[2.] The next thing to be considered is, what will be their state when they go out of the world. We daily draw near to our long home, but we little think of it till we come to our journey's end, fear not the pit till we are plunged into it, prize not our time till it be lost and gone : Eccles. ix. 12, ' Man knoweth not his time ; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.' Death and calamity befalleth a man when he little dreameth of it, as the fish and the bird go with much hope and promise of good to themselves to the bait and the snare. Hence the beasts are more excusable than we ; they cannot foresee the end, but are guided by instinct and appetite to present things that are good for them. Oh, that men are entering upon eternity, and yet never think of it 1 Oh, excite yourselves ; consider what will become of you when you die. You die but once, and there is no mending of your errors when you awake in flames. A merchant may lose in one ship, but the next venture may repair him, and make him amends again; an orator may lose fame and reputation in one speech and action, and the next may restore it, and recover it again with advan- tage ; but if a man die ill, the loss is irrevocable ; but if well, the gain is immortal : therefore surely we should prepare more for an entrance upon our eternal estate.
3. To negligent and sensual worldlings, who wholly busy themselves about the matters of this life, and are hurried hither and thither : Ps, xxxix. 6, ' Surely every man walketh in a vain show ; they are dis- quieted in vain.' Our life is but a picture, image, shadow, or dream of life ; it vanisheth in a trice. All must be suddenly parted with here, all the riches and honours ; and yet we cark and labour and turmoil to get these transitory things, as if they would continue with us to all eternity, and had some durable satisfaction in them. Present pleasures
SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 18. 293
and profits cloud our minds, and till we can get this veil drawn aside, this cloud scattered, we do not discern our mistake. Oh, consider who would redeem the short pleasure of a dream with the torment of many days ! Our days upon earth are as a shadow, and yet this shadow do we cleave to instead of the substance, and though earthly things be short in their continuance, and uncomfortable in their end, yet these take up our life, and love, and care, and thoughts. Just as those that want children take pleasure in keeping little dogs and cats, so do they embrace the shadow for the substance, vainglory for eternal glory, a little pelf for the true riches, a little paltry business for the great work and end of our lives ; and when all is done, it is but a spider's web. Job viii. 14. The trust of the carnal man shall be but as the spider's web. As the spider out of his own bowels weaveth a web to catch flies, and frameth it with a great deal of art, but it is gone with the turn of the besom, so is the fruit of all their plots, and cares, and labours, and running up and down, when in the meantime we are unmindful of eternity. Oh, when will these distracting worldlings find a time for God and everlasting happiness ? Childhood is not serious enough, youth must take their pleasure, manly age is too full of business, and old age is too feeble.
4. It reproveth God's children, who are too lazy, and have not that life and seriousness in a spiritual business which they have in an earthly. If eternity be your aim, why are you so dead and dull in a course of holiness ? The apostle biddeth Timothy to follow after holi- ness : ' To fight the good fight, to lay hold on eternal life,' 1 Tim. vi. 12 ; implying if the one were his aim, he would do the other. If we press towards the mark, why are we so frozen and cold in our zeal for God, so inclinable to every motion of sin, so easily overcome by temp- tations ? Alas ! making eternal things our scope is but a notion, unless we provide forthwith with greater care, exactness, and diligence. There should be a suitableness and proportion between the exactness of our conversation and the greatness of our hopes: 1 Thes. ii. 12, ' Walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.' That worthiness is the worthiness of condignity, congruity, and condecency. But alas ! do we labour as for eternity ? so follow after righteousness, so fight the good fight of faith, so despise the world, deny ourselves, run through all straits, triumph over all difficulties, mortify and subdue our own carpal inclinations ? Alas ! we are so bold in sinning, so cold in holy things, and do so little exercise ourselves unto godliness, as if we had no such great matters in view and chase ; and carry it so as if our hopes were only in this world, and not as if the eternal God had promised these eternal things to us. Surely if our belief of them were stronger we should be other persons than we are, in all holy conversation and godliness, 2 Peter iii. 11.