poore miserable men more unreasonable and without understanding then the beasts are wounded every day and that many times deadly and yet notwithstanding we seek for no medicine to cure our spirituall diseases We use the same diet we were wont to do we talk as freely and merrily as ever we did we go to bed at our accustomed houre and sleep according to our old compasse But Repentance is the Physick that goes against our stomacks Contrition cuts us to the heart Confession seems bitter in our mouthes we choose rather to continue sick then so be cured This is our miserable condition so foolish are we and void of understanding either not knowing or at least not embracing that which would make for our Eternall good If we would give eare unto the counsell of the heavenly Angels which seem in the Picture according to their description to give direction unto us and are indeed appointed by God as ministring spirits for our good if we would I say give eare unto their counsell then certainly we would neither suffer our eyes to sleep nor our eye-lids to slumber neither the temples of our heads to take any rest untill our peace and reconciliation were made with God They put us still in minde that our day is almost spent that the night draws on that our glasse is neare running out that death is at hand and after death cometh judgement But we securely walk on in our old way Let the day spend let the night draw on let the glasse runne out Come death follow judgement We are not troubled at it we care not we regard not no warning of the Angels will serve our turn We sweetly sleep and never dream of this Unhappy man whosoever thou art Potes hoc sub casâ— ducere somnos And canst thou sleep in such a case as this Canst thou go to bed with a Conscience thus laden with sinne Canst thou take any rest when thou liest in danger of Eternall death Canst thou lodge in the same bed with the brother of Death and entertain sleep into thy bosome I can I tell thee that I can and finde no harm at all by it Be not too confident That may happen in the space of one houre which hath not happened in a thousand Thou art not past danger For consider with thy self how long thou hast to live There is no great distance betwixt thy soul and death hell and Eternitie It is gone in a breath Thou mayst most truely say every houre I am within one degree of death within one foot yea within one inch Death need not spend all his quiver upon thee One Arrow the head of one Arrow shall wound thee to the heart and make such a large orifice that bloud and spirits and life and all shall suddenly run out together Either thou livest in a malignant and corrupt aire or else thou art troubled with distillations falling down from thy head upon the lungs or else there is some obstruction in the veins or in the liver or else the vitall spirits are suffocated or else the pulsation of the Arteries is intercepted or else the Animall spirits runne back to their head and there are either frozen to death or else drowned One way or other thou postest to the end of thy short race and presently thou art but a dead man carried away to Eternitie in the turning of an hand before thou couldst imagine or think upon it There are a thousand wayes to bring a man to his end I do not speak of lingring deaths before which there goes some warning but of sudden deaths that summon us arrest us and carry us away all in a moment He dies suddenly that dies unpreparedly Death is not sudden if it be foreseen and alwayes expected That 's sudden death which was unpremeditate and unpremeditate death is the worst of all deaths And from such sudden death good Lord deliver us It is good counsell for every one let him be of what age he will for no age is priviledged more then another death hath a generall commission which extends to all places persons ages there is none exempt It is good counsell then I say for every one at all times and in all places and in all companies to expect death and to think every day yea every houre to be his last Then let him die when please God he shall not die suddenly How many men have we heard of whose light hath suddenly been put out and life taken away either by a fall or the halter or poyson or sword or fire or water or Lions pawes or Bores tusks or Horse heels and a thousand more wayes then these As many senses as we have That number is nothing As many parts and members as we have And yet that is nothing As many pores as there be in all the parts of our body put together So many windows are there for death to creep in at to steal upon us and suddenly cut our throats Thou wast born saith Saint Augustine That is sure For thou shalt surely die And in this that thy death is certain the day also of thy death is uncertain None of us knows how neare he draws unto his end I know not saith Job how long I shall live and how soon my Maker may take me away or as our translation hath it I know not to give slattering titles in so doing my Maker would soon take me away In the midst of our life we are neare unto death For we alwayes carry it in our bosome And who can tell whether he shall live till the Evening or no This murderer and man-stealer for so I call Death hath a thousand wayes to hurt us as by thunder and lightning storms and tempest fire and water c. Instruments of mischief he hath of all sorts as Gunnes Bowes Arrows Slings Spears Darts Swords and what not We need not be beholding to former ages for examples of sudden deaths Alack we have too many in our own dayes Have not we our selves known many that laying themselves down to sleep have fallen into such a dead sleep that they are not to be awaked again till they shall heare the sound of the trumpet at the last day Death doth not alwayes send his Heralds and Summoners before to tell us of his coming but often steals upon us unexpected and as he findes us so he takes us whether prepared or unprepared Watch therefore For ye know neither the day nor the houre There is a kinde of Repentance indeed in Hell but neither is it true neither will it profit any thing at all For it is joyned with everlasting and tormenting horrour and despaire Now now is the acceptable time of Repentance Now whilest it is called to day Bring forth therefore fruits meet for Repentance The Night cometh when no man can work Work therefore while it is day The Day saith Origen is the time of this life which may seem long unto us
be sure to die the death of the godly And whosoever liveth the life of the ungodly shall be sure to die the death of the ungodly once he shall die but that once shall be alwayes and that alwayes for ever and ever A certain Souldier being called in question by Lamâ—chus a Centurion for some misdemeanour or other committed in the camp earnestly desired pardon for that once and promised never to offend in the like kinde again But the Centurion made him this answer In bello bone vir non licebit bis peccare Oh Sir know you thus much There is no offending in warre twice But in death alas there is no offending once There is no hope of pardon Once dead and alwayes dead He that dies once ill is damned for ever There is no returning again to life to amend what was done amisse There is no appealing from the sentence of condemnation if it be once passed As death leaves a man so judgement findes him and as judgement leaves him so Eternitie findes him It is the saying of Iphicrates That it is a shame for an Emperour at any time to say with the fool Non putâram I did not think it But it is a greater shame for a Christian man to say Non putâram I did not think there had been such a difference between a chaste life and a voluptuous life I did not think that Eternitie was to follow after this life I did not think that I should have died so suddenly Alas Alas How sleepily do we go about the businesse of Eternitie whereas the nature of this mortall life of ours is such that we cannot be certain at any time that we shall live for any time no not so much as for one minute when as we know for certain that we must depart from hence and yet are most uncertain at what houre we shall depart and when that houre shall come then also we shall seem not so much to have lived as to have posted unto death in a moment Here we are but as sojourners in a strange land and not as citizens in our own countrey we are but Tenants at will and not Freeholders Will we nill we we must depart For here have we no continuing Citie but we seek one to come The holy Prophet Baruch asketh this question Where are the Princes of the heathen become and such as ruled the beasts upon the earth that hoorded up silver and gold and made no end of their getting Do they retain and keep their kingdomes and their glory still Not so For thus saith the Prophet answering his own question They are vanished and gone down to the grave and others are come up in their steads They are vanished saith the Prophet For they were but sojourners and no citizens they are gone and others are come up in their steads their houses are let out to others and they are cast out themselves and gone down to the grave But if the question be asked again Where are the Princes of heaven whose dwelling is above the seventh Sphere where are they It may be answered likewise that They are also vanished and others are come in their steads but they are translated to the kingdome of heaven there to abide for ever without all fear of being dispossessed Let us crown our selves with Rose buds sing those men of most loose and deplorate lives Why with Rose buds Because the beauty and smell of them is gone in one day and they are withered and such fading crowns do best become those which shall shortly perish But as for the Blessed it is not so with them but they are crowned with jewells and precious stones whose beautie never fadeth The woman mentioned in the Revelation had upon her head a crown not of Rose buds of the garden nor of jewels of the sea but of the Starres of heaven As then the heavenly orbs are incorruptible so likewise they that inhabite them are incorruptible they are not subject to any change they are immortall The righteous live for evermore All worldly things are transitorie but heavenly things are everlasting Here are we wearied with labour but there shall we be refreshed with Eternall rest Why do we seek for rest before our labour is ended We are yet upon the Stage Therefore we must act our parts We have to deal with potent enemies Therefore we must be alwayes prepared to fight We are still in our race Therefore we must hold out to the last Let us then so act our parts that the Angels may rejoyce to be Spectatours let us so fight that we may winne the Crown let us so runne that we may obtain Well saith S. Gregorie If we well consider with our selves what and how great things are promised unto us in heaven all things on earth will seem vile unto us For what tongue can sufficiently expresse or what heart conceive how great the joyes be in that Citie which is above Where we shall beare a part in the heavenly Quire with Angels evermore lauding and praising God where we shall be in Gods presence and see him face to face where we shall behold light incomprehensible where we shall be in no fear of death where we shall have the priviledge of heavenly Saints and Citizens to be for ever incorruptible Me thinks I finde my minde inflamed and set on fire whilest I am speaking of these joyes and me thinks it should set on fire all that heare it Me thinks it should so work upon us all that even now we should most earnestly and ardently desire to be there where we hope to be for ever hereafter But thus much we must know That there is no coming there without much labour It is not I but Paul the Preacher that saith it A man is not crowned except he strive lawfully Let then the greatnesse of the reward encourage us and prick us forward and let not the labour and pains the short labour and the little pains hinder us or keep us back We must go on and we must go on with perseverance we must not so much consider the roughnesse of the way as the blessed Eternitie which is the end thereof And this the same holy Father declares most excellently saying This is a speciall badge and cognizance of the elect that they know how to carry themselves in the way of this present life in such manner that by the certainty of hope they are assured that they have attained unto a great pitch in as much as they see all transitorie things farre beneath them and for the love of Eternitie trample all sublunarie things under their feet And this is it which the Lord speaketh by the mouth of his holy Prophet saying unto every soul that followeth him I will lift thee up above the high places of the earth For as for losses reproaches povertie disgrace and such like these are as I may so call them the lower places of the earth which the
meddle with that which nothing concerns thee But to satisfie thee Courteous Reader who intendest I know with the Bee to gather Hony out of this Garden of Eternitie and not Poyson with the Spider I hold it fit to acquaint thee with the true occasion that moved me to translate this Book No Divine I am indeed neither yet can I be if I would never so fain I would I were but worthy the name of a Physician But howsoever being destinated by the statutes of my private Colledge to the studie of Physick in the first place I thought good to spend some time in Arithmetick as being a necessarie instrument and help in my Profession In which I made some progresse passing from Numeration Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division Reduction To the Golden Rule or the Rule of Three The Rule of Falshood The Rules of Proportion and the Rules of Societie and the rest But the knowledge of this cost me so deare that I was forced to leave the studie of it For many nights together I was constrained against my will to practise Numeration oftener then I would telling the Clock and could take but little rest Whereupon I resolved with my self to leave the Arithmetick School and so I went unto the Physick and Musick Schools imploring at one and the same time the help of Hippocrates and the Muses For at that time I turned the first book of Hippocrates his Aphorismes into Greek verses hoping to procure rest by Physick and the Musick of Poeticall Numbers by which I found some rest indeed And therefore since I have well-nigh finished at spare houres the other six books which if God permit may ere long see light But though I found some rest yet I did not sleep so soundly as at other times So I left the Temple of Hippocrates and the Muses and betook my self into the Sanctuarie to learn of David divine Arithmetick which consisteth in the due numbring of the dayes of this short life by comparing them with the yeares of Eternitie And so I fell upon translating this book of Eternitie And this I found by dayly experience to be the best Hypnoticon that ever I used For it brought me to my rest better then if I had taken Diacodion Thus I found the old saying true Where Philosophie ends there Physick begins and where Physick ends there Divinitie begins which I interpret thus as I found it true by experience When Philosophie by Accident had done me harm and Physick could do me little good I found perfect help in Divinitie And having found so much good by this book my self I could not be so envious as not impart it unto others for a Soveraigne Medicine to procure quiet sleep Neither is it good for that onely but Farre unlike to other Medicines which are onely good for some one disease and falling into unskilfull hands oftentime do more harm then good It is a Medicine fitting All Ages Complexions Conditions Places Parts Diseases Spirituall and Corporall whatsoever It is a Medicine Preservative Curative Restaurative It is an Antidote against the poyson of sinne It is Dictamnum to drive out the fierie darts of Satan It is Catholicon to purge out all ill humours It is better then Exhilarans Galeni to cheare the Heart oppressed with Melancholie It is an Acopon for all wearinesse an Anodynon for all pains a Panchreston Profitable for all things or All-good It is Panacea Hearts-ease All-heal It is a rich Treasurie for Englishmen A storehouse for the diseased and The ready way to long life even to blessed Eternitie Let no man now challenge me for usurping another mans office or trespassing upon Divines I cannot see but Divines and Physicians may well agree together Both are busied about curing of diseases either Spirituall or Corporall And here is a Medicine for both Take it and use it Christian Reader And thou shalt finde by thine own experience that it hath all the vertues above mentioned So I commend thee to the Physician both of Body and Soul and heartily desire thy Temporall and Eternall Health and Welfare Ralph Winterton From Kings Coll. June 1. 1632. Upon this Book of Eternitie TO reach Eternitie our thoughts first climbe On the successive steps and stairs of Time And What is Time It is by Poets call'd And by most Painters represented bald But Poets and the Painters are too bold For Time was never yet a Minute old Nor yet God Saturn-like doth it devoure The issue which it breeds For every houre Were then a Murderer But while we strain And all created natures for to gain Time to their inch of Being in the strife They quite burn out the Taper of their life But what 's Eternitie Good Reader look Not on my verses but upon this Book Which I do wish and yet no harm may be To all e'â—elasting Stationer but to thee Richard Williams LOok on the Glasse of mans Mortalitie Behold the Mirrour of Eternitie This Book is both Herein behold thy face It waxeth old thy Glasse doth runne apace It is appointed all men once to die And after death succeeds Eternitie This Life 's no Life which Time doth comprehend But that 's true Life indeed which knows no end This Book will teach thee so to live and die That thou maist live unto Eternitie Thomas Gouge THis Book 's a Nautick Chard which kept in Eye Doth point at th' Haven of blest Eternitie O blessed Haven At which if thou wouldst land Let not this Chard depart out of thine hand The Contents The first Consideration What Eternitie is Chap. I. WHat men of former times have thought of Eternitie and how they have represented it Pag. 4 Chap. II. The secret sense and meaning of Scripture is unfolded Pag. 16 Chap. III. Why the place of Eternitie is called a Mansion Pag. 22 The second Consideration In what things Nature representeth Eternitie Pag. 27 Chap. I. What things are Eternall in Hell Pag. 31 Chap. II. Why Hell is Eternall Pag. 37 Chap. III. Other motives to the consideration of Eternitie drawn from Nature Pag. 42 The third Consideration Wherein the old Romanes principally placed their Eternitie Pag. 47 Chap. I. How farre the Romanes have gonâ— astray from the true way of Eternitie 6â— Chap. II. A better way then the former which the Romanes followed to Eternitie Pag. 71 Chap. III. That the way of Eternitie is diligently and carefully to be sought after Pag. 85 The fourth Consideration How holy David meditated upon Eternitie how we should imitate him Pag. 97 Chap. I. Divers Admonitions to think upon Eternitie Pag. 103 Chap. II. That Eternitie transcends all numbers of Arithmetick Pag. 106 Chap. III. What effect and fruit the consideration of Eternitie bringeth forth Pag. 114 The fifth Consideration How others even wicked men themselves have meditated upon Eternitie Pag. 123 Chap. I. The Comparisons of mans labours and the Spiders one with another 13â— Chap. II. What is the best question in the world Pag. 138 Chap. III.
a sweet and pleasant dream and be after punished an hundred yeares for it would he think such a dream were to be desired And yet saith the Father As a dream is to an hundred yeares so is this present life to the life to come yea rather it is much lesse And as a drop is to the main Ocean so are a thousand yeares unto Eternitie And in another place What is there saith he to be compared unto Eternitie What are a thousand yeares in comparison of infinite ages which are yet for to come Are they not like unto the least drop of a bucket compared unto a bottomlesse Well Look for no end of torments after this life unlesse thou repentest before thou departest out of this life for after death there is no place of repentance no shedding of teares will profit thee or do thee any good Though a man in Hell should gnash his teeth and blare out his scorched tongue he shall not obtain so much as a drop of cold water Grant then that a man should enjoy pleasures all his life long what is that to infinite ages which are yet for to come Here in this life all things good and bad have at length an end but the punishments that shall be suffered hereafter shall have no end Set fire on the body here and the soul will soon depart But after the resurrection when the body shall be from thenceforth immortall and incorruptible the soul of the damned shall alwayes burn and not consume in Hell-fire They shall rise again incorruptible indeed But how Not to receive a crown of incorruptible glory but to suffer Eternall torments But let us heare what another of the Fathers saith Saint Gregorie makes answer to this common question Will not drunkennesse sooner steal upon a man in the wine-cellar standing by the hogshead then in the Parlour sitting at the table The Spouse of Christ triumpheth in the words of Solomon He brought me to the banquetting-house or as some reade it He brought me into his wine-cellar and his banner over me was love or He hath set his banner of love over me Upon which words Saint Gregorie discoursing saith thus By the wine-cellar what can we better or more fitly conceive then the secret contemplation of Eternitie For truely whosoever doth seriously consider with himself upon Eternitie and let this consideration sink deep into his minde he may truely rejoyce and triumph with the Spouse saying He hath set his banners of love over me For he will keep better order in his love loving himself lesse God more and even his enemies also for Gods sake But such is the nature of this profound consideration that it will presently make a man drunk Make him drunk How With the drunkennesse of the best desires such as will leade him to amendment of life carrie him to his heavenly countrey and bring him at length to joyes Eternall It was cast in the Apostles teeth that they were drunk with wine And so they were indeed but it was with wine out of this Cellar Saint Gregorie hath many excellent considerations and sayings upon Eternitie amongst others he hath this which is a very short one and a true one Momentaneum quod delectat AEternum quod cruciat That which delighteth is momentanie but that which tormenteth is Eternall Here I could wish with Job Oh that these words were written Oh that they were printed in a Book That they were graven with a pen of iron These words I say That which delighteth is momentanie but that which tormenteth is Eternall The Book in which this should be written is the heart of man the pen of iron with which it should be written is serious meditation the ink with which it should be written is the bloud of Christ. And these words so imprinted and ingraven in the breast are then especially to be called to minde and to be often repeated when pleasure fawneth when lust provoketh when luxurie inviteth when the flesh rebelleth and the spirit faileth when there is occasion of sinne offered and danger of falling into sinne But let us heare what another of the Fathers saith In the fourth place comes Saint Bernard He shall answer to the question here to be propounded In the lives of men there is such difference that almost now so many men so many judgements concerning afflictions There are found some so grievously and continually afflicted that they are ready to fall down under the crosse as being too heavy for them to beare One is oppressed with povertie another is afflicted with sicknesse another is overcharged with secret debts another is tormented with cares another is grieved and vexed with injuries and slanders every man thinks that most grievous which in present he suffers And many times it comes to passe that such as are faint-hearted and impatient wish for death runne into the water and make haste to the halter thinking thereby to finde an end of all their griefs and sorrows whereas indeed that supposed end becomes to them but the beginning of their sorrows and such sorrows as never shall have end But with the good and godly it is not so They patiently endure all submitting themselves in all things to Gods good will and pleasure They neither desire to die quickly nor yet to live long Is it Gods will they shall die They also are willing Will he have them die quickly They are willing to that also Will he have them live yet longer They are not against that What God willeth that they will What he willeth not neither will they Beside these two kindes of men there is a third and that is the greatest part of men that desire to live long And there is almost no man so old but he hopes and desires to live yet another yeare These men are never heard to say they have lived long enough Death makes too much haste with them he comes to them too soon yea and before his time Here now the question may be moved Who live or who shall live longer Saint Bernard in his seventeenth Sermon upon the ninetie first Psalme upon these words with long life will I satisfie him breaketh forth into this admiration What is so long as that which is Eternall What is so long as that which shall have no end Life Eternall is the good end which we are all to aim at and this end is without end And further he addes That is the true day indeed after which there follows no night where there is Eternall veritie and true Eternitie and therefore true and Eternall satietie So then the question may be determined thus That those onely shall live a long life truely so called whosoever shall never die but alwayes live in heaven And again That those shall die a lingring death alas too lingring a death whosoever shall alwayes die but never live in Hell for they shall live onely there to be tormented alwayes Let us heare but one more and so conclude
lodgeth in flames of fire in stead of his soft bed he is scalded with thirst and his sweet cups are taken from his mouth his table is removed and he hath no other food but fire and brimstone He is not now dancing and exulting for joy but gnashing his teeth for hellish desperation They that are shut up in prison here in this world have hope for their comfort it may be they shall be delivered and redeemed out of prison But from Hell there is no deliverance no redemption no not so much as any hope at all but Eternall desperation It is a short but a terrible Sermon that God preacheth by the Prophet Ezekiel in these words Say to the sorrest of the South Heare the word of the Lord Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shall devoure every green tree in thee and every drie tree The flaming flame shall not be quenched How many tall Cedars how many wicked and ungodly men flourish and wax green in this life for prosperous successe in all outward things and yet are dry and withered for want of vertue Heare this therefore every green and yet dry and withered tree I will kindle a fire saith the Lord and the flaming flame shall not be quenched In Hell whither you make such great haste there are no Holy-dayes no Festivals no set times in which the fire shall cease burning There is Eternall grief Eternall death Eternall sorrow without the mixture of the least comfort Night and day there is no rest no sleep at all but continuall watching and waking for grief and anguish and intolerable torments in everlasting fire There shall you alwayes have your being that you may alwayes be tormented there shall you alwayes live that you may alwayes die If you will not beleeve me beleeve Saint Augustine whose words are these The ungodly saith he shall live in torments but they which live in torments shall desire if it were possible that their life were ended But death heares them not there is none to take away their life Their life shall never end because their torments shall never end But what saith the Scripture The Scripture doth not so much as call it life For life is a name of comfort but what comfort can there be imagined in tortures and torments frying and broyling in everlasting fire But what doth the Scripture call it The second death that is a death which follows after the first and naturall death which is common to all men But how can the second death be called a death seeing that he that hath part therein never dieth We may better indeed expresse what it is not rather then what it is As it cannot properly be called a death so it may be truely said that it is no life And as concerning them that have part therein as they cannot properly be said ever to die so again it may be most truely said that they never live For so to live that a man shall alwayes live in sorrows and torments is not to live Therefore that life is no life But the onely life indeed is that life which is blessed and that life onely is blessed which is Eternall Again we have another place in the same Father to this purpose If the soul liveth in Eternall torments tormented with the unclean spirits This is rather to be called Eternall death then Eternall life For there is no greater or worse death then that death which never dieth Saint Gregorie also giveth the like testimonie In Hell saith he there shall be death without death end without end because death ever liveth and the end ever beginneth there death shall never die Oh death how much sweeter wert thou if thou wouldst take away life and not compell those to live who would fain die But so it is the number of the yeares in Hell are without number It pasleth the skill of the best Aâ—â—thmetician to finde out the number thereof God himself knowes no end thereof After a thousand thousand millions of yeares past there are still as many more to come and when those also are past there are yet as many more to come and still they are as farre from the last as they were at the first It is now above five thousand yeares since Cain that slew his brother Abel was cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone and yet the number of the yeares throughout which still he is to be tormented is as great still as it was the first day of his torment and after certain millions of yeares the yeares of his torments for their number shall be nothing diminished It shall be all one as if he were cast into the fire but this present houre And though the rich Glutton mentioned in the Gospel be tormented two thousand yeares together yet still he doth burn and shall burn for ever neither shall he obtain so much as a little drop of water though he use never so much intreatie not so much as a little drop of water to cool his inflamed tongue These things we often heare of and when we heare them we do but laugh at them Certainly we count it but a light matter to burn in Eternall fire Here a man might well ask the question where are your teares O mortall men ye that are given so much to laughing This is our condition A small losse if it be but a matter of three halfpence will wring great store of teares from us But as for an infinite and irrecoverable losse that we can brook easily we can digest that with laughter When we are cited to appeare at the barre of an earthly Judge then we quake and tremble But as we are going to Gods Tribunall for every day we rid some of our way we walk on step after step will we nill we and yet as we are going we sport by the way When we go to sea we are afraid of shipwrack But without either fear or wit we lanch into the deep sea of Eternitie and make but a laughing matter of it It is the wish of Saint Bernard Oh that men were wise that they were wise Oh that they were wise What then holy Bernard Oh then would the image of Eternitie begin to be reformed in them Then would they order things present wisely judge of things past understandingly and foresee things to come providently Here we have Saint Pauls command to the Ephesians and not his wish onely for his words runne in the Imperative Mood and not in the Optative Brethren see that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the dayes are evil The great businesse of our salvation ought circumspectly diligently and carefully to be regarded of us It is the most foolish thing in the world for a man having but little time allotted him to spend it prodigally in vain delights whereas he should like a thrifty merchant employ it rather for his best advantage to purchase
why so long in drawing his lines and so slow in the use of his pencill he made this answer I am long a doing whatsoever I take in hand because what I paint I paint for Eternitie And thus stands the case with all we paint also for Eternitie Whatsoever we do it so belongs unto Eternitie that a man may truely say of it thus I write I reade I sing I pray I labour whatsoever I do whatsoever I say whatsoever I think all is For Eternitie Now if this be the nature of our thoughts words and deeds if they shall remain For all Eternitie we had need have a care what we think speak or do it concerns us to look about us to minde our businesse not to go negligently and sleepily about our work not to let any thing go out of our hands rude and imperfect but to polish and perfect it with all the care skill and industrie that we can use We paint with Zeuxis For Eternitie When we have done our works they are presently transmitted to Eternitie to be viewed by a most judicious and all-seeing eye that no fault can escape and being viewed and censured they are to be committed either to be Eternally punished or Eternally rewarded What I have said before I here say again because it cannot be said too often though I should say it a thousand times Whatsoever we think speak or do once thought spoke or done it is Eternall it abideth for ever Will you heare what S. Gregorie saith In all our actions we must use great care and circumspection we must well weigh and consider with our selves what it is that we take in hand and to what end we do it that our mindes be not set upon any thing that is Temporall but upon those things which are Eternall Therefore in all thy actions labour to be perfect Pray for Eternitie study for Eternitie suffer for Eternitie contend for Eternitie labour for Eternitie So live to God that thou maist live with God So live on Earth that thou maist live in Heaven So live for Eternitie that thou maist live to Eternitie Heare also what S. Bernard saith Our works do not passe away assoon as they are done as they may seem to do but as seeds sown in time they rise up to all Eternitie The foolish man which hath no understanding will wonder to see such a plentifull increase rise up of such little seeds be it good or be it evil according to the nature of the seed which is sown But he that is wise will ponder these things and count no sinne little For he hath an eye still not to that which is present but to that which is to come not to that which is sown but to that which is reaped not to that which is done in time but to that which remains to all Eternitie Oh the dangerous and miserable madnesse of the sonnes of Adam God created us unto the possession of infinite and Eternall goods And why are we carried then with the whole bent of our affections to those things which are flitting and vanishing God made us heirs of Heaven and Eternall possessions And why do we so miserably entangle our selves in our vanities and run headlong to destruction Let us be wise in time let us look well to our steps let us make speed on the way of Eternitie Let us so live that we may live to Eternitie The way thither is short and narrow but the Term thereof is very large But O miserable and foolish men that we are We fain would obtain Eternall life but we are loth to tread in the way that leads to it we fain would be there but we will not take pains to go thither Every man desires to be blessed There is no man saith Saint Augustine of what condition or degree soever he be but hath a desire after that life which is blessed for ever Therefore that life is the common haven at which all men desire to arrive but all men know not how to steere their course aright It is a thing which all men without controversie would fain possesse but how to compasse it what course to take which way to go that is the point they cannot agree upon We may seek it long enough upon earth and it is a question whether we shall ever finde it or no Not that I condemne the seeking of it but the not seeking it in the right place One is of opinion that the Souldiers life is most blessed but another denies that and sayes The life of the Husbandman is most blessed And again this another denies and sayes that the Lawyers life is most blessed and he gives his reason for it For the Lawyer is worshipped by the people and is much sought unto he is ever taking of fees and pleading causes And again this another denies and sayes The Judges life is most blessed For he hath power of hearing causes and deciding them And yet again another denies this and sayes The Merchants life is most blessed For he sees divers countreys learns many fashions gathers together much wealth You see dearely beloved in so many severall kindes of lives there is not any one to be found that will please all But the life blessed for ever that is it which pleaseth all Blessednesse therefore is not to be expected here but is to be sought for elsewhere and never to be found out but by a good and godly death Ungodly men themselves desire to die the death of the godly but they will not live the life of the godly For to die well is the way to felicitie but to live well is matter of labour And yet that is not to be obtained without this Eternitie depends upon death and there is no dying well without living well Choose which thou wilt life or death If thou livest well thou canst not but die well and it shall be well with thee for ever If thou livest not well thou canst not hope to die well but it will be ill with thee for ever Not many yeares ago a man of a good house having more wit in his head then religion in his heart being asked what he thought of the strict lives of the religious and the loose lives of the licentious which he esteemed best answered thus I could wish to live like the licentious but to die like the religious Some wit there might be in his answer but I am sure there was little religion in it He had spoke like a Christian man if he had said thus I desire to live the life of the religious that my end may be like his Balaam could say Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his But he had said a great deal better if he had said thus Let me live the life of the righteous that I may die the death of the righteous and that my last end may be like his For whosoever liveth the life of the godly shall
a Mistresse and Guide leadeth thee by the hand and pointeth thee to a thing which the fire hath no power to consume So shall all the damned burn but never shall burn out They shall alwaies burn but never be consumed They shall seek for death in the flames but shall not finde it Therefore justly doth one cry out Oh wo Eternall that never shall have end Oh end without end Oh death more grievous then all death Alwayes to dye and never to be quite dead So saith divine Isaiah Their fire never shall be quenched And the Angel in the Revelation They shall desire to dye and death shall flee from them That the Salamander for a little time can endure live in the fire beside Aristotle Plinie Galen AElian Dioscorides S. Augustine also himself beleeved This creature is very cold and is generated of showers The sunne and drought are death to it Therefore according to Plinie it endures in the flame like ice Of the skin thereof lights are made for perpetuall burning lamps God who made the Salamander of Earth and Clay hath of his goodnesse formed man though of the same matter yet of a more excellent and noble nature He hath made him a little lower then the Angels He hath assigned unto him after this life the fellowship of the same kingdome with the Angels But man being in honour had no understanding and was compared unto the beasts that perish By his own malice he made himself such a Salamander that must alwayes live or alwayes dye in Eternall flames In those fiery prisons of Hell all things are Eternall but these six things especially CHAP. 1. What things are Eternall in Hell THe damned himself is Eternall and dyes not No man can make an end of himself or another They shall seek death and shall not finde it Yea the very desire of death in as much as their desire cannot be satisfied shall greatly increase their torment The Prison it self is Eternall It can never fall to ruine it can never be broken down it can never be digged through It is barred up with rocks and mountains The locks and barres are so firm and strong that none can get out If any of the damned should by Gods permission before the day of judgement come out from thence yet still he should carry an Hell about him and never be free from torment The fire there is Eternall Christ himself in Matthew saith as much expressely Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire or fire Eternall Doest thou heare this word Eternall The anger of the Lord doth kindle this fire and it shall never be put out To this beareth Isaiah witnesse saying The breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it it shall burn night and day and shall not be quenched the smoke thereof shall ascend up for ever and ever Eternall punishment and Eternall life are Relates as S. August speaketh and Relates are of like continuance To say therefore That Eternall life shall be without end and Eternall punishment shall have an end is very absurd Who therefore will deferre his conversion As the things mentioned before are Eternall so is the Worm and Conscience tormented with deep despaire for the life past Their worm shall not die So prophesieth Isaiah The Poëts of old translated this out of holy writ into their fables For what is that Tityus of whom Virgil feigneth That a flying Vultur every day gnawes and teares his Liver which is every night again repaired and made up that every day the Vultur may have more prey to gnaw upon What is the Vultur but the Worm we speak of And what is his Liver but the Conscience alwayes gnawen and tormented To this Eternitie of Hell belongeth also the last sentence and the last decree pronounced by Christ the Judge A decree Alas irrevocable immutable Eternall There is no Appealing from it If the sentence be once pronounced by the mouth of this Judge it stands irrevocable for all Eternitie In Hell there is no redemption not any no not any but Eternall desperation The bloud of Christ when it was newly poured out on the mount of Golgotha though of infinite efficacie for satisfaction yet reached not unto the demned If the yoke of the Lord saith Saint Bernard be a yoke of Repentance you think that in it self it is not sweet But this you must know That it is most sweet if it be compared with that fire of which it is said Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire The Punishment or Pain of losse also as they call it is Eternall being the privation of the sight of God for ever which together with all the other torments of the damned shall never have end because there can be no place for satisfaction For although these torments shall continue infinite millions of yeares yet there shall not one day no nor one houre no nor so much as a moment of rest and respite be granted There shall be vicissitude and varietie of torments but to their greater pain and grief Christ often foretold it by Matthew in plain words The children of the kingdome shall be cast out into utter darknesse There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth weeping for heat and gnashing of teeth for cold How then can man be so forgetfull of himself and God How can he so degenerate into a beast Yea rather how can he become like a rock or a stone so senselesse as when he shall think upon the unsufferable and unutterable torments of Hell which never shall have end then not to feare and tremble and say with himself thus I am for certain in the way to Eternitie and I know not how soon I may come to my journeys end I sit on the Stairs of Eternitie and every little thrust is ready to plunge me into the bottomlesse pit But if it seem so grievous and intolerable for a man to lye though but for one night on a soft feather-bed and never sleep or close his eyes but to sigh and grone for pain in his head or any other member for the toothach or for the stone If the night seems long and the day a great way off and the sun to slack his coming And yet as I said he lyes upon a good feather-bed and if he will have but a little patience he may hope to finde ease in the day and help from the Physician Alack Alack How intolerable shall it be to lye night and day in the fire for a thousand and a thousand and again I say a thousand yeares How intolerable shall it be there to watch to hunger to thirst to burn to be tormented extremely in every part and not to hope for any rest or so much as a drop of cold water but to be alwayes in despaire and so to fry and to be tortured for infinite millions of ages and to be so farre from
ALWAYES which shall follow But they which open their eares to heare and their hearts to understand when the Church soundeth both Trumpets as it often doth and thereupon seriously consider with themselves and compare together this short NOW with that infinite and everlasting ALWAYES they will use no delay but presently remove the camp they live here as Pilgrims and strangers they have their loyns girt they remember that they are in a journey they send their riches and pleasures before them into their Countrey which is above they choose rather to enjoy them ALWAYES in heaven then NOW for a short time upon earth Certain it is whosoever heareth attentively and mindeth seriously the Alarm of these Trumpets and thereupon compareth together things present with things future and things transitorie with things Eternall He will presently make himself ready to depart he will prepare himself a place of buriall he will lay out his winding sheet he will send for his bear and furnish himself with all things necessarie for his journey remembring still in every place that he is passing on the way to Eternitie and conferring with himself every day after this manner How shall I be able to give account unto God for all my thoughts words and deeds and When shall I give up my account and What sentence will he passe upon me NOW therefore will I die unto my self that I may ALWAYES livâ— unto my self and unto God Welâ— is it with that man which timelâ— and dayly thus thinketh upon Eternitie Whatsoever we do we arâ— passing on our way and we do noâ— know how short it is unto thâ— gate which leadeth to Eternitie At the last houre of our life death shall bring us unto this gate and compell us to enter Let us therefore so live as if we were alwayeâ— expecting death that if it shalâ— please God at any time to visit uâ— with sicknesse the forerunner oâ— death we may entertain it cheer fully and beare it patiently liftinâ— up our eyes unto Christ hanginâ— upon the Crosse the true and perfecâ— pattern of Patience and when the time of our dissolution draweth neare praying thus Lord Jesu stand by me and comfort me Lord Jesu be present with thy servant that putteth his trust in thee Lord Jesu make me partaker of thy victorie Lord Jesu receive my spirit and leade me through the darksome valley and shadow of death leade me and forsake me not untill thou hast brought my soul into the land of the living O thou most potent conquerour of death O thou which art my light life and salvation Good Master what good thing shall I doe that I may have ETERNALL life Math 19. 16. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God The love of riches of ETERNITIE are scarce resident in one heart THE FIFTH CONSIDERATION upon ETERNITIE How others even wicked men themselves have meditated upon Eternitie THe old historie of the Fathers tells us of a religious man that reading upon the nineteenth Psalme came at length having not thought of it to these words For a thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past and here stuck For he could not conceive a reason why a thousand yeares and one day should be compared together Whereupon they say there was a little bird sent by God which so ravisht the man with her sweet singing that though he heard her sing a very great while together yet he thought the time very short scarce a short houre long The winde bloweth where it listeth Not good men onely have with holy David meditated upon Eternitie but even wicked men also and those oftentimes against their will Benedictus Renanus reports of a vain and ungodly fellow a very Epicure and meer worldling which never used to fast or watch one that could not endure the want of any thing but especially sleep Upon a certain night it seems this fellow could not sleep as he was wont being much troubled with unusuall dreams so he turned himself upon his bed from one side to another and could not by any means get any rest then he wished it were day But here the winde of the Lord began to blow though it were in a strange land for good thoughts were very rare in this man Being weary with watching and finding no ease or rest aâ— all thus he began to think with himself Would any be hired upon any condition to lie thus two or three yeares together in darknesse without the companie of friends though his sicknesse were not very grievous Would he be content to want his sports and playes so long Would he be content to be bound to his bed though it were a feather-bed or a bed of down and never stirre abroad to see any sights or shews or make merry with his friends I think no man would And shall I alone amongst all men enjoy rest and pleasure by an especiall priviledge and have no sense of grief and sorrow Surely no. Will I nill I needs I must sometime or other lie down upon the bed of sicknesse unlesse I be suddenly taken away by death which God forbid This was a good winde these were good cogitations But what bed shall I have next when death shall thrust me out of this My body must rot under earth For this is the condition of all men after death But what shall become of my soul in another world Surely all men do not go to the same place after death Do not some go one way and some another Is there not an Hell as well as an Heaven Wo and alas What kinde of bed shall the damned finde in Hell How many yeares shall they lie there In what yeare after their first entrance shall the flames cease and be put out Assuredly Christ doth not onely in word threaten to cast the wicked into everlasting fire but will also cast them in indeed This thing is certain and very manifest Therefore the damned shall burn in Hell for ever Therefore a thousand and a thousand and again I say a thousand yeares will not suffice to purge away the â—innes of this short life Therefore they shall never see the Sunne any more nor Heaven nor God being most miserable Eternally and without end With such thoughts as these this man became so vigilant and watchfull and proceeded so farre that night and day he could not be at rest but Eternitie did still runne in his minde Fain indeed he would have shaken off the thoughts thereof as gnawing worms but he could not Therefore he followed sports and pastimes went to merry meetings sought out companions like himself and sate oftentimes so long at his cups that he laid his conscience asleep and so seemed to take some rest But when he came again unto himself his conscience being awakened did presently accuse him and suggest unto him afresh sorrowfull thoughts of Eternitie Thus finding no rest
he resolved at length to amend his manners and to betake himself to a better course of life And thus he began to reason with himself Miserable man that I am what do I here I so enjoy the world that indeed I enjoy it not I suffer many things I would not I want many things which I fain would have I serve like a slave but who will pay me my wages I see well enough how the world rewardeth those that love it and do all their lives nothing else but serve it But suppose I had the fruition of all the delights and pleasures in the world that my heart could wish what certainâ—ie can I have how long they shall last I am not certain whether I shall live till to morrow or no Daily Funerals sufficiently prove this Oh Eternitie if thou wert not Oh Eternitie If thy place be not in heaven though it be on a soft down-bed thou canst not but be bitter and unpleasant It is true indeed it is a hard matter to withdraw our selves away from those things whereunto we are accustomed whether it be feasting or drinking or company-keeping or such like But whilest we delay and deferre the time death may prevent us and take us away from all these Why then dost thou delay Why dost thou not impose an honest and happy necessitie upon thy self Why dost thou not resolve thus presently with thy self Well I will be another man then I have been if it please God I live This life lasts not long but Eternitie endureth for ever I must walk now in a new way I am resolved upon it And Now I begin Where art thou blessed Eternitie I am seeking for thee I am travelling towards thee To conclude he did as he said he took his leave of the world he changed the course of his life and so lived and died an honest and godly man Oh Eternitie How few are they that think thus seriously upon thee But certainly there are very few scarce any that weigh and consider well with themselves what thou art and so continue and persist in that consideration We seek earnestly after all other things onely Eternitie seemeth vile unto us and not worth the looking after Our thoughts runne after riches and yet the possession of them is very uncertain we know not how soon they shall forsake us or we them We are ambitious after honours and yet they are slippery and soon slide away from us We are in love with pleasures and yet they have sorrow and bitternesse in their latter end We desire rest but it is of no long continuance We knit the knot of friendship with others but it is such as death shall quickly dissolve We are never well but when we are conversing with others but our conversation is never in heaven where it should be We seek for abundance but it is there where it will soon fail But surely if we did more often and seriously think upon Eternitie we should not have such a fervent desire after things of so short continuance I call Saint Bernard to witnesse who saith thus He that longeth after things Eternall cannot but loath things transitorie There are that have often in their mouthes I know not what Eternitie that will promise and sweare and make good resolutions of amendment and say thus As long as I live I will beware of such a place or such a place where I have formerly been tempted to sinne I will never come neare such a man or such a woman or such a one that was my companion in evil I will never come neare him as long as I live As long as I live I will never go to such and such meetings where there useth to be gluttonie and drunkennesse dancing chambering and wantonnesse and such like It shall suffice me that I have been there once and again and perhaps oftner that I have done as the company did that I have sinned with such and such These are good resolutions In this I commend thee O man Because sinne is to be feared thou dost well in purposing to avoid the occasion of sinning and I could wish thou wert as religious in observing what thou hast promised as thou art ready to promise But alas after a day or two yea an houre or two too forgetfull of thy promise and good resolution thou dost again the very same thing which lately thou didst detest abhorre and forsweare Therefore before thou makest a vow or promise unto God it is good to use due consideration and foresight and when thou hast made a vow or promise unto God it is necessarie to use after-care and Christian fortitude in performance Thou must promise nothing rashly and unadvisedly unto God But what thou hast promised thou must religiously and constantly keep and observe How severe God is in punishing such as break their vowes and promises we are sufficiently taught by the wofull experience and lamentable example of others CHAP. I. The comparison of mans labours and the spiders one with another THere is another Eternitie and that the worst of all which those men promise to themselves which will needs erect up unto themselves an heaven out of heaven and be blessed before they be dead Wherefore heare the word of the Lord ye scornfull men saith the Prophet Isaiah Because ye have said we have made a covenant with death and with Hell we are at agreement O ye mad men How vain and none at all is this your Eternitie There is nothing permanent and perpetuall in this prison Elegantly doth the Kingly Prophet declare this we spend our yeares saith he as a tale that is told c. we spend our yeares in musing like the Spider for so some reade it He could not have declared it better and in fewer words For what are all our yeares but a continuall musing and wearisome exercise All the time of our life is consumed and wasted away with vain labours many sorrows sundry fears often suspicions and innumerable troubles Even as the Spider spends her self in the weaving of her web Our labours are continuall linked one unto another our sighs and groans continuall partly in the pursuing of our profits and pleasures and partly in the removing and eschewing those things which we count evil We do many things we undertake many labours troublesome and grievous to be born and mean while alas such is our folly we perceive not that we do but weave the Spiders web taking a great deal of pains with little successe to no end or purpose we spend our yeares in musing like the Spider It is a great deale of pains and care that the Spider takes in weaving of her web she runs much and often up and down she fetcheth a compasse this way and that way and returns often to the same point she spendeth her self in a multitude of sine-spun threeds to make her self a round cabinet she exenterates her self and worketh out her own bowels to make an artificiall and
short labour for rest Eternall Hast thou joy for a time Do not trust too much to it Art thou sad and sorrowfull for a time Do not despair of joy and comfort Neither let prosperitie puffe thee up nor adversitie cast thee down God hath promised unto thee Eternall life Therefore contemne Temporall felicitie He hath threatned Eternall fire Therefore contemne all Temporall sorrows To conclude then with the same divine authour Let us therefore be in love with Eternall life and thereby we shall come to know how much we ought to labour for the obtaining of it For we see that those men which are lovers of this present life which is but temporall and shall shortly have an end labour with might and main to preserve and prolong it as long as they can And yet they cannot escape death For that at one time or other will seize upon them All that they can hope for is but to put it off for a little time When death approacheth then every one is labouring and seeking to hide himself ready to give and part with any thing that he hath to redeem his life He sends for the Physician he will be ruled by him in any thing he will take any thing at his hands he will suffer any thing purging bleeding cupping scarifying and what not You see what charge a man will be at and what pains he will voluntarily endure to live here though but for a short time And yet he will scarce be at any charge or take any pains after this life ended to live for ever Brethren it should not be so If there be such labouring and watching such sending and going such running and riding such spending and praying such doing and suffering to live here a while longer What should we not willingly do and suffer to live for ever And if they be accounted wise which labour by all means they can to put off death a while longer being loth to lose a few dayes What fools are they which live so that finally they lose the day of Eternitie Think upon these things well with your selves O mortall men and foresee the day of Eternitie whether of joy or of torment before it cometh For although all other things passe away yet Eternitie still remains and shall never passe away CHAP. I. The Punishment of Eternall death THe Messenians had a certain prison or dungeon under earth void of aire and light and full of Hellish horrour which as it was a most dismall place so had it also a glorious title for it was called the Treasure-house This prison or dungeon had no doores at all to it onely one mouth at which the prisoners were let down by a rope and so it was stopped up again with a great stone Into this Treasure-house was Philopoemen that great Emperour of Greece cast and there by poyson he ended his life God also hath his Treasure-house under earth if I may so speak But I pray you what a one is it It is of most wicked and ungodly desperate and damned men Actiolinus a Tyrant of Padua as Jovius reports had many prisons so infamous for all kinde of miseries and torments that whosoever were cast thereinto counted their life miserie and their death happinesse Death might come in there without knocking he was so welcome unto them and so long lookt for For this was their hard usage They were laden with irons starved with hunger poisoned with stench eaten up with vermine and so in a most miserable manner they lived and died at length a long and a lingring death There every one was judged most miserable but he that was dead and could feel no misery Whilest they lived it was a punishment worse then death to have their habitation amongst the dead For the dead bodies lay on heaps rotting amongst the living in such manner that it might be truely said there That the dead killed the living But the very worst of these prisons is a Paradise and a most pleasant place if it be compared with the infernall prison of Hell Whatsoever miserie was suffered in Actiolinus his prison in this regard it was tolerable because it was of no long continuance being to last no longer then a short life and quite vanishing away at the houre of death But the Treasure-house of the damned which is Gods prison is void of all comfort The torments thereof are intolerable because they are Eternall Death cannot enter in there neither can those that are entered get out again But they shall be tormented for evermore For evermore What a fearfull thing is this They shall be tormented for evermore It was a most true saying of Cassiodorus As no mortall man can apprehend or understand what the Eternall reward is so neither can any man conceive or imagine what that Eternall torment is The Persians had a prison into which a man might enter easily but being once in could get out no more or if he did yet very hardly And therefore it was called Lethe or Oblivion It is an easie matter to descend down into Hell but to ascend up again it is altogether impossible Was ever any heard to return from Hell This prison of Hell is not without just cause called Lethe or Oblivion For God is so unmindefull of the damned that he will never remember them to have mercy upon them Hell is called the Land of Oblivion or Forgetfulnesse and that for two reasons as a godly and learned Writer observes First Because saith he they remember God no more for their good neither have they any memorie at all of things past but such as doth afflict and torment them All their pomp and glory pleasures and delights are quite forgotten or else not remembred without grief and sorrow Secondly To those that are in this horrid Region and lake of fire God hath forgotten to be gracious and mercifull neither will he send his Angels at any time to minister unto them the least comfort If once in there is no coming out again For what said Abraham unto the rich Glutton frying in Hell and desiring him to send Lazarus to cool his tongue with a drop of water Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would passe from hence to you cannot neither can they passe to us that would come from thence Oh gulf full of horrour and despaire Oh Eternitie of torments the very thought whereof is able to make a stout man quake and tremble The wicked and ungodly men dig their own graves and dwell therein for evermore But what manner of graves do they dig They dig as deep as Hell where the rich Glutton was buried from whence he lifted up his eyes in torments and saw Abraham afarre off and Lazarus in his bosome to his greater torment Oh what a terrible deep is this Oh what a fearfull grave is this Who lies here He that suffered Lazarus to lie at his gate having no compassion on him How is it with him now He
a portion in blessed Eternitie If we think to gain heaven by sporting playing and idling we are much deceived To be telling of tales or giving eaâ—e unto them when they are told to be given to our ease and spend our time in idlenesse to be calling for our cups and sit so long at them till we cannot stand This is not to redeem the time But this is truely to redeem the time To give our selves to labour and study prayer and meditation not for a spurt and away but to hold on in this course constantly unto the end This I say is truely to redeem the time It is the counsell of Saint Augustine to steal some time from our worldly businesse Will any man sue thee at the common law Be content saith he to lose something that thou maist be at leisure to serve God and not follow suits for that which thou losest is the gaining of time For as thou givest thy â—oney and buyest bread so be content to lose thy money that thou maist buy rest and opportunitie to serve God for this is indeed truely to redeem the time So ought we to spare for no cost but willingly part with any thing to gain an opportunitie of doing good seeing that the dayes are evil The dayes of this life are full of sorrows griefs dangers and tentations which ever and anon take from us the opportunitie of doing good So saith Anselm But if we let slip the opportunitie of doing good when it is offered and let our dayes consume away in meere purposes of amendment of life without bringing them to good effect From thenceforth it is in vain to look for any opportunitie of doing good we shall not obtain one minute of time our losse is altogether irrecoverable Our life saith Nazianzen is like a Mart or a Fair When the day appointed is once over there is no more buying any commodities If then we will buy any thing we must do it quickly whilest the Fair lasts We must live godly whilest we have time to live We must serve God whilest we are strong and able The Preacher often beats upon this whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might The Apostle often spurs us on to lay hold upon opportunitie and make good use of our time As we have therefore opportunitie let us do good to all men For now it is high time to awake out of sleep Thou sleepest saith Saint Ambrose but thy time sleepeth not it runneth apace yea it flies with wings Happie he happy they that think upon these things to do thereafter that live so as at the point of death they will desire to have lived to do such things as they will rejoyce to have done when they are translated to Eternitie A light neglect now will prove an Eternall losse Whatsoever we think speak or do once thought spoke or done it is Eternall it abideth for ever CHAP. II. The reward of Eternall life THe life in heaven is life indeed and the most perfect and absolute life of all others in that it is animall in that it is humane in that it is angelicall yea in that it is divine There lives the Memory by the perfect remembrance of all things that are past There lives the Understanding by the knowledge and vision of God There lives the Will and enjoyeth all manner of good without fear of losing it In like manner liveth there the Appetite both that which is called Concupiscible and that which is called Irascible There live all the Senses and are filled with delights There is heard no sighing no lamentation no grief or sorrow nor so much as the least signe thereof There is the most sincere and pure song of joy without the mixture of the least drop of the gall of bitternesse and sorrow Let the eyes be silent they never saw the like let the eares be silent they never heard the like let thy heart be silent it could never conceive the like to this life This life includeth within it self all pleasures riches honours and all the delights of all lives senses and faculties S. Augustine as it were set on fire with the servent desire of this life breaketh forth into these words How great happinesse shall be there where there is the presence of no evil and the absence of no good where we shall be continually praising God who is all in all Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee All the faculties of our souls and members of our bodies being made incorruptible shall be ever setting forth the praise of God There shall be true glory and praise indeed where neither he that doth give praise glory can be deceived nor he to whom it is given can be flattered There shall be true honour indeed which shall be denied to none that is worthy nor bestowed upon any that is unworthy yea which none that is unworthy shall desire or seek after where none that is unworthy shall be permitted to abide There he which is the giver of vertue shall be the reward thereof for he hath promised himself and what could he promise greater and better then himself The Prophet Jeremie is witnesse of this his promise in these words I will be their God and they shall be my people I will be unto them whatsoever with honestie can be desired I will be unto them life and health and food and plentie and glory and honour and peace and every good thing For this is the meaning of these words God shall be all in all He shall be the end of all our desires And one great good there is to be found in that blessed Citie of God which is not elsewhere to be found and that is this That no inferiour there shall envy his Superiour but they shall be like members of the naturall body compacted together in a friendly and peaceable manner where the finger desireth not to be the eye noâ— the foot the head but every member is content with his own place And a little after saith the same Father There shall we keep an Eternall Sabbath of rest and there shall we taste and see how sweet the Lord is we shall be filled with his goodnesse when he shall be all in all O God my God! Thou art Love and Charitie Truth and Veritie true Eternitie and Eternall Felicitie Another speaketh unto this life by way of Apostrophe after this manner In thee there is no corruption nor defect nor old age nor anger but perpetuall peace and solemne glorie and everlasting joy and continuall solemnitie There is joy and exultation there is an Eternall spring There is alwayes the flower and grace of youth and perfect health Non est in tâ— Herì nec Hesternum Sed est idem Hodiernum Tibi salus tibi vita Tibi pax est infinita Tibi Deus omnia That is Yesterday was with thee never But to day is
present ever Thou hast peace that ever lasteth Health and life that never wasteth God is all in all Glorious things are spoken of thee O Citie of God In thee have their habitation all those that rejoyce In thee there is no fear in thee no sorrow All desires are turned to joyes Whatsoever a man can wish for is present with thee Whatsoever can be desired is in thee in abundance They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life in thy light shall we see light when we shall see thee in thy self and thee in us and our selves in thee living in everlasting felicitie and enjoying the beatificall vision of thee for ever And though this felicitie be everlasting yet a man may obtain it in a short time and with little labour I have compassion on the multitude saith our Saviour because they have now been with me three dayes and have nothing to eat Sweet Saviour dost thou count it such a matter for us to abide with thee three dayes and eat nothing And why sweet Jesus dost thou not rather tell us of the dayes of Eternitie and the everlasting joyes wherewith we shall be abundantly satisfied in the kingdome of heaven God taketh notice of the least service that we perform and it is precious in his sight He telleth the very hairs of our heads and much more then will he tell the drops of bloud that are spilt for his sake and put them up in the bottle of his remembrance We may therefore very well cry out with Saint Hierom Oh! How great a blessednesse is this To receive great things for small and Eternall things for Temporall and further to have the Lord our debtour But thou wilt be ready to say It goes hard to be in sufferings every day and though all other things might easily be endured yet death is terrible Christian brother I am ashamed to heare thee say so it is foolishly spoken and like a childe Knowest thou not thus much I know that I ascend to descend flourish to wither am young to grow old live to die and die to live blessed Eternally Trust therefore in the Lord for ever For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Again S. Augustine comes unto my minde who upon the words of our Lord saith thus Our Lord and Saviour concluded with these words saying These shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life Eternal It is life Eternall that is here promised Because men love to live here upon earth therefore life is promised unto them And because they are much afraid to die therefore life Eternall is promised unto them What wouldest thou have Life Well thou shalt have it What art thou afraid of Is it Death Well thou shalt not suffer it But they which shall be tormented in Hell fire shall have a desire to die and death shall flie from them To live long therefore is no great matter yea more To live alwayes is no great matter but To live blessed that is a thing to be desired that is a great matter indeed Therefore thou shalt live in heaven and shalt never die There shalt thou live blessed for evermore for neither shalt thou suffer any evil neither shalt thou be in fear of suffering for there it is impossible to suffer any evil There shalt thou possesse whatsoever thou canst desire and what thou possessest thou shalt desire still to possesse Thou canst not be cast out of possession And this shall satisfie thee It was there that David did expect to have his thirst quenched and his hunger satisfied In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore and again My soul thirsteth after thee and yet again As for me I will behold thy face in righteousnesse I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse This is a new and a strange voice for a King He hath his table well furnished with all kindes of dishes and yet as if he were hunger-starved he hopes to be filled at anothers table His own bread and his own wine would not serve his turn to appease his hunger or to quench his thirst There was other bread that he had a minde to and other liquour that he so thirsted after the bread of heaven and the water of life For what is the plenty and abundance of all the Kings of the earth It is nothing else but meere want And what is the daintie fare at their great tables It is but like the beggers pitcher if it be compared with the fatnesse of Gods house and his heavenly table Come eat and drink and be filled my beloved shall the King of heaven say This feast of mine shall never be ended there shall come no sorrow after it As it is To day so shall it be For ever and ever Neither can Saint Augustine here contain himself but he breaks forth again into this exclamation Oh life of lives surpassing all life Oh everlasting life Oh life blessed for ever where there is joy without sorrow rest without labour riches without losse health without sicknesse there is no such matter in this life abundance without defect life without death perpetuitie without corruptibilitie beatitude without calamitie where all good things are in perfect charitie where all knowledge is in all things and through all things where the Majestie of God is seen in presence where the minde of the beholders is filled with the bread of life They alwayes behold Gods presence and still they desire to behold it they desire to behold it and yet without anxietie they are satisfied with it and yet without satietie And that thou maist understand and know good Christian brother that this superexcellent glory these celestiall riches this heavenly kingdome is to be bought heare what the same Saint Augustine saith I have to sell saith God I have to sell come and buy it Lord what is it that thou hast to sell I have rest Come and buy it What is the price of it The price is labour And how much labour is Eternall rest worth If thou wilt speak the truth and judge aright Eternall rest is worth Eternall labour It is true indeed but do not fear For God is mercifull For should thy labour be Eternall thou shouldest never attain to rest Eternall But that thou maist attain at length to rest Eternall therefore thy labour shall not be Eternall not but that it is worth so much but that thou maist at length get the possession of it Indeed it is worth the price though it be labour Eternall But that it may be purchased and possessed it is necessarie that the price thereof be but labour Temporall Therefore Christian brethren let us rouse up our selves and stirre up one another with this exhortation of Saint Augustine which here followeth Let us
stone upon another that shall not be thrown down So there is nothing Eternall in this world And where is now old Rome If this question be demanded the answer may be this Here it was Where are they that built it They are dead and gone There is not so much as their ashes left of them And ere long we must all go the same way become like a shadow return unto dust and be resolved into nothing Oh the poore and mean condition of mortall men even at the greatest Oh the instabilitie and frailty of the strongest men even in the prime of all their strength For what is now become of all those things or where are they They are quite vanished away where is their money which they heaped up beyond belief ' T is scattered abroad Where are their stately and lofty buildings They are not to be seen Such are all things else though to us they seem never so great nothing else but a meer shadow and a dream if they be compared with Eternitie and those things which are Eternall The foundation on which the whole fabrick of vanishing glory is set up is too weak and mouldring made but of clay Stone and Marble cannot be engraven with Characters inscriptions of Eternitie Well saith Lactantius The works of mortall men are mortall That there was a Babylon a Troy a Carthage and a Rome we beleeve But if we will beleeve no more then we see there be scarce any reliques or ruinous parts of them remaining to perswade us that there were such Cities So the seven wonders of the world so Neroes golden palace Diocletian's Hot Baths Antoninus his Baths Severus his Septizonium Julius his Colossus Pomper's Amphitheatre have no foot-step or print of them remaining no scarce upon record or registred in books And how farre have all these come short of Eternitie CHAP. I. How farre the Romanes have gone astray from the true way of Eternitie AT Nazareth in a certain conclave called by the name of the blessed Virgin there is in one place mention made of a kingdome Of which kingdome there shall be no end Such was not the kingdome of Solomon for that lasted but foure hundred yeares even to the Captivitie of Babylon Such was not the kingdome of the Romanes neither of the Persians nor yet of the Grecians For where are now those kingdomes in former times most flourishing where are those most ancient Monarchies How great was Nebuchadnezzar in Chaldea and Syria and after him Belshazzar From them the Sceptre was translated unto the Medes and Persians to Cyrus and Darius Neither continued it there long From thence it was translated into Greece to Alexander surnamed the Great King of Macedon for a long time most victorious and fortunate But as warlike valour decayed so fortune failed And so the Sceptre was translated into Italie to Julius Cesar and Octavius Augustus What is become of all these Kings where are they But thou O Christian man seek that kingdome of which kingdome there shall be no end Numantia Athens Carthage and Sparta all are come to an end They are utterly perished But as for the kingdome which is above Of that there shall be no end The king that ruleth there is Eternall and those that live in that kingdome are Eternall The Lord shall reigne for ever and ever On which words saith Origen Dost thou think that the Lord shall reigne for ever and ever Yea he shall reigne for ever and ever and beyond that too Say what thou canst thou shalt still come short of the duration of his kingdome The Prophet will still adde something as for example after For ever yet more and ever or Beyond that too And yet saith Isidore though this kingdome be Eternall though infinite though every way blessed though it be promised to us Not a word of that For what man is there of a thousand that spends the least part of a day in meditating upon that that ever once makes mention of that that ever instructs his wife his children and his servants concerning that We prattle much of all other things but as for heaven there is scarce any mention made of that or if there be surely it is very rare In setting forth the commendation of his own Countrey every man is a nimble-tongued Oratour But as for that which is our true Countrey indeed we blush and are almost ashamed being too modest in commending that For it is come to passe in these dayes by the disuse of holy conference that men think themselves not witty or facete enough unlesse they speak idle and unprofitable words and make foolish jests nay that is not all unlesse their cheeks swell and their lips run over with filthy and unsavourie speeches Oh! this is to go astray quite out of the way But let our hearts and mouthes be filled with the praise and desire of things Eternall let our thoughts and words alwayes run after them we have no other way to true glory but this and there is no true glory but that which is Eternall The chief Priests and the Pharisees amongst the Jews to overthrow Christs power as they thought and to eternize their politick Government assembled themselves together in councell and by their foolish wisdome as it proved made decrees to their own hurt Elegantly speaketh S. Augustine of them consulting and deliberating together in full Court The chief Priests saith he and the Pharisees took counsell together what they should do for their own good and yet they said not Let us beleeve The wicked and ungodly men sought more how to hurt and to destroy then how to provide for their own security that they might be saved And yet they were in fear and in counsell For they said what do we For this man doth many miracles If we let him thus alone all men will beleeve on him and the Romanes shall come and take away both our place and nation They were afraid to lose things Temporall and never thought upon the life which is Fternall And so they lost both Such is the vanity and affected mockerie of our foolish cogitations What are we And what is all that we call ours To day we flourish like a flower we are well spoken of we please and are in favour with men But alas To morrow our flower will fade we shall be ill spoken of and out of favour with God and man man whom hitherto we pleased and God whom we never studied for to please We neglect heaven and keep not earth We get not the favour of God and lose the worlds favour And so we are most deplorately miserable and destitute on both sides If death would but spare those that are the happy ones of this world it may be they might finde here some glory some I say such as it is For there is none true but that which is in heaven and Eternall But alas Death spares no man sees in the dark and is not seen
and watches his time when he may set upon us when we think not of him What shall become of us whither will he carry us if here we have lived wickedly To the barre of Christs judgement and from thence to the pit of Hell And from thence there is no redemption Nobility from thence sets no man free Power delivers no man The applause of men formerly given yeelds there no comfort Let us here seek the favour of God and his glory That is the true glory which is got by the shunning of vain glory And there is no true glory but that which is Eternall Solomon in the Proverbs describeth wisdome like a Queen attended by two waiting maids Eternitie and Glorie the first on the right hand the second on the left Glorie is nothing worth if there be not joyned with it Eternitie that which all we Christians do expect For here we have no continuing Citie but we seek one to come Eternall in the heavens The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance To give an almes to a poore man to moderate a greedie appetite to resist the enemie of chastitie These are works that require not much pains or time for the doing And yet the remembrance of these together with their reward shall be Eternall What a small thing was it that Mary Magdalene bestowed upon our Saviours feet How quickly had she done it And yet it is made known throughout the whole world Some others it may be would have admired other things in her her cherrie cheeks her comely countenance the pleasant flower of her youth her rare grace her great riches her affabilitie and courtesie and such like These were not the things which Christ commended in her but it was the office which she performed unto his feet The thing it self was not great And yet it was a means to procure for her Eternall glory and a never-dying name It shall be preached throughout the whole world This is the testimonie of Christ. This work of hers was not engraven in marble nor cast in brasse nor promulged in the market place nor proclaimed with a Drum and a Trumpet And yet it hath continued for a memoriall of her to this day and so shall for ever and It shall be preached throughout the whole world If you consider the action it self Judas Iscariot the covetous Pursebearer found fault with it Simon the swelling and proud Pharisee condemned it If the matter it was but an Ointment at the most not worth above thirty small pieces of gold If the place it was private If the witnesses present they were but few If the person she was a woman and one infamous And yet for all these It shall be preached throughout the whole world How many Emperours have advanced their colours displayed their victorious and triumphant Eagles and set up their standards in their enemies Camp How many warlike Captains have led popular Armies and commanded them worthily How many provident Governours have ruled their people very wisely How many Kings have erected rare monuments and statues and built Castles and Cities How many learned men have wasted their brains in new inventions and have like Chymicks distilled them into Receivers of Paper And to what end all this To keep their names in continuall remembrance and to be recorded amongst worthy and memorable men And yet notwithstanding they lodge in the bed of silence and lie buried in the grave of oblivion But one good work that the righteous doth shall be had in everlasting remembrance Time and envie shall never deface and conceal it The wisest men Captains Prelates and Kings themselves shall with reverence reade and heare it It shall be preached throughout the whole world The onely way then to immortalitie and true Eternitie is To live well so to die well Go to now ye Romanes If ye will seek Eternitie in Statues and Mâ—rble monuments but you shall never finde it there I for my part will wish rather with S. Hierom in the life of Paul the Eremitâ— Oh remember saith he Hierom a sinner who if God had given him the choice would have preferred the poore cloak of Paul with his good works before the Scarlet robes of kings with their kingdomes Let us Christians here whilest we have time make over our riches for fear lest we lose them let us send them before us into another world Heaven stands open ready to receive them We need not doubt of the safe carriage the carriers are very faithfull and trusty but they are the poore and needy of this world We make over unto them here by way of exchange a few things of little value being to receive in heaven an exceeding Eternall weight of glorie For so hath Christ promised upon the performance of his precept I say unto you Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations But let us passe from the Romanes unto others CHAP. II. A better way then the former which the Romanes followed to Eternitie DArius the king of the Persians most notable for his slaughter had in his Armie ten thousand Persians which he therefore called immortall as Caelius Rhodiginus interprets it not because he thought they should never die For where are there any such but because as any of the number was diminished by sword or sicknesse it was presently made up so that still there was neither more nor lesse then ten thousand Thus Darius framed unto himself a kinde of immortalitie and Eternitie But alas it was a very short one For within a little space he and all his armie utterly perished The Presidents and Princes assembled together unto Darius and said thus unto him King Darius live for ever Alas how vain was this wish and how short this Eternitie We live but seventy or eighty yeares at the most We are but in a dream if we think to live here for ever Not without cause therefore Xerxes when for the conquering and subjugating Greece as Herodotus reports he carried with him out of Asia two great armies both by sea and land in number three and twenty hundred thousand seventeen thousand and six hundred beside others that attended upon souldiers upon a day taking his prospect from a Mountain and beholding his souldiers fell a weeping And being asked the reason why He said it was because after a matter of fiftie or sixty yeares of so many hundred thousand men so select and strong scarce one should be found alive We may dream and feigne unto our selves I know not what Eternities But in the mean time we must needs die and are as water spilt upon the ground Another and better type of Eternitie was found out at Constantinople in the yeare of our Lord 459. The Church of Constantinople in the time when Gennadius was Bishop was augmented by a new and noble foundation of a Monasterie of Acoemets dedicated to S. John Baptist. These Acoemets