Then again, there may be some present grief upon them, that God, to humble a man, may take up his affections, so that at that time he shall not be so affected with good things, though ordinarily he comfort himself with the best things ; and so he doth afterward, when he hath given his grief and his present affections some liberty. There is a love of intention* and of valuing : a man may be deceived that way. A man values his child more than a stranger that he entertains, yet for the present he may give a * Cf. Glossary, tub voce. — G.
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stranger better looks and better entertainment. Though he set more value on his child, or his dear friend that he hath secured himself of, yet he will not shew such countenance to them as to a stranger on the sudden.
So it is here. God's children their constant joy is in the best things, and they are judiciously carried to the best things ; but on the sudden there may be an entertaining of some other thing, and perhaps not un- lawful neither. Perhaps it may be sinful, to humble God's children ; but that is but on the sudden. His course is to carry his affections above all earthly things.
Again, in another case, God's cJiildren are deceived this xvay sometimes; for they think they have no affections when they have affections. How is that seen? In case of opposition. Let God, and Christ, and heavenly things be opposed, and you shall see then that they have affections. Those that, for want of stirring up the grace of God in them, or for want of good means, or by indisposition of body, seemed to be dull in their affections, let religion be disgraced or opposed any way, and you shall find then their affections deep in their hearts to heavenly things ; but they appeared not before, because there was no opposition. These, and such like thoughts, we may have to content the soul that is disquieted this way. But the rule is certain, that a man's affections are as his persuasion is, and his persuasion as his light is. As he hath a heavenly light, discovering heavenly things, so is his persuasion of a better estate than the world can yield ; and, answer- able to his persuasion, his soul is raised up to delight in the best things. This is his course. If it fall out to be otherwise, there be reasons for it, which we must discreetly judge of, and not trouble the peace of a good conscience. To go on.
* They confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on earth.'
These words contain what they were in regard of earthly things ; their disposition and carriage to all things besides the promises, to the things below. They were strangers and pilgrims in regard of their condition below. It sets down how they apprehended themselves to be, and how they discovered themselves to the world to be.
They were in regard of heaven indeed, heirs of happiness, heirs of a kingdom ; in regard of the world and earthly things they were ' strangers and pilgrims.' And as they were, so they made themselves to be no better than they were. They confessed it. They were not ashamed of it. They apprehended themselves to be as they were, and they carried themselves answerable. Their life and course spake as much as their tongues. They confessed both in word and in deed that they were ' strangers and pilgrims.'
Now in the words I say you have their disposition and their profession, their condition and their confession; their disposition and carriage, and state and condition; ' they were strangers and pilgrims.'
The discovery af it, 'they confessed' they were so. And this confession is double.
Their confession was either verbal, as Jacob confessed when he came before Pharaoh : ' Few and evil have the days of the life of my pilgrimage been,' saith old Jacob, Gen. xlvii. 9.
Or it was a real confession, discovered by their carriage that they were strangers : their course spake louder than their words.
Those that in the whole course of their life shew a weaned affection to earthly things, though they talk not gloriously, as some idle persons do in a bravery, ' we are but strangers here, and we must be gone,' &c. Though, I say, they do not speak thus, as some do that never think so, yet, not-
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withstanding, their carriage bewrays it ; their course, and company, and conversation shews that indeed they ' confess themselves pilgrims and strangers.'
Now the order of the words is this, ' strangers and pilgrims.' There is little difference between these two. ' Strangers ' shews our absence from home, that we are abroad in another country, that we are in another place.
And * pilgrims ' shews our carriage to our country, our going home : a pilgrim or traveller is he that is going homeward. They confessed them- selves that they were not at home, but they were going toward that that was their home, toward heaven, to that city ' whose builder and maker was God himself,' Heb. xi. ]0. We are 'strangers,' to shew what we are here on earth. In regard of heaven we are strangers on earth, and not mere strangers that rest, and do nothing, but such strangers as are passing home toward their country; ' we are strangers and pilgrims' on earth. The one implies our absence, the other implies our moving to the place of our abode.