down, let it be part of thy daily Spiritual diet, some warm draughts, some serious thoughts of Eternity. Many excellent advantages and benefits might be shown 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 furnished with the good things of it. Many friends thou hast 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 sin, 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 choose the ways 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 debauched courses of such as himself; he answered, Cum istis mallem vivere, cum illis mallem mori, I had rather live with these, but I would be glad to die 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 sow in tears 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 minded, this would make you choose suffering before sinning, the reproaches of Egypt before the pleasures and honours of Pharaoh's court. This would make Christ's yoke easy, 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 obtain 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 joys, and eternal torments, eternal happiness, and eternal misery, a Heaven Eternal, and an hell 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 world is but thy inn, 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 devil 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 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 soul 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 says, 2 Pet. 1 10. they might come to know where their Eternal mansion shall be: every man in this world may be said to choose his own place in the world to come: Joshua 24. 15. choose you, says Joshuah to the Israelites, whom you will serve; but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Psa. 119. 173. I have chosen thy precepts, says David: he that chooses Christ for his Lord and King, to be ruled by his word, to be Sanctified and guided by his Spirit; he consequently chooses heaven for his future habitation. But you that here refuse to serve the Lord, that will not let Jesus Christ reign over you; you that choose your lusts for your Lords, and walk after the flesh as a servant after his Master; you that choose Mammon for your Master, and the world for your portion; you turn your back upon heaven, and run headlong 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 worm will this be in the Consciences of wicked men for ever in hell, to consider. This is a place of our own choosing; 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 miserable being made so by our own choice and consent; volenti non fit injuria? O Israel, thou hast destroyed Hos. 13. 9 thyself! 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 woeful Example itemed 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 blood 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 happiness or black of misery; think seriously of it, Christians every action, word or thought of thine will make thy Eternity better or worse. My hours preaching and your hearing at this time will add either to both our eternal happiness, or to both our eternal miseries. All that we now do will rebound again upon us in Eternity; As when we put a lump of Sugar into a cup of wine or water: it falls presently to the bottom out of sight, but there it dissolves and diffuseth itself over the whole cup, and may be tasted in every parcel of it, thus do all our actions sink 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 soul by sin, kept never so secret now, will then fall on bleeding openly and smarting Eternally. O what miserable abused souls will then be to be seen: most cruelly hacked and hewn with sin, all over full of bruises, and putrified sores! every good action and holy duty will then be seen, blossoming forth Peace and 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 sour, his actions are his seed, this life is his seedtime, Eternity is his harvest, his reaping-time; The husbandman that sows oats, does not expect to reap wheat, 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: dost 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 oats or tore, and to look for a crop of wheat; If thy 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 prays and pray not; The good husbands ●a●d that is well sown, yields at p●ese●● no more profit than 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 〈◊〉, than 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 upon Eternity cheerfully, 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 God's threatenings; Noah being warned and believing the threatening 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 yourselves: I do not mean an Ark Literally, as Noah's was, but an Ark Spiritually, and Analogically. In Noah's time some believed not, nor regarded the threatening 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 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 ark with Noah. Thus do many through an evil heart of unbelief cashier and abandon all thoughts of things Eternal, as if but fabulous; others too too many reckon upon safety by false Arks. Poor ignorant creatures make their good meaning their Arks, the profane man's Ark is his presumption on God's 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 jealousy 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 righteousness 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 into it by a faith effectual. The Papists ark is his good works, which he trusts to for Salvation; but alas brethren! these are all Arks o● bulrushes, one small wave of God's wrath will overturn a thousand such as these. The only true ark 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 entering into this ark by faith, being in Jesus Christ, & the safety of those who are so entered 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 honours, and worldly greatness, these will be no Arks; things temporal cannot make Arks for Eternal souls. Nothing in Religion which is but external 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 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 possessed 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 shall befall 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 break off your sins by repentance, lest this flood come unawares, and destroy you all, in your unbelief. O tremble to think, how near those Eternal things may be, which yet you have not looked after; how near 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, than no purpose: your Conversation must all be unravelled, at the bottom of which you will find nothing but vanity and vexation of Spirit. Get the impressions of Eternity upon your souls 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 temporal, but at the things which are not seen which are eternal. 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 practice (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 (Says one) prove often Confections of poison to the Living. It being too usual (as another sadly complains) Vt eorum vitae laudenter in terris, quorum animae cruciantur in inferno, yet I think this Lady whose funeral we now solemnize: was a person of so much worth and merit, that if I had prepared an alabaster box of precious Spikenard to pour upon her name, in the Memorial of her virtues, I need not fear 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 show you very great variety, As in Solomon's 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 knowledge in almost all things, wherein I believe she exceeded most of her sex, and was in the very upper form of Female-Scholars, then might I lead you into the Inner Court, and show you her Moral Excellencies rarely to be patterned, to be admired? but scarce to be imitated. Her singular Prudence, Meekness, Sobriety, Integrity; Affability mixed with much Gravity; Humility with great Eminency; Temperance and Moderation in midst of great abundance, where can you show me so many rich Stones in one Ring together again? But (3) I can, as the Apostle says, show you a more excellent way. This is a Christians Holy of Holies, a heart possessed of Christ, A soul Beautified with Saving Grace, Parts and Natural Edowments: Moral Habits and Virtues of themselves without Grace, are but Splendida Peccata, Glittering sins: 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 show you how God had enriched her with the knowledge of himself and Jesus Christ, whom to know is life Eternal: with soundness in the Faith, having preserved her from making shipwreck of Faith in these stormy tempestuous times, with love to Jesus Christ, having heard her with tears bewailing the deadness of her affections to Christ, and Spiritual things. I cannot but mention an excellent speech of hers a few days before her sickness, to a worthy person, and dear Relation, Let us (saith she) love one another more and more, and let us not love ourselves 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 remembered; she had, like God her Father, a General {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, a sweet, loving Nature to all; and a Special {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to the houshord of Faith. Her compassionateness 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'll English in our saviour Christ's words, woe 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 precious matter before me, I doubt not but with very little enlargement, I might draw tears from the eyes of the greatest strangers to join with us in Lamenting the loss of this excellent person. But give me leave to recall that word again, that word loss; 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 precious 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 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 eternal. 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 ourselves, 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 tears, you shall reap in Joy: we have Eternal things to look after, and our time is but short. Concerning Temporal things, when we have them, we must rejoice as though we rejoiced not; and when we miss 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 always knocking at our doors, and crying in our ears, Hoc agite, mind your business. Your business lies all in that Scripture which you have heard opened, with an Item from which I will dismiss you, That you So live henceforth as those who look not at the things which are seen, which are Temporal; But so live as becomes those who look at things which are not seen, which are Eternal. FINIS. Errata. Pag. 15. for communion, r. communication. p. 17 for possessio, r. possessione. p. 20. l. 12. r. nature and grace, by regenerate and unregenerate. dele the spirits. p. 28. for wiser, r. wise. p. 45. for in-clining, r. in lining. p. 66. l. 10. add, I might. l. 16. add she.