An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

First, Ice and Frost resemble all humane things. The things of this world, are they not like a Sea of Ice? that is, First, Very slippery. Secondly, Very Uncertain, how long they will last or continue. Some conceive, that, the Sea of glass like unto Chrystal, which was represented unto St John in Vision (Rev. 4.6. & 15.2.) signified the state of the world, which is like a Sea, because of the tumultuousness of it; and like a Sea of glass, because of the brittleness of it; and a Sea of glass like Chrystal, because of the clearness and transparency of it to God; he sees quite through it: to him all things are naked and manifest. Such a thing is the world, 'tis a frozen Sea, especially for the slipperiness and uncertainty of it. For though the Sea be turned into a stone, yet no man knows how soon a Thaw may dissolve it back again into water? The things of this world suffer sudden changes. Though men have worldly estates, like to mountains of stone or rocks, yet the Lord can make these mountains, these rocks, melt at, and flow down at his presence (Isa. 64.2.) The greatest mountains of worldly power and riches, which seem to be as hard as rocks, as compact as mountains of Adamant, are yet but like mountains of Ice before the Lord; if he let forth but a little heat of his anger and displeasure against them, they melt like wax before the fire, or like a heap of snow before the Sun, and slow down presently like water. Should we see men building upon the Ice (as some have done in a proper sense) we would presently say, they build upon a very unsure foundation. They who build their hopes upon any person or thing in this world, are no wiser, and do no better than they who build upon the Ice. All ⟨p. 232⟩things here below are uncertain, they may, yea, they must soon melt and pass away, from us, or we from them.

First, Ice and Frost resemble all humane things. The things of this world, are they not like a Sea of Ice? that is, First, Very slippery. Secondly, Very Uncertain, how long they will last or continue. Some conceive, that, the Sea of glasse like unto Chrystal, which was represented unto St John in Vision (