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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	word_n	writing_n	year_n	147	4	4.0593	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32179	A glimpse of eternity very useful to awaken sinners and to comfort saints : profitable to be read in families / by A.C.	A. C. (Abraham Caley)	1679 (1679)	Wing C290A; ESTC R31283	161,448	236

that it is also an augmentation of our punishment the longer we live the more wrath do we treasure up Gods wrath is like a great bell that is long in raising but being up it gives a dreadful sound The Heathen Poet could say Gods Mill is not presently going but when it goeth it grinds all to dust and pouder (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we ravel out this time in idleness and vanity it would have been better for us we had never had it better if we had been sent to Hell as soon as ever we beheld the light of Heaven Infinitely therefore doth it concern us to improve this time to the end it is given us to agree with our adversary quickly while we are in the way lest he deliver us to the judge and we be cast into Prison to lye there till we have paid the uttermost farthing in the ordinary passages of our lives we do more or less esteem of time as the business that depends upon it is of more or less consequence When we are cast into streights of time and have some business of great concernment which must be done in that time or not done at all in this case we account every minut precious and had rather lose a whole day at another time than an hour now thus this present time being given us to make provision for Eternity every parcel of time is as much worth as Heaven is worth and Eternity is worth some one hour of time in regard of the concernment of it may be as much and much more than all that eternity of duration which we are to enter upon after this life one hour rightly improved may procure more favour from God and more mercy to our soules than we can ever hope to attain during that infinite duration that doth awaits us one sigh flowing from a broken heart one penitent tear falling from the eye may through mercy prevail to discharge that great debt of sin which all the flames in Hell cannot expiate to all eternity How strongly then should that foundation be laid that hath such a building as Eternity to be built upon it How carefully should that anchor be cast that is entrusted with a vessel so richly laden as our everlasting condition Bellarmine telleth of an University where those who were to proceed Doctors had certain hard questions given them to resolve and four and twenty hours allowed them to study for their answer and according to the resolution they gave they were either to receive their degree with honour and applause or to be sent away with shame and those probitioners as he observeth would for that time sequester themselves from company shut up themselves in their study scarce allowing themselves time to eat or sleep spending the whole time in studying to resolve those questions The time we here spend whether longer or shorter is given us by God to provide for our everlasting condition and seeing upon the improvement of this time dependeth an eternity either of bliss or woe what manner of persons ought we to be how careful to pass the time of our sojourning here Suppose a man by some misdemeanour had forfeited his estate and life and that upon much intercession his Prince should cause an hour-glass to be turned and set him some work to do telling him if he spent that hour well he should not only be freed from death but should be advanced to some great preferment if he loitered away that time he should be put to exquisite tortures it is not to be doubted but such an one would improve that hour to the uttermost of his power an hour is not so little to a mans whole life as this life is to eternity yet upon the spending of this dependeth our everlasting weal or woe eternal life is now either gotten or for ever lost (m) Hic aut accipimus aut amittimus aeternam vitam and if this were seriously considered it would be a forcible motive to make us walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time though time it self last not yet whatsoever is everlasting dependeth upon it and therefore should be carefully improved to the best advantage CHAP. XI An Exhortation to look on Eternal things by our Meditations Expressions Affections of Desire Hope Love Delight and Endeavours 3. BE Exhorted to look to the things that are Eternal this is that the Text speaks to While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal and being the duty of the Text I shall the more enlarge in speaking to it it is chiefly meant of the Eternal happiness in Heaven as appeareth by the words before our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory To that therefore I shall chiefly speak and there are two things I shall do if God permit First shew what is meant by looking to things eternal or how we are to look to them and then lay down some quickning motives to engage us to it take the first in these particulars 1. We should look to them in our thoughts and make these unseen eternal things the continual subject of our meditations it should be our morning thoughts our evening thoughts our night thoughts our solitary thoughts when we are alone indeed our continual thoughts what shall become of us to eternity they say at the consecration of a Pope amongst other ceremonies a Herald proclaims these words before him Have in thy mind the years of Eternity Think of eternity was the Motto of Meursius a learned man (a) aeternitatem cogita and hath been of many others some writing it in their Books some upon the wall of their closet some upon some door in their house that they might upon all occasions be minded of it neither is there any thing that doth more deservedly challenge our more serious meditations we should every day set some time aside to retire into some secret place such as Isaac's fields or Davids Closet or Cornelius his Leads and there to think of our eternal condition Thus it was with David or whoever was the Penman of the 77 Psalm ver 5. I have considered the daies of old the years of ancient times it is in the Original the years of ages and so the vulgar Translation readeth it I had the years of Eternity in my mind and to the same purpose both the Syriack and Aethiopick Versions and it seems he was so taken up with these thoughts that he could not sleep in the verse before Thou holdest mine eyes waking in the Original Thou hast held the watchings of mine eyes or as the Vulgar Mine eyes have prevented the night watches It is said of an eminently religious Minister (b) Mr. Ward that being at dinner with some company he sate silent for a good space

other things n Col. 6. 13. perish with the using (n) Col. 2. 22. Our most needful care as to this life is to provide food for these bodies which cannot long subsist without it all the labour of man is for his mouth (o) Eccles 6. 7. He that laboureth laboureth for himself for his mouth craveth it of him Prov. 16. 26. Yet the Apostle telling us meats are for the belly and the belly for meats adds withal God shall destroy both it and them (p) 1 Cor. 6. 13. But when both these are destroyed we have an Eternity to enter upon and that should be the great matter of our care as being the main thing we came into the world for Cato for a long time never declared his opinion about any business in the Senate but would still close it with this passage Methinks Carthage should be destroyed whatsoever else we think or do we should still consider Eternity is to be provided for if we neglect this all we do is nothing and it will be a sad reflection upon our death-beds when over-looking our by-past lives we shall find that we have all this time busied our selves about impertinencies and neglected that great work for which we were sent into the world 2. It is for this end God giveth us all the precious time we have wise men will not suffer their servants to spend their time about such work as will not pay for the Candle they burn in doing it neither would God give us so much precious time to be spent about those petty things those nothings that most men are imployed about nothing less than the service of God and working out our own Salvation will bear proportion with that invaluable talent of time God hath indulged to us I gave her space to repent of her fornications q God doth not give us so much time to be ravelled out about trifles but to repent to make our peace with God and make provision for our Eternal condition the time spent about other things ● Rev. 2. 21. is but lost time It is said of Abraham and some other good men that they dyed full of dayes but some observe it is no where so said of any wicked men Their daies are not full but empty they possess months and years of vanity empty moneths (r) menses vacuos Job 7. 3. as Gregory calls them alluding to that Some more refined Heathen thought that not worthy to be called by the name of life which is not spent in doing good Seneca saith of a vitious person who arrived to a great age that he was a long time but lived but a little space and of another alluding to Mariners he was tossed up and down much but sailed little such persons will have a sad account to make at last who bring their years to an end as a tale that is told spending all their time about other things and neglecting this (s) Parson Resolut one expresseth it thus suppose a Merchant should send his Factor beyond the Seas to negotiate his affairs and after his staying there seven or eight years being called for home by his Master and demanded how he spent his time should bring in such an account as this so much time spent in Hawking and Hunting so much in going to Taverns and Ale-houses would no● every man laugh at so fond a reckoning But suppose being asked further what he had done about his Masters occasions he should answer that his time was so taken up with the other that he could allow no time for his Masters business would he not be thought worthy of a severe punishment The time is coming when we must be answerable to God for every hour every minut of time we spend and let us think before-hand how sad it will be if being summoned before Gods tribunal we shall be able to give in no other account than this so much time spent in eating drinking and sleeping so much in the pursuit of the profits and pleasures of the world perhaps so much in gluttony and drunkenness in chambering and wantonness in strife and envy in the mean time little or none in that great work for which all our time was bestowed upon us 3. It is for this end that God giveth us his word and Gospel his Sabbaths and Sacraments and all the Means of grace we live under for this end he sends his Ministers to make offers of Eternal happiness to this end they bring line upon line precept upon precept exho●ting admonishing perswading beseeching us to look after the things of our everlasting peace and if notwithstanding all these helps to Heaven we shall neglect so great Salvation this will make our condition more sad our condemnation more 〈◊〉 it is not here as it is in Livings and other Ecclesiastical promotions which perhaps are worth an hundred or two hundred pound by the year and yet not above ten or twenty pound in the Kings Books no God taketh exact notice what means we enjoy how many Sabbaths we have how many Sermons we hear The year and month when the word of God came to the Prophets stand upon record in Scripture (t) Ezek. 1. 1. and 81. c. There is never a Sermon preached to us never an exhortation pressed on us by the Masters of the Assemblies never a motion from Gods Spirit but are laid up in store with God and sealed up amongst his treasures and will at last day be produced as so many swift witnesses against us if we turn our backs upon so many offers of salvation and when we shall call to mind what helps and furtherances we have had and what little improvement we have made of them how much God did for us and how little we did for our selves how much God did to save us and how little we could be perswaded to do toward our own salvation the thoughts of this will be as so many coals of fire to kindle and encrease the flames of our justly deserved torments as so many rods or scorpions with which conscience will lash us to all Eternity this being then the great thing we have to do what remaineth but that we set about it 2. Consider there is no man whatsoever but will one time or other approve of this course and justifie the practice of those who are most serious and diligent in providing for their eternal condition Wisdom is now justified of her children but will be one day justified of her greatest adversaries Pliny the second being written to by a friend to give him some directions how he might better order his conversation wrote back to him that he would not trouble him with many directions but would give him one which might serve in stead of all that we would be the same men when we are well that we profess our selves to be and promise to be when we are sick It was the saying of a more refined Heathen but verily it is a speech deserving to