Use 1. To press us to get this heavenly frame and temper of spirit ; to look to things invisible as sure and near, and to make them our great scope ; that all which we do may tend thereunto, and be subor- dinate to eternal life.
1. Eemember we were made for eternity ; for God hath given us an immortal spirit, which cannot be content with anything that hath an end. If we had souls that would^perish, it would be more justifiable to look after things that perish. No ; they will eternally survive these present things : Eccles. xii. 7, ' Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit to God that gave it.' Here we fly away as a shadow upon the mountains, come to act our part upon the stage of the world, and are gone ; what is this to endless eternity ? Surely that estate should be most in our eyes. How do you imagine you shall live after this life ? When you die, all the thoughts that con- cern the present world perish, and if you did perish too, it wei-e no such great matter ; but still you live, and enter eternity, and it is sad
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when you have no happiness to enjoy. It is good often to consider what the soul shall do when it shall be turned out of doors : Luke xvi. 9, ' Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations ; ' that it may not be left shiftless and harbourless.
2. Eternity is made known to us christians, and clearly set before us, 2 Tim. i. 10. What is the drift of the religion which you profess but to draw us off to another world, 1 Cor. ii. 12. Wherefore were you baptized but in order to eternity. Then you began your months of purification. Therefore it is said, 2 Peter i. 9, * He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged fi'om his old sins.' What is the notion of a christian ? Strangers and pilgrims : 1 Peter ii. 11, ' Dearly beloved I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.' Christ came not here to settle us in a state of prosperity, nor to make the world our rest and portion. No ; he came to bring up our hearts first, and then ourselves, to a better world, which he calleth upon us to seek and make sure of. He came to save us from the present evil world, Gal. i. 4 ; not to fix upon it.
3. We are already involved in an eternal misery, and stand under a sentence binding us over to the curse and wrath of God : John iii. 18, 'Condemned already.' Nothing but the slender thread of a frail life between us and execution. How can we sleep in sin so near eternity, and laugh and dance over the brink of hell, and trifle away our times before we have taken a sure way to escape this misery ! The scriptures show us the way of escaping this misery and attaining to eternal blessed- ness. Oh, flee from wrath to come ! Mat. iii. Run for refuge. A man cannot be soon enough out of the state of sin and wrath.
4. You shall be shortly summoned to your account : Luke xvi. 2, ' Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer steward.' You have received so much from me, such riches, such honours, such parts, such sufficiencies, what have you done with them? Wliat will the poor carnal wretch answer in that day when the diligent shall be rewarded with everlasting life and the negligent be cast into everlasting fire ? In the present time, you either win or lose eternity.
5. Consider what poor deluded souls, that are in the everlasting estate, would give if they might be trusted with a little time again, that they might provide for eternity. How happy would they think themselves if God would but try them once more ! Their remembrance of their past folly and evil choice is a part of their perpetual torment, matter for the gnawing worm to feed upon, Mark ix. 44. If carnal, careless creatures would but anticipate the thoughts of another world, they would sooner discern their mistake. How miserably will you bewail yourselves when you have lost eternity for poor temporal things. What comfort will it be to you that you have been merry, lived in pomp and ease ? It is better to believe than try, to prevent the misery than experiment it. Now for means to help you —
[1.] Use frequent recollection, for thereby you come to yourselves : Luke XV. 17, ' And when he came to himself he said, How many hhed servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger ? ' Many are so busy about their vanities, that
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they cannot find that they are men, or think what business they have to do in the world, nor where they must dwell for ever. Self-commun- ing would be a hopeful means to undeceive them : Isa. xlvi. 8, ' Eemember this, and show yourselves men ; bring it again to mind, 0 ye transgressors.' And elsewhere the prophet showeth what reasonings we should use with ourselves, Isa. Iv. 2. Surely this would be one means to wean you from carnal vanities, and to deaden the gust and taste of them to your souls. Most men debase their reason to the service of their appetites and lusts ; their pleasure and business is the pleasing and gratifying of the flesh, Rom. xiii. 14. All their care is to eat well and drink well, to be well fed and well clad, and to make a fair show in the flesh, and live in worldly pomp. All their business is to gather in provision for the satisfying of their present lusts. They spend their days and cares for nothing else, which is that living after the flesh, Rom. viii. 13, that sowing to the flesh. Gal. v, 8, which the scripture condemneth. And what is the reason of all this ? Because they are inconsiderate ; never consider, Whence am I, whither am I a- going ? what shall become of me to all eternity ? Ps. cxix. 59, ' I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.' They are like children hunting after butterflies; and when they have them, their gaudy wings melt away in their hands, and there remaineth nothing but an ugly worm, the worm of conscience, the worm of disap- pointment. 0 recollect thyself ! is this to make eternal things our scope ?