neither of the two other periods of age, but were longer than this. Besides however childhood and youth have their fixed terms which they ordinarily pass not, yet the duration of old age is indefinite. We have, in our youth, known some grey-heads that have continued vigorous, till we have lived to match them in the colour of their livery, And if this be, as it is, the evening of the world, do we not see much difference of time in the shutting in of the light? A summer's evening is a winter's day. But if these were to the apostles the last days, how can they be other than the last hour, yea, the last minute unto us? Why do we not put ourselves into a constant expectation of the end of all things, and set ourselves in a meet posture for the receipt of our returning Saviour?

XII. It is a feeling and experimental expression that the apostle gives of a Christian, that "he looks not on the things which are seen." Not that his eyes are so dim as old Isaac's, that he cannot discern them; or that his inward senses are so stupified, that he cannot judge of their true value; but that taking an exact view of these earthly things, he descries so much vanity in them, as that he finds them not worthy to be looked at with the full bent of his desires; like as it is not the mere sight of a strange beauty that is forbidden, for a man may as well look upon a fair face as upon a good picture, but a settled and fixed aspect, that feeds the eye and draws the heart to a sinful concupiscence. Thus doth not the Christian look upon the things that are seen, as making them the full scope and aim of his desires and affections: so far, he takes notice of them, as to make his best, that is, lawful and moderate, use of them; not so as to make them the chief object of his contemplation, the main drift of his cares. It is well observed by St. Basil, that as there are two contrary ways, the broad and the narrow, so there are two guides as contrary, sense and faith. Sense presents to us the pleasing delights of this world, on the one side; on the other, the present afflictions and persecutions that attend a good profession: faith lays before us the glorious things of a future life, and the endless miseries and torments abiding for sinful souls in the world Now it is not for every one to deny all credit

to come.

to his sense, alluring him with all present and visible pleasures, and discouraging him with the terror and pain of present and visible afflictions; and to yield himself, hood-winked, to be led by faith, fore-promising only better things afar off, and fore-admonishing him of dangers, future and invisible. Faith only is that heroical virtue which makes a man, with a holy contempt, to overlook all the pleasing baits of the world; and with a brave courage and fortitude, to despise all the menaces and painful inflictions of his present fury. This works our eyes not to look upon the things which we cannot but see, the present shews of the world, whether alluring or terrifying. Had Lot but looked back on Sodom, the pleasant plain of Sodom that lay like the garden of God behind his back, he had never escaped into the mountain. Had the glorious protomartyr fixed his eyes only upon his persecutors, his heart could not but have failed to see the fire in their faces, the sparkling of their eyes, the grinding of their teeth, the bending of their brows, the stopping of their ears, their furious running upon him, their violent halings and draggings, and, lastly, a whole volley of stones discharged mortally upon him; he had been utterly daunted with such an impetuosity of death: but he, as not seeing any of this pomp and ostentation of horror, looks up steadfastly to heaven, and there sees that which might well make him blind to all other visible objects, the heavens open, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and, upon this sight, he shut up his eyes and slept. The true Christian then hath, with holy Job, made a covenant with his eyes not to look upon either the cruel insolencies of the raging world with fear and dejectedness, or on the tempting vanities of the world with amorous glances; but with a sober and constant resolution entertains the objects of both kinds. Very justly did Tertullian jeer that heathen philosopher, who pulled out his eyes to avoid concupiscence; and can tell him, that a Christian can hold his eyes, and yet behold beauty, unbewitched; and can be, at once, open-eyed to nature, and blind to lust and what the apostle said of the use, he can practice, of the sight of the world and earthly objects; he can so behold them, as if he beheld them not. How oft have we,

in a deep study, fixed our eyes upon that which we the while thought not upon, neither perceived that we saw ! So doth the Christian to these worldly glories, pleasures, pleasures, profits, while his mind and affections are on "the things above, where Christ sitteth on the right-hand of God." There, Lord, let me behold those things which cannot yet be seen, but shall once, in the sight of them, make me blessed. And, let me not look on the things that are seen; for "the things that are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal."

XIII. There is not more strangeness, than significance, in that charge of the apostle, "that we should put on the Lord Jesus Christ." The soul is, as it were, a body; not really and properly so, according to the gross error of Tertullian, but by way of allusion. This body of the soul then must not be naked, but must be clad. As our first parents were ashamed of their bodily nakedness, and so still are all their not savage posterity, so must we of our spiritual. Every sinner is naked: those rags that he hath, are so far from hiding his nakedness, that they are part of it his fairest moralities are but glittering sins, and his sins are his nakedness. Aaron "had made Israel naked to their shame," Exod. xxxii. 25; not so much in that they were stript of their ear-rings, as that they were enwrapped in the sin of idolatry. No marvel if we run away and hide us from the presence of God, as our first parents did, while we are guilty to ourselves of our spiritual deformity. As then we are bodily naked, when we come into the world, so we are spiritually naked, while we are of the world; neither can it be either safe or comely for us, till we be covered. There is no clothing can fit the soul, but the Lord Jesus Christ: all other robes in the wardrobe of earth or heaven, are too short, too strait; like those which the scorn of Hanun put upon David's messengers, reaching but to the hams; for, though the soul of man be finite, the sin of the soul is scarcely so; and that sin must be covered, else there can be no safety for the soul; according to that of the psalmist," Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." Psalm xxxii. 1. None therefore but the robes of an infinite righteousness, can cover the soul so woefully dressed;

none therefore but the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God blessed for ever, can cover the soul, that it may not appear unrighteous; or can cleanse the soul, that it may not be unrighteous and cleansed it must be, ere the Lord Jesus can be put on: we shall wrong his perfect holiness, if we think we can slip him on, as a case over our beastly rags. It is with us, as with Joshua the high priest; the filthy garments.must first be taken off, and then the Lord shall say unto us, "Behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment," Zech. iii. 4. We put on a garment when we apply it all over to our body, so as that part which is clothed, appears not, but is defended from the air and from the eye if we have truly put on the Lord Jesus, nothing of ours is seen, but Christ is all in all to us; although this application goes yet deeper; for we so put him on, that we not only put ourselves into him, but also put him into ourselves, by a mutual kind of spiritual incorporation. We put him on then upon our intellectual parts, by knowing him, by believing on him. This is eternal life, to know thee and whom thou hast sent," saith our Saviour: and as for faith, no grace doth so sensibly apprehend him and make him so feelingly ours. We put him on upon our wills and affections, when we take pleasure in him, when we love him, delight in him, and prefer him to our chiefest joy. Thus do we put him on; as our Lord, in our humble and dutiful subjection; as our Jesus, in our faithful affiance; as Christ, the anointed of God, to be our King, in all holy obedience; our priest, in our willing consecration to him; our prophet, in our cheerful readiness to be instructed by him. How happy are we, if we be thus decked. We prank up these poor carcases of ours gaily with no small expense; and when we have done, the stuff, or the fashion, or both, wears out to nothing; but here is a garment that will never be out of fashion; "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever;" yea, the same to us. Here, we put him on in grace; there, in eternal glory. The Israelites were forty years in the wilderness, yet their shoes not worn, their apparel not impaired; but this attire shall not only hold good in the time of our wandering in this desert, but

after we are come into the Canaan of glory; and is best, at last. Wherefore do we put on our choicest attire on some high days, but to testify the cheerfulness of our hearts? "Let thy garment be white," saith the preacher, "for now God accepteth thy works," Eccles. ix, 7, 8. Mephibosheth changed not his raiment, since David went out; as one that would have the sorrow of his heart seen in the neglect of his clothes, although many a one, under a gay coat, hath a heavy heart; but this attire doth not only testify, but make cheerfulness in the soul; "Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased;" "In thy presence is the fulness of joy." What can this apparel of ours do, but keep us from a blast or from a shower? It is so far from safeguarding the soul, that it many times wounds it, and that to the death. It was one of the main quarrels against the rich glutton, that he was every day clothed in purple and bysse. How many souls shall once wish, that their bodies had been ever either naked or clad with haircloth! But this array, as it is infinitely rich and beautiful, so it is as surely defensative of the soul; and is no less than armour of proof against all assaults, all miseries. What a deal of cost and pains do we bestow upon these wretched bodies of ours, only to make them pleasing and lovely to the eye of some beholders, as miserable perhaps as ourselves! and yet when we have done all, we are, it may be, no better than hard-favoured and unhandsome creatures; and contemptible in those eyes from whom we desired most approbation. Jezabel, for all her licking, is cast out of the window, and trodden to dirt in the streets. But this robe we cannot wear, and not be amiable in the eyes of the Holiest. "Behold thou art fair, my beloved; behold, thou art fair, and there is no spot in thee," Cant. i. 15. Lo, in this case, the apparel makes the man. Neither is it in the power of any spiritual deformity to make us other than lovely in the sight of our God, while we have Christ put on upon us. Whatever therefore becomes of the outward man, let it be my care, that my soul be vested with my Lord Jesus: so shall I be sure to be safe, rich, amiable, here; and hereafter glorious. It was part of our Saviour's charge upon the