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
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
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
finding any end as never to be able to hope for any end There saith Thomas one houres punishment shall be more grievous then an hundred yeares here in the most bitter punishment that can be There is no rest no consolation to the damned O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my transgressions Unlesse thou wilt have mercy O God I must needs perish CHAP. II. Why Hell is Eternall HEre ariseth a question which is worthy to be known of all men How it can be that God who is good and mercifull and whose mercy is over all his works should notwithstanding punish even one mortall sinne committed it may be in a moment and in thought onely How he should punish such a sinne I say for all Eternitie and so punish it that it shall deserve still alwayes to be punished and though millions of yeares be passed yet it shall never be said This sinne hath been sufficiently punished it is enough he hath made satisfaction for the wicked thought by which he hath offended God What then Hath God for one sinne and that in thought onely decreed the punishment of everlasting fire What equalitie is there in this For a momentanie sinne to appoint an Eternall punishment Why doth blessed David cry out O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good and his mercy endureth for ever And why doth he repeat it twenty seven times if God be so severe To this S. Augustine Gregorie Thomas Aquinas and others answer That in every mortall sinne the offence of its own nature is infinite because it is an injury against the infinite majesty of God Again He that dyeth guilty of a mortall sinne without repentance doth as much as if he should sinne Eternally For if he might live Eternally he would sinne Eternally He hath not lost a will to sinne but life in which to sinne still being ready to sinne if he might live still So he doth not cease to sinne but doth cease to live Further it is to be considered That a damned person can never make satisfaction though he should pay never so much For being an Enemie and not in favour with God his paiment is not worthy acceptation seeing that he himself is not accepted with him Neither indeed to speak truely can he be said to pay any thing because he doth nothing but suffers onely punishment and that against his will We will make the matter yet more plain by a familiar example Suppose a man should borrow of his neighbour a thousand crowns and for the use thereof make over the Rent of his house unto him for ever It may be in twenty yeares he may thus repay the summe of money borrowed But what then Is he fully discharged of all the debt Doth there remain nothing to be paid The Principall remains still as due to be paid as if there had been nothing at all paid For this is the nature of such lones That although the yearely use be paid still the Principall remains entire and due to be paid So it is with the damned For although they should pay never so much yet they can never get out of debt They are debters still and ever shall be The strong shall be as â—ow and the maker of it as a spark and they shall both burn together and none shall quench them Suetonius reports of Tiberius Cesar that being petitioned unto by a certain offendeâ— to hasten his punishment and to grant him a speedy dispatch he made him this answer Nondum tecum in gratiam redii Stay Sir You and I are not yet friends Christ is a most just Judge no Tyrant no Tiberius And yet if one of the damned after a thousand yeares burning in Hell should beg and intreat for a speedy death he would answer after the same manner Nondum tecum in gratiam redii Stay You and I are not yet friends If after a thousand yeares more he should ask the same thing he should receive the same answer Nondum tecum in gratiam redii Stay You and I are not yet friends If after an hundred thousand yeares yet more yea millions of yeares he should ask again again he should receive the same answer Nondum tecum in gratiam redii Stay You and I are not yet friends The time was I offered to be thy friend but thou wouldest not yea thy father but thou wouldest not I offered thee my grace a thousand and a thousand times but thou rejectedst it This I knew right well and I held my peace and further expected fourtie fiftie sixtie yeares to see if thou wouldest change thy minde and course of life But there followed no serious or true repentance Thou hast set at nought all my counsell and wouldest none of my reproos Thou hast hated instruction and hast cast my words behinde thee Eat therefore the fruit of thine own wayes and be filled with thine own counsels I will laugh at thy destruction for ever neither shall my justice after infinite ages give thee any answer but this Nondum tecum in gratiam redii Stay You and I are not yet friends O God which art in heaven O sinne which throwest men headlong into Hell the Hell of torments and into the bottomlesse pit of Eternall pain But Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgements Just and right it is that he which would not by repentance accept of mercy when it was offered should by punishment be tormented have justice without mercy for ever CHAP. III. Other motives to the consideration of Eternitie drawn from Nature BUt I return to the school of Nature to consider further upon Eternitie There are found hot Baths in certain mountains and rocks whose waters in running make such a noise and murmuring that the diseased persons that resort thither for cure if at their entrance into the Bath they do but imagine they heare musicall instruments and an Harmonious consort they have their eares so dulled with the continuall noise thereof that the Musick which at first was sweet unto them becomes at length by their imagination working upon it very loathsome and a torment unto them But if they imagine they heare a drumme or any other loud sounding instrument they at length grow almost mad with the noise thereof daily molesting and troubling them From hence also we are led as it were by the hand to the consideration of Eternitie The weeping and wailing yelling and crying which is heard at the first entrance of Hells mouth under those infernall mountains shall never cease but shall torment the damned without end and be no whit mitigated by time and long sufferance But on the contrary the blessed in heaven shall without wearinesse heare the Thrice Holy sung Holy Holy Holy yea and the more they heare it the more they shall be delighted with the sound thereof Christ in his conference with
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
ALWAYES which shall follow But they which open their eares to heare and their hearts to understand when the Church soundeth both Trumpets as it often doth and thereupon seriously consider with themselves and compare together this short NOW with that infinite and everlasting ALWAYES they will use no delay but presently remove the camp they live here as Pilgrims and strangers they have their loyns girt they remember that they are in a journey they send their riches and pleasures before them into their Countrey which is above they choose rather to enjoy them ALWAYES in heaven then NOW for a short time upon earth Certain it is whosoever heareth attentively and mindeth seriously the Alarm of these Trumpets and thereupon compareth together things present with things future and things transitorie with things Eternall He will presently make himself ready to depart he will prepare himself a place of buriall he will lay out his winding sheet he will send for his bear and furnish himself with all things necessarie for his journey remembring still in every place that he is passing on the way to Eternitie and conferring with himself every day after this manner How shall I be able to give account unto God for all my thoughts words and deeds and When shall I give up my account and What sentence will he passe upon me NOW therefore will I die unto my self that I may ALWAYES livâ— unto my self and unto God Welâ— is it with that man which timelâ— and dayly thus thinketh upon Eternitie Whatsoever we do we arâ— passing on our way and we do noâ— know how short it is unto thâ— gate which leadeth to Eternitie At the last houre of our life death shall bring us unto this gate and compell us to enter Let us therefore so live as if we were alwayeâ— expecting death that if it shalâ— please God at any time to visit uâ— with sicknesse the forerunner oâ— death we may entertain it cheer fully and beare it patiently liftinâ— up our eyes unto Christ hanginâ— upon the Crosse the true and perfecâ— pattern of Patience and when the time of our dissolution draweth neare praying thus Lord Jesu stand by me and comfort me Lord Jesu be present with thy servant that putteth his trust in thee Lord Jesu make me partaker of thy victorie Lord Jesu receive my spirit and leade me through the darksome valley and shadow of death leade me and forsake me not untill thou hast brought my soul into the land of the living O thou most potent conquerour of death O thou which art my light life and salvation Good Master what good thing shall I doe that I may have ETERNALL life Math 19. 16. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God The love of riches of ETERNITIE are scarce resident in one heart THE FIFTH CONSIDERATION upon ETERNITIE How others even wicked men themselves have meditated upon Eternitie THe old historie of the Fathers tells us of a religious man that reading upon the nineteenth Psalme came at length having not thought of it to these words For a thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past and here stuck For he could not conceive a reason why a thousand yeares and one day should be compared together Whereupon they say there was a little bird sent by God which so ravisht the man with her sweet singing that though he heard her sing a very great while together yet he thought the time very short scarce a short houre long The winde bloweth where it listeth Not good men onely have with holy David meditated upon Eternitie but even wicked men also and those oftentimes against their will Benedictus Renanus reports of a vain and ungodly fellow a very Epicure and meer worldling which never used to fast or watch one that could not endure the want of any thing but especially sleep Upon a certain night it seems this fellow could not sleep as he was wont being much troubled with unusuall dreams so he turned himself upon his bed from one side to another and could not by any means get any rest then he wished it were day But here the winde of the Lord began to blow though it were in a strange land for good thoughts were very rare in this man Being weary with watching and finding no ease or rest aâ— all thus he began to think with himself Would any be hired upon any condition to lie thus two or three yeares together in darknesse without the companie of friends though his sicknesse were not very grievous Would he be content to want his sports and playes so long Would he be content to be bound to his bed though it were a feather-bed or a bed of down and never stirre abroad to see any sights or shews or make merry with his friends I think no man would And shall I alone amongst all men enjoy rest and pleasure by an especiall priviledge and have no sense of grief and sorrow Surely no. Will I nill I needs I must sometime or other lie down upon the bed of sicknesse unlesse I be suddenly taken away by death which God forbid This was a good winde these were good cogitations But what bed shall I have next when death shall thrust me out of this My body must rot under earth For this is the condition of all men after death But what shall become of my soul in another world Surely all men do not go to the same place after death Do not some go one way and some another Is there not an Hell as well as an Heaven Wo and alas What kinde of bed shall the damned finde in Hell How many yeares shall they lie there In what yeare after their first entrance shall the flames cease and be put out Assuredly Christ doth not onely in word threaten to cast the wicked into everlasting fire but will also cast them in indeed This thing is certain and very manifest Therefore the damned shall burn in Hell for ever Therefore a thousand and a thousand and again I say a thousand yeares will not suffice to purge away the â—innes of this short life Therefore they shall never see the Sunne any more nor Heaven nor God being most miserable Eternally and without end With such thoughts as these this man became so vigilant and watchfull and proceeded so farre that night and day he could not be at rest but Eternitie did still runne in his minde Fain indeed he would have shaken off the thoughts thereof as gnawing worms but he could not Therefore he followed sports and pastimes went to merry meetings sought out companions like himself and sate oftentimes so long at his cups that he laid his conscience asleep and so seemed to take some rest But when he came again unto himself his conscience being awakened did presently accuse him and suggest unto him afresh sorrowfull thoughts of Eternitie Thus finding no rest
in these words of our Saviour Every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Is it not cleare enough that this promise is of blessed Eternitie when we have securitie given us of receiving an hundred-fold reward Again Christ according to the same Evangelist forewarning of the latter judgement three times makes mention of Eternitie expresly in these words everlasting or eternall fire everlasting or eternall punishment and life Eternall Seeing therefore the holy Fathers the Church and the sacred Scripture do so many wayes propound unto us the serious consideration of Eternitie It is our part and dutie as many of us as look for Eternall life in heaven it is our part and dutie seriously to meditate thus with our selves every one Oh my God! How seldome have I heretofore thought upon Eternitie or if I have thought upon it in what a cold and negligent manner have I done it notwithstanding every day yea every houre and minute I draw nearer and nearer unto Eternitie But for the time to come by the assistance of thy grace I will minde it more carefully then heretofore I have done and if at any time through thy bounty riches shall increase I will not set my heart upon them though the world should smile upon me though I should want no temporall thing that my heart can desire though I should seem to flow in never so much abundance yet will I still remember Eternitie In the midst of my prosperitie these shall be my thoughts But how long shall this last will this fair weather never change Will this comfortable sunne alwayes shine upon me Or if I should live in prosperitie all the dayes of my life what shall it profit me after death After this sweet but short pleasing but perilous unhappy happinesse there shall shortly follow Eternitie Eternitie But if the world goes ill with me if it frown upon me if I meet with many crosses troubles and affictions if misfortunes befall me if they rush upon me like waves one in the neck of another if I be turmoiled and tossed up and down then these shall be my daily thoughts Well let the world have its course I am content to bear it Gods will be done Let the sea be troubled let the waves thereof roare let the windes of afflictions blow let the waters of sorrows rush upon me let the clouds of tentations threaten rain and thunder let the darknesse of grief and heavinesse compasse me about yea though the foundation of the world should seem to shake yet will I not be afraid These storms will blow over these windes will be laid these waves will fall this tempest cannot last long and these clouds shall be dispelled Whatsoever I suffer here shall shortly have an end I shall not suffer Eternally Come the worst that can come death will put an end to all my sorrows and miseries But no storm to that storm of fire and brimstone which the damned shall suffer in Hell Eternally and without end All things here shall have an end but the torments there shall have no end Whatsoever is not within the circle of Eternitie is short swift and momentanie it is but a shadow but a dream so saith S. Chrysostome It is but a Modicum or a thing of nothing a little a very little for a little while yea a very little while Often doth our Saviour beat upon this speaking to his Disciples All his own sufferings yea his most bitter death upon the crosse he calleth but a little All the sufferings punishments and violent deaths of the Apostles all but a little And why should not I also think it but a little whatsoever here I suffer though I should suffer it an hundred yeares together For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie I will therefore suffer patiently whatsoever can happen and account one thing onely necessarie and that is To do nothing against my Conscience and displeasing unto God For all is safe and sure with him who is certain and sure of blessed Eternitie CHAP. III. This life in respect of that which is to come is but as a Drop to the Ocean a little stone to the sand upon the Sea-shore a Centre to the Circle a Modicum a little a very little time a Minute to Eternitie And such are the sufferings of this life in respect of the joyes that shall be hereafter MOst true it is Whatsoever labour or sorrow we suffer in this life it is but a Modicum or for a little while It is the saying of S. Augustine This Modicum or little while seems long unto us because it is not yet all past and gone But when it shall come to an end then shall we perceive and understand what a little while this Modicum was The wisest of men being to shew the vanitie and shortnesse of this present life though it should be lengthened to an hundred yeares which few men can reach unto makes choice of the most minute things in the world whereby to expresse it and set it forth by way of resemblance For thus we reade expresly in Ecclesiasticus The number of a mans dayes at the most are an hundred yeares As a drop of water unto the sea and a gravel-stone in comparison of the sand so are a thousand yeares to the dayes of Eternitie And why then do ye rejoyce in this ye long-liv'd men that you have lived an 100 yeares All our yeares are What are they They are as a drop of water unto the sea and a gravel-stone in comparison of the sand And what is a little stone to those exceeding high mountains of sand And what is a small drop of water to the deep and fathomlesse Sea such are fifty sixty yea an hundred yeares Heare this ye old men they are but a Modicum a very little while but a Minute of time indeed nothing at all to the dayes of Eternitie And yet foolish and miserable men we are overjoyed with this little stone this small drop Our life is indeed a little stone but no jewell no precious stone it is made of no better matter then sand Our life is a drop but not of sweet and fresh water it is salt and brackish as the sea-water is For all his dayes are sorrows and his travell grief yea his heart taketh no rest in the night So saith the Preacher It is the counsell of S. Augustine Recall to minde saith he the years that are past from Adam to this present day runne over all the Scripture It is but almost yesterday since he fell and was thrust out of Paradise For where are those times that are past Certainly if thou hadst lived all the time since Adam was thrust out of Paradise even unto this present thou wouldst perceive and confesse that thy
why so long in drawing his lines and so slow in the use of his pencill he made this answer I am long a doing whatsoever I take in hand because what I paint I paint for Eternitie And thus stands the case with all we paint also for Eternitie Whatsoever we do it so belongs unto Eternitie that a man may truely say of it thus I write I reade I sing I pray I labour whatsoever I do whatsoever I say whatsoever I think all is For Eternitie Now if this be the nature of our thoughts words and deeds if they shall remain For all Eternitie we had need have a care what we think speak or do it concerns us to look about us to minde our businesse not to go negligently and sleepily about our work not to let any thing go out of our hands rude and imperfect but to polish and perfect it with all the care skill and industrie that we can use We paint with Zeuxis For Eternitie When we have done our works they are presently transmitted to Eternitie to be viewed by a most judicious and all-seeing eye that no fault can escape and being viewed and censured they are to be committed either to be Eternally punished or Eternally rewarded What I have said before I here say again because it cannot be said too often though I should say it a thousand times Whatsoever we think speak or do once thought spoke or done it is Eternall it abideth for ever Will you heare what S. Gregorie saith In all our actions we must use great care and circumspection we must well weigh and consider with our selves what it is that we take in hand and to what end we do it that our mindes be not set upon any thing that is Temporall but upon those things which are Eternall Therefore in all thy actions labour to be perfect Pray for Eternitie study for Eternitie suffer for Eternitie contend for Eternitie labour for Eternitie So live to God that thou maist live with God So live on Earth that thou maist live in Heaven So live for Eternitie that thou maist live to Eternitie Heare also what S. Bernard saith Our works do not passe away assoon as they are done as they may seem to do but as seeds sown in time they rise up to all Eternitie The foolish man which hath no understanding will wonder to see such a plentifull increase rise up of such little seeds be it good or be it evil according to the nature of the seed which is sown But he that is wise will ponder these things and count no sinne little For he hath an eye still not to that which is present but to that which is to come not to that which is sown but to that which is reaped not to that which is done in time but to that which remains to all Eternitie Oh the dangerous and miserable madnesse of the sonnes of Adam God created us unto the possession of infinite and Eternall goods And why are we carried then with the whole bent of our affections to those things which are flitting and vanishing God made us heirs of Heaven and Eternall possessions And why do we so miserably entangle our selves in our vanities and run headlong to destruction Let us be wise in time let us look well to our steps let us make speed on the way of Eternitie Let us so live that we may live to Eternitie The way thither is short and narrow but the Term thereof is very large But O miserable and foolish men that we are We fain would obtain Eternall life but we are loth to tread in the way that leads to it we fain would be there but we will not take pains to go thither Every man desires to be blessed There is no man saith Saint Augustine of what condition or degree soever he be but hath a desire after that life which is blessed for ever Therefore that life is the common haven at which all men desire to arrive but all men know not how to steere their course aright It is a thing which all men without controversie would fain possesse but how to compasse it what course to take which way to go that is the point they cannot agree upon We may seek it long enough upon earth and it is a question whether we shall ever finde it or no Not that I condemne the seeking of it but the not seeking it in the right place One is of opinion that the Souldiers life is most blessed but another denies that and sayes The life of the Husbandman is most blessed And again this another denies and sayes that the Lawyers life is most blessed and he gives his reason for it For the Lawyer is worshipped by the people and is much sought unto he is ever taking of fees and pleading causes And again this another denies and sayes The Judges life is most blessed For he hath power of hearing causes and deciding them And yet again another denies this and sayes The Merchants life is most blessed For he sees divers countreys learns many fashions gathers together much wealth You see dearely beloved in so many severall kindes of lives there is not any one to be found that will please all But the life blessed for ever that is it which pleaseth all Blessednesse therefore is not to be expected here but is to be sought for elsewhere and never to be found out but by a good and godly death Ungodly men themselves desire to die the death of the godly but they will not live the life of the godly For to die well is the way to felicitie but to live well is matter of labour And yet that is not to be obtained without this Eternitie depends upon death and there is no dying well without living well Choose which thou wilt life or death If thou livest well thou canst not but die well and it shall be well with thee for ever If thou livest not well thou canst not hope to die well but it will be ill with thee for ever Not many yeares ago a man of a good house having more wit in his head then religion in his heart being asked what he thought of the strict lives of the religious and the loose lives of the licentious which he esteemed best answered thus I could wish to live like the licentious but to die like the religious Some wit there might be in his answer but I am sure there was little religion in it He had spoke like a Christian man if he had said thus I desire to live the life of the religious that my end may be like his Balaam could say Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his But he had said a great deal better if he had said thus Let me live the life of the righteous that I may die the death of the righteous and that my last end may be like his For whosoever liveth the life of the godly shall