Tela praevisa. A short essay, on troubles to be looked for. A wise expectation…Tela praevisa. A short essay, on troubles to be look'd for. A wise expectation…

I. WE have Reason to Live in a continual Expectation of Troublesome Changes; To Fear Changes, as things that are very likely to come upon us.

WE will Enquire; First, What Reason have we to Live Expecting of Troublesome Changes? The First Answer shall be; Where do we Live? Indeed, if we were got safe to Heaven, we were then got beyond all Troublesome Changes. Of them that are got out of this World, into a better, we read, Rev. XIV. 13. They Rest from their Labours. Even so, They Rest from then Changes. When Death, which is our great Change, has come upon a Child of God, he shall find it his Last Change; that is to say, the last that will have any Trouble in it. It is true, There is a Change to be Expected after Death; The Resurrection of the Dead, will be a wondrous & an Happy Change upon them. It is of that Change, that we read; Job 14.14. I will wait until my Change come. But the Saint shall never see any Troublesome Change after Death. In the mean time, while we Live in this World, we are in a World full of Changes. Nothing in this World is Constant, but the Inconstancy of the World. In the Natural World, there are continual Changes. We read; Psal. LXXIV. 16, 17. Day & Night, Summer & Winter. And the Political World, has as many Changes. The Vicissitudes in the World are admirable. All things are in Motion. Things cannot ⟨p. 5⟩continue long in one Posture. The condition of Things in this World, is compared unto that of Wheels. In the Visions of the Prophet Ezekiel, we have Wheels assigned unto all the Four Empires of the World; and all the Four Quarters of it. All Things are upon Wheels; Nations find it so; And Persons find it so. It is the Fate, both of Crowns and of Spades. The Victorious King of Egypt had his Chariot drawn by Four Captive Princes. One of them kept looking very Attentively on the Wheels of the Chariot, and when the King Sesostrys, asked him, What he saw there; Sir, said he, I see, that what is now uppermost soon becomes undermost! I see, 'tis a Rolling sort of a World that we live in! Indeed, who sees it not? It is not until the World to come, that we shall Receive the Kingdom that cannot be moved. While we are in such a World, we are mad, if we don't Expect Changes every Moment! Where is there any one Person free from this Common Lot of the World! The Experience of all the Men in the World, cries aloud unto us: Behold, Changes! Changes upon all the World! In this universal Experience, we may see Reason enough to Expect Changes upon us.