THE FIRST CHAPTER, Containing an Introduction to the ensuing Discourse.

Fecisti nos ad te, domine, & inqui­etum est cor no­strum, do­nec requi­escat in te. Aug. lib. 1. Conf. cap. 1. THere is nothing can fully satisfie the minde of Man but that which is a­bove man: all the treasures and riches under Hea­ven cannot make up a proporti­onable object for the soul. For that which must terminate the desires of so excellent and di­vine a nature, must bee of a cor­respondent and like condition with it, that is, infinite and im­mortall. Now no sublunary blessings extend thus farre: All [Page 2]worldly happinesse, and earthly delights have their changes, and have their death. They are short in their continuance, and uncomfortable in their end. For they leave us, when we leave the world, and they nothing availe us in the day of triall, when our bodies shall descend into the sli­mie valley, and our souls returne to God that gave them, then all the choicest comforts of this life glide away from us as the stream, and the sunne of our joy will set for ever. Our beautie, wherein we have so much prided our selves, shall turne into rottennes, our mirth into wormewood, our glory into dust. Now if this be the condition, if such the state of our best pleasing contentations here below, how undiscreetly improvident of our soules wel­fare should we be, to bound ou [...] [Page 3]affections on the things of this world? what a madnesse beyond admiration, were it in us, to tri­fle out our time, to waste and weare out our most precious daies in the vanities under the funne, as if God had placed us here on earth, like the Leviathan in the Sea, to take our pastime in it, to ingulfe our soules into the sensuall pleasures of this life, as if we had neither hope nor ex­pectation of a life to come? what an intolerable stupiditie were it, for the short fruition of a mo­mentary content here, to plunge our selves for everlastingnes in­to a sea, as it were, of fire and brimstone, where we shall see no [...]ankes, and feele no bottome? Me thinks the serious considera, son hereof, should even cut the [...]eart, and damp the mirth, and wound the very soul of the most [Page 4]glorious and selfe pleasing worldling, whose life is nothing but a change of recreations, to think upon his fading state, his flowing condition, his decli­ning joy, his dying life, and end­lesse eternitie, to see how all things in him, and about him goe speedily forward in a most sensible declination, to behold with his eyes, how his goods, and his greatnesse, his livings, and his life, and all the most pre­cious delights which his sensuall heart enjoyes, are already wing­ed as it were for their flight, and must shortly bid him an everlast­ing farewell. And then what shall be his stay, where shall be his shelter, what will remain to be done, but with that sad and disconsolate Heathen, to shut up all in that hopelesse and helplesse lamentation, Anxius vixi, dubi­us [Page 5]morior, heu, quo vado? I have squandered out my life in an un­fruitfull way, I have lived unre­solvedly, and die doubtfully, and now whither away O my soul? woe is the and alas for evermore. And such is the bitter close, and uncomfortable end of all those who goe desperately on in the waies of their hearts, and in the sight of their eyes, and make not God their strength; though their excellency mount up to the Heavens (saith Job) and their heads reach unto the cloudes, yet shall they perish for ever as their dung, and the eye which hath seen them shall doe so no more, Job. 20.6. O then how deeply doth it concerne us, to raise up our desires to things above, to six our hearts upon the true rock, [...]o drawe our waters of comfort from the everliving fountain, to [Page 6]trust so much more on God, by how much we have lesse on earth to trust to. Now for our better incouragement to this du­ty, and to the end we may the more easily unloose our affecti­ons from the imbracements of this world, it will not be unwor­thy our labour to meditate a while upon the nature of that E­ternitie which doth unavoidably abide for us either in horror or happinesse in the life to come.

CHAP. II. Containing a description of Eterni­tie, with a brief declaration of the nature and condition of it.

ETernitie is an infinite, end­lesse, bottomelesse gulfe, which no line can faddome, no time can reach, no age can ex­tend [Page 7]to, no tongue can expresse. It is a duration alwaies present, a being alwaies in being, it is one perpetuall day, which shall ne­ver see an Evening. Infinite are the descriptions of the Ancients, and divers their expressions, touching this Eternitie. The Egyptians conceiving that God was eternall, and his duration and being to be properly term­ed Eternitie, represented the di­vine power by a Circle, which had neither beginning nor end. And hence it was that the Anci­ent Romans erected Temples, which they dedicated to their Gods in a circular figure. Thus Numa Pompilius devoted a round Temple to the Majestie of Vesta. And Augustus Caesar the like in honour of all the Gods. Pytha­gor as the better to expresse that God was eternall, commanded [Page 8]his Scholars that so oft as they accommodated themselves to the worship of God, they should turne themselves round. The Turkes every morning ascend into an high Tower built in the fashion of the Egyptian Pyrami­des, where they devoutly salute their God and Mahomet, crying with a lowd and roaring voice, Deus semper fuit, semper (que) erit, God alwaies hath been, and e­ver will be. Mercurius Trisme­gistus, the most famous among the Philosophers, represented God the true Eternity by an in­tellectuall sphear, whose Center was every where, but without a­ny circumference, because he was the beginning and end of all things, not bounded within any compasse, nor terminated in any limits. It was an usuall cu­stome among the Nasomons, an [Page 9]ancient people in Africa, that they coveted to dye sitting, and would alway be buried in the same posture, sitting in Cells un­derneath the earth, and this they did to signify by that unmovea­ble gesture, that they should now sing a requiem from the bu­sinesse of this troublesome world, and had now arrived at the haven of eternall quietnesse. Thus we see how these misera­ble heathen, who had no other light but nature, no other guide but those lame and corrupted principles, which were left in them after the fall, did notwith­standing, according to their broken and weak apprehensions, tire out themselves in the ex­pression of Eternity, and how ever they were unhappily igno­rant in the wayes of God in this life, yet they earnestly laboured [Page 10]to know what should become of themselves hereafter, and to finde out the state of the life to come: Oh how justly might I (were it not a digression!) take up a lamē ­tation, and deplore the wretch­ed condition of our times, how short doe we fall, even of the perfection of Heathens? how few are there in comparison of the generallity of people, that cast forth so much as a thought upon Eternity? we live here as if there were no life hereafter. Our Earth is our Heaven, and our pleasures our Paradise, we crown our heads with rose buds, we eat of the fat, and drinke of the sweet, and say in our hearts, no evil shall happen to us, and yet when we have done all, Om­nes humanae consolationes sunt deso­lationes, Hearts ease will not growe in this earthly garden, the [Page 11]true rest will not be found, but in the true place, the eternall Hierusalem, sound and entire contentment hath no rooting in this world. For as one hath it excellently, Dispo­ne & or­dina om­nia secun­dum tuum velle & videre, & non inve­nies, nisi semper a­liquid pati debere, aut sponte aut invite, & ita crucem sem per in­venies. Dispose and mar­shall all things to thine own hearts desire, yet shalt thou (doe what thou canst) still meet with some crosse or pressure in the way. Since it is so, let us not then determinate our affections in these earthly things, which are of no continuance, but let us send our hearts before us to those heavenly mansions, where they shall be crowned with fulnesse of happinesse, and shall swimme in streams of pleasures for ever­more. Certainely there is no true rest but that which is eter­nall, and the sweetest refresh­ment our souls can finde in this world, consists in the serious [Page 12]meditation of the joyes to come, in devoting our selves and all we have to his service, from whom we have them, in trusting to him, and relying on him. For out of God the soul findes no resting place to set her foot on, but eve­ry where storms and waves, death and hell abide her: when we have improved our content­ments to the very height of our desires, when we have attained as much happinesse as the world can give us, yet then may we be cut off perchance in the midst of our dayes, when our breasts are full of milk, and our bones full of marrow: or suppose we spinne the threed of our life to a longer day, and God crown us here with the blessings of his left hand, the comforts of this life, and length of years, yea though all things favour our longer con­tinuance [Page 13]in this world, yet in the end time and age will ruine us. We shall bring our years to an end, like a tale that is told, and shall vanish away like a shadow. Though we live many years, and in them all we rejoice, yet in the end we shall remember the daies of darknesse, saith Solomon, and the time shall come that the eye which saw us, shall see us no more. Soles occidere & redire possunt, nobis cum occidet semel bre­vis lux, nox est perpetuò una dor­mienda. Cat. The sunne sets, and riseth again, but we alas, when our glasse is runne, and the short gleam of our summers day is spent, shall never return till our last summons, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Sonne of God, and they that heare it shall live, and come forth of their graves, they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of condemna­tion, [Page 14]both to Eternity, and then shall follow that large day, that shall never shut in, that infinite continuation of time that shall never end, that unlimited Eter­nity, which ever hath been, and is, and will be the same for ever, when the Sunne shall no more yeeld her light by day, nor the Moon her brightnesse by night, but God shall be our light, and the Lord our glory. But oh the unhappy condition of our age, who is there that ponders these things with a digested me­ditation, that looks into the state of his soul with a serious eye, and considereth his wayes? That endeavours to lay a good foun­dation for the time to come? we stand at the door of Eternity, and while we live, we are every day entring into it, its but a stroak of death, and we are gon, even in a [Page 15]moment, and whither? from our short and fading delights, to an endlesse, easelesse gulfe, where our worme shall never die, nor our fire shall never out. Now let all those who swim in the streams of their voluptuous­nesse, putting far from them the evil day, who labour to expell from their hearts, and to sti­fle in the bud the sad consi­deration of their approaching infelicities, let them (I say) know, that they may fall into this vast gulf of Eternity, when they least suspect it; into which, when once they have unhappily plunged themselves, they may desire redemption, but shall not finde it. Post­quam istinc ex­cessum fu­erit, nullus poeniten­tiae locus, nullus sa­tisfactio­nis effe­ctus Cyp, It shall be one of their torments, to know they shall ne­ver be out of torment. All the gold of Ophir cannot purchase them one minute of relief from [Page 16]their unexpressible miseries. But now, even now is the jubile, now is the accepted time, now is the promulgation of pardon, there remains nothing for our parts, but to sue it forth: we need not many hundred of years or num­ber of dayes to redeem our mis­pent time, and to wash out our contracted pollutions, no, one day will, through Gods gracious favour, and loving indulgence, procure more mercy here, then Eternity of time can obtain here­after, one sigh from a true sor­rowfull heart here, shall prevail to discharge more debts, then infinite ages shall acquit or satis­fie for hereafter. Here God with patience expects our repen­tance, but if we abuse his for­bearance, and come not in, here­after with trembling we shall a­bide his judgement,

Let us therefore be wise in time, & remember our Creatour in the dayes of our youth, before the evil daies come, and the years approach, wherein we shall say, we have no pleasure in them, before our dust returne into the wombe from whence it came, and our lungs be locked up into the breathles earth, before that black and gloomy day, the day of death and dissolution appeare to us, the which (if our timely repentance here prevent not our doom) will seal up our souls to eternall darknesse. Let us con­sider that wheresoever we are, whatsoever we goe about, Immani­festu [...], om­nia autem manife­stans, per omnia ap­paret & in om [...]i­bus. we stand every minute of our time in the glorious presence of an * incomprehensible majestie, whose bright and most piercing eye, is ten thousand times clear­er then the Sunne, who knows [Page 18]all hearts, sees all actions, under­stands all counsells, views all persons, there's not a word in the tongue, not a thought in the heart, not a spark of lust in the flesh, though never so softly blown, and secretly kindled, but he beholds it altogether, he is all ear to hear, all hand to punish, and when and where he please, all power to protect, and all grace to pardon, he that findes not his mercy, shall feel his fury: and who amongst us can dwell with devouring fire? who amongst us can dwell with everlasting burnings?

CHAP. III. Expressing how all men doe natu­rally beleeve this Eternity.

VVIthin these hundred years many nations have been discovered, and many are disco­vered still, which were unfound in former ages. Amongst them some have been found to live without law, without King, but yet none without some know­ledge of God, and of some ever­lasting being in the world to come. What moved the Brack­mans in India, and the Magies a­mongst the Persians, to begin and end their undertakings with prayers to God? What moved Publius Scipio never to enter into the Senate house before he had ascended the Capitol, avowing that principle as constantly in his practice, as he did in his know­ledge, [Page 20] A Jove principium? What made Caligula (which threat­ned the aire if it rained on his game-plaies) yet, to runne under his bed, and wrapp his cap about his head at a clap of thunder? What moved Attillius Regulus (who had no other teacher then a naturall illumination) to preferre the obligation of his oath be­fore the safety of his life, and rather then he would break his ingaged word and promise to the Carthaginians, expose him­self to all the torments that the cruelty and malice of his ene­mies could inflict upon him? What moved the Saguntines, a people of Arragon, to that un­daunted resolution of theirs, who having plighted their faith and loyalty by solemn oath to the Romans, chose rather to entomb [Page 21]themselves voluntarily in a fire, which they made in their Mar­ket place, then to break their faith to the said Romans, which they had so solemnly swore and sacredly avowed under their pro­tection? what, I say, could move these meer naturalists to such a fear of an oath, to such a trembling at Gods judge­ments, to such austerity, and care, and censorious circum­spection in all their waies and actions, but that they natu­rally apprehended what they truly and distinctly under­stood not, viz. Some im­mortall happinesse and ever­lasting being? and this they conceived was beyond the mountaines, or above them, or in some other world, they knew not where, according as their severall fancies led them.

Certainly they would never have so much undervalued their earthly contentments, and sold all the comforts of this life (as some of them did) at so cheap a rate, but that they trusted to some future rest of more endu­ring substance after this life, and comfortably expected the im­mortall fruition of such joyes as should abundantly countervaile the losse of all their pleasures. When I revolve in my minde the Stoicall reservednesse, the moderation, the unconquerable courage of these miserable Hea­thens, when I see Cleombrotus in hope of immortality to tumble himself voluntarily down a hill, when I see Socrates smile upon his hemlock, and sullen Scevola burn off his own hand without ever gnashing his teeth at it, when I see Marcus Cato scorn his [Page 23]own life, because his enemy gave it him, and tear off the salve from his bleeding sides, which his own sword had peirced: When I thus behold these un­happy souls in the light of na­ture, to conquer nature it self, and to build these their resoluti­ons upon no other ground, but the slender hope of some un­known contentment in the life to come, me thinks these mag­nanimous acts of theirs, how­ever they are not for the imitati­on of us Christians, yet doe they tend to our condemnation. Their hope did exceed their know­ledge, and our knowledge doth exceed our practcie. God hath revealed to us the immortality of the soul, and the eternity to come, in a farre more clear and perspicuous manner, then ever to the heathen Idolaters, and yet [Page 24]we lesse regard it: what should more affect us here, since our li [...]e is but a vapour, then to know what shall become of us hereaf­ter? and yet the consideration hereof lyes like a weight of lead upon our souls; and we judge the very thought hereof a bur­then. We readily apprehend such things as concerne us in this world: our honours, our preferments, our pleasures we look on with a cheerfull eye: but alas, with how slow and dull a pace doe we proceed in the pursuit of our future blessednes? we meet with many stops in our way, many turnings in our jour­ney: and the truth is, we must not expect to arrive at so happy a haven without some storms; but what are these to Eternity, that long day that shall never shut in; that unum perpetuum ho­die, [Page 25]that beginning ever in be­ginning, in which the blessed doe everlastingly enjoy their happinesse, and renew their pleasures, and the damned are alwaies dying, and yet never dye? O that the meditation of this our future state could sinke deep enough into our hearts, that we would make that the object of our thoughts here, which must be the object of our ac­counts hereafter, that the sense of our sinnes were the chief mat­ter of our sorrowes, then should we enjoy an eternity hereafter, boundlesse for time, endlesse for happinesse, where our joyes should be such, as should nei­ther change nor perish.

CHAP. IV. Explaining how Nature hath repre­sented and shadowed out Eter­nity to us in some of the creatures.

NOw to the end we should be the farther encouraged un­to the inquisition of eternity, God hath not only planted the knowledge hereof in the hearts of the Heathens, but hath also represented it in the nature of the creatures. For if we search with a narrow eye into the se­crets of nature, how many things shall we finde in the world, as lively resemblances, shadowing as it were, and tra­cing out unto us this eternity? Solinus reports of a stone in Ar­cadia, which being once infla­med burnes perpetually. And [Page 27]of this matter or the like, were your burning lamps made, which continued (as Histories speak) so many hundred years in ancient Sepulchres. Like here­unto, in the nature of it, is your Linum vivum, a certain kinde of linen known in India, which is uncombustible, nay, it is not on­ly not consumed by the fire, but it is as it were cleansed, and washed, and purified by the heat thereof; and hence it was that the bodies of the ancient Roman Emperors, when they were to be buried according to the funerall rites of those times, were shroud­ed up into such linen, to pre­serve their ashes and to avoid a confusion and mixture of their bodies with common dust.

Behold, here nature it self suggests an eternity to thy soul, while it presents to thee such [Page 28]things as the fire cannot con­sume, many other such Symboles and representations of immorta­lity may be found in the book of the creatures. The Salaman­der liveth in the fire, and perish­eth not. Those famous hills in Sicily have been on fire continu­ally, beyond the memory of man, and yet remain whole and unconsumed. The like we reade of that Oleum incombustibile, (as Historians call it) an oyle that e­ver burns, but will never waste; and of the matter of this was that burning torch composed, which was found in Tulliola, daughter of Cicero her sepulchre: which (as story speaks) continu­ed burning fifteen hundred years. These and many other shadowes and traces of eternity God hath vouchsafed us, to stirre up our dead and drousy hearts, [Page 29]to a more exact inquisition, and serious consideration of the time to come: For in the book of the creature, we may see the power of the Creatour, and out of these particular works of his, we may understand that, that God which hath endowed nature with such admirable qualities, can give the flesh also such a condition, that it shall endure, according to his wise dispensa­tion, either torments, or happi­nesse for evermore.

Now then, to draw all this to an issue, since it is undoubtedly true, that God hath provided an everlasting being, for the souls of men in the world to come: since he hath engraven the knowledge hereof, as with an iron pen in the consciences of the Heathen, since he hath given us so many lively resemblances, and traces [Page 30]thereof in the secrets of nature, and in the works of his creation. Oh how should the meditation of this take up our deepest thoughts, our refinest affections? how should this cause us to re­flect upon our souls; to ponder our waies, and with an imparti­all eie look into our own estates, and seriously consider with our selves, whether are we in the number of those that are become Kings and Priests unto God, and have our hearts inlightned with the supernaturall life of grace and godlinesse, or lye we yet polluted in our own blood?

Oh, how can man be at rest and quiet in his minde, till he be assured and secured in this parti­cular, since that upon it depends his everlasting estate in another world? our daies we see are woven with a slender threed, our [Page 31]time short, our end uncertain, and when the oyl in our lamps is spent, and our glasse runne out, then we flee in a moment to an e­verlasting being, Ex unico momento pendet du­plex aeter­nitas. either in horror or happinesse, where we shall receive according to the works of our hands. If we have ap­proved our selves sincere in Gods service, just in our actions, dili­gent in our callings, faithfull in our promises: we shall then at­tain the end of our faith, the sal­vation of our souls: and the con­science of our well spent life, shal at that dismall day replenish our souls with abundance of conso­lations; Then all our tears shall be wiped from our eys; what we have sowed in sorrow, we shall reap in joy, when we have finished our course, and ended our combate with sinne and death: then shall our crown be [Page 32]sure, our victory glorious, and our triumph Eternall; our grave shall be but as a sweet refreshing place to our wearied bodies, and death shall be our day-starre, to everlasting brightnesse.

But on the other side; if we have in the whole course of our warfare here, expended our pre­cious time in the service of sinne and Satan, and crumbled a­way the best and choicest of our years in the desires of the flesh, and sports of vanity; if our lusts have been our law, and we have traded in pleasure all our dayes, then heare our dreadfull doom: Our mirth will be turned into wormwood, and our joy into heavines: all our delights in this earth shall vanish as the flower, our sun shall set in a cloud, and our daies of jollity and contentation shall irrecove­rably [Page 33]be involved and turned in­to perpetuall darknesse.

CHAP. V. Containing a short digression touch­ing the eternity of the damned.

ANd here it will not be un­seasonable, nor any digressi­on from the point in hand, to consider with our selves, for our better encouragement to the wayes of holinesse, the condi­tion of that eternity which the damned have in Hell. O the unhappy and ever deplorable state of those poor souls, who feel nothing for the present, but wrath and vengeance, and can expect nothing to come, but the vialls of Gods indignation to be poured on them, in a fuller mea­sure for ever hereafter! And [Page 34]that which addes abundant weight to their miseries, Nec qui torquet, aliquan­do fatiga­tur; nec qui tor­quetur, a­liquando moritur, Bernard, meditat. cap. 3, is; they shall burn, but not diminish; they shall lye buried in their flames, but not consume; they shall seek death, but shall not finde it: they shall desire it, but it shall flee from them: their punishment consists not in the indurance of any proper or pe­culiar pain, but in the accumu­lation and heap of innumerable torments together. All the fa­culties of the soul, all the senses of the body shall have their se­verall punishments, and that which is more, unseparable, and more then that, eternall: There shall be degrees in their tor­ments, but the least shall be infi­nite. For as the wrath and dis­pleasure of God toward them is everlasting, so shall their pres­sures be. They enjoy an eternity [Page 35]like the Saints, but not the Saints eternity; for their eternity shall beginne in horror, and proceed in confusion: their eternity shall purchase and yeeld to them, no other fruit but yellings and la­mentations, and woe. Their eternity is such as turns all things into its own nature: for all things where the damned do inhabit, are eternall. The fire is eter­nall: for the breath of God like a river of brimstone hath kind­led it, and it shall never goe out night nor day; but the smoak thereof shall ascend for ever. The worm is eternall, for the conscience of the damned shall be everlastingly tormented with the sense of their sinne: Their worme dyeth not, (saith the Pro­phet) and their fire never goeth out. The prison wherein they are inclosed is eternall. The [Page 36]prayers of the Church could open the prison doors to Peter, but no prayers can pierce these walls, no power can overthrow them, no time can ruine them; out of Hell is no redemption, no ran­some, no delivery, Cruciantur damnati, cruciantur in aeternum. This is the last sentence of the Judge, his irrevocable decree, his immutable and eternall Judgement on the damned, which shall nevever be reversed: Adesse in­tolerabi­le, abesse impossibile. there is no appeal will lye from this Judge; there is no reversing this judgement, when the sentence is once past, it stands for eterni­ty; Hence it was that the anci­ent Church repeated this sentence often in their divine service, Pec­cantem me quotidie, & non peni­tentem, timor mortis conturbat, quia ex inferno nulla est redemptio: Whil'st I daily sinne, but repent [Page 37]not daily as I ought, the fear of death amazeth me, because after this life ended, out of Hell is no redemption. The blood of Christ shed on Golgotha, is fully suffi­cient to save all man-kinde, but it belongs not to the damned. If therefore the yoak of repent­ance seem not sweet to thee, (saith S ^t Bernard) think on that yoak which thou shalt be sure to suffer, which is, Goe ye cursed in­to eternal fire. But the most de­plorable thing which is eternall in hell, is, the irrevocable losse of the beatificall presence of God, the eternall privation of Gods sight, the uncomfortable want whereof, doth more grieve their hearts, and wound their afflicted souls, then all their bodily tor­ments. Thus we see the unhap­py estate and condition of the damned in the other world, and [Page 38]how the highest link in all this chain of sorrows, wherewith they are environed, is the mise­rable perpetuity of their tor­ments, when their restlesse thoughts have carefully runne thorow many thousands of years, yet will they not then en­joy one day, one little houre, one minute of rest and respirati­on: Everlasting darknesse is their portion, they beginne and end a­like, with weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now since this is cer­tainly true, is it possible for man so to degenerate into a beast, as to beleeve these things, and not to tremble? Can the knowledge of these things swim in our brain, without a serious and found digestion of them into our hearts? when we know, and stand convinced, that inexplica­ble, eternall, endlesse, easelesse [Page 39]horrors, without true and un­feigned repentance, abide us here­after; and on the other side we know not, nor can possibly dis­cerne, with how speedy and swift a foot our end approach­eth, nor how suddenly we shall be summoned to give the world our everlasting farewell. How can so sad and important consi­deration as this, possesse our thoughts, & not torment them? Or how can this chuse but im­bitter our dearest pleasures, and crosse our indulgence to our sen­suall affections? Did we but rea­son a while with our souls, and every one of us in a particular ap­plication say within himself: I am here floating like a ship in the sea of this world, ballasted on every side with the cares, and disquietings, and miseries of this life, and I saile on with full [Page 40]course towards the haven of E­ternity: one little blast is able to plunge me irrecoverably into this bottomlesse gulf, where one houres torment will infinitely exceed, (for the pain of it) an hundred years bitter repentance. And shall I now thus standing upon the very battlements of hell, melt in my delights, cheer up my self in the dayes of my youth? shall I tire out my spi­rits, trifle out my precious time, rob mine eyes of their beloved sleep, for such things, to the which the time will come, and is hastening onward, when I must bid an everlasting fare­well? Me thinks the thorow meditation of our future state should even strangle our sensuall joys in us, and withdraw our hearts from the embracements of this world, especially when [Page 41]we shall to our endlesse sorrow understand, our dearest contents must close, at the last, in death and confusion, and all our pre­cedent pleasures, shall yeeld us no other fruit, but their bitter remembrance, to augment our sorrowes.

CHAP. 6. Wherein the question is answered, wherefore a finite sinne, is re­compensed with an infinite pu­nishment: wherein also is far­ther shewed, that the severity of Gods justice therein, doth no way diminish the greatnesse of his mercy.

NOw here ariseth the questi­on to be resolved; How comes it to passe, that our mer­cifull and gracious God, who is [Page 42]so infinite in his goodnesse, and so abundant in his love, whose praises the Prophet David am­plifies in his 136. Psalm, twenty seven times together, with this conclusion, for his mercy endu­reth for ever: how can it stand, that this our God, whose mer­cy is exalted above all his works, should be thus infinitely merci­full, and yet so infinitely just too, as to inflict upon a finite sin, an infinite punishment, that he should continue millions of years, yea, to everlastingnes, in the avengement of those sinnes, which were committed as it were in a moment of time, so that he who hath offended but temporally, should be bound to suffer paines eternally? I an­swer, we shall sufficiently vindi­cate and clear Gods righteous dealing towards us herein, if we [Page 43]measure his justice but by our own rules: Scelus non temporis longitudi­ne, [...]ed in­iquita­tis magni­tudine metien­dum est. Aug. de Civitat. Dei lib. 21. cap 11. * for doth any law proportion out the time of pu­nishment to that measure of time only, in which the offence is committed? Shall the prisoner lye no longer in the Goale, then he was committing his villany? Do not we here amongst us of­ten see some offences which were suddenly thought of, and as soon executed, yet punished with endlesse, datelesse banish­ments, which in comparison to this life, bear a proportion with eternity? Now if the wisdom of man doth follow this rule in proportioning of punishments, weighing offences by the foul­nes of the fact; Shall we deny God the righteous Judge of all the world, the same liberty over the works of his own hands? Again, if this will not satisfy our [Page 44]inquisitive mindes, let us but take our own hearts to task, and sift them to the bottom, and im­partially weigh what a world of pollution, and deceit, and per­versenesse, is lodged in them: and then certainly, we shall finde matter enough against our selves without farther inquiry, for our endlesse condemnation: our own consciences will testify to the confusion of our faces, that just is the Lord, Nec in­justa ejus gratia, nec crudelis potest esse justitia. Aug. de Civit, De [...] lib. 21. cap. 11. and just are his Judge­ments, that all the waies of the Lord are mercy and truth, that his grace is not unjust, nor his Justice cruell. Adde hereunto, that the fault, of its own nature, is infinite, because it is a sin against an infinite majesty. Gods Ju­stice being infinite, the viola­tion therereof by sinne, must needs contract an infinite debt; because in sinning we [Page 45]rob God of his glory, which we must needs repay him a­gain: Now the satisfaction of an infinite debt, must needs be in­finite, either in respect of time, or measure. And because a fi­nite vessell is not able to hold or comprehend an infinite wrath, forasmuch as we can­not bear Gods indignation, prop­ter immensitatem doloris, we must of necessity satisfie his Justice, duratione temporis; the long continuance of our suffer­ings, must supply what is want­ing in the weight of our punish­ments. Again, he that dies in his sin without repentance, of­fends as much as if he had sinned eternally: quia omnis peccator est in aeternum, si in eternum vixis­set, in aeternum peccasset; i.e. had he lived eternally, his sinne had extended to the length [Page 46]of his daies, Peccandi volunta­tem non amisit, sed vitam. Greg. * for a man sooner ceaseth to live, then to love his sinne, and therefore God may justly after many thousand years torments in Hell, iterate their torments to the damned: be­cause if they had longer abode in their sinfull flesh, they would still have perpetuated their sin­full transgressions. Oh let not then sinfull flesh contend with its maker, let not us prye into the Heavens, not curiously search into the secrets of Gods will, to finde a reason of the ob­ligation of a sinner to perpetuall punishment, but rather in the lowlines of our hearts, crye out with Daniel, O Lord, righteous­nesse belongs unto thee, but to us open shame, because we have rebelled against thee: let us cast down our souls at the foot of his grace, and humbly acknowledge [Page 47]in the sense of our deformities, that just is the Lord, and just are his judgements. Our weak un­derstandings can no way fathom the depth of his counsells; his wisdom is unsearchable, and all his wayes are truth: but did we truly apprehend the nature of our sinnes, we would never re­pine at the weight of Gods Judge­ments. For whereas God made man a noble creature, both beau­tifull and glorious, and after stamped on him his own Image, righteousnesse and true holines, how strangely hath his sinne dis­robed him of all his excellencies? what rebellion hath it setled in all his members? what staines and pollutions hath it wrought in all his faculties? It is our sin which hath unjoynted the con­federacies, and societies of the dumb creatures, and hath armed [Page 48]them with an antipathy and re­bellion one against another. It is sinne which hath so strangely altered the manners and conditi­ons of our times, that hath turn­ed mens brows into brasse, and their hearts into stones, and their hands into violence, and their tongues into Scorpions. It is sin which hath ushered in these sad divisions into our Church and state, and drawn out such streams of blood in every corner of the land, and made the foun­dations of the kingdome trem­ble. It is sinne that is the foun­tain and source of all those er­rours, schismes, heresies, strange opinions that are lately sprung up amongst us. And surely we may write it one of the saddest of our miseries, and that which wil fall heavily some­where in the end (if some great [Page 49]humiliation prevent not the judgement) that these things are suffered without controle. And here give me leave a little to vent my troubled thoughts, Though I wander from the point in hand, yet for Sions sake I cannot hold my peace. Have we not sworne, have we not deliberate­ly, publikely in the open Con­gregation, in the sight of An­gels and men; and with as grave and sad solemnity, as wis­dome could devise, lifted up our hands to the most high God, saying that we would sincerely, really, and constantly, by the grace of God in our severall places and callings, in­deavour the extirpation of Heresy, Scisme, and whatsoever should be found contrary to sound Doctrine, and the power of Godlines. Yet notwithstanding this deep in­gagement on our souls. How [Page 50]many fearfull errors, what un­heard of fancies do uncontrolla­bly abound in every corner of the land? Doth not every man act what seems good in his own eyes? Is not every wanton we impunitively suffered to make an idoll of his own way,? and to draw Disciples after him? Me thinks its worthy our most seri­ous thoughts, how sadly, how compassionately the reformed Churches do resent our home distractions. See what the Wa­lachrian Churches have writ to our Reverend Assembly of Divines, upon this occasion. Judicent conscien­tientiae vestrae, quomodo omnium Heresium genus in­ultum permit­ti, mul­tiplicia schisma­tum sem i­na impunè spargi, & prophana errorum dogmata, passim in vulgus proferri possint in illa civita­te, quae tam ex­presso, sancto, se­vero jura­mento se­se coram Deo de­vinxit, ad omnes er­rores, he­resesschis­mata de domo Dei ejicienda. * Let your own consciences judge (say they) h [...] Heresies of all kindes can passe un­punished? manifold seeds of Schisme be spread without controll, and pro­phane Doctrines of errors be com­monly vented in publike in that Ci­ty, which by so expresse, so sacred [Page 51]so severe an Oath, hath bound it self in the presence of God, to cast out all Heresies, Errors, Schismes, out of the house of God. Hence ye may observe how loud a peal our Church divisions ring tho­row out the world; Our friends pity us, our foes deride us, and neuters stand amazed at our doings: and certainly God is not pleased with our wayes. For God is the God of order, and not of confusion; the God of peace, not of division.

In vain it is to expect any hap­py, or peacefull dayes, or that we shall see a well grounded settlement in Church and state, so long as turbulent spirits have so much line and latitude to their fancies. And surely it is now high time, it is high time for us all in our severall places, since we stand every day hover­ing [Page 52]between time and eternity, to minde our sacred vowes, and to lay our solemn Covenants closely to our hearts, and ask our consciences, how faithfully we have performed them; espe­cially in the particular wherein we now insist.

Errors in opinion are of as dangerous consequence, as errors in practice; and therefore happy would it be for the king­dome, if they that move in the highest Sphears would all come in as with one shoulder, and make it the chiefest businesse of their souls, that the Lord may be one, and his name one through the Kingdome. Now if you tell me I here digresse from the point in hand, I readily grant it: for these distracted times have a­mazed me, and obstructed me in my way. But now I return [Page 53]You see the dismall fruits of sinne, what destruction it hath wrought in all the earth? what havock in our State? what con­fusion in the Church? what rentings of affections in the hearts of men?

Oh that we did seriously con­sider of, and soundly digest the meditation of these things? For had we but hearts to understand, and eyes to see the deformity of our sinnes, and did unpartially compare the stain and pollution of them, with the purenesse of Gods nature, and the brightnes of his Majesty▪ how should we be confounded in our souls, with the sight of our own filthinesse? How ready should we be rather to admire Gods patience, then question his severity? How should we tremble at his glori­ous Majesty, and dread his pow­er, [Page 54]and justly fear what we have worthily deserved, his everla­sting judgement: but if now on the other side we advisedly look into Gods gracious proceedings towards us, and his loving indul­gence in restraining his incensed displeasure, notwithstanding our infinite provocations, and in shewing us a way to escape his fury; I know not whether we shall finde greater cause to vin­dicate his justice, or admire his mercy. For true it is, as saith Saint Augustine, Deus adeo bonus est, ut malum nunquam sincret, ni­si adeo potens su­iflet, ut ex malo bonum e­liceret. Aug. So good is our God, that he would never have suffer'd us to fal, had not his pow­er been such, that he could ex­tract matter out of our sinfulnes, to advance his own glory. Oh how unsearchable, how bot­tomlesse, how surpassing the ap­prehension of men and Angels is the love of God towards us! [Page 55]whither can we goe? which way can we cast our eyes, where we shall not behold the admira­ble foot-steps of his mercy? If we look upward, his mercy reacheth unto the Heavens, saith David: If downward, they that goe down into the deep, see the wonders of God, saith the same Prophet, and his mercies in the great waters. If round about us, those that put their trust in the Lord, mercy embraceth them on every side. And hence it is that the Apostle Saint Paul to the Ephesians, so diversly ampli­fies the love of God in severall places of that Epistle, by sundry appellations or epithetes, as his love, his great love, his abundant love, his love passing knowledge: again, the riches of his glory, the riches of his grace, the riches of his mercy; God who is merci­full [Page 56]saith the Apostle, who is rich in mercy through his love, his great love, even when we were dead by sinnes, hath quick­ned us together in Christ, Ephes. 2.4. The Apostle also in the same Epistle, and first chapter, expresseth the Lord, great in his power, abundant in his wisdom, but rich, exceeding rich in his mercy, And why rich in mer­cy only? Is not the Lord rich in Angels, rich in the Saints, rich in the Heavens? Hath he not created the Clouds, founded the Seas, wisely composed the whole frame of nature? And is he yet rich only in mercy? True it is; the earth is the Lords, and the fulnesse thereof: all that we have, all that we are, is his, but his mercy hath an excellency in it a­bove all his creatures; yea (If I may so speak) obove all his at­tributes, [Page 57]above his Justice; Mer­cy (saith the Apostle) rejoyceth against condemnation: Above his power; Jacob wrestled with God and overcame him; above his greatnes: for such was the unexpressible condiscention of the Almighty, that although he were high and excellent, and in­habited eternity, yet did he humble himself, to behold things done in Heaven & earth; for there is nothing doth more illustrate Gods omnipotency, then his mercy. It was no mar­vail that God should make the Heavens, because he is power it self; or that he should frame the earth; because he is strength it self; or that he should govern the times; because he is wisdom it self; or that he should give breath to all creatures, because he is life it self; But herein chief­ly [Page 58]is God to be magnified, that he who is infinitely just, should yet be mercifull to sinners; yea, to sinners while they wallow in their blood, while they rest in sinnes, while they have no eye to look after him, no heart to embrace him, no foot to follow him, no tongue to glorifie him, but lye wofully plunged in the dregs of their pollutions? Oh the unspeakable goodnes of our God, who hath so graciously in­vited those sheep, who are so un­happily strayed from him; nay, who doth with a Omnipo, tentissima facilitate homines ad seip­sum con­vertit De­us, & vo­lentes ex­nolenti­bus facit. Aug. ad vita. loving vio­lence, irresistably call those who have trampled on his graces, and rejected his love. But what should move the Creator of all things, who hath been thus infi­nitely provoked, who is armed both with power to strike, and means to be avenged, to com­passionate [Page 59]his enemies? Cer­tainly, there is, there can be no other reason alleadged, but that which David so often iterates, because he is gracious, and his mer­cy endureth for ever. But me thinks I hear the afflicted soul bewail it self: here is a fountain of mercy indeed, had I heart to draw out of it: Can his good­nesse extend to me, who am no­thing but worms and dust, and wounds and sores, and corru­ptions? Who can give him no oblation but my sinnes, no sa­crifice but my sorrow. What confidence now can I have in this love? What strength in this mercy? Who ever thou art, that art thus, and no better disposed to receive the grace of thy God, bring forth this small provision, offer this sacrifice upon the Al­tar. Since thou hast nothing [Page 60]else to part with, surrender up thy sinnes, yeeld him thy lusts, renounce thy whole interest in thy sinfull delights, in thy im­moderate affections Nullius rei tantum in inferno est, quan­tum pro­priae vo­luntatis. Alsted. and then thy sorrowfull spirit shall be a sacrifice to God, thy wounded and broken heart he will not de­spise; I am with him, saith the Lord, who is of an humbled spirit, & that trembleth at my words. We have his own word for his mer­cy, we have his promise for it, we have his oath for it. He is faithfull saith the Apostle, who hath promised; he is faithfull, he cannot deny himself. Supe rate seipsum potest de­sertos mi­serando, negare se­ipsum non potest mi­scricordi­am dese­rendo. He may overcome himself by pittying the for­saken ones, but he cannot de­ny himself, by forsaking his pitty. For how can he de­ny himself to us, who hath given himself, for us? How [Page 61]can he deny us his mercy, who hath given us his life?

CHAP. I. Containing an exhortation to holi­nesse, grounded upon the conside­ration of Eternity.

THe very soule and life of Christiani­ty, consists in the life of a Christian [...] as for outward for­malities, they plausibly serve to shew forth a good man to the eye of the world, but cannot make him such; it's true, exter­nall actions adorn our professi­ons: [Page 63]but it is, where grace and goodnesse seasons them, other­wise where the sap, and juyce and vigour of religion is not set­led in the soul, a man is but like a goodly heart-shaken Oak, whose beauty will turne into rottenesse, and his end will be the fire. It was the saying of Machiavell; that the appearance of vertue was more to be desired then vertue in self. But Socrates [...]meer naturalist, advised better, who said, the good man is only wise. Certainly our glorious shews, and high applauses, and exaltations amongst the sonnes of men, will prove but misera­ble comforters in the close of our age, when the days of dark­nesse come. O then as we re­spect the eternall welfare of our poor souls, let us be what we would seem. Letus tume our [Page 64]words into actions, Q [...]alis videri, vis talis esse debes. Gerh Med. our know­ledge into affection, and our spe­culation into practise. Let us not onely in a generall and con­fused manner acknowledge God, but rather labour to know him; Let us not think it enough to beleeve that Christ came as a Saviour into the world, but endeavour rather by a peculi­ar, perso­nall, and applica­tive faith to make him our own. Alas what avails it my soul▪ that Christ shed forth his blood for the sinnes of many; i [...] he died not for me? What joy to my heart, that Christ is risen for the justification of sinners, if he be not my portion? what comfort to my distressed con­science, that Christ is come a light into the world, if I sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death? What confidence of protection can I have from hence, Non pro­dest Chri­sti resur­rectio, nisi in te quo­que Chri­stus resur­gat Gerh. Med. Sitscopus vitae Chri­stus, quem s quaris in via, ut as­sequaris in parria. that Christ is a carefull shepherds over his flock, if I am none of that sheep fold? Other let it be the chief desire of our souls, and the utmost extent of [Page 65]our endeavours, not onely to confesse Christ, but to bring him home to our hearts, to feel him, to affect him, to live in him, to depend on him, to be con­formable to him: let us willing­ly heare, and cheerfully follow the voice of that sweet guide, who is both the way, and the journies end; that loving Phy­sitian who comes to our wound­ed consciences with healing in his wings; that meek and ten­der Lamb, who powred forth for us tears of anguish, and tears of love; tears of anguish to re­deem our souls, and tears of love to compassionate our mise­ries. Now what a pressing per­swasion have we here to live un­to him, who thus died for us; to make him our joy who hath borne our sorrows; to fix him in our hearts, who for our sakes [Page 66]was fixed to the Crosse? [...]otus tibi figa­tur in cor­de, qui totu sprote figeb [...] ­tur in c [...]u­ce. How should we mourn in our souls, and weep in secret for him? quem totus mundus, tota element [...] lugebant, at whose sufferings the graves opened, the Sunne shut in his light, the earth trembled, and the whole frame of Heaven in his nature and kinde expressed its sorrow. One of the Rabins, when he read what bitter tor­ments the Messias should suffer, when he came into the world, (cryed out) veniat Messias, at eg [...] non videam, Let the Messias come, but let me not see him. Did his torments seem so dis­mall to the spectator, what were they then in the sufferer? If so ghastly to the sight, what were they in the sustaining? But what should we doe now? Shall we raile on Judas that betrayed him, or on Peter that denyed [Page 67]him, or the Jews that pierced him, or the Apostles that forsook him? No, no, let us look into our own hearts, examine our own ways. Do we not make his wounds bleed afresh with our sinnes? doe we not nayl him to the Crosse again with our pollu­tions? doe we not grinde him in our oppressions, and as it were massacre him in our murders? What sinne have we ever forsa­ken for his sake? what inordi­nate affection have we abandon­ed for his love? Can we say, and say truly, that we ever spa­red a dish from our bellies, or one houre from our sleep, or one fashion from our backs, for his sake? and doe we thus requite our Redeemer? Was Christ all in gore blood for our sinnes, and shall we swim in pleasure? Did Christ indure such contradicti­ons [Page 68]of sinners, and cannot we put up a slight disgrace. Deus tuus par­vus factus est, & tu te magni­ficas, ex­ina nivit se mage­sts, & tu vermicu­lus intu­mescis. Was Christ stretched on the Crosse, and shall we stretch our selves on beds of down? Did Christ such down vineger for us, and shall we surfet with plenty? Was Christ crowned with thorns, and shall we crown our selves with Rose buds? O let it shame us, to bear so dainty a body un­der so dolefull a head. And think we with our selves, sure­ly sinne against God must needs be more, then men commonly esteem it, for which no way of expiation could be made, but by the bitter passion of Christ. Oh then let us not think any thing to dear for him, who thought nothing to dear for us. We have an inestimable price, a glorious inheritance set before us, let us carefully embrace all [Page 69]those means that may further our progresse: as the hearing of the Word, receaving of the Sa­crament, earnest and constant prayer to Almighty God: Let us strive as we ought, presse for­ward with all violence. The woman in the Gospell which was so long visited with her bloudy issue, it was her holy Victa est ad vio­lentiam, quia vio­lenta ad victoriam. violence and pressing our Sa­viour, that procured health for her body, and pardon for her soul; Let this be our endeavour, let us never think our selves farre enough in the way to Heaven, but prepare our hearts still, and lay hold on every advantage, that may further us in our jour­ney. Behold now is the accep­table time, now is the day of Salvation, whilst you have time then doe good unto all: whilst you have the light, walk as chil­dren [Page 70]of the light: Judge thy self here, that thou be not judg­ed of the Lord hereafter. Let not thy eyes slumber, nor thy temples take any rest, till tho [...] hast found our an habitation in thine heart, for the mighty God of Jacob. Remember him, as David did, in thy bed, and think upon him when thou art wa­king: God said of the Church of Thyatira, I gave her time to re­pent of her fornication, and she repented not. O let us not give our good God the like occasion, to second the same complaint against us. Behold, God now graciously calls us, and offers us his mercy: He stands at the door and knocks: Hear his sweet ac­clamation; Open unto me, my si­ster, my love, my dove, my unde­filed: for my head is full of dew, and my locks with the drops of the [Page 71]night, Song of Solomon. chap. 5. What a strange humiliation is here, for the king of kings to wait to have mercy! Let us arise and open speedily to our beloved: to day while it is called to day, let us heare his voice, let us not put off our time, as Felix did S ^t Paul, goe for this present time, and when I have a convenient lea­sure, I will heare thee, as if the time present were not the fittest. Let us not stifle the checks of our consciences, or say, as Festus to Agrippa, to morrow thou shalt heare him. Non quaerit Deus di­lationem in voce corvina, sed con­fessionem in gemitu columbi­no. All procrastinations in this case are dangerous. Let us therefore take hold of salvati­on, whilst occasion serves us. If we shut out our welbeloved, he will be gon. Therefore let our hearts even melt within us, whilst he speaks to us in his word. If we answer not when [Page 72]he calls us, then shall we call, and he will not answer. The Stork and the Crane, and the Swallow in the aire know their seasons, and observe their ap­pointed times, how much more should man, especially since times and moments, how long we shall enjoy them, are not in our own power, but in the pow­er of God. The Angel in the Revelation swore by him, that liveth for ever, that time should be no more. The time past can never be recalled, let us there­fore take the present time: For the time past was and is not, the time present is, but shall not be, and of the future, we can promise to our selves no fruition. But alas such is our blindnesse, such an obduration is grown over our hearts, that we understand these things, but feel them not; we [Page 73]have them swimming in our mindes, but embrace them not in our affections. The best of us may take up that complaint of Saint Augustine, Teneo in memoria, scribo in charta, sed non habeo in vita. Aug. * who aver­red of himself, that his desires were better thē his practice. Our vows are in Heaven, but our hearts on earth; our desires are towards our home, but our en­deavours flagge in the way, and we faint in our journey: we have Heavenly hopes, but earthly af­fections; we all covet after hap­pinesse, but we would take no pains for it; we would enjoy Christ in his benefits, but we refuse to partake with him in his sufferings; volumus assequi Chri­stum, sed non sequi, we would share willingly with our Saviour in his Crown, but not in his combat; nay, oftentimes we in­stance God for such graces as we [Page 74]are loath to obtain: like Saint Augustine, who prayed for con­tinency with a proviso, Lord, give me continency, but not yet; nay such is our intolerable sin­fulnesse, and pollution of heart, that at the same instant, when our hands are lift up to God for the pardon of old sinnes, our heads are working in the con­triving of new; as Salvian hath it, dum verbis praeterita mala plangimus, sensu futura medita­mur. Thus we draw nigh to God with our lips, when our hearts are farre from him, our affections are buried in the things of this life. Excellent is that saying of Isidorus, Regnum hoc [...]em­piternum, ex omni parte bea­tum est, omnibus promissū, & tamen de illo al­tum inter nos silen­tium, quo­tus quis­que enim est qui de hoc com­memorat, hoc uxo­ri, hoc li­beris, toti hoc fami­liae incul­cat? Isid. [...]oelum negligi­mus, ter­ram non retine­mus, Dei favorem non ac­quirimus, mundi perdimus. The King­dome of Heaven, saith he, is e­ternall, blessed every way, and promised to all men, but who is there almost that spends one mo­ment in the serious meditation of [Page 75]it? What man is there that ever talks to his wife, to his children, to his family of such a King­dome? We can riot in the prai­ses of our native soile, but we blush to speak of, and are asha­med to commend our true coun­trey, our everlasting home. In our dealings about the things of this life, our understandings are ready enough to apprehend them, and our hearts to entertain them, and our tongues to dis­course of them; but in things that belong to the eternall salva­tion of our souls, how deep is our silence, how flow our speech, how unskilfull our ex­pressions?

Thus we forsake Heaven for these things, which at last will forsake us, and trifle out our time in things that will not pro­fit us. Hovv farre are men novv [Page 76]adaies from that sweet resolutiō of Saint Hierome? Let others, saith he, live in their statues, in their costly monuments: I had ra­ther have S ^t Pauls Coat with his Heavenly graces, then the purple of Kings with their Kingdomes.

O that we would look thus lowly upon our selves; we are Christians in profession, O let us be such in practice: seeing that God hath made us stewards of his treasures, let us improve them to the benefit of our bre­thren. Hath God given us abun­dance of his blessings? Let us not hide our talents in a napkin: let us send our good works be­fore us into Heaven: these slender gifts, which thou doest cheerfully distribute in this world, will procure thee an e­ternall compensation in the world to come. That sweet [Page 77]speech of Saint John is worth ob­servation, blessed are those that dye in the Lord, they rest from their labours, and their works follow them. When our dearest friends, our sweetest pleasures, our most glorious titles of honour, the world it self, yea even our life it self shall glide away like a ri­ver, and turn to dust, then shall our good works follow us, non transeunt opera nostra (saith one) sicut transire videntur, sed velut aeternitatis semina jaciuntur; our good deeds die not with us, but they are sowne in earth, and spring in Heaven; they are an inexhaustible fountain, that shall never be dried up: a durable spring, that shall never fail. They are acts of time, short in their performance, yet eternall in their recompence; they build up for us, through the mercies of our [Page 78] God, an everlasting foundation for the time to come.

Loe then here we have set be­fore us viam ad regnum, the way to our eternity; let us goe on herein without intermission; presse forward with violence, & strive to attain the crown. Opulen­tia nimis multa est aeternitas, sed nisi perseve­ranter quaesita nunquam inver itur B [...]rnard Eter­nall joy is an abundant treasure, an everlasting wealth, but it is not given, save to them that seek it; yea that seek it with their whole hearts. Certainly did we as truly know, as we shall one day undoubtedly feel the bitter fruit, that our luke-warm profession, our grosse stupidity, and utter neglect of our everla­sting state, will produce and pro­cure us in the end, all our thoughts and language, all our affections and inclinations would be more eagerly imployed, and more faithfully exercised in our [Page 79]preparations for that building given of God, a house not made with hands, but eternall in the Heavens. Oh how senselesse are we, how stupid in our selves, Illud pro­pter quod peccamus, amitti­mus, & pecca [...]um ipsum re­tinemus. and wickedly injurious to our own welfare, who for a small gain, a sading pleasure, a fugi­tive honour wound our consci­ences, and hazard our souls, to stand as it were on the brink of hell?

The whole world, promised for a reward, cannot perswade us to endure one momentary tor­ment in fire: And yet in the ac­customed course of our lives we dread not, we quake not at e­verlasting burnings. But ô thou delicious and dainty soul, who cherishest thy self in the joy of thy heart, and the delight of thine eyes, whose belly is thy God, and the world thy Para­dise! [Page 80]O, bethink thy self be­times, before that gloomy day, that day of clouds and thick darknesse, that day of desolati­on and confusion approach, when all the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn and lament, and all faces (as the Prophet Joel speaks) shall gather blacknesse, be­cause the time of their judge­ment is come. Alas, with what a dolefull heart, and weeping eye, and drooping countenance, and trembling loyns, wilt thou at the last and great Assize look upon Christ Jesus, when he shall most gloriously appear with in­numerable Angels in flaming fire, to render vengeance on them that know him not? What a cold damp will seize upon thy soul, when thou shalt behold him, whom thou hast all thy life long neglected in his ordi­nance; [Page 81]despised in his members, rejected in his love; when thou shalt see the judgement seat, the † books opened, Fiet aper­tio libro­rum, scili­cet con­scientia­rum, qui­bus meri­ta & de­merita univ [...]rso­rum, sibi ipsis & caeteris, innotes­cent. thy sinnes dis­covered, yea all the secret coun­sells of thy heart, after a won­derfull manner, manifested and laid open to the eye of the whole world? What horrour and per­plexity of spirit will possesse thee, to view and behold, but the ry solemnities and circumstan­ces, which accompany this Judgement; vvhen thou shalt see the Heavens burn, the Ele­ments melt, the earth tremble, the sea roar, the sun turne into darknesse, and the moon into blood? And novv vvhat shall be thy refuge, vvhere shall be thy succour? shalt thou raign, because thou cloathest thy self in Cedar? shalt thou be safe, because vvith the Eagle thou [Page 82]hast set thy neast on high? O no, it is not now the greatnesse of thy state, nor the abundance of thy wealth, nor the privi­ledge of thy place, nor the emi­nency of thy worth, or wit, or learning, that cā avail thee ought, either to avoid thy doom, or prorogue thy judgement. All states and conditions of men are alike, when they appear at this barre. There the Prince must lay down his crown, and the Pear his robes, and the Judge his purple, and the Captain his banner; All must promiscu­ously attend to give in their ac­counts, and to receive according to that they have done, whe­ther it be good, or whether it be evil. Here on earth great men, and glorious in the eye of the world, so long as they can hold their habitations in the earth, [Page 83]have both countenance to de­fend, and power to protect them from the injuries of the times: but when the dismall face of that terrible day shall shew it self, then shall they finde no eye to pity, nor arm to help, nor palace to defend, nor rocks to shelter, nor mountains to cover them from the presence of him that sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the lamb. Give me the most insolent spi­rit, the most undaunted soul, that now breaths under the cope of Heaven, who now fears not a­ny created nature, no not God himself, yet when he shall heare that terrible sound, Arise ye dead and come to judgement, how will his heart even melt, and his bowels quiver within him; when he shall have his se­vere judge above him, and hell [Page 84]beneath him, and his worm within him, and fire round a­bout him. O then whosoever thou art, die unto thy sins, and unto thy pleasures here; that thou mayest live to God hereaf­ter; * Sic tibi cave, ut ca­veas teip­sum. goe out of thy self, judge and condemn thine own soul, for thy sinnes against God in this world, that so thou mayest com­fortably receive thy sentence of absolution in the world to come. Let us learn to be wise in time; let our sorrow for sinne antici­pate and prevent our punish­ment; satius est & suavius fonte purgari quàm igne: In inferno exomlo­gesis non est▪ nec pae­nitentia tunc tri­tibui po­test, con­sumpto tempore paeniten­di. He that grieves not heartily for his trans­gressions here, shall woefully smart for them hereafter. In hell there is no redemption for the time past, no confession, no repentance, but a sad and heavy exchange, and most uncomforta­ble [Page 85]translation, from a short and passing joy, to an endlesse, ease­lesse punishment.

Surely all the pressures and vexing distempers, that befall us in this life; all the crosses, which the envy, either of men or evil Angels can throw upon us, are nothing, if compared to eternall miseries. Sapienti ni­hil magnum videri potest, cui aeter­nitatis nota est magnitudo. What if with Saint Paul I underwent labours and perills, hunger and thirst, iniuries and reproaches, what is all this to eternitie?

What if I did bear in my flesh the most exquisite pains and bit­ter torments, that created nature is capable of, yet what were all this to eternitie? For all the ad­versities and alterations, which happen to us under the sun, have their periods, which they cannot [Page 86]passe: however they disquiet us for the time, yet as the Prophet Daniel saith, the end shall be at the appointed time, God will perform that which he hath appointed for me, saith Iob: yet us (que) ad tempus haec omnia, the end shall be at the appointed time. But of this eter­nitie there will be no end, no bounds can limit it, no time shall determine it. Certainly, first or last there will happen to thee such an evening, as shall have no morning to follow; or else such a morning, as shall never see the close of the sun: And therefore let not the vanishing cares, & trā ­sitorie disquietings of this world over deeply possesse thy heart; but rather let the whole stream of thy meditations run upon thy latter end; that at the time of thy dissolution; (thy affection being wholy alienated from the world) [Page 87]thy thoughts may ascend before, whither thy soule is coming af­ter: So shall thy sufferings here, make way for thy crown here­after.

But how few, ô how few, I say, are there that weigh these things? How few do make it their daily task to meditate on the evils to come? They credit not such re­ports; for they care not to be­leeve what they are unwilling to practise: Hence it is that they go on so securely in their course, as if there were no heaven, no hell, no God, no eternity. Thus we na­turally desire our dayes should be as happy as they are long, and being miserably insensible of the sorrows to come, we rashly ex­pose our selves to an irrevocable downfall. Nos ta­les, qui mortis nostrae ne­que nego­tium ri­dentes ex­equimur. Greg. Without sense or sorrow wee run merrily to hell, where we shall everlastingly [Page 88]feel what we did never fear, death and darknesse, weep­ing and gnashing of teeth. O how different are our times from those of our Ancestors? They were not more rigidly super­stitious, then we are vainly se­cure.

How did they pine their bo­dies, and afflict their souls, cruci­fie their most precious lusts, for­sake their friends, their lands, their inheritance, yea their Crowns and Kingdoms; nay which is more, through the rigid and austere observation of their strict and severe laws, expose themselves to the hazard and danger of their dearest lives, and thrust themselves as it were out of the world, and forgo all soci­etie with men? And wherefore all this, but that they might disburden themselves the better [Page 89]by these means from all earth­ly allurements; settle and dis­pose their hearts in a good pre­paration towards their home; and to enliven their affections, and inflame their mindes to a more serious contemplation of the joyes to come? Me thinks the consideration of these for­mer times, should strongly invite us to a more serious meditation of our future state, especially if we remember how swiftly our dayes draw to an end, and how soon we are involved in­to everlasting darknesse. For alas, what is our life here, Tota haec vita unius horulae mors est, one hour at the last will swallow up all our live-long daies. Let us thē not fear being so near our home, let no storms affright us, being so near our haven: let us examine our accounts, and cast up our rec­konings, [Page 90]that we may be able to give up a good account at the last day. Certain it is, what ever we goe about; whatsoever, be the scope of our endeavours; we eve­ry day come nearer to the end of our course, every houre is a nevv step onvvard.

So soon as ever a man enters this mortall life, he beginnes a constant journey unto death, quicquid temporis vivitur, de spa­tio vivendi tollitur: i. e. Each part of time that we passe, cuts off so much from our life, and the remainder still decreaseth; So that our whole life is nothing but a course or passage unto death, wherein one can neither stay nor slack his pace. This we know, our daily experience doth confirm this truth: and yet do we persist as securely, as ever in our trade of sinne: Aegrè abstra­himur [Page 91]ab ijs quibus assuescimus, i. e. we are hardly drawn from those things which custom and time hath inured us unto. It is a grievous burthen to a licentious heart to be drawn off from dain­ty fare, full cups, and good company. We lye as dead men, and senseles in our damned pol­lutions, even drowned in our voluptu ousnes, like brute beasts, filled up, and pampered for the day of slaughter. Thus with the full stream of our endeavours we plod on in the habituall course of provoking the patience of a long suffering God, with­out any sense of our sinne, untill our short dayes begin to shut in, and our evening approach; at which time the weaknesse of our bodies, and the strength of our sinnes, make us as unable to re­pent, as we were before unwill­ing [Page 92]We many times, through the incitement of some good mo­tion, beginne well, but fail in the execution; Fatemur crimina, sed sic fa­temur, ut in ipsa confessio­ne non dolemus. Calv. we make faire promises, but we doe not second them in our practice; but let us not deceive our selves, God will not be mocked, non verbis paeni­tentia agenda, sed actu: let us not promise God better obedience with our lips, then we perform with our hearts. Be not rash to vow a thing before God, but when thy word hath past thy lips, then be as carefull to per­form, as thou wast forward be­fore to promise.

Lastly, let us alwaies follow that holy counsell given in Ec­clesiasticus, In all thy actions think upon thy latter end, and thou shalt never doe amisse: and that of the Prophet David, keep innocency, and doe the thing that is right; for [Page 93]that shall bring a man peace at the last: peace with God, peace with men, and peace with our own conscience. In the world, saith our Saviour, shall ye have trouble, but in me ye shall have peace. The world is our sea, but Christ is our haven; the world is our warfare, but Christ is our rest: the world is full of storms, but Christ is our peace; in me you shall have peace. Hence it was, that the Saints of God alwayes have taken exceed­ing joy in their tribulation; be­cause Christ was their comfort and peace: he sweetned all their sorrows. Solus is charum non amit­tit, cui il­le charus est qui non amit­titur. Hence it was that Saint Augustine so resolutely brake forth; Hic ure, hic seca, modo in aeternum parcas; he re­garded not what pressures God laid upon him: So he vouchsafed patience here, and heaven here­after. [Page 94]What ever we doe or can suffer in this life, the abun­dance of our eternall joy, shall in­finitely recompense the vveight of our sorrovves: Our light af­flictions, vvhich are but foramoment, doe cause unto us a farre more excellent and exceed­ing weight of glory. Our com­bat here is short, but our tri­umph eternall. And who would not endure a few crosses and windings in his way, when he knowes they will bring him to his journeys end? Who would not, for a little season, expose himself to the mercy of the waves, Impossi­bile est, ut in utro (que) seculo be­atus sis, ut in caelo & in terra appareas gloriosus. Hier. to be tossed on the Sea, when he is assured, with S. Paul, to come safely to the shore?

Besides we must not expect to establish our happinesse here, and to enjoy our heaven hereafter. [Page 95]It is impossible a man should flow in his delights in this world; and then drink at the fountain of everlasting blisse in the world to come.

O then let us embrace the conflict, that we may obtain the Crown. Melior est modica amaritudo in faucibus, quàm ae­ternum tormentum in visceribus: i. e. a little gall in the mouth is not so painfull, as continuall tor­ments in the bowels. Farre better it is to summe up our reck­onings here, then to have our debts upon the score hereafter; Vna ho­ra erit gra­vior in paena, quam cen­tum anni in ama­rissima paeniten­tia. Thomas de Kemp. farre better to unloose our souls, from the immoderate em­bracements of the comforts of this world, and to endure the straits & pinchings of a more re­served course for sixty or seventy years in this life, then be eter­nally tormented for ever more.

Saint Chrysostome hath an ex­cellent expression to this pur­pose: Suppose a man, saith he, much desiring sleep, and in his perfect minde, had an offer made him of one nights sweet rest, upon condition to be pu­nished a hundred years for it: would he accept (think you) of his sleep upon such termes? Now look what one night is to an hundred years, the same is the life present, compared with that to come: Nay look what a drop of water is to the sea; the same, and no more is a thousand years to Eternity. Who then of sound judgement, for the short fruition of a transitory con­tentment in this life, would ex­pose himself to the horror of e­ternall flames in the life to come? And therefore whiles we have our abode in this vale [Page 97]of misery, we should alwaies pray with Saint Bernard, grant us, Lord, that we may so partake of temporall felicities, that we may not lose eternall. All things under the Sunne have their alterations and changings, but things above are permanent, and of an induring substance. He that can be secure, and sure of the happinesse to come, builds up his house upon a firm foun­dation. How small a modell of time, how short a period is the longest life, when once it is finished? Recollect with thy self, saith Saint Augustine, the years that are passed from Adams time untill now; turne over the whole Scripture, and the time since the fall will seem but as yesterday. For what are the times past? If thou hadst lived from Adams day till this hour; Da, Do­mine, ut sic possi­deamus tempora­lia, ut non perdamus aeterna. Omnia ei salva sunt, cui salva est beara a [...] ­ternitas. [Page 98]thou wouldst easily have jud­ged, that this life hath no perpe­tuity in it, which flees away so swiftly. For what is the life of any man, suppose the longest age? It is but like the morning dew, like the twinkling of an eye, in a trice it is gon. I have seen an end of all perfection, saith David. But here, ô Christian, let me deal more plainly with thee; thou wilt readily acknow­ledge all things under the frame of Heaven are perishing, and Heaven is thy thought, Eterni­ty is thine aym. Now if it be so, why art thou then so dul in thy course of holinesse, so fro­zen in thy zeal, so inclinable to every motion of sin, so easily o­vercome by every incitement to wantonnesse, never more calm and unseasonably patient, then when thy affections should be [Page 99]enflamed, and thy heart kindled with a just indignation in Gods cause? and on the other side, ne­ver more fretting, whining and unquiet, then when thou should­est be meek & patient, & cheer­fully disposed under the burden of afflictions? How can it be that we should have eternity in our mindes, & yet live no better in our manners? Now that we may the easier discern the de­ceitfulnes of our hearts herein; let us examine our selves by the example of Iacob. This Patriarch Iacob served his uncle Laban sea­ven years for Rachel his daugh­ter, and the greatnes of his affe­ction towards her, made that time seem but as a few dayes. (To apply this:) Thou art a Servant, as Iacob was, but thou serves not such a Master as Iacob did, thou serves not man, but [Page 100]God, thy maker and a faithfull rewarder; thou serves not for a wife, but for a kingdom; not for an earthly contentation, but for an heavenly habitation: And yet behold the short affliction of one day can enervate thy love, and unlock thy affections from God and heaven: Every crosse accident stops thee in thy course, every little sorrow disquiets thy soul, and lessens thy content­ment. Behold here, measure by the example of Iacob the strength of thy love: Iacob could serve seaven years with chear­fulnes for a wife; but thou canst hardly serve thy God so many dayes with a true affection for Heaven: For reckon up all the nights thou hast: spent in prayer, summe up all the dayes that thou hast worne out in religious exercises, and canst thou then [Page 101]truly say to God as Iacob did to his uncle, In thy service night and day have I macerated my body with heat and cold, and my sleep departed from mine eyes; twenty years have I la­boured in thy service: couldst thou say thus, and say it truly, ô then what would be the end of thy labour, what would thy re­ward be? not flocks of cattell, not the daughters of Laban, but God himself would be thy ex­ceeding great reward, thy life and happines; He would be unto thee every thing that thy heart can desire or long for; Thy soul should flowe, and even melt in abundance of spirituall de­lights.

But now take a little view of thine own vilenes, thy own na­kednes, thy utter disability to any thing that may be truly cal­led [Page 102]good. Thy hands are fee­ble to Gods work, thy feet are slow to Gods temple, thine eyes are seared, or shut up towards heaven; But for the works of flesh and Satan, thy heart is hot to envy, thy minde prone to re­venge, thy tongue voluble to blaspheme, thy affections even glued and incorporated, as it were, into sensuall embrace­ments; And is this to serve God for Heaven? shall the blessed­nesse of the Saints, and the glo­ry of Angels, and the joy, and fruition of God himself, be pow­red out upon such works as these? Dost thou thus requite thy maker?

O consider, consider, I say, thy waies in time; labour to serve God, as Iacob did: labour to approve thy self as faithfull to God, as Iacob was to his uncle [Page 103] Laban: And if the weight of the labour discourage thee, or ad­versity oppresse thee, or prospe­rity seduce thee; then lift up thine eyes to heaven, as Iacob did to his Rachel: Let heaven be thy love, thy spouse, the de­light of thine eyes, the joy of thy heart; Behold, thy Rachel is fair, and lovely, Heaven is both beautifull and glorious: Let thy desires goe before, whither thou meanest to hasten after: suffer for a season thy light affliction, having an eye to the recompence of reward; yet and but a little while, and thou shalt approach the haven, where thou shalt en­joy so much the more happines, Eo diri­gendus est spiritus, quo ali­quando est iturus. by how much the deeper thou hast drunk in sorrow; and by how much the more ardent thy affections have been towards God in this life, the more abun­dant [Page 104]shall thy reward be in the life to come; then shall thy cros­ses prove thy gains, and that well-spring of joy which shall ever rise in thy heart, shall swal­low up all thy sorrows.

CHAP. II. Shewing that there is no other way, nor possible means to attain to the true eternity, but by a confi­dent affiance upon the mer­ey of God in Christ.

SUch and so deplorable is the condition of every man, con­sidered in his corrupted and de­generated state, that albeit he be able by that small spark of natu­rall illumination, which is left in his minde, to see as in a glasse, darkly and obscurely an eternity to come; yet is he utterly igno­rant [Page 105]of the true way thereunto, neither hath he any possibility in nature to finde it out: He is in no better state then the poor cree­ple at the pool of Bethesda, who saw the waters that could heal him before his eyes, but found no means to help him into them. For that sound and perfect knowledge of the true way, which man was adorned with in his first creation, is wholly lost and extinguished in him, he is now a meer stranger from the life of God, Ephes. 4.18. dead in tres­passes and sinnes, Ephes. 1.2. re­probate to every good work, Tit. 1.16. his very minde is defiled, Tit. 1.15. his wisdom is death, Rom. 8.6. Nemo aliunde Deo pla­cet, nisi ex eo quod ipse dona. verit. He is no more able of himself to leade a holy life, ac­ceptable to God, then a dead man is to perform the actions of one that is alive. Being thus [Page 106]disrobed of all spirituall endow­ments and saving grace: how shall he attain to that joyfull Eternity, which his soul (as I have said) may long for, but can no way reach? Certainly, there is no light to lead him, but that Si Chri­stum ha­bes, aeter­nitatem per Chri­stum in te habes. Alst. light of the world; no way for him to take to, but that new and living way, even him, who hath stiled himself, the way, the truth, and the life; no rock to cleave to, but this strong founda­tion; no name under Heaven to be saved by, but this, even this alone, Iesus Christ, yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever. He, and he alone is the onely sure, effectuall, infallible means of our salvation: He alone is the true High Priest, who was once offered to take away sinnes, and after that entered into the true sanctuary, the very Heaven, to [Page 107]appear in the fight of God for us, where he is able perfectly to save them, which come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Heb. 7.26. He alone is the ground of our hope, the crown of our glo­ry, and the strength of our con­fidence. Oculum tuum Do­mine non excludit cor clau­sum, nec manum tuam re­pellit du­ritia homi. num. Aug. It's he alone, who by the sweet influence of his grace, and by the secret working of his spirit, can (when he will,) and doth (when he please) subdue and bring under the most obdu­rate, gainsaying, and rebel­lious heart, to a cheerfull, wil­ling, and ready obedience to his heavenly will. O the infinite and inexpressible tendernesse of our loving Saviour to wards us! When we, like sheep, had gon astray, his mercy reduced us: When we lay wallowing in our blood, his pity refresht us: [Page 108]When we were dead in our sins, his death did revive us: and here we may truly say with Da­vid, his mercy reacheth to the Hea­vens. From the Heavens came the price of our redemption. We were not, neither could we be redeemed by the blood of bulls and goats, by thousands of ri­vers of oyl, by the cattle that are upon a thousand mountains. It was not the treasures of the world, the power of men or An­gels could purchase this free­dom, nothing could cleanse us, but the blood of the Lamb: He was that fountain, opened for sin, and for uncleannesse; He was that Sonne of righteousnes, that came with healing in his wings. His were the wounds, that healed our sores; his was the back, that bare our sorrows; his was the price, that quit our [Page 109]scores; he assumed our flesh to redeem us here, and he reigns as a king to crown us hereafter. Now what remains after all this to be done on our parts? Let us rest on this Anchor, let us flee to this hold, and build on this foundation: For no other founda­tion can any man lay, then that which is laid, Iesus Christ. Let us cast our souls into the arms of our Saviour: In brachijs Salvato­ris mei & vivere vole, & mori eupio, saith S. Bernard: O let this be our desire: Now the gate is open, let us not deferre the time of entrance: Now is the ac­ceptable time, let us not procra­stinate the season: Now he of­fers his mercy, he shews his long sufferance, let us not turn his grace into wantonnesse; let us follow the counsell of the sonne of Sirach: Eccles. the 5. Make [Page 110]no long tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from day to day: For suddainly shall the wrath of the Lord break forth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed, and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance. But alas, farre otherwise it is with us in our practice: Magna pars vitae elabitur male agen­tibus, maxima nihil agē ­tibus, tota aliud a­gentibus. A great portion of our time is crumbled away in doing ill, a greater part in do­ing nothing, and our whole life in doing that which we should not, or in matters (as we say) up­on the by. And as Archime­des was secure and busy about drawing lines on the ground, when Syracuse was taken: so is it with us. Now that our eter­nall safety lyes at stake, we lye puzling in our dust, I mean, in our worldly negotiations: But for our eternity shortly ap­proaching, we seldom or rare­ly [Page 111]think of it. We are, like Martha, trouble about ma­ny things, when one thing is necessary: But this one thing is that, which of all other things is least regarded, and in the last place. We seldom seek heaven, till death doth summon us to leave the earth: we have many evasions to gull our own hearts, many excuses to procra­stinate our repentance; like Dio­nysius the Sicilian king, who to excuse himself for the present de­livery of the golden garment, which he took from his god A­pollo, answered, that such a robe as that was, could not be at any season of the year usefull to his god: it would not keep him warm in the winter, and it was too heavy for the summer: So many there be, saith S. Ambrose, who play with God, and with [Page 112]their own soul. You must not (say they) seek for the vigour and life of Religion in the hearts of young men; For youth, as the proverb is, must have his swinge: neither can you expect it in the company of the aged: for their age, and those distempers, which accompany it, make them a burden to themselves, and dulls the edge of their intentions unto all their serious undertakings. Thus both the summer and the winter of our age are unfit for Gods service: But let us not thus cheat ourselves. If God be God, let us follow him; let us not put off the day of reconciliation, and say in our hearts, To morrow we will do it, when yet we cannot tell, vvhat shall be to morrovv: for vvhat is our life? It is even a vapour, that appears for a little time, and afterwards vanisheth [Page 113]away. Hence it was that Macedo­nius, being invited a day before to a feast, replyed to the messenger, Why doth thy Master invite me for to morrow, whereas for this many years I have not promised to my self one daies life? Nemo mortem satis ca­vet, nisi qui sem­per cavet. No man dreads death as he ought, but he that alwaies expects his sum­mons; and therefore we may truly judge such men wofully se­cure, and wilfull contemners of the future good, who can go to their beds, and rest on their pil­lows in the apprehension of their known sins, without a particu­lar humiliation for them. For how oft doth a sudden and un­expected death arrest men? We see and know in our daily expe­rience, many lay themselves to sleep in health and safety, yet are they found dead in the morning. Thus suddenly are they rapt [Page 114]from their quiet repose to their irrecoverable judgement, per­chance from their feathers to flames of fire; such is the frail condition of our brittle lives, vvithin the small particle of an hour, live, and sicken, and die: yet so grosse is our blindnesse, that from one day to another, nay, from one yeer to another, we triflingly put off the reformation of our lives, untill our last hour creepes on us unlookt for, and dragges us to eternitie.

Saint Augustine, striving with all his endeavours against the backwardnes and slownes of his own heart to turne to the Lord, bitterly complained within him­self, Quamdiu, quamdiu, cras, cras? Quare non hâc horâ finis turpitudi­nis meae? How long (saith he) ô how long shall I delude my soule with to morrows repentance? [Page 115]Why should not this hour ter­minate my sinfulnesse? We are every minute at the brink of death, & every hour, that we passe thorow, might prove (for ought we know) the evening of our whole life, and the very close of our mortalitie. Now if it should please God to take away our souls from us this night (as suddenly falls out to some) what would then become of us? In what Eternitie should we be found? Whether amongst the damned, or the blessed? Happie were it for us, if we were but as carefull for the welfare of our souls, as we are curious for the adorning of our bodies: if our clothes or faces do contract any blot or soiling, we presently en­deavour to cleanse the same: But though our souls lie inthralled in the pollutions of sin, this alas we [Page 116]feel not; it neither provokes us to shame, nor moves us to sorrow. Wherfore let us look into our hearts with a severer eye: Let the shortnesse of our dayes stir us up to theamendment of our sinful lives; and let the hour, wherein we have sinned, be the beginning of our reformation, according to that of Saint Ambrose, Agenda est paeni­tentia, nō solum sol­licirè, ve­rumetiam maturè. Our re­pentance must be, not onely sincere, but timely also: whilest we have the light, let us walk as children of the light: Let us not any longer cheat our souls in studying to in­vent evasions or pretences for our sins; but rather lay open our sores, and seek to the true Physi­cian, that can heal them. All the creatures under the sun do natu­rally intend their own preservati­on, and desire that happinesse, which is agreeable to their na­ture: onely man is negligent, and [Page 117]impiously carelesse of his own welfare. We see the Hart, when he is striken and wounded, looks speedily for a certain herb, well known unto him by a kinde of naturall instinct; & when he hath found it, applies it to the wound. The swallow, when her young ones are blinde, knowes how to procure them their sight by the use of her Celandine: But we alas are wounded, yet seek for no remedy; we go customarily to our beds, to our tables, to our good company; but who is he that ob­serves his constant course of prai­er, of repentance, of hearty and sincere humiliation for his sins? We go forward still in our old way, and jogge on in the same rode: Though our judgement ha­sten, hell threaten, death stand ar the door, yet we thrust on­ward still; & in dulcem declina­namus [Page 118]lumina somnum: But alas, miserable souls as we are, can we embrace quiet rests and uninter­rupted sleeps with such wound­ed consciences? Can we be so se­cure, being so near our ruine?

But you will say, we have pas­sed already many nights without danger; no sicknesse in the night hath befalne us hitherto, why then should any fear of death amaze or trouble us?

Admit all this, yet, be not too confident; one hour may accom­plish that, which a thousand years could not produce: and think with your selves, what a little distance there is, between your souls and death: Let me ask the strongest of men on earth, what certainty of life canst thou promise thy self, seeing that either a little bone in thy throat may choak thee, or a tile from [Page 119]thy house may brain thee, or some malignant ayre may poi­son thee, Tu te pri­us ab­reptum miraberis, quam me­tueres ab­ripien­dum. and then where art thou? There are a thousand waies, whereby suddenly a man may come to his end; and certain it is, that Mors illa maxime impro­visa est, cujus vita praecedens non fuit provida, i.e. that death is the suddenest, which is not ushered in with a foregoing preparation. It is therefore a speciall point of wisdom to think every day our last, yea to account every hour the period of our lives. For look how many pores there are in the bodie, so many windows are there to let in death: yea, we car­ry our deaths continually about us in our bosomes; and who can promise himself his life till the evening? Death doth not al­wayes send forth her harbingers to give notice of her coming; she [Page 120]often presseth in unlookt for, and suddenly attacheth the unprovi­ded soul. Watch therefore, be­cause ye know neither the day, not the hour: work whilest ye have the day; for the night comes, wherein no man can work: look towards thy evening, and cast thy thoughts upon that long Eternitie; Death first or last will apprehend thee: expect it therefore at every turn, and of this assure thy self, Q [...]alis quisque in hac vita moritur, talis in die novissimo judicabi­tur. as death lea­veth thee, so shal judgement finde thee. How improvidently se­cure then are those, who set up their rest in the comforts of this life, and overly-regard their eter­nall welfare? This is the gene­rall carelesnesse of our times.

If a man have a perpetuitie but of five shillings yearly rent, what travel, and pains, and sweat, what beating of his braine and [Page 121]exhausting of his treasure wil he run thorow, before he will lose one dram of his right? Yet our eternall inheritāce is cast behinde us, & undervalued as a trifle, not worth the seeking, & this shews our small love to our home: for we little esteem of that which we take small pains for. All other things, which conduce to our temporall well being, we seek with circumspection, and en­joy them with content, but matters of Eternitie we con­ceive of, as things far distant from us, we scarcely entertain them in our thoughts. We busie not our understandings in the search of those things which we see not: things present & obvious to our sight do best affect us. We are ill sighted upward, weak and dim eyes have we towards heaven.

The truth of this appeares even in children, who presently [Page 122]even from the cradle, drink in the rudiments of vice; they learn to swear, riot, drink, and the like enormities with the smallest teaching; but they are utterly in­disposed to any vertuous inclina­tions. They soon apprehend what belongs to the curiositie of behaviour, and deportment of the body, and the fashions of the times; Hoc discunt omnes ante Al­pha & Beta puelli; but for Hea­ven and that Eternity, they are wholly averse from it, they are utterly uncapable of the things above; they carry about them, as the liverie of their first parents, not only an indisposition, but a very opposition to goodnesse: And whereas for other imploy­ments and undertakings, they have certain naturall notions in them, bending their intentions to naturall works, some one way, and some another; yet they have [Page 123]not so much as any apprehension of the things of God. Homo sine gra­tia praeter carnem nihil sa­pit, intel­ligit aut potest. Thus it is with children, and thus it is with all men, even those of the ripest, and most piercing under­standing, untill the light of Gods Spirit hath shined on the hearts, and powerfully wrought some spirituall holy dispositions in in them. The naturall man (saith the Apostle) neither doth, nor can discern the things that are of God. O how infinitely miserable and deplorable is his state, who ha­ving neither knowledge of the true life, nor possibilitie of him­selfe to finde it out: Cum ex­ul sit a pa­tria exul­tat in via. yet runnes on securely in his damned way, untill he fall wofully and irreco­verably into the pit, wher he will not have, (no not when he hath uncomfortably worne out mil­lions of years) the least intermis­sion of sorrow, or drop of com­fort, [Page 124]or hope of pardon? Here on earth malefactors condemn­ed to die, have this comfort (though wretched) that one hour commonly terminates all their griefes in this life: but the torments of the damned are not concluded in an age; nay, the end and period of ten thousand yeers will not end their sorrow: And this is it which adds more to their sufferings, even their un­happie knowledge of the per­petuitie of them; they have not so much as any hope of releas­ment.

Hope in this life hath such a power in it, that it can yeeld some comfort in the middest of trouble; the sick man, whilest his soul is in him, he hath hope, but after this life, this small refresh­ment is denied the damned, all their hope is turned into despera­tion. [Page 125]The prophet Daniel, cap. 4.14. heard the voice of an holy one crying, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit, nevertheles leave the stump of his root in the earth. Thus it is with men in this world, saith Ambrose, their leaves and their flowers are shaken; their delights are taken from them; but the roots remain, and their hope is not abolished. But it is not so in hell; (saith he) There both flower & stump; nay, & even all hope too, are banished away frō them. The day of the Lord, saith the prophet Malachi, shall burn them up, & leave them neither root nor brāch. The very hope, saith Salomō, of the wicked shal perish; what should this teach us, but whilst our hope remains, to improve our few daies to our best advātage, to make straighter paths [Page 126]to our selves, to abridge our in­ordinate appetites, in some mea­sure of their vain and fruitlesse joyes; and with all the power of our affections strive to attain that haven, where no billow shall af­fright us, no storms astonish us, no perils indanger us? Then shall our dissolution prove our gain, and our death our glory: if other­wise we persist wilfully in the paths of our voluptuousnes, and solace our selves in the vain ioyes of our own hearts, & in the sight of our eyes; certainly it will be bitternes in the later end. Ext [...]ema gaudii lu­ctus occu­pat. All our earthly delights will glide away lik a swift river: The rejoy­cing of the wicked is short, saith Iob, and the joy of a sinner is but for a moment: Though his excellen­cie mount up to the heaven, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet shall he perish for ever like his [Page 127]dung, but the righteous is like a strong mountain, and he shall be had in everlasting remembrance.

Wherefore to draw to a con­clusion, just occasion might here be taken for deploring the neg­ligence, and unhappy condition of our times. Where are there any that take into their thoughts the due consideration of the time to come? Sic pleri­que vivi­mus ac si f [...]bula [...]s­set omni [...] aeternitas. Where shall we finde any truly provident for immor­tality? we so live as though we conceived of Eternity but as of a fable, or a dream; the sweet allurements of sin doe so strang­ly beguile many, that by gentle degrees they obliterate, and ex­tinguish in them all love of ver­tue, and the very inclinations themselves to any thing, that may be truly tearmed good.

But let us no longer delude our selves, by fancying a perpe­tuity [Page 128]on earth, behold the judge stands before the door: Momē ­to fiet, quod tota doleat ae­ternitas. Ante ocu­los prae omnibus habeamus diem ul [...] mum, & momentis singulis supplicia timeamus dolorum aeternorū. The strongest holds in the World will not be able to detain us one minute, when God shall be pleased to call for our souls: and therefore let us, before all things, have continually in our sight the last day: and let us every moment fear the punishment of eternall pains.

CHAP. III. Certain conclusions drawn from the serious and devout considera­tion of Eternity.

The first conclusion.IF they, who runne on in any notorious sin, Confecto demum scelere, e­jus mag­nitudo in­telligitur. did but rightly weigh how fast they goe to­wards the Eternity of torments, (since that by the least command or stroke of God, they may be [Page 129]unavoidably hurl'd to death and destruction:) Certainly they would not, for all the kingdomes in Europe, for all the treasures of Asia, nay not for the whole world, deferre their repentance one houre; much lesse would they goe so confidently to their beds, without fear or horrour, being so near the pits brink, and lying in the danger of so great a sin: For what would it profit a man, to winne the whole world, and lose his soul? wherefore who ever thou art, Nulli parcas, ut soli parcas animae, Omnia si perdas animam servare memento: what ever become of all other things, yet have a speciall care for the salvation of thy precious soul.

II. Our heads are fild with care in these strait and pinching times, how we shall live in the world, when our souls should [Page 130]be more inquisitive? how we shall live out of the world, when death hath landed us in eter­nity. For what matters it, how short our stock of provisions be here, where we are breaking up house, and on the point of de­parting? A man that comes to an Inne, if he meet with hard fare, course lodging, it never troubles him: for it is, sayes he, but for a night, I shall away next morrow; so our habitati­ons in this world, are but like Jonahs gourd, they shelter us but (as it were) for a night; I care not formans day (saith the Apo­stle) and in truth wherein is it to be regarded? for what is mans day to eternity? What is it to that God with whom we must live for ever? Therefore care we not whether our sailes be high or low, or what vain men [Page 131]think of us, but what the eter­nall God thinks of us: and what we shall be thought of in that Kingdom, where we must live and abide for ever.

III. Did faith give men as cleer a sight of spirituall things, as sense doth of temporall, what manner of lives would they live? how would they be exalted in the world above the world? I have lost, saies one, the favour of such and such great men: but is there not ten thousand times more sweetnes in the favour of God? These spoil­ing times, saith another, have be­reaved me of wife, children, e­state, what ever was neer and dear unto me; well, but is not the Author of all thy comfort alive still? and will not the light of the fun content thee, though all thy candles be put out? cheer [Page 132]up, man, bare Christ is wealth enough; if God be thy portion, thou injoyest infinitely more, then the world can lend thee: For all creature-comforts have but their measure, and proporti­on of goodnes in them: no crea­ture hath all good in it; Cloaths serve but to warm us, meat to nourish us, houses to shelter us, physick to recover us, but God hath all good in himself: he is sight to the blinde, health to the sick, liberty to the captive, light to them that sit in darknes, all things to all men. They that put their trust in the Lord, saith David, Shall want no man­ner of thing that is good. This is very full, no manner of thing that is good: mark what God said to Abraham, I am thy exceeding great reward; God is a reward, an exceeding great reward to [Page 133]his people; when you take in any creature comfort, you doe but sip at Gods bounty: but when you taste of God himself, oh then you have a fulnes indeed. In thy presence is fulnes of joy, and at thy right hand, there is pleasure for evermore.

IV. We carry immortall souls about us, and therefore we should have immortall aims, immortall ends. When Satan shall tender any thing as lovely to thy apprehension, say to him, will thy pleasure, thy security, thy ease, to which thou invitest my soul, abide for ever? I can­not be happy but in an eternall good. That which must fill up all the chinks of my soul, must be a pure good, a totall good, and an eternall good. If the good I doe injoy, be not pure and all good, then some thing [Page 134]must be wanting, and there will be imperfection: and though it be pure and all good, yet if not unchangeably so, then it is but like a candle, which at last will be extinguished: and the consi­deration that it must end, will diminish my happines, and abate my joy. But sure I am, my Sa­viours counsell is sweet and sa­ving, and incloseth fulnes of comfort in it; Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth to eternall life. Since a portion may be had in dyamonds, why should I set my heart on lumber?

V. Some begin to live, when they are about to dye, and this estate is perillous: and some doe dye before they beginne to live, and this estate is desperate; the speediest work is safest, when thou tradest for eternity. Too [Page 135]late providence is often se­conded with everlasting repent­ance.

6. Many there are, Caesi ad aeternita­tem ade­unt, ex qua nun­quam exi­bunt. who runne headlong, and blindfold to their long home, like the rich glut­ton in rhe Gospell, which ne­ver began to open his eyes and look upwards, till he was in tor­ment: All the while he lived on earth, his eyes were shut up, and when it was too late, namely when he was thrown to hell, then began he to look upward and about him.

So many now adaies they goe on in a pleasing and easie way; And In via nemo er­rat, sed in fine viae, via pluri­bus placet, sed dis­plicet & terret viae t [...]rminus. they are never sensible that they are out of the way, till they arrive at the end of their journey. All the misery lies in the close of the day, For out of the pit is no redemption: when once the soul is split upon this [Page 136]rock, it gives to the world his everlasting farewell, according to that of Job. cap. 7.9. as the cloud vanisheth and goeth away; so he that goes down to the grave, shall come up no more, he shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

VII. It is recorded of Lazarus, that after his resurrection from the dead, he was never seen to laught; The stream of his affecti­ons were now turned into ano­ther chanell; his thoughts were fixt in heaven, though his body was on earth: and therefore Aeternis inhianti in fastidio sunt om­nia transi­toria, Bern. he could not but slight tempo­rall things, when his heart was bent towards eternall. Oh, that we could work our hearts and souls to a vehement thirst after Christ, the true eternity! For if Christ be our end, our joy shall be endlesse, nullo fine regna­bis [Page 137]cum Christo, si Christus tibi finis.

VIII. The minde of man is so much the more sensible of the evil present, by how much lesse it meditates on the good to come. For he that looks to­wards the reward, will vilify the sufferings. Saint Austin runs on sweetly in his meditati­ons upon this subject; Eternall labour, saith he, is but an equall compensation for an eternall rest. But if thou shouldest en­dure this eternall labour, thou couldst never arrive at that eter­nall rest: Therefore hath the mercy of God ordained thy sor­rows to be temporall, that thy joys may be eternall; and yet, saith he, Ubi est cogitatio Dei? ni­mis pro­fundae fa­ctae sunt cogitatio­nes Dei. Aug. who is there, that thinks on God as he ought? Such thoughts are irksome to us; But for temporall vanities we think [Page 138]of them with delight; and enjoy them with contentment: Now, saith he, look in and about thy self, Noli gau­dere ut piscis, qui in sua ex­ultat esca, nondum enim tra­xit hamum piscator. Aug. see where thou art; God hath his hook in thy nostrills, and can pluck thee up when he pleaseth: and though he suffer thee (according to thy calculati­on) a long time, yet what is the longest time of man to eternity? Yea though thou shouldest lengthen out thy dayes to ma­ny hundred of years; yet still thou art transitory, and exposed to the common condition of all men. Then fix thy heart on God, and so enjoying that eter­nity, thou shalt make thy self eternall; and be not discoura­ged for thy tribulations, and daily disquietings in this world: for such is gods love, such his abundant kindnes towards his elect; that he Ideo Deus ter­renis faeli citatibus amaritu­dinem miscet, ut alia quae­ratur fae­licitas, cu­jus dulce­do non est fallax. corrects them, [Page 139]to the end they might not be condemned with the world hereafter. Be not therefore (I say) cast down with any cros­ses whatsoever, that may befall thee in this life; for the things that are present, are temporall, but the things to come are eter­nall. When we see the friends of this world, the eager embra­cers of the comforts of this life, upon every summons of death strive to deferre, what they can­not utterly avoid, their corpo­rall dissolutions; oh how great care, what indefatigable dili­gence, what restlesse endeavours should we use, that we might live for ever? Let us again, and again, meditate on these things, and with due care foresee eter­nity, before we unexpectedly fall into it. Certain it is, Omnia transeunt, fola restat & non transibit aeternitas. all things passe away in this life, on­ly [Page 140]eternity hath no period: let us redeem the time, and work while we have the day: for if we neglect good duties here, we shall never regain the like op­portunity hereafter. This life (saith Nazianzen) is as it were our fairday or market-day, let us now buy what we want, while the faire lasts; while we have time, let us doe good unto all men: Tu dor­mis sed tempus tu­um non dormit, sed ambu­lat imo volat. Be­ne illis qui sic vi­vunt, sicut vixisse se volunt cum moti­endum e­rit faci­antque eaquae in aeternitate constituti fecisse se gaudebū [...]. Amb. Happy is the man that so lives here, that the remem­brance of his well-spent life, may yeeld him joy hereafter; For o­therwise levis hic neglectus, ae­ternum fit dispendium, i.e. A small neglect in the ordering of our time in this world, will be se­conded with an eternall losse in the world to come.

IX. Death is the ending of our dayes, not of our life. For when our day shall close, and our time [Page 141]shall be no more, then shall our death conduct us to a life, which will last for all Eternity: For we dye not here to dye, but to live for ever. Therefore the best guide of our life, is the conside­ration of our death: and he a­lone leads a life answerable to his Christian profession, who daily expects to leave it. Me thinks 'its strange, men should be so industriously carefull to avoid their death, and so carelesly im­provident of the life to come, when as nothing makes death bad, but that estate which fol­lows it: but the reason is, we are spiritually blinde and see not, nor know, in this our day, the things that belong to our peace. We have naturally neither sight nor feeling of the joyes to come. But when God shall enlighten the darknesse of our mindes, and [Page 142]reveal his sonne in us, vvhen once the day dawneth, and that day-starre ariseth in our hearts, ô then our death will be our joy, and the rejoycing of our hearts, then shall we infinitely desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Let us therefore with unwearied endeavours labour to bring Christ home to our hearts, and to keep him there. Let us dye to our selves, and to our lusts here, that so in the world to come, we may ever­lastingly live unto Christ and in him.

Some directions for the better or­dering of our lives, in the way to a happy eternity.

SInne and grace are both eter­nall, both reach to eternity; and so doe all the actions that [Page 143]proceed from either. Hence it follows, that a gracious life, is the beaten path-way to a glori­ous eternity. Therefore to the end thy Being hereafter may be as happy, as it must be long: take in these directions.

In all thy dealings amongst the sonnes of men, be that thou seemest; amuse not the world with flourishes, labour not to be more outwardly glorious, then inwardly sincere. Alas, what a melancholy peece of busines will it prove in the end, to be a man of praises, as it were, for a day: and afterwards (if repent­ance prevent it not,) to be a man of sorrows for ever? to have this life comfortable, and eternity miserable? What ever thy hand shall finde to be done, cast first in thy thoughs: Whe­ther durst I act this same thing, [Page 144]were I now to die? Quic­quid agis, quicquid suscipis, tecum pri­us cogita, num tale aliquod ageres, si hac hora esset mo­riendum. Its good to live by dying principles. A frequent arraignment of thy heart, will render thy life com­fortable, thy death peacefull, thy eternity glorious, and shel­ter thee from many snares and temptations, which otherwise sin and Satan would cast upon thee.

When thou settest upon any religious duty, seriously weigh with thy self, what the temper of thy heart is towards it. Oh what a sad thing is it, (if judiciously balanced,) to think I have begun, and ended a holy duty, before a most holy God, but felt not what I spake. My heart was sealed up: labour there­fore above all things, whilst thy soul in any exercise is in com­munion with God, to keep thy affection on the wing, and strive [Page 145]not so much to be long winded, as heart-wounded in thy petiti­ons, as knowing assuredly, that when once thy devotion is flat­ted, (though thy speech doe con­tinue,) thy prayer is done.

We live in dismall dayes, fire and sword rage round about us, yet our greatest enemies lodge in our bosome. Labour thou by thy prayers and pains to master thy corruptions: Then cruell cut throats, though they may pull thy heart from thy body, can never take God from thy heart, then death it self, (that king of terrors) need not affright thee, because hereby thy soul is but let out of a cage, and her out going from this life, is but an in going to a better.

When once thou hast devoted thy self to the service of God, thou wilt finde thy heart to be a very busy thing. Thou wilt e­ver [Page 146]and anon be forcing thy self upon vows and resolution, to doe more for God, to fight more eagerly, more effectually against thy worser self; but remember this by the way, that self-con­fidence is an inlet to often fail­ings; Therefore ingage Christ with thee, in all thy purposes: and let S. Pauls. profession, in this particular, be thy instructi­on, and digest it into practice; I can doe all things through Christ that strengthens me.

There is now adayes much wording of religiō in the world, but favour and frowns, like strange byasses, doe frequently twist men round; and this is the garb of these unhappy times; but to avoid intanglements of this nature, study to be quiet, and meddle with thine own busines: (and as it is said of humble men,) be thou more troubled with thy [Page 147]self, then with all the world be­sides. Live (as thou canst,) a disingaged man. Innocency, and Independency, are prevalent means to keep the soul close to God.

I have done with directing thee: the Lord direct us all, that our reformation may be answerable to our incoms of mercy, otherwise, though all our enemies were destroyed, yet shall we finde divisions enough at home to ruine us.

X. Now that we may be the better incouraged to raise up our endeavours to the attainment of this happy eternity; Let us in a word consider the abundant, and the ever-flowing happines in the world to come; Neither eye hath seen, nor eare hath heard, nor tongue can expresse the joys that God hath provided for them that love him. Saint Augustine being ravished with the desire of [Page 148]this life breaketh out with an inflamed affection: U [...]nul­lum erit malum, nullum latebit bonum. how great shall that happines be, where there can be no unclean thing, where no good can be wanting; where every creature doth praise and admire his Creatour, who is all in all things? How great shall that reward be, Fraemiun virtutis critipse, qui virtu­tem dedit. where the river of vertue shall be himself the reward of vertue? how great shall that abundance be, where the author of all plenty shall be unto me life and soul, and ray­ment, health, and peace, and ho­nour, and all things; yea the end and compleat object of all my desires? For in his presence is the fulnes of joy, and at his right hand there is pleasure for ever­more. How great shall that bles­sednesse be, where we shall have the Lord our debtor, who hath promised to reward our good deeds; where we shall have the [Page 149]Lord for our portion, who will be to us, (as he was to Abraham) our exceeding great reward? How great shall that light be, where the Sunne shall no more shine by day, nor the moon by night; where God shall be our light, and the Lord our glory? How great shall that possession be, where the heart shall pos­sesse whatsoever it shall desire, and shall never be deprived of its possessions? Here will be to the Saints an abundant, everlast­ing, overflowing banquet; no grief can accompany it, no sor­row succeed it. Here is joy with­out sadnesse, rest Quies motus nō appetitus. without la­bour, wealth without losse, health without languor, abun­dance without defect, life with­out death, perpetuity without corruption. Here is the beatifi­call presence of God, the com­pany of Saints, the society of [Page 150]Angels. Here are pleasures, which the mindes of the behold­ers can never be wearied with; they alvvaies see them, and yet alwaies rejoyce to see them: These are the flagons of wine, vvhich comforted up David, when he cried out, According to the multitude of the sorrowes which I had in my heart, thy comforts have refreshed my soul: In coelo est vita ver [...] vitalis, In heaven, and onely in Heaven is the true life: For there our memories shal live in the joyfull recordation of all things past; our understandings shall live in the knowledge of God; our wills shall live in the fruition of all excellencies that they can wish for, all our senses shall abound in their severall de­lights. Here is that white stone, which Saint Iohn speakes of, even glory and immortality to them [Page 151]that overcome. Here is that water of life, which our Saviour speakes of, whereof whosoever drinks shall never thirst again. Here is that river, the springs whereof make glad the hearts of men: And how earnestly are we invi­ted to these delights; come buy, wine and oil without money? Heaven is at sale, and thou maist buy if thou wilt, and shrug not at the greatnesse of the price, give but thy self to God, and thou shalt have it. And who would not abandon his honours, his pride, his credit, his friends, nay himself? Who would not be willing to passe thorow the gates of hell, and endure infernall tor­ments for a season, so he might be certain of so glorious and eternall an inheritance hereafter? Let all the devils in hell (saith Saint Augustine) beset me round; let fastings macerate my body; Coelum venale est, nec mul­tum exae­stues pro­pter pretij magni­tudine [...] te ipsum da, & ha­bebis il­lud. Aug. [Page 152]let sorrows oppresse my minde; Bone Je­su qui par cendo sae prus nos à te abijcis, feriendo effice ut ad te rede­amus Ger. med. let pains consume my flesh, let watchings dry me, or heat scorch me, or cold freeze and contract me; let all these, and what can come more, happen unto me, to I may enjoy my Saviour. For how excellent shall the glory of the just be? how great their joy, when every face shall shine as the sun; when our Saviour shall martiall the Saints in their di­stinct orders, and shall render to every one according to his works? O were thy affections rightly setled on these heavenly mansions, how abject and under­neath thee wouldest thou esteem those things, which before thou setst an high price upon? As he which ascends an high mount­ain, when he cometh to the top thereof, findes the middle steps low, and beneath him, which seemed to be high to him while [Page 153]he stood in the bottom; so he which sends his thoughts to hea­ven, however he esteemed of the vanishing pleasures of the world, when his heart lay groveling on the earth below, now in this his transcendency he sees them un­der him, and vilisies them all in regard of heavenly treasures. Let us therefore chearfully follow that advice of a reverend Father: Quod a­liquando per neces­sitatem a­mittendū est, pro ae­terna re­munerati­one spon­te est di­stribuen­dum. Let us here willingly part with that for heaven, which we must first or last necessarily leave upon earth, and let all the strength of our studies, and the very height of our endeavours be dispended for the attainment of Eternitie. For certaine it is howsoever we live here like secure people of a secure age, and how­ever we waste out the strength and flower of our dayes, as if we should never account for it; yet our judgement is most sure; [Page 154]and shall not be avoided: The sentence of the Judge will be one day most assuredly published, and shall not be revoked: We must all appear (saith Saint Paul) before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Then shall our wickednesse be brought to light, which now lies hid in darknes. I saw the dead (saith Saint Iohn, Revel. 20.12.) both great and small stand before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the books, according to their works; and whosoever was not found witten in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. Thus it is evident, every man shall give up his account; every soul shall first or last come to his reckoning: [Page 155] Multorum vocatio, paucorum ele­ctio, omnium retributio; Many are called, few chosen, but all re­warded according to their deeds. Oh then let us prepare our selves to meet our God; let us come be­fore him with fear, and tremble at his judgements. Fear not him, (saith our Saviour) who when he hath killed the body, can do no more, but fear him, who can cast both soul and body to hell; I say, him fear. Oh hovv many of the Saints of God trembled and quaked, when they have meditated upon the last judgement? Hierom saith, as oft as I think of that day, how doth my whole body quake, and my heart vvithin me tremble? Cyril saith, I am afraid of hell, because the worme there dies not, and the fire never goeth out: I horribly tremble (saith Ber­nard) at the teeth A den­tibus be­stiae infer­nalis con­tremis [...]: quis dabit oculis me­is fontem lachryma­rum, ut prç eni­am fleti­bus fletū & strido­rem den­tium? of that infernall beast. Who will give to mine [Page 156]eyes (saith he) a fountain of tears, that by my weeping here I may prevent vveping and gnashing of teeth hereafter? And have the Saints of God thus shrunk at the thoughts of hell? hovv should then the loyns of the vvicked quake and tremble?

Come novv thou prophane vvretch, of a prophane age, vvho at every vvord almost that drops from thy irreligious mouth, speakest damnation to thy soul: bealching out ever and anon, these or the like execrable speeches, Would I were damn­ed if I knew this or that; God damne me body and soul, if I doe it not. Alas, alas, seemeth it a light thing in thine eyes, to play with flames, to sport thy self with everlasting burnings? Tell mee, dost thou know, or diddest thou ever cast it in thy thoughts, what a condition it is [Page 157]to be damned? Hear a little and tremble; Thou shalt there, to thy greater horrour and amaze­ment, see much joy, but never feel it: for thou shalt see Abra­ham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God, & thou thy self thrust out, Luke. 6.13.28. As touching thy company: Though here on earth, thou wouldest not perchance be hired to lodge one night, in a house haunted with spirits, yet there thou must inhabite with unclean divels for evermore, Matth. 25.41. And to conclude in this thy cur­sed estate thy heart and tongue shall be full of cursings and blas­phemies. Thou shalt blaspheme the God of heaven, for thy pains and sores, thou shalt curse those that were the means to bring thee thither; curse the time that ever thou lost so many [Page 158]goldē opportunities of getting grace, that thou hast heard so many ser­mons, and no whit bettered by them. Curse thy self, that slightest so many wholsom reproofs, which might have happily been improved to the saving of thy soul. Say now (desperate fear­les sinner) canst thou be content in the apprehension of these miseries, to curse thy self again to the nethermost of hell? or on the contrary, dost thou now begin to be ashamed and con­founded in thy self, and is thy consci­ence affrighted with the ugly face of thy sins, and of those bitter torments that abide them? Know then, thou hast to deal with a God, who when thou art truly moved for thy sins, an mourn for thy sufferings, Jer. 31.20. Thou hast to deal with a God, who will meet thee when thou approachest to him, if thou worke righteousnes, and remember him in his way, Isa. 64.5. Thou hast to deal with a God, who doth account it his strange work to punish, Isa. 28.21. And he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, Lam. 3.33. Yea, thou hast to deal with a [Page 159]God, who hath graciously proclaim­ed to the whole world, that he de­lights to shew mercy: yea, with his whole heart, and with his whole soul, Jer. 32.41. Oh then be wise now for thy soul in time, and think it a mer­cy, that thou art yet on this side hell. And whatever thou judgest thy self worthy to be condemned for, at that terrible barre, condemn thy self for it before hand, that the Lord may say, I will not judge this man, because he hath judged himself already. And be assured, where mans conversion be­gins, there Gods displeasure makes its period.

Excellent is that advice of Saint Gregory, weigh (saith he) and con­sider the errours of thy life, while thy time serves; Tremble at that strict judgement to come, while thou hast health, lest thou hear that bitter sentence, ( Goe ye cursed) goe forth against thee, when it is too late. Did man know what time he should leave the world, carnall wisdom would prompt him, to proporti­on his time, some to pleasure, and some to repentance. But he that [Page 160]hath promised pardon to the peni­tent, hath not assured the sinner of an houres life. Culpam tu [...]m (dū vacat) pē ­sa, & di­strictionē su u [...] ju­dicij (dū v [...]les) ex­horresce, ne tunc amaram sententi­an [...]udias; cum nul lis fletib [...] evadas. Since therefore we can neither prevent, nor foresee death, let us alwaies expect it, and provide for it. Let us dye to our sinnes here, that we may live to Christ hereafter, and let us suffer with Christ in this world, that we may rejoyce and raign with him in the world to come. When we de­part this life, we goe to an eternity, to an eternity, I say, which shall ne­ver end, never, never, me thinks this word, never, hath a mountanious weight in it; to an eternity which maketh every good action infinitely better, and every evill action infinite­ly worse. Oh the unhappines & ever­lasting woe of those men, who pre­ferre the small and trifling things of this life, before the eternall weight of glory hereafter: who to enjoy the short comfort of a miserable life here, are content to lose the pre­sence of God, and society of Angels for ever hereafter.