104 SERMONS upou the Serm. XVII but this is not the grand diftìn&ion,whiclt will hold weight at the day of do om. There were different parties at Corinth, and they were apt to band one againftanother, but yet they had but one common Chrift, t Cor. a, a.7efs Chrift theirs and ours. We indofe and im- pale the common falvation,unchriftian and unminifter one another,cafl one another out of Gods favour, but Gods approbation Both not by our vote, and fuffrage ; there lyeth an appeal from mans cenfure,lingua `Petilliani non eft ventilabrum Chti/Ii, 'Tis well that every angry Brothers tongue is not Chrift's fan wherewith he will purge his Floor. God in his Judgment taketh notice of another diflin&tion, whether we be righteous or wicked, holy or unholy. The Eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his face is againft them that do evil, r Pet. 3.12. That is the diftinétion which doth bear weight before Chrifts Tribunal. And this is the everlafting difline'iion. Other diftinetions do not outlive time, they ceafe at the gravesmouth, within a while it will not be a pin to choofe.what part we have afted in the World, whether we have been high or low, rich, or poor, but much willlye upon it, whether we have been godly or ungodly, whether we have famed to the flefh or to the Spirit. This diflinetion will lait for ever, and the one of them will fill Hea- ven and the other Hell. The whole World is comprized in one of theft two ranks ; there is no neutral or middle efface. 2. As there are different perfons,fo there are different recompenfes, anda different doom and fentencewhich is executed upon either ; the conclulion is dreadful to the wicked but comfortable to the godly, for everlafling life Mall be the portion of the godly, and ever - failingpunifhment the portion of the ungodly. This one Scripture well improved fhould be enough to make us limn all fin, and itnbrace and purfue after all good. Wifdom lyeth in confidering the end of things, not what profit and pleafure it bringeth me now and flattereth me with now, but what it will bring nie in the nd, Rom. 6. 21. What fruir hotly then to thofe things whereof ye are now afhamed ? Fo the endof thofe things is death; but being made freefrom fin, and become the Servants of Go ,ye haveyour fruit to holinefe, and the end everlafling life. Alas fin bringeth little plea re or fatisfaétion in the time of injoying it, and in the remembrance of it, it bringeth fhame, and in the Conclufion, where it is not repented of it bringeth death. Whereas on the other fide, the fervice of Chrifl will be matter of joy and pleafure,at the prefent mat ter of comfort and confidence,afterward,and in the end, falvation and eternal life ; there. is a curiofity in man, he would fain know his own defliny, what !hall become of him, or what lyeth hid in the womb offuturity concerning his eftate.As the king ofBabylon flood upon the parting ofthe ways to makedivination.No defliny deferveth to be known fo much as this/hallI be faved, of fhall.Ibe damned ; live everlaftingly in Heaven, or Hell ? If the Quefiion were, Mall I be rich, or ihall I be poor, happy or miferable in the prefent World ? Shall I have a long life, or fhall I have a fhort? That is not of fuch great moment,we cannot meet with fuch troubles and difficulties here, but they will have a fpeedy end, fo will perfecutions,and graces,andforrows, but this is a matterofgreater moment than fo:Whether I fhall beeter- nally miferable. 'Tis foolifh curiofity to enquire into other things, they are not of fuch Importance that we fhould know them aforehand, and it may do us more hurt than good to know our worldly efface, themifery of whichcannot be prevented by any prudence and forefight of ours. And 'tis better to trufl our felves with the Providence of God than to anticipate future cares,but it concerneth us much to know whether we are in a damnable or a faveable condition, whether we are of the number of thofe that (hall go into everlafl:ing punithment, or of the righteous who (hall go intoeverlafling life, if we be in the way to everlafling punifhment 'tis good to know it whilft we have time to re- medy it. If heirs of Salvation, the affurance of our Interefl is a preoccupation of everlafring bleffednefs. This is that about whichwe fhould bufie our thoughts and fpend our time. 3. Obferve the notions by which this different eftate is expreffed ; life and punifh. ment. r, The happy condition of the godly is called life and well deferveth it.This life is but a continued death,it runneth from us as fait as it floweth to us, and 'tis burdenedwith a thoufand miferies,but that life which is the portion of the faithful,'tis a good and happy life, and 'cis endlefs, it hatha beginning, but it hathno end. One moment of Immortality is worth a full age ofall the health and happinefs that can be had upon Earth what will you call life ? The vegetative life,or the life ofa plant ? Alas if that may be called life 'tis not an happy life,for the plants have no fenfe of that kind of life they have. The fenfitive life, or the life of the Beafls, will you call that life ? They are indeed capable of pain and pleafure,but this is beneath the dignity of man and thole that affeét this kind of happi- nefs
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