wholly annihilated Birth is a River saith Heraclytus which never drieth up but is continually supplyed by an accession of fresh waters though the Body be subject to death and after death to a thousand transmutations as men cast away at Sea may be devoured by Fishes those Fishes after eaten by men possibly some of those men devoured by wild Beasts those Beasts by Dogs those Dogs eaten up by Worms those Worms consumed to dust that dust scattered upon the Earth yet after all these revolutions and transmutations there is something remaining and God is able to make those dispersed pieces of dust like those scattered bones Ezek. 37. to come together one to another take twenty several sorts of seeds and mingle them together in the same vessel a skilful Gardiner is able to sever them one from another mingle the filings of Steel or Iron with so much dust that the filings are not perceived yet by the help of the Load-stone you may separate the filings from the dust according to their first quantity They say some exact Chymists are able out of the same herb to draw out the several elements by themselves That men can do this it is because God teacheth them as the Prophet speaketh of the Husbandman (w) Isaiah 28.26 And he that teacheth men knowledge shall not he know (x) Psalm 94.10 He that first made man out of nothing can much more repair him out of that something yet remaining Augustine hath a good meditation to this purpose Think saith he with thy self how old thou art whether twenty or thirty years old before that time what wast thou Where wast thou In the Grave whither thou goest there will be dust or ashes or something to be found toward a man whereas before that time there was neither dust nor Ashes nor any thing to be found towards thy Nativity God who at first made the body out of nothing can and will remake it out of something pre-existent and when it is thus re-made it shall be made Immortal and incorruptible So the Apostle * 1 Cor. 15.42.53 It is sown in corruption it shall be raised in incorruption This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality We read Levit. 14. If the Plague of Leprosie were in a house they must scrape the walls and pull out the stones and plaister and put other plaister in the room but if the Leprosie brake out again they must pull down the house with the stones timber and morter thereof There is in every man the fretting Leprosie of sin In the work of Conversion God as it were takes out the Timber and Stones and putteth others in their room while he worketh a thorow change in the soul but still the Leprosie of Sin continueth till at last God sends Death which pulleth down the house with the timber and stones and thereby takes away both the Leprosie of sin and that mortality and corruption which sin bringeth As a Watch being battered or clogged with dust is taken in pieces pulled joynt from joynt and wheel from wheel to the end it may go better than before or as some goodly Statue of Brass being defaced is taken down pulled in pieces put into the Fire but all this is that it may be put together again and made a more goodly work manship Or if we arise and go into the Potter's-Field and behold his workmanship is not the Vessel made of Clay that was marred in the hands of the Potter * Jer. 18.4 yet he either maketh it the same Vessel so as nothing is wanting but its former deformity or if he pleaseth a mâ—re honourable vessel than before In like manner the body being by Adam's sin made liable to Death and Corruption God seeth good to take it in pieces by death that being put together again at the Resurrection it might be freed from this corruptibleness and put into an estate of immortality and incorruption To what end is the Body made thus immortal if not to continue in an eternal immortal condition From all this we conclude if man be an immortal Creature both in regard of his Soul which is immortal in its own Nature and in regard of his Body which shall be made Immortal by Gods Power his future condition must of necessity be immortal and eternal whether he be admitted into Heaven or doomed to Hell his condition is eternal and everlasting CHAP. III. Of Scripture-Proofs of Eternal Happiness Consisting in Sight Love Joy Praise with created Accessories and Eternal Misery Expressed by Wrath Worm Fire Prison Darkness Burning Torment HAving endeavoured to demonstrate the point from Arguments I proceed to prove it from Scripture though it be unusual in the method of Preaching to bring Arguments before Scripture-proofs yet it is frequent in Argumentation to reserve the strongest Proof till last Ruffinus reporteth that at the Council of Nice a Godly man of no great learning was the means of Converting a learned Philosopher whom the Bishops with all their Arguments could not perswade the person brake forth into this speech Against words I opposed words and what was spoken I overthrew by the art of speaking but when instead of words power came out of the mouth of the speaker words could no longer withstand truth nor man oppose the power of God Possibly what is spoken by way of Argument may not be so convincing to some who will seek to elude the strength of one Argument by another whereas proofs from plain places of Scripture silence all cavils and exceptions that therefore I have reserved for the last proof There is a twofold Eternity one of Happiness the other of Misery the Scripture is abundant in the proof of both I begin with the Happiness of Heaven The Schoolmen distinguish of a two-fold happiness one they call the essential happiness which they make to consist in the enjoyment of God the other accidental consisting in the enjoyment of those glorious things which God together with himself giveth unto his people Others say to the same purpose that there is an uncreated reward which is God himself I am thy exceeding great reward (a) Gen. 15.1 and a created reward consisting in those good things which God hath created to make his people happy both these the Scripture describeth to be Eternal 1. The great Happiness in Heaven consists in the enjoyment of God God is the happiness of the Saints in Heaven not only Efficiently as he is the author of it nor only finally as he is the end of it but objectively as being the object of this blessedness he is both the Giver and the Gift the Rewarder and the Reward the Crowner and the Crown it is God who both bestoweth the happiness and is himself the happiness of the Saints Whom have I in Heaven but thee (b) Psal 73.25 God shall be all in all (c) 1 Cor. 15.28 as this will hold in some other particulars so in this and as
which they dare not die or in which if they should die they should be eternally miserable this argues as great a folly and stupidity as the nature of man is capable of Thou wouldest be troubled if thou certainly knewest thou wert to live but one month longer and art thou not affected when perhaps thou shalt not cut-live one day (h) Fleres si scires unum tua tempora mensem Rides cum non sit forsitan una dies Eliphaz speaking of a Vision he had saith A thing was secretly brought me and mine ear received a little of it (i) Job 4.12 13 14 15 18 20 21. He sets it out by the time when it was made known to him in thoughts from Visions of the night when deep sleep falleth upon upon It is further described by the strange effects of it fear came upon me and trembling which made all my bones to shake He goeth on to shew the terror this Vision brought upon him A Spirit passed before my face the hair of my flesh stood up Hitherto is described in what manner this secret was made known to him but what was this great secret which made such an impression of fear upon him that is partly laid down and proved by the fall of Angels that much more man whose foundation is in the dust must consume by little and little and must at last in a short time perhaps less than from morning to evening be cut off by the stroak of death but wherein as one descants upon it lyeth this high point of secrecy for man to die and that oftentimes suddenly is no such rare thing as seemeth here to be pointed at surely that wherein that great mystery chiefly consisted lyeth in this that though man must die and many times dyeth suddenly yet all this is little laid to heart either by others They are destroyed from morning to evening they perish for ever without any regarding it nor yet by themselves doth noâ— their excellency go away they dye even without wisdom and that mens time should be so short their life so uncertain as many times to be taken away in the space of one day and that neither others should lay it to heart nor men themselves should learn wisdom to make any suitable preparation this is spoken of as a strange remarkable thing a thing to be justly wondred at that there should be such prodigious sottishness in the hearts of men 3. If we consider how many things there are that seem to mind us of death and of making provision for another world Are not our boots shoes gloves made of the skins of dead Beasts Our hats cloathes stockings of the hair or wool of dead creatures Is not our food chiefly upon those creatures that first die before they become our nourishment and yet behold another ensuing death these cloaths we wear soon wear out these meats we eat are soon cast into the draught and nature calls for a fresh supply If from hence we look upon things about us the Vine feels as many deaths as winters and notwithstanding all our pruning and care seldom lasts above sixty or seventy years The like may be said of the Trees of Pears Apples Plumbs and other fruits which though carefully looked after do not usually continue above fifty or sixty years whereas Oakes and other Trees which last long commonly grow further off from our Habitations The sensitive creatures that live amongst us do not long continue with us the Horse seldom out-lives twenty years it is much if the Dog liveth so long the Oxe if not slain before usually dies by fifteen or sixteen the Sheep by nine or ten many other Creatures in a shorter time And how many Creatures are there which are but of one daies continuance the same days Sun which gave them life at its uprising takes it away at its setting And when there are so many things to mind us of our latter end think what a stupidity it is to make no preparation for it as Seneca excellently Whence is it we should no more think of Death when there are so many Deaths about us Or if from other Creatures we cast our eyes upon other Men Job saith of the wicked man (l) Job 21.32 33. He shall be brought to the grave and shall remain in the Tomb and every man shall draw after him as there are innumerable before him Death is the end of all flesh the Grave the house appointed for all living there are few weeks pass over our heads but we either hear the knell of Death ringing in our Ears or have some spectacle of Death presented to our eyes and when others ars snatch'd away by Death the living should lay it to heart (m) Eccl. 7.2 when Amasa's dead body lay in the way the people made a stop at it in like manner when we see or hear of the death of any we should consider what befalleth them and must e're long befall us Jonathan shot Arrows to admonish David of Sauls intent to kill him when God causeth the Arrows of death to fall on the right hand and on the left we should look at them as so many Arrows shot from Heaven to warn us But how few be there that consider the works of the Lord the Psalmist saith of wicked men like sheep they are laid in the Grave (n) Psal 49.14 the old Translation reads it they lye in Hell like sheep Sheep that are put into a fat pasture though the Butcher comes and taketh out first one then a second after a third and fourth and carrieth to the shambles yet the rest not knowing what is become of their fellows feed securely and with much delight skip up and down in the green pastures till they also are fetched away and carried to the slaughter There is a bird in Ireland they call the Cock of the Wood they fly together in thick Woods so as it is hard to find them but being once found they are easily killed if one or two be shot the rest fly no further than to the next tree where they sit staring upon the shooter till the whole Covey be destroyed in like manner it is with the secure besotted sinners the Arrows of Death light on this and that side now one is snatch'd away and goeth to his long home soon after a second a third some perhaps are takeâ— away in the midst of their sins and go to their owâ— place having scarce time to call upon God for mercy yet the survivours are little affected with these examples but do as they used to do Dine and Supâ— at their aceustomed times go to Bed and Rise after their wonted manner Sleep according to their old compass suffer life to slip from them and death to steal upon them and Judgment to overtake them without taking any care to make provision for their future estate and that Gods hand should be lifted up and men not see that the rod should speak and they not
Precept studying what Arguments and Motives to use making choice of such as are most taking and prevailing with their hearts to Arguments they add Intreaties beseeching men by the love of God and love to their own Souls and whatsoever may be dear and precious to men that they would not neglect so great Salvation they leave no imaginable means unattempted become all to all men if they may by any means save some desiring nothing more than to see of the Travel of their Souls when they see they cannot prevail that Israel is not gathered they go away discouraged crying with the Prophet My leanness my leanness wo is me I can do no more good (e) Isa 24.16 and are sometimes ready to resolve with the Prophet Jeremy I will Prophesie no more in the name of the Lord as fearing lest God hath sent them as he did the Prophet Isaiah to make the hearts of people fat and their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they should hear and see and understand and convert and be healed for alas whereunto may I liken the men of this Generation they are like unto Children crying one to another we have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned and ye have not wept Ministers may be then said to pipe when they sound the Silver Trumpet of the Gospel publishing the glad tydings of peace and Eternal Salvation then to mourn when they are constrained to ring in mens ears the doleful knell of their everlasting misery but people generally are as little affected either with the one or the other as if they were but meer fantasies as if Heaven were but an Idea like Plato's Agathopolis or Mahomet's Paradise or Moore 's Utopia as if Hell were but a scare-crow set up to put an awe upon more credulous spirits Ministers out of their several Pulpits cry out Eternity Eternity Eternity and yet cannot prevail with men to take the least care about their eternal condition How many be there who have lived thirty or forty years under the powerful preaching of the word and have heard many hundred Sermons the main drift of which hath been to exhort them to this one thing necessary and yet it is to be feared the time is yet to come with a great many that ever they spent one serious hour in making provision for their everlasting estate like those They come and sit and bear the word and seem to be affected with it as if they heard some pleasant song (f) Ezek. 33.31 but they do it not they are no more prevailed upon as to any serious care and endeavour after things Eternal than the very stones they stand on When Bede was old and blind yet he would take all occasions to preach the unhappy boy that led him on a time led him amongst a Company of Stones telling him there were a company of men assembled and he preached to them and indeed as good preach to Stones as to stony-hearts there is almost as much hope to prevail upon hard stones as upon hard hearts it was a strange expression Bonaventure used upon that promise of God I will take away the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh Lord saith he I will none of this promise none of this heart of flesh let me have my heart of stone still I read the Altar at Bethel clave asunder at the words of the Prophet when Jeroboams heart continued hard the stones rent in pieces at the death of Christ when the hard-hearted Jews were not affected let me rather have a heart of stone than such a heart of flesh and indeed it is true in his sense no stone so hard and unmalleable as the stupid heart of man and that is the reason of those frequent Apostrophes in Scripture whereby God turning from a stubborn people applyeth his speech to the sensless creatures Hear O Heavens and give ear O earth Hear O mountains the Lords controversie and ye strong foundations of the earth (g) Isa 1.12 Micah 6.2 implying that as soon may the heavens and earth hear as soon may the mountains and foundations of the earth tremble as a stupid sottish people whom it most concerneth And that men that are so often and earnestly called upon should be so little affected and wrought upon this is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation this is one aggravation of that stupidity which is in men 2. If we consider how soon men may enter upon their eternal condition though at present we be in health and strength yet our strength is not the strength of stones nor our flesh of brass we are frail mortal creatures our foundation is in the dust our life is in our hand our breath in our nostrils we carry about in our bodies the matter of a thousand deaths and may die saith Calvin a thousand several ways each several hour as many senses as many members nay as many pores as there are in the body so many Windows for death to enter in at Death needs not spend all is arrows upon us a Worm a Gnat a Flie a Hair a Stone of a Raisin a Kernel of a Grape the fall of a Horse the stumbling of a Foot the prick of a Pin the pairing of a Nail the cutting of a Corn all these have been to others and any one of them may be to us the means of our death within the space of a few days nay of a few hours we may be well and sicken and die and forthwith enter upon our Eternal estate Death being the Door of Eternity forthwith transmitting us to an eternity either of joy or torment and truly one would think that this consideration should prevail with men to make some timely provision for their future estate Cato had many times moved in the Senate that Carthage which had been so offensive to them might be destroyed but could not prevail being still opposed by Scipio On a time he brought a Fig with him into the Senate telling them that that Fig was three days before growing in Carthage and that for ought they knew an Army from Carthage in as short a time might arrive at their Gates upon which the Senate considering the suddenness of the danger they might be in gave order for the demolishing of it Though we seem at present to be fresh and flourishing like fruit growing in a fruitful ground yet we do not know but in a short time perhaps within the space of three days we may be cropt off by death and transmitted into another world and therefore should be so wise as to make provision for our future estate both by dying to sin which otherwise will be the death of our Souls and by the use of all other means conducing thereunto but that notwithstanding this great uncertainty men should live as if they were to live always should put off the thoughts of death as if they should never die should content themselves to live in that condition in
uttermost farthing And as there is an infiniteness so there is an eternity in Sin not onely an objective eternity as being committed against the eternal God and consequently demeriting an eternal punishment but there is in a sort a further eternity in sin Gregory saith there is an infinite eternal malice in sin so as if wicked men should live eternally they would sin eternally and it is but just that they should never want punishment who if they had been suffered would never have wanted sin That wicked men do not sin eternally is only because they are hindred by Death should they live for ever they would sin for ever What Luther in humility spake of himself I have no other name than Sinner Sinner is my name Sinner is my firname this is the name by which I shall be always known I have sinned I do sin I shall sin in infinitum may be more justly spoken of obdurate sinners whose hearts are fully set in them to do evil Let none think if wicked men were suffered to live longer they would bethink themselves and break off their sins by repentance the men of the Old World lived many of them eight or nine hundred years yet they were so far from repentance that as the Father saith they made no other use of that space given them for repentance than to patronize their wickedness and impiety The like would be done by other wicked men if they might live as long or a far longer time and in evil as well as good God looketh more at the Will than at the Deed. What lets us saith Seneca to call Lucius Scilla Tyrant though he gave over killing when he had no more enemies to kill And what lets him to be a sinner still who leaveth not sin till sin leave him He that doth not sin because he cannot doth sin although he doth not that he doth not sin eternally is onely because he is prevented by death A Postiller sets it out by this Comparison A company of Gamesters who are resolvedly set down to play when their candle is burnt out that they have no longer light are forced to give over whereas if their light had lasted they would have plaid longer till perhaps sâ—me had lost all their money So it is with wicked men in regard of sin Yet further beside this potential Eternity in sin whereby men would sin always if they might live alwaies there is a further an Actual eternity in mens sins though Death puts an end to mens lives yet not to their sins Hell is as full of sin as it is of punishment Though the School-men determine that after this life men are capable neither of merit nor demerit and therefore by their sins do not incur a greater measure of punishment yet they grant that they sin still though when the creature is actually under the sentence of Condemnation the Law ceaseth as to any further punishment yet there is an obligation to the precept of the Law still though man be bound only to the curse of the Law as he is a sinner yet he is bound to the precept of the Law as he is a creature so that though the demerit of sin ceaseth after death yet the nature of sin remaineth though by sinning they do not incur a higher and greater degree of punishment yet as they continue sinning so it is just with God there should be a continuation of the punishment already inflicted 3. A third Argument may be taken from what the Scripture speaketh of the happiness in Heaven and the torment in Hell both which are described to be incomparably and unconceivably great In Heaven there is fulness of happiness In thy presence is fulness of joy (u) Psal 16.11 though it be not a redundant overflowing fulness as Christs is of whose fulness we receive as well happiness for happiness as grace for grace yet it is the highest fulness the creature is capable of being not only a fitting congruous fulness as we say a house well stored is full of houshold-stuff such a fulness as the Saints partake of in this life But an equal fulness as when a vessel is full of water that nothing can be added to it and so full it can scarce properly be said to be if it were fading and therefore the Psalmist having said in thy presence is fulness of joy he adds and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Again it is described to be a perfect happiness we read of the Spirits of just men made perfect (z) Heb. 12.23 perfect in happiness as well as holiness which perfection excludes all imperfection When that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away (a) 1 Cor. 13.10 Though the Saints in heaven have a Negative imperfection because there are some perfections in God which being incommunicable they are not capable of yet they have no Privative imperfection they want nothing which may conduce to their happiness in their kind whereas if their happiness were not eternal there were something nay the chief thing wanting to the perfection of it The Apostle in the verse before the Text calleth it a far more exceeding weight of glory The Arabick Version renders it It worketh for us a weight of glory in the most eminent and largest degree and measure The Siriack reads it An infinite glory Haymo A greatness of Glory beyond all boâ—nds and measure yet none of these reach the height of the Apostles Rhetorick (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither is any translation able to express it now thus it could not be unless it were eternal therefore that is put into the scale to make up the weight a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Again it is described to be a satisfying happiness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness (d) Psal 17.15 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house (e) Psal 36 8. but satisfie it could not unless it were eternal there is as in every creature so in man especially a twofold desire a desire of Perfection and a desiâ—â— of Perpetuity a desire to advance his Being to the highest degree of Perfection and happiness he is capable or â—â—d a desire to perpetuate this happiness And 〈◊〉 impossible he should receive full content till beâ—â— these desires are satisfied though in Heaven thâ— Saints have a present freedom from all the evâ—l that can possibly fall within the compass of their feaâ—s and an actual enjoyment of all the good that can fall within the compass of their hopes yet if they had no assurance of the perpetuity of this they must needs be restless and unsatisfied Yet further the greatness and perfection of this happiness must necessarily exclude all such things as are inimical to it I shall name only two Fear Perfect love casteth out fear (f) 1 John 4.18 and Sorrow They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and
sighing shall flee away (g) Isa 35.10 Whereas if this happiness were not eternal there would be cause for both first the Saints would be in fear of losing this happiness and where there is fear there is Torment in that fore-named Text and this fear must needs be productive of sorrow were it not for the eternity of this happiness it would be hard to say whether there would be the more joy or sorrow in Heaven we may probably think there might be as much sorrow arising from the fear of their future loss as there is joy from the apprehension of their present enjoyment and that there should be either fear or sorrow in Heaven is not only contradictory to the fore-named Text but utterly inconsistent with the blessedness of that estate In summe if we Believe what the Scripture speaketh of the greatness of this happiness we must needs grant it to be eternal And this Aquinas maketh Use of as the strongest Argument to prove the eternity of this happiness The like is to be said of the torments of Hell which could not be so grievous as they are described if they were not eternal were they to last a thousand thousand years there would be some hopes they would end at last and this hope will administer some kind of ease and comfort when some thousands of these years were expired it would be some comfort that there were so many already past and by so many the fewer yet to come and so forward the further decreasing of the time would add a proportionable encrease to their hope and comfort whereas that Cup of Wrath the Dregs of which they shall wring out and drink is without mixture * Psal 75.8 without any mixture of hope ease comfort or any thing which might alleviate their misery and that which chiefly maketh it uncapable of these is the eternity of this misery it must be indeed confessed that the Torments of Hell are intensively most grievous Bernard saith that the least punishment in Hell is more grievous than if a Child-bearing woman should continue in the most violent pangs and throws a thousand years together without the least ease or intermission An ancient writer mentioned by Discipulus de tempore goeth much further affirming that if all the men which have been from Adams time till this day and which shall be till the end of the world and all the Piles of grass in the world were turned into so many men to â—ugment the number and that punishment inflicted in Hell upon any one were to be divided amongst all â—hese so as to every one might befall an equal part of that punishment yet that which would be the portion but of one man would he far more grievous than all â—he cruel deaths and exquisite tortures which have been inflicted upon men ever since the world began But though they be thus dreadful in themselves yet that which mainly and indeed infinitely adds to the greatness of them is because they are eternal as one said If Hell were to be indured but a thousand years methinks I could bear it but for ever that amazeth me Bellarmine [i] De arte bene moriendi out of Barocius tells of a learned man who after his death appeared to his friend complaining that he was adjudged to Hell-Torments which saith he were they to last but a thousand thousand years I should think it tolerable but alas they are eternal And as it is the eternity of these sufferings which chiefly maketh them so great so the greatness of them proveth them to be eternal otherwise they could not be so great as they are described 4. A fourth Argument to prove the point may be taken from man himself who is [k] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an immortal Creature [l] Wisd 2.23 God created man to be immortal and made him an Image of his own eternity though he be not eternal and immortal as God is who is therefore said only to have immortality [m] 1 Tim. 6.16 and therefore Divines distinguish between the eternity of God and the sempiternity of man God is a whole eternity both backwards and forwards from everlasting to everlasting man's onely a half eternity forwards but not backwards to not from everlasting God's is a simple eternity he can no way cease to be man's only in some respect because he may be annihilated by God's power God's is an uncreated man 's a created eternity God's causal man's derived God's independent being onely from himself man's dependent and limited but though he be not eternal as God is he is truely and properly an immortal Creature There are two essential parts of man the soul and the body and in regard of both these he is immortal First the soul is an immortal substance and that not only by the grace and favour of God as the body of Adam was in the state of innocency and as the bodies of the Saints shall be at the Resurrection but by its own nature having no internal principle of corruption so as it cannot by any thing from within it self cease to be neither can it be annihilated by any thing from without (r) Math. 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body but are rot able to kill the soul Gregory observeth there are three sorts of Created Spirits the first of those whose dwelling is not with flesh or in fleshly bodies they are the Angels the Second of those which are wholly immersed in flesh the souls of beasts which rise out of the power of the flesh and perish together with it the third is of those which inhabit bodies of flesh but neither rise out of the Power of the flesh nor dye when the body dyeth and these are the souls of men when the body returneth to the earth as it was the Spirit shall return to God who gave it (s) Eccles 12.7 From this immortality of the Soul we may inferr the eternity of mans future condition The soul being immortal it must be immortally happy or immortally miserable I shall not stand to enumerate those many arguments that are brought to prove the souls immortality but whatsoever Arguments are or may be used to prove this they will all undeniably conclude the eternity of mans future estate A further proof of it may be taken from the body which though it be subject to death yet not to dissolution Simo Stenius Professor of the Greek Tongue at Heidelberg being visited by the Minister lying upon his Death-bed amongst other Discourses the Minister asked him if he desired with Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ rendering the word after the vulgar Translation he answered with some kind of indignation that that was not the proper signification of the word (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle which properly signifies to depart to be unloosed not to be dissolved Death is only a change not an annihilation After a Creature is once in being it is never
that they are eternal is still annexed Sometimes the punishment of Hell is called the Wrath to come [w] Luke 3.7 1 Thess 1.10 sometimes the Wrath of God [x] Eph. 5.5 Rev. 14.10 This is the sad condition of those Wretched creatures they lie under the wrath of a justly incensed God but that which makes their Condition most sad is because this Wrath is an abiding Wrath [y] John 3.36 compared to a stream of Brimstone [z] Isa 30.33 It is a fearful thing saith the Apostle to fall into the hands of the living God [a] Heb. 10.31 it is indeed a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a just God who can as well cease to be God as to be just whose Justice obligeth him to revenge every sin committed against him A fearful thing to fall into the hands of an Almighty God who is able to revenge the wrongs which are done him by daring mortals but of all it is most fearful to fall into the hands of the living God as it is a great happiness to Believers that they have such an High-Priest who ever liveth to make intercession for them [b] Heb. 7.25 So this is the great misery of wicked men they fall into the hands of God who for ever liveth to revenge himself upon them Sometimes it is called a Worm which is nothing else but the stinging and corroding of Conscience which is one of the greatest punishments in Hell as every man here hath the chiefest hand in his own sin so he shall have hereafter in his own Punishment though the Devil hath a hand in tempting men and one man tempts another yet every man is his own chief Tempter Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and [c] James 1.14 enticed though Satan tempted Ananias yet Peter layeth the blame upon Ananias himself Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost (d) Acts 5.3 and as thus in the Temptation so in the Punishment though the Devil bâ— commissionated by God to torment wicked men and probably one wicked man shall help to tormenâ— another yet every man will be his own greatest Tormentor when he shall consider on the one side the punishment of loss what a great happiness he hath for eveâ— lost when the understanding shall be enlarged to apprehend the greatness of his loss when Consciencâ— shall be awakened to apply this loss to himself Thiâ— loss is my loss I am the man that have seen Affliction when the thoughts that are now taken up about otheâ— things shall be wholly intent upon this loss wheâ— he shall further consider upon what fair terms Salvâ—tion was offered how much time he had to worâ— out his Salvation what variety of means and help God afforded him For what petty inconsiderablâ— things he lost it when besides this punishment â— loss he shall find by sad experience what before hâ— would not believe what a dreadful place Hell is what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of tâ— living God When he shall further Consider hoâ— often he was warned to flee from the wrath to come what means and helps God afforded him to escape the damnation of Hell and that nothing could prevailâ— upon him When he shall further Consider that he himself was the cause of his own ruine that he lyeth down upon a bed of his own making that he is fettered in cords of his own twisting that he walks but in the light of his own fire and in the sparks of his own kindling when he shall add this to the former that his condemnation was through his own choice God set before him life and death and he chose his own delusions Oh! the rendings and tearings of Conscience which must needs result from these and the like sad reflections which successively pressing upon the soul like the impetuous waves of a raging Sea one after another must needs afford everlasting matter for this Worm to feed on These considerations will be as the Wood Conscience as the Worm those as Fuel this as the Flame the one as Tow the other as a Spark they shall both burn together and none shall quench them For this is that which will make this worm most unsufferable because it is a never dying worm (e) Isa 66.24 Mark 9.44 Sometimes it is called fire a Furnace of Fire a Lake of Fire (f) Isa 66.24 Mat. 13.42 Rev. 19.20 All which speak it terrible but that which makes it most terrible is because it is an unquenshable Fire (g) Mat. 3.12 an Everlasting Fire [h] Mat. 25.41 Fire here must be fed with continual supplies of Fuel or else it goeth out but this by the breath of God which like a stream of Brimstone kindleth it [i] Isa 30.33 So that look how long God liveth so long this fire burneth Wicked men shall burn in an eternity of Fire to and if possible beyond an eternity of duration Sometimes it is called a Prison [l] 1 Pet. 3.19 and wicked men are said to be bound hand and foot [m] Mat. 22.13 We read of a Prison amongst the Persians which was deep and wide and dark and only one hole at the top into which the Prisoners let in could no way get out therefore was called by them Lethe forgetfulness Such and far more grievous is the Prison of Hell out of which there is no redemption they are lying Histories which tell us that Trajan was delivered out of Hell by the Prayers of Gregory and Falconella by the Prayers of Teclaes No he that goeth this way never turneth again nor ever taketh hold of the paths of life The Prisoners here are not Prisoners of hope as we said of the Jews in their captivity in Babylon [n] Zech. 9.12 and may be said of other Prisoners but are Prisoners of desperation being once doomed to these Prisons of Fire they must continue for ever Fettered under Chains oâ— darkness lying there like a wild Bull in a Net in vaiâ— roaring and begging for mercy through the grateâ— of their eternal Dungeons Agree with thine adversarâ— quickly whiles thou art in the way lest at any time thâ— Adversary deliver thee to the Judge and the Judge deliver thee to the Officer and thou be cast into Prison Verâ—ly I say unto thee thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing (o) Mat. 5.25 26. But that I may contrive a large Picture in a smalâ— Ring to use Philoes expression and contract the Images of great things into a little Glass Is it called Darkness Do wicked men go from one darkness to another from inward to outward darkness That Darkness is said to be Eternal For whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever (p) Jud. 13. Is it called Death The wages of sin is death it is a death thaâ— never dieth (q) Mors sine morte Death
shall feed on them the Arabicâ— readeth it shall be fed with them (r) Psal 49.14 Death like a hungry Vulture shall not cease to feed on them to all Eternity Is it called burning do wicked men go from Burning to Burning from burning in Sin to burning in Hell from burning in Flames of lust to burning in Flames of Torment these burnings are for ever whâ— shall dwell with everlasting burnings (Å¿) Isa 33.14 Lastly It is sometimes called Torment as it is said of the rich man that he was in torments so as he cryeth out I am tormented in this flame that which makes these torments more tormenting is because they are Eternal They shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever and The smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever (u) Rev. 20.10 14.11 (t) Luk. 16.23 24. CHAP. IV. Of the Sublimeness of Eternity as Transcending all Expression Knowledge of it self or measure and all Imagination HAving dispatched the first Doctrine That things wich are not seen are eternal I proceed to the second Doct. 2. That which puts the greatest weight upon things not seen and makes them the proper objects of a Christians aim and choice is because they are eternal Though if these and things seen were weighed together there were many other considerables that would give the precedence to things not seen yet that which Chiefly casts the scale and maketh things not Seen to preponderate is because they are Eternal This the Apostle layes down as the Reason why they â—ooked at these not at the other because the other are temporal but these eternal it is Eternity that mainâ—y makes the difference and puts an infinite weight upon the unseen things of another life so that I am here to speak of the grand importance and concernment of Eternity But I shall say of this as Bonaventure did upon another subject I am not worthy not able so much as to unty the shooe-latchet of so great a Mystery It â—s a mystery of a sublime and transcendent nature as I shall shew in Three particulars 1 It transcendeth all expression all that is or can be spoken of it falls short of what it is in its self what Augustine saith of God that St. John himself doth not speak of God as God is may not improperly be spoken of Eternity could I speak with the tongue of men and Angels I were not able rightly to express it when we speak of it we speak as we can not as it is as children when they begin to speak lispe and stammer speak half words and broken sentences so it is with us when I was a Child I spake as a Child saith the Apostle [x] 1 Cor. 13.11 It is spoken of that imperfect knowledge we here attain unto which as it holdeth good in other things much more in this of Eternity saith Drexellius whatsoever is spoken of Eternity is faâ—lesse than it is we are hardly able to say what time is the Philosopher defines it to be the measure of motion oâ— motion according to the former and latter parts of it but others find fault with this affirming that time iâ— the measure of Rest as well as Motion the Platonistâ— say that Time is Eternity limited but this is to set out that which is obscure by a greater obscurity for we have a more clear notion of Time than of Eternity they speak more properly that say it is a continued flux oâ— minutes hours days months and years from the beginning of the world to the end of it yet some think this doth not fully express it Eusebieus saith [z] Oratio in laudem Constantini that part of time which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the present time cannot be comprehended much less time future or time past for that is not and this is past then adds the present time passeth away more swiftly than either word or thought neither can it be taken for an instant for either we must necessarily expect things to come or consider things past and an instant flyeth away as swift as thought Augustine strugleth about it as a Bird in a string he saith he knoweth it yet confesseth he knows it not he knoweth enough to hold his peace but knoweth not enough to speak and if it be so hard to say what time is much more to describe Eternity and so Eusebius infers from what he had said of Time therefore man cannot comprehend Eternity and Everlastingness the highest Oratory the loftiest strains of Rhetorick are not able to reach it they say a fair face is seldome drawn but with disadvantage the Painter going about to draw the Picture of Helena as not being able to express her beauty to the life drew her face covered with a Vail leaving the beholder to â—onceive what he was not able to express the like are â—e forced to do when we speak of Eternity The â—ruth is when we would speak of it we can do it no â—ther way but by improper locutions when the Sun â—iseth red and soon after looketh black or pale or â—ollow we use to say it is a sign of rain whereas proâ—erly the Sun is neither red nor pâ—le nor black nor â—ubject to any vicissitude or change of colours having â—o other colour than its own perpetual brightness yet â—hus we use to speak because it seems so to us by reaâ—on of the vapours interposed between that and our â—ight which make it to appear to us of those colours â—n like manner when we speak of Eternity we often â—all it the times and ages of Eternity whereas properly â—here is no such thing in it we say when thousands â—f years and ages are past Eternity is the same it was â—efore whereas properly nothing can be said to be â—ast in Eternity as shall be shewed after but thus we â—spe and stammer when we speak of it thus by a â—ndescention (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to things that fall under our concepâ—ion we would relieve our selves in speaking of it 2. It transcends all our knowledge and understanding here is a Two-fold knowledge we have of things a â—nowledge of the thing it self and of the measure of 〈◊〉 Neither of these wayes are we able to come to distinct knowledge of Eternity 1. Not of the thing it self what the Ancients said â—f the fountains of Nilus that Nature made them raâ—her to be sought after than to be found may be more â—ruly said of Eternity it is a path which no Fowl knowâ—th which the Vultures eye hath not seen the Liâ—ns whelp hath not trodden the most piercing eye is â—ot able to dive into it the knowledge of it is too wonderful for us we cannot attain unto it a mans eye is â—ble to look upon twenty Candles lighted up together in a Room but looking a while upon the Sun will dazzle the sight if a man falleth into a River though it be deep and broad he may make shift to
(m) Eccles 7.14 When Dioclesian resigned his Empire he pretended this as the reason As the Planet which hath its exaltation in one sign hath likewise its counterpoise in another sâ— if there were any thing that afforded him any content it was accompanied with as much vexation our silver is mixed with dross our wine with water Neither is it thus only in temporal but in the Spiritual enjoyments of Believers who are here like the Nightingale sitting upon thorns or the Halcyon upon the trembling waters Doth the Christian serve God it is with fear doth he rejoyce it is with â—rembling doth he rejoyce in that Grace God hath given him as Paul Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ yet he cannot but mourn under the remainders of Corruption with the same Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death and when he compareth that little grace he hath with that Original purity he lost in Adam he â—annot but mourn as the old men did (n) Ezra 3. who had â—een the former Temple in its glory is it matter of Encouragement to him when his heart is enlarged in Gods service as it was to David when he and the people offered willingly to the Lord (o) 1 Chron. 29. Yet it is a matter of sorrow that he is able to do God no better service his greatest joy is not without some mixture â—he women after Christs Resurrection departed from â—he Sepulchre with fear and great joy (p) Mat. 28.8 The Disciples walked in the fear of God and the comforts of â—he Holy Ghost (q) Acts 9.31 Whereas in Heaven there are â—ll things that are desirable and rare and precious â—ithout any mixture of contraries r There is perâ—ection without mixture of imperfectness When that which is perfect is come that which is imperfect shall â—e done away (s) 1 Cor. 13.10 There is perfection of holiness without the least sinfulness The sin of Jacob shall be â—ought and there shall be none (t) Jer. 50.20 Perfection of happiness without any kind of misery there is joy without sorrow They shall obtain everlasting joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (u) Isa 35.10 Rest without Labour Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord they rest from their Labours (w) Rev. 14.13 In sum there is life without death attending it Light without darkness peace without trouble ease without pain a full enjoyment of all desirable good and freedom fâ— all imaginable evil 2. On the other hand In the eternity of Hells pâ—nishment there is all that is evil without the least mixture of any thing that is good The same shall drink â— the wine of the wrath of God that is poured out withoâ—â— mixture (x) Rev. 14.10 That Cup of wrath that is said to be fâ— of mixture (y) Psal 75.8 that is full of all the woful ingredienâ— that can be put into it is here said to be without miâ—ture that is without the mixture of any thing thaâ— might alleviate their Torments I shall onely instanâ— in three Particulars 1. Without any mixture of Mercy Here manâ— times God corrects with Judgment not in Wratâ— (z) Jer. 1â— last or if in Wrath yet in Wrath he remembreth Meâ—cy (a) Hab. 3.2 But there is all wrath without any mercy in the Sacrifice of Jealousie (b) Num. 5.15 God ordereth thâ— there should be no Oyl or Frankincense put to it bâ—cause it was an offering of Jealousie an offering oâ— memorial to bring iniquity to remembrance in liâ— manner in Hell there is no oyl of mercy to lenifie the sufferings no Incense of prayer to appease Goâ— Wrath he that made them will not have mercy â— them he that formed them will shew them no â—vour the day of Grace and Mercy is then past tâ— door of mercy is for ever shut up against them Wâ— once the Master of the house is risen and hath shut the doâ— and ye begin to knock at the door saying Lord Lorâ— open to us He shall answer and say I know you â— whence you are (c) Luk. 13 1â— When God hath shut up the doâ— of Grace and Mercy as he doth in Hell thougâ— they beg and cry for mercy they shall receive no â—ther answer than a peremptory denial the fooliâ— Virgins deferred to get oyl into their Lamps till was too late and when they went to buy the Bridâ—groom came and the door was shut and when they begged Lord Lord open to us he answered verily I say unto you I know you not * Mat. 25.10 and what will a poor â—reature say or do in this dreadful exclusion Have you ever seen a prisoner at the Bar with what importunate out-cries he begs mercy and with what deâ—ection and despair he goeth away when he cannot obâ—ain it think then what horror canfusion and Everlasting despair shall surprize the Souls of those lost undone creatures who find themselves drenched in a sea of wrath and vengeance and cannot hope to have â—o much as one chord of mercy thrown out to them â—nd that is another addition to their misery it is not onely without any mixture of Mercy at present But 2. Without any hope of mixture for the future In this life though men be under great troubles they are â—eldom without hope the Prophet Daniel heard the â—oice of an Holy One crying Hew down the tree and â—estroy it yet leave the stump of the roots in the Earth â—nd thus it is usually with men in this life saith Amâ—rose though the tree be cut down and the branches â—opt off all they have taken from them yet some of â—he root is left their hope is not quite cut off as â—ong as there is life there is hope to him that is â—oyned to the living there is hope †Eccles 9.4 And this is some â—upport to men in their present troubles but in hell â—oth root and branch and all hope are quite cut off Bede observeth that God hath made three places and â—n each of them hath placed two things in Heaven â—e hath placed Verity and Eternity on Earth Curioâ—ity and Repentance in Hell Misery and Despair and â—s Hell is the proper place of despair so this despair is â—ithout the least mixture of hope what hope hath the hyâ—ocrite when God taketh away his soul * Job 27.8 the Hypoâ—rite of all other wicked men is usually most confident making no question and thinking much that any other should question his title to Heaven but wheâ— the hypocrite shall be turned into hell with all the peopâ— that forget God all his hopes will be quickly confuted what hope hath the hypocrite when God taketh awaâ— his Soul could a man speak with such a Son of confidence after he hath been some time in hell and ask him whether he were as confident aâ— before Oh what a sad and doleful answer would he return how would
Diagoras The occasion was this he had made a book of Verses but before they were set out one stole them away he suspecting the person brought him before the Magistrate the man denyed it upon oath and so was quit and afterward set them out in his own name Diagoras because he was not for his theft and perjury struck with a present Thunder-bolt forthwith turned Atheist concluding that there was no God nay we find this to have stumbled the best of the Saints Job startles at it Jeremy and Habakkuk expostulated with God about it David was ready to conclude that he had cleansed his heart in vain that there was no profit in the service of God Whereas if we go into Gods Sanctuary we may understand the end oâ— both these sorts of men wicked men though they flourish for a time yet their end is sad when the wicked spring as Grass and all the workers of iniquity do flourish (b) Psal 92.7 it is that they shall be destroyed for ever the righteous though they suffer at present yet their end is happy Mark the just behold the upright man the end of that man is peace (c) Psal 37.37 Some express this by the familiar comparison of the Hawk and the Hen the Hawk is often transported from forreign Countries bought at a great price carried upon the Fist fed with choice dyet and hath all things prepared for her accommodation but being once dead she is thrown out of doors cast upon the dunghill and no more care taken of her the Hen on the other side while she is living is little accounted of she is forced even to lodge abroad in the open air exposed to the wind and stormes of the Winters night constrained to range abroad for her sustenance pecking here and there a little to satisfie her hunger if she comes into the house expecting some crumbs falling from the Table she is driven out with clamour and little care taken of her but when she is dead is cook't and drest in the best manner served up in a Lordly Dish and the greatest Persons make of her flesh part of their Royal entertainments These two creatures not unaptly resemble the two sorts of men the righteous and the wicked the Hawk resembles wicked men who commonly prosper in the world and flourish like the Bay-tree and therefore pride compasseth them about how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids lifted up they carry themselves as if they had got a monopoly of happiness as if the Sun shined only in their Cell as the Bernardine Monks boasted but when death hath put a period to their lives there is an end of all their happiness and eternal misery like Pharaohs seven years of famine devoureth the former years of plenty rendring their misery the more grievous by the remembrance of the happiness they once enjoyed On the other side good men who are fitly resembled by the Hen usually meet but with course entertainment in the world are looked upon as the filth of the world and off-scouring of all things their souls are exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that be at ease and with the contempt of the proud but having once finished their course they are bound up amongst Gods Jewels their bodies go down with hope to the Chambers of Death their souls are bound up in the bundle of Life and put into a present possession of eternal happiness so that though in this life wicked men be the darlings of the world when those of whom the world is not worthy are desâ—tute afflicted tormented yet if we believe there is another life after this in which the righteous shall bâ— eternally happy and wicked men everlastingly miserable this will abundantly clear the equity of Gods proceedings in those tomporal dispensations it is the end that crowneth all all is well that ends well Solomon saith The end of a thing is better than the beginning of it (d) Eccles 7.8 and wise men esteem of things accoâ—ding to the last end A man that hath a suit at Law upon which his estate dependeth though in his journey up to thâ— Term he be ill-horsed meets with bad way and for weather and homely lodging yet if he succeed in his suit he thinks this makes a sufficient recompence whereas let a man in his journey have never so manâ— accommodations as good way fair weather gooâ— chear merry company yet if he be cast in hâ— suit and loseth all he hath it will give him but littlâ— content to reflect upon the pleasure of his journey Chrysostome in one of his Homilies to the people oâ— Antioch tells of himself That he was invited tâ— dinner by a Gentleman â—â—e City but not knowinâ— the way to his house had a guide to conduct him the guide to gain the shortest way carried hiâ— through By-lanes and Allies where they met mucâ— dirt and unsavoury smells at last they crossed a faâ— streâ—t the goodliest street in the City where the met with a man accompaniâ—d with a great number â— people going to his execution coming to the houâ— whither he was invited and finding there gooâ— Cheer and hearty entertainment How much bettâ— is it said he to go through dirty lanes to good Cheeâ— and good Company than to go through the fairest streeâ— to the place of Execution The Application is easie Good men while they are in their journey meet with any difficulties and discourteous usages but are going to a place of happiness and shall sit down with Ahraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven whereas wicked men though they go through a fair pleasant way where the Devil seems to pave their way for them that they might not so much as dash their foot against a stone yet they are going to execution having spent their days in mirth in a moment they go down to Hell where they must suffer the vengeance of Eternal fire and if so there is little reason why we should either think much at the present sufferings of the Saints or envy the temporary prosperity of worldly men 1. There is no reason why we should think much at the Saints troubles Austin moveth this question whether â—t were better to eat a piece of fish that were made bitâ—er by the breaking of the gall or to endure the tormenting pain of the tooth-ach or stone or gout several daies together without any mitigation or intermission of the pain This question saith Drexelius may â—eem a ridiculous question for how much better were â—t saith he to eat such a whole fish which could do â— man no other hurt but leave a bitter tang upon the â—alate for a time than to suffer any of these torments â—ut the space of one hour all the troubles of this life â—re but like eating such a piece of fish which though â—itter for the time yet are soon over and it is much â—etter to endure this for a short time than to be exposed to endless and eternal
torments in Hell therefore â—he same Father beggs Lord cut me burn me do any â—hing with me here so thou sparest me hereafter And â—lse-where Let all the Devils in Hell beset me round let â—asting macerate my body let sorrows oppress my mind â—et pains consume my flesh let watchings spend me and â—eat burn me and cold freeze and contract me let all â—hese and whatsoever can come more happen to me so as â— may be freed from Hell and may enjoy my Saviour in â—ternal blessedness And 2. There is as little reason on the other hand why we should envy the prosperity of ungodly men Suppose saith Chrysostome that a man one night should have â— pleasant Dream that for the time might much delighâ— him and for the pleasure of such a dream should be tormented a thousand years together with exquisiteâ— torments would any man desire to have such a dream upon such conditions All the contentments of this life are not so much to eternity as a dream is to a thousand years and little is that mans condition to be envied who for these short pleasures of sin must endure aâ— eternity of torment In the time of the wars in Germany the Army beâ—ng upon special service ordeâ— was given that none should upon pain of death gâ— a forraging one souldier notwithstanding this stricâ— Command went abroad and amongst other thing stole some grapes and brought them with him beinâ— deprehended he was adjudged to present death a he went to execution he fell to eating his Grapes thâ— Commander asked Sirrah can you feed so heartily whâ— you are to die presently the poor souldier replied Sâ— must I pay so dear for them as the loss of my life and â— you grudge that I should eat them do wicked mâ— purchase their present pleasures at so dear a rate eternal torments and do we envy their enjoyment them so short a time Would any envy a man going Execution because he saw him going up the Laddâ— in a Scarlet Coat or a Velvet suit What thougâ— wicked men be cloathed in Scarlet and fare delicioâ—â— every day this is all they are ever like to have Theâ— is scarce a more terrible Text in the whole Book â— God than that of Christ concerning the Phariseâ— Verily I say unto you they have their reward (s) Mat. 6.2 Luk. 6.24 anâ— that parallel Text Woe to you that are rich for you hâ— received your consolation Gregory being advanced to places of great prefeâ—ment professed that there was no Scripture went so â—ear his heart and struck such a trembling into his â—pirit as that speech of Abraham to Dives Son reâ—ember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good â—hings * Luk. 16.25 they who have their Heaven here are in â—reat danger to miss it hereafter It is not Gods usual â—ay saith Jerome to remove from delights to delights â—o bestow two Heavens one here another afterward Oh how much more worthy of our pity than envy â— that mans condition who hath all his happiness conâ—n'd to the narrow compass of this life but his misery â—xtended to the uttermost bounds of an everlasting â—uration CHAP. X. â— Exhortation to Restrain from Sin and Redeem Time BUT that which I would chiefly insist upon is a Use of Exhortation and there are seveâ—l things to which we are to be exhorted from this â—ruth As 1. This should and being seriously considered â—ight be a most powerful restraint from sin there is a â—o-fold eternity one of happiness the other of misery â— regard of both these the malignant destructive â—ture of sin appeareth First It depriveth of eternal happiness there is neâ—r a sin thou committest never an oath thou swearâ— never a lye thou tellest but thou runnest a despeâ—te hazard of losing God thy soul everlasting happiâ—ss and whatsoever may be dear and precious and â—ot only a desperate Hazard but without repentance â— unavoidable Necessity so as thou canst have no hope of ever seeing the Lord in the Land of the living ever tasting how good the Lord is or having any pâ—tion in those good things which God hath providâ— for his people and is it not a prodigious madness lose all this for a base lust As the Drunkard doth â— a pot of drink the Covetous man for a little thick cloâ— the Swearer for just nothing for a sin in whiâ— there is neither profit pleasure ease nor any thiâ— that might give any Satisfaction to the mind Perhâ— some may think If this be all they may do well â—nough * Regnare nolo sufficit mihi salvum esse As some St. Austin bringeth in speakinâ— though I miss of Heaven I may do well enough in a loâ— condition wicked men now live without God â— Christ in the world and think themselves well enouâ— without them and therefore may think it no grâ— misery not to be admitted into their presence thâ— care not now for the company of Godly men but void it all they can and so will think it no great matâ— to be hereafter excluded their society But such should do well to consider that the tiâ— is coming when Heaven and Hell shall divide â— world as there are but two sorts of men in the worâ— Goats and Sheep Chaff and Wheat Righteous and Wiâ—ed so there are but two places remaining for theâ— the Wheat to be gathered into Gods Garner and â— Chaff to be burnt with unquenchable fire the Sâ— to stand at Christs right hand with a come ye blesâ— c. the Goats at his left hand with a go ye cursed â— Besides these there is no other place no other conâ—tion remaining for men after this life if thou loâ— Heaven Hell must be thy portion And this sheâ— further the devilish nature of sin it doth not oâ— deprive of Heaven but without repentance unavoiâ—ably throws the Soul into the jaws of Eternal Condeâ—nation Some say a Man and a Crocodile seldome â— never meet but it is the death of one It is certaâ— â—n and the soul never meet but one dyeth either sin â—ust dye now or the soul dye eternally if repentance â—hat Spirit of burning doth not burn our sins Hell â—re will burn our Souls If then thou makest no â—reat matter of losing Heaven and being excluded the â—resence of God think with thy self whether thou â—eest able to lye for ever under the Arrests of Gods Wrath and to dwell with everlasting burnings Perâ—aps thou art hardly able to bear those temporal afâ—lictions now lying upon thee and if thou hast run with the foot-men and they have wearied thee how wilt thou be able to contend with Horses If thou â—eest wearied out in this Land of peace how wilt â—hou do in the swellings of Jordan where all the waves of God shall pass over thee where thou shalt â—e like a Beacon on a hill or an Ensign upon the mounâ—ain exposed to all the Storms and Tempests of Gods Wrath When therefore thou findest thy self â—empted to
any sin and thy heart ready to close with â—he temptation pause a while and propound to thy â—elf this unanswerable Dilemma If I yield to this â—emptation and commit this sin either I shall repent â—r not repent of it If I do repent and the best be â—ade of it may not the short pleasure of this one sin â—ost me many dayes and weeks sorrow nay perhaps â—ake me go all my life in the bitterness of my soul â—f I do not repent wo to me that ever I committed it will not this one sin encrease the flames of my justly â—eserved torments and add to those treasures of wrath â— have been so long heaping up Pachomius hath â—his excellent saying Above all things let us every â—ay think of our last day Let us in time think of Eâ—ernity and what he pressed upon others he practised himself and amongst others found this advanâ—age by it when any sinful thought or motion aâ—ose in his heart he suppressed it with the thoughts of Eternity if it rose and rebelled again he knocked â—t down with the thoughts of Eternal torments The fool maketh a mock of sin saith Salomon but wouâ— the fool consider what sin will cost would he thâ— kick against the pricks would he be so fool-hard as to play with flames and make a sport of everlasâ—ing burnings if that Saying so well known were â— well considered that is acted in a moment which muâ— be mourned for to Eternity and that other of Gregory the sin that pleaseth is momentary but the punishment it bringeth is Eternal we would rather chuâ— to leap into a Cauldron of scalding Lead than wilingly commit any one sin Let this then be one Vse wâ— make of this point so to set the thoughts of Eterniâ— before us that we might not sin against God 2. We should be exhorted hence to spend our time welâ— of all those talents with which God hath entrusted uâ— there is none more precious than that of Time Go ordereth That if two men strive together and one wounâ— the other that he keepeth his Bed he that wounded him mâ— as well pay for the loss of his time as for the cure of â— wound (d) Exod. 21.19 How little soever we make of the loss of timâ— God esteemeth it among the greatest losses We read of an admirable Vision revealed to Sâ— John (e) Rev. 10.1 2 3 5 6. He saw a mighty Angel by which interpreters generally understand Christ the Angel of the Covâ—nant this Angel is said to come down from Heaven cloatâ—ed with a Cloud and a Rainbow upon his head havinâ— his Face as if it were the Sun and his Feet as Pillars â— Fire All which sheweth the transcendent Glory of his appearing Who is said to set his right Foot upâ— the Sea and his left Foot upon the Earth which notes his Universal Soveraignty over Sea and Land He is said to cry with a loud voice as when a Lyon roareth and to lift up his Hand to Heaven and swear by him that liveth for ever and ever and certainly iâ— must be a matter of some great concernment that is ushered in by so many remarkable circumstances men indeed sometimes raise the expectations of people when after a noise of the mountains bringing forth a ridiculous mouse creepeth out but God doth not thus use to deceive the expectations of his people such great preparations as are here described are always attended with some remarkable thing suitable to such preparations now what this great thing was follows He sware by him that liveth for ever that time shall be no longer whether it be meant of time in general as some contend or of the time of Antichrists rage and the Churches suffering as others think more probable either serves to inform us of what great worth time is and what a great punishment it is to be deprived of it Much more might be spoken of the preciousness of time as that it is the fruit of Christs purchase that doom passed upon Adam in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death had been immediately upon his sin put in execution had not God given Christ to interpose between his wrath and mans sin that there was any time given him it was not only through Gods indulgence but through the purchase of Christs blood But to come more near the business in hand the preciousness of time chiefly appeareth in regard of what dependeth upon it all things receive their worth and value from what dependeth on them and the Use they may be put to A Bond or a mans Will as it is a piece of written Parchment is scarce worth one shilling yet an Estate of many thousands may depend upon them therefore men are as careful of them as of their choicest Jewels In like manner time though as simply considered in its self it be not so precious yet is it infinitely precious in regard of what depends upon it what more necessary than repentance yet that depends upon time I gave her space to repent of her Fornications (Å¿) Rev. 2.21 what more desireable than the favour of God This depend upon time and is therefore called the acceptable time (g) Isa 49.8 What more excellent than salvation this likewise depends upon time Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation (h) 2 Cor. 6.4 Pythagoras saith that Time is the soul of Heaven we may rather say that it is the way to Heaven the Pledge and earnest of Salvation (i) Pignus arrha coeli But to come more near what can there be of more weight and moment than eternity it is as was before asserted the Heaven of Heaven and the very Hell of Hell without which neither would Heaven he so desirable nor Hell so formidable Now this depends upon Time Time is the Prologue to Eternity the great weight of Eternity hangs upon the small wire of Time whether ouâ— time here be longer or shorter upon the spending of this dependeth either the blisse or the bane of body and soul to eternity This is our seed-time eternity is the harvest whatsoever seed we sow whether of sin or grace it cometh up in eternity whatseever a man soweth the same shall he reap this is our market time in which if we be wise Merchants we may make a happy exchange of Earth for Heaven of a Valley of tears for a Paradise of delights Iâ— is our working time I must work the work of him that sent me whilst it is day the night cometh when no man can work (k) John 9.4 according as the work is we do now such will be our wages in Eternity It is the time of our reprival being all in a state of condemnation borâ— heirs of Hell God is pleased to give us this time to make us our peace and sue out our pardon if we improve it to this end we may not only flee from the wrath to come but provide for our selves a
it is rather a preâ—ervative from dangers and temptations there are â—wo sorts of temptations the Devil maketh Use of â—â—mptations on the right hand when by things prospeâ—ous and pleasing to us as the honours profits and â—leasures of the world he seeks to draw us to what 〈◊〉 evil and temptations on the left hand when by the â—ear of suffering and persecution he laboureth to deâ—er us from what is good whereas he who hath things â—â—ernal in his eye is little moved with either of these â—â—e is not so much taken with the first as for gain of â—hem to lose a good conscience When Basil was â—empted with preferment he bad them offer such â—â—ings to Children it was not for a Christian Bishop â—o be taken with them Luther when he received â—y Tauhenheimus a hundred pieces of gold sent him â—nd fifty by Scartus said I begin to fear God will â—â—ve me my reward here but I have earnestly protested I â—â—ould not be put off with these things and this his conâ—empt to the world was not unknown to his enemies When the Pope would have taken him off by gifts â—he said That German beast doth not care for Gold and â—or troubles and sufferings he doth not so much fear â—hem as to commit sin to avoid suffering When Basil was threatned with banishments torments and death he answered I fear not banishment I have no home but Heaven no native place but Paradise and the whole world I look upon as the common banishment of mankind for torments I defie them for what can they do to me whose body is so worn out that there is nothing but bones without flesh for them to work on and for death I fear it not which can but restore me sooner to my Creator He that hath his eye upon Heaven is neither moved with the frowns nor flatteries of the world as he said He equally contemned the favour and fury of Rome neither the desire of the one nor the fear of the other is able to remove him from his stedfastness The like is to be said of other sorts of temptations which are happily resisted by conversing in Heaven Bonaventure when the Devil told him that he was a Reprobate and therefore perswaded him to enjoy aâ— much of the pleasures of the world here as he might because he was excluded from the pleasures with God in Heaven answered Not so Satan If I must not enjoy God after this life let me enjoy as much as I can of hiâ— here whatsoever temptations Satan suggests theâ— are more easily overcome by him who maketh it hiâ— business to converse with God and Heaven 3. It is a good help against those roving wandring thoughts which so often haunt us in the performance of duties and cast so great a blemish upon our betâ— performances When Abraham offered sacrifice the fowls of the air lighted upon the sacrifice (o) Gen. 15.11 Thesâ— fowls resemble vain thoughts which much trouble the best of men in their Approaches to God Jeroâ— complained of himself when he was at prayer he waâ— in his thoughts walking in some Gallery or telling oâ— some summe of money in like manner Bernard confesseth that troops of unruly thoughts were wont to flock into his heart like people when some spectacle is to be seen complaining when my body is iâ— the Church my mind is about the world I sing one thing but think another I utter words but regard not the sense and matter and concludes woe is me I sin then when I should get victory against my sins and truely there is scarce any one thing that a Christian doth so much groan under as the frequent a volations he is subject to in Gods service and it is not without just cause that he should so sadly resent them When Pharaoh's Baker dreamed that the birds of the air took out of his Basket the baked meats he prepared for Pharaoh Joseph told him that this was a signification of his ensuing death When we come to present our services to God as he his baked meats to Pharaoh if the birds of the air idle thoughts intrude into our minds though it doth not absolutely presage the death of the soul yet it prognosticateth the death of that service that it is no better than a dead service unpleasing to him who is a living God Now there is no better way to suppress these thoughts than having our minds taken up with heavenly things the mind cannot be at the same time intent upon different objects as when a Dictator was created at Rome there was a suspension for that time of all other offices so when the mind is taken up with the thoughts of some remarkable thing it giveth a supersedeas to other thoughts If thou wouldest forget other things saith Seneca think upon Caesar serious thoughts upon our Eternal condition would be like those Porâ—ers Jehojada set at the doors of the Temple would secure us from the intrusion of other objects 4. It would work in us a holy indifferency toward â—ll temporal things it would moderate our esteem of â—hem our desire after them our delight in them our grief for the want or loss of them I shall instance in â—hese several particulars 1. It would moderate our esteem of them wordly â—hen think all their happiness is bound up in these creaâ—ure-enjoyments they judge them the only happy men who have the largest confluence of these outward comforts whereas he that hath his eye upon eternal things hath a low Esteem of these things when a man stands upon the top of a high mountain things below in the valley seem small and inconsiderable in his sight they say to them that stand upon the top of the Alps the great Cities of Campania seem but as small Villages or as a man who hath for a time gazed upon the Sun when he looketh downward upon darker objects is scarce able to see any thing In like manner he that hath his eye fixed upon heavenly things counts these things as dung and dross he esteemeth all these riches in the world not worth one daies conversing in Heaven he valueth Heaven though but in reversion before the world in present possession prefers his interest in Heaven to the gaining of the whole world if God please to secure heavenly things to him he hath a holy indâ—fferency towards other things if God casts Them in he is thankful if not patient if he hath them he knoweth how to use them if not he hath learned to be without them he is like the deep running River which glideth silently by those green Meadows and flowry banks those goodly things that other men admire and keepeth within his own banks of moderation and content till at last he falls into that deep Sea of divine Sweetness to which he is hasting Moses having an eye to the recompence of reward slighted the greatest honour it Egypt he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's Daughter (o) Heb. 11.24.25
begotten Son and perhaps some of the friends of God of whom Christ speaketh I call you no more Servants but friends for all that I have heard of the Father I have made known to you such as are Gods friends know more of his mind than others The seâ—ret of the Lord is with them â—hat fear him (x) Psal 25.14 The Papists say of Bonaventure that being asked by Aquinas out of what Books he had those heavenly expressions that were in his writings he pointed to the Crucifix saying that is the Book which prompts to me what I write being prostrate at the feet of that Image I receive more light from Heaven than from all the Books I read if what they ascribe to the Crucifex we transfer to Christ himself it will hold for a sound truth They looked to him and were lightened (y) Psal 24.5 We find the bodily sight is much strengthened by looking upon suitable objects when the eye is dimb if it be fixed a while upon some green Meadow or flowry bank it much helpeth the sight Artificers after long poring upon some dark work finding a dimness in their eyes are wont to take some Emerald or some other green thing by the verdure whereof their eyes may be refreshed and their sight strengthened it will hold as true in spiritual sight the light of knowledge and understanding is much increased by looking upon the unseen Eternal things in Heaven 14. It would sweeten death and that nothing else can It was an usual speech among the Heathens that only Christians were contemners of death the Philosophers especially the Stoicks made it their work to furnish themselves with arguments and get their hearts into such a frame that they might be above all passions might not fear any evil that could befall them no not death it self and though in other things they went far even to the shame of most Christians yet when it came to death they fell short of what they propounded to themselves Socrates is thought to go as far as any other whatsoever evil befell him he was yet the same man no alteration appearing in his carriage insomuch as another Philosopher Antisthenes said If the Gods would grant him what he desired he would desire nothing else but to have the spirit of Socrates and this was so much the more remarkable because that equanimity he attained to was quite contrary to his natural temper There came on a time a fellow to Athens who pretended great skill in Palmestry that by the sight of mens hands he would tell what disposition they were of and having guessed shrewdly in many he was at last brought to Socrates looking upon his hand he affirmed him to be of a froward peevish disposition the people began to hout him having had so long experience of his meekness and moderation but Socrates said do not blame the man for the truth is such a one I am by nature only I have cured the intemperance of nature by the practice of Philosophy yet this man who was so far able to master himself and his passions in other things was not able to master the fear of death though at first he seemed undaunted yet when the cup of Poison was reached out to him he looked as pale as ashes the like it was with others Plato discoursing highly of the contempt of death was answered by one he spake beyond what he lived Tully was well versed in the writings of the Stoicks and thought himself fortified against the fear of death but when death came complained I know not how it comes to pass but so it is the remedy is too narrow for the disease Though while men look upon death at a distance they may hope by the improvement of Philosophical arguments to master the fear of death yet when death cometh in good earnest when all the senses the ports of the soul are beset with the ambushes of death when death mounts up all her batteries and beateth down one hold after another driving the soul from one part of the body to another till at last the soul be forced to quit her former habitation when a man comes to feel what he never felt before to do what he never did before nor is ever to do a second time when he cometh now to have the last cast for an Eternity either of happiness or misery to cease any longer to be what he was before and to enter upon a new but never ending condition when it cometh to this they must be better and higher arguments than can be learned in natures school that will be able to afford support and comfort to the departing soul As soon may a man think to gather Grâ—pes of Thorns and Figs of Thistles as by the sole improvement of these to grapple with the terrors of death Lypsius lying upon his death-bed when a friend that stood by said It would be in vain to suggest any arguments of consolation to him who was so well acquainted with the writings of the Stoicks he is said to turn himself towards Christ saying Lord give me the true Christian patience whereas the Believer whose mind is taken up with heavenly things being already dead to the world findeth it no hard matter to part with it as that Martyr Julius Palmar said to them that have their souls linked to the flesh like a Rogues foot to a pair of stocks it is indeed hard to dye but for him who is able to separate soul and body by the help of Gods spirit it is no more mastery for such an one to dye than for me to drink this cup of Beer having before-hand sent his heart to Heaven he looketh upon death as a favourable wind to carry him sooner to his desired Haven Moses converseth with God as a man converseth with his friend and when God bad him go up to the Mount and dye there Moses maketh no more of it he went up into the Mount and died according to the word of the Lord the Jews say that his soul was sucked out of his mouth with a kiss he who now converseth in Heaven when he dyeth only changeth his place but not his company removeth to a higher form but continueth at the same school while he liveth he is like the Bee which converseth amongst sweet flowers or like the Birds of the fortunate Islands which they say are all their life-time nourished with perfumes and when he dyeth he dyeth like the Phoenix in the sweet odours of an heavenly conversation 15. It would give us after death a wide and large entrance into Heaven They that look here to things Eternal shall after this life have possession of them shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven when others who â—ook no higher than things temporal shall be called the â—east in the Kingdom of God Heaven like the Halâ—ions nest will hold nothing but its own bird the Apostle blesseth God because he had made them meet
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What doth it profit Probably I might incur the like Censure should I only exhort men to labour for eternal Blessedness and not withall give some Directions how it might be attained therefore shall lay down these ensuing 1. We should engage our selves by taking up fixed peremptory resolutions things fully resolved on are more than half done when a man out of a practical conviction cometh to be sensible both of his want of happineâ—s that without it it had been good for him that he had never been born and of the worth and excellency of it and thereupon taketh up a set resolution that he must have it whatsoever it cost him that whatsoever he neglects he will not neglect this one thing necessary this man is not far off from the Kingdom of God Resolution when it is fixed like a principle in the Soul when it is both deliberate proceeding out of a setled Judgment not rash sudden and precipitant and determinate with the full bent and tendency of the heart not a velleity a weak fluctuating inclination such a Resolution hath a two-fold advantage 1. It hath a powerful influence upon the whole man he that fully resolveth upon a thing will put to the utmost of his power about it and when a man takes up a stedfast resolution to make Heaven his business this will engage all the powers Faculties Abilities of the Soul all the wisdom study care thoughts affections endeavours in the pursuiâ— of it such an one will stick at no pains but be willing to do any thing that he might obtain it 2. It will break through all Oppositions Nazianzen walking by the Sea-side and observing how the waves beating upon the shore brought with them many Cockle-shels stalks of Herbs and the like trash and returning with other waves swept them away again when in the mean time the Rocks about him stood firm being not a whit moved by the flux and re-flux of the raging waters deduced from thence this profitable Meditation That weak irresolved minds are soon overcome by contrary perswasions whereas a stedfast peremptory resolution will easily dash all temptations and keep a man that no contrary solicitations can remove him from his stedfastness As therefore they say Bees when they fly in a great wind ballast themselves with little stones that they might not be carried away with the wind so it should be our care to Fortifie our selves with strong and setled Resolutions only we must take heed of resolving in our own strength Luther in his Comment upon the Galatians tells of Staupitius that he had often heard him complaining to this purpose I have many times resolved and covenanted for the Service of God but I cannot perform according to my resolutions hereafter I will take up no such Resolves for I well see if God be not merciful to me in Christ for all my vows and resolutions I shall never be able to appear before him and Luther commends it for a holy kind of despair what we think to build by our own strength we will soon pull down by our own weakness therefore when we thus resolve we should go forth in the strength of the Lord and make mention of his Righteousness only 2. We should improve that Power we have though a man in his natural estate is not able to believe and repent and do such things as more immediately accompany Salvation yet he may do something in tendency to it as 1. He may abstain from those sins that are Destructive of Salvation though he cannot abstain from sin collectively yet he may divisively though not from all sin because it is natural to sin yet from this and that particular sin though he cannot refrain from the inward lustings of the heart which continually sends forth sin as the Fountain sendeth forth water yet he may from many outward acts of sin every one of which strengthen the habit and more strongly incline to sin the Drunkard can continue sober while he is in sober company the Swearer if he be in the presence of a Justice of Peace will scarce swear an oath for some hours together and what they do at one time and in one company they might do in another though they cannot abstain from sin out of love to God or hatred of sin yet they may out of love to themselves and fear of Hellâ— if the Laws of the land should ordain that he that sweareth or is drunk should be punished with death it would no doubt keep manâ— from those sins and what they do out of fear of a temporal they might dò much more out of fear of eternal death 2. A man may hear read pray confer meditate and use other outward means appointed by God if he doth somthing this way he might do more allow himself more time for these duties and when he sets about them might dâ—sengage himself from other things that he might intend them in a more serious manner this and much more a man may do If any Object that he cannot do this without Gods help and assistance I answer It is true but withal consider what kind of assistan e is hereunto required and I shall explain it thus It is most true that a man can move nâ—ither hand nor foot without the concourse of Gods Providence but it is such a general concourse as God seldome denieth to any whereas if a man would do any thing above his strength as when Sampson would pull down the House upon the Philistins this requireth an addition of more strength in like manner though to believe and repent requireth a special grace and assistance of God yet to the use of these means before hinted is required no more than that common grace and general assistance which God seldom denyeth to any man If any object further that they cannot perform these Duties in a spiritual manner they cannot pray and hear in faith I answer while they are in their natural condition that is not their means Means saith one (c) Fenners wilful Murder is that which cometh between a mans Can and his Cannot their means is to do what they can to pray that they may pray in faith to hear that they may hear in faith to perform Duties that they may perform them in a spiritual manner If it be objected thirdly that without faith it is impossible to please God it is the prayer of faith that pleaseth God and so likewise in other Duties and to what end should they do these things when the doing them is not pleasing to God I answer Though without faith these Duties are not spiritually and formally good yet they are morally and materially and so far as they are good they are pleasing to God If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted (d) Gen. 4.7 A Cain a wicked man so far as he doth well he is accepted though these Duties being done without faith are not adequately proportionable to Gods will and so truly pleasing to him
calleth the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen (t) Heb. 11.1 though we must distinguish between faith of Adherence and Faith of Evidence between the first Act of Faith whereby we believe and the second Act or as some call it an act flowing from faith (u) Actus a fide emanans between the work of Faith which is Believing and the fruit of Faith which is Assurance A Christian may have faith in the Seed and not in the Harvest the fire of Faith may warm his heart yet not flame forth in Assurance he may have the direct act of Faith both a Negative exclusive act whereby he renounceth all other ways and means of Salvation a Positive exclusive act whereby he rests wholly upon Christ for Eternal life yet not have the Reflex act whereby he knoweth that he believeth and that Salvation belongeth to him yet where Faith is called a Believing to Salvation (w) Heb 10.39 and Salvation is said to be the end of Faith (x) 1 Pet. 1.9 4. Love The joys of Heaven are said to be prepared God for those that love him (y) 1 Cor. 2.9 Ambrose in his Funeral Oration for Theodosius describing his religious death brings in the Angels Arch-angels hovering about his departing Soul to carry it to Heaven And asking him what Grace it was he here practised on earth that gave him so ready an admittance into Heaven He replyed I have loved I have loved Love is as strong as Death the coals thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement Flame z In the flames of this fire it is that the devout Soul ascends to Heaven as the Angel once in the flame of Manaoh's sacrifice 5. Humility As the Philosopher being asked What is the first thing required in an Orator answered Pronunciation what was the second what the third answered still Pronunciation Pronunciation So saith Austin Iâ— I where asked what is the readiest way to attain Truth and so Happiness I would answer The first the second and the third thing is Humility Humility as often as I were asked I would say Humility Humility doth not only entitle to Happiness but to the the highest degree of Happiness Whosoever shall humble himselfe as this little child the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven (a) Cant. 8.6 6. Heavenly-mindedness There is no one thing so much hindereth the attaining eternal life as Earthly-mindedness there are some Fowls they call Polysurchoi which though they have wings like other Fowls to fly with yet they have such heavy ponderous bodies that they seldome flye higher than the stub of some Tree but live most-what like beasts upon the earth worldly-minded men like these Fowles who though they have intelectual immortal fouls by which they should have converse in Heaven yet they are so eaten up with the world that they have no time and less mind to look after Heaven Chrysostome observeth that other beasts thougâ— they are made so as they look down to the earth yeâ— sometimes especially in their extremity they lift up their heads towards Heaven only the Camel is so depressed with the bunch of flesh upon his back that he is alwayes poring upon the earth and is never observed to look up toward Heaven To other beasts he compareth other sorts of sinners who though great strangers to Heaven yet sometimes have some thoughts of God and Heaven only the covetous worldling like the Camel is bowed down to the earth that he liveth as if there were neither a God to be served not a Heaven to be looked after this sin therefore we must in a special manner take heed of it is not more impossible for the same eye at the same instant to look downward toward the Earth and upward toward Heaven than to have the hearts both upon the World and Heaven if we desire and hope for Heaven we must be Crucified to the world must set our affections on things above not on things on the Earth we must never expect Heaven when we die if we be strangers to Heaven while we live In Physical transmutations the form is introduced in an instant but there are some antecedent qualities some previous dispositions that preparethe body for that change though the soul in the instant of death quits Earth and mounts up to Heaven yet it must be prepared for Heaven by conversing there before-hand such as novv live strangers to Heaven shall never intermeddle vvith those joyes b 7. To these vve must add the grace of perseverance some have seemed to begin well yet ended miserably others have begun ill but ended happily perseverance is all in all other graces run the race but only perseverance receiveth the Crovvn Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life (c) Rev. 2.10 Solomon saith better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof (d) Eccles 7 8. The grace of the Comedy lyeth chiefly in the last Scene it is the evening that Crovvneth the day Seneca saith the last day judgeth all the precedent happy are they whose last dayes are the 〈◊〉 dayes vvhose works are more at last than at fiâ— vvheras vvhen men seem to begin vvell and aftâ—â—vvard turn from the holy Commandment it had 〈◊〉 better for them never to have known the way of Righteâ—â—â—ss (s) 2 Pet. 2.21 Among other Prodigies vvhich vvere 〈◊〉 bout the time Julian came unto the Empire tâ— vvas one after a plentiful Vintage there vvere wâ— grapes appeared upon their Vines vvith vvhich maâ— Wise men vvere much affected looking upon it 〈◊〉 ominous When men seem to abound in the fruits 〈◊〉 Righteousness and aftervvard bring forth the wâ— grapes of sin and disobedience it is a sad Prognostiâ—â—â—â— of their eternal ruine as the falling of the leaâ— is the forerunner of vvinter so the falling away men in this life presageth that winter of 〈◊〉 wrath vvhen the storms and tempests of Divâ— vengence shall for ever beat upon them haviâ— then put our hand to the Plow vve must taâ— heed of looking back again the promise of eterâ—â—â— happiness is made to such as persevere He thâ— endureth to the end shall be saved (t) Matth. 10.22 FINIS
yet they are materially good in regard of the matter accepted of him though doing these Duties be not a degree in the thing ye it is a degree to it though in the state they were it is not available to Salvation yet b this a man renders himself more c pable of Salvation and presents himself as a subject more fit for God to work on though I cannot say with the Romanists that he who improves his natural abilitâ—es doth out of congruity merit justifying and saving Grace or that God hath absolutely bound himself upon the exerting and putting forth of these natural abilities to bestow supernatural Graces because that of our Saviour To him that hath shall be given is to be understood in the same kind yet certainly God is never wanting to those who are not wanting to themselves the Apostle saith that God will have all men to be saved (e) 1 Tim. 2.3 As a King really willeth and desireth the welfare of all his loyal Subjects though not with that degree of willingness that he doth the welfare of some special Favourite whom he raiseth to great preferment in like manner though God doth not will the Salvation of all with that degree of willingness that he doth the Elect yet he willeth it with a true and real will though not with an absolute efficacious will and resolution as a thing which he absolutely resolveth shall come to pass as he doth the Salvation of his Elect yet he doth it with a conditional will if they will come up to the terms of the Gospel though he doth not deal with all men in a Covenant of Grace yet he dealeth with all in a Covenant of righteousness if I may so term it if they do well they shall be accepted if they believe and repent they shall be saved and he bestoweth upon them many means and helps to this end no man shall have any cause to plead at the last day I knew thou wert a hard Master reaping where thou hast noâ— sown I was not wanting in using the Mean but thou wert wanting in giving a Blessing I did what I could on my part but thou failedst on thy part no God will silence any such plea as he did with that unprofitable servant Why didst thou not put out my money to the Exchangers Why didst thou not improve that power I gave thee God will then make it appear that every mans destruction is of himself that God would have healed Babylon but she would not be healed that he would have gathered men as the Hen doth her Chickens but they would not Seeing then Gods bowels are not straitned to us let not us be straitned in our own bowels let us carefuly use the means God hath appointed improve those talents put forth that power he hath given us it is in vain to expect God should help us unless we help our selves as we can do nothing without Gods assistance so God ordinarily will do nothing without our co-operation 3. We should carefully observe and improve those seasons and opportunities which God puts into our hands though the whole time of life be given us to make provision for Eternity yet there are some particular seasons when this may best be done some certain articles of time when God maketh more immediat offers of Eternal happiness As 1. When we find some more than ordinary impulse to seek God in some duty of his own appointment sometimes when our thoughts are taken up with other things we find a motion darted into our minds to seek God by prayer or some other duty and many times one motion after another and when God thus provokes us to seek him it is a sign that is a time when God is willing to be found of us When God bad Moses come up into the Mount to him it was an argument he would meet him when he came there When Christ told his Disciples Behold I go before you into Galilee there shall you see me the Disciples going found as he had said In like manner when God prompts us into his presence it is a good argument we may then prevail with him 2. When God prepareth the heart and puts it into a frame and temper in some measure suitable to the duty as when there is wrought in us an aweful apprehension of the Majesty and holiness of that God before whom we come alively sence of our own unworthiness to come into his presence a serious consideration of the solemnity of the duty we are about an earnest desire to meet God in the way of his own appointments when God is pleased to work up our hearts into such a frame these preparations are not in vain Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Psal 10.17 3. When God is pleased to enlarge the heart and vouchsafe a special assistance in the duty when a man stirreth up himself to take hold of God and continueth wrestling with God by a holy importunity He shall approach to me for who is this that engageth his heart to approach unto me (i) Jer. 30.21 and let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me (k) Isa 27.5 and he shall make peace with me 4. When the hearts of Gods Ministers are enlarged when those goads nails given from one Shepherd are powerfully fastned upon the the conscience by the Masters of the Assemblies When Christ was teaching it is said The power of God was present to heal It holds true in regard of spiritual healing (l) Luk. 5.17 when the Word is powerfully preached God whose way is in the Sanctuary whose Walk is in the midst of the golden Candlesticks is then more specially present to make his word effectual We then as workers together with him beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain then followeth Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation (m) 2 Cor. 6.1 5. When there is wrought in the heart some remorse for sin When John Baptist preached in the Wilderness of Judea the people went out to him and were baptised of him in Jordan confessing their sins and then he tells them Now also is the Axe laid to the root of the tree (n) Mat. 3.10 6. When there are stirred up in the soul some desires after grace and Salvation Hoe every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters then Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call upon while he is near (o) Isa 55.1 7. When God by threatning or inflicting some great judgment doth awaken and terrifie the Conscience Thus the Prophet having threatned a sore judgment he adds Therefore now also saith the Lord turn to me with all your heart c. (p) Joel 2.12 8. The time of sickness when a man cometh to apprehend he must die forthwith enter upon his eternal condition Tully observeth when men draw near to death then they begin to think of Vertue and
to repent deeply of those Sins and offences they before committed Beza saith That God laid the foundation of his spiritual health in a violent sickness that befel him at Paris 9. After some great Mercy conferred or some great deliverance vouchsafed which is apt to put the heart into a melting frame when the Angel minded the people of Gods mercies to them how ill they had requited him they wept abundantly (s) Eccl. 8.6 These and the like are the particular times when God works more close with man to bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living but here is the great misery men that are careful to take the proper seasons in all other things yet in this which most concerns them are more inobservant than the Stork Crane other brutish creatures and this is the great cause of the miâ—carriage of many thousands of souls because to every purpose there is a time and judgment therefore the misery of man is great upon him (r) Judg. 2. It holds true in the miseries that befal men in this life because there is a nick of opportunity when every thing may best be done with most advantage and sometimes when it must be done or not done at a I men many times want judgment to discern this time this is the great cause of those evils that befal the sons of men Esau lost the blessing for want of coming a little sooner Saul lost his Kingdom for want of staying a little longer and as in the things of this life mens not timing things aright is the cause why they miscarry in their undertakings so it is more especially in spirituals because there are some particular seasons and articles of time when God draws more near to men and makes more immediate offers of mercy and salvation and men will not know the time of their visitation hence it comes to pass that the misery of men is great upon them this is that that sets open the flood-gates of damnation that makes Hell to enlarge it self and svvallovv innumerable Souls there is no one sin I think I may say not all sins put together that is the cause of the damnation of so many under Gospel-light as this one sin there are few who live under Gospel-dispensations but are convinced of the necessity of making provision for their eternal condition and have many purposes and resolutions to do it only they will not take Gods time they put it off and think it will be time enough afterward and this is that fatal Rock where millions of Souls dash themselves in pieces that great stumbling-block at which innumerable men stumble and fall and perish everlastingly Could we lay our ears to Hell hear the cries and complaints of those poor tormented creatures I doubt not but we might hear them crying out against this Sin as the chief cause of their perishing if therefore our Souls our Salvation our everlasting welfare be precious to us take heed of neglecting those seasons and opportunities which being once past can never be recalled again but let us in this our day know the things that belong to our peace Yet further though at these and the like times God worketh with men yet we may probably conceive that there may be sometimes one particular time when God above others draweth more near in this kind To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven There is a particular season when every thing may be best done and sometimes must be done then or not at all When Elisha desired that a double portion of Elijah's spirit might be given him Elijah answered Thou hast aâ—ked a hard thing nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee it shall be so unto thee but if not it shall not be so Elisha being with him and seeing him when he was caught up had accordingly a double portion of his spirit whereas had he missed that time he had likewise missed of what he desired Some have observed that there are few meÌ„ but some one time or other in their life have an opportunity put into their hand for advantaging themselves in regard of their outward condition in the world some one opportunity more conducing therunto than they have all their lives beside and if this be neglected many times they never meet with the like again Samuel appointed Saul to tarry seven dayes he tarried six and part of the seventh Samuel not coming he forced himself and offered a Burnt-offering the Text saith As soon as he had made an end of offering Samuel came and tells him he had done foolishly for now would God have established his Kingdom upon Israel but now he tells him his Kingdom should not continue (u) 1 Sam. 13. When the people met to crown Rehoboam had he then spake good words to them as his old Counsellors advised they would have served him for ever but speaking harshly ten Tribes revolted from him he could never after regain that opportunity he then had of settling himself It is probable it may be thus with some in regard of their spiritual condition Christ telleth the young man that he was not far off from the Kingdom of God but he being unwilling to comply with Christs terms went away and we do not read that he ever came to Christ after When Paul reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and judgment to come Felix trembled but put him off at present go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee but we do not find that ever that season came So Agrippa tells Paul Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian within a little (w) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but having thus spoken he rose up and it is likely was never after in so good a frame some upon the hearing of a powerful convincing Sermon others in the time of some great sickness much bewail their former neglects and take up strong resolutions for the future so as at present they seem not far off from the Kingdom of Heaven yet afterward repent of their very repentance and neglecting to improve this opportunity it may be feared of some that they never have the like again Some say the Panther never bringeth forth but once and the reason is because when the young ones gather strength they struggle to get more liberty and with their nailes tear the film or bag in which they are inclosed which putting the Dam to pain she casts them out while they are yet blind and deformed and the bag being torn she is uncapable of bearing after Thus many when they are under the pangs of the new birth which might if well managed be a happy preparative for forming Christ in their Souls yet growing impatient of these workings and stirrings of Conscience and not willing to stay long enough in the place of breaking forth of Children they either