Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses

but as an eagle, which quickly flies out of sight, and cannot be recalled. Forbear thou to behold these things, O mortal! there is ho reason. thou shouldst set thine eyes upon them. This world is a great inn, in the road to eternity, to which thou art travelling. Thou art attended by these things, as servants belonging to the inn, where thou lodgest, they wait upon thee, while thou art there; and when thou goest away, they will convoy thee to the door. But they are not thine, they will not go away with thee; but return to wait on other strangers, as they did on thee.

but as an eagle, which quickly flies out of sight, and cannot be recalled. Forbear thou to behold these things, O martal! there is ho reason. thou shouldst set thine eyes upon them. This world is a great inn, in the road to eternity, to which thou art travelling. Thou art attended by these things, as servants belonging to the inn, where thou lodgest, they wait upon thee, while thou art there; and when thou goest away, they will convoy thee to the door. But they are not thine, they will not go away with thee; but return to wait on other strangers, as they did on thee.

Fifthly, It may serve as a spr•ng of Christian resolution, to cleave to Christ, adhere to his truths, and continue in his ways; whatever he may suffer for so doing. It would much allay the fear of man, that bringeth a share. Who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die?Isa. li 12. Look on persecutors as pieces of brittle clay, that shall be dashed to pieces: for then shall ye despise them as foes, that are mortal: whose terrors to others in the land of the living, shall quickly die with themselves. The serious consideration of the shortness of our time, and the certainty of death, will teach us, that all the advantage we can make by our apostasy, in time of trial, is not worth the while; it is not worth going out of the way to get it; and what we refuse to forego for Christ's sake, may quickly be ⟨p. 225⟩taken from us by death. But, we can never lose it so honourably, as for the cause of Christ and his gospel: for, what glory is it that ye give up what ye have in the world, when God takes it away from you by death, whether you will or not? This consideration may teach us to undervalue life itself, and choose to forego it, rather than to sin. The worst that men can do, is to take away that life which we cannot long keep, tho' all the world should conspire to help us to retain the Spirit. And if we refuse to offer it up to God, when he calls for it in defence of his honour, he can take it from us another away; as it fared with him, who could not burn for Christ, but was afterwards burnt by an accidental fire in his house.