nd seeth not afar off," 2 Pet. i. 9. Truly, such is every man by
nature, whereas the proper native sphere of the spirit's motion and
comprehension, is as large as its endurance, that is, as long as eternity,
and as broad as to reach the infiniteness of God, the God of all spirits.
Now, through the slavery and bondage of men's spirits to their flesh, it
is contracted into as narrow bounds as this poor life in the flesh. He
that ought to look beyond time as far as eternity, and hath an immortal
spirit given for that end, is now half blind, the eye of the mind is so
overclouded with lusts and passions that it cannot see far off, not so far
as to the morrow after death, not so far as to the entry of eternity. And
truly, if you compare the context, you will find, that whosoever doth not
give all diligence to add to faith, virtue, to virtue, knowledge, to
knowledge, temperance, to temperance, patience and to patience godliness,
&c., he that is not exercised and employed about this study, how to adorn
his spirit with these graces, how to have a victory over himself and the
world, and in respect of these, accounts all things beside
indifferent,--such a man is blind, and seeth not far off, he hath not
gotten a sight of eternity, he hath not taken up that everlasting
endurance, else he could not spend his time upon provision for the lusts
of the flesh, but be behoved to lay such a good foundation for the time to
come as is here mentioned. If he saw afar off, he could not but make
acquaintance with those courtiers of heaven, which will minister an
entrance into that everlasting kingdom. But truly, while this is not your
study, you have no purpose for heaven, you see nothing but what is just
before your eye, and almost toucheth it, and so you savour and mind only
what you see.

Is not this then a wide difference between the children of this world, and
the children of God? Is it not very substantial? All others are
circumstantial in respect of this, this only puts a real difference in
that which is best in men, viz. their spirits. The excellency of nature is
known by their affections and motions, so are these here, the spiritual
man savours spiritual things, the carnal man carnal things, everything
sympathizes with that which is like itself, and is ready to incorporate
into it, things are nourished and preserved by things like themselves. You
see the swine embraces the dunghill, that stink is only a savoury smell to
them, because it