In all confusions in the world, faith teacheth a man to stand as a man upon a rock immoveable, because he is a stranger. If anything fall out in the city or place where a stranger is, he carries his own jewels and things about him, and so goes away, his goods are not of that place; so
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in all confusions of the world, a Christian hath good things of another world. The good things he carries with him are not subject to losses or crosses, they are not subject to the misusing of the world. When all things shall be on fire, a Christian hath his treasure laid up in heaven, in a place where no earthly creature hath power of it. It is not subject to any ill, and that makes him in all estates contented and patient. Let heaven and earth go together. A Christian when he hath embraced better things, a Christian thinks himself a stranger that is going home ; therefore in all his life he carries himself as a stranger. To go on a little further.
12. A traveller in his way must of necessity have refreshings hy the xvay, or else he will fail; therefore sometimes he sings, and sometimes useth other refreshings. Now, what saith David ? * Thy statutes have been my song in the house of my pilgrimage,' Ps. cxix. 54; that is, when I want other comforts, they are my song, my joy, and delight. A traveller must needs have comforts that may revive him in his fainting; he must have some pleasant walks for meditation. Let us therefore, when we grow weary, refresh ourselves in walking, in holy meditation. Take a turn there, to think of the vanity of all earthly things, and how soon they come to an end ; and of the excellency and eternity of our glorious condi- tion and estate when we come home, and then think of the helps and comforts by the way, and such like. The art of divine meditation is an art for this end, that since we are all travellers, that we are from home, and that we are going home, we may walk in wisdom. Let us learn that art, to feed and strengthen our souls with such meditations as may clear them by the way, to set some time apart when we grow dull and indis- posed in religion. Then let us think how to cherish and refresh our souls with those excellencies, that are indeed above our comprehension; our hearts cannot conceive of it. It is set out in the word of God to our con- ceit, but as it is we cannot conceive here what is reserved for us when we shall come home. Therefore let us do as travellers, often think of home, and what is at home for us ; and that will make us when we are in the way, and any comfort would draw us out of our way, to think. Oh, these are good comforts, but this is not my home. I have better at home than this, and this will stay me from home. Therefore the cross is necessary for travellers, that they may know they are not at home, that they may embitter his comforts. This consideration, that he is not at home,^ and that this is not his country, as it will keep a Christian fi-om temptations, so it will draw him on to constancy in his love and in going on ; for a traveller sits not down to stay there. He thinks. Here I am, and home I must go, and I shall not come home by sitting here.
So the oft thinking of home, it will both sweeten our troubles, and Uke- wise the comforts that we meet with in this world. It will make us that we shall not be ensnared with them; because, though they be comfortable things, yet, alas ! what are these ? These indeed are fit to make a man forget home, to forget heaven, as a man that sees goodly things, goodly houses. These things, saith he, are they that make a man unwilling to go out of the world {d). But he that is assured of a country, and knows that he hath a better home than all these earthly things, that are shadows and vanity, he thinks these are very goodly things ; but what are these to that that is reserved ? And if I sit down by these, if a traveller sit down by delights, and gaze upon things by the way, when shall he come home ? Let us think oft of home ; there be many uses to think and meditate of
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that blessed day ; this among the rest, that it draws us on forward and forward still, that we shall not sit quiet, but go on still, and not rest till we come home.
And the nearer we ai'e home, the more busy and the more cheerful we should be ; as a traveller, when he comes near home he is more cheerful, when he hath home in his eye ; when he sees the smoke of his country, ho rejoiceth. As these patriarchs, they saw the promises afar oflf. As men when they see the tops of steeples and houses, they think. Now we have them continually in our eye, we see something of home ; and the nearer they come the more they see, and the nearer they come still the more they see. So the longer a Christian lives, the nearer and nearer he comes home. If he understand himself, and have any assurance in any degree, it makes him more joyful towards his end.