i C A p, =$ . An- éxpofition of the H já and for us, AB our concernmentsarc wrapped up and fecured hi him. He is ours, and though we inour ownperfons change, yet he changeth not,nor our intereff inhim which is our life, our All. Though we dye, yet he dyethnot ; and becaur be liveth,; we (hall live alfo. Thoughall other thingsperìjb and pars away, that we here make ufe of, yethe abidetha bleffed and fatisfying portion unto a believing foul. For as we are his, fo all his is ours ; only laid up in him, and kept for us in him. So that underall Difconfolations that may befall us from our own frailty and rnifery, and the perifbing condition of outward things , we have tweet relief tendered us in this, that we have all good things treafured up for us in him. And Faith knows how tomake ufe of all that is inChrijf, tei the comfort and fupportment of the foul. 2. When our frailty and changeablenefi have had their utmofl efleet upon us s when they have done their worff upon us, they only bring us to the full Enjoyment of what the Lord Chrilt is untous, that is an' exceeding great Reward, and a full fatisfaftion untoEternity. Then lhall we live for ever in that'which we now live upon; being prefent with him, beholding his Glory, and madepartakers of it. So hat both here, and hereafter, there is relief, comfort and fatisfaftion for Believers laid up in the Excel- lencies of thePerfon of Jefus Chrift. And this fhould teach us, r. Themifery of chore who have no intereg in him and have therefore nothing to relieve themfelves againft the evils of any condition. All their hopes are in this. life ; and from theEnjoyments of it. When there arc once par they will be Eter- nally and in all things miferable; miferable beyond our Expreffron, or their Apprehen- fion. And what is this life ? a vapour that appeareth for a little while : What are the enjoyments of this life? dying perifhing things, and unto them, fuell to Lull, and fo toHell. Suppofe theylive twenty, thirty, forty,Gxty, years; yet every day they fear, or ought to fear, that it will be their last. Some dye oft every day from the frill to loll, of the utmoft extent of the life of man: fo that every day may be the lait to any one; and whofe then will be all their treafures of earthly things. And theRelief whichmen have againit the tormenting fears that the frailty of their condition doth expofe them unto, isaro whit better than their troubles. It is finful fèaurity, whichgives the fulnefs of their mifery an advantage to furprize them, and themfelves an advantage to aggravate that mifery, by the increafe of their fin. In the mean time flees filai quifque ; every ones hope is inhimfelf alone; which makes it perpetually like the giving up of theghoff. Surely the contentment that dying man can take in dying things, is very contemptible. We mutt not flay to difcover the miferies of the life of man, and the weaknefsof the comforts and joyes of it : But what ever they be, what becomes of them, when they have ferions thoughts of their prelim frailty, and futureEternity ? This following Eternity is like Pharaohs kan lone, which immediately devours all the fat pleafures of this prefent life , and yet conti- nues as lean and miferable as ever. The Eternal mifery of menwill not be in the leaft egfd, yea, it will be greatned by the Enjoyments of this life, when once it hash devoured them. And this isthe portion of them that have no inter& in the Eternity and Immutability of theSon of God. Their prefent frailty makes them con- tinually fear Eternity, and theirfear of Eternity embitters all things that they fhould ufe for the relief of their frailty ; and that fecuritywhich they provide againft both, encreafeth their mifery, by fin here, and fieffiringhereafter. a. This alto will teach us how to ufe there earthly things ; howdyinggerfoirsfhould life dying creatures. That is, to ufe them for our prefent fervice and neceflity, butnot as thofe thatlook after ref( or fatisfatíion in them, whichthey will not affordus.. Vfe the world, but live on Chrill. g. Not todefpond under a fenfe of our prefent frailty ; we feewhat bleffed reliefis providedagainft our faintingon that account. Verfe
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