eternal (e) Mat. 25. last The truth of this I shall demonstrate from these following Arguments 1. From God it is true God enjoys all happiness in himself and can receive no addition thereunto from the creature all his happiness is in himself in the injoyment of himself in the contemplation of his own perfection he was as happy before Heaven or Earth Angels or Men were made as he is now and would be so were all creatures reduced to their first nothing as Seneca divinely (f) Mundo resoluto Diis omnibus confusis cessante natura acquiescit sibi suis cogitationibus traditas if the world were consumed all the Angels annihilated and nature cease to be yet being left to himself he enjoyeth all in himself but though he be in himself God over all blessed for ever yet it pleased God for the manifesting the glory of his Attributes to make a world of Creatures and among others Angels and men upon whom he imprinted some more conspicuous characters and draughts of his own perfections and among others made them partakers of his own immortality that upon them he might manifest the glory either of his Mercy or his Wrath. What if God willing to shew his Wrath and make his Power known indured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and that he might make known the glory of his Mercy on the Vessels of mercy which he had before prepared unto Glory (g) Rom. 9. 22 23. To this purpose though he made both righteous yet he left both to the freedom of their own will that if they did well they might do it out of choice and good will not of necessity if they did ill it should be by their own default and though God was no ways the cause of either's sin nor ordained either to punishment without reference to their sin yet he foresaw they would abuse their free will by sinning against him and by sin make themselves obnoxious to his wrath and accordingly ordained that those Angels that stood and those of Mankind that after their fall would accept of a Mediator should live eternally with himself in Glory and happiness On the other side that those of the Angels who left their first habitation and those of the Sons of men who rejected the help of a Mediator should for ever feel the weight of his displeasure So that to deny the eternal condition of man after this life is quite repugnant to that great design of God whereby he appointed both Angels and men to be for ever either the perpetual objects of his free-grace or the everlasting monuments of his justly deserved wrath But to improve this meditation a little further we read of worlds in Scripture by which he made the worlds (h) Heb. 1. 2. By Faith we understand that the Worlds were made by the word of God Though some think it is spoken in the plural number after the Jewish mode who used to mention a three-fold an inferior a middle and a superior world as Camero observeth and others conceive that by Worlds may be meant the age or world of the Jewish Church under the Law and the Christian Church in the times of the Gospel called the World to come * Heb. 1. 1. 3. yet I see no cause why by Worlds we may not understand the present * Heb. 2. 5. world (i) Tit. 2. 12. and the future world or as they are distinguished (k) Mat. 12. 31. This world and the world to come this world is but of short continuance The fashion of this world passeth away (l) Cor. 7. 31. the world to come is a world without end this world is like a Comet that blazeth for a time and then disappeareth the world to come is as a fixed star or rather as the Sun that faithful witness in Heaven that rangeth about the firmament with a glittering perpetuity this World is but a Tent or Tabernacle set up for a time but e're long to be taken down the stakes thereof to be removed and the cords broken the world to come is a Mansion or place of abode In my Fathers house are many Mansions (m) John 14. 2. This world was set up as a stage for men to act their parts on for some few thousands of years and then must become fuel to the fire the World to come is that great lasting Theatre on which God will eternally display the glory of his several Attributes Concerning the duration of this world there is a great dispute whether there shall be only a renovation or a total annihilation at the day of Judgement But concerning the world to come and the Inhabitants of it Angels and men there was never any question made by any sober Orthodox Divine howsoever the Scripture is most clear for it (n) Luke 20. 34 36. The children of this world marry and are given in marriage but they that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the Resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage Neither can they dye any more for they are equal to the Angels and are the children of God being the Children of the Resurrection Both these worlds God made to shew the Glory of his Attributes God hath much glory from this world The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work (o) Psal 19. 1. he hath shown much of his power in making of his Providence in sustaining of his wisdom in governing this world but the magnifying of those two great Attributes his Mercy and his Justice is chiefly reserved for the world to come all those temporal mercies in this life conferred upon men are but (p) bona scabelli the blessings of the foot-stool no way comparable with the blessings of the Throne Riches and Honour the two great things that are so ambitiously pursued by the men of the world they are but Wisdomes left-handed blessings (q) Prov. 3. 16. not to be compared with that length of daies that eternity that is in Wisdomes right-hand and which all the Children of Wisdom partake of in the life to come Some report that Joseph in that great Famine caused a great deal of Chaffe to be cast into the River Nilus to let the Neighbouring Nations know what plenty of Corn they had in Aegypt all the good things of this life are but as Chaffe which God scattereth abroad in the World to let men know what a better and more induring substance he hath provided for his own People and what is the Chaffe to the Wheat saith the Lord (r) Jer. 23. 28. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and thâ—se things shall be added unto you (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Metaphor taken from bargainers those that buy cloth have usually some over-measure given in those that buy fruit pay nothing for paper and pack-thread such are these temporal things in Gods esteem Luther
calls the whole Turkish Empire but a crust which God casts to the Dogs under his Table and miserable is that s Mat. 6. 33. man that hath no other portion but in these things the great mercies God intends for his people are reserved for the life to come that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace (u) Ephes 2. 7. On the other side the great Executions of Gods wrath upon wicked men are reserved for another World therefore it is called the wrath to come (w) Mat. 3. 7. 1. Thess 1. 10. all the punishments of this life are but as flea-bites the Father saith (x) Ludicra risus but toys and merriments to future torments Nazianzen saith the Worst temporal punishments are but (y) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the smoaking of Gods wrath and what is the smoak to the fire We read (z) Exod. 9. 8. that Moses took handfulls of Ashes out of the furnace and sprinkled them toward Heaven and they became boils upon man and beast all those plagues inflicted in this life are but as a handful of Ashes taken out of the furnace of Gods wrath The destruction of Sodom with fire and brimstone from Heaven was the saddest and strangest Judgement that ever was inflicted upon any yet our Saviour saith (a) Mat. 11. 24. It shall â—â— more tolerable for Sodom at the day of Judgement (b) Sodomiti olim perditi iterum pâ—â—dendi the Sodomites though then destroyed are reserved to a more grievous destruction those showers of brimstone that fell upon Sodom are but heat drops to those storms of wrath which shall then and thenceforth for ever beat upon them It was the invention of some of the Ancients that there are three sorts of Thunder-bolts in Heaven the first to warn not to hurt the second to hurt but not quite to destroy the third to ruine and lay all waste the two first sorts of Thunder-bolts God often in this life dischargeth upon wicked men but the third and worst is reserved for another life when all the Artilleries of Heaven are shot off when all the Fountains of Gods Wrath are broken up and all the Vials of his Displeasure poured out upon the people of his Curse By all this it appeareth that there is but little either of Gods Mercy or Justice shewed in these temporary rewards and Punishments the great manifestation of these two great Attributes is reserved for the life to come when God will shew the Riches of his mercy upon the vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory and the greatness of his wrath upon the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and yet even then and there in nothing will the greatness of his mercy and wrath so much appear as in the eternity of those rewards and punishments then dispensed So that to deny the eternal state of man after this life is a brutish confining the eternal Decrees and greatest workings of God to the narrow compass of this present world and in a manner to deny there is any world to come at least such as is described in Scripture Having proved this from the great design of God in making Angels and Men I shall further evince it from the Attributes of God which are eternal like himself The mercy of God is an everlasting mercy (c) Psalm 100. 5. it indureth for ever (d) 136. 1. The wrath of God is an abiding wrath (e) John 3. last Therefore called everlasting burnings (f) Isa 33. 14. Now these Attributes must produce suitable acts as mercy is shewed in acts of mercy and wrath in acts of justice and these acts must have suitable objects for although the immanent acts of God such as abide in him of which number are his eternal Decrees do not necessarily require the praeexistence of any objects I mean in regard of a present existence (g) in esse reali but only in regard of the knowledge (h) in esse cognito and fore-sight of God yet his transientacts or those that pass from him as rewarding which is an act of mercy and punishing which is an act of juctice these necessarily suppose some object upon which they are terminated now as there are no creatures besides Angels and Men that are capable of merit or demerit which might make them capable of rewards or liable unto punishments so there is no creature else which is immortal and so capable of eternal happiness or eternal misery And therefore it will follow that these I mean Angels and men must for ever remain either the perpetual objects of Gods free grace and mercy or the everlasting monuments of his wrath and displâ—asure And therefore the Scripture determines these upon their proper objects (i) Psal 103. 17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him And on the other side (k) John 3. last He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the Wrath of God abideth on him CHAP. II. Of the meritorius causes and the nature of happiness and punishment and the immortality of man A Second Argument may be taken from the Meritorious causes both of the Happiness of Heaven and the Punishments of Hell 1. The meritorious cause of the Happiness in Heaven is the merit and suffering of Christ The coming of Christ into the world and suffering for us that he might thereby free us from the wrath to come and entitle us to eternal happiness is that great design which the whole Trinity have been transacting from all eternity so Wisdome tells us (l) Prov. 8. 30 31. That from everlasting he was as one brought up with the father rejoycing alwaies before him Rejoycing in the habitable part of his earth and my delights were with the Sons of men And to the like purpose the Apostle (m) 2. Cor. 5. 19. That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Of all those works of God ad extra such as concern the creature this is the most sublime and glorious as one saith excellently neither the Creation of all things out of nothing which was the beginning of the works of God and put an end to that long Sabbath that had no beginning nor the Resurrection from the dead and Restoration of all things the last work that shall go before that everlasting Sabbath which shall have a beginning but no end neither that first nor this last though admirable works and worthy of the Authour may be compared with this It is the master-piece of Gods works that great work in which he hath broken up all the depths of his mercy in which he hath displayed all the banners of his Love and exhibited the largest draughts of his power wisdom Love and mercy The whole Scripture saith Anhalt who was both a Prince and Preacher is nothing else but the swadling bands of the Child Jesus All the Types Ceremonies Washings Sacraments
good and Hell the store-house of all imaginable evil so that which is most considerable in both is the Everlastingness of them Eternity is that which makes good things ifinitely more good and evil things incomparably more evil Eternity is the very Heaven of Heaven and the Hell of Hell Heaven would be no Heaven in comparison and hell in a manner no hell if it were not for this Eternity it would be a kind of Hell to the Saints in Heaven to be in fear of losing it and in a manner â— heaven to the damned in hell to be in hopes of being delivered from it although there be many things concur to make up the happiness of the Saints in Heaven and the misery of the damned in Hell yet this of eternity weigheth more than all the rest Were all other things considerable in both put into one end of the ballance and this of eternity in the other it would out weigh all the rest (s) Rev. 15. 9. those that had gotten the Victory over the Beast are said to sing the song of Moses the Servant of God Some by this Song of Moses understand that Song recorded Exodus 15 And that Song concludeth with a declaration of Gods eternity ver 18. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever Or if it may be thought to refer to the 90th Psalm which is a Prayer of Moses the man of God the former part of that Psalm setteth forth at large Gods eternity but whether either of these or whatsoever else is to be understood by the Song of Moses I doubt not but Eternity maketh up one part of that Song nay is the Elah the highest strain in that Triumphant Song On the other side could we lay our eares to Hell and hear the language of those wretched miscreants it is probable that the Eternity of their sufferings would still come in as the sad burthen of their fruitless lamentations that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper language of Hell is as if they should say not ever Lord not ever (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but all in vain they would not here endure the thoughts of eternity and therefore they shall have it alwaies written before them in the place of their thraldome that which way soever they turn their eyes they might be terrified with the remembrance of their miserable most miserable immortality I might be more large in shewing the grand importance of eternity but it is an Hebrew Proverb that a man should not put his cattle into a place where there is no hedge to bound them that therefore I may set bounds to my Meditations I shall shew of how great concernment this Doctrine of Eternity is from these following considerations in whiâ—â— I shall be more short because they are so fully handled by a more skilful Builder (u) Mr. Wells his Prospect of Eternity 1. Eternity is without any end or conclusion that is the proper import of the word Eternal There is no end of the joyes of Heaven They who convert many to righteousness shall shine like the starres for ever and ever upon which saith Drexellius observe the argumentation of it by the iteration of the same word for ever is as much as eternal or without end but as if that were not enough he doubleth it for ever and ever and yet the vulgar Latin expresseth it more fully to perpetual Eternities it is not eternity in the singular number which yet were enough to describe it to be endless but eternities in the plural as if he should say if you fear eternity may have an end after that there would be other eternities to u Dan. 12. 2. succeed neither doth it rest here in saying eternities in the plural number nor only add to these a finite term but an infinite to perpetual eternities and if one eternity be without end what is ten an hundred c. yet if so many eternities could be imagined so long shall the Saints continue in glory and happiness to which nothing can put an end and period First God will not Gods end in making man was that he should be the everlasting monument either of his free Grace or his just Displeasure and certainly God will not cross and null his own Design he hath from the beginning written their Names in his Book of Life and what he hath written he hath written It is no way to be imagined that God should make any to be vessels of honour and mercy and then dash them in pieces like the Potters vessel that God should receive them into his everlasting arms and then throw them out of his Embraces Gods love like himself is unchangeable having loved his own that were in the world he loveth them to the end (x) Joh. 3. 1. which is the same with eternally as the Learned observe and so the Aethiop Version renders it he loved them for ever And as God will not put an end to their happiness so nothing else can 1. Man cannot The rage of Tyrants may cut asunder the thread of their temporal life which might have been spun out longer in a Natural course but are not able to take away their eternal life I give them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand (z) Joh. 10. 28 29. And yet that he may give stronger assurance if stronger may be given he addeth My Father which gave them me is stronger than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hands 2. The Devil cannot Though he got into earthly Paradise and by tempting Adam to sin prevailed so farre as to dispossess him of it yet he can never come into that Heavenly Paradise he was long since thrown out and his place no more found in Heaven Heaven is guarded from the intrusion of those Apostate Angels not onely by the Power of God who cast them out of their first Habitation and shut them up under chains of darkness but by its own inaccessable and impenetrable Nature We often read in Scripture of the opening of Heaven (a) Joh. 1. 51. Acts 7. 55. from which some gather that Heaven is impenetrable to any Creature but by a Miracle opened to Elect Angels and Saints The Devils though Spirits and therefore are able to pass through the hardest stone walls are no more able to passe through them than to pass out of their own Nature and Being and this is mentioned as a ground of joy in Heaven The Accuser of the Brethren is cast down (b) Rev. 12. 10. 3. 〈…〉 Heaven is a Holy Habitation a Land wherein dwelleth Righteousness (c) Deut. 26. 15. not harbouring any sin which might dispossess the Saints of the blessedness they enjoy There shall that be fulfilled The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found (d) Jer. 50. 20. 4. Death cannot I am
that it is also an augmentation of our punishment the longer we live the more wrath do we treasure up Gods wrath is like a great bell that is long in raising but being up it gives a dreadful sound The Heathen Poet could say Gods Mill is not presently going but when it goeth it grinds all to dust and pouder (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we ravel out this time in idleness and vanity it would have been better for us we had never had it better if we had been sent to Hell as soon as ever we beheld the light of Heaven Infinitely therefore doth it concern us to improve this time to the end it is given us to agree with our adversary quickly while we are in the way lest he deliver us to the judge and we be cast into Prison to lye there till we have paid the uttermost farthing in the ordinary passages of our lives we do more or less esteem of time as the business that depends upon it is of more or less consequence When we are cast into streights of time and have some business of great concernment which must be done in that time or not done at all in this case we account every minut precious and had rather lose a whole day at another time than an hour now thus this present time being given us to make provision for Eternity every parcel of time is as much worth as Heaven is worth and Eternity is worth some one hour of time in regard of the concernment of it may be as much and much more than all that eternity of duration which we are to enter upon after this life one hour rightly improved may procure more favour from God and more mercy to our soules than we can ever hope to attain during that infinite duration that doth awaits us one sigh flowing from a broken heart one penitent tear falling from the eye may through mercy prevail to discharge that great debt of sin which all the flames in Hell cannot expiate to all eternity How strongly then should that foundation be laid that hath such a building as Eternity to be built upon it How carefully should that anchor be cast that is entrusted with a vessel so richly laden as our everlasting condition Bellarmine telleth of an University where those who were to proceed Doctors had certain hard questions given them to resolve and four and twenty hours allowed them to study for their answer and according to the resolution they gave they were either to receive their degree with honour and applause or to be sent away with shame and those probitioners as he observeth would for that time sequester themselves from company shut up themselves in their study scarce allowing themselves time to eat or sleep spending the whole time in studying to resolve those questions The time we here spend whether longer or shorter is given us by God to provide for our everlasting condition and seeing upon the improvement of this time dependeth an eternity either of bliss or woe what manner of persons ought we to be how careful to pass the time of our sojourning here Suppose a man by some misdemeanour had forfeited his estate and life and that upon much intercession his Prince should cause an hour-glass to be turned and set him some work to do telling him if he spent that hour well he should not only be freed from death but should be advanced to some great preferment if he loitered away that time he should be put to exquisite tortures it is not to be doubted but such an one would improve that hour to the uttermost of his power an hour is not so little to a mans whole life as this life is to eternity yet upon the spending of this dependeth our everlasting weal or woe eternal life is now either gotten or for ever lost (m) Hic aut accipimus aut amittimus aeternam vitam and if this were seriously considered it would be a forcible motive to make us walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time though time it self last not yet whatsoever is everlasting dependeth upon it and therefore should be carefully improved to the best advantage CHAP. XI An Exhortation to look on Eternal things by our Meditations Expressions Affections of Desire Hope Love Delight and Endeavours 3. BE Exhorted to look to the things that are Eternal this is that the Text speaks to While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal and being the duty of the Text I shall the more enlarge in speaking to it it is chiefly meant of the Eternal happiness in Heaven as appeareth by the words before our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory To that therefore I shall chiefly speak and there are two things I shall do if God permit First shew what is meant by looking to things eternal or how we are to look to them and then lay down some quickning motives to engage us to it take the first in these particulars 1. We should look to them in our thoughts and make these unseen eternal things the continual subject of our meditations it should be our morning thoughts our evening thoughts our night thoughts our solitary thoughts when we are alone indeed our continual thoughts what shall become of us to eternity they say at the consecration of a Pope amongst other ceremonies a Herald proclaims these words before him Have in thy mind the years of Eternity Think of eternity was the Motto of Meursius a learned man (a) aeternitatem cogita and hath been of many others some writing it in their Books some upon the wall of their closet some upon some door in their house that they might upon all occasions be minded of it neither is there any thing that doth more deservedly challenge our more serious meditations we should every day set some time aside to retire into some secret place such as Isaac's fields or Davids Closet or Cornelius his Leads and there to think of our eternal condition Thus it was with David or whoever was the Penman of the 77 Psalm ver 5. I have considered the daies of old the years of ancient times it is in the Original the years of ages and so the vulgar Translation readeth it I had the years of Eternity in my mind and to the same purpose both the Syriack and Aethiopick Versions and it seems he was so taken up with these thoughts that he could not sleep in the verse before Thou holdest mine eyes waking in the Original Thou hast held the watchings of mine eyes or as the Vulgar Mine eyes have prevented the night watches It is said of an eminently religious Minister (b) Mr. Ward that being at dinner with some company he sate silent for a good space
is Heaven to be had without it As God hath propounded happiness as the end so he hath appointed labour t Prov. 13. 4. and 21. 25. as the means labour for the meat that endureth to Eternal life work out your Salvation and what God hath joyned together let no man think to put asunder it is in vain to expect happiness upon any other terms as soon may we think to pluck the Sun out of Heaven or remove the earth from its Center as soon may the silly flye mount up to Heaven and with her narrow wings darken the Sun and with her feeble feet stay the motion of the Primum Mobile as we be able to alter the Decrees of Heaven and invert that order that God hath set let foolish men think so much labouring to be more than needs and cavil against the strictness of Religion God hath said without holiness no man shall see him and whose words shall stand Gods or theirs who shall determine upon what conditions happiness is to be had but he that giveth it as our endeavours without God cannot so God without our endeavours will not ordinarily save us though God giveth the earth to the meek yet he giveth Heaven only to the violent the violent take it by force (u) Mat. 5. 5. and 11. 12. Jacob got the blessing by putting on the garments of his Brother Esau Esau signifieth working if ever we would wear that rich Garment of Salvation we must get it by working Our Saviour indeed saith of the Lillies that they toyl not neither do they spin yet Solomon in all his royalty was not arrayed like one of them but it is otherwise with this Garment of Salvation we must win it with Labour before we wear it with triumph it is an infinite mercy that Salvation is to be had upon so fair terms we must not think to impose upon God and make conditions of our own 12. Consider men may do much and go far yet miss of Heaven for want of coming up to Gods terms many at the last day will make fair pretensions pleading that they had eaten and drunken in Christs presence and heard him preach in their streets that they had prophesied and cast out Devils in his name and yet be excluded The foolish Virgins the young man Demas and many others went far and yet failed of the grace of God Luther speaketh of one Arsenius who made a great profession and was a man of eminent parts praying and discoursing to admiration when this man lay upon his sick-bed his friends that came to visit him expected to hear some great thing from him and told him That sure he could not but enjoy much comfort who had been so eminent for the profession and practice of godliness But he answered that he had not that comfort they thought he had that he found it now to be with his soul not according to what man judgeth but according to the judgment God passed upon him and God said he judgeth righteous judgment Many the like instances might be given and when we hear of the ship-wrack of so many goodly Vessels of the fall of so many bright shining stars had not we need work sure and take all possible care that we do not miscarry in like manner Upon this ground our Saviour exhorts Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many will seek to enter in and shall not be able (w) Luke 13. 24. And the Apostle (x) Heb. 4. 1. Let us therefore fear least a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it 13. It is an infinite mercy that Eternal happiness is yet attainable when by the sin of our first Parents we justly forfeited that happiness to which we are entitled at our first Creation God might have dealt with us as he did with the lapsed Angels who had no sooner sinned but were expelled Heaven and left without possibility of happiness Indeed some school-men and other Divines give several reasons for this different dispensation of God towards Angels and men some thus that there is a time prefixed both to Angels and men after which there should be no possibility of altering their estate now as death is the time prefixed to man so the first good or bad deliberate action to the Angels that those that then stood should be confirmed in their happiness but those that fell should be put out of all capacity of being happy Some think it to be the greatness of the Angels sin above that of man they sought to be like God in Omnipotency which is not communicable to any creature man only in omniscience or the general knowledge of things which they say may be imparted to a creature as it was to the humane soul of Christ Some refer it to the manner of their sinning the Angels fell of themselves having no others to tempt them but man by the suggestion of Satan and it is less to sin when overcome by temptation than to sin voluntarily without any temptation other reasons they give as that though some Angels fell others stood and so the whole species did not perish whereas in Adam all mankind fell so as had not God appointed a redemption none of the race of mankind could have been saved Again the Angels were more glorious creatures living in the presence of God whereas man was made lower than the Angels and was placed upon the earth at a greater distance from God and as a Tree that falleth from some high precipice is more battered and broken in the fall than that which falleth from a low place So here by how much saith Austin the Angels were more high in glory by so much was their fall more grievous and irrecoverable and man by how much he was more frail by nature by so much more capable of mercy and pardon Again the knowledge of Angels is intuitive when they take a view of any thing they see it in the causes the effects and all that belongeth to it and so what they do they do with so full a consent of will that they never alter or repent whereas the knowledge of man is discursive he findeth out one thing by another and one thing after another so that upon further consideration he often repents of what he before did and disliketh what he before approved To this purpose is that distinction amongst the School men of a three-fold will the will of God that can neither turn nor return the the will of man that may both turn and returun that is may alter both before and after Election between these is the will of Angels that may turn but not return may alter before Election but not after and because as what else they do so when they sinned they sinned with that full consent of will that they cannot alter or repent hence they say their sin was unpardonable and their fall beyond all recovery whereas man who sinned not with