LXVIII.

lives. Sometimes an unexpected ftorm, or fome SER M.
other sudden calamity, fweepeth away, in an instant,
all that which with fo much industry and care we
have been gathering many years. Or if an estate
stand firm, our children are taken away, to whose
comfort and advantage all the pains and endeavours
of our lives were devoted. Or if none of these hap-

pen, (as it is very rare to escape moft, or some of
them) yet for a demonstration to us that God intended
this world to be uneafy, to convince us that a perfect
state of happiness is not to be had here below, we
often see in experience, that those who seem to be in
a condition as happy as this world can put them into,
by the greatest accommodations towards it, are yet
as far or farther from happiness, as those who are de-
stitute of most of those things wherein the greatest
felicity of this world is thought to confift. Many
times it fo happens, that they who have all the furni
ture and requifites, all the materials and ingredients
of a worldly felicity at their command, and in their
power, yet have not the skill and ability out of all these
to frame a happy condition of life to themfelves. They
have health, and friends, and reputation, and estate
in abundance, and all outward accommodations that
heart can wish; and yet in the midst of all these cir-
cumstances of outward felicity, they are uneafy in
their minds, and as the wife man expreffeth it,
6 in
"their fufficiency they are in ftreights," and are as it
were furfeited even with happiness itself, and do fo
fantastically and unaccountably naufeate the good
condition they are in, that though they want nothing
to make them happy, yet they cannot think them-
felves fo; though they have nothing in the world to
moleft and difguft them, yet they can make a fhift to
create as much trouble to themselves out of nothing,

as

SERM. as they who have the real and fubftantial causes of LXVIII. difcontent.

Which plainly fhews, that we are not to look for happiness here; 'tis not to be found in this land of the living; and after our enquiries after it, we shall fee fufficient reafon to take up Solomon's conclufion, that "all is vanity and vexation of fpirit;" which is much the fame with that aphorifm of David his father, which I mentioned before, that "man in his "beft eftate is altogether vanity."

But what happiness foever our condition in this world is capable of, 'tis most affuredly full of uncertainty and unfettlement; we cannot enjoy it long, and every moment we are in danger of being deprived of it. Whatever degree of earthly felicity we are poffeffed of, we have no fecurity that it fhall continue. There is nothing in this world, but, when we are as fure of it as this world can make us, may be taken away from us by a thousand accidents. But suppose it to abide and continue; we ourselves fhall be taken away from it. We muft die, and "in that very day" all our enjoyments and hopes, as to this world, will perish with us; for here is no abiding place, "we have no continuing city;" fo that it is in vain to design a happiness to our felves in this world, when we are not to stay in it, but only travel and pass through it.

is

And this is the firft; our condition in this world very troublesome and unfettled.

II. Our condition in this world being a state of pilgrimage, doth imply a tendency to future settlement, and the hopes and expectation of a happier condition hereafter. And fo the apostle reafons immediately after the text; " they confeffed that they were pil"grims and ftrangers on the earth; for they that

LXVIII.

"fay fuch things, declare plainly that they feek a SER M. country;" that is, they who acknowledge themfelves to be "pilgrims and ftrangers in the earth," and yet withal profess to be perfuaded of the goodnefs of GOD and the fidelity of his promife," do "plainly declare, that they feek" another "country.' This is fpoken of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, who acknowledged themselves to be " strangers and pil"grims in the earth; and thereby "declared, that

they fought" another "country." Now, fays the apostle, this cannot be the country from whence they first came, Ur of the Chaldees, ver. 15. " And "truly, if they had been mindful of that country "from whence they came out, they might have had

an opportunity of returning thither." And therefore he concludes, that the country which they fought was a better country than any in this world, ver. 16. "But now they defire a better country; that is, an "heavenly. Therefore GoD is not afhamed to be "called their GOD; for he hath prepared for them

"

a city." This plainly refers to that famous declaration or promife of GOD to the patriarchs, of being their GOD; "I am the GOD of Abraham, the "Gop of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob." Now certainly this promise of God did fignify fome very great bleffing and advantage to those faithful fervants of GOD above others. This was not made good to them in this world; for they confeffed, that they were pilgrims and ftrangers in the earth." Where then is the bleffing spoken of and fignified by the great words of that promife that "GOD was their God?" They met with no fuch condition in this world, as was answerable to the greatness of that promise. From hence the apostle argues, that they had a firm perfuafion of a future happiness; "for they that fay fuch › VOL. V. "things

M

LXVIII.

SERM. things declare plainly, that they feek a better count try; that is, an heavenly. Wherefore God is not "afhamed to be called their GOD, fince he hath pre"pared for them a city." And though the promife of God to Abraham did immediately defign the land of Canaan, and the earthly Jerufalem; yet the apostle extends it to that which was typified by it; viz. an heavenly country," the "Jerufalem which is above," which, at the 10th verfe of this chapter, is called "a city which hath foundations, whofe "builder and maker is God." And now, seeing GOD hath defigned and prepared fo great a happinefs for them in another world, well might he be called "their GoD," notwithstanding that they were

ftrangers and pilgrims on the earth;" that is, though the full meaning and importance of this promise was not made good to them in this world, yet it was accomplished to the full in the happiness which was defigned for them in another life. "And "GOD need not be afhamed to be called their "GOD;" implying, that if nothing had been meant by it beyond this world, this promife, of God's being "their GOD," would have fallen shamefully fhort of what it seemed to import. And this I conceive to be the true reason, why our SAVIOUR lays fo much weight upon this promise, as to pitch upon it for the proof of the refurrection; that is, of a future ftate of happiness in another world.

There are many confiderations apt to perfuade good men of another life after this; as, that mankind is generally poffeffed with this hope and perfuafion; and that the more wife and virtuous men have been, the more plainly have they apprehended the hopes of immortality, and the better have they been contented to leave this world, as if, feeing far

ther

LXVIII.

ther than other men, they had a clearer profpect of SERM. the happiness they were entring upon: but above all, that God hath made our condition in this world fo troublefom and unfettled, as if he had defigned on purpose to make us seek for happiness elsewhere, and to elevate and raise our minds to the hopes and expectation of a condition better and more durable, than any that is to be met with in this world; which, confidering the goodnefs of GOD, and his gracious providence and care of good men, is a thing of itself extremely credible.

Having thus, as briefly as I could, dispatched the two particulars which I propounded to speak to for the explication of the text, I fhould now fhew what influence thefe confiderations ought to have upon our lives and practice.

And if this be our condition in this world, and these our hopes and expectations as to another life; if we be" pilgrims and ftrangers on the earth;" and "look for a better country, that is, an heavenly;" this ought to have a great influence upon us in these following refpects, which I fhall at prefent but very briefly mention.

1. Let us intangle and incumber ourselves as little as we can in this our pilgrimage; let us not en gage our affections too far in the pleasures and advantages of this world; for we are not to continue and fettle in it, but to pass through it. A little will serve. for our paffage and accommodation in this journey; and beyond that, why should we fo earnestly covet and feek more?

2. If we be "pilgrims and ftrangers;" then it concerns us to behave ourselves blamelefly and inof fenfively, remembering, that the eyes of people are upon us, and that thofe among whom we live will be