of Eternity But I shall say of this as Bonaventure did upon another subject I am not worthy not able so much as to unty the shooe-latchet of so great a Mystery It is a mystery of a sublime and transcendent nature as I shall shew in three particulars 1. It transcendeth all expression all that is or can be spoken of it falls short of what it is in its self what Augustine saith of God that St. John himself doth not speak of God as God is (w) Audeo dicere nec ipse Johannes dicit de Deo ut Deus est may not improperly be spoken of Eternity could I speak with the tongue of men and Angels I were not able rightly to express it when we speak of it we speak as we can not as it is as children when they begin to speak lispe and stammer speak half words and broken sentences so it is with us when I was a Child I spake as a child saith the Apostle (x) 1 Cor. 13. 11. It is spoken of that imperfect knowledge we here attain unto which as it holdeth good in other things much more in this of Eternity saith Drexellius (y) Semper minus dicitur quod de aeternitate dicitur whatsoever is spoken of Eternity is far lesse than it is we are hardly able to say what time is the Philosopher defines it to be the measure of motion or motion according to the former and latter parts of it but others find fault with this affirming that time is the measure of rest as well as motion the Platonists say that time is Eternity limited but this is to set out that which is obscure by a greater obscurity for we have a more clear notion of time than of Eternity they speak more properly that say it is a continued flux of minutes hours dayes months and years from the beginning of the world to the end of it yet some think this doth not fully express it Eusebius saith (z) Oratio in laudem Constantini that part of time which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the present time cannot be comprehended much less time future or time past for that is not and this is past then adds the present time passeth away more swiftly than either word or thought neither can it be taken for an instant for either we must necessarily expect things to come or consider things past and an instant flyeth away as swift as thought Augustine strugleth about it as a Bird in a string he saith he knoweth it yet confesseth he knows it not he knoweth enough to hold his peace but knoweth not enough to speak and if it be so hard to say what time is much more to describe Eternity and so Eusebius infers from what he had said of time (a) Si nemo à me quaerat scio si quaerenti explicare velim nescio therefore man cannot comprehend Eternity and Everlastingness the highest Oratory the loftiest strains of Rhetorick are not able to reach it they say a fair face is seldome drawn but with disadvantage the Painter going about to draw the Picture of Helena as not being able to express her beauty to the life drew her face covered with a Vail leaving the beholder to conceive what he was not able to express the like are we forced to do when we speak of Eternity The truth is when we would speak of it we can do it no other way but by improper locutions when the Sun riseth red and soon after looketh black or pale or hollow we use to say it is a sign of rain whereas properly the Sun is neither red nor pale nor black nor subject to any vissicitude or change of colours having no other colour than its own perpetual brightness yet thus we use to speak because it seems so to us by reason of the vapours interposed between that and our sight which make it to appear to us of those colours In like manner when we speak of Eternity we often call it the times and ages of Eternity whereas properly there is no such thing in it we say when thousands of years and ages are past Eternity is the same it was before whereas properly nothing can be said to be past in Eternity as shall be shewed after but thus we lispe and stammer when we speak of it [b] Sic balbutiendum cum de aeternis loquimur thus by a condescention [c] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to things that fall under our conception we would relieve our selves in speaking of it 2. It transcends all our knowledge and understanding there is a Two-fold knowledge we have of things a knowledge of the thing it self and of the measure of it [d] Intellectio rei mensura rei neither of these wayes are we able to come to a distinct knowledge of Eternity 1. Not of the thing it self what the Antients said of the fountains of Nilus that Nature made them rather to be sought after than to be found may be more truly said of Eternity it is a path which no Fowl knoweth which the Vultures eye hath not seen the Lions whelp hath not trodden the most piercing eye is not able to dive into it the knowledge of it is too wonderful for us we cannot attain unto it a mans eye is able to look upon twenty Candles lighted up together in a Room but looking a while upon the Sun will dazzle the sight if a man falleth into a River though it be deep and broad he may make shift to swim out but if he be cast away in the midst of the Sea after he hath a while struggled for life and wrestled with those impetuous waves he must unavoidably sink and yield to the fury of the merciless waves in like manner the Understanding may keep footing while it wades in the shallows of time though extended to an hundred thousand years but soon will be swallowed up in stupor and amazement when it cometh to lanch forth into that deep sea of Eternity as when we cast a stone into the water one circle begets another and the latter is still bigger than the former so in Eternity one deep calleth upon another it is a wheel within a wheel there is difficulty after difficulty one mystery folded up in another it is a great Maze or Labyrinth full of infinite windings and turnings after all our searchings and indagations we may well lose our selves but can never retreat when our thoughts are seriously engaged in it much lesse find any bounds that may set limits to our meditations it is a Well which being both deep and dark there is no seeing to the bottom of it we may say of that as the woman did of Jacobs well the well is deep and we have nothing to draw with it is an overflowing and ever-flowing Fountain which is neither spent nor drawn dry but bubbleth forth into a continued stream which is alwaies running and will be running throughout all ages and
perswaded that neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from the Love of God (e) Rom. 8. 38. Death is so far from separating from Gods Love and that Happiness the fruit of his Love that next to Jesus Christ it is the Believers greatest friend putting him into an everlasting possession of his desired Happiness On the other side There is no end of the sufferings of the damned in Hell Some indeed have contended for it Origen thought that after a thousand years both Devils and men should be released out of Hell-torments After him the Hereticks called the Aniti (f) L. 21. de cive Dei broached the same Doctrine Others that Augustine speaketh of contended that not all but some should be delivered out of their sufferings some that all Christians some all Catholicks some those that had received the Sacraments of the Faith some those onely who persevere to the end in the Catholick Faith others those who were addicted to works of Mercy and Charity But who are these who darken Counsel by words without knowledge These fond conceits are solidly refuted by Aquinas and others who prove by undeniable Arguments that these sufferings if nothing else yet Death puts an end to them in the Grave the Prisoners rest together and those who are weary are at rest but death shall not put any end to Hells punishment it is a death that never dyeth an end which hath no end a defect without any deficiency (g) Mors sine morte finis sine fine defectus sine defectu Greg. It is a death that ever liveth an end which ever beginneth a defect which never faileth we may well say of it as one doth Oh killing life Oh immortal death If it be life how doth it kill if death how doth it endure It is neither death nor life for both these have something of good in them Oh how happy would those poor miserable creatures think themselves if there might be any end of their misery they shall seek for death and dig for it as for his treasures but all in vain They shall seek death and shall not find it and desire to dye and death shall flee from them (i) Rev. 9. 6. They shall study plots and methods to dispatch themselves they shall cry to the Mountains to fall upon them and if possible to crush them to nothing they shall desire that the fire that burns them would consume them to nothing that the h Bellarm. de arte moriendi l. 2. c. 3. worm which feeds on them would gnaw them â—o nothing that the Devils which torment them would tear them to nothing They shall cry to God who first made them out of nothing to reduce them to that first nothing from whence they came but hâ— who made them will not have mercy on them he thaâ— formed them will not shew them so much favour When the Angel pleaded with God in behalf of Jerusalem Zech. 1. 12. How long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years It is said the Lord answered the Angel with good words and comfortable words (k) Zech. 1. 12. When the Souls under the Altar cryed How long Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood upon them which dwell upon the Earth (l) Rev. 6. 10. Answer was returned how long they must stay and in the mean time were given them long white Robes but when those poor Creatures in Hell shall cry out How long Lord how long wilt thou Torment the workmanship of thy hands how long will it be e're thou put an end to our misery There is no answer to be expected which might give them any hopes of the ending of their suffering God here often called to them How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee (m) Prov. 1. 22. Jâ—r 4. 14 but they turned a deaf ear to Gods call and therefore it will be just with God when they cry how long not to hear them but to laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear cometh And that these sufferings are without any end or expiration this above all other things torments the damned and drives them to dispair were there to be any end of their misery though after the vastest tract of time there would be some hopes they would end at last Some of the Ancients have well improved their Meditations in setting for â—â— this One thus If they were to end after a little Bird should have emptied the Sea and only carry out her bill full once in a thousand years Another thus If the whole world from the lowest Earth to the highest Heavens were filled with grains of Sand and once in a thousand years an Angel should come and fetch away only one grain and so continue till the whole heap were spent A third to this purpose If one of the damned in Hell should weep after this manner that he should only let fall one tear in a hundred years and these should be kept together till such time as they should equal â—he drops of water in the Sea how many millions of ages would pass before they could make up one River much more a whole Sea and when that were done should he weep again after the same manner till he had filled a second a third a fourth Sea if then there should be an end of their miseries there would be some hope they would end at last but that they shall never never never end this is that which sinks them under horror and despair and fetcheth from them yellings and howlings able to rend Rocks and Marbles asunder CHAP. VI. Of Eternity without succession or without consumption ETernity is without succession it is all together (a) Tota simul this is one difference between Time and Eternity Time is a continued flux of hours dayes months and years so that in time there is a succession there is time past present and to come time present putteth an end to that which is past and this is soon swallowed up in time future but it is otherwise in Eternity There is no succession no time past or to come it is a duration alwayes present there is no yesterday nor to morrow it is one perpetual to day (b) annum perpetuum hodie no â—eginning and ending it is all beginning and alwayes but beginning there is no priority or posterâ—ority no first or last it is all together and at once no whence or whether no term from which or unto which it is One standing flow without any flux one indivisible point God being eternal there is no difference of time with him one day is with him as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day (c) 2 Pet. 3. 8. Time to come is to him as it were past A thousand years in his sight is but as yesterday and as a watch in
The other cause respects the Apostles themselves their great sufferings made both for their present spiritual good and for their future happiness 1. Their present Spiritual good the cold blasts of persecution beating upon the outward man by a Spiritual antiperistasis augmented the heat of Grace within for which cause we faint not for though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day He was three times beaten with rods five times he received forty stripes save one (h) 2 Cor. 11. 24. c. But as they say the Bear is made fat with blows and the Ass battles with pricking and beating (i) Pascitur pungitivis so it was in a spiritual sense with our Apostle he was once stoned but (k) Per tot lapides pâ—trae conjungitur uni by those stones he was knocked nearer to Christ the corner stone he thrice suffered shipwrack but like Noah's Ark was lifted up nearer to Heaven by those floods of great waters he was in Journeyings often but every time his salvation was nearer than before 2. Their future happiness verse 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory For Affliction there is Glory for light affliction a weight an exceeding a far more exceeding weight for short affliction that lasts but for a moment an eternal weight of Glory And this it was they had chiefly in their eye so in this v. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen Things seen and not seen are I conceive the same with what else-where he calleth things present and things to come (l) 1 Cor. 3. 22. and things above and things on the earth (m) Colos 3. 1. and things of the life that now is and of that which is to come (n) 1 Tim. 4. 8. and so the Apostle explaineth himself in the following words the things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal The whole Verse falleth under a twofold Consideration 1. Relative as they are a reason why they fainted not under their present troubles as Moses chose rather to endure affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin because he had an eye to the recompence of reward (o) Heb. 11. 25 26. and our Saviour Christ for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame (p) Heb. 12. 2. so the Apostles having their eye upon things invisible and eternal made light of all their present sufferings and persecutions 2. Absolute and so they shew what the Apostles made their aim and end that is implyed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to look as the Archer doth at the mark he shooteth at there were some things they made their great business which was the mark they shot at the great end they propounded to themselves and what they were is first specified then more fully explained First Specified and that 1. Negatively what they look'd not at things seen (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things of this life which are things visible to the eye (r) Objecta sensibilia 2. Affirmatively shewing what were those things which they made the matter of their choice the great objects of their desires and endeavours things not seen (Å¿) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things of another life which are objects of faith and not of sense things not visible to these fleshly eyes only apprehended by faith which is the evidence of things not seen (t) Heb. 11. 1. And that these are meant by things seen and not seen the Apostle 2dly further explaineth in the following words the things that are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal which are not onely exegetical explaining what is meant by things seen and not seen but as the word for implies contain the reason why they aimed at one and not the other the things that are seen are temporal all the visible things of this life whether prosperous as health liberty riches honour and the like or adverse as sickness poverty persecution death they are for a while (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a short season so the word is else-where rendred (w) Mat. 13. 21. Heb. 11. 35. therefore saith the Apostle we look not at them we make them not our aim we trouble not our selves much about them they are things of a higher nature we look at such as neither eye hath seen nor ear heard of and these are such as are durable the things which are not seen are eternal and here there are two things I shall speak to 1. That the things not seen the things of another life are eternal Or thus that the condition of man after this life is an eternal condition 2. That That which puts the weight upon things not seen and rendereth them proper objects of a Christians aim and choice is because they are eternal I shall speak to these distinctly in the Doctrinal part and then joyn them together in the Application CHAP. I. Of Eternal Invisible things the first Argument from God I begin with the first 1. THat the Unseen things of another life are Eternal the condition of man after this life is an eternal condition After a few daies are spent we must all enter upon that long day that hath no evening that infinite duration that hath no end that unlimited Eternity which alwaies hath been and is and shall be the same for ever and ever when man dyes he goeth to his long home (x) Eccles 12. 5. the body goeth to the Grave which the Scripture calls its house or home the Grave is my house (y) Job 17. 13. All the Kings of the Nations lye every one in his own house (z) Isa 14. 18. and this is a long home being to lye there till the Heavens be no more (a) Job 14. 12. and Solomon saith of these daies of darkness in the Grave that they are many (b) Eccles 11. 8. But the soul goeth to a longer home the home of Eternity as the Septuagint reads it believers go to their home their Country their Fathers house Wicked men go to their home their own place as it was said of Judas (c) Acts 1. 25. both Saints and Sinners when they go hence enter upon a new but never ending condition whether Death lands them upon the desired haven of rest and happiness or casts them upon the black shore of misery and torment whether they be received into Heaven or doomed to Hell whether they rise to the resurrection of Life or the resurrection of Condemnation they are equally put into an endless everlasting condition the one riseth to everlasting life the other to shame and everlasting contempt (d) Dan. 12. 2. The latter go away into everlasting punishment the other into life
the sentence of Condemnation the Law ceaseth as to any further punishment yet there is an obligation to the precept of the Law still though man be bound only to the curse of the Law as he is a sâ—nner yet he is bound to the precept of the Law as he is a creature so that though the demerit of sin ceaseth after death yet the nature of sin remaineth though by sinning they do not incur a higher and greater degree of punishment yet as they continue sinning so it is just with God there should be a continuation of the punishment already inflicted 3. A third Argument may be taken from what the Scripture speaketh of the happiness in Heaven and the torment in Hell both which are described to be incomparably and unconceivably great In Heaven there is a fulness of happiness In thy Presence is fulness of joy (u) Psal 16. 11. though it be not a redundant overflowing fulness (w) Plenitudo cumulata as Christs is of whose fulness we receive as well happiness for happiness as grace for grace yet it is the highest fulness the creature is capable of being not only a fitting congruous fulness (x) Plenitudo apta as we say a house well stored is full of houshold-stuff such a fulness as the Saints partake of in this life But an equal fulness (y) Plenitudo aequa as when a vessel is full of water that nothing can be added to it and so full it can scarce properly be said to be if it were fading and therefore the Psalmist having said in thy presence is fulness of joy he adds and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Again it is described to be a perfect happiness we read of the Spirits of just men made perfect (z) Heb. 12. 23. perfect in happiness as well as holiness which perfection excludes all imperfection When that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away (a) 1 Cor. 13. 10. Though the Saints in heaven have a Negative imperfection because there are some perfections in God which being incommunicable they are not capable of yet they have no Privative imperfection they want nothing which may conduce to their happiness in their kind whereas if their happiness were not eternal there were something nay the chief thing wanting to the perfection of it The Apostle in the verse before the Text calleth it a far more exceeding weight of glory The Arabick Version renders it It worketh for us a weight of glory in the most eminent and largest degree and measure The Syriack reads it An infinite glory Haymo (b) Magnitudinem gloriae supra omnem modum mensuram A greatness of glory beyond all bounds and measure yet none of these reach the height of the Apostles Rhetorick (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither is any translation able to express it now thus it could not be unless it were eternal therefore that is put into the scale to make up the weight a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Again it is described to be a satisfying happiness I shall be satisfied When I awake with thy likeness (d) Psal 17. 15. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house (e) Psal 36. 8. but satisfie it could not unless it were eternal there is as in every creature so in man especially a twofold desire a desire oâ— Perfection and a desire of Perpetuity a desire to advance his Being to the highest degree of Perfection and happiness he is capable of and a desire to perpetuate this happiness And it is impossible he should receive full content till both these desires are satisfied though in Heaven the Saints have a present freedom from all the evil that can possibly fall within the compass of their fears and an actual enjoyment of all the good that can fall within the compass of their hopes yet if they had no assurance of the perpetuity of this they must needs be restless and unsatisfied Yet further the greatness and perfection of this happiness must necessarily exclude all such things as are inimical to it I shall name only two Fear Perfect love casteth out fear and Sorrow They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall f 1 John 4. 18. flee away (g) Isa 35. 10. Whereas if this happiness were not eternal there would be cause for both first the Saints would be in fear of losing this happiness and where there is fear there is Torment in that fore-named Text and this fear must needs be productive of sorrow were it not for the eternity of this happiness it would be hard to say whether there would be the more joy or sorrow in Heaven we may probably think there might be as much sorrow arising from the fear of their future loss as there is joy from the apprehension of their present enjoyment and that there should be either fear or sorrow in Heaven is not only contradictory to the fore-named Texts but utterly inconsistent with the blessedness of that estate In summe if we Believe what the Scripture speaketh of the greatness of this happiness we must needs grant it to be eternal And this Aquinas maketh Use of as the strongest Argument to prove the eternity of this happiness The like is to be said of the torments of Hell which could not be so grievous as they are described if they were not eternal were they to last a thousand thousand years there would be some hopes they would end at last and this hope will administer some kind of ease and comfort when some thousands of these years were expired it would be some comfort that there were so many already past and by so many the fewer yet to come and so forward the further decreasing of the time would add a proportionable encrease to their hope and comfort whereas that Cup of Wrath the Dreggs of which they shall wring out and drink is without mixture n without any mixture of hope ease comfort or any thing which might alleviate their h Psal 75. 8. misery and that which chiefly maketh it uncapable of these is the eternity of this misery it must be indeed confessed that the Torments of Hell are intensively most grievous Bernard saith that the least punishment in Hell is more grievous than if a Child-bearing woman should continue in the most violent pangs and throws a thousand years together without the least ease or intermission An ancient writer mentioned by Discipulus de tempore goeth much further affirming that if all the men which have been from Adams time till this day and which shall be till the end of the world and all the Piles of grass in the world were turned into so many men to augment the number and that punishment inflicted in Hell upon any one were to be divided amongst all these so as to every one might befall an equal part of that punishment
generations it is a boundless Sea the further we enter into it the deeper we find it the eternal happiness in Heaven is a deep Sea where the streams of life are ever flowing and re-flowing by a continued succession Hell is a deep sea of wrath and vengeance having neither bottom nor bank no bottom for any anchor of hope to fix on no bank that might set any limits to the inundations of Gods displeasure it is a Sun that never sets a Day that never ends a Taper that never burns out an End that hath no end an infinite unlimited duration where millions of years are but so many Cyphers signifying nothing it is a thing of the most amazing consideration able to swallow up our thoughts in stupor and astonishment 2. There is a knowledge of the measure of them and that is done either by Numeration by which we count how many things are or by ponderation by which we try how weighty things are or by mensuration by which we find out the dimensions of things but by none of these are we able to come to a clear knowledge of eternity The first way of knowing is by numbering thus we count how many years have been since the birth of Christ the Flood the Creation of the world Some undertake to tell how many Barly-corns would reach from Earth to Heaven but who is able to reckon the years and ages of Eternity Suppose saith à Lapide ten hundred thousand mîllions of millions of millions of years add to these all the thoughts of Angels and men from the first moment of their Being to eternity all the motions mutations changes of the several Creatures and things in the World and add to them â—ll the numbers of Arithmetick and fill with them so many numberless volumes of Paper as would reach from Earth to Heaven you are not yet come to the end not to the middle scarce to the beginning of Eternity and then adds how long shall eternity endure For ever when shall it end never So long as Heaven is Heaven so long as Hell is Hell so long as God is God so long shall be eternity So long shall Heaven contain the Saints and Hell torment the wicked there is no number either numbring or numbred which is able to set it forth no number numbring as when we say hundreds or thousands or millions Boetius saith well a minuit and a thousand years hold better proportion than a thousand years and Eternity an easie Arithmetician will tell you how many minuts there are in a thousand years but none can tell how many thousands or millions there are in Eternity the vastest numbers that can be reckoned are but so many cyphers signifying nothing and as no number numbring can reach it so no number numbred as when we say so many as there are stars in Heaven or piles of grass upon the earth or drops of water in the Sea any one of these would amount to a vast unconceivable number but none of these will hold parallel with eternity nay put all these together and a thousand times more you are not able to measure the duration of Eternity 2 By Ponderation and that is done either by the help of artificial weights when we put the thing we weigh into one ballance and the weight by which we weigh it in the other or else it is done without the help of such artificial weights when we poyse things in our hands or lift them up at the Arms end as Porters do their burdens to know their weight but there is no way by which we can find out the weight of eternity God is said to weigh the mountains in scales and the hills in ballances (e) Isa 40. 12. but there are no scales or ballances by which we may take the weight of an everlasting condition When we would know the weight of things we usually put something as heavy in the other end of the ballance but what may be laid in the ballance to preponderate Eternity The weight est things that can be brought are to it but as the drop of a bucket or the small dust of the ballance 3 By Mensuration by which we find out the height length breadth and depth of things but neither thus can we find out the dimensions of Eternity God is said to measure the waters in the hollow of his fist to mete out the Heavens like a Span to comprehend the dust of the earth in a measure but who beside God himself who inhabiteth Eternity is able to measure the height or span the breadth or fathom the depth of an infinite eternity there is neither measure that can reach it nor any thing to be measured that is commensurate to it Astronomers find out imaginary lines by which they measure the Heavens and the Earth Mathematicians have their Jacobs staff whereby they take the height of the sun and stars Marriners have their Plummet by which they sound the depth of the Sea but there are no engines or inventions by which we may reach the height or sound the depth or measure the length of an infinite unlimited Eternity I may say of it as Zophar doth of God (f) Job 11. 8 9. It is as high as heaven what canst thou do deeper than Hell what canst thou know the measure thereof is longer than the earth or broader than the sea By all this it appeareth that Eternity transcends all our knowledge and Understanding the knowledge of it is too wonderfull for us 3. Yet further Eternity transcends our conception and imagination we are not able to think or imagine what eternity is whether the eternity of happiness in Heaven or misery in Hell First we are not able to conceive what are those unseen eternal things in Heaven the temporal things in this life are more in imagination than in reality they come abundantly short of what we imagine to be in them men at a distance think there is a great deal of happiness and content in these things that they should live most contentedly if they had so much of Revenues coming in yearly or such and such places of preferment but if at any time such men do attain to what they so ambitiously desire they find in the issue that there is not that happiness in these things that they fancied that all these are but like the fruit of Sodom that seem to the eye to be beautifull apples but being touched turn to ashes like Oramazes his egg in which the Enchanter boasted was included all the happiness in the world but being broken there was nothing in it but wind and emptiness or like that feast which Corn. à Lapide reports [g] on Isa 55. 2. was made by a Magitian in Germany to which he invited many Noble Persons who while they sate at Table received good content and fared deliciously to their thinking but when they were departed found themeselves as hungry as if they had eaten nothing at all Suppose there were somewhere
about the Country an exceeding high Mountain and that there went a common report as once about Olympus that it were the goodliest place that ever eye beheld and that all the Country being possest with such an opinion should flock thither in great multitudes every one contending who shall get up soonest one man being more strong and nimble gets up before the rest and finding nothing there answerable to the common report and his own expectation looking down and seeing the rest scrambling to get up tells them Sirs you are all miserably deceived here is nothing of what you expect there is nothing here but ashes and smoak and stench Most men are strongly perswaded that there is a great deal of satisfaction to be had in the riches and preferments of the world else they would not hew their way to them through so many rocks of difficulties and swim to them through so many seas of blood as if they would climb up to them upon the heaps of dead bodies [h] caedendo scandere Whereas Salomon who stood upon a higher Rise of ground and saw further than any one of the sons of men as having a larger confluence of all earthly enjoyments and the largest heart to find out that good that was in them and made this his great business using these things not in a sensual but a critical way that he might find on t what good thing there was under the Sun yet after all his experience finds himself and accordingly proclaimeth to all the world that all is vanity and vanity of vanities the good that is in these temporal things is more in fancy than in reality they come far short of what we imagine to be in them whereas the not seen eternal things laid up in Heaven are beyond what we can imagine or conceive of them Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (i) 1 Cor. 2. 9. God saith As far as heaven is above the earth so far are my thoughts above your thoughts (k) Isa 55. 9. There is scarce any thing as one (l) Preston observeth more vast than the thoughts of man though the worâ—d be a vast thing yet thoughts are beyond it we may imagine a thousand worlds yet God is there said to be as far above our thoughts above that model we can draw of him in our thoughts as heaven is above the earth when we have thought what we can think of the goodness and mercy of God for that is the thing there more properly spoken to God is as much more merciful above what we can think as heaven is above earth and as this will hold in other respects so more especially in regard of that eternal happiness which God hath in Heaven provided for his people when we have thought what we can of it it is as much above our thoughts as heaven is above earth Now are we the Sons of God but it doth not appear what we shall be (m) 1 John 3. 2. saith the Syriack Version it is not hitherto revealed therefore it is said to be a Life hid with Christ in God n It is said (o) Col. 3 3. That Christ shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admited in all them that believe the glory then bestowed on them will be so far surpassing their former apprehensions that it will be a matter of admiration to the Saints themselves On the other side the eternal punishments in Hell are beyond all we can imagine or conceive here many times the fear we have of temporal sufferings is worse than the sufferings themselves many in this respect deal with themselves as Parrhasius the Painter dealt with his slaves who put them to real exquisite tortures that he might better express but the feigned tortures of Prometheus so many out of a fear and fore-sight of some supposed evils which possibly never may befall them torment themselves with needless fears and cast upon themselves the gall and bitterness of a thousand real vexations or if these evils do befall them they do not prove so great as they fancied the fear of a Prison or other sufferings is many times worse than the thing it self Saunders and some other Martyrs thought beforehand they could not burn they could never endure the fire yet when it came endured it with much courage and constancy whereas the eternal punishment in Hell and the wrath of God there inflicted upon the Children of disobedience is commensurate to our greatest fears Even according to thy fear so is thy wrath (p) Psal 90. 11. the wrath of God is every way proportionable to the fear men have of it and not only so but is beyond what we either fear or can know In the beginning of that verse who knoweth the power of thine anger who is able to conceive what Gods wrath will be when it is poured out to the utmost when he shall cloath himself with vengeance when he shall stir up all his wrath and revenge himself for all the wrongs offered him by daring sinners God asketh (q) Joâ— 38. 22. Hast thou entred into the treasures of snow â—r hast thou seen the treasure of hail which I have reserved against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war but who hath enâ—red into those treasures of wrath or seen those treasures of fire which God hath reserved against the day of wrath and perdition of ungodly men CHAP. V. Of the importance of Eternity to the endlesness of it Considering God will not nothing else can put an end to it HAving thus treated of the Sublimeness and transcendency of Eternity I shall now shew of what unspeakable importance and concernment it is it was the saying of Chrysostome that if he had a mountain for his Pulpit and the whole world for his Auditors he would preach upon that Text Ob ye sons of men how long will you love vanity (r) Psal 4. 2. neither indeed can any Preacher improve his time and pains to better purpose than by seeking to take off mens love from these vain temporal things and stirring them up to the pursuit of things eternal Eternity is a thing of that infinite concernment that never can there be enough spoken or written of it it comprehendeth all the good that can possibly fall within the compass of our hopes and all the evil that may fall within the compass of our fears as in some Maps you may see a model of the whole world drawn into a small compass so the whole world to come and whatsoever is considerable in it is all comprehended under this word Eternal As nothing is more desirable than Heaven nothing more formidable than Hell so â—othing in Heaven so desireable as the eternity of its happiness nothing in Hell so dreadfull as the everlastingness of its misery as Heaven is the treasury of all desirable
his life but this joy was soon gone so as he then feared he should never be cheerfull more But these sad interruptions which the best Saints are subject to here they shall be wholly free from when they are made partakers of that eternal happiness in Heaven doth the chief happiness of the Saints in heaven consist in the enjoyment of God look whatsoever way they may be said to enjoy him the Scripture describeth it to be a continual an un-interrupted enjoyment is it by way of presence they shall ever be with the Lord. (b) 1 Thes 4. 17. Is it by way of Vision what Christ saith of Angels that they alwayes behold the face of his Father (c) Mat. 18. 10. is as true of them Is it by way of love Love is strong as death the coales thereof are as coales of fire (d) Cant. 8. 6. some read it coales of Juniper which they say being raked up in its own embers continueth glowing a whole year together and therefore aptly expresseth the love of the Saints which is continually burning upon the altar of their hearts Or is this enjoyment by way of joy and delight in God In thy name they shall rejoyce all the day (e) Psal 89. 16. and this adds not a little to the happiness of the Saints which would be much abated if there were any times when they were secluded the presence of God the like may be said of whatsoever happiness there is in Heaven which is therefore resembled to a River where there is a constant succession of waters Thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy pleasures (f) Psalm 36. 89. sometimes to a Fountain which we know is continually running With thee is the Fountain of Life and the tree of life is said to yield her fruit every moneth to shew the un-interruptedness of those delights in Heaven 2. On the other side there is no intermissions in the Eternal sufferings of Hell the worm is alwayes gnawing the fire continually burning the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night They are tormented day and night for ever and ever (g) Rev. 14. 11. 20. 10. the wrath of God under which they lye is (h) Isa 30. 33. compared to a stream of Brimstone as it is likened to Brimstone to express the fierceness of it so to a stream which is continually running to set forth the continuance of it and this much addeth to the greatness of their sufferings In the evils which befall men in this life there are frequent intermissions in the most violent Agues the paroxysm lasts but for such a time Feavers in a few dayes come to their Crisis and end either in the death or recovery of the Patient Those tormenting diseases the Gout and the Stone in a short time spend themselves and though they are seldom wholly cured yet there are some times of ease and were it so in the sufferings of hell were there any resting dayes in hell as Prudentius fancied were it one day in a week as some modern Jews conceit affirming that when their Sabbath begins the damned are led by an Angel to a place of rest and when their Sabbath endeth they are driven again to their place of torment or were it but one day in the year as Prudentius would have it that upon that day Christ rose from the dead the flames of hell are less hot and the damned find some mitigations of their pain if only thus it were some abatement of their misery but to lye continually languishing under the wrath of an incensed God and scorching in the flames of a tormenting Fire without any end ease relaxation or any intermission of their sufferings this makes them the more grievous and intolerable Here when a man's mind is over-whelmed with grief or is oppressed with pain sleep many times gives him some mitigation therefore the Poets calls it a sweet refreshment in a disease (i) morbi suave levamen on the other-side when in extremity of grief or pain a man cannot sleep many nights together when in his extremity he wished that it were evening hoping that the night may ease him and his bed give him rest yet in this case his eyes are kept waking so as he is full of tumblings and tossings till the dawning of the day this is a great addition to his misery as it was with Job Who therefore desired strangling and death rather than life (k) Job 7. 15. Ravilack who murthered Henry the 14th of France among other punishments they would not suffer him to take any sleep for several dayes and nights together but when he began to sleep his keepers thrust burning bodkins into his flesh to keep him waking and this was so grievous to him that though many exquisite tortures were inflicted on him yet he told his friends nothing so much troubled him as want of sleep having not had one wink of rest for six daies and nights together but thus it is with those wretched Miscreants in Hell they have no rest day nor night (l) Rev. 14. 11. they shall not be suffered to take one wink of sleep to all eternity 5. Eternity is without any mixture There is nothing but happiness in Heaven nothing but misery in Hell Heaven is a place of pure Mercy Hell of pure Justice Joy and Triumph will be the portion of the Saints in Heaven and Misery and Howlings the everlasting portion of the damned in Hell and that without any mixture of their contraries See it in both the Branches 1. The happiness in Heaven is without any mixture This world as it is between Heaven and Hell in â—lace so it is in participation It partakes both of the sweetness of Heaven and the bitterness of Hell Whiles Israel was in the wilderness the blackest night had a pillar of Fire and the brightest day the pillar of a Cloud things here never go so ill with men but they have some comforts afforded nor so well but they groan under some kind of trouble God hath set one over against the other (m) Eccles 7. 14. When Dioclesian resigned his Empire he pretended this as the reason As the Planet which haâ—h its exaltation in one sign hath likewise its counterpoise in another so if there were any thing that afforded him any content it was accompanied with as much vexation our silver is mixed with dross our wine with water Neither is it thus only in temporal but in the Spiritual enjoyments of Believers who are here like the Nightingale sitting upon thornes or the Halcyon upon the trembling waters Doth the Christian serve God it is with fear doth he rejoyce it is with trembling doth he rejoyce in that Grace God hath given him as Paul Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ yet he cannot but mourn under the remainders of Corruption with the same Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me
received a little of it (i) Job 4. 12 13 14 15 18 20 21. He sets it out by the time when it was made known to him in thoughts from visions of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men It is further descrâ—â—ed by the strange effects of it fear came upon me and trembling which made all my bones to shake He goeth on to shew the terror this Vision brought upon him A spirit passed before my face the hair of my flesh stood up Hitherto is described in what manner this secret was made known to him but what was this great secret which made such an impression of fear upon him that is partly laid down and proved by the fall of Angels that much more man whose foundation is in the dust must consume by little and little and must at last in a short time perhaps less than from morning to evening be cut off by the stroak of death but wherein as one descants upon it lyeth this high point of secrecy for man to dye and that oftentimes suddenly is no such rare thing as seemeth here to be pointed at surely that wherein that great mystery chiefly consisted lyeth in this that though man must dye and many times dyeth suddenly yet all this is little laid to heart either by others They are destroyed from morning to evening they perish for ever without any regarding it nor yet by themselves Doth not their excellency go away they dye even without wisdom and that mens time should be so short their life so uncertain as many times to be taken away in the space of one day and that neither others should lay it to heart nor men themselves should learn wisdom to make any suitable preparation this is spoken of as a strange remarkable thing a thing to be justly wondred at that there should be such prodigious sottishness in the hearts of men 3. If we consider how many things there are that seem to mind us of death and of making provision for another world Are not our boots shooes gloves made of the skins of dead Beasts Our hats cloathes stockings of the hair or wool of dead creatures Is not our food chiefly upon those creatures that first dye before they become our nourishment and yet behold another ensuing death these cloaths we wear soon wear out these meats we eat are soon cast into the draught and Nature calls for a fresh supply If from hence we look upon things about us the Vine feels as many deaths as winters and notwithstanding all our pruning and care seldom lasts above sixty or seventy years The like may be said of the Trees of Pears Apples Plumbs and other fruits which though carefully looked after do not usually continue above fifty or sixty years whereas Oakes and other Trees which last long commonly grow further off from our Habitations The sensitive Creatures that live amongst us do not long continue with us the Horse seldom out-lives twenty years it is much if the Dog liveth so long the Oxe if not slain before usually dyes by fifteen or sixteen the Sheep by nine or ten many other Creatures in a shorter time And how many Creatures are there which are but of one daies continuance the same daies Sun which gave them life at its uprising takes it away at its setting And â—hen there are so many things to mind us of our â—â—ter end think what a stupidâ—â—â— it is to make no preparation for it as Seneca exâ—â—â—â—ently (k) Inter peritura vivimus quomodo non morimur cum vivitur mortuis Whence is it we should no more think of 〈◊〉 when there are so many Deaths about us Or if from other Creatures we cast our eyes upon other Men Job saith of the wicked man (l) Job 21. 32 33. He shall be brought to the Grave and shall remain in the Tomb and every man shall draw after him as there are innumerable before him Death is the end of all flesh the Grave the house appointed for all living there are few weeks pass over our heads but we either hear the knell of Death ringing in our ears or have some spectacle of Death presented to our eyes and when others are snatch'd away by Death the living should lay it to heart (m) Eccl. 7. 2. when Amasa's dead body lay in the way the people made a stop at it in like manner when we see or hear of the death of any we should consider what befalleth them and must e're long befall us Jonathan shot Arrows to admonish David of Sauls intent to kill him when God causeth the Arrows of death to fall on the right hand and on the left we should look at them as so many Arrows shot from Heaven to warn us But how few be there that consider the works of the Lord the Psalmist saith of wicked men like sheep they are laid in the Grave (n) Psal 49. 14. the old Translation reads it they lye in Hell like sheep Sheep that are put into a fat pasture though the Butcher comes and taketh out first one then a second after a third and fourth and carrieth to the shambles yet the rest not knowing what is become of their fellows feed securely and with much delight skip up and down in the green pastures till they also are fetch'd away and carried to the slaughter There is a bird in Ireland they call the Cock of the Wood they fly together in thick Woods so as it is hard to find them but being once found they are easily killed if one or two be shot the rest fly no further than to the next tree where â—hey sit staring upon the shooter till the whole Covey be destroyed in like manner it is with the secure besotted sinners the Arrows of Death light on this and that side now one is snatch'd away and goeth to his long home soon after a second a third some perhaps are taken away in the midst of their sins and go to their own place having scarce time to call upon God for mercy yet the survivours are little affected with these examples but do as they used to do Dine and Sup at their accustomed times go to Bed and Rise after their wonted manner Sleep according to their old compass suffer life to slip from them and death to steal upon them and Judgement to overtake them without taking any care to make provision for their future estate and that Gods hand should be lifted up and men not see that the rod should speak and they not hear but continue deaf amongst so many Alarms of Death this is another thing that much aggravates the desperate sottishness of these persons Having thus shewed the lamentable blockishness of the greatest part of men and the several aggravations which render it more lamentably lamentable I shall now desire from thâ—s truth we are treating on to expostulate a while and reason the case with these Sons of slumber and confusion Either this is so that
of time so as his friends wondered what he was musing on on the sudden he cryed out Oh for ever for ever for ever and so continued almost a quarter of an hour together and could not be taken off but still cryed out for ever for ever Eternity is a thing of that amazing nature that it may well swallow up our thoughts when once engaged in the meditation of it while then others mind earthly things let our thoughts be taken up with this let us impose it upon our selves as a daily task and suffer no day to pass us but to set aside some time for so profitable a study 1. Let us think what Eternity is and run over in our thoughts the several particulars before mentioned that it is without any end succession wasting intermission mixture all which set forth the unspeakable concernment of it then reflect upon that twofold Eternity think what a blessed thing it is to live in the presence of God and Christ and the blessed Spirit to sit down with Abraham Isaac Jacob and the rest of the Sainâ—s in the Kingdom of Heaven to be made partakers of those joyes that no eye hath seen no heart can conceive think on the other side what a dreadful thing it is to be for ever banished the presence of God and Angels and Saints to be shut up eternally under chains of darkness where a man shall see nothing but the flames of his own torments hear nothing but howlings and lamentations feel nothing but extremity of torment Yet further let us not content our selves to have some flitting transient thoughts about these things but let us dwell upon them till such time as we have warmed our hearts with these considerations there is a twofold meditation of things one in the light another in the heat one in the understanding the other in the heart and affections we should not think it enough to engage our understandings in a speculative contemplation but should dwell upon these thoughts till we have wrought up our hearts to a suitable temper as a man that in the morning taketh some Physical drink will eat nothing two or three hours after till it hath had some kindly operation so haâ—ing had some serious thoughts upon Eternity we should take heed that no intervening occasions justle these out of our minds but suffer them to stay till our hearts are throughly affected with them that being done proceed we one step further 2. To apply all this to our selves to consider that we are the men who are concerned in it that after a short time we must certainly enter upon one of these two conditions and accordingly to bespeak our selves in this or the like manner Oh my Soul which of these is like to be thy condition for temporals I am well enough but what are my Eternals at present God hath cast my lot in a fair ground I have house lands orchards gardens and other things not only for necessity but delight but hence I must and whether then after I am gone hence I shall return no more to my house my place shall know me no more and what dwelling shall I have when I part with this shall I dwell in Gods Tabernacle and rest in his Holy Hill or must I dwell with devouring fire and Everlasting burnings I have now Wife Children Friends who are ready to accompany me when I am solitary to advise me when I am in straights to comfort me when I am in heaviness to tend me when I am sick and perform other offices of love and kindness but time is coming when I must part with them when there will be an end put to these relations so as I shall be no longer a husband to the wife of my love nor father to the fruit of my own loyns and when I am taken away from them what company shall I then have shall I go to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first born to the spirits of just men made perfect or must I take up my abode in Hell where I shall for ever company with Devils and damned spirits I am well provided for the things of this life meat drink cloaths money lands and other accommodations but what provision have I made for my immortal Soul what assurance have I that it shall be well with me when I go hence in these temporal things I desire the best assurance that may be had thinking I can never be sure enough but what evidence have I for Heaven what ground to conclude that that shall be the place of my everlasting abode If thou beest not resolved to think well on thy condition whether good or bad but wouldst know whether thou shalt live or dye eternally summon thy self often to such thoughts as these and deal seriously and impartially with thy â—wn soul if after these enquiries thou beest able to make it out upon good ground that thou hast title to eternal blessedness rejoyce in it bless God for it say as David once Lord what am I that thou bast brought me hitherto that thou hast taken me out of the womb of nothing and given me a Being amongst thy creatures that thou hast not only made me a creature but a new creature that thou hast made me of a child of wrath a son of thy adoption what am I that thou hast done this for me but as if all this were a small thing in thy fight thou hast spoken of thy servant for a great time to come even to Eternity and is this the manner of men do men use to deal thus and what can thy servant say more to thee what further happiness can I desire of thee Will God in very deed dwell with men saith Solomon thou mayest ask Shall man in very deed dwell with God shall a poor crawling worm abide for ever with the high and lofty one who inhabiteth Eternity Shall this soul that now dwells amongst them that are enemies to peace be one day made the associate of Angels and joyned to the spirits of men made perfect Shall this vile body this clod of earth shine as the Sun in his greatest brightness Shall these eyes these windows of vanity be admitted to see God in all his beauty and sweetness Shall this tongue which now so often letteth fall frothy discourses hereafter joyn with that heavenly Quire singing Allelujahs and songs of benediction to God and the Lamb Shall these feet which now tread a dirty earth afterward tread upon stars and trace the Streets of the New Jerusalem When the King of Pontus in Plutarch had married a maid of an obscure family and sent to her aged father great store of all good things the poor man was so over-joyed that upon all occasions he would cry out All this is mine if thou beest able to prove thy title to heaven go round about the Heavenly Sion tell the Towers consider the Palaces count upon the several Beatitudes the innumerable sorts
be written in letters of Gold or rather to be engraven with the point of a Diamond in the hardest Rock in such legible characters that whosoever runs may read it Oh how happy a thing were it if men were alwayes of the same mind that they are of upon their sick-beds It is noted by Zaleuchus in the Proem of his Laws that when men come to dye there invades them a sorrow for what they have done amiss and an earnest desire that all their former life had been just and vettuous And as remarkable was that saying of Plato Know this for certain that when a man cometh to this to see that he must dye there cometh upon him both a great fear and a great care of those things which he before neglected in his life-time It is an usual thing for carnal men in the time of health to look upon the service of God as a weariness to cavil against the strictness of Religion what need is there of so much praying and hearing and pains-taking but it is a rare thing to hear men speak thus upon their death-beds Some say the Mole which continueth blind all her life-time hath her eyes open towards her death how many have we heard of who have lived all their time as if there were neither God nor Heaven nor Hell yet at the time of death have their eyes opened and conscience awakened How many who have passionately befooled and blamed themselves for their former neglects one crying out call time back again another My life is done but my work is undone others wishing that God would try them once more that they might live a little longer time promising what lives they would lead what care and pains they would take or if any be so far given over to a stupid security that the grim face of Death cannot awaken them it will be certainly thus with them soon after death Bellarmin telleth of a worldly wretch whom he went to visit upon his death-bed who when he exhorted him to make provision for another world answered him (u) Darte bene moriendi l. 2. c. 11. Sir I have much desired to speak with you but it is not for my self but in behalf of my wife and children for my self I am going to Hell neither is there any thing that I would desire in my own behalf and this he spake saith he with suâ—â— composedness of mind as if he had spoken of going but to the next Town or Village vile brute who could be so apprehensive of his going to Hell and be no more affected with it could a man have spoken with this stupid sot after he had been some time in Hell do we think he would have made as light of it as he did then Certainly if fear will not work upon men feeling will It is said of Dives (w) Luke 16 23. That in Hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and saw Abraham afar off He who all his life time scarce ever looked upward toward Heaven yet being in Hell-torments he lift up his eyes the most stupid conscience will then be awakened they who now will not see shall then see and be confounded in the latter daies they shall consider it (x) Jer. 30. 24. Oh how happy a thing were it if men were of the same mind now that they will be of then that they would be perswaded to do that now which afterward they will most passionately wish they had done that they would but do that in time which all the world would be glad to do when it is too late On the other side how sad is it that men should never consider this till they be awakened by everlasting burnings Parisiensis calleth such the Batts of Faith as Batts do not look forth till the Sun be down so it is with such Austin compareth them to them who awake out of a Lethargy and fall into a Phrensie they awake out of a dead Lethargy of stupid carelesness and fall into the Phrensie of horrour and everlasting despair to conclude this paricular seeing there is no man whatsoever but will one time or other approve of this course it should be our care now to set about it to do that in time which we will wish we had done when it will be too late 3. Consider that wisdom is in nothing so much seen as in this There is saith the Philosopher a wisdom in some particular as when men are wise in their own professions and wisdom in general (z) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when men are wise about their chief good by how much greater the good is we aim at the greater is the wisdom that is shewed in the attaining it Eternal happiness being the chief good wisdom is mainly seen in securing that to our selves There are three things in which true wisdom consists first to propound to our selves the chief good the right end which is Eternal blessedness Secondly to pitch upon the right means conducing to this end Thirdly to arm our selves against those difficulties which might hinder us in the attaining it as we act in this such we will appear to be at last if we be such as make seasonable provision for our everlasting condition we will appear to be wise men indeed but if after all our cares and plottings for other things we shall have neglected this we shall shew our selves the greatest fools it was for this cause that God calleth the rich man Fool (a) Luke 12. he was wise enough for the world he knew how to get it he ordered his business so that his ground brought forth plentifully when he had it he knew how to keep it he resolved to pull down his barns and build greater he knew likewise how to enjoy the comfort of it Thou hast goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry but because all his wisdom extended only to these things making no provision for his future estate God calleth him Fool Thou Fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee then he adds so is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God that is careful about things temporal but makes no provision for things Eternal we use to look upon them as unwise men who have only from hand to mouth who look only for a present supply but take no care for their future subsistence such are we if all our care be limited to this short life without providing for our future estate certainly they only are truly wise who are wise unto Salvation such as are wise for other things and regardless of this will at last appear to be the greatest fools He that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall be a fool He that maketh it his great business to get riches and so as he may get them careth not whether it be by right or wrong shall not only lose them when
God is pleased to enlarge the heart and vouchsafe a special assistance in the duty when a man stirreth up himself to take hold of God and continueth wrestling with God by a holy importunity He shall approach to me for who is this that engageth his heart to approach unto me (i) Jer. 30. 21. and let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me (k) Isa 27. 5. 4. When the hearts of Gods Ministers are enlarged when those goads nails given from one Shepherd are powerfully fastened upon the conscience by the Masters of the Assemblies When Christ was teaching it is said The power of God was present to heal It holds true in regard of spiritual healing (l) Luk. 5. 17. when the Word is powerfully preached God whose way is in the Sanctuary whose Walk is in the midst of the golden Candlesticks is then more specially present to make his word effectual We then as workers together with him beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain then followeth Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation (m) 2 Cor. 6. 1. 5. When there is wrought in the heart some remorse for sin When John Baptist preached in the Wilderness of Judea the people went out to him and were baptised of him in Jordan confessing their sins and then he tells them Now also is the Axe laid to the root of the tree (n) Mat. 3. 10. 6. When there are stirred up in the soul some desires after grace and salvation Hoe every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters then Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near (o) Isa 55. 1. 7. When God by threatning or inflicting some great judgement doth awaken and terrifie the conscience Thus the Prophet having threatned a sore judgement he adds Therefore now also saith the Lord turn to me with all your heart c. (p) Joel 2. 12. 8. The time of sickness when a man cometh to apprehend he must dye and forthwith enter upon his Eternal condition Tully observeth (q) Morbo gravi mortifero-afflictis c. when men draw near to death then they begin to thing of vertue and to repent deeply of those sins and offences they before committed Beza saith That God laid the foundation of his spiritual health in a violent sickness that befell him at Paris 9. After some great mercy conferred or some great deliverance vouchsafed which is apt to put the heart into a melting frame when the Angel minded the people of Gods mercies to them and how ill they had requited him they wept abundantly (r) Judg. 2. These and the like are the particular times when God worketh more close with man to bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightened with the light of the living but here is the great misery men that are careful to take the proper seasons in all other things yet in this which most concerns them are more inobservant than the Stork and Crane and other brutish creatures and this is the great cause of the miscarriage of many thousands of souls Because to every purpose there is a time and judgement therefore the misery of man is great upon him (s) Eccles 8. 6. It holds true in the miseries that befall men in this life because there is a nick of opportunity when every thing may best be done and with most advantage and sometimes when it must be done or not done at all and men many times want judgement to discern this time this is the great cause of those evils that befall the Sons of men Esau lost the blessing for want of coming a little sooner Saul lost his Kingdome for want of staying a little longer And as in the things of this life mens not timing things aright is the cause why they miscarry in their undertakings so it is more especially in spirituals because there are some particular seasons and articles of time when God draws more near to men and makes more immediate offers of mercy and salvation and men will not know the time of their visitation hence it comes to pass that the misery of men is great upon them this is that that sets open the flood-gates of damnation that makes Hell to enlarge it self and swallow innumerable souls there is no one sin I think I may say not all sins put together that is the cause to the damnation of so many under Gospel-light as this one sin there are few who live under Gospel-dispensations but are convinced of the necessity of making provision for their Eternal condition and have many purposes and resolutions to do it only they will not take Gods time they put it off and think it will be time enough afterward and this is that fatal Rock where millions of souls dash themselves in pieces that great stumbling-block at which innumerable men stumble and fall and perish everlastingly Could we lay our ears to Hell and hear the cryes and complaints of those poor tormented creatures I doubt not but we might hear them crying out against this sin as the chief cause of their perishing if therefore our souls our salvation our everlasting welfare be precious to us take heed of neglecting those seasons and opportunities which being once past can never be recalled again but let us in this our day know the things that belong to our peace Yet further though at these and the like times God worketh with men yet we may probably conceive that there may be sometimes one particular time when God above others draweth more near in this kind To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven (t) Eccles 3. 1. There is a particular season when every thing may be best done and sometimes must be done then or not at all When Elisha desired that a double portion of Elijah's spirit might be given him Elijah answered Thou hast asked a hard thing nevertheless if thou see mee when I am taken from thee it shall be so unto thee but if not it shall not be so Elisha being with him and seeing him when he was caught up had accordingly a double portion of his spirit whereas had he missed that time he had likewise missed of what he desired Some have observed that there are few men but some one time or other in their life have an opportunity put into their hand for advantaging themselves in regard of their outward condition in the world some one opportunity more conducing thereunto than they have all their lives beside and if this be neglected many times they never meet with the like again Samuel appointed Saul to tarry seven dayes he tarried six and part of the seventh and Samuel not coming he forced himself and offered a Burnt-offering the Text saith As soon as he had made an end of offering Samuel came and tells him