It is the suprema ratio, &c., it is the main reason that makes for religion :
as I said before of state knowledge, it is suprema lex. Yet though that be
supreme in regard of inferiors, yet there is one above that, the chief reason
of all that makes for religion ; there be many particular reasons that make
* That is, as the ' helm' placed in the ' stern,' ruling the ship. — Q.
THE SPIRITUAL MAN's AUI. 43
for this and that. Ay, but religion saith the contrary, and then that must rule, that is the suprema ratio. Now I come to unfold the particulars. The apostle here stands upon five directions and bounds. Those five direc- tions with three reasons : —
* Let those that are married be as if they were not.'
* Those that weep, as if they wept not.'
* Those that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not.'
* And they that buy, as though they possessed not.' ' And they that use this world, as not abusing it.' How are these five directions enforced ?
They are enforced from three reasons : —
Thejirst is in the front of the text : ' The time is short.' Therefore bo moderate in all things here.
The second is in the shutting up of the text : ' For the fashion of this world passeth away.'
The third reason is a main reason too, that is, from their state and con- dition in Christ: 'Why, brethren,' saith he, 'partakers of the heavenly calling,' Heb. iii. 1, as he saith in another place, ' Partakers of better things,' 2 Cor. i. 7, and by being ' brethren,' ' brethren in Christ,' ' mem- bers of Christ.' He is the knot of the brotherhood, being born again ' sons of God;' 'brethren of Christ,' not brethren only among yourselves, but ' brethren in Christ,' and so sons of God and heirs of heaven. What ! for you to be immoderate in the things of the world. Paul wraps up a moving reason, not only to insinuate to gain their affections, ' Oh ! my brethren,' but to add a force of reason likewise. ' Brethren, the time is short.' And, brethren, ' the fashion of this world passeth away.' So add these three reasons to the five directions, and see how strongly Paul backs his direc- tions. Indeed, it was needful for Paul so to do. We are so desperately set on the things of this world, we are so hardly taken off", that there must be reason upon reason ; for the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of God, loves not waste of reasons, to spend them where there is no use. And therefore we must think it is a weighty point, and of great equity, that we give ear to these directions.
We must remember that every one of these reasons has a' force in every direction. You that have wives, be as if you had none, for the ' time is short,' and ' the fashion of the world passeth away.' And so you that ' weep, as if you wept not,' ' for the time is short, and the fashion of the world passeth away.' And you are ' brethren,' you that ' use the world, as not abusing it,' for ' the time is short, and the fashion of the world passeth away.' So that all these reasons must be thought on in every particular direction that I speak of, only in general. I will speak a little of the first reason, ' The time is short.'
What time ?
(1.) The time of the world. There is but a little time before the day of judgment. Christ is at hand to judge the quick and the dead. The time between this and that is short. It was short then, it is shorter now. ' The time is short.' We are fallen into the latter end of the world. But that is not all.
(2.) The time is short of our little world; our particular judgment is near at hand. It shall be with us at the latter day as it is when we die. Our time is short ; the time of our particular life is short, and that is more forcible to persuade us ' the time is short.'
(3.) The season of the time, which is the prime time. The season and
44 THE SPIRIT U.VI. man's AIM.
opportunity of time is shorter than the time of life ; for we have not oppor- tunity of time all our life. * The time is short ;' that is,
[1.] The advaiitruje of doing good and of taking good is short. All the year is not harvest or seed-time. It is not always tide ; it is not always sunshine. And as it is in nature, so it is in the spiritual state of things ; wo have not always advantages and opportunities ; we have not always gales. Opportunity therefore is shorter than time, as our time is shorter than the time of the world. ' The time is short ; ' the opportunity and season of time is shorter.
[2.] Ay, and uncertain; we cannot toll how short. If it were told any of us here that within two days he shall die, it would startle us, the best of us all ; it would make us look about us : but who of us all knows certainly that he shall live two hours ? The time, as it is short, so it is uncertain, and here is the wondrous folly of our nature, that we will take so much time to come in trust, as though we should live so long, and make a cove- nant with death. But one party cannot make a covenant. God and the time to come make no covenant with us. Therefore it is extremity of folly to say, I will live so long, and so long. ' Thou fool,' saith God, when he projected for a long time and had treasure laid up for many years, ' Thou fool, this night they shall take thy soul,' Luke xii. 20. A man is a fool when he makes account of continuing that he hath no promise of. And therefore the time being short, and uncertain too, take it while we may catch hold of it, especially the opportunity of time.