A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

These are the remote objects: in every pious thing there is somewhat afar off, to humane eyes. In devotion or worship of God, the prostration of the body is seen,¹ not the humility of the soul. Eli could see Hanna's lips pay their tributes to God, he did not see the zeal of her heart: but she spake in her heart, and Eli thought she was drunk. In the sacrament, bread and wine are seen of reprobate eyes, but there is an invisible thing far off to them; the body and blood of CHRIST, that nourisheth the soul to everlasting life in the Gospel, how near is the history, how far off the mystery! In the word preached, the world perceives, Sonum, non sensum, the audible sound, not the profitable sense. As an ignorant man sees the painted Images of virtues; he says they are goodly pictures, but he knows not what they mean; the moral is far off from his apprehension. As little children, who look upon the babies in a book, regard not the matter therein contained. Concerning a Christian, the world can see his house well furnished, his grounds well stocked, his barns well filled, his purse well moneyed, if these things be: but the joy of his spirit, the peace of his conscience, the grace of his heart; these are things afar off from the world. The peace and prosperity that accompanies the Church, they delight to see and taste; that every man may sit under his own figtree, and drink the milk of his own flock: but the remission of sins, the effusion of grace, the Communion of Saints, the possession of comforts; those spiritual privileges, more glorious than the States of kingdoms, are invisible and too far off. ^yLet us not look at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen: for the things that are seen, are temporal: but the things that are not seen, are eternal.

These are the remote objects: in every pious thing there is somewhat affare off, to humane eyes. In devotion or worship of God, the prostration of the body is seene,¹ not the humilitie of the soule. Eli could see Hanna's lips pay their tributes to God, he did not see the zeale of her heart: but she spake in her heart, and Eli thought she was drunke. In the sacrament, bread and wine are seene of reprobate eyes, but there is an invisible thing farre off to them; the body and bloud of CHRIST, that nourisheth the soule to everlasting life in the Gospell, how neere is the historie, how farre off the mysterie! In the word preached, the world perceives, Sonum, non sensum, the audible sound, not the profitable sense. As an ignorant man sees the painted Images of vertues; he saies they are goodly pictures, but he knowes not what they meane; the morall is farre off from his apprehension. As little children, who looke upon the babies in a booke, regard not the matter therein contained. Concerning a Christian, the world can see his house well furnish'd, his grounds well stock'd, his barnes well filled, his purse well money'd, if these things be: but the joy of his spirit, the peace of his conscience, the grace of his heart; these are things afarre off from the world. The peace and prosperitie that accompanies the Church, they delight to see and tast; that every man may sit under his owne figtree, and drink the milke of his owne flocke: but the remission of sins, the effusion of grace, the Communion of Saints, the possession of comforts; those spirituall priviledges, more glorious than the States of kingdomes, are invisible and too farre off.