upon Earth that all our care and pain here do regard onely an uncertain and transitory state and will therefore suddenly as to all fruit and benefit be lost unto us this will suggest unto us with the good Patriarchs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to long after a better Countrey a more assured and lasting state of life where we may enjoy some certain and durable repose to tend homeward in our desires and hopes toward those eternal Mansions of joy and rest prepared for God's faithfull Servants in Heaven Thus will this consideration help toward the bringing us to inquire after and regard the things concerning our future state and in the result will engage us to compare them with these present things as to our concernment in them and the consequence of them to our advantage or damage whence a right judgment and a congruous practice will naturally follow There be four ways of comparing the things relating to this present life with those which respect our future state Comparing the goods of this with the goods of that the evils of this with the evils of that the goods of this with the evils of that the evils of this with the goods of that All these comparisons we may find often made in Scripture in order to the informing our judgment about the respective value of both sorts the present consideration intervening as a standard to measure and try them by First then comparing the present goods with those which concern our future state since the transitoriness and uncertainty of temporal goods detract from their worth and render them in great degree contemptible but the durability and certainty of spiritual goods doth encrease their rate and make them exceedingly valuable 't is evident hence that spiritual goods are infinitely to be preferred in our opinion to be more willingly embraced to be more zealously pursued than temporal goods that in case of competition when both cannot be enjoyed we are in reason obliged readily to part with all these rather than to forfeit our title unto or hazard our hope of those Thus in the Scripture it is often discoursed The world saith St. John passeth away and the desire thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever The World and all that is desirable therein is transient but obedience to God's commandments is of an everlasting consequence whence he infers that we should not love the world that is not entertain such an affection thereto as may any way prejudice the love of God or hinder the obedience springing thence or suitable thereto All flesh is grass saith St. Peter and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass the grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for ever All worldly glory is frail and fading but the Word of God is eternally firm and permanent that is the good things by God promised to them who faithfully serve him shall infallibly be conferred on them to their everlasting benefit whence it follows that as he exhorts we are bound to gird up the loins of our mind to be sober and hope to the end to proceed and persist constantly in faithfull obedience to God Charge those saith St. Paul who are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God that they do good be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate treasuring up for themselves a good foundation for the future that they may attain everlasting life Since argues he present riches are of uncertain and short continuance but faith and obedience to God exercised in our charity and mercy toward men are a certain stock improveable to our eternal interest therefore be not proud of nor relie upon those but regard especially and employ our selves upon these Our Saviour himself doth often insist upon and inculcate this comparison Treasure not unto your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust do corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but treasure up to your selves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal Do not take care for your soul what ye shall eat and what ye shall drink nor for your body what ye shall put on but seek first the kingdom of God Labour not for the food that perisheth but for the food that abideth to eternal life sell your substance and give alms provide your selves bags that wax not old an indefectible treasure in the heavens Thus doth the holy Scripture setting forth the uncertainty and transitoriness of the present the certainty and permanency of future goods declare the excellency of these above those advising thereupon with highest reason that we willingly reject those in real effect if need be however always in ready disposition of mind in order to the procuring or securing of these It also for our example and encouragement commends to us the wisedom and vertue of those Persons who have effectually practised this duty of Abraham our Father who in expectation of that well-founded City made and built by God did readily desert his Countrey and Kindred with all present accommodations of life of Moses who disregarded the splendors and delights of a great Court rejected the alliance of a great Princess and refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter in respect to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that future distribution of reward a share wherein shall assuredly fall to them who above all other considerations regard the performance of their duty to God of the Apostles who forsook all Parents Brethren Lands Houses Trades receits of Custome to follow Christ him at present poor and naked of all secular honour power wealth and delight in hope onely to receive from him divine benefits and future preserments in his Kingdom of Mary who neglecting present affairs and seating her self at Jesus his feet attending to his discipline is commended for her wisedom in minding the onely necessary thing in chusing the better part which could never be taken from her of St. Paul who accompted all his gains all his worldly interests and priviledges to be damage to be dung in respect to Christ and the excellent knowledge of him with the benefits thence accruing to him On the contrary there we have Esau condemned and stigmatized for a profane and a vain person who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for one little eating-bout one meis of Pottage for a little present satisfaction of sense or for the sustenance of this srail life did withgo his birthright that embleme of spiritual blessings and priviledges We have again represented to us that unhappy young Gentleman who though he had good qualities rendring him amiable even to our Saviour and had been trained up in the observance of God's Commandments yet not being content to part with his large Possessions in lieu of
the treasure by Christ offered in Heaven was reputed deficient could find no acceptance with God nor admission into his Kingdom for a petty temporal commodity forfeiting an infinite eternal advantage For saith our Saviour He that loveth father or mother above me he that doth not hate father and mother wife and children brothers and sisters yea his own life for me and the Gospel is not worthy of me nor can be my disciple He that in his esteem or affection doth prefer any temporal advantages before the benefits tendered by our Saviour yea doth not in comparison despise renounce and reject his dearest contents of life and the very capacity of enjoying them his life it self doth not deserve to be reckoned among the Disciples of Christ to be so much as a Pretender to eternal joy or a candidate of immortality Our Saviour rejects all such unwise and perverse traders who will not exchange brittle glass for solid gold counterfeit glistering stones for genuine most pretious jewels a garland of fading flowers for an incorruptible Crown of Glory a small temporary pension for a vastly rich freehold an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens Thus doth the Holy Scripture teach us to compare these sorts of good things And secondly so also doth it to compare the evils of both states for that seeing as the soon ceasing of temporal mischiefs should in reasonable proceeding diminish the fear of them and mitigate the grief for them so the incessant continuance of spiritual evils doth according to just estimation render them hugely grievous and formidable 't is plain that we should much more dislike abominate and shun spiritual evils than temporal that we should make no question rather to endure these paroxysms of momentany pain than incur those chronical and indeed incurable maladies that we should run willingly into these shallow plashes of present inconvenience rather than plunge our selves into those unfathomable depths of eternal misery There is I suppose no man who would not accompt it a very great calamity such as hardly greater could befall him here to have his right eye plucked out and his right hand cut off and his foot taken from him to be deformed and maimed so that he can do nothing or stir any whither yet our Lord represents these to us as inconsiderable evils yea as things very eligible and advantageous in comparison of those mischiefs which the voluntary not embracing them in case we cannot otherwise than by so doing avoid sin will bring on us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is saith he profitable for thee that one of thy members be lost rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is good 't is excellent for thee to enter into life lame and maimed and one ey'd rather than having two hands and two feet and two eyes in all integrity and beauty of this temporal or corporal state to be cast into eternal fire To be banished from ones native soil secluded from all comforts of friendly acquaintance devested irrecoverably of great estate and dignity becoming a vagrant and a servant in vile employment in a strange Countrey every Man would be apt to deem a wretched condition yet Moses we see freely chose it rather than by enjoying unlawfull pleasures at home in Pharaoh's Court to incur God's displeasure and vengeance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chusing rather to undergo evil together with God's people than to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a temporary fruition of sinfull delight dangerous to the welfare of his soul. Death is commonly esteemed the most extream and terrible of evils incident to man yet our Saviour bids us not to regard or fear it in comparison of that deadly ruine which we adventure on by offending God I say unto you my friends saith he he intended it for the most friendly advice be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have nothing farther to do but I will shew you whom ye shall fear Fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell to cast both body and soul into Hell and destroy them therein Yea I say unto you so he inculcates and impresses it upon them fear him But thirdly Considering the good things of this life together with the evils of that which is to come Since enjoying these goods in comparison with enduring those evils is but rejoicing for a moment in respect of mourning to eternity if upon the seeming sweetness of these enjoyments to our carnal appetite be consequent a remediless distempering of our soul so that what tasts like honey proves gall in the digestion gripes our bowels gnaws our heart and stings our conscience for ever if present mirth and jollity have a tendency to that dreadfull weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth threatened in the Gospel if for the praise and favour of a few giddy men here we venture eternal shame and confusion before God and Angels and all good men hereafter if for attaining or preserving a small stock of uncertain riches in this World we shall reduce our selves into a state of most uncomfortable nakedness and penury in the other 'T is clear as the Sun that we are downright fools and mad-men if we do not upon these accompts rather willingly reject all these good things than hazard incurring any of those evils for saith truth it self What will it profit a man if he gain the whole World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be endamaged as to his soul or lose his soul as a mulct 'T is a very disadvantageous bargain for all the conveniences this World can afford to be deprived of the comforts of our immortal state But Lastly comparing the evils of this life with the benefits of the future since the worst tempests of this life will be soon blown over the bitterest crosses must expire if not before however with our breath but the good things of the future state are immutable and perpetual 't is in evident consequence most reasonable that we freely if need be undertake and patiently endure these for the sake of those that in hope of that incorruptible inheritance laid up for us in Heaven we not only support and comfort our selves but even rejoice and exult in all the afflictions by God's wise and just dispensation imposed on us here as they in St. Peter wherein saith he ye greatly rejoice or exult being for a little while as in heaviness through manifold afflictions or trials Accompting it all joy saith St. James when ye fall into divers temptations that is afflictions or trials knowing that the trial of your faith perfecteth patience that is seeing the sufferance of these present evils conduceth to the furtherance of your spiritual and eternal welfare And We glory intribulation saith St. Paul rendring the same accompt because it tended to their souls advantage St. Paul than whom no man
to find its safety and ease so should a Man who having past many storms and agitations of the World is grievously battered and torn with Age strive onely to die well to get safe into the Harbour of eternal Rest. In fine Epicurus himself said well that no man is either immature or over-ripe in regard to his souls health we can never set upon it too soon we should never think it too late to begin to live well is always the best thing we can do and therefore we should at any time endeavour it there are common reasons for all ages there are special reasons for each age which most strongly and most clearly do urge it it is most seasonable for young Men it is most necessary for old Men it is most adviseable for all Men Again be our condition what it will this advice is reasonable Are we in health we owe God thanks for that excellent gift and the best gratitude we can express is the improving it for his service and our own good we should not lose the advantage of a season so fit for our obedience and repentance while the forces of our body and mind are entire while we are not discomposed by pain or faintness we should strive to dispatch this needfull work for which infirmity may disable us Are we sick it is then time to consider our frailty and the best we can to obviate the worst consequences thereof It is then very fit when we do feel the sad effects of sin to endeavour the prevention of worse mischiefs that may follow it is seasonable when we lie under God's correcting hand to submit unto him to deprecate his wrath to seek reconciliation with him by all kinds of obedience sutable to that state with serious resolutions to amend hereafter if it shall please God to restore us it is most adviseable when we are in the borders of death to provide for that state which lieth just beyond it Are we rich and prosperous 't is expedient then presently to amend lest our Wealth do soon corrupt us with Pride with Luxury with Sloth with Stupidity lest our Prosperity becometh an inevitable snare an irrecoverable bane unto us Are we poor or afflicted it is then also needfull to repent quickly that we may have a comfortable support for our soul and a certain succour in our distress that we may get a treasure to supply our want a joy to drown our sorrow a buoy to keep our hearts from sinking into desperation and disconsolateness This condition is a medicine which God administreth for our soul's health if it do not work presently so as to doe us good it will prove both grievous and hurtfull to us 13. Lastly we may consider that abating all the rufull consequences of abiding in sin abstracting from the desperate hazards it exposeth us to in regard to the future life it is most reasonable to abandon it betaking our selves to a vertuous course of practice For vertue in it self is far more eligible than vice to keep God's Commandments hath much greater convenience than to break them the life of a good Man in all considerable respects is highly to be preferred above the life of a bad Man for what is vertue but a way of living that advanceth our nature into a similitude with God's most excellent and happy nature that promoteth our true benefit and interest that procureth and preserveth health ease safety liberty peace comfortable subsistence fair repute tranquillity of mind all kinds of convenience to us to what ends did our most benign and most wise Maker design and suit his Law but to the furthering our good and securing us from mischief as not onely himself hath declared but reason sheweth and experience doth attest What is vice but a sort of practice which debaseth and disparageth us which plungeth us into grievous evils which bringeth distemper of body and soul distress of fortune danger trouble reproach regret and numberless inconveniences upon us which for no other reason than because it so hurteth and grieveth us was by our loving Creatour interdicted to us Vertue is most noble and worthy most lovely most profitable most pleasant most creditable vice is most sordid and base ugly hurtfull bitter disgracefull in it self and in its consequences If we compare them together we shall find that vertue doth always preserve our health but vice commonly doth impair it that vertue improveth our estate vice wasteth it that vertue adorneth our reputation vice blemisheth it that vertue strengthneth our parts vice weakneth them that vertue maintaineth our freedom vice enslaveth us that vertue keepeth our mind in order and peace vice discomposeth and disquieteth it vertue breedeth satisfaction and joy vice spawneth displeasure and anguish of conscience to enter therefore into a vertuous course of life what is it but to embrace happiness to continue in vitious practice what is it but to stick in misery By entring into good life we enter into the favour and friendship of God engaging his infinite power and wisedom for our protection our succour our direction and guidance enjoying the sweet effluxes of his mercy and bounty we therewith become friends to the holy Angels and blessed Saints to all good Men being united in a holy and happy consortship of judgment of charity of hope of devotion with them we become friends to all the World which we oblige by good wishes and good deeds and by the influence of good example we become friends to our selves whom we thereby enrich and adorn with the best goods whom we gratifie and please with the choicest delights but persisting in sin we continue to affront wrong and displease our Maker to be disloyal toward our Sovereign Lord to be ingratefull toward our chief Benefactour to disoblige the best Friend we have to provoke a most just and severe Judge to cope with Omnipotency to contradict Infallibility to enrage the greatest Patience to abuse immense Goodness We thereby become enemies to all the World to God whom we injure and dishonour to the friends of God whom we desert and oppose to the creatures which we abuse to our pride lust and vanity to our neighbours whom we corrupt or seduce to our selves whom we bereave of the best goods and betray to the worst evils Beginning to live soberly we begin to live like Men following the conduct of reason beginning to live in charity we commence the life of Angels enjoying in our selves most sweet content and procuring great benefit to others but going on in sinfull voluptuousness we proceed to live like beasts wholly guided by sense and swayed by appetite being pertinacious in malice we continue to be like fiends working torment in our selves and mischief to our neighbours Embracing vertue we become wise and sober Men worthy and honourable beneficial and usefull to the World but continuing in vice we continue to be foolish and vain to be vile and despicable to be worthless and useless