seen 6 Heb. 11.1 And that these are meant by things seen and not seen the Apostle secondly 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 therfore 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 vnseen 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 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 injoymeut 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 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 * 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 eithers 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 1 Heb. 1.2 By faith we understand that the worlds were made by the word of God 2 Heb. 11.3 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 superiour 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 3 Heb. 2.5 yet I see no cause why by Worlds we may not understand the present World 4 Tit. 2.12 and the future World or as they are distinguished 5 Mat. 12.32 this world and the world to come this World is but of short continuance The fashion of this world passeth away 6 1 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 7 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 Judgment 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 shewn 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 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 Wisdoms left-handed blessings (q) Prov. 3.6 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 he Chaffe to the Wheat saith the Lord (r) Jer. 23.28 Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and these things shall be added unto you (s) Mat. 6.33 A Metaphor taken from bargainers (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 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 handfuls 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 Judgment that ever was inflicted upon any yet our Saviour saith (a) Mat. 11.24 It shall be more tolerable for Sodom at the day of Judgment 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 Thunderbolts 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 Thunderbolts 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 1 Psal 100.5 it endureth for ever 2 Psal 136.1 The wrath of God is an abiding wrath 3 John 3. last therefore called everlasting burnings 4 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 1 In esse reali but
only in regard of the knowledge 2 In esse cognito and foresight of God yet his transient acts or those that pass from him as rewarding which is an act of mercy and punishing which is an act of justice 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 displeasure And therefore the Scripture determines these upon their proper objects 3 Psal 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him And on the other side 4 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 Meritorious 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 thansacting from all eternity so Wisdom tells us (l) Prov. 8.30 31. That from everlasting he was as one brought up with the Father rejoycing always 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 Author 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 (n) Jac. Arnac Incarnation of the Son of God 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 Sacrifices and whatsoever else we read of under the Law were but as leaves that promised this great fruit as hands in the Margin pointing at â—his truth as lines ending in this centre they all had their accomplishment in this great Mystery God manifested in the flesh The Gospel is nothing else than a Declaration of these glad tydings which is the summe and substance of both Testaments briefly If the Scripture be a ring of Gold which God hath sent his Church as a token of his love Christ is as the Diamond in this Ring that chiefly makes it so valuable if the Scripture be as the field mentioned in the Gospel Christ is the one pearl of great price hid in it which the wise-man selleth all he hath to purchase if the Scripture be a precious box Christ is the Oyntment contained in it filling the whole world with a precious savour But to apply this to the present purpose if there be no eternal condition of man after this life what need was there of Christ coming and suffering What other end might God have in that grand design No wise man will undertake any great expensive business but propound some end proportionable to the pains he takes and the expences he is at much less the only wise God this great work will evince at least that there is a future condition of man after this life and I think also the eternity of that condition this the Scripture makes the end of his coming (o) John 3.16 God have his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The end of his suffering that they which are called might receive the Promise of an eternal inheritance the end of that Power which God gave him as a reward of his suffering (p) Heb. 9.15 Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him (q) John 17.2 But if the coming and suffering of Christ considered simply in it self will not conclude the Eternity of our future condition it may farther be evinced from this following consideration Christ being God as well as Man his Merits and Sufferings must needs be of infinite worth and value and so consequently meriting an infinite happiness It would be inconsistent with the wisdom of Christ in whom are all the treasures of wisdom to pay an infinite price for a finite purchase nothing short of an infinite happiness can bear any suitable proportion with the infinite price Christ paid Now Man being but a Creature and so finite is not able at once to grasp and comprehend an infinite happiness though the happiness purchased be objectively infinite because God who is infinite is enjoyed in Heaven yet it is not infinite in regard of man whose Nature and Capacities are finite and limited and because the happiness enjoyed is not infinite intensively in regard of the greatness it must be infinite extensively in regard of the duration and continuance what is wanting in the one is made up in the other Eternity is put into the scale to make up the weight otherwise there would be no proportion between the price and the purchase which is not to be imagined of God who doth all things in order weight and measure 2. The like is to be said of Sin which is the meritorious Cause of the Sufferings in Hell Sin is objectively infinite as being committed against an infinite God and consequently deserving an infinite punishment which because it cannot be infinite in regard of intensiveness and greatness being inflicted upon a finite Creature therefore it is requisite that it should be infinite in regard of the extensiveness or continuance because the punishment the creature can bear comes short of the demerit of sin so as he cannot pay the whole debt at once he must lye in Hell till he hath paid the
(m) Eccles 7.14 When Dioclesian resigned his Empire he pretended this as the reason As the Planet which hath its exaltation in one sign hath likewise its counterpoise in another sâ— 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 thorns or the Halcyon upon the trembling waters Doth the Christian serve God it is with fear doth he rejoyce it is with â—rembling 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 from this body of death and when he compareth that little grace he hath with that Original purity he lost in Adam he â—annot but mourn as the old men did (n) Ezra 3. who had â—een the former Temple in its glory is it matter of Encouragement to him when his heart is enlarged in Gods service as it was to David when he and the people offered willingly to the Lord (o) 1 Chron. 29. Yet it is a matter of sorrow that he is able to do God no better service his greatest joy is not without some mixture â—he women after Christs Resurrection departed from â—he Sepulchre with fear and great joy (p) Mat. 28.8 The Disciples walked in the fear of God and the comforts of â—he Holy Ghost (q) Acts 9.31 Whereas in Heaven there are â—ll things that are desirable and rare and precious â—ithout any mixture of contraries r There is perâ—ection without mixture of imperfectness When that which is perfect is come that which is imperfect shall â—e done away (s) 1 Cor. 13.10 There is perfection of holiness without the least sinfulness The sin of Jacob shall be â—ought and there shall be none (t) Jer. 50.20 Perfection of happiness without any kind of misery there is joy without sorrow They shall obtain everlasting joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (u) Isa 35.10 Rest without Labour Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord they rest from their Labours (w) Rev. 14.13 In sum there is life without death attending it Light without darkness peace without trouble ease without pain a full enjoyment of all desirable good and freedom fâ— all imaginable evil 2. On the other hand In the eternity of Hells pâ—nishment there is all that is evil without the least mixture of any thing that is good The same shall drink â— the wine of the wrath of God that is poured out withoâ—â— mixture (x) Rev. 14.10 That Cup of wrath that is said to be fâ— of mixture (y) Psal 75.8 that is full of all the woful ingredienâ— that can be put into it is here said to be without miâ—ture that is without the mixture of any thing thaâ— might alleviate their Torments I shall onely instanâ— in three Particulars 1. Without any mixture of Mercy Here manâ— times God corrects with Judgment not in Wratâ— (z) Jer. 1â— last or if in Wrath yet in Wrath he remembreth Meâ—cy (a) Hab. 3.2 But there is all wrath without any mercy in the Sacrifice of Jealousie (b) Num. 5.15 God ordereth thâ— there should be no Oyl or Frankincense put to it bâ—cause it was an offering of Jealousie an offering oâ— memorial to bring iniquity to remembrance in liâ— manner in Hell there is no oyl of mercy to lenifie the sufferings no Incense of prayer to appease Goâ— Wrath he that made them will not have mercy â— them he that formed them will shew them no â—vour the day of Grace and Mercy is then past tâ— door of mercy is for ever shut up against them Wâ— once the Master of the house is risen and hath shut the doâ— and ye begin to knock at the door saying Lord Lorâ— open to us He shall answer and say I know you â— whence you are (c) Luk. 13 1â— When God hath shut up the doâ— of Grace and Mercy as he doth in Hell thougâ— they beg and cry for mercy they shall receive no â—ther answer than a peremptory denial the fooliâ— Virgins deferred to get oyl into their Lamps till was too late and when they went to buy the Bridâ—groom came and the door was shut and when they begged Lord Lord open to us he answered verily I say unto you I know you not * Mat. 25.10 and what will a poor â—reature say or do in this dreadful exclusion Have you ever seen a prisoner at the Bar with what importunate out-cries he begs mercy and with what deâ—ection and despair he goeth away when he cannot obâ—ain it think then what horror canfusion and Everlasting despair shall surprize the Souls of those lost undone creatures who find themselves drenched in a sea of wrath and vengeance and cannot hope to have â—o much as one chord of mercy thrown out to them â—nd that is another addition to their misery it is not onely without any mixture of Mercy at present But 2. Without any hope of mixture for the future In this life though men be under great troubles they are â—eldom without hope the Prophet Daniel heard the â—oice of an Holy One crying Hew down the tree and â—estroy it yet leave the stump of the roots in the Earth â—nd thus it is usually with men in this life saith Amâ—rose though the tree be cut down and the branches â—opt off all they have taken from them yet some of â—he root is left their hope is not quite cut off as â—ong as there is life there is hope to him that is â—oyned to the living there is hope †Eccles 9.4 And this is some â—upport to men in their present troubles but in hell â—oth root and branch and all hope are quite cut off Bede observeth that God hath made three places and â—n each of them hath placed two things in Heaven â—e hath placed Verity and Eternity on Earth Curioâ—ity and Repentance in Hell Misery and Despair and â—s Hell is the proper place of despair so this despair is â—ithout the least mixture of hope what hope hath the hyâ—ocrite when God taketh away his soul * Job 27.8 the Hypoâ—rite of all other wicked men is usually most confident making no question and thinking much that any other should question his title to Heaven but wheâ— the hypocrite shall be turned into hell with all the peopâ— that forget God all his hopes will be quickly confuted what hope hath the hypocrite when God taketh awaâ— his Soul could a man speak with such a Son of confidence after he hath been some time in hell and ask him whether he were as confident aâ— before Oh what a sad and doleful answer would he return how would