19.4 SERMONSupon Serm. XXI, fwaded to curb the fleth, and reftrain its delres, and wean our felves from a vain world, that we may be prepared for a better. 2. The excellency of this life above . other lives that may be compared with it. 1. With life natural: fo 'ti's a Glorious life, and' its eternal: Firfl aglorious life, for we live immediately upon God, who is all in all to us ; not only the foul, but thebody is incorruptible and fpiritual. The contentments of the prefent life, are bate and low, 'Lis called the life of our hands, Ifa. 25. to. Becaufe with much labour we get the provifions neceffary to fupply it. 'Tis a life patched up by the creatures: we have our cloathing from the (beep, and Silk -worm; our food out of the earth, or things nourilhed by the earth. We are forced toranfack all the florehoules of nature, that we may keep up a ruinous fabrick, which is ready to drop down upon ill accafions, r Cor. 6. 13. Meats is for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God (hall deflroy both it and them. But there the contentments are high, and noble, and our faculties are more inlarged. Then (if ever) 'tis our meat and drink to do our Fathers will. Secondly, The life is Eternal; we are never weary of it , and never deprived of it. The prefent life 'tis a kind of death ;like a ftream, it floweth from us as faft as it cometh to us. 'Tis called a vapour, yam. 4. 14. that appeareth, and difappehreth5 aflying fhadow, yob 14. 2. We die as faft as we live; 'tis no permanent thing; but there our years [hall have no end ; the pain and trouble of duty is (bort, but the reward is Eternal. 2. Compare it with life fpiritual 5 This is like it, but differeth from it. 'Tis a bleffed and perfeer life. Firfl, 'tis a bleffed life, free from all miferies, all tears are wiped from our eyes, and furrow and pain (hall be no more 5 we [hall always be before the Throne of God, and behold the Glory of Chri(t, andlive in the company of Saints and Angels; but the fpiritual life doth not exempt us from miferies, rather it expofeth us to them. To outward troubles it doth, 2 Tim. 3. 12. Tea, and all that will live godly in Chr1 yefes, muff fu fer perfecution. And as to inward troubles, we are not freed from all doubts of Gods love; tho the wounds are cared, the fears remain; .4bfolom when par- doned, was not to fee the Kings face. Secondly, 'tis a perfeet life. There is a perfeat freedom, not only from mifery, but from fin. There is no (pot or wrinkle on the face of the glorified Saints, Eph. 5. 27. Here the fpiritual life is clogged with fo many infirmities and corruptions, that the comfort of it is little perceived ; as a Child in in- fancy, fo; all his reafon, knoweth little of the delights of a man ; here we only get fo much grace as will keep us alive in the midit of defefas and failings, and have much a do to mortifie and mailer corruption ; but then it is nullified and quite abolithed, that we (hall never be in danger of finning again. Oh, think then of this bleffed elate! believe it, for God hath revealed it ; hope for it, becaufe Chrift hath promifed it : and if you fubmit to the difcipline of the fpirit, you (ball be lure to find it. Chrilt when he went to Heaven, lent the fpirit to lead us thither where he is ; and the great preparation he worketh in us, to make us capable of this bleffed elate , is by mor- tifying the deeds of the Body; the boner that is done, the more meet and ready you are. U S E. Let all this that bath been fpoken, quicken you to mortification. Many things are required of us, but the bleffing of all cometh from the fpirit. The two great means we have already handled ; but now tome more. 1.The heart muti thoroughly be poffeffed of the evil of fan; we think it no great matter, and fa give way to it, and pats it over as a matter of nought. Oh, let it not feem a light thing to you, do not dandle it, nor indulge it, nor ftroke it with a gentle cen- fare ; 'tis the creatures difobedience and rebellion againti the abfolute and univerfal Sovereign, t John 3.4. He that commiteth fin, alfo tranfgreffeth the late: forfin is a tranf greffen of the law. 'Tis a depreciation and contempt of Gods Authority, 2 Sam. 12.9. Wherefore haft thou defpifed the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his fight ? The defòrmity of the nobleft creature upon earth, Rom. 3. 24. We have finned, and are come fhort of the Glory of God. A train fo deep, that nothing could wa(h it away but the Blood of Chriti, Heb. 9. 14. A flood that drowned a World offinners, but did not waft' away their fin, a Pet. 2. q. Bringing in the flood upon the morld of the ungodly; Hell its felf can never end and purge it out ; Therefore it hath no end. God loath- ed the creature for fin, and nothing elle but fin; His own people,Deut.3 2.1p. He abbored . them
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