I Opened and Applied~ I . . I 1 . The rerror of rhe Lord and rhe wrath ro collle; why did men !leep all I , the Sermon long (which laHed one hundred and rwenry years) when Noah preached? b-:caufe they knew not of the ~ood; fo fha/1 it be ~·n the dap of I Clor:ftu .om:"ng, men know nor what wrath rs; the thoughts of thts kept 'I' au/s : eye wakmo, 2Cor.s.9,ro,u,rz. I ' 2 • Th~ exo~eding riches an.d weight of glory that !hall cro1vn all the Saints; hence all the faithfu-l have been abundmt both in doing and fuffering for the Lord; ( 2 Cor.-f. j if isnot wmh;·the tJ~ry which .foal/ be rewaled: Hertce; Heb .ro.)4 . 7 hry took:_ jbyfully the JPoilmg of rhm goods, becaufe they h.1d in heaven a more .,biding jub(fance; they overlooked all things here when they faw that. When thefe two things are feen (which are the lalt things that Jhall continue) it would awaken; bur painted fire, and a painted Kingdom never draws a mans heart much ; fo neither do rhefe work upon f.~curelmgs; nr if rhey do fe e rbem, they foon are hid from rhem again, rheir light decaying, be in~ not like rh~ morning but declining.Sun ; and though the Saints do fee rhem, yet rhey are very apt rolofe (for a rune) rhe!ight of rhem,efpecially if rhe Lord tarrierh; tndhence Heb.Io. they hadnt;ed of patience; but when the d"J ccmu wh.can p :ep? Th irdly, In regard of his abfence, do- the things of the world prefenr and keep their zlorybefore rhe eyes of men; for what is tm: reafon that w9rldly things (which men in their judgements fay are vain) yet they are of fuch price with men! h is with rhem as it is with Glow-worms and Scars that keep rheir lhining, and are very glorious b<:caufe rheSun is fer; fo Chrilt is hid in his glory, and whilfi men are kd m~re by fence than by fairh, men dolt UiJOn rhefe rhings; they know nothing more vain, yet nothing more glorious : When Chri!l comes a man !hall fee all the world,•the honor, comforrs,wealth, crowns, >'re ~t '1eis of it buried before his eyes ; and when an end of thefe things lh~ll be feen, now the Lord will be precious ; as doubtlefs whe:1 they faw the Ark floating upcn the water, happy are they that are there might they fay; andhence0Ual+ulr. thofethat faidthe pmtdwerehappy, whatwasrhe reafon of ir ? bur becaufe of this, Tht da7 of the Lord >Ms not y et come to m•kf up his Jewels ? Now :when once the eye is bewitched with the glory of th! world, nothing caufeth fecarity fooner ; as firange fancies in the head work a man firll: aOeep : Pfal.7J. When David beheld rhe profperiry of the wlcked, he began to diOike all Religion, and to account it fimpliciry to b~ holy, uritil at la!t he faw rhe end of rhefe things. Fourrhly,Becaufe in Ch rifls abfence men feel not rhe evil of fin which cloth befall rhem in rhei r fecurity, nor yer rhe evil of their own hearts ; for if men lhould be prefently punilhed, and fmirren by fome revenging invi!ible hand of God upon them afrerevery !in,and as foon as firlhhey begin to Oeep,you lhould never fee rhe heart fecure; and hence the Devils live in horrors daily, in ap• prehea!ion of the judgment of rhe great day ; rhus it wi!l be at Chrills coming, then the fecret things of darkztefs fhaiibe brotig'ht toli•rhr ; bur nowisa time of forbearance, hence a carnal heart i; {et to do wick;df;, and rogo on fecurely; Et:cle[.S. II . Fifthly, Bec2ufe while Chrill: is abfenr, confcience I yes lW l moll common- \ ly, and feldom is rhroughly awake, and hence a man lkeps; for confcience is rhe Lords wirnefs, accufe r, and notary; now rhe wirne[s then .fpeaks mofl full yand clearly when rhe Judoe is come : Now however God doth awaken . 1 fome mem confciences throughly in rhis life, yer it is not univerfaf, bur in few, t o be rhorowly awakened, and henL-e men are very fecl.lre,lfa. J3.I4· who .fhall dwell with e'l!er!aftmg burning, &c ? . ! Ddd 2 ' SECT.
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