If it look upon them, it looks upon them as in a glass, to see farther. It looketh not upon them as clouds to stay our sight from the sun, or as placing contentment in them. For the soul taketh no rest here. The things seen ' are vanity and vexation of spirit,' Eccles. i. 14; ' unrighteous mammon,' Luke xvi. 11. We may and ought to look upon them as helps and comforts in our pilgrimage. If there be such comforts here, what is in heaven ? Doth God convey such sweetness in outward things, that cast- aways have with us ? What are those then that he hath reserved for his friends ? And so by way of a gracious use we ought to look upon things seen ; but to pitch upon them, and make them our bottom to stand upon, they ai'e no fit objects for the soul. But is there no way to see things that are not seen ?
Quest. But have we nothing of them here ?
Alls. Yes ; there is nothing seen but we have some little taste of it here. For full peace to come, we have peace of conscience here. For full joy to come, we have joy in the Holy Ghost here. For full communion of saints to come, we have some communion of saints here. If there be any heaven upon earth, it is in the meeting of two or three judicious, wise, gracious persons ; and our employment here in hearing, praying, and conference with God is but a taste beforehand of that in heaven. So that God doth not reserve all for the time to come. But in regard of the full accomplish- ment he doth. But those that have not the first-fruits here shall never have heaven in the harvest. Those that have not the earnest here shall never have the bargain hereafter. But that which is the full satisfaction of the soul is for hereafter. Therefore, whatsoever sweet employment is here, it is not like to that the soul shall have hereafter. Therefore rest not in them, but rather let them set an edge upon us, to desire it more and more, till we have it fully in heaven.
Reason 3. Why these objects are things not seen. Things that are not seen are eternal, thiiu/s that are seen are temporal. No man that hath an eternal soul, and knoweth it, will make that his object that is temporal. Therefore the soul must look upon things that are of equal excellency with it, and that is, things not seen. For things that are seen are temporal : riches are fading, honours are but blazing comets, pleasures are but worm-eaten vanities. So for the ill we sufler, it is but temporal ; all determined in death. The grave makes an end of all things that are seen. This should be a comfort to us when we are under any sickness. It is a seen thing. This sickness I feel, and this I taste, it is but for a time. The thing I look at is that which is not seen, and which lasteth to eternity. So the good not seen is eternal in the cause of it. It is in Christ, who is for ever in the heavens ; and God is for ever in the heavens : and Christ recon- cileth the Father. And then the place is eternal. Heaven is eternal.
VOL. IV. H h
482 COMMENTARY ON
Now the influence from wliicli all good comes being eternal, tlie soul being itself a spiritual, eternal substance, the influence of grace and comfort being eternal from God, and Christ, who is an head for ever and a husband for ever ; and heaven being an inheritance immortal, undcfiled, continuing for ever ; and the soul being an everlasting substance, the joy and comforts of it arc eternal. AVhom God loveth, he loveth for ever ; whom he makes happy, he makes happy for ever. ' He is life everlasting.' It is a king- dom ' that cannot be shaken,' Heb. xii. 27. 'It is an inheritance that fadeth not,' 1 Peter i. 4. It is not only everlasting, but everlastingly fresh. It is not only immortal, but it keeps its beauty still, eternal joy, eternal peace, eternal communion one with another in the heavens, everlasting Sabbath, everlasting triumph over all enemies. There is no end of this joy, no cessation of this comfort.
I come now to the wise improvement that the soul makes of beholding the things that are not seen, because they be eternal, and neglecteth the sight of things that be present and temporal. You see the wise use the blessed apostle maketh of it. For he bringeth it as a reason why he faints not, but is renewed day by da}"^ in the inward man. You wonder why I faint not, and why day by day I grow fresher and fresher, and still fitter and fitter for heaven ; and that all things I endure here fit me for heaven. All is because I have an eye to things that are not seen, not regarding things that be present. So that if we will find a difierence of the things, we may easily understand, some things be fading, and some things eternal. If we will get comfort in this, that our portion is not only in fading things, we must have grace to consider of it, and not to look on the other overmuch.