birds, tlicy hop up and down, now on tliis liedge, and anon upon that, none can call them his own: rich to-day, and poor to-morrow ; in health when we lie down, and arrested with ])angs of death hefore midniijht. Joyful ])arents, one while solacing ourselves with the liopes of our hudding j)osterity, and may be ere long knocks one of Job's messengers at our door to tell us they are all dead; now in honour, but who kiu)\vs whether we shall not live to see that buried in scorn and reproach? The Scripture compares the uudtitude of people to waters; the great ones of the world sit upon these waters ; as the ship Hoats upon the waves, so do their honours upon the breath and favour of the multitude ; and how long is he like to sit that is carried upon a wave? One while they are mounted up to heaven, as David speaks of the ship, and then down again they fall into the deep. ' We have tey parts in the king,' say the men of Israel, 2 Sam. xix. 43 ; and in the very next verse, Sheba doth but sound a trumpet of sedition, saying, * We have no part in David, no inheritance in the son of Jesse ;' and the wind is in another corner presently ; for it is said, ' Kvery man of Israel went up from afti'r David, and followed Sheba.' Thus was David cried up and down, and tliat ahnost in the same breath. Unliap])y num. he that hath no surer ])ortion than what this variable world will offer him ! The time of mourning for the departure of all earthly enjoyments is at hand; we .shall see them, as Eglon's servants did their lord, frdlen down dead before us, and weep because they are not. What folly then is it to dandle this vain world in our affections, whose joy, like the child's laughter on the mother's knee, is sure to end in a cry at last, and neglect heaven and heavenly things which endure for ever! O remember Dives stirring up his pillow, and com- posing himself to rest, how he was called up with the tidings of death before he was wann in his bed of ease, and laid with sorrow on another, which God had made for him in flames, from whence we hear him roaring in the angiush of his conscience ! O soul, couldst thou hut get an interest in the heavenly things we are speaking of, these would not thus slip from under thee ! heaven is a king- dom that cannot be shaken, Christ an abiding portion, his graces and comforts sure waters that fail not, but spring up unto eternal life. The quails that were food for the Israelites' lust soon ceased, but the rock that was drink to their faith followed them ; this rock is Christ : make sure of him, and he will make sure of thee ; he will follow thee to thy sick bed, and lie in thy bosom, cheering tliy heart with his sweet comforts, when worldly joys lie cold upon thee, as David's clothes on liim, and no warmth of comfort to be got from them. When thy outward senses are locked up, that thou canst neither see the face of thy dear friends, nor hear the counsel and comfort they would give thee, then he will come, though these doors be shut, and say. Peace be to thee, my dear child, fear not death or devils, I stay to receive thy last breath, and have here my angels waiting, that as soon as thy soul is breathed out of thy body, they may carry and lay it in my bosom of love, where I will nourish thee with those eternal joys that my blood hath pinxdiased, and my love prepared for thee.
Fourthly, Earthly things are empty and unsatisfying. We may have too much, but never encnigh of them ; they oft breed loathing, but never content ; and indeed how should they, being so disproportionate to the vast desires of these immortal spirits that dwell in our bosoms? A spirit hath not flesh and l)ones, neither can it be fed with sucli ; and what hath the world, but a few bones covered over with some fleshly delights, to give it? The less is blessed of the greater, not the greater of the less. These things, therefore, being so far inferior to the nature of man, he must look higher if he will be blessed, even to (iod himself, who is the Father of spirits. God intended these things for oiu- use, not enjoyment; and what folly is it to think we can scpiceze that from them which God never put in them? Tliey are breasts, that, moderately drawn, yield good milk, sweet, refreshing ; but wring them too hard, and you will suck nothing but wind or blood from them. We lose what they have by expecting to find what they have not : none find less sweetness, and more dissatisfaction in these things, than those who strive most to please themselves with them. Tlie cream of the creature floats on the top ; and he that is not content to skim it, but thinks by drinking a deeper draught to find yet more, goes fiu'ther to s])eed worse ; l)eing siu'c by the disaj)|)ointment he shall meet to ])ierce himself through with many sorrows. But all these fears might happily
](52 WHEREFORE TAKE UNTO VOU