. Fifth Chap. 2d Ep. to the C O R I N T H. 3 the beft will think the great part of their bufinefs undone ; while we are here, we have a Cottage rather than a Houle, a ruinous Cottage, yea a Tent ; we fpend all our timeal- moft in repairing, and keeping it up, and fupplying the neceflities of the Body ; fo it is. an impediment tous from better things. The Body hindreth the operations of the life of . grace for the prefent, and the manifeftation of the life of glory. It hindreth the life of grace. The Body if it be found and well; it kicketh againft the Spirit, i Pet. z. 11. If .ill, it affli &s and difcompofeth the Spirit. And then, the Life of Glory. For till this fhade be taken down, that glorious Houfe which we expe& from above, will never be raifed up. idly. The Attribute or adjant`?. If this Houle of our Tabernacle. 'Tis'owía É.,r,yeuc. an earthly Tabernacle-Houfe ; and that in three regards. In regard of itsCampofiti n; Soften - tation, and Di(folution. a. In regard of its Original and Compofition. We were made out of the dull of the ground. That curious frame that we fee, 'tis but dull moulded up into a comely fhape: The matter out of which we were made was Earth; all Elements meet in mixt Bodies,yet in grofs and heavy Bodies, fuch as ours are, Earth is predominant. This fpeaketh the Wifdom and Power of God, to make fuch a curious frame out of duff. We read in the plagues of 2Egypt, the Magicians could not bring forth lice out of the duft of the ground, Exod. 8. 17, 18, 19. And yet God raifed out of the duft of the ground fuck 4 a noble Creature as man is : And it ferveth to humble us in the fenfe of our vilenefs, who are but duff and allies, as to our original, Gen. 18. 27. Ifa. 40. -t 5. What lhould we Glory in ? The nobility of our birth ? We were made out of the duff of the ground as the worms are yea the worms are of the elder Houle, for every creeping thing was made before man. In our beauty or ftrength t Prov. 3i. 30. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain. That part whichwe Glory in is but dull well coloured. Or in Pomp of Living? High and low lhall lye down in the duft alike, and the worms (hall cover them, lob. a r. a6. But chiefly it fhould remember us of our frailty. 'Tis not Brafs nor Iron, or Stone or fliff Clay that we weremade of, but dull which bath no Coherence, and Confiftence, but is eafily difi'ipated and fcattered with every puffof wind. So is our dully Tabernacle with every blaft of God's difpleafure. idly. In regard of Suftentati,on andfiipport,Pfal. 104. 14. He bringeth food for them out ofthe Earth. Things bred there and nourifhed there feed us. As the Body is framed out of the Earth, fo the means whereby it is fupported is the Earth. Meat and Drink, and fuch like accommodations, continue and repair this Houfe from day to day. idly. In its df olution it is relayed to Earth again, Gen. 3. 19. Daft thou art, and to daft(halt thou return ;and Ecc1ef 12. 7. then /hall the duft return to the Earth as it war. That is, be refolved into the matter out of which it was made, duft in its Compofition, and duft in its diffolution. So 'tis laid of a Prince, Pfal.146.4. His breath periJheth, and he returneth to his Earth. The greateft Potentate in the world can challenge Kin and Alliance of nothing fo much as of the Earth. Oh, then let us long after that eflatewherein thefe Corruptible, Earthly Bodies Ihall be made Heavenly and Spiritual. The Soul is now ill lodged, it dwelleth in an Earthly Houfe. Surely fuch a Spiritual being was made for a nobler place; and therefore let us ftillbe looking out for a more Glorious Manfion. 4thly. The event fuppofed:Or,what will become ofthis Earthly Tabernacle-Houfe. That is implyed in the word ry.-iw s&a,, it will be diffolved, plucked afunder. And then, the duft will be turned to the Earth as it was,and the Spirit to God that gave it. Phil. a. 2.3. I de- fire to be diflved and to be with Chrift, faith Paul. There is ava)úoa,, to be refolved into his principles. Death is not a deftru &ion ofthe party that dyeth, but a feparating of the 'Soul from the Body, a flitting fromone place to another, areleafng of the Soul from the Captivity of the Body wherein it was enclofed, or a fetting it at liberty : It will come to this at length ; the band of Conjunétion, between thefe two parts, is very weak. 'Tis but our breath, Ifa. z. zz. Ceafe from man whole breath is in his Nadirils ;for wherein is he to he accounted of? His breath is but like a puffof wind palling to and fro, and turned, in and out by the Noftrils. Well then, let this move us in the whole Courfe of our Lives to pafs the time of our dwelling here in fear. , . ( a.) Let us alwaies be ready to remove hence whenfoever God (hall call us. Stand with your loins girt, and your lamps burning, Luk. i z. 3 í. But Alas ! how little is this regarded -in the 'world? Men live, as if they Mould never dye; and then dye, as if they Mould never live; they live carelefly, and dyne uncomfortably. Surely thoughts of death Mould be morefamiliar with us, whohave fo many reafons to confider our own frailty, and fo many inftances to put us in remembrance ; but we have eyes to fee, but not an A a heart
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