Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n
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A23713
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A discourse concerning the period of humane life, whether mutable or immutable by the author of The duty of man laid down in express words of Scripture.
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Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.; R. E.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing A1110; ESTC R7660
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41,105
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158
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generatio unius est alterius corruptio yet the state of being even since the fall to which that axiom has only respect is not so brittle as that the production of the Child infers the destruction of the Parent Neither doth that curious query concerning the place for that supposed numerous off-spring carry with it more reason for First It is not to be doubted but the Wise Creator who gave being to man knew well enough how to provide an habitation for his off-spring Secondly the precept be Fruitfull and Multiply carries with it a Limitation and replenish the Earth so that we can never well conclude from it that Generation should have continued after the replenishing of the Earth But Thirdly What suppose this little Map of Earth had not been able to contain so numerous an off-spring could not God have translated man after he had lived some space upon the Earth to some better habitation as he did with Enoch and Elijah Consid. 3. Though man in the state of Innocency stood in need of Meat and Drink yet his nutriment was not noxious and hurtfull to him as now it is It was for mans disobedience that a Curse was upon the ground before which there was no fear of hurt from the Fruit of the Trees and the Herbs of the Field which were the only things granted to men for food in that state And indeed if we but consider that even in this fallen state there is a huge difference between the lives of those who live upon wholsome food and observe a moderate diet and of those who are careless in their diet and feed upon husks we cannot but think the former consideration reasonable especially since that blessed state excluded all manner of excess Consid. 4. Great and Manifold are the blessed benefits that are conferred upon Mankind upon the account of his Redeemer now Man who was at odds with his Maker upon the account of his Rebellion is again taken into favour and the disobedient World is reconciled unto God And altho the being of sin is not quite abolished yet the Curse is removed and Death is not properly now a punishment Consid. 5. Immortality conjoyned with a state of perfect felicity is reserved for Heavens favourites in the state of Innocency our first parents were liable to Death if they rebelled but the Saints above are confirmed in their blessed state and as our Lord Christ tells us they can dye no more But this much may suffice for the removing the former doubts The Third thing I premise is that 't is very usual in Scripture as it is in all Languages to put the Whole sometimes for the Part thus Man is said to dye to cease to be mortal because the Body is liable to Corruption and not that the whole Man or all the Essential constituent parts cease And thus when we dispute concerning the Period of every Mans life we must not foolishly fancy that a Period is put to the being of the Soul but only that its union with the body is dissolved otherwise a dismal stroke would be given to our Religion and what would become of the vertuous I confess it is very hard and difficult to demonstrate the immortality of our Souls by natural reason 't is true by reason I may prove that our Natures are spiritual and that we elicite acts which are beyond the power of matter but yet we could never be fully ascertained that there is a Life after this if Revelation had not plainly discovered it The Heathen Philosophers very wisely entertained some hopes of a life after this upon moral arguments taken from the goodness of God and his justice in distributing Rewards and Punishments but alas how doubtfull were their hopes and with how much hesitation did they discourse of it But by the help of Revelation these doubts are fully removed and we now know that there is a Resurrection from the dead and that the Souls of Believers at death go immediatly into glory Fourthly Because the explication of terms is very necessary for the unfolding of doubts I shall consider the twofold notion and acception the Period of Humane Life is lyable to 1. Sometimes it is taken in a large sense for that common and ordinary Period which the Author of our natures hath settled which Men by the common course of nature arrive at now many learned men upon good grounds think that this is the determined bounds mentioned in Scripture 2. Sometimes it is taken for the last moment of every mans life at whatever time it happeneth whether 1. in the beginning of mans days or 2. in the midst of his days thus the Psalmist prays that God would not cut him off in the midst of his days or 3. When men come to be of a good old age and full of years as it is said of Abraham he died in a good old age an old man and full of years Gen. 25. 8. That there is such a common Period of Humane life seems to be certain and indubitable we evidently enough perceive that men in the age and place wherein we live exceed not unless rarely the bounds fixed upon Psal. 90. 10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten and if by reason of more strength they be fourscore years c. and if we shall descend to the consideration of other Animals and Vegetables we will find it true enough that the individuals of every specifick nature have a common Period which doth not sensibly alter but where there is a manifest difference of the climate temperature and soil Again it is very unquestionable that this common Period hath not been equally extended in all ages and places 'T is true for many hundred years by-past it hath suffered very little alteration but sure from the beginning it was not so nor can we upon any good ground be ascertained that it will continue the same that it is now till the end of all flesh come Tho I will not positive affirm that mens lives will be insensibly shortened till they become uncapable for procreation But to determine what hath been the common Period of Humane Life in by past-ages of the World is a Theme very difficult and hard for 1. Altho from Abrahams time till this present age it hath altered but little or nothing as we may collect from Gen. 15. 13 and 16. where a generation is equalled to an Hundred years as the verses collated make it evident yet before the Flood and in some few ages following it this common Term was not concluded within the short bounds it is now although then it was indeed exceedingly mutable Before the fatal Flood we read not of any who lived not above seven hundred years unless Abel who was murdered and Enoch whom God took to himself nor of any who exceeded nine Hundred sixty and nine years Now the common Period not being so denominated from some few particular instances but from what happens to the most of Mankind in
by seminal production or by immediate creation Again the union of Soul and Body is a very mysterious riddle and the most ingenious hypothesis has been confessed to be unsatisfactory and yet no man was ever so far infatuated as to deny that in man there is a Soul and Body In like manner what altho Humane Reason cannot reconcile the Divine knowledg with the contingency of actions yet may it not rest satisfied with this that God knows all contingencies because his understanding is infinite And indeed the predictions in Scripture are so remarkable and plain evidences that God knows all things that now it cannot be reasonably questioned But suppose Revelation had taught us nothing of this yet we might by natural principles know that God is the most perfect being that can be imagined and therefore of Infinite comprehension that he is our Maker and therefore must know all the intrigues of his creatures But Secondly the Divine foreknowledg is not the cause of things for otherwise criminal actions which do not escape his eye should be caused by him who cannot tempt any man to sin which is impossible if God should reveal to me that Titius were certainly to do such a thing the next day my foreknowledg does not necessitate Titius to do that act so that upon the one hand as the foreknowledg of it hath no influence upon the manner of its production nor crosseth the Humane liberty for the Divine foreknowledg is not the cause why things exist but it supposeth the existence of things so upon the other hand the contingency of the Period of Humane Life does not inser that it cannot be certainly known by an infinite understanding who grasps all things and seasons But the great difficulty is how the Divine foreknowledg can be reconciled with the Divine promises commands comminations and prohibitions how it can consist with the Divine Wisdom and Goodness to threaten men with shortness of life if they continue wicked and rebellious and to pramise longth of days if men will obey his commandments while-as he well knows that the wicked man will continue in his wickedness and be filthy still and that the vertuous and good man will persevere in well doing I confess this is a very great difficulty and hath induced many learned men to doubt if God knows things contingently future not that they would impeach any of the Divine perfections or derogate from the infinity of his knowledg but only they think that the nature of things contingently future is such that they cannot be known as it is no diminution from Omnipotency to say things impossible or which imply a contradiction fall not under its object But yet since Scripture hath so clearly revealed to us the Divine foreknowledg of future actions methinks he is very rash and inconsiderate that doubts it it is a remarkable sentence of Tertullian's Praescientia Dei tantos habet testes quantos fecit prophetas Hence the learned Episcopius tells us that his Religion and the reverence he had to the Divine Majesty would never suffer him to admit this argument which reflected so much upon the truth of Divine Predictions But I answer more particularly that Gods promises and threatnings are serious because altho God knows that some men who are threatned will continue in their wickedness yet it being in their power to turn from their Sins and the Divine threatning being an argument which should prevail upon men no man can doubt but God is serious with sinners in such cases If a parent did certainly know that his Son were to commit a criminal act would any man think that that Parents threatning of his Son if he did commit that act were void of sincerity But 2. As God knows that some wicked men notwithstanding of the severest threatning will continue in their sins yet 1. He knows that even such obdurate persons may do otherwise and 2. He knows that many men would have continued in their sins if they had not been threatned with punishments We have no reason to think that the people of Ninevie would have turned unto God if they had never been threatned Now though God knew that Ninevie when threatned would repent yet since he also knew that if they had not been threatned they should have continued in their wickedness therefore no man can question the seriousness of the Divine threatnings And thus I have dispatched the first particular how the Period of every Mans Life may be said to be determined I come in the next place to enquire in what sense it is not determined Now because I have already rejected the Stoical Fate all that I shall speak concerning this head may be comprehended in this following particulars viz. The Period of every Mans Life is not fatally limited and bounded by any absolute or inconditionate decree of God Almighty Now because many learned men violently urge that God hath from the outgoings of Eternity absolutly decreed the bounds of every Mans Life without any consideration of those circumstances in which they are to be placed so that men do what they please can neither extend nor shorten the lease of their life I shall therefore endeavour to make this assertion plain and remove those objections that it may seem lyable to and the rather because in such kind of assertions as are besides the common opinion men will be ready to suspect some sinisturous design That the Period of every Mans Life is not Fatally determined by any secret inconditional decree will appear from the arguments we shall make use of in proving the inobility of the Period of every Mans Life Now I shall only consider those absurdities and inconveniencies that follow upon the admission of the contrary opinion As first if the Period of Humane Life were Fatally determined then those wretched miscreants who with their own hands put a Period to their Lives may easily excuse themselves before their Judg for since it is supposed that they are physically predetermined to do so how can it be imagined that they could do otherwise is there any resisting of the Divine decree alas it was not in their power to help it how then can they be condemned for it It is a known Maxim Nemo peccatin eo quod vitare non potest the necessity they are plac'd in seems to excuse their sin but if notwithstanding we shall suppose that such brutish actions are really criminal we run our selves upon another absurdity and that is we reflect upon the Divine holiness and goodness for if God has truly determined those brutish actions by a previous secret and unalterable decree if he hath before irrevocably determined and so intangled in such a train of causes as should necessarily make them offer violence to themselves how can we vindicate the Divine Sancty from the blot of being the author of sin alas daily experience shews us how apt men are to make use of this argument for their own vindication when they do what is