frights and terrours What dost thou hope for what dost thou fear what dost thou love He that rideth upon the Heavens is thy helper he shall embrace thee with his everlasting arms With those arms of his he is able to fetter all thine enemies whether they fawn or frown upon thee he is able at a beck to squeeze them in pieces like so many flies and break them in pieces like a potters vessell Doth the pleasure then of lust or gluttonie or intemperance sollicit thee That is nothing Be not moved at it passe it by regard it not think rather upon the pleasures which are Eternall Art thou terrified with threats oppressed with sorrows passed by with contempt afflicted with sicknesse tired out with povertie All these are a matter of nothing The more violent these are the shorter while they will last Despise them lift up thine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh thy help look up to heaven Think upon Eternitie There shall no evil happen unto the just Si fractus illabatur orbis Impavidum ferient ruinae The just man shall not be afraid Though heaven fall upon his head Therefore the just man is never sorrowfull no tribulation doth ever assault him But Are not the tribulations of the just many Yea but yet they make nothing of them That onely they count evil which is Eternall which separateth a man from God as sinne doth and Eternall death which is the wages of sinne The Preacher of the Gentiles bids us Look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen Why so For saith he The things which are seen are temporall but the things which are not seen are Eternall The things which are not seen the things which are Eternall those are the things which are great indeed whether they be good or whether they be evil But whilest we look onely at the things which are seen and seldome or never at the things which are not seen what do we make of our selves but great and foolish boyes great but yet foolish at the best but boyes If the ice fall out of our hands we presently fall a crying and yet that is such a thing that we cannot hold long We are frighted at shadows and dream of great matters We spend our selves on such things as not onely shall shortly passe away for certain but are already passing away For it is not said The figure or The fashion of this world shall passe away In the Future But The fashion of this world passeth away In the Present It is passing away already As all the goods which we enjoy here are but transitorie So all the evils which we suffer here are but transitorie they cannot continue long Those things which are not seen and those onely have a permanent state they know no end they have no term they are not subject to any change they are firm they are immoveable they are Eternall I repeat it again what I said a little before for it deserves to be repeated a thousand and a thousand times No labour must seem hard no time must seem long all the while we are seeking after Eternall glory Symphorianus a Christian young man after that he was almost scourged to death as he was dragged to execution at Augustodunum met his mother upon the way But how Not tearing the hair from her head or rending her clothes or laying open her breasts or making grievous lamentation as the manner of foolish women is to do But carrying her self like an Heroicall and Christian Lady For she cryed out and called unto her sonne and said Sonne my sonne I say remember life Eternall look up to heaven lift up thine eyes to him that reigneth there Life is not taken from thee but is exchanged for a better At which words of his mother the young man was so exceedingly animated that he went willingly to execution and chearfully like a stout champion laid down his head upon the block and exposed his throat to the fatall ax Heare this O Christians all and remember your selves This is the case of every man living We are on our way to death we go not so fast it may be as Symphorianusâ—id â—id but yet we are all going and we have not farre to go The noble armies of Martyrs which are gone before us they call unto us from heaven and say as the Christian and couragious mother said unto her sonne as he was going to execution Remember life Eternall look up to heaven and lift up your eyes to him that reigneth there Carry thy self therefore like a Symphorian whosoever professest thy self to be a Christian. Do not hang back be not loth to go withdraw not thy neck from the yoke nor thy shoulders from the crosse be not afraid to suffer for Christ be not afraid to die for Christ be not afraid to eat fire or to devoure the sword for the name of Christ. Here shew thy self a man take good courage pull up a good heart And when thou art at any time tempted when thou art grieved when thou art made sorrowfull when thou art vexed when thou art despised when thou art made a laughing-stock when thou art disgraced when thou art spoiled of thy goods when it is with thee as it was with Job upon the dunghill or if it can be worse then call to minde Symphorian and a thousand more stout Christians such as he was and learn of them Christian courage and magnanimitie and boldly and freely break forth into these words and repeat them often Whatsoever I suffer here it is but a Modicum it is but short Farewell then all the world and all the things that are therein And welcome to me Thou art welcome Eternitie Of Eternitie there is no. FINIS Ciâ—â—râ— lib. 1. de Nâ—â— Dâ—â—r â— Lib. 5. de Cons. In Tâ—â—â—â— 2. Cor. 4. 18. 〈◊〉 Psaâ— 63. In Aslepio Job 6. 26. â—empis â—â—b 2. â—â—p 12 Ecclus. 11. 21. In 〈…〉 Jos. 3. 16. Eccl. 20. â—1 Ecclâ—â— 1. 5. Mâ—â— 19. 17. Câ—â—â—elius a Lapide Volvitur volvitur in omne volubilis avâ—m Ioâ— 14 2. Rom. 1. 20. Rom. 2. 1. Lib. 21. De â—ivit cap. 5. In Hâ—rolog sapien Isai. 66. 24 Revel 9. 6. Psal. 8. 5. Psal. 49. 20 1. Rev. 9. 6. 2. 3. Matth. 25. 41. 〈◊〉 30. 33 Isai. 66. 24 Rev. â—4 11 Lib. 〈◊〉 De civ cap. 23 4. Isai. 66. 24 5. Pernaâ—â— Matth. 25. 41 6. Matth. â— â—2 De Christ. imitat lib. 1. 〈◊〉 24 Psal. 6. 1. Psal. â—5 7. Psal. 106. â— 107. 1 118. 1 136. 1 Isaâ—â— 31 〈…〉 6. Prov. 1. 25. Psal. 50. 17. Prov. 1. 26. Psal. 119. 137. John 4. 14. John 4. 15. Tertu Apoc. cap. 48 Minut. in Oct. Pacian De Poenitent confess In Sent sent 2â—0 Epist. 2 ad Tacit August lib. 5. De â—ivit Dei cap. 2â— 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Matth. 13. 1. Matth. â—4 2. Lukâ— 1. 33. Exod. 15. 18 Origen Isidore
poore miserable men more unreasonable and without understanding then the beasts are wounded every day and that many times deadly and yet notwithstanding we seek for no medicine to cure our spirituall diseases We use the same diet we were wont to do we talk as freely and merrily as ever we did we go to bed at our accustomed houre and sleep according to our old compasse But Repentance is the Physick that goes against our stomacks Contrition cuts us to the heart Confession seems bitter in our mouthes we choose rather to continue sick then so be cured This is our miserable condition so foolish are we and void of understanding either not knowing or at least not embracing that which would make for our Eternall good If we would give eare unto the counsell of the heavenly Angels which seem in the Picture according to their description to give direction unto us and are indeed appointed by God as ministring spirits for our good if we would I say give eare unto their counsell then certainly we would neither suffer our eyes to sleep nor our eye-lids to slumber neither the temples of our heads to take any rest untill our peace and reconciliation were made with God They put us still in minde that our day is almost spent that the night draws on that our glasse is neare running out that death is at hand and after death cometh judgement But we securely walk on in our old way Let the day spend let the night draw on let the glasse runne out Come death follow judgement We are not troubled at it we care not we regard not no warning of the Angels will serve our turn We sweetly sleep and never dream of this Unhappy man whosoever thou art Potes hoc sub casâ— ducere somnos And canst thou sleep in such a case as this Canst thou go to bed with a Conscience thus laden with sinne Canst thou take any rest when thou liest in danger of Eternall death Canst thou lodge in the same bed with the brother of Death and entertain sleep into thy bosome I can I tell thee that I can and finde no harm at all by it Be not too confident That may happen in the space of one houre which hath not happened in a thousand Thou art not past danger For consider with thy self how long thou hast to live There is no great distance betwixt thy soul and death hell and Eternitie It is gone in a breath Thou mayst most truely say every houre I am within one degree of death within one foot yea within one inch Death need not spend all his quiver upon thee One Arrow the head of one Arrow shall wound thee to the heart and make such a large orifice that bloud and spirits and life and all shall suddenly run out together Either thou livest in a malignant and corrupt aire or else thou art troubled with distillations falling down from thy head upon the lungs or else there is some obstruction in the veins or in the liver or else the vitall spirits are suffocated or else the pulsation of the Arteries is intercepted or else the Animall spirits runne back to their head and there are either frozen to death or else drowned One way or other thou postest to the end of thy short race and presently thou art but a dead man carried away to Eternitie in the turning of an hand before thou couldst imagine or think upon it There are a thousand wayes to bring a man to his end I do not speak of lingring deaths before which there goes some warning but of sudden deaths that summon us arrest us and carry us away all in a moment He dies suddenly that dies unpreparedly Death is not sudden if it be foreseen and alwayes expected That 's sudden death which was unpremeditate and unpremeditate death is the worst of all deaths And from such sudden death good Lord deliver us It is good counsell for every one let him be of what age he will for no age is priviledged more then another death hath a generall commission which extends to all places persons ages there is none exempt It is good counsell then I say for every one at all times and in all places and in all companies to expect death and to think every day yea every houre to be his last Then let him die when please God he shall not die suddenly How many men have we heard of whose light hath suddenly been put out and life taken away either by a fall or the halter or poyson or sword or fire or water or Lions pawes or Bores tusks or Horse heels and a thousand more wayes then these As many senses as we have That number is nothing As many parts and members as we have And yet that is nothing As many pores as there be in all the parts of our body put together So many windows are there for death to creep in at to steal upon us and suddenly cut our throats Thou wast born saith Saint Augustine That is sure For thou shalt surely die And in this that thy death is certain the day also of thy death is uncertain None of us knows how neare he draws unto his end I know not saith Job how long I shall live and how soon my Maker may take me away or as our translation hath it I know not to give slattering titles in so doing my Maker would soon take me away In the midst of our life we are neare unto death For we alwayes carry it in our bosome And who can tell whether he shall live till the Evening or no This murderer and man-stealer for so I call Death hath a thousand wayes to hurt us as by thunder and lightning storms and tempest fire and water c. Instruments of mischief he hath of all sorts as Gunnes Bowes Arrows Slings Spears Darts Swords and what not We need not be beholding to former ages for examples of sudden deaths Alack we have too many in our own dayes Have not we our selves known many that laying themselves down to sleep have fallen into such a dead sleep that they are not to be awaked again till they shall heare the sound of the trumpet at the last day Death doth not alwayes send his Heralds and Summoners before to tell us of his coming but often steals upon us unexpected and as he findes us so he takes us whether prepared or unprepared Watch therefore For ye know neither the day nor the houre There is a kinde of Repentance indeed in Hell but neither is it true neither will it profit any thing at all For it is joyned with everlasting and tormenting horrour and despaire Now now is the acceptable time of Repentance Now whilest it is called to day Bring forth therefore fruits meet for Repentance The Night cometh when no man can work Work therefore while it is day The Day saith Origen is the time of this life which may seem long unto us
THE considerations OF DREXELIUS upon ETERNITIE Translated by Ralph Winterton Fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambr CAMBRIDGE Printed by Tho Buck Roger Daniel Will Marshall Sculpsit 1636. Are to be sould by Nic Alsop at the Angel in Popes-head alley THE CONSIDERATIONS OF DREXELIUS upon ETERNITIE Translated by RALPH WINTERTON Fellow of Kings Colledge in CAMBRIDGE 1632. CAMBRIDGE Printed by the Printers to the Universitie 1636. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL and truely religious Esquire Mr. Edw. Benlowes of Brent-Hall in Essex R. W. wisheth Internall Externall and Eternall happinesse IT was well answered by him who being asked What this life was said thus It is nothing else but the Meditation of Death If a man should ask me What Time is I think I might fitly answer thus It is nothing else but the Meditation of Eternitie Our Life is but a Posting unto Death and our Time a short dayes sail unto Eternitie In this Time of Life we are as Pilgrims and Strangers travelling towards our celestiall Countrey We are as Sailers bound for the Haven of Eternitie But we must runne through many troubles before we can come to our journeys end We must sail through salt and bitter waters and passe through the Gulf of Death before we can come to Land There is a Land which is called The Land of the living and there is a Land which is called The Land of Horrour and Despair There is a two-fold Eternitie either of the Blessed or of the Cursed There is a two-fold Life after Death either in Eternall joyes or Eternall punishments It is good therefore in this short Life to think upon that Life which never shall have end It is good whilest we are on the way to think upon our Journeys end It is good in Time whilest we are sailing to have an eye still upon our Compasse and think upon Eternitie To think upon Eternitie is a Soveraigne Preservative to keep us from falling into Sinne To think upon Eternall joyes sweetens the salt and bitter waters of Sorrows and Afflictions To think upon Eternall punishments makes us not to set our hearts upon Temporall Delights and Pleasures Heaven is even here on Earth in part enjoyed whilest we raise up our thoughts to meditate upon it And Hell may for ever be escaped if by serious and frequent thoughts thereof here in this life we descend into it Such thoughts as these moved Drexelius to write these CONSIDERATIONS and me also to translate them He wrote upon a Generall subject And every man may challenge a part in it What he wrote he intended for a publick benefit And so did I in the translating of it I hope He and His shall finde never the worse entertainment because He is a Stranger and come from beyond seas It is the honour of our Nation to be kinde and courteous unto Strangers He was commended unto me by a Traveller a most religious and learned Gentleman Be not angry with me Mr. Benlowes if I say He was as like you as can be in every respect For indeed he was bred and brought up in the Romish Religion and sent beyond seas to be confirmed in it but yet brought home again by divine providence and restored to his Mother the Church of England for the Conversion I hope of many singled out of all his kindred to be a most zealous Protestant born to good Fortunes and yet not given to Pleasures wedded to his Books and Devotion spending what some call idle time in the best companie for the edifying himself or others counting nothing good which he possesseth but onely that which he doth good withall taking more care to lay out his money for the good of others then others in laying up money for themselves To conclude A Gentleman of whom I may most truely say That his Conversation is in heaven his Discourse on things above and his thoughts upon Eternitie Upon such a mans commendation as this I could not but take a liking to the party commended and the more I grew acquainted with him the more I liked him It is the counsell of Horace Tu quem commendes etiam atque etiam aspice nè mox Incutiant aliena tibi commissa pudorem Beleeve me Mr. Benlowes I have had such experience of this party whom here I commend unto you that I dare confidently say If you entertain him into your service you shall never repent you of it Philip of Macedon appointed one every Morning to salute him with a Memento of Mortalitie Drexelius his office shall be if you please To be your Remembrancer and every Morning Noon and Evening to round you in the eare with a Memento of Eternitie But I know That is so often in your thoughts that you need not any to put you in Remembrance of it Neither yet do I intend here though I have a fair occasion to run over the Catalogue of your Christian Vertues specially that pair of Christian twins your Pietie and Temperance with your Charity and Bounty For the first they that daily converse with you cannot but see how you converse with them The other pair go along with you wheresoever you go and though you desire to hide them cannot be concealed in speciall many poore Scholars godly and devout Ministers in the Universitie and abroad of severall Colledges have had a feeling themselves of them and cannot but make them conspicuous nay palpable to others These shall praise you in your absence for my part I do not love to praise a man to his face But if the living hold their peace the dead shall rise up and praise you I mean those many and excellent books together with other rare monuments purchased at a great price which without any sollicitation at all out of meere affection you bore to Saint Johns Colledge in Cambridge where you were sometimes a Student you have bestowed on their Librarie Their Librarie but the most magnificent work and Eternall Monument of the Mecoenas of our age John Lord Bishop of Lincoln the true lover of learning and Patron of Scholars And now it appeares Mr. Benlowes that you have lesse need of Drexelius his service then before But howsoever I pray you entertain him Let him have but the honour to weare your Cognizance And both He and I will put it upon the file of Thankfull Remembrance and register it for a singular act of your Beneficence Pardon my boldnesse in this And command me in what liberall service you please Ralph Winterton From Kings Coll. June 1. 1632. The Epistle to the Reader IF any man more curious in censuring what is done for a common good rather then studious himself to promote it should question me for medling in another mans profession I might answer him in his own kinde by way of question as Menedemus in Terence answered Chremes finding fault with him Tantúmne abs re tua est otii tibi Aliena ut cures eáque nihil quae ad te attinent Hast thou so much leisure as to
How God punisheth here that he may spare hereafter A strange example Pag. 142 The sixth Consideration How the holy Scripture in many places teacheth us to meditate upon Eternitie Pag. 149 Chap. I. The Answer of the holy Fathers and the Church about this Pag. 152 Chap. II. Cleare testimonies of Divine Scripture concerning Eternitie Pag. 169 Chap. III. This life in respect of that which is to come is but as a drop to the Ocean Pag. 176 The seventh Consideration How Christians use to paint Eternitie Pag. 190 Chap. I. Christ inviting Pag. 195 Chap. II. Adam Lamenting Pag. 197 Chap. III. The Raven croking Pag. 202 The eighth Consideration How Christians ought not onely to look upon the Emblems and Pictures of Eternitie but come home and look within themselves and seriously meditate upon the thing it self Pag. 225 Chap. I. Eternitie doth not onely cut off all comfort and ease but even all hope also Pag. 232 Chap. II. Eternitie is a Sea and a three-headed Hydra It is also a fountain of all joy Pag. 237 Chap. III. How sweet and precious the taste of Eternitie is Pag. 244 The ninth Consideration Seven Conclusions about these Considerations of Eternitie 259. 265. 268. 272. 274. 280. 284. Chap. I. The Punishment of Eternall Death Pag. 299 Chap. II. The reward of Eternall life Pag. 313 Chap. III. The conclusion of all Pag. 331 The word of God most High is the Fountain of wisedome her wayes are everlasting commandements Ecc â— 5 The infant playes with Fate Nature the fool with ETERNITIE but the wise man shall have dominion over the starres CONSIDERATIONS upon ETERNITIE The first Consideration What Eternitie is SImonides being asked by Hiero King of Sicilie what God was desired one day to consider upon it And after one day past having not yet found it out desired yet two dayes more to consider further upon it And after two dayes he desired three And to conclude at length he had no answer to return unto the King but this That the more he thought upon it the more still he might For the further he busied himself in the search thereof the further he was from finding it The thing that we are here now to consider upon is Eternity And the first question that offers it self unto our consideration is What Eternitie is Boëtius saith that it is altogether and at once the entire and perfect possession of a life that never shall have an end And let no man take it ill if we say that it cannot be known and that the more we search into it the more we lose our selves in the search of it For how can that be defined which hath no bounds or limits If any man urge us further and desire us to shadow it out at least by some though obscure description Our answer is That it may easier be done by declaring what it is not rather then what it is so doth Plato concerning God What God is saith he that I know not what he is not that I know So Augustine Bishop of Hippo in his sixty fourth Sermon upon the words of our Lord describeth that true beatitude which is in heaven by removing from it the very thought of all evil We may more easily finde saith he what is not there then what is In heaven there is neither grief nor sorrow nor pâ—nurie nor defect nor disease nor death nor any evil So may we say concerning Eternitie For whatsoever in this life we either see with our eyes or let in by our other outward senses that is not Eternall For the things that are seen saith S. Paul are temporall but the things which are not seen are Eternall Hence every man may say This my joy these my pleasures and delights this treasure this honour this stately building this life of mine all is Transitorie nothing Eternall A man can point at nothing which shall not perish and have an end Indeed the ignorant multitude use to speak after this manner This structure is for Eternitie this monument is everlasting And the impatient man is wont to complain that his pains are without end But these Eternities are very short and a man may easily in words comprehend them Say what thou canst of the true Eternity thou must needs come farre short of it So saith Augustine Thou sayest of Eternitie whatsoever thou wilt But therefore thou sayest whatsoever thou wilt because thou canst not say all say what thou wilt But therefore thou must needs say something that still thou mayest have something to think which thou canst not say Trismegistus saith That the soul is the Horizon of Time and Eternitie For in that it is immortall it is partaker of Eternitie and in that it is infused by God into the body it is partaker of Time But before we proceed any further for orders sake let us see what men of former times Romanes Grecians Egyptians others have thought of Eternitie For they acknowledged it for certain and represented it divers wayes CHAP. I. What men of former times have thought of Eternitie and how they have represented it FIrst of all they have represented Eternitie by a Ring or a Circle which hath neither beginning nor ending which is proper onely to Gods Eternitie Seeing therefore that God is Eternall and his duration is properly called Eternitie the Egyptians used to signifie God by a Circle And the Persians thought they honoured God most when going up to the top of the highest tower they called him the Circle of heaven And it was a custome amongst the Turks as Pierius teacheth at large to cry out every morning from an high tower God alwayes was and alwayes will be and then to salute their Mahomet The Saracens also used to call God a Circle Mercurius Trismegistus whom I named before the most memorable amongst Philosophers who wrote more books then any mortall man beside if we may beleeve Seleucus and Meneceus said that God was an intellectual sphere whose centre is every where and circumference no where because Gods Majestie and immensitie are terminated no where For this cause the Ancients built unto their gods Temples for figure round So Numa Pompilius is said to have consecrated to Vesta a round Temple at Rome So Augustus Cesar in the name of Agrippa dedicated to all the gods a round Temple and called it Pantheon Hereupon Pythagoras to shew Gods Eternitie teached his scholars to worship him turning their bodies round about And there was a statute made by Numa as Brissonius witnesseth That they which were about to worship God should turn themselves round Therfore God is according to the Ancients a Circle but a Circle without a Peripherie or circumference whose Centre is every where because God is the beginning and end of all things Whereupon Job most justly cryes out Behold God is great we know him not neither can the number of his yeares be searched out Again they have represented Eternitie by a Sphere
a Mistresse and Guide leadeth thee by the hand and pointeth thee to a thing which the fire hath no power to consume So shall all the damned burn but never shall burn out They shall alwaies burn but never be consumed They shall seek for death in the flames but shall not finde it Therefore justly doth one cry out Oh wo Eternall that never shall have end Oh end without end Oh death more grievous then all death Alwayes to dye and never to be quite dead So saith divine Isaiah Their fire never shall be quenched And the Angel in the Revelation They shall desire to dye and death shall flee from them That the Salamander for a little time can endure live in the fire beside Aristotle Plinie Galen AElian Dioscorides S. Augustine also himself beleeved This creature is very cold and is generated of showers The sunne and drought are death to it Therefore according to Plinie it endures in the flame like ice Of the skin thereof lights are made for perpetuall burning lamps God who made the Salamander of Earth and Clay hath of his goodnesse formed man though of the same matter yet of a more excellent and noble nature He hath made him a little lower then the Angels He hath assigned unto him after this life the fellowship of the same kingdome with the Angels But man being in honour had no understanding and was compared unto the beasts that perish By his own malice he made himself such a Salamander that must alwayes live or alwayes dye in Eternall flames In those fiery prisons of Hell all things are Eternall but these six things especially CHAP. 1. What things are Eternall in Hell THe damned himself is Eternall and dyes not No man can make an end of himself or another They shall seek death and shall not finde it Yea the very desire of death in as much as their desire cannot be satisfied shall greatly increase their torment The Prison it self is Eternall It can never fall to ruine it can never be broken down it can never be digged through It is barred up with rocks and mountains The locks and barres are so firm and strong that none can get out If any of the damned should by Gods permission before the day of judgement come out from thence yet still he should carry an Hell about him and never be free from torment The fire there is Eternall Christ himself in Matthew saith as much expressely Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire or fire Eternall Doest thou heare this word Eternall The anger of the Lord doth kindle this fire and it shall never be put out To this beareth Isaiah witnesse saying The breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it it shall burn night and day and shall not be quenched the smoke thereof shall ascend up for ever and ever Eternall punishment and Eternall life are Relates as S. August speaketh and Relates are of like continuance To say therefore That Eternall life shall be without end and Eternall punishment shall have an end is very absurd Who therefore will deferre his conversion As the things mentioned before are Eternall so is the Worm and Conscience tormented with deep despaire for the life past Their worm shall not die So prophesieth Isaiah The Poëts of old translated this out of holy writ into their fables For what is that Tityus of whom Virgil feigneth That a flying Vultur every day gnawes and teares his Liver which is every night again repaired and made up that every day the Vultur may have more prey to gnaw upon What is the Vultur but the Worm we speak of And what is his Liver but the Conscience alwayes gnawen and tormented To this Eternitie of Hell belongeth also the last sentence and the last decree pronounced by Christ the Judge A decree Alas irrevocable immutable Eternall There is no Appealing from it If the sentence be once pronounced by the mouth of this Judge it stands irrevocable for all Eternitie In Hell there is no redemption not any no not any but Eternall desperation The bloud of Christ when it was newly poured out on the mount of Golgotha though of infinite efficacie for satisfaction yet reached not unto the demned If the yoke of the Lord saith Saint Bernard be a yoke of Repentance you think that in it self it is not sweet But this you must know That it is most sweet if it be compared with that fire of which it is said Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire The Punishment or Pain of losse also as they call it is Eternall being the privation of the sight of God for ever which together with all the other torments of the damned shall never have end because there can be no place for satisfaction For although these torments shall continue infinite millions of yeares yet there shall not one day no nor one houre no nor so much as a moment of rest and respite be granted There shall be vicissitude and varietie of torments but to their greater pain and grief Christ often foretold it by Matthew in plain words The children of the kingdome shall be cast out into utter darknesse There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth weeping for heat and gnashing of teeth for cold How then can man be so forgetfull of himself and God How can he so degenerate into a beast Yea rather how can he become like a rock or a stone so senselesse as when he shall think upon the unsufferable and unutterable torments of Hell which never shall have end then not to feare and tremble and say with himself thus I am for certain in the way to Eternitie and I know not how soon I may come to my journeys end I sit on the Stairs of Eternitie and every little thrust is ready to plunge me into the bottomlesse pit But if it seem so grievous and intolerable for a man to lye though but for one night on a soft feather-bed and never sleep or close his eyes but to sigh and grone for pain in his head or any other member for the toothach or for the stone If the night seems long and the day a great way off and the sun to slack his coming And yet as I said he lyes upon a good feather-bed and if he will have but a little patience he may hope to finde ease in the day and help from the Physician Alack Alack How intolerable shall it be to lye night and day in the fire for a thousand and a thousand and again I say a thousand yeares How intolerable shall it be there to watch to hunger to thirst to burn to be tormented extremely in every part and not to hope for any rest or so much as a drop of cold water but to be alwayes in despaire and so to fry and to be tortured for infinite millions of ages and to be so farre from
stone upon another that shall not be thrown down So there is nothing Eternall in this world And where is now old Rome If this question be demanded the answer may be this Here it was Where are they that built it They are dead and gone There is not so much as their ashes left of them And ere long we must all go the same way become like a shadow return unto dust and be resolved into nothing Oh the poore and mean condition of mortall men even at the greatest Oh the instabilitie and frailty of the strongest men even in the prime of all their strength For what is now become of all those things or where are they They are quite vanished away where is their money which they heaped up beyond belief ' T is scattered abroad Where are their stately and lofty buildings They are not to be seen Such are all things else though to us they seem never so great nothing else but a meer shadow and a dream if they be compared with Eternitie and those things which are Eternall The foundation on which the whole fabrick of vanishing glory is set up is too weak and mouldring made but of clay Stone and Marble cannot be engraven with Characters inscriptions of Eternitie Well saith Lactantius The works of mortall men are mortall That there was a Babylon a Troy a Carthage and a Rome we beleeve But if we will beleeve no more then we see there be scarce any reliques or ruinous parts of them remaining to perswade us that there were such Cities So the seven wonders of the world so Neroes golden palace Diocletian's Hot Baths Antoninus his Baths Severus his Septizonium Julius his Colossus Pomper's Amphitheatre have no foot-step or print of them remaining no scarce upon record or registred in books And how farre have all these come short of Eternitie CHAP. I. How farre the Romanes have gone astray from the true way of Eternitie AT Nazareth in a certain conclave called by the name of the blessed Virgin there is in one place mention made of a kingdome Of which kingdome there shall be no end Such was not the kingdome of Solomon for that lasted but foure hundred yeares even to the Captivitie of Babylon Such was not the kingdome of the Romanes neither of the Persians nor yet of the Grecians For where are now those kingdomes in former times most flourishing where are those most ancient Monarchies How great was Nebuchadnezzar in Chaldea and Syria and after him Belshazzar From them the Sceptre was translated unto the Medes and Persians to Cyrus and Darius Neither continued it there long From thence it was translated into Greece to Alexander surnamed the Great King of Macedon for a long time most victorious and fortunate But as warlike valour decayed so fortune failed And so the Sceptre was translated into Italie to Julius Cesar and Octavius Augustus What is become of all these Kings where are they But thou O Christian man seek that kingdome of which kingdome there shall be no end Numantia Athens Carthage and Sparta all are come to an end They are utterly perished But as for the kingdome which is above Of that there shall be no end The king that ruleth there is Eternall and those that live in that kingdome are Eternall The Lord shall reigne for ever and ever On which words saith Origen Dost thou think that the Lord shall reigne for ever and ever Yea he shall reigne for ever and ever and beyond that too Say what thou canst thou shalt still come short of the duration of his kingdome The Prophet will still adde something as for example after For ever yet more and ever or Beyond that too And yet saith Isidore though this kingdome be Eternall though infinite though every way blessed though it be promised to us Not a word of that For what man is there of a thousand that spends the least part of a day in meditating upon that that ever once makes mention of that that ever instructs his wife his children and his servants concerning that We prattle much of all other things but as for heaven there is scarce any mention made of that or if there be surely it is very rare In setting forth the commendation of his own Countrey every man is a nimble-tongued Oratour But as for that which is our true Countrey indeed we blush and are almost ashamed being too modest in commending that For it is come to passe in these dayes by the disuse of holy conference that men think themselves not witty or facete enough unlesse they speak idle and unprofitable words and make foolish jests nay that is not all unlesse their cheeks swell and their lips run over with filthy and unsavourie speeches Oh! this is to go astray quite out of the way But let our hearts and mouthes be filled with the praise and desire of things Eternall let our thoughts and words alwayes run after them we have no other way to true glory but this and there is no true glory but that which is Eternall The chief Priests and the Pharisees amongst the Jews to overthrow Christs power as they thought and to eternize their politick Government assembled themselves together in councell and by their foolish wisdome as it proved made decrees to their own hurt Elegantly speaketh S. Augustine of them consulting and deliberating together in full Court The chief Priests saith he and the Pharisees took counsell together what they should do for their own good and yet they said not Let us beleeve The wicked and ungodly men sought more how to hurt and to destroy then how to provide for their own security that they might be saved And yet they were in fear and in counsell For they said what do we For this man doth many miracles If we let him thus alone all men will beleeve on him and the Romanes shall come and take away both our place and nation They were afraid to lose things Temporall and never thought upon the life which is Fternall And so they lost both Such is the vanity and affected mockerie of our foolish cogitations What are we And what is all that we call ours To day we flourish like a flower we are well spoken of we please and are in favour with men But alas To morrow our flower will fade we shall be ill spoken of and out of favour with God and man man whom hitherto we pleased and God whom we never studied for to please We neglect heaven and keep not earth We get not the favour of God and lose the worlds favour And so we are most deplorately miserable and destitute on both sides If death would but spare those that are the happy ones of this world it may be they might finde here some glory some I say such as it is For there is none true but that which is in heaven and Eternall But alas Death spares no man sees in the dark and is not seen
I shall see an end of all The Prophet Danâ—â—l having reckoned up sundry calamities at length addeth these words Even to the time of the end because it is yet for a time appointed Come hither Come hither all ye that are in affliction in sorrow need sicknesse or any other calamitie Why do ye drown your selves in your own teares why do ye make your life bitter unto you with impatience and complaining Here is comfort for you great comfort drawn from the time of that suffering Are divers calamities upon you Be not cast down Have a good courage They shall continue onely for a time Do ye suffer contumelie and reproach are ye wearied with injuries are other troubles multiplied upon you Cease to lament All these shall last but for a time they shall not last for ever your sighing shall have an end Teares may distill from your eyes for a time But sighs and grones shall not arise from your hearts for ever The time is at hand when you shall be delivered from all grief and be translated unto everlasting happinesse This is most cleare by that in Ecclesiasticus A patient man will â—ear for a time and afterward joy shall spring up unto him But ye also which think your selves the onely happy men on earth and the darlings of the world know thus much and be not proud neither lift up your horn All your seeming happinesse for it is no more at the best hath but short and narrow bounds and limits and is quickly passed over Your triumphing is but for a time your golden dreams last but for a time After a time and that not long Death will command you to put off Fortunes painted vizard and stand amongst the croud Then shall ye truely appeare so much the more unhappy by how much the more you seemed to your selves before in your own foolish imaginations most happy Therefore whether sorrow or joy all is but for a time in this world It is Eternitie alone which is not concluded within any bounds of time Whether therefore the body suffer or the minde whether we lose riches or honours whether our Patience be exercised by sorrow or grief cares or any other afflictions inward or outward all is but painted and momentanie if we think upon Eternall punishments For when fifty thousand yeares shall be passed after the day of Judgement there shall still remain fifty thousand Millions of yeares and when those likewise are passed there shall still remain more and more and yet more Millions of yeares and there shall never be an end But who thinks upon these things who weighs and considers them well with himself Sometimes we seem to have savour of things Eternall But we are tossed up and down with the motions and thoughts of things past and things future our heart wavereth and is full of vanitie Who will establish it and set it in a sure place that it may stand awhile and standing admire and admiring be ravisht with the splendour of Eternitie which alwayes stands and never passeth away Well did Myrogenes When Eustachius Archbishop of Jerusalem sent gifts unto him He did very well I say in refusing them and saying Do but one thing for me Onely pray for me that I may be delivered from Eternall torment Neither was Tullie out of the way when he said No humane thing can seem great unto a wise man who hath the knowledge of all Eternitie and of the magnitude of the whole world But Francis the Authour of the order of the Franciscans hath a saying farre better then that of Tullie The pleasure that is here saith he is but short but the punishment that shall be hereafter is infinite The labour that is here is but small but the glory which shall be here after is Eternall Take your choice Many are called few chosen but all rewarded according to their works Let us hasten our Repentance therefore whilest we have time It is better saith Guerricus to be purged by water then by fire and it is farre easier Now is the time for Repentance Let our timely Repentance therefore prevent punishment Whosoever is afraid of the hoare frost the snow shall fâ—ll upon him He which feareth the lesser detriment shall suffer a greater He which will not undergo the light burden of Repentance shall be forced to undergo the most heavy burden and most grievous punishments of Hell Saint Gregory hath a saying to this purpose Some saith he whilest they are afraid of Temporall punishments run themselves upon Eternall punishments Hither we may adde that of Pacian Remember saith he that in Hell there is no place for Confession of sinnes no place for Repentance for then it is too late to repent and the time is past Make haste therefore whilest you are in the way We are afraid of Temporall fire and the Executioners hands But what are these to the claws of tormenting Devils and the Everlasting fire of Hell The Counsell of S. Ambrose to a lapsed Virgin fits well in this place True Repentance saith he ought not to be in word onely but in deed and this is true Repentance indeed if thou settest before thine eyes from what glory thou art fallen and considerest with thy self out of what book thy name is blotted and beleevest that now thou art neare unto utter darknesse where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth without end And when thou art certainly perswaded that those things are true as indeed they are seeing that the soul that sinneth is in danger of Hell fire and there is no means after Baptisme left to escape but onely Repentance Be content to suffer any labour and to undergo any affliction to be freed from Eternall punishment The diseases of the body move the sick man to purge his body Let the diseases of our souls move us also to take the purgation of Repentance let the desire of our salvation move us let the fear of Eternall death and Eternall torment move us let the hope of attaining Eternall life and Eternall glory move us Let us embrace that which purgeth the soul and let us eschew that which polluteth it And nothing defiles the soul more then a filthy body Faithfull is this counsell of Saint Ambrose and worthy of us to be embraced O Christ Jesus Grant unto us that we may so possesse things transitorie and temporall that finally we lose not the things which are Eternall and give us grace to walk in their steps and to follow their good example of whom S. Augustine speaketh Many there are saith he that willingly come under the yoke and of proud and haughty men become humble and lowly desiring to be what before they despised and hating to be what before they were passing by like strangers things present and making haste with greedinesse after things to come They pant in their running towards their Eternall countrey preferring Abstinence before Fulnesse Watching before Sleep and Povertie before Riches
be added together day after day they would at length farre exceed the drops of the Ocean for they have their number and measure and it is easie with God to say So many are the drops of the Ocean and no more But the teares of the damned exceed all number and measure Alas Alas How little do we think upon these things How freely and wilfully do we sinne and make our selves guiltie of Eternall punishment and that oftentimes for a very little short and filthy pleasure Yet there remains one way more of casting up this numberlesse number of yeares Suppose there were a schedule of Parchment a span broad but so long that it would begirt and incircle the whole Globe of the earth And suppose it were written all over very close with figures of 9. from one end to another Who so skilfull an Arithmetician that can tell the number thereof What mountain so great that consisteth of so many grains of dust or sand What Ocean so vast that containeth within it so many drops of water And yet this is nothing to Eternitie it stretcheth it self further then so it knows no bounds it is extended beyond all measure But how farre is it extended It is extended infinitely and without end If thy heart O Christian man be not turned into a stone it cannot but melt at the consideration of these things and the very thought of the bottomlesse pit and Eternall punishment will make thee fear and tremble If there be any sense in thee here it will thew it self But as I said before too few think upon these things and too many live so secure of their salvation as if there were no Heaven no God no Hell no Eternitie Every day they heap sinne upon sinne as if they laboured and studied to make their last day to exceed the former for the measure and number of their sinnes And so they passe unto Eternitie sporting and playing as if they went to prison but for a few weeks or dayes Such men as these saith Saint Gregorie when they should be mourning for their sinnes they are dancing for their pleasure and when they should be seriously meditating upon death they runne laughing unto execution This is blindnesse indeed this is oblivious madnesse For this short life which is but the shadow of Eternitie we labour beyond all measure but for the life which is Eternall and most happy we scarce take any pains at all And yet the not obtaining of this life is the incurring of Eternall death which as it is a torment more grievous then all the torments of this life so in this it is most grievous that there is no rest or mitigation of pain no not for one short houre in the infinite space of all Eternitie CHAP. III. What effect and fruit the consideration of Eternitie bringeth forth ANd this is it that hath made so many good Christians and so many holy Martyrs so prompt and ready to suffer any torments and any kinde of death that even in their greatest pains when they lay wallowing in their own bloud they were most stout and couragious and with a constant look and cheerfull countenance insulted over their Tormentours They had the yeares of Eternitie in minde This is it that hath made the world seem distastfull and unpleasant unto many insomuch that they have taken their leave of all pleasures and embraced and entertained a severe and strict course of life giving themselves wholly to reading meditation and prayer and such holy duties minding heaven and heavenly things They had the yeares of Eternitie in minde The thought of Eternitie will make all things in this life seem easie and pleasant though to flesh and bloud they seem most grievous and unpleasant It makes all labours seem light and very short Prayer study watching and such like holy duties it commends unto us and makes them seem amiable It seasons and sweetens hunger and thirst It mitigates the sense of pinching poverty It makes all manner of crosses in this life not onely tolerable but also gratefull and comfortable Whosoever hath the yeares of Eternitie in minde and imprints them within deeper and deeper by dayly meditation shunneth no labour neither is daunted with any losses Offer him a kingdome offer him all the delights and pleasures in the world and he will not change his poore estate and condition for them Such a man as this is never complaining he endures all things he submits himself to all For thus he thinks with himself What a small thing is this or that that or this and of how short continuance I will therefore endure it patiently it will not last alwayes It is but for an houre and that a very short one that mine enemies here oppresse me Well go to ye detractours bite me still if ye will ye envious I will not runne from you This is your houre and the power of darknesse But I expect the day of the Lord and the day of Eternitie and why should I afflict and torment my self with sorrow and lamentation All this life is but a death of one houre The victorie is not difficult but the triumph is Eternall Why should I be afraid of the raging waves of this troublesome world I have sight of the haven already Now it rains and thunders upon the heads of the good and godly but the storm will shortly blow over But upon his enemies God shall alwayes rain fire and brimstone storm and tempest this shall be their portion to drink And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth so prophesieth Daniel shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt In the old law God commanded Moses saying Make thee two trumpets of silver of an whole piece shalt thou make them If they blow but with one trumpet then the Princes which are heads of the thousands of Israel shall gather themselves unto thee When ye blow an alarm then the camp shall go forward Unto these two trumpets we may compare these two words NOW and ALWAYES This is the law of the world NOW let us be merry now let us rejoyce now let us enjoy our goods whilest we have them Come let us now crown our selves with Roses before they be withered now let us leave in every place the signes and footsteps of our joy They that attend onely to the sound of this Trumpet they that have eares to heare nothing but this NOW they live for the most part so as if there were no ALWAYES for to follow Therefore they do not remove the camp amidst their pleasures they wilfully forget that they are here but Pilgrims and strangers whithersoever the wanton flesh inviteth them they go with greedinesse they are busied altogether in heaping up riches and following pleasures And the sound of this NOW doth so obtund and dull their eares that they are deaf to all good counsels and precepts and they will not so much as lend an eare to that
And therefore he sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all As therefore the wicked delight and rejoyce in going the circuit of their pleasure So God shall appoint them a Circuit to go but it shall be a Circuit of torments and that perpetuall and Eternall Blessed David foresaw this likewise For saith he Thine arrows went abroad The voice of thy thunder was heard in the heaven or round about Famine Warre Pestilence Sorrows Diseases Calamities Death it self and all adversities whatsoever happen before the first death are the Arrows of the Lord but they flie over they have wings and they quickly flie from one to another But the voice of his thunder the voice of his anger and furie shall continually roare in the prison of Hell and like a wheel run round without wearing for all Eternitie This wheel as if it were filled with Gunpowder when it hath once taken fire shall burn for ever and ever A fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn unto the lowest Hell There is also another Circuit and that likewise is Eternall from unutterable cold to intolerable heat and from heat back again to cold Drought and heat consume the snow-waters so saith Job and so doth the grave those that have sinned S. Matthew signifieth it more expresly by the gnashing of teeth and weeping of eyes That we may more fully set out this horrible and incomprehensible wheel order requires that we shew how the Church agrees with the holy Scripture in this as the holy Fathers agree with the Church We have here divers good admonitions from all these which if we attend unto we cannot easily let Eternitie slip out of our memorie CHAP. 1. The Answers of the holy Fathers and the Church about this OF all the holy Fathers which have lived in divers ages we should do well to hearken unto five especially Augustine Chrysostome Gregory Bernard Laurentius Justinianus The first question here which yet may seem a vain and a foolish one is Which is easier and more tolerable to suffer pain in the head eyes or teeth to be troubled with the stone to be pained with the winde Colick or Iliaca Passio or any other acute disease neither to sleep night nor day but to be tormented continually without any respite for three dayes together The question now is I say Which is easier whether to suffer the pains now mentioned or else to eat a piece of a fish which is made bitter by the breaking of the Gall. This may seem a very ridiculous and most idle question For How much sweeter is it to eat such a whole fish rather then suffer those so grievous torments though but for one day The bitternesse of the fish will not endanger a mans life nor make him sick but leave onely a bitter taste in the mouth which is unpleasing to it It is truly answered And yet how many thousands of men make choice rather of the former For How often doth the Preacher teach and exhort cry out and speak plainly Christian brethren consider well with your selves and look about you The Eternall salvation of your souls is in question If you walk this way you must assuredly look for Eternall torments Christ hath shewed you another way both by his life and doctrine Return therefore and repent you have gone long enough astray You may if you will have entrance into heaven if you be shut out it is your own fault God is not wanting to those that are willing It is true indeed There is some bitternesse in using abstinence and fasting in confessing of sinnes in keeping the body under in setting a strict watch over thy senses in conquering ones self in living chastly and continently This is no easie task But let it be what it will we must suffer it Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so to enter into his glory Let not a little and short labour terrifie us it is but for a few yeares or it may be but a few dayes that we are to do and suffer valiantly But our joy and rest shall be Eternall He overcometh all whosoever overcometh and conquereth himself containeth himself and resisteth his evil and violent passions and all this for Christ for heaven for blessed Eternitie Christ after his resurrection found his Disciples eating fish broyled upon the coals To teach them how great things they should afterwards suffer and that they were not to think of a soft and easie life but that they were to be stoned whipped crucified have their skin pulled over their eares that this was the way to a joyfull resurrection and to the participation and fellowship of Eternitie with the blessed that all other things were small and of no worth in comparison of immortalitie and that blessednesse which yet eye hath never seen These things are often spoken of but they are little regarded This fish bitter with the overflowing of the gall that is worldly crosses and the sufferings of this life is often set before us but it goes against our stomack we cannot endure to taste of it Eternitie is a thing we often heare of we often reade of it is continually preached unto us and often repeated but we either heare not or beleeve not or regard not or if we do for a time the cares of the world soon put it out of our mindes and we burie it in oblivion But again the Conscience often playes the preacher and recalls to our minde these wholesome lessons is instant dehorts reproves but prevails nothing All is in vain For many are so obstinate and perverse that neither the Preacher nor their own Conscience can work upon them But some are so impudent that they will set themselves in opposition and reply thus Let it go well with us here and we care not we neither know nor care what shall come hereafter we are all for present profits and pleasures no man returneth again from the dead neither was it ever known that any one came back again out of Hell Come therefore let us eat drink and be merry let us enjoy our goods and take our pleasure These are the worldlings Ditties But let S. Augustine determine this question Melius est modica amaritudo in faucibus quà m AEternum tormentum in visceribus Better it is saith he to suffer a little bitternesse in the mouth then Eternall torments in the inward parts It is farre better to suffer for our offences here in this world then in the world to come Farre better is it for threescore yeares and ten continually together here on earth to be punished with most grievous punishments then to suffer the torments of Hell for one day yea for one houre hereafter But let us heare what another of the Fathers saith Saint Chrysostome propounds the second question after this manner Suppose one night in an hundred yeares a man should have
a sweet and pleasant dream and be after punished an hundred yeares for it would he think such a dream were to be desired And yet saith the Father As a dream is to an hundred yeares so is this present life to the life to come yea rather it is much lesse And as a drop is to the main Ocean so are a thousand yeares unto Eternitie And in another place What is there saith he to be compared unto Eternitie What are a thousand yeares in comparison of infinite ages which are yet for to come Are they not like unto the least drop of a bucket compared unto a bottomlesse Well Look for no end of torments after this life unlesse thou repentest before thou departest out of this life for after death there is no place of repentance no shedding of teares will profit thee or do thee any good Though a man in Hell should gnash his teeth and blare out his scorched tongue he shall not obtain so much as a drop of cold water Grant then that a man should enjoy pleasures all his life long what is that to infinite ages which are yet for to come Here in this life all things good and bad have at length an end but the punishments that shall be suffered hereafter shall have no end Set fire on the body here and the soul will soon depart But after the resurrection when the body shall be from thenceforth immortall and incorruptible the soul of the damned shall alwayes burn and not consume in Hell-fire They shall rise again incorruptible indeed But how Not to receive a crown of incorruptible glory but to suffer Eternall torments But let us heare what another of the Fathers saith Saint Gregorie makes answer to this common question Will not drunkennesse sooner steal upon a man in the wine-cellar standing by the hogshead then in the Parlour sitting at the table The Spouse of Christ triumpheth in the words of Solomon He brought me to the banquetting-house or as some reade it He brought me into his wine-cellar and his banner over me was love or He hath set his banner of love over me Upon which words Saint Gregorie discoursing saith thus By the wine-cellar what can we better or more fitly conceive then the secret contemplation of Eternitie For truely whosoever doth seriously consider with himself upon Eternitie and let this consideration sink deep into his minde he may truely rejoyce and triumph with the Spouse saying He hath set his banners of love over me For he will keep better order in his love loving himself lesse God more and even his enemies also for Gods sake But such is the nature of this profound consideration that it will presently make a man drunk Make him drunk How With the drunkennesse of the best desires such as will leade him to amendment of life carrie him to his heavenly countrey and bring him at length to joyes Eternall It was cast in the Apostles teeth that they were drunk with wine And so they were indeed but it was with wine out of this Cellar Saint Gregorie hath many excellent considerations and sayings upon Eternitie amongst others he hath this which is a very short one and a true one Momentaneum quod delectat AEternum quod cruciat That which delighteth is momentanie but that which tormenteth is Eternall Here I could wish with Job Oh that these words were written Oh that they were printed in a Book That they were graven with a pen of iron These words I say That which delighteth is momentanie but that which tormenteth is Eternall The Book in which this should be written is the heart of man the pen of iron with which it should be written is serious meditation the ink with which it should be written is the bloud of Christ. And these words so imprinted and ingraven in the breast are then especially to be called to minde and to be often repeated when pleasure fawneth when lust provoketh when luxurie inviteth when the flesh rebelleth and the spirit faileth when there is occasion of sinne offered and danger of falling into sinne But let us heare what another of the Fathers saith In the fourth place comes Saint Bernard He shall answer to the question here to be propounded In the lives of men there is such difference that almost now so many men so many judgements concerning afflictions There are found some so grievously and continually afflicted that they are ready to fall down under the crosse as being too heavy for them to beare One is oppressed with povertie another is afflicted with sicknesse another is overcharged with secret debts another is tormented with cares another is grieved and vexed with injuries and slanders every man thinks that most grievous which in present he suffers And many times it comes to passe that such as are faint-hearted and impatient wish for death runne into the water and make haste to the halter thinking thereby to finde an end of all their griefs and sorrows whereas indeed that supposed end becomes to them but the beginning of their sorrows and such sorrows as never shall have end But with the good and godly it is not so They patiently endure all submitting themselves in all things to Gods good will and pleasure They neither desire to die quickly nor yet to live long Is it Gods will they shall die They also are willing Will he have them die quickly They are willing to that also Will he have them live yet longer They are not against that What God willeth that they will What he willeth not neither will they Beside these two kindes of men there is a third and that is the greatest part of men that desire to live long And there is almost no man so old but he hopes and desires to live yet another yeare These men are never heard to say they have lived long enough Death makes too much haste with them he comes to them too soon yea and before his time Here now the question may be moved Who live or who shall live longer Saint Bernard in his seventeenth Sermon upon the ninetie first Psalme upon these words with long life will I satisfie him breaketh forth into this admiration What is so long as that which is Eternall What is so long as that which shall have no end Life Eternall is the good end which we are all to aim at and this end is without end And further he addes That is the true day indeed after which there follows no night where there is Eternall veritie and true Eternitie and therefore true and Eternall satietie So then the question may be determined thus That those onely shall live a long life truely so called whosoever shall never die but alwayes live in heaven And again That those shall die a lingring death alas too lingring a death whosoever shall alwayes die but never live in Hell for they shall live onely there to be tormented alwayes Let us heare but one more and so conclude
this subscription Cras Cras Tomorrow Tomorrow The Earth opens her mouth and flames of fire break forth and tend aloft in which these words are written AEternum quod cruciat That which tormenteth is Eternall Christ coming down from the clouds Two adore with bended knees of diverse sex in the place of all mankinde Behinde them there is a running Houre-glasse or a Diall measuring houres by the running of water called a Clepsydra and a Book lying wide open On one page there is written They spend their dayes in mirth and in a moment go down to the grave On the other page Who shall deliver me from the body of this death Before them stand Two heavenly Angels which embrace them with their arms and pointing at Christ bid them lift up their eyes unto him This is the Picture The meaning follows CHAP. I. Christ inviting CHrist the Eternall sonne of the Eternall God came into this world clad with no other garment then we that is stark naked The garment of immortalitie and innocencie we lost by Adams disobedience And now alas how miserably arayed do we come into this world Christ together with us yea for us suffers punishment and yet was not guilty of any sinne But what means this Crosse upon the shoulders of the Sonne of God It is a bed on which he sâ—ept in death Gâ—lgotha was his chamber The thorns his pillow And the Crosse his bed Which many religious men of former times well considering with themselves have voluntarily and freely chosen to lie hard and take little rest that at the day of resurrection they might rise joyfully to rest Eternall Some as we may reade have made the earth their Mattresse Sackcloth their Sheet and a Stone their Boulster And many there are which do so still to this day But I leave them and return to Christ. He suffered death even that most bitter and shamefull death of the crosse To what end That he might save us from death Eternall Die we must all of us but our death is but short In a moment in the twinkling of an eye the soul is snatched from the body and this is all that which we call Death But it is not so with them in Hell Their torments farre exceed all the sorrows and pangs of death not onely because they are more grievous for their qualitie but also because they are of longer continuance beyond all comparison For they are Eternall So then their torments are alwayes to be tormented and their death to die alwayes And from this death hath Christ the Sonne of God delivered us the Childe that we see described walking amidst the clouds Under his feet is a bare Sceleton or the bare bones of a man which by all signes we may gather to be our forefather Adams Hearken ye children and ye childrens children hearken unto the words of your forefather Adam thus speaking unto you CHAP. II. Adam lamenting O My children happie then indeed if your forefather had known his own happinesse but now miserable and that even in this because mine By me were you destroyed before you were begotten by me were you damned before you were brought forth I fain would be as God and by that means I am left scarce a man Before you could perish you all perished in me I my self do not know whether you may better call me a Father or a Tyrant and a murderer I cannot wonder or complain justly that you are so vicious and so sinfull for you learnt it of me I am sory that you are so disobedient but this you learnt also of me I was first disobedient unto God that made me The Angels in heaven blush and are ashamed to see your gluttonie and intemperance but this is your fathers fault Your pride hath made you odious and detestable before God but this monster first conquered and triumphed over me and so pride became more proud then she was before This is the inheritance you receive from me nothing else but an heap of miseries God indeed of his free good-will gave unto me by a sure promise heaven for an inheritance and intailed it upon you But I have undone you all cut off the intail and prodigally made away all for one bit I valued my wife and an apple more then you all more then heaven more then God A cursed and unhappy dinner for which I deserved to sup in Hell many thousand yeares after I lived in Paradise a garden full of all delight and pleasure beyond imagination God gave me the free use of all things therein onely the fruit of one tree was forbidden me I was Lord of all the creatures I was wise and beautifull strong and lusty I abounded with all manner of delights The aire was then as temperate as could be desired the clouds were clad in bright blew the heaven smiled upon us the Sunne did shine so pure that nothing could be more All things seemed to gratifie us at our new marriage Our eyes could behold nothing but that which was flourishing and pleasing to them Our eares were continually filled with musick the birds those nimble Choristers of the aire ever warbling out their pleasant ditties The earth of it self brought forth odoriferous cinamon and saffron I was compassed about with pleasures on every side I lived free and remote from all care sorrow fear labour sicknesse and death I seemed to be a God upon earth The Angels in heaven rejoyced to see my happinesse there was none that did envy me but my self But because I obeyed not the voice of God all these evils fell upon me I was driven out of Paradise banished from the sight of God and for shame I hid my face Labour sorrow mourning fear teares calamities a thousand miseries seized upon me and quite wearied me out you feel it as many as are of my familie and that which seems to be the end of all temporall miserie and sorrow is oftentimes the beginning of Eternall O my children learn by your own wofull experience learn by your own losse and mine learn I say to be wise at length I will give you but one lesson and it is but in three words which you shall do well to learn by heart and that is To hate sinne Behold Do you not see a grievous flame breaking out hard by me It hath burnt ever since sinne first entred into the world and shall never be put out All other punishments are but light and shall shortly have an end But the damned shall be tormented in this flame for ever and ever Now if we will we may escape it Heaven is set open to all but there is no coming to it but by the way of repentance and the gate of the crosse He that walketh in this way and entreth in at this gate may be certain of his salvation and eternall joy in the kingdome of heaven where he shall have an everlasting habitation This is the counsell of Adam to his children I say
but indeed is very short if it be compared with Eternitie And after this short day of this present life there follows the day of Eternitie which is infinite long and hath no night to come after it O man whosoever thou art think upon these things but thou especially whosoever findest thy self guilty of any grievous sinne Repent and amend Remember Eternitie and think upon the day of Death It is uncertain in what place Death will expect thee Do thou therefore expect Death in every place As the Lord shall finde thee when he calls for thee so shall he also passe sentence upon thee Whatsoever thou takest in hand remember the end and thou shalt never do amisse Ecclus 7. 36. To think upon ETERNITIE not to amendons manners is to bid heauen farewell to joyn hands w th hell THE EIGHTH CONSIDERATION upon ETERNITIE How Christians ought not onely to look upon the Emblems and Pictures of Eternitie but come home and look within themselves and seriously meditate upon the thing it self ORder requires now that leaving the Psalmist and the rest who have described unto us Eternitie we should descend into our selves keep at home and stay within He is a great way from home from himself and from his own salvation whosoever hath an eye to that onely which is Transitorie and forgetteth that which is Eternall The Lawyers know well enough that a man will not let go his right and title though it be but in a matter of three halfpence if it be a perpetuitie and to be yearly paid for ever Yea it is thought a great rent if a man be bound to pay though but three farthings yearely to his landlord as long as the world endures In such esteem are perpetuities though in things little worth though but three Pepper-corns If thou art so sollicitous and eager in pursuing thy right of three halfpence how comes it to passe O man that thou art so negligent and carelesse in seeking after the inheritance of an Eternall kingdome which may be had at a few yeares purchase Thou fallest out with thy brother for three halfpence thou goest to law with him thou makest it a long suit In the mean time thou sufferest others to carry away the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven What is the reason Is it so little worth is it not worth looking after It seems thou thinkest so or else thou wouldest labour for it more then thou dost Thou art much cumbred about other things thou thinkest all pains little enough thou art never weary of seeking after them But as for Eternitie that thou thinkest to be a great way off and therefore thou art scarce ever at leisure so much as once to think upon it or if thou art any time at leisure then thou hast no minde to it Oh! it is a grievous thing and very wearisome to be alwayes looking after that which yet is not here ever throughly to be lookt into Who would trouble his head and weary his minde about it We are all for the present Give us present possession that is the thing we desire that is the thing we delight in there is some content in that See our folly and want of discretion What blindnesse is this or rather is it not madnesse to look for certaintie where none is and where it is never to look for it In a businesse concerning our temporall and uncertain riches we love to be certain we will have good securitie which yet at the best is very uncertain But concerning Eternall certain riches we make our selves so certain that we look for no assurance we are so secure that we look for no securitie which yet if we would we might have as good as could be desired Does any man lend money without a bill or a bond or a pledge Every man hath this presently in his mouth I love to be certain I desire good securitie I will go safely to work I will not put the matter to hazard Things present and certain when we hold the balance alwayes weigh down things future and uncertain Better say we as the proverb goes is one bird in the hand then two in the bush And I had rather see a Wren in the cage then an Eagle in the clouds We are of Plautus his minde we carrie our eyes in our hands and beleeve no more then we see What fond and foolish men are we that seek for certaintie of such things as are most uncertain which deceive us most when we make our selves most sure of them which make themselves wings and flie away whilest we think we have them fast enough in our hands But be it known unto all Christian people what assurance and securitie Christ the King of heaven will give what assurance I say of Eternall life Christ will give unto all those that will enter bond for performance of covenants If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments St vis ad vitam ingredi serva mandata The condition of this obligation is such that if thou keepest the Commandments thou shalt enter into life life Eternall But if thou breakest the Commandments in as much as thou breakest them then this obligation shall be void and of none effect For whosoever breaketh one of these Commandments and deferreth his repentance and doth not the same houre wherein he hath sinned seek reconciliation and peace with God whom he hath offended he is in danger to lose himself and all that he hath and manifestly hazardeth the Eternall salvation both of soul and body There is but three fingers breadth or rather but an inch between him and death For he hath within himself the matter of a thousand diseases and causes of death And yet rash and foolish man he persisteth and continueth still without fear or wit in the state of damnation in which state if it should please God to take him away suddenly he is in danger to perish everlastingly Is it not a bold and foolish part for a man to adventure all that he hath at a cast and hazard the losse of Eternall riches when he may easily keep them If a man should suffer in Hell but so many torments as he hath lived houres or but so many torments as he hath committed sinnes all his life this might seem somewhat the more tolerable If it were so that in Hell there were any end of torments after the expiration of any certain number of yeares men would make no end of sinning all the dayes of their life The enemies of God would increase every day more and more For albeit they know that the torments in Hell are so many in number that they cannot be numbered so long for continuance that they cannot be measured so grievous for qualitie that they cannot be endured but with such infinite pain that every minute of an houre shall seem a whole yeare Notwithstanding all this men are nothing deterred from sinne but walk on boldly or rather runne headlong to their own
that never dieth What miserable and improvident men are we that having but â— short journey to go but full of dangers all the way go on notwithstanding so merrily and sportingly as if we were walking all the while through a Paradise or a most pleasant garden free from all fear of enemies and in the end of our walk presently to be received and admitted as citizens into our heavenly Countrey a place of all securitie For can we be ignorant if we be it is our own fault But we cannot be ignorant that at length we shall come to the two gates of Eternitie the one of the blessed the other of the damned And enter we must at one of them that is certain at which God knows it is according as we shall behave and carry our selves by the way Laurentius Justinianus wondring at the merry madnesse of such travellers breaks forth into this exclamation Oh the lamentable condition of mortall men which go on exulting all the way whilest they are but exiles or banished men from their own countrey Let us not settle our mindes upon any vain joyes and fond toyes by the way whilest we are travelling towards our countrey but let us so runne our race that at the end thereof we may obtain admittance in at the gate which is the entrance to Eternall blessednesse God hath indeed created us rather unto joyes and pleasures then unto labours and sorrows but we are much mistaken both of the time and place It is not here it shall be hereafter Joyes are prepared in heaven but none but the good and faithfull servants shall enter into them And by what means may a man obtain entrance Knowest thou not what Christ said The kingdome of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by sorce Think now â—hus with thy self Am I this vioâ—ent man Is this the violence here â—poken of To eat to drink to rise â—p to play to lie down to take my ease It is not certainly Fight we must but it must be the good â—ight like Christian Champions Run we must but so that we may obtain Strive we must but to enter in at the strait gate Labour we must and offer violence to the kingdome of heaven but it must be in due time and place Now whilest we have time here whilest we are on the way whilest we have life and strength that when we come to the point of death and so passe the Horizon of this world and depart into another never to return back again when we shall be translated from time to Eternity then at the last we may have joy for our life past and hope for that which is to come Let us labour therefore let us labour I say and offer violence to our selves fighting against our own froward wils and affections so shall we obtain by the mercy of God everlasting rest for short labour and Eternall glorie for a few dayes travell True and solid joy is not here to be found in vain delights and pleasures but in heaven where there is joy and pleasure for evermore God prepared a gourd and made it come over Jonah that it might be a shadow over his head to deliver him from his grief So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd And what is all the pleasure or rather vanitie of this present world Is it not like Jonahs gourd flourishing for a time and yeelding a comfortable shadow Rich men have their gourd also that is their riches under the shadow whereof they rejoyce with exceeding great joy Drunkards and gluttons have their gourds also that is great tables and delicious fare under the shadow whereof they are merry and joyfull Voluptuous men also have their gourds too that is their unlawfull pleasures under the shadow whereof they lie down and sport themselves But Alâ—s sorrow follows after such joy and suddenly overtakes it Their mirth â—s soon turned into mourning And their delights and pleasures end â—n gall and bitternesse For what became of Jonahs gourd God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day and it â—mote the gourd that it withered Now tell me Jonah where is thy gourd What is become of it Where is now thy exceeding great joy They are both gone together Thy gourd is withered and thy joy is ended Such are our vain delights and pleasures such is our joy rather shadows of things then any thing indeed they passe away suddenly and become like Jonahs gourd that soon withered The joy of this world is but for a moment but the joy of the life to come is for all Eternitie CHAP. III. Here is declared by a most memorable example How sweet and precious the taste of Eternitie is THis knew Theodorus very well one born of Christian Parents and as it seems he learned it betimes when for yeares he was but a youth but an old man for judgement and discretion For on a great Festivall day kept throughout all Egypt there being a great feast at his fathers house and many invited thereunto when some were eating and drinking others laughing and playing and others sporting and dancing he amidst all these â—ollities retired himself to his inward closet finding himself wounded to the heart but with a chast arrow For thus he began to expostulate with himself Unhappy Theodore What would it profit thee if thou shouldst gain the whole world Many things thou hast indeed but canst thou tell how long thou shalt enjoy them Thou livest in abundance now thou maist feast it and make merry thou maist laugh and be fat thou maist rejoyce and skip for joy But art thou sure how long this â—â—all last I should like it well if 〈◊〉 would last alwayes But what shall I do Shall I for the enjoying of these short and transitorie pleasures and delights deprive my self of those joyes which are Eternall Tell me Theodore is this according to Christian Religion to frame unto our selves an heaven here on earth and think to passe from delights to delights from Temporall to Eternall Either I am much deceived or else Christ shewed unto us another way unto the kingdome of heaven and that is through many tribulations Therefore have no more to do with worldly vanities but preferre Eternall joyes before Temporall Thus he said and fell a weeping So then he retired himself into a withdrawing room and there prostrating himself upon the earth he prayed after this manner Eternall God my heart is naked and open before thee I send up my sighs as humble Oratours and Petitioners unto thee I know not what to ask nor how Onely this one thing I beg at thy hands that thou wilt not suffer me to die an Eternall death Lord thou knowest that I love thee and that I desire to be with thee that I may sing Eternall praises unto thee Lord have mercie upon me Whilest he was thus praying in comes his mother on a sudden and presently perceiveth by the rednesse and moistnesse of his eyes that
threatned and shall certainly come upon wicked and ungodly men may not fall upon us not because we shall not be but because we shall not be like unto them Whatsoever is written in the Scripture is written for our learning it is the voice of God Observe and make good use of what you reade Whatsoever we suffer in this life is but the gentle rod of our most mercifull father who correcteth us here as his deare children that we be not tormented with the damned hereafter Why then do the light afflictions of this life seem so grievous unto us Why do we even tremble and quake for fear when we do but heare of them The most grievous sufferings of this life if we judge aright of them in comparison of everlasting fire are very small yea indeed none at all The Third Conclusion AMongst Christians God knows there are a great many that either beleeve there is neither Heaven nor Hell or else if they did truely beleeve it would certainly live otherwise then they do As concerning such men the question may be very fitly asked when the Sonne of man cometh shall he finde faith upon the earth Some there are that would fain be thought to be true beleevers They confesse it indeed with their mouthes but dissemble with their double hearts If their words may be beleeved they may go for true beleevers but if their lives be examined they may be thought to be no better then Insidels They never think upon Eternitie or very seldome and when they do they do but think upon it and there is all it is gone in a thought they never weigh well with themselves what it is they never seriously meditate upon it they never rouse their understanding to be intent upon it they never bend their wills and affections to seek after it they never imprint it in their deep cogitations that so they may remember it They scarce begin to think upon it but their mindes are presently somewhere else their thoughts go a wandring their imagination is working upon somewhat else And if at any time some sparks of devotion and godly desires arise in their hearts they are presently quenched and choked with cares of this world with multitude of businesse with profits or pleasures and such like And thus miserable men they stop their eares and close their eyes and without fear or understanding they run hudwinkt in the way that leadeth to Eternall death It is observed by the holy Fathers of the Glutton in the Gospell that he never lifted up his eyes till he was in torments All his life long they were shut against the poore and against all godlinesse He opened them not till he was in Hell when it was too late And it is no marvell that so many men runne blind-fold to the house of slaughter and Eternall sorrow For the way is very broad and pleasant smooth and plain a man can hardly go out of it there is no fear of losing himself till he comes to the end thereof Then he shall perceive that all the while he was travelling he was quite out of the right way then I say when there is no returning back again Many would like this way well if there were no end thereof For though it rids merrily it ends miserably and therefore they do wisely that leave the great rode and travell on in the rough way that choose rather to go through briers and thorns unto an Eternall Paradise then through a pleasant Paradise to an Eternall prison that resolve with themselves to break through all difficulties counting it better to go on weeping and mourning in the narrow way of salvation rather then laughing and rejoycing in the broad way of destruction Most true it is which Job speaketh As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more He shall return no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more The Fourth Conclusion WHosoever useth to descend into a deep and serious consideration of Eternitie he will be so farre from living licentiously and wantonly that you shall hardly ever see him laughing heartily It hath been observed of as many as have been raised from the dead and turned again unto life that they were scarce ever seen to laugh at all In particular it hath been observed of Lazarus of Bethanie whom Christ loved He and they as many as have been raised from the dead might truely say with the Preacher I said of laughter It is mad and of mirth what doth it Not without cause in this doth Cyrill of Alexandria confesse himself to be fearfull For he saith thus I am afraid of Hell and the punishments thereof because they have no end I am afraid of the devouring worm because it never dieth Oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Whosoever is not bettered by the consideration of Eternitie I dare boldly say and think I may say it truely either he hath no faith at all or if he hath any faith he hath no heart at all or at the best it is but an heart that is dead and without all sense It was the witty saying of a learned man That marriage was a short and a sweet song but that it had a long and a dolefull close So we may most truely say of all the pleasures that we take in sinne That it is a short and a merry song but it ends in mourning and lamentation or rather It is a song short for Tune and sweet for Tune as long as it â—asteth for it runnes much upon Quavers and Semiquavers of 〈◊〉 and Jubilation But the Time suddenly changeth and the Tune is altâ—red for there follows without any rest the Larges and Longs of sorrow and lamentation which cannot be measured by 〈…〉 For the torments of 〈…〉 Eternall Oh Eternitie Eternitie Eternitie The Fifth Conclusion WHensoever we speak of Eternitie we speak alwayes with the least but we can never speak too much of it Whatsoever is said comes short of it No words can utter it no figures number it no time can measure it For Eternitie is of this nature take from it what you will it is still the same It is neither increased by addition nor diminished by subtraction Suppose there were subtracted from it so many yeares as there are starres in the firmament drops in the sea sands on the shore leaves on the trees grasse in the field moâ—es in the Sunne dust on the earth What remains As much as there was before the subtraction Suppose there were so many yeares added to it What then is the Result The same that it was before the addition The totall summe is neither more nor lesse then what it was that is Eternitie As long as God is so long shall the damned be tormented This we have shadowed out before by some similitudes and resemblances unto which we will adde one more out
short labour for rest Eternall Hast thou joy for a time Do not trust too much to it Art thou sad and sorrowfull for a time Do not despair of joy and comfort Neither let prosperitie puffe thee up nor adversitie cast thee down God hath promised unto thee Eternall life Therefore contemne Temporall felicitie He hath threatned Eternall fire Therefore contemne all Temporall sorrows To conclude then with the same divine authour Let us therefore be in love with Eternall life and thereby we shall come to know how much we ought to labour for the obtaining of it For we see that those men which are lovers of this present life which is but temporall and shall shortly have an end labour with might and main to preserve and prolong it as long as they can And yet they cannot escape death For that at one time or other will seize upon them All that they can hope for is but to put it off for a little time When death approacheth then every one is labouring and seeking to hide himself ready to give and part with any thing that he hath to redeem his life He sends for the Physician he will be ruled by him in any thing he will take any thing at his hands he will suffer any thing purging bleeding cupping scarifying and what not You see what charge a man will be at and what pains he will voluntarily endure to live here though but for a short time And yet he will scarce be at any charge or take any pains after this life ended to live for ever Brethren it should not be so If there be such labouring and watching such sending and going such running and riding such spending and praying such doing and suffering to live here a while longer What should we not willingly do and suffer to live for ever And if they be accounted wise which labour by all means they can to put off death a while longer being loth to lose a few dayes What fools are they which live so that finally they lose the day of Eternitie Think upon these things well with your selves O mortall men and foresee the day of Eternitie whether of joy or of torment before it cometh For although all other things passe away yet Eternitie still remains and shall never passe away CHAP. I. The Punishment of Eternall death THe Messenians had a certain prison or dungeon under earth void of aire and light and full of Hellish horrour which as it was a most dismall place so had it also a glorious title for it was called the Treasure-house This prison or dungeon had no doores at all to it onely one mouth at which the prisoners were let down by a rope and so it was stopped up again with a great stone Into this Treasure-house was Philopoemen that great Emperour of Greece cast and there by poyson he ended his life God also hath his Treasure-house under earth if I may so speak But I pray you what a one is it It is of most wicked and ungodly desperate and damned men Actiolinus a Tyrant of Padua as Jovius reports had many prisons so infamous for all kinde of miseries and torments that whosoever were cast thereinto counted their life miserie and their death happinesse Death might come in there without knocking he was so welcome unto them and so long lookt for For this was their hard usage They were laden with irons starved with hunger poisoned with stench eaten up with vermine and so in a most miserable manner they lived and died at length a long and a lingring death There every one was judged most miserable but he that was dead and could feel no misery Whilest they lived it was a punishment worse then death to have their habitation amongst the dead For the dead bodies lay on heaps rotting amongst the living in such manner that it might be truely said there That the dead killed the living But the very worst of these prisons is a Paradise and a most pleasant place if it be compared with the infernall prison of Hell Whatsoever miserie was suffered in Actiolinus his prison in this regard it was tolerable because it was of no long continuance being to last no longer then a short life and quite vanishing away at the houre of death But the Treasure-house of the damned which is Gods prison is void of all comfort The torments thereof are intolerable because they are Eternall Death cannot enter in there neither can those that are entered get out again But they shall be tormented for evermore For evermore What a fearfull thing is this They shall be tormented for evermore It was a most true saying of Cassiodorus As no mortall man can apprehend or understand what the Eternall reward is so neither can any man conceive or imagine what that Eternall torment is The Persians had a prison into which a man might enter easily but being once in could get out no more or if he did yet very hardly And therefore it was called Lethe or Oblivion It is an easie matter to descend down into Hell but to ascend up again it is altogether impossible Was ever any heard to return from Hell This prison of Hell is not without just cause called Lethe or Oblivion For God is so unmindefull of the damned that he will never remember them to have mercy upon them Hell is called the Land of Oblivion or Forgetfulnesse and that for two reasons as a godly and learned Writer observes First Because saith he they remember God no more for their good neither have they any memorie at all of things past but such as doth afflict and torment them All their pomp and glory pleasures and delights are quite forgotten or else not remembred without grief and sorrow Secondly To those that are in this horrid Region and lake of fire God hath forgotten to be gracious and mercifull neither will he send his Angels at any time to minister unto them the least comfort If once in there is no coming out again For what said Abraham unto the rich Glutton frying in Hell and desiring him to send Lazarus to cool his tongue with a drop of water Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would passe from hence to you cannot neither can they passe to us that would come from thence Oh gulf full of horrour and despaire Oh Eternitie of torments the very thought whereof is able to make a stout man quake and tremble The wicked and ungodly men dig their own graves and dwell therein for evermore But what manner of graves do they dig They dig as deep as Hell where the rich Glutton was buried from whence he lifted up his eyes in torments and saw Abraham afarre off and Lazarus in his bosome to his greater torment Oh what a terrible deep is this Oh what a fearfull grave is this Who lies here He that suffered Lazarus to lie at his gate having no compassion on him How is it with him now He
lodgeth in flames of fire in stead of his soft bed he is scalded with thirst and his sweet cups are taken from his mouth his table is removed and he hath no other food but fire and brimstone He is not now dancing and exulting for joy but gnashing his teeth for hellish desperation They that are shut up in prison here in this world have hope for their comfort it may be they shall be delivered and redeemed out of prison But from Hell there is no deliverance no redemption no not so much as any hope at all but Eternall desperation It is a short but a terrible Sermon that God preacheth by the Prophet Ezekiel in these words Say to the sorrest of the South Heare the word of the Lord Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shall devoure every green tree in thee and every drie tree The flaming flame shall not be quenched How many tall Cedars how many wicked and ungodly men flourish and wax green in this life for prosperous successe in all outward things and yet are dry and withered for want of vertue Heare this therefore every green and yet dry and withered tree I will kindle a fire saith the Lord and the flaming flame shall not be quenched In Hell whither you make such great haste there are no Holy-dayes no Festivals no set times in which the fire shall cease burning There is Eternall grief Eternall death Eternall sorrow without the mixture of the least comfort Night and day there is no rest no sleep at all but continuall watching and waking for grief and anguish and intolerable torments in everlasting fire There shall you alwayes have your being that you may alwayes be tormented there shall you alwayes live that you may alwayes die If you will not beleeve me beleeve Saint Augustine whose words are these The ungodly saith he shall live in torments but they which live in torments shall desire if it were possible that their life were ended But death heares them not there is none to take away their life Their life shall never end because their torments shall never end But what saith the Scripture The Scripture doth not so much as call it life For life is a name of comfort but what comfort can there be imagined in tortures and torments frying and broyling in everlasting fire But what doth the Scripture call it The second death that is a death which follows after the first and naturall death which is common to all men But how can the second death be called a death seeing that he that hath part therein never dieth We may better indeed expresse what it is not rather then what it is As it cannot properly be called a death so it may be truely said that it is no life And as concerning them that have part therein as they cannot properly be said ever to die so again it may be most truely said that they never live For so to live that a man shall alwayes live in sorrows and torments is not to live Therefore that life is no life But the onely life indeed is that life which is blessed and that life onely is blessed which is Eternall Again we have another place in the same Father to this purpose If the soul liveth in Eternall torments tormented with the unclean spirits This is rather to be called Eternall death then Eternall life For there is no greater or worse death then that death which never dieth Saint Gregorie also giveth the like testimonie In Hell saith he there shall be death without death end without end because death ever liveth and the end ever beginneth there death shall never die Oh death how much sweeter wert thou if thou wouldst take away life and not compell those to live who would fain die But so it is the number of the yeares in Hell are without number It pasleth the skill of the best Aâ—â—thmetician to finde out the number thereof God himself knowes no end thereof After a thousand thousand millions of yeares past there are still as many more to come and when those also are past there are yet as many more to come and still they are as farre from the last as they were at the first It is now above five thousand yeares since Cain that slew his brother Abel was cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone and yet the number of the yeares throughout which still he is to be tormented is as great still as it was the first day of his torment and after certain millions of yeares the yeares of his torments for their number shall be nothing diminished It shall be all one as if he were cast into the fire but this present houre And though the rich Glutton mentioned in the Gospel be tormented two thousand yeares together yet still he doth burn and shall burn for ever neither shall he obtain so much as a little drop of water though he use never so much intreatie not so much as a little drop of water to cool his inflamed tongue These things we often heare of and when we heare them we do but laugh at them Certainly we count it but a light matter to burn in Eternall fire Here a man might well ask the question where are your teares O mortall men ye that are given so much to laughing This is our condition A small losse if it be but a matter of three halfpence will wring great store of teares from us But as for an infinite and irrecoverable losse that we can brook easily we can digest that with laughter When we are cited to appeare at the barre of an earthly Judge then we quake and tremble But as we are going to Gods Tribunall for every day we rid some of our way we walk on step after step will we nill we and yet as we are going we sport by the way When we go to sea we are afraid of shipwrack But without either fear or wit we lanch into the deep sea of Eternitie and make but a laughing matter of it It is the wish of Saint Bernard Oh that men were wise that they were wise Oh that they were wise What then holy Bernard Oh then would the image of Eternitie begin to be reformed in them Then would they order things present wisely judge of things past understandingly and foresee things to come providently Here we have Saint Pauls command to the Ephesians and not his wish onely for his words runne in the Imperative Mood and not in the Optative Brethren see that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the dayes are evil The great businesse of our salvation ought circumspectly diligently and carefully to be regarded of us It is the most foolish thing in the world for a man having but little time allotted him to spend it prodigally in vain delights whereas he should like a thrifty merchant employ it rather for his best advantage to purchase
present ever Thou hast peace that ever lasteth Health and life that never wasteth God is all in all Glorious things are spoken of thee O Citie of God In thee have their habitation all those that rejoyce In thee there is no fear in thee no sorrow All desires are turned to joyes Whatsoever a man can wish for is present with thee Whatsoever can be desired is in thee in abundance They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life in thy light shall we see light when we shall see thee in thy self and thee in us and our selves in thee living in everlasting felicitie and enjoying the beatificall vision of thee for ever And though this felicitie be everlasting yet a man may obtain it in a short time and with little labour I have compassion on the multitude saith our Saviour because they have now been with me three dayes and have nothing to eat Sweet Saviour dost thou count it such a matter for us to abide with thee three dayes and eat nothing And why sweet Jesus dost thou not rather tell us of the dayes of Eternitie and the everlasting joyes wherewith we shall be abundantly satisfied in the kingdome of heaven God taketh notice of the least service that we perform and it is precious in his sight He telleth the very hairs of our heads and much more then will he tell the drops of bloud that are spilt for his sake and put them up in the bottle of his remembrance We may therefore very well cry out with Saint Hierom Oh! How great a blessednesse is this To receive great things for small and Eternall things for Temporall and further to have the Lord our debtour But thou wilt be ready to say It goes hard to be in sufferings every day and though all other things might easily be endured yet death is terrible Christian brother I am ashamed to heare thee say so it is foolishly spoken and like a childe Knowest thou not thus much I know that I ascend to descend flourish to wither am young to grow old live to die and die to live blessed Eternally Trust therefore in the Lord for ever For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Again S. Augustine comes unto my minde who upon the words of our Lord saith thus Our Lord and Saviour concluded with these words saying These shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life Eternal It is life Eternall that is here promised Because men love to live here upon earth therefore life is promised unto them And because they are much afraid to die therefore life Eternall is promised unto them What wouldest thou have Life Well thou shalt have it What art thou afraid of Is it Death Well thou shalt not suffer it But they which shall be tormented in Hell fire shall have a desire to die and death shall flie from them To live long therefore is no great matter yea more To live alwayes is no great matter but To live blessed that is a thing to be desired that is a great matter indeed Therefore thou shalt live in heaven and shalt never die There shalt thou live blessed for evermore for neither shalt thou suffer any evil neither shalt thou be in fear of suffering for there it is impossible to suffer any evil There shalt thou possesse whatsoever thou canst desire and what thou possessest thou shalt desire still to possesse Thou canst not be cast out of possession And this shall satisfie thee It was there that David did expect to have his thirst quenched and his hunger satisfied In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore and again My soul thirsteth after thee and yet again As for me I will behold thy face in righteousnesse I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse This is a new and a strange voice for a King He hath his table well furnished with all kindes of dishes and yet as if he were hunger-starved he hopes to be filled at anothers table His own bread and his own wine would not serve his turn to appease his hunger or to quench his thirst There was other bread that he had a minde to and other liquour that he so thirsted after the bread of heaven and the water of life For what is the plenty and abundance of all the Kings of the earth It is nothing else but meere want And what is the daintie fare at their great tables It is but like the beggers pitcher if it be compared with the fatnesse of Gods house and his heavenly table Come eat and drink and be filled my beloved shall the King of heaven say This feast of mine shall never be ended there shall come no sorrow after it As it is To day so shall it be For ever and ever Neither can Saint Augustine here contain himself but he breaks forth again into this exclamation Oh life of lives surpassing all life Oh everlasting life Oh life blessed for ever where there is joy without sorrow rest without labour riches without losse health without sicknesse there is no such matter in this life abundance without defect life without death perpetuitie without corruptibilitie beatitude without calamitie where all good things are in perfect charitie where all knowledge is in all things and through all things where the Majestie of God is seen in presence where the minde of the beholders is filled with the bread of life They alwayes behold Gods presence and still they desire to behold it they desire to behold it and yet without anxietie they are satisfied with it and yet without satietie And that thou maist understand and know good Christian brother that this superexcellent glory these celestiall riches this heavenly kingdome is to be bought heare what the same Saint Augustine saith I have to sell saith God I have to sell come and buy it Lord what is it that thou hast to sell I have rest Come and buy it What is the price of it The price is labour And how much labour is Eternall rest worth If thou wilt speak the truth and judge aright Eternall rest is worth Eternall labour It is true indeed but do not fear For God is mercifull For should thy labour be Eternall thou shouldest never attain to rest Eternall But that thou maist attain at length to rest Eternall therefore thy labour shall not be Eternall not but that it is worth so much but that thou maist at length get the possession of it Indeed it is worth the price though it be labour Eternall But that it may be purchased and possessed it is necessarie that the price thereof be but labour Temporall Therefore Christian brethren let us rouse up our selves and stirre up one another with this exhortation of Saint Augustine which here followeth Let us
lovers of this world as they walk through the plain of the broad way do not love to come neare but keep off as farre as is possible But as for gain and profit the fawning and flattering of inferiours abundance of riches honours and places of dignitie these are the high places of the earth which whosoever is worldly minded and hath setled his affections on things here below he I say esteemeth highly because to him they seem great But whosoever is heavenly minded and hath setled his affections on things above he I say esteemeth them not because to him they seem what they are that is vile and base For as it is with a man going up an high mountain still the higher he goes the lower he sees the earth beneath him So is it with him whose conversation is in heaven The higher he mounts from the earth with the wings of pious cogitations the farther he flies from the earth with the wing of his affections He knows that all the glory of this world is nothing and therefore his thoughts and affections are altogether upon another world This is the man that is lifted up above the high places of the earth You have heard what S. Gregorie saith It will not be amisse in the next place to heare likewise what Saint Augustine saith What is that It is a lesson worth our learning That which we must lose saith he one time or other upon necessitie it is wisdome to distribute abroad in time that we may purchase thereby the reward of Eternitie Moses lived long indeed he lived in health but at length he died Methuselah lived longer then he but it follows And he died This is or shall be every mans Epitaph Et mortuus est And he died For we must needs die and are as water spilt on the ground But the soul is immortall it is Eternall it shall live for ever either in Eternall glory or else in Eternall torments Here our lot is cast in which Eternitie we shall have part and there is no revoking it Oh blessed Eternitie oh Eternall blessednesse How comes it to passe that seldome or never we think upon thee or if we do at any time we do it but upon the by How comes it to passe that we do not labour more for thee that we do not seek for thee that we are not sollicitous for thee O Lord God open thou our eyes that we may see and know what Eternitie is both that of glory and that other of torment and how infinite both how blessed the one and how miserable the other Thou hast created us unto thee Thou hast created us unto Eternitie For thou art Eternitie Thou wouldst have us be partakers of thy Eternitie Lord let it be according to thy will Thou hast said it Lord let it be according to thy word Thou hast promised Lord make good thy promise Make us partakers of thy Eternitie Grant that we may spend the short moment of time granted unto us here in this life Grant we beseech thee that we may spend it in such a religious and godly manner as men that labour for Eternitie contend for Eternitie suffer for Eternitie To this end cause thy ministers often to call upon us to think still upon Eternitie make us call one upon another in every place to think upon Eternitie that so by thy mercy we may reigne with thee O Eternitie and as many as it is possible may be kept from perishing everlastingly Heare this ye Christians all heare it ye Pagans heare it ye Kings and Princes heare it ye Germanes heare it ye French heare it ye English yea let all the world heare it There can be no sufficient securitie where there is danger of losing Eternitie Oh long Oh profound Oh bottomlesse Oh Eternall Eternitie Blessed are they O Lord that dwell in thy house they shall be still praising thee They shall praise thee throughout infinite myriads of ages Moses being neare unto his death commending unto God in his prayers his people Israel and blessing them thus took his leave of the tribe of Asher and said Let Asher be blessed with children let him be acceptable to his brethren and let him dip his foot in oyl Thy shoes shall be iron and brasse and as thy dayes so shall thy strength be There is none like unto the God of Jesurun who rideth upon the heaven in thy help and in his excellencie on the skie The Eternall God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms Thus God stretcheth forth the arms of his power throughout heaven infinitely and by his arms all the world all time and all things in the world are directed guided and governed So God from the beginning yea from the Eternitie of his predestination hath carried in his breast all the godly and doth protect them daily and hourely and as it were embraceth them with his arms Ascend therefore O my soul and have no more to do with earth and clay Stretch forth thy self and ascend up unto him that rideth upon the heavens ascend up unto thy God whose dwelling is in the highest mountains those mountains of Eternitie There shalt thou sit in safetie and behold the earth beneath and so shalt thou plainly perceive how little and of none esteem all things are here below which now either sollicit thee with love or terrifie thee with fear thou shalt plainly perceive what a small thing it is whatsoever is contained within the Centre of the world that little globe or point of earth thou shalt plainly perceive how that all things created are vain weak short vile yea vanitie it self yea rather meere nothing in respect of God and of Eternitie Therefore seek thou after the onely true and soveraigne good and regard not other things Trust in God relie on him open thy heart wide to entertain him tread under the feet of thy affections whatsoever is under the Sunne and Moon whatsoever allureth thee with smiles or terrifieth thee with frowns think upon Eternitie and alwayes keep in minde that excellent saying of Saint Hierome No labour must seem hard no time must seem long all the while we are seeking after Eternall glory It is reported by Saint Hierome that there was upon a time a certain Camell haunted by an evil spirit which being brought before Hilarion a devout and godly man began to rage in such a strange and terrible manner as if it would presently have devoured him But the holy man nothing afraid spake thus unto the evil spirit Do not think to fright me thou evil spirit although that thou hast got a Camel on thy back it is all one to me whether thou comest in a Camels skin or in a Foxes skin And presently the fierce Camel fell down before him and became very tame and gentle to the great laughter of all those that stood by Such are all flatteries fawnings allurements and tentations of this world such are all fears frowns