paraphrase which refers it to the face and eyes Before the Beauty and glory of thy face be changed and the light of thine eyes be darkened and the apples of thine eyes the stars of thy countenance be extinguished for as the whole face so the eyes are given us for this end Anatomists observâ— that whereas other creatures have only four muscâ— to their eyes whereby they look forward and dowâ—ward and on both sides man only hath a fifth bâ— which he is able to look up to Heaven Look inward to the Heart that is an inverted Pâ—ramid or like a Vial that is narrow and contractâ— in that part toward Heaven but above all the sâ—â— was purposely given us for this end we can no waâ— think that God hath given us these immortal souls be only conversant about perishing things these spirâ—tual souls to be taken up with secular affairs the souls which are heavenly substances to be wholly eâ—ployed about earthly objects How absurd is it 〈◊〉 think that God should so curiously fashion a body iâ— the lower parts of the earth and breathe into it aâ— immortal soul created after his own Image made iâ— the same mould with the blessed Angels capable 〈◊〉 eternal happiness and then should send into thâ— world this Epitome of the whole Creation only tâ— eat drink and sleep or only to buy and sell anâ— traffique in the world the beasts that have hâ— sensitive souls can do all this and much more as weâ— as we they know when they are ill what herbs tâ— have recourse to for the recovery of their health anâ— some think the practice of Physick hath been mucâ— improved by observations taken from the creatures they know how to dig their holes and make theiâ— nests to secure themselves against the injuries of thâ— weather when the place of their abode groweth incommodious they can shift into a warmer Climate The Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointeâ— time and the Turtle and Crane and Swallow (f) Jer. 8.7 they know how to provide against a time of want The Anâ— provideth her meat in summer (g) Prov. 6.8 they are so wise as tâ— prevent a danger before them surely in vain is the snare laid in the sight of any Bird (h) Prov. 1.17 they have skill â—o provide a shelter against a time of danger the wild Beasts have their Dens the Stags their Thicket â—he Hares their Covert the Wasps their Cells the Bees â—heir Hives the Doves their Windows the Foxes their Holes the Birds of the air their Nests the Conies their Burrows the Goats their Hills in a word those things that most men busie themselves about the creaâ—ures can do as well if not better than we some are stronger some swifter some quicker sighted some â—etter scented in all these one creature or other excelâ—eth man and can we think that God hath given us these intellectual immortal soules only to do what brute creatures can do as well if not in a better manner than we Can we Imagine that these Heaven-born souls should be bestowed upon us for no higher end Certainly there is nothing short of Heaven and things eternal that will bear any proportion with the excellency of these souls wherewith God hath entrusted us saith Seneca What a contempâ—ible thing is man if he doth not look higher than these â—emporal things Chrysostome will scarce allow such to be reasonable Creatures whose souls so far forget their heavenly extraction it is infinitely below the dignity of the soul to espouse earthly interests A spirit hath not flesh and bones saith our Saviour neither should it debase it self to such things as are only suitable to bodies of flesh What Father is there who if his Son ask bread will he give him a stone We should much less deal thus with our souls to put them off with a stone with things temporal when only the bread of Heaven things eternal can satisfie them 4. The fourth Motive to look to things eternal may be taken from the unspeakable benefits flowing from it 1 It is an excellent preservative from sin Some School-men say that the sight of God in Heaven maketh the Saints impeccable if so it will follow the more men enjoy God and converse in Heaven while they are here the more free they are from sin the times Noah lived in were times of great defection when all flesh had corrupted their ways and the whole earth was filled with violence (k) Gen. 6.9 and it is much for one spark of fire to keep alive in the midst of a Sea of water yet God giveth this testimony of Noah Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generation if you would know what kept him upright in the midst of that wicked and froward Generation it followeth Noah walked with God he that walketh with God and hath his conversation in Heaven feareth nothing but sin and this he feareth more than Hell they say the Ermin is so neat a creature that if she seeth a puddle of dirt on the one hand and a company of dogs on the other she will rather expose her self to be torn in pieces by the dogs than to defile her self by going through the puddle it is so with him that is truly heavenly he had rather endure the worst affliction than willingly defile himself with the least sin nay if he saw Hell on the one hand and sin on the other he would with Chrysostome and Anselme chuse rather Hell than sin he looketh upon sin as the greatest evil and therefore trembles at the first motions of sin dareth not give himself allowance in the least sin bate him those sins of daily incursion which the best cannot avoid he cometh nearest the state of glorified Saints who cannot sin 2. It is a good security against temptations while the Bird is soaring in the air she is out of peril of Gun-shot and free from those snares and Lime-twigs which she is liable to be taken in when she is upon the earth he that looketh to things eternal is not ignorant of Satans devices and surely in vain is the snare laid in the sight of any Bird as an enemy whose plots are discovered is more than half overcome so it is here whereas in the Sea little Fishes are deâ—oured of greater and greater fishes dash themselves â—gainst the Rocks the fish they call the Beholder of â—eaven (m) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath but one eye which they say is â—lways open and watchful doth hereby discover and â—event the many dangers that are in the Sea this â—â—sh according to the name given to it is a fit Emblem â—f the heavenly-minded Christian who escapeth those â—emptations which prevail upon other men It was â—o strange thing that Archimedes should be knocked â—n the head â—hile he was drawing his Mathematick â—nes and Thales fall into the ditch when he was â—azing on the stars but there is no such danger in 〈◊〉 spiritual looking to things Eternal
comparison of that we are to take for Heavenâ— such labour and study and striving we find the Saint to have used in the pursuit of heavenly things Since the daies of John Baptist the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence (y) Mat. 11.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did not only use diligence buâ— violence a metaphor taken from a Castle that holdeth out in a siege and is not taken but by storming then followeth the violent take it by force thus Paul reachâ—d forth unto those things that were before (z) Phil. 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying â—he uttermost strains of the body to catch at any â—hing I press forward toward the mark for the price of the â—igh Calling i. e. I pursue and follow with the greatest â—agerness He useth the same word * Acts 26.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to express his â—age in persecuting the Saints being exceedingly mad â—gainst them I persecuted them to strange Cities the â—ame violence he shewed before in persecuting the Church he used now in working out his Salvation such â—arnestness and violence must we use in the pursuit of â—â—ings Eternal if ever we would obtain them but â—his I shall speak more to in the next Vse and thereâ—ore shall not now anticipate CHAP. XII â—f looking to Eternal things as our end enforced by eight several Arguments â— WE should look to them as our aim and end this I conceive is chiefly meant in the â—ext the word signifies (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to look as the Archer doth at â—e mark he aimeth at though there may be many â—hings before him worth his looking on and which â—e would look to at another time yet now his eye â—s upon the mark he shooteth at so it was with the â—postles it was not temporal but eternal things they â—oked to They were the mark they aimed at the â—reat end they propounded to themselves so I press â—ward the mark (b) Phil. 1.11 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this he made his great work and â—usiness whatsoever he did he did in tendency to his he thought all he could do little enough if by â—ny means he might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead And thus it should be with us we should looâ— upon all other things as things accessary (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we shoulâ— do them as if we did them not use them as if we useâ— them not allow them only the fragments of our time they are things eternal that we should mainly aim at that should be the end we propound to our selves there is a twofold end the end of the worker that is the Glory of God which is the ultimate end into which all must be resolved and there is the end of the workâ— that is salvation that you may receive the end of youâ— faith the salvation of your souls Though the glory oâ— God be the great ultimate end we should aim at yeâ— we may have respect to our own salvation as an enâ— subordinate and things that are subordinate are not oâ—posed one to the other these two like Naomi and Rutâ— go hand in hand together whatsoever maketh foâ— Gods Glory conduceth to our salvation that thereforâ— we may nay and next to Gods Glory ought to makâ— the end we propound to our selves And this being the thing that is chiefly meant in the text I shaâ— the more enlarge my self upon it and the rather because it is a thing of very great import as will appeaâ— from these following Considerations 1. This is the great thing God looks at there is nâ—thing in this world that God so much respects 〈◊〉 man All these things have my hands made but to thâ— man will I look (e) Isa 66.2 Nothing in man so much as thâ— heart My Son give me thy heart that is the Mâ—â—â— Sion which God loveth above all the dwellings of Jacob and nothing in the heart so much as the aim aâ—â— end of it it is true of God what the Apostle speaketh of the word of God it is a discerner of the thoughâ— and intents of the heart (f) Heb. 14.12 Let a mans profession be never so glorious let him be never so abundant in thâ— performance of duties yet if his end be wrong aâ— his pretensions and performances are but beautifâ—â— abominations in Gods esteem Simon Magus had been â—aptized desired the gift of the Holy-Ghost but did not this with a right aim and intention but to get â—oney therefore Peter telleth him his heart was not â—pright in Gods sight (g) Acts 8.21 On the other side though a mans failings be many yet if his aim and end be â—ight if the frame and tendency of his heart be toward God and Heaven this works his acceptation in Gods sight Jehoshaphat offended greatly in his affinity with Ahab and the Prophet reproveth him severely for it yet withal tells him nevertheless there are good â—hings found in thee in that thou hast prepared thy heart â—o seek God (h) 2 Chron. 19.3 And thus Hezekiah describeth the â—incerity of those that came to the Passeover The â—ood Lord be merciful to every one whose heart is set to â—eek the God of his Father although his heart be not cleanâ—d according to the purification of the Sanctuary (i) 2. Chron. 30.8 alâ—hough they failed in that particular yet their heart â—eing set upon God that both delared their sinceâ—ity and wrought their acceptation Barnabas exhorts â—he Christians at Antioch that with full purpose of heart â—hey would cleave unto the Lord (k) Acts 11.23 We read before that â—e was sent by the Church at Jerusalem to visit the Breâ—hren at Antioch and when he came to them we read â—f no other exhortation but only this implying that â—his is the conclusion of the whole matter the great â—hing God looks at and that should be one engagment â—o us to look to these things as our end 2. This is the great thing in which the Devil seekâ—th to deceive men though he seeks to deceive us in â—ll the passages of our life yet it is still in order to â—n chief Good or End Mithridates the King of Ponâ—us being worsted by the Romans and fearing he â—hould not escape them caused a great deal of Gold â—nd Silver and rich furniture to be scattered in the wayes which while the Roman Souldiers gathered with great eagerness he escaped their hands and got into a place of saâ—ety the Devil knowing what taking tempting things the profits and pleasures of the world are to men he scattereth them in their way that being busied about them he might hinder them in their pursuit of Heaven and things Eternal that is the great thing the Devil driveth at in all his temptations he is willing men should go to Church and hear and read and pray so as he can deceive them in their end their chief Good this is that great deceit under which the greatest part
begotten Son and perhaps some of the friends of God of whom Christ speaketh I call you no more Servants but friends for all that I have heard of the Father I have made known to you such as are Gods friends know more of his mind than others The seâ—ret of the Lord is with them â—hat fear him (x) Psal 25.14 The Papists say of Bonaventure that being asked by Aquinas out of what Books he had those heavenly expressions that were in his writings he pointed to the Crucifix saying that is the Book which prompts to me what I write being prostrate at the feet of that Image I receive more light from Heaven than from all the Books I read if what they ascribe to the Crucifex we transfer to Christ himself it will hold for a sound truth They looked to him and were lightened (y) Psal 24.5 We find the bodily sight is much strengthened by looking upon suitable objects when the eye is dimb if it be fixed a while upon some green Meadow or flowry bank it much helpeth the sight Artificers after long poring upon some dark work finding a dimness in their eyes are wont to take some Emerald or some other green thing by the verdure whereof their eyes may be refreshed and their sight strengthened it will hold as true in spiritual sight the light of knowledge and understanding is much increased by looking upon the unseen Eternal things in Heaven 14. It would sweeten death and that nothing else can It was an usual speech among the Heathens that only Christians were contemners of death the Philosophers especially the Stoicks made it their work to furnish themselves with arguments and get their hearts into such a frame that they might be above all passions might not fear any evil that could befall them no not death it self and though in other things they went far even to the shame of most Christians yet when it came to death they fell short of what they propounded to themselves Socrates is thought to go as far as any other whatsoever evil befell him he was yet the same man no alteration appearing in his carriage insomuch as another Philosopher Antisthenes said If the Gods would grant him what he desired he would desire nothing else but to have the spirit of Socrates and this was so much the more remarkable because that equanimity he attained to was quite contrary to his natural temper There came on a time a fellow to Athens who pretended great skill in Palmestry that by the sight of mens hands he would tell what disposition they were of and having guessed shrewdly in many he was at last brought to Socrates looking upon his hand he affirmed him to be of a froward peevish disposition the people began to hout him having had so long experience of his meekness and moderation but Socrates said do not blame the man for the truth is such a one I am by nature only I have cured the intemperance of nature by the practice of Philosophy yet this man who was so far able to master himself and his passions in other things was not able to master the fear of death though at first he seemed undaunted yet when the cup of Poison was reached out to him he looked as pale as ashes the like it was with others Plato discoursing highly of the contempt of death was answered by one he spake beyond what he lived Tully was well versed in the writings of the Stoicks and thought himself fortified against the fear of death but when death came complained I know not how it comes to pass but so it is the remedy is too narrow for the disease Though while men look upon death at a distance they may hope by the improvement of Philosophical arguments to master the fear of death yet when death cometh in good earnest when all the senses the ports of the soul are beset with the ambushes of death when death mounts up all her batteries and beateth down one hold after another driving the soul from one part of the body to another till at last the soul be forced to quit her former habitation when a man comes to feel what he never felt before to do what he never did before nor is ever to do a second time when he cometh now to have the last cast for an Eternity either of happiness or misery to cease any longer to be what he was before and to enter upon a new but never ending condition when it cometh to this they must be better and higher arguments than can be learned in natures school that will be able to afford support and comfort to the departing soul As soon may a man think to gather Grâ—pes of Thorns and Figs of Thistles as by the sole improvement of these to grapple with the terrors of death Lypsius lying upon his death-bed when a friend that stood by said It would be in vain to suggest any arguments of consolation to him who was so well acquainted with the writings of the Stoicks he is said to turn himself towards Christ saying Lord give me the true Christian patience whereas the Believer whose mind is taken up with heavenly things being already dead to the world findeth it no hard matter to part with it as that Martyr Julius Palmar said to them that have their souls linked to the flesh like a Rogues foot to a pair of stocks it is indeed hard to dye but for him who is able to separate soul and body by the help of Gods spirit it is no more mastery for such an one to dye than for me to drink this cup of Beer having before-hand sent his heart to Heaven he looketh upon death as a favourable wind to carry him sooner to his desired Haven Moses converseth with God as a man converseth with his friend and when God bad him go up to the Mount and dye there Moses maketh no more of it he went up into the Mount and died according to the word of the Lord the Jews say that his soul was sucked out of his mouth with a kiss he who now converseth in Heaven when he dyeth only changeth his place but not his company removeth to a higher form but continueth at the same school while he liveth he is like the Bee which converseth amongst sweet flowers or like the Birds of the fortunate Islands which they say are all their life-time nourished with perfumes and when he dyeth he dyeth like the Phoenix in the sweet odours of an heavenly conversation 15. It would give us after death a wide and large entrance into Heaven They that look here to things Eternal shall after this life have possession of them shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven when others who â—ook no higher than things temporal shall be called the â—east in the Kingdom of God Heaven like the Halâ—ions nest will hold nothing but its own bird the Apostle blesseth God because he had made them meet