curious piece of work which when it is made is apt to be blown away with every puffe of winde she hangs it up aloft she fastens it to the roof of the house she strengtheneth it with many a threed wheeling often round about not sparing her own bowels but spending them willingly upon her work And when she hath done all this spun her fine threeds weaved them one within another wrought her self a fine Conopie hanged it aloft and thinks all is sure on a sudden in the twinkling of an eye with a light sweep of a beesome all falls to the ground and so her labour perisheth But here is 〈…〉 all Poore Spider she is either killed in her own web or else she is taken in her own snare â—aled to death and trod under foot Thus the silly Animal may be truely said either to weave her own winding-sheet or to make a snare to hang her self Just so do many men like the Spider waste and consume themselves to get preferment to enjoy pleasures to gather riches to keep them and to increase them In such projects they spend all their wit and oftentimes the healths of their bodies running up and down labouring and sweating carking and caring wearying themselves and weakning their bodies even as the Spider doth by the spinning out of her own bowels And when they have done all this they have but weaved the Spiders web to catch flies Yea oftentimes they are caught in their own nets they are instruments of their own mischief The dayes of mirth which they promise unto themselves prove often times the dayes of moâ—â—ning That which they call their palace becomes their burying place So we spend our â—eares in musing like the Spider â— say in musing for the most part For we often purpose to do many things and do them not And what we do most an end were better undone Those things which we pursue with such greedinesse for the most part fly from us and those things which we contend for with such earnestnesse we seldome attain to But suppose we did Alas they have no perpetuitie So the covenant with death shall be disanulled and the agreement with hell shall not stand We all consume away and die and which is worst of all we blindly rush headlong into Eternitie from whence there is no return Guerricus hearing these words read in the Church out of the book of Genesis And all the dayes that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirtie yeares And he died And all the dayes of Seth were nine hundred and twelve yeares And he died And all the dayes of Enos were nine hundred and five yeares And he died And all the dayes of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine yeares And he died c. Hearing I say these words read the very conceit of death wrought so strongly upon him and made so deep an impression in his minde that he retired himself from the world and gave himself wholly to his devotions that so he might die the death of the godly and arrive more safely at the haven of Eternall felicitie which is no where to be found in this world CHAP. II. What is the best question in the world SAint Matthew tells us of a young man that came unto Christ and propounded a question unto him And Saint Mark describeth the manner of his coming to our Saviour and his good carriage For saith he There came one running and kneeled to him and asked him Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit Eternall life And our Saviours answer was Thou knowest the Commandments If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments At Philippi a Citie of Macedonia the keeper of the prison came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and moved this question unto them Sirs what must I do to be saved This was a very good question A better and a more profitable could not be moved But O good God where is this question now in the world The world is full of other questions but this is scarce any where to be heard Most men do now adayes betray themselves by their own questions and bring to light and so make others witnesses of their simplicitie or curiositie or some such hidden disease of minde He which makes diligent search and enquirie where the best wine is to be sold doth sufficiently declare what he loves best and where his chiefest care is Another asketh such questions as a modest man would blush to heare And this man shews that his heart is full and that out of the abundance thereof his mouth speaketh All mens mouthes in all places are full of questions such as these are But it is a rare thing to heare one man ask another this question Do you think this is the way to heaven It is a fault common to every vicious man but more proper to the libidinous and lustfull the luxurious and riotous man though he be plunged into the deep and begins to sink and to be overwhelmed yet seldome or never to enter into a serious consideration with himself and with a sincere minde ask himself this question Shall I ever think to obtain Eternall felicitie by this course of life Is this the way to heaven But of all men those especially least think upon such questions as these those I say that live a soft life fare deliciously and wallow in pleasures that feel little or no sorrow and affliction or if they do at any time feel never so little labour what they can to be senselesse of it To suffer they count the greatest of all evils If it goes well with them they care not how it fares with others If it be well with them for the present they take no care what shall follow after They never once think upon Eternitie This is their dayly ditty The heaven of heavens is the Lords but the earth he hath given to the sonnes of men They want neither strength of body or minde by which to escape the hands of men But God hath long hands he shall surely finde them out they must appeare before him who is the judge of all the world they cannot escape his judgement they shall surely suffer Eternall punishments for their wickednesse and their offences But if God in his secret judgement casts away any man as a reprobate and suffereth him to live after his own lust and pleasure He giveth him his portion of prosperitie and felicitie in this life he spareth him here that he may punish him hereafter And if at any time he doth any thing that is good he presently receiveth his reward Of such unhappy-happy men the kingly Prophet saith thus They are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued like other men They go a whoring with their own inventions And this is a most miserable state and condition of life if there be any For whom God hath predestinated to bring into the way
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
he resolved at length to amend his manners and to betake himself to a better course of life And thus he began to reason with himself Miserable man that I am what do I here I so enjoy the world that indeed I enjoy it not I suffer many things I would not I want many things which I fain would have I serve like a slave but who will pay me my wages I see well enough how the world rewardeth those that love it and do all their lives nothing else but serve it But suppose I had the fruition of all the delights and pleasures in the world that my heart could wish what certainâ—ie can I have how long they shall last I am not certain whether I shall live till to morrow or no Daily Funerals sufficiently prove this Oh Eternitie if thou wert not Oh Eternitie If thy place be not in heaven though it be on a soft down-bed thou canst not but be bitter and unpleasant It is true indeed it is a hard matter to withdraw our selves away from those things whereunto we are accustomed whether it be feasting or drinking or company-keeping or such like But whilest we delay and deferre the time death may prevent us and take us away from all these Why then dost thou delay Why dost thou not impose an honest and happy necessitie upon thy self Why dost thou not resolve thus presently with thy self Well I will be another man then I have been if it please God I live This life lasts not long but Eternitie endureth for ever I must walk now in a new way I am resolved upon it And Now I begin Where art thou blessed Eternitie I am seeking for thee I am travelling towards thee To conclude he did as he said he took his leave of the world he changed the course of his life and so lived and died an honest and godly man Oh Eternitie How few are they that think thus seriously upon thee But certainly there are very few scarce any that weigh and consider well with themselves what thou art and so continue and persist in that consideration We seek earnestly after all other things onely Eternitie seemeth vile unto us and not worth the looking after Our thoughts runne after riches and yet the possession of them is very uncertain we know not how soon they shall forsake us or we them We are ambitious after honours and yet they are slippery and soon slide away from us We are in love with pleasures and yet they have sorrow and bitternesse in their latter end We desire rest but it is of no long continuance We knit the knot of friendship with others but it is such as death shall quickly dissolve We are never well but when we are conversing with others but our conversation is never in heaven where it should be We seek for abundance but it is there where it will soon fail But surely if we did more often and seriously think upon Eternitie we should not have such a fervent desire after things of so short continuance I call Saint Bernard to witnesse who saith thus He that longeth after things Eternall cannot but loath things transitorie There are that have often in their mouthes I know not what Eternitie that will promise and sweare and make good resolutions of amendment and say thus As long as I live I will beware of such a place or such a place where I have formerly been tempted to sinne I will never come neare such a man or such a woman or such a one that was my companion in evil I will never come neare him as long as I live As long as I live I will never go to such and such meetings where there useth to be gluttonie and drunkennesse dancing chambering and wantonnesse and such like It shall suffice me that I have been there once and again and perhaps oftner that I have done as the company did that I have sinned with such and such These are good resolutions In this I commend thee O man Because sinne is to be feared thou dost well in purposing to avoid the occasion of sinning and I could wish thou wert as religious in observing what thou hast promised as thou art ready to promise But alas after a day or two yea an houre or two too forgetfull of thy promise and good resolution thou dost again the very same thing which lately thou didst detest abhorre and forsweare Therefore before thou makest a vow or promise unto God it is good to use due consideration and foresight and when thou hast made a vow or promise unto God it is necessarie to use after-care and Christian fortitude in performance Thou must promise nothing rashly and unadvisedly unto God But what thou hast promised thou must religiously and constantly keep and observe How severe God is in punishing such as break their vowes and promises we are sufficiently taught by the wofull experience and lamentable example of others CHAP. I. The comparison of mans labours and the spiders one with another THere is another Eternitie and that the worst of all which those men promise to themselves which will needs erect up unto themselves an heaven out of heaven and be blessed before they be dead Wherefore heare the word of the Lord ye scornfull men saith the Prophet Isaiah Because ye have said we have made a covenant with death and with Hell we are at agreement O ye mad men How vain and none at all is this your Eternitie There is nothing permanent and perpetuall in this prison Elegantly doth the Kingly Prophet declare this we spend our yeares saith he as a tale that is told c. we spend our yeares in musing like the Spider for so some reade it He could not have declared it better and in fewer words For what are all our yeares but a continuall musing and wearisome exercise All the time of our life is consumed and wasted away with vain labours many sorrows sundry fears often suspicions and innumerable troubles Even as the Spider spends her self in the weaving of her web Our labours are continuall linked one unto another our sighs and groans continuall partly in the pursuing of our profits and pleasures and partly in the removing and eschewing those things which we count evil We do many things we undertake many labours troublesome and grievous to be born and mean while alas such is our folly we perceive not that we do but weave the Spiders web taking a great deal of pains with little successe to no end or purpose we spend our yeares in musing like the Spider It is a great deale of pains and care that the Spider takes in weaving of her web she runs much and often up and down she fetcheth a compasse this way and that way and returns often to the same point she spendeth her self in a multitude of sine-spun threeds to make her self a round cabinet she exenterates her self and worketh out her own bowels to make an artificiall and
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