3. The third reason is taken from the subject, as the former respec- ted the object. His mind was wholly intent upon better things ; not upon temporal and visible, but upon heavenly and eternal : ' While we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen ; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.'
Wherein you may observe —
1. A distinction between two sorts of things ; some seen, some not seen.
2. A suitable respect to either. There is an overlooking of the one, a looking to the other.
3. The reason of this different respect : ' For the things that are seen are temporal ; ' and ' the things that are not seen are eternal.'
1. The distinction may be explained thus — (1.) The things seen are such as are liable to present sense ; and they are of two sorts — either comfortable to the present life, or uncomfortable. Comfortable, as riches, pleasure, and honours ; uncomfortable, as poverty, disgrace, pain, torment, persecution. In short, either the allurements or affright- ments of sense. (2.) There are things unseen. Some things are invisible by reason of their nature, some by reason of their distance.
SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 18. 275
Some by reason of their nature, as God and all spiritual things ; some by reason of their distance, as the recompense of reward or eternal life ; these latter chiefly. God, who maketh the promise, is unseen, and the time when the promise of eternal life shall be made good is to come ; and there are many difficulties between hoping and having ; yet these things, the joys of the other world, were the objects of the apostle's faith and hope.
2. The different respect to either. The respect is denied to things seen, ' We look not,' &c., but strongly asserted as to things unseen, ' We look at things that are not seen.' There is a despising or not thinking of the world and the comforts thereof, the losses and sufferings thereof, but an earnest thinking of the world to come. The word is aKoirouvrcov, which implieth not only a looking, or minding of them, but a making of them our scope, our last end, and the mark which we aim at. Only note, that the act is not simply denied as to things seen, but comparatively, in comparison of that heavenly joy and glory which is promised. So we look not at these things ; the world's honour or dis- honour, the commodities or discommodities of this life, which we daily see before our eyes, have little influence upon us, 1 Cor. vii. 29-31. So all our acts are non-acts. To mourn for sin as if we mourned not, to rejoice in Christ as if we rejoiced not, to use ordinances as if we used them not, is a great fault ; for these are the things we should look to, as the way to heaven. But to mourn^ for worldly losses, or rejoice in worldly comforts, to use this life as not over-using it, that is a great duty and a blessed frame of spirit. Open the eye of faith, but shut that of sense.
3. The reason of this different respect — the one temporal, the other eternal, ra ^eirofieva, irpoa-Kaipa ; as Heb. xi. 25, irpoaKaipov dirok- avaiv, ' The pleasures of sin for a season.' The good things of the world are temporal, both as to their continuance and their use. To their continuance ; the good and evil of the world is soon over, and therefore should have little influence upon us. The evil : ' This light affliction, which is but for a moment.' The good, Heb. xi. 25, they are but for a season, and nothing that is but for a season can satisfy a gracious heart. They are temporary as to their use. The use of all the good things in this world is only to be serviceable to a man in his passage to eternity : Deut. xxiii. 24, ' When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill, at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel ; ' 1 Tim. vi. 7, ' We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out ; ' Eccles. v. 15, ' He shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand,' And on the other side, to, jir] ^Xevofjieva alcovia,
The things which are not seen are eternal;' and so, so much as eternity exceedeth time, these blessed things exceed temporal trifles, and therefore should be more valued by us. The greatness of heavenly things is expressed in the former verse ; here, the duration of them. We can part with nothing here equal to what we expect hereafter.
Doct. A man can easily do and suffer anything for God who hath made things unseen and eternal his great scope and aim.
Here I shall inquire — (1.) What it is to make these eternal things our scope and aim ; (2.) Give you the reasons why such an one hath
^ Qu. ' not to mourn ' i — Ed,
276 SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 18.