ible both to
himself and others; he will be more and more transformed and renewed, till
at length all be changed. No wonder then, that these two cannot meet
together in the end of their course, whose course was so opposite. Though
wicked men will desire to "die the death of the righteous," yet it is no
more possible they can meet in the end, than hell and heaven can reconcile
together, because they walk to two contrary points.

Sermon XIX.

Verse 6.--"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace."

It is true, this time is short, and so short that scarce can similitudes
or comparisons be had to shadow it out unto us. It is a dream, a moment, a
vapour, a flood, a flower, and whatsoever can be more fading or perishing;
and therefore it is not in itself very considerable, yet in another
respect it is of all things the most precious, and worthy of the deepest
attention and most serious consideration; and that is, because it is
linked unto eternity; and there is an indissolvable knot between them,
that no power or art can break or loose. The beginning of eternity is
continually united to the end of time; and you know all the infinite
extension of eternity is uniform, it admits of no change in it from better
to worse, or worse to better; and therefore the beginning of our eternity,
whether it be happiness or misery, is but one perpetuated and eternized
moment, so to speak. Seeing then we are in the body, and sent unto the
world for this end, that we may pass through into an unchangeable eternal
estate; truly, of all things it is most concerning and weighty, what way
we choose to this journey's end. Seeing the time is short, in which we
have to walk, and it is uncertain too, we ought, as the apostle Peter
speaks, to "give all diligence;" as long as the day remains, we should
drive the harder, lest that eternal night overtake us. The shortness and
uncertainty of time should constrain us to take the present opportunity,
and not to let it slip over as we do; seeing it is not at all in our hand,
either what is past, or what is to come, the one cannot be recalled, the
other is not in our power to call and bring forward, therefore the present
moment that God hath given us, should be catched, held on, and redeemed,
as the apostle speaks, Eph. v. 16. We should buy it at the dearest rate of
pains and expenses, from all those vain, impertinent, and trifling
diversions that take i