Invisible Realities, Sermon 3
SERMON III.
2 Cor. 4.18.
While we look not at the things which are ſeen, but at the things which are not ſeen; for the things which are ſeen are temporal, but the things which are not ſeen are eternal.
FOurthly, We ſhall inquire, what Looking at theſe unſeen things imports and implies.
You ſee (1.) That there are unſeen things. (2.) What theſe unſeen things are. (3.) How they are unſeen. Now the next inquiry may be, what it is to look at unſeen things, or what this looking at unſeen things (which is the great Concern of Chriſtians) includes and implies. Now this Phraſe includes and carries many things in it; I ſhall only at this Time point at theſe five that are bound up in it.
To look at th…ngs which are not ſeen, is a Phraſe that implies,
1. A real Valuation or Eſtimation of unſeen things, as things meet to be minded, and deſerving to be regarded by us. This Phraſe is thus uſed to denote that which deſerves to be regarded and valued; 2 Kings 3.14. And Eliſha ſaid, As the Lord of Hoſts liveth, before whom I ſtand, ſurely were it not that I regard the Preſence of Jehoſhaphat the King of Judah, I would not look towards thee nor ſee thee; that is, I would not have matter'd, nor ſet by thee, it's Jehoſhaphat that I look at, and regard in the Matter. So here to look at unſeen things, is to reckon of them as valuable things, as things to be mattered and made account of by us. And this now, Sirs, is our Concern and Duty; it concerns thee and me, and lies on us, not to ſlight theſe unſeen things, as many do, as if they were poor, worthleſs, inconſiderable Matters, not worthy to be taken notice of or regarded; take heed of this, reckon not of Death, of Judgment, of Heaven, of Hell, as ſorry, as inconſiderable things, as things too little and mean to be minded; but look at them, that is, make them Matters of Moment, Matters of Concernment, of greateſt Moment and Concernment of any Matters in all the World; for ſo they are, and ſuch they will be found with every one of us another Day. If there be nothing in Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, to be minded or matter'd by us, who are on the way towards Death, Judgment, Heaven or Hell; then there's ſurely nothing, nothing in the World, nor any thing out of the World, to be made any Matter of. What is it that you make a Matter of, that you look on as valuable, if theſe be nothing with you? ſurely, Sirs, theſe are things to be look'd at. And this is one, we muſt look at unſeen things, that is, get, and keep a home, a lively and affecting Impreſſion upon our Hearts, of the Weight and Concernment of unſeen things.
Art thou a gracious Perſon, look at, that is, get and keep a-foot an affecting, an abiding Senſe of the Height of unſeen Glory thou art going to, of the Depth of unſeen Wrath thou art delivered from, and it will teach thee (whatever comes) to reckon as the Apoſtle our light Afflictions, &c. If Shame, if Loſs, if Tribulation, if Perſecution: O what a ſmall Pain is this to the Glory to come? Art thou an ungodly profane Creature, O look at unſeen things, i. e. get and keep a-foot an abiding affecting Senſe of that eternal Glory thou art loſing, of that everlaſting Puniſhment thou art in danger to drop into every Day, and every Hour. Either this would ſtartle thee out of thy preſent Security, or I know not what will.
2. Serious Meditation on them. This Phraſe is thus uſed, not only to denote ſomething that deſerves to be minded and regarded, but alſo to denote the minding and regarding of it, the imploying of our Thoughts about it. Prov. 24.32. Then I ſaw, and conſidered it well: I looked upon it, and received Inſtruction: I look'd with a ſerious, obſerving, conſidering Eye. 1 Sam. 16.7. Look not on his Countenance; conſider it not, conclude not by that. James 1.25. But whoſo looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty, i. e. bendeth his Mind to meditate on it, and conſider it. So Iſa. 51.1, 2. So here to look at things not ſeen, is to admit them into our ſerious Thoughts, to take them into our ſolemn Conſideration, and to ſet our muſing Minds at work about them. And this is our Concern and Duty, it concerns me, and it concerns thee, and every one that's here to day, to reckon of theſe things as M tters to be minded, and to mind them; to mind them, I ſay, and to transfer our moſt ſerious Thoughts to them. It's not enough to confeſs that they are Matters of Moment, a Thing that I think few will deny, but we muſt alſo mind them, and have our Thoughts exerciſed about them as Matters of ſuch Moment, a thing I fear that few practiſe. This is another thing that is implied in this looking, viz. ſerious thinking at unſeen things: pray think of it, Haſt thou never thought of Death, Judgment, Heaven, or Hell, or at moſt only glanc'd at them, and caſt an Eye on them by the by, while thou haſt been minding other things? why know this Day, that it is thy Duty to look at them, to look, to fix the Eye of thy Mind and Meditation on them, as thou doſt the Eye of thy Body on the Object thou wouldſt look narrowly upon, or accurately at. O they are things to be looked at, and not to be glanced at, things to be eyed with all Diligence, and not only on the by. Our Morning Thoughts, and our Evening Thoughts, our Day Thoughts, and our Night Thoughts, our Company Thoughts, and our ſolitary Thoughts, ſhould be meeting at theſe unſeen things, and ſpending themſelves on them, in thinking what a glorious bleſſed thing it will be to ſee the unſeen things of Heaven, and Glory we have hinted at, to ſee God, to ſee him as he is; and what a ſad and fearful thing it will be, to ſee the unſeen things of Hell and Damnation, to ſee the Worm that never dieth, the unquenchable Fire, the Wrath to come. Theſe, Sirs, are Subjects that we ſhould look at, that is, our Thoughts ſhould fix, ſettle, and dwell much on them.
3. Fixed Intention or Propoſal of them to our ſelves, as our great End or Aim: the original word foreign here uſed, ſignifies ſuch a looking as a Watchman uſeth that ſtands on a Tower to deſcry Enemies and Dangers and marks every Corner diligently; or ſuch a looking as an Archer when he is ſhooting, tho he have many Objects about him on this ſide, and on that ſide, yet he looks neither on this ſide, nor on the other ſide, but ſtreight before him at the Scope or Mark he aims at. This, I ſay, is the import of the Word; and ſo to look at things not ſeen, is to make them our Scope and End, our great Mark and Aim in the World: and this now, Sirs, is our Concern and Duty alſo, it concerns me, and it concerns thee, and it concerns every one, not only to value unſeen things, and to think on unſeen things, but alſo to aim at unſeen things; to make unſeen things our Mark, to eye unſeen things as the great Mark we ſhoot at. This is another thing, I ſay, that is implied in this looking, to wit, a ſteady aiming at unſeen things; we ſhould look on all other things, viz. ſeen things, as if we looked not, as By-buſineſſes; but we ſhould look at theſe unſeen things as our main Buſineſs, and End that we propound to our ſelves. Pray remember this, have you been making ſeen things, the ſeen Profits, or ſeen Pleaſures, or ſeen Honours of the World, your great Matters, your great Marks that you have mainly deſigned and aimed at? why, alas, you have been looking the wrong Way; and all the while that you have been making this your Matter, how to get Eſtates and Wealth, or how to raiſe your Names and Families, or how to take your fill of ſenſual Pleaſures; it has, I ſay, all the while concerned you, and lain on you as your Duty, to look at things not ſeen, to make unſeen things your greateſt Matters. I ſay, it has concerned you to make theſe your Buſineſs, theſe, theſe things ſhould have been your Matters, your Marks, your Aims, Sirs, viz. (1.) How you might get into a readineſs to ſee unſeen Death. (2.) How you might eſcape the things that are coming on this World, and ſtand before the Son of Man at his coming. (3.) How you might avoid the ſeeing of the unſeen things of Hell, the bottomleſs Pit, the Wine-preſs of the Wrath of God, the Darkneſs, Chains and Priſon of the Damned. And (4.) How you might be admitted to the ſeeing of the unſeen things of Heaven, in the Paradiſe, the City, the Temple of God; theſe are the things, the things you ſhould have been looking and aiming at all this while, and this is yet your great Concern and Duty in the World. Well, this is another; unſeen things are the things that we ſhould look at, that is, aim at.
4. It implies vigorous Proſecution or earneſt Endeavour, that we ſhould purſue them with all care and diligence. Iſa. 56.11. it's ſaid of the blind and greedy Watchmen, They all look to their own way, every one for his Gain from his Quarter, i. e. it's their great Matter they have in purſuit, and are continually driving on. So here to look at things not ſeen, is to purſue them as our great buſineſs in the World. As Paul, Phil. 3.14. I preſs toward the Mark, for the Prize of the High-calling of God in Chriſt Jeſus; foreign, Scopum verſus feror, that is, I have Eternal Salvation (which is my Scope, or Mark, or End) in chaſe, I am making towards it up Hill and down, through thick and thin, as one reſolved never to reſt till I have attained unto it. This is to look at unſeen things, and this now Sirs, alſo is our Concern and Duty; it concerns me, and it concerns thee, not only to aim at, but alſo to lay out for unſeen things with all our Might: we muſt look at them as the Traveller that's on a Journey looks at the End of his Journey, or as a Runner that's in a Race, looks at the Scope or Mark he is to come to; the one runs with ſpeed, and the other rides with haſte, and both make towards the Mark. Thus I ſay, and on this faſhion we ſhould look at things not ſeen, as thoſe that are travelling or running towards them by earneſt Endeavour, in a diligent Uſe of all Means and Ways leading unto them. O, Sirs, we have many that are running and riding, that are up early and late, that are toiling and moiling all the Day long, and of whoſe Labour there is no end. But what is all this about, what is it for? why alas, ſeen, ſeen things, theſe are the Matters they are ſeeking; and as for unſeen things they either look not at them, or only ſo coldly and remi…ly, as if they cared not which end goes forward: but, Sirs, it concerns you and me to be up and doing about unſeen things, to be looking, i. e. taking great Care, and ſeeking by all Means, early and late, to get a ſure-Title to, and to aſſure our Intereſt in the unſeen things of Heaven and Glory. O theſe are the great Matters that Men and Women ſhould be, (1.) tirring about; (2.) Striving about; (3.) Labouring for; And (4.) preſſing after in this World. This is another, unſeen things are the things we ſhould look at, that is, ſeek for, and purſue.
5. It implies earneſt Expectation, that we look at them as the great Object that we expect and deſire to obtain, and come to. Looking is thus put for Expecting; Iſa. 5.2. He looked that it ſhould bring forth Grapes. Verſe 7. He looked for Judgment, but behold Oppreſſion. Jer. 8.15. We looked for Peace, but no good came; and for a time of Health, and behold Trouble. 2 Pet. 3.13. We look for a new Heaven and a new Earth. In all which places Looking is put for Expecting. So here to look at unſeen things, is to look for unſeen things: we look not at the things which are ſeen, that is, we expect not ſeen and Temporal things, as the things that our Portion and Happineſs lies in; but unſeen and Eternal things, are the things we are looking at, i. e. that we are waiting for, that we are in expectation of, that we are tarrying for; and this is alſo our Duty, to look at, that is, make things not ſeen our Expectations. Many look at ſeen things, and no further, having nothing either beſide them, or beyond them that they do indeed look for; ſeen things, ſomething or other that's ſeen, is the utmoſt thing that they have in their Eye: but, Sirs, our looking ſhould be over, beyond, paſt all that is ſeen, to that that is not ſeen. 1 Cor. 1.7. Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Phil. 3.20. We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. 2 Pet. 3.12. Looking for the coming of the day of God. Why thus we ſhould look over, look paſt all that we are ſeeing, to that which is unſeen, as the great Matter we are in Expectation of. This now is the fifth thing; you ſee what looking at unſeen things imports, it carries theſe things in it. (1.) A valuing of. (2.) Thinking on. (3.) Aiming at. (4.) Seeking for. (5.) Expecting of things not ſeen. It's our Duty to look at things not ſeen; and to look at them, is to value them, to think on them, to aim at them, to ſeek after them, and to live in expectation of them: then we look at theſe things when we make Account of them as Matters of the greateſt Moment, when we mind them as Matters of ſuch Moment, when we propoſe them to our ſelves as our great Buſineſs in the World, when we purſue them as our great Matter, and when we expect them as our Portion; all theſe are bound up in this looking, and meet in this great Duty: from which we may ſee (by the way) that this Duty is a Duty that very few are living in at this Day.
Fifthly, Why is it the Part and Duty of Chriſtians to look at unſeen things? You have ſeen, (1.) That there are unſeen things; (2.) What theſe are; (3.) How unſeen; (4.) What Looking imports. Our next Inquiry may be this, Why is it a Duty, and doth ſo much concern us to look at, (i. e.) to eye, aim at, ſeek after, and to expect things which are not ſeen?
Now this is our Duty, becauſe theſe unſeen things are,
1. Certain and indubitable: they are not imaginary things, that conſiſt in Notion and Speculation only, but certain Verities; it's true, they are to us inviſible, but it's as true that they are as indubitable and unqueſtionable: we ſee them not now, but it is as ſure that they remain to be ſeen, as that there was a World to be ſeen, when we were lying in the Womb of our Mothers, and ſaw it not. Our Parents then ſaw a World that we were coming into, but we ſaw not a Heaven, an Earth, a Sun, theſe were out of our ſight; and many of them are now alſo ſeeing a World that we are going into, but ſee not. Sirs, there is a great certainty in theſe unſeen things, as in any thing that you ſee. (1.) Are you ſure there is a Sun in the Firmament, becauſe you ſee it with your Eyes? (2.) Are you ſure there is an Earth under your Feet, becauſe you ſee it and feel it? (3.) Are you ſure there are Men and Women beſides your ſelves on this Earth, becauſe you ſee them and converſe with them every Day? Why I tell you, it's not more ſure that there is a Sun an Earth, a Man or Woman beſides your ſelves, than this is, that there is an unſeen Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell before you. I have before hinted at many things of Heaven, and many things of Hell that are unſeen, that there is a Paradiſe, Houſe, City, Crown, Kingdom, reſerved for Saints in Heaven; and that there is a Darkneſs, Chains, Worm, Wrath, Fire, prepared for the wicked in Hell: and, Sirs, theſe are no Dreams or Fancies, but moſt certain things; it's not more ſure that I am ſpeaking of them, that you are hearing of them at this Time, than it is that there are ſuch things (tho we have never ſeen them) as we are now ſpeaking and hearing of. Therefore this may be one Reaſon why we ſhould look at them, they are certain, therefore certainly it concerns us to look at them. If it were a Matter only probable, that there are unſeen things; if as much might be ſaid againſt them, as for them, then mindleſſneſs of them, and careleſſneſs about them, might be ſomewhat excuſable; tho in that caſe it would be a wiſe Man's part to take the ſureſt ſide, and ſay, well I ſee it's a Queſtion, it's a Matter that is doubtful and dark, but I'll carry it ſo as I may not be at a loſs, and not know what to do if things prove ſo. I ſay, if theſe things were thus doubtful, yet it would be the part of a Wiſe Man to look at them: and then what ſhall we do when they are unqueſtionable, what ſhall we do, I ſay? doſt thou believe (Soul) that theſe unſeen things are certain, are unqueſtionable? and doſt thou not think it concerns thee to look at them? how can it be but thou muſt think ſo? Think on this, unſeen things are ſure things, all that I have been telling thee of is ſure, ſee thou to it.
2. Unſeen things are very great, great in themſelves, of great Moment and Concernment to us; yea the greateſt things and of greateſt Concernment to us: this may be another Reaſon. Sirs, unſeen things are not only ſure, but they are alſo very great things; they are no poor and trivial Matters, no light and inconſiderable things that are unworthy to be regarded, which are yet unſeen, yet inviſible, but (I ſay) great, greater than any thing that is ſeen, has been ſeen, or ſhall be ſeen before they come into ſight. This you may ſee ſufficiently from what is gone before. (1.) The Day of Judgment will be a great Day. Acts 2.20. The Sun ſhall be turned into Darkneſs, and the Moon into Blood, before that great and notable Day of the Lord come. O it will be ſuch a Sight as this World never ſaw, to ſee Chriſt riding through the Clouds on his Chariot of Glory, to ſee the thouſands, ten thouſands of Angels, and all his Attendants. (2.) The things of Heaven are great things: to ſee God, and to ſee his Face, and to ſee him Face to Face, will be another manner of ſight than any of the things that are now ſeen. (3) The things of Hell are great things: the moſt tremendous things that have ever been ſeen in the World, are but very Nugae, to the Darkneſs, and Chains, Worm, and Fire of Hell. This, I ſay, may be another reaſon why you and I ſhould look at them, that is, mind them, they are very great things: if you be not looking at them, you are looking at ſomething elſe; and whatever it is that you have in your Eye, I tell you that it is very low, little, and inconſiderable; yea, nothing to thoſe things out of your ſight: go over all viſible things under Heaven, and the greateſt of them is leſs than the leaſt of thoſe inviſible things; the greateſt of the things called Good in this World, are nothing to the Good things of Heaven and Glory. Minima aeternae vitae Corona praeſtantior erit quam mille mundi, omnia ibi clara, omnia ibi chara, omnia ibi rara; ad illud coelum coeli etiam terrae noſtrae coelum terra eſt.
The Apoſtle, Col. 1.16. having divided all things into viſible and inviſible, does again divide things inviſible, the things of Heaven, into Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers: mark here, he ſubdivides the Inviſibilia, quae etiam exornat (as Beza in locum) iis nominibus quibus ſumma quae que inter homines ſignificantur. And 1 Cor. 2.9. Eye hath not ſeen, nor Ear heard, neither have entred into the Heart of Man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. There is ſcarce any thing more vaſt and boundleſs than the Thoughts of Man, yet the things of Heaven are not only above what we ſee, but alſo above what we can think, and go beyond all our thoughts of them. And as to the greateſt of the things called ill in this World, they are nothing to the Ills of Hell and Damnation; this one word Hell or Damnation, Sirs, comprehendeth greater and more dreadful things in it, than all the amazing things that were e'r ſeen in this World. O, Sirs, we ſpeak much of unſeen things every Day; but the Truth is, we ſpeak little of them as they are; our Expreſſions, our Apprehenſions, our Thoughts of them are low, many of them unworthy, none of them reaching their Perfection. The Queen of Sheba had heard much of Solomon's Glory and Magnificence, ſuch things had been reported to her, as were very wonderful, nay, incredible; ſhe could not believe them till ſhe came and her Eyes had ſeen them; but then when ſhe ſaw, ſhe was forced to confeſs that the one half was not told her, 1 Kings 10.6, 7. Why thus the Ambaſſadors of Chriſt tell us much of Death, and Judgment, and Heaven, and Hell, ſuch things as (I fear) many look on as incredible, and not to be believed by them. But alas, when we come, and our Eyes have ſeen them, we ſhall cry out, O the one half, the thouſandth part was never reported to us of that we now ſee; if thou go for Heaven, chuſe what thou haſt heard, or may hear e'r thou come thither, of the Glory of the Place, Company, Enjoyments, and Imployments, it's not the one half, nay, not the thouſandth part of what thou ſhalt ſee: if thou go for Hell, chuſe what thou haſt heard or may hear e'r thou come thither, of the Shame and Sufferings, there is not the one half, nay not the thouſandth part of what thou ſhalt ſee there. Thus theſe unſeen things are Magna, maxima, Great, and greater than all other; therefore certainly it is our Duty and Concernment to look at them, that is, to mind them.
3. Unſeen things are unavoidable: as they are certain in themſelves, and as they are very great, ſo they are alſo unavoidable. Unſeen things will come into ſight, are things that muſt be ſeen, you and I muſt ſee them: as it's unqueſtionable that there are things lying out of our ſight, ſo it's as indubitable that they will all come into ſight, and you and I muſt ſee the unſeen things of Death, of Judgment, of Heaven, or of Hell.
(1.) Death is inevitable. Pſal. 89.48. What Man is he that liveth and ſhall not ſee Death? ſhall he deliver his Soul from the Hand of the Grave? What Man? no Man. Pſal. 49.6. They that truſt in their Wealth, and boaſt themſelves in the Multitude of their Riches: Ver. 7. None of them can by any means redeem his Brother, nor give to God a Ranſom for him: Ver. 8. (For the Redemption of their Soul is precious, and it ceaſeth for ever) Ver. 9. That he ſhould ſtill live for ever, and not ſee Corruption.
(2.) As it is appointed for all Men once to die, ſo for them after Death to go to Judgment, Heb. 9.27. (1.) The particular Judgment of every Man immediately after Death. (2.) The general Judgment of all Men at the great Day; and as there is no way to avoid the ſeeing of Death, and Judgment after Death, no more (3) Is there any way to miſs ſeeing Heaven or Hell, after Death and Judgment. Of all that are gone before us, from the beginning of the World to this Day thorow ſo many Generations, there is not one that hath not ſeen what we ſee not, that is not ſeeing Salvation or Damnation this Day; and of all that are here to Day, there is not one Son or Daughter, not one Man or Woman that ſhall never ſee them; no, no, we muſt all ſee them: chuſe whether you will look at them or not now, you ſhall certainly look on them one Day. And therefore, Sirs, it doth ſurely concern us to take them into our Eye: if it were either a Queſtion whether there be any ſuch things, or a Queſtion whether you or I ſhould ſee them, then to lay them out of our Eye might be ſomewhat excuſable. Ay, but Sirs, both theſe are out of all queſtion, and therefore queſtionleſs it's a Matter that concerns us. This may be another reaſon why we ſhould look at them; unſeen things will come in ſight, other things are queſtionable: if thou be Sick, and would have Health, it's queſtionable whether thou muſt ever ſee it again; if thou be Poor, and would have Wealth; if thou be Perſecuted, and would have Peace, it's queſtionable whether thou ſhalt ever ſee theſe things: many in theſe and many other caſes, have never ſeen that which they have deſired to ſee, and many have eſcaped the ſeeing of that which they have been unwilling to ſee, and that would have been unwelcome to them, as in 2 Kings 22.20. Good Joſiah was taken away from ſeeing the Evil that God would bring upon Jeruſalem. But here is, Sirs, no uncertainty in this Caſe; it admits of no Peradventure, or may be. It is a Queſtion whether e'r thou muſt have Health, or Peace, but it's no queſtion whether thou muſt die and come to Judgment. It's a Queſtion whether thou muſt ever ſee the Good in the Land of the Living thou wouldſt ſee, or eſcape the Evil thou wouldſt not ſee: but it's no queſtion but if thou be a gracious Perſon thou ſhalt ſee the Goodneſs laid up in Heaven; and if thou be graceleſs, and die ſo, thou ſhalt without queſtion ſee the Fire, and Worm, and Wrath prepared in Hell: theſe are ſure things. And now, Sirs, if unſeen things be thus certain, great, unavoidable, and things that muſt moſt ſurely be ſeen, then is there not a great deal of Reaſon that we ſhould look at them, and keep them ever in our Eye? And how ſadly do many miſcarry in this Matter, who only carry thoſe things in their Eye, that may and often do never come, and lay thoſe things out of their Eye that will moſt ſurely come?
4. Unſeen things are near: they are certain, they are great they are unavoidable, and they are alſo very near unto us, and therefore it doth certainly concern us to look at them. This may be another ground; ſuppoſe ſome great Matter i'th' World of much Concernment to you, tending to your making or undoing while you live, were now coming upon you, would you not look upon your ſelves as concerned to look at it? no queſtion but you would. Now this great ſeeing of unſeen things is not a great way off, but at Hand, and hard by every one of you. As the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom. 13.12. The Night is far ſpent, the Day is at Hand: So I may ſay to you, it's but as an Hour or two to Day-break, to Sun-riſe, that will inlighten things that are in Darkneſs. O, Sirs, you and I ſtand at the Door of theſe unſeen things; and if Death do but once open it by any one of its many thouſand Keys, we ſhall immediately ſee that which we have never ſee. Death (as I have told you) is an unſeen thing, and it is Oſtium inviſibilium; here will be a beginning of them, and O how ſoon will this be here? Is there any more than a few Days, a Hand's breadth of Time, a Wind, a Breath, a Vapor, between any of us and this? why verily there is no more. Job 14.1. Man that is born of a Woman is but of few Days. Pſal 39.5. Behold, thou haſt made my Days as a Hand's breadth, and mine Age is as nothing before thee; ver…ly every Man at his beſt State is Vanity. Job 7.7. O remember that my Life is Wind. Iſa. 2.22. Ceaſe from Man whoſe Breath is in his Noſtrils. James 4.14. For what is your Life? is it not a Vapour, that a…peareth for a little Time, and then vaniſheth away? Do you not ſee many about you dropping away, one to day, and another to morrow, and a third the next Day? why all, all theſe go to ſee things not ſeen. Many, Sirs, are ſeeing theſe things to day, who ſaw them not Yeſterday; and many ſhall ſee them to Morrow who are not yet ſeeing them to Day; and there are but yet a few, a very few Days, and there ſhall not be one of us who are here to Day, but we ſhall be landed on the Shore of unſeen things, to ſee them for ever, and never to ſee ſeen things more. Pray think of this, if unſeen things were a great way off, a long while too; if there were ſome Ages or Ce turies to go over us e re we ſhould ſee them, why it were ſomething b t alas, we know not, neither can we ſay, that there is another Year, another Week, or another Day, between us and them; when we go out, we may ſee them e're we come in again; and when we come in, they may follow us at our back, and come in ſight as we are ſitting at our Boards, or lying on our Beds: ſhall we not then take them into our Eye, and mind them? O if we would but weigh the Certainty, the Concernment and Propinquity of theſe things not ſeen, how could we ever lay them out of our Eye?
5. Unſeen things are eternal. (1.) They are certain. (2.) They are momentous. (3.) They are unavoidable. (4.) They are near, and they are alſo eternal and unchangable, therefore it doth unqueſtionably concern us to look at them; it will be but a while e're they come into ſight. Ay, but when once come into ſight, they'l tarry eternally in ſight; this is the Reaſon the Apoſtle lays down here, why they looked not at ſeen but at unſeen things; For the things which are ſeen are temporal, but the things which are not ſeen are eternal. Here, my Beloved, we have the Difference between the ſeen things of this World, and the unſeen things of the other World; the ſeen are temporal, the unſeen are eternal: a Difference that puts an infinite Weight upon unſeen things, and makes them of infinitely more Concernment to us than any, than all things that are ſeen. I ſay, 1ſt. The things which are ſeen are but temporal; many have ſeen Health, and Peace, and Plenty, and Pleaſures, and Proſperity, who are now gone from ſeeing them, and muſt never ſee them again: And many have ſeen Want, and Labours, and Travel, a Multiplicity and Variety of Troubles, who are alſo now gone from ſeeing them, and ſhall never ſee them more. And whatſoever we are now ſeeing in this World, whether of Comforts or Croſſes, of Peace or Trouble, we muſt ſee them but a while, and ſhall ſoon be ſailed out of their ſight for ever. All theſe ſeen things are only foreign, for a Seaſon, as the ſame word is rendred Heb. 11.25. The Pleaſures of Sin for a Seaſon; for a time, as the ſame word, Mark 4.17. and have no Root in themſelves, and ſo endure for a time; for a while, as Mat. 13.21. Thus ſeen things, whatever they are, are but for a ſeaſon, for a time, for a while; as Job 11.16. Becauſe thou ſhalt forget thy Miſery, and remember it as the Waters that paſs away, i. e. as that which is quickly gone, and ſhall never return again. When ſudden and great Showers of Water fall, they make great Torrents and Inundations in Brooks and Rivers; but theſe ſoon paſs away, and being once paſt they return no more. Why, on this faſhion the godly Man's Miſery is as Waters, and the ungodly Man's Proſperity is as Waters; and all theſe ſeen things are as Waters that paſs away. But now, 2dly. The things which are not ſeen are eternal and everlaſting, not for a ſeaſon, or a time, or a while, but for ever and ever, for Eternity. The things not ſeen in Heaven are Eternal: As,
1. There is Life, and this Life is eternal; Mat. 25.46. But the Righteous into Life eternal.
2. Salvation, and this Salvation is eternal; Heb. 5.9. And being made perfect, he became the Author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him.
3. Inheritance, and this Inheritance is eternal; 1 Pet. 1.4. An Inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away.
4. A Crown, and this Crown is eternal; 1 Pet. 5.4. And when the chief Shepherd ſhall appear, ye ſhall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away.
5. A Kingdom, and this Kingdom is eternal; 2 Pet. 1.11. For an Entrance ſhall be adminiſtred to you abundantly, into the everlaſting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
6. Glory, and this Glory is eternal; 2 Cor. 4.17. For our light Affliction which is but for a Moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory.
And the things not ſeen in Hell are eternal, as there is,
1ſt. A Pit, and this Pit is a bottomleſs Pit; Rev. 9.1, 2. And the fifth Angel ſounded and I ſaw a Star falling from Heaven unto the Earth; and to him was given the Key of the bottomleſs Pit; and he opened the bottomleſs Pit, and there aroſe a Smoke out of the Pit, as the Smoke of a great Furnace.
2dly. Damnation, and this Damnation is eternal; Mark 3.29. But he that ſhall blaſpheme againſt the Holy Ghoſt, hath never Forgiveneſs, but is in danger of eternal Damnation.
3dly. Deſtruction, and this Deſtruction is eternal; 2 Theſſ. 1.9. Who ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting Deſtruction from the Preſence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his Power.
4thly. Darkneſs, and this Darkneſs is eternal; Jude 1…. To whom is reſerved the Blackneſs of Darkneſs for ever.
5thly. A Worm, and this Worm is eternal; Mark 9.44. Where the Worm dieth not.
6thly. Fire, and this Fire is eternal; Mat. 25.41. Depart from me ye Curſed into everlaſting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Well thus Sirs, you ſee the Difference between things ſeen and unſeen. (1.) Seen things are in continual Motion, unſeen things are immovable. (2.) Seen things paſs away as Waters ſwiftly, unſeen things ſtand ſtill as Weks through all Generations. (3.) The things we ſee here in this World, we ſee them but for Hours, Days, Weeks, or Years, and then they are no more. The things we muſt ſee hereafter in the other World, we ſhall ſee for ever. Now Time determines and puts an end to our ſeeing of all that comes into ſight; then Eternity will never determine or put any Period to what ſhall be in ſight. And this Duration, this Eternity of unſeen things, puts (as I have ſaid) an infinite Weight upon them, and makes them of infinitely more Concernment to us than all ſeen things whatſoever. I ſay again, there are many things that call on us to keep an Eye on unſeen things, the Certainty of them calls us to take them into our Eye, and the Greatneſs of them, and the Unavoidableneſs of them, and the Nearneſs of them; but this their eternal Duration above all renders them to us as Objects that we are moſt concerned to eye. Here in this World we regard and matter things very much according to the Duration and Continuance they are of. Things that are of ſhort Continuance and ſoon gone, we make no great reckoning of, whether great or ſmall, good or evil. A Flower, if never ſo ſweet and beautiful, if paſſing Solomon in all his Glory, is not much valued, becauſe we know it's fading, and will ſhortly loſe both its Sweetneſs and Beauty. An Ague, tho it make all the Body tremble, yet it's not much regarded, becauſe it will have but a few Paroxiſms or Fits, and then be gone; but things that are durable and of long Continuance, we uſe to account of: Whether good or evil, their Duration makes them conſiderable in our Eyes; and ſhall we not then make a Matter of the unſeen things in the other World, that will not only be of long and laſting, but of endleſs and everlaſting Duration? O then what will we mind or matter? O Sirs, their Eternity, their Eternity, Eternity makes them things to be look'd at before all temporal Matters: for Aeternitas in bonis infinitum bonum, in malis infinitum malum: This makes unſeen good things to be infinitely good and deſirable, and unſeen evil things to be infinitely evil and formidable. O think on this, if thou drop into Damnation, there thou muſt ſee endleſs Woes and Wrath: If thou get to Heaven, there thou ſhalt ſee the Pleaſures that are for evermore. Now doth it not concern thee to think how thou mayſt come to an everlaſting Happineſs, how thou mayſt ſcape an everlaſting Miſery? This may be another Ground of this Truth, the things not ſeen are interminable. And now I have done with the 5th Particular in this Point, and endeavour'd to ſhew you why it is that we muſt look at unſeen things; and you ſee that the unſeen things are, (1.) Certain. (2.) Great. (3.) Unavoidable. (4.) Near. (5.) Eternal. And therefore upon all theſe Accounts it cannot but appear to us as a Matter of very near and great Concernment to our ſelves, to look at unſeen things, if there be any thing either of Religion or Reaſon, Faith or Fear, Underſtanding or Senſe in us.