Other writings and
discourses may tickle the ears with some pleasing eloquence, but that is
vanishing; it is but like a musician's voice. Some may represent some
petty and momentary advantage, but how soon shall an end be put to all
that? So that within a little time the advantage of all the books of the
world shall be gone. The statutes and laws of kings and parliaments can
reach no further than some temporal reward or punishment; their highest
pain is the killing of this body; their highest reward is some evanishing
and fading honour, or perishing riches; but "he showeth his word and
judgments unto us, and hath not dealt so with any nation," Psal. cxlvii.
19, 20. And no nation under the whole heaven hath such laws and
ordinances; eternal life and eternal death is wrapt up in them. These are
rewards and punishments suitable to the majesty and magnificence of the
eternal Lawgiver. Consider, I beseech you, what is folded up here,--the
scriptures show the path of life; life is of all things the most
excellent, and comes nearest the blessed being of God. When we say _life_,
we understand a blessed life, that only deserves the name. Now this we
have lost in Adam. Death is passed upon all men, but that death is not the
worst: 'tis but a consequence of a soul-death. The immortal soul--whose
life consisteth in communion with God, and peace with him--is separated
from him by sin, and so killed, when it is cut off from the fountain of
life; what a life can it have more, than a beam that is cut off by the
intervention of a dark body from the sun. Now then, what a blessed
doctrine must it be that brings to light, life and immortality? especially
when we have so miserably lost it, and involved our souls into an eternal
death. Life is precious in itself, but much more precious to one condemned
to die,--to be caught out of the paws of the lion,--to be brought back from
the gibbet. O how will that commend the favour of a little more time in
the world! But then if we knew what an eternal misery we are involved
into, and stand under a sentence binding us over to such an inconceivable
and insupportable punishment as is the curse and wrath of God; O how
precious an esteem would souls have of the scriptures, how would they be
sweet unto their soul, because they show unto us a way of escaping that
pit of misery, and a way of attaining eternal blessedness as satisfying
and glorious as the misery would have been vexing and tormenting! O that
y