It is Storied of Alexander that when he heard of the riches of the Indies he gave away all his present Possessions that he had in Macedon and being asked why he did so He answered I hope and look for far greater things than these Oh that we could imitate this Heroick Resolution To contemn our present enjoyments in comparison of our future hopes This is the third Duty Duty The fourth The fourth and last is this Let us frame our selves to a Heavenly Conversation Though our commoration or abode be upon earth let our Conversation be in heaven Phil. 3.20 For hereby we shall be sitting our selves for that Glory that shall be revealed If one of you were to have an Inheritance in Spayn you would learn the Spanish tongue and the Spanish fashion you would frame your selves to the custom of that Country or Kingdom where you were to spend your dayes Why surely ye look for an Inheritance in Heaven among the Angels yea to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Equal to the Angels Luke 20.36 Why do you not frame your selves to an Angelical Conversation You look to be like them in dignity strive to be like them in duty To do your Fathers Will on earth as the Angels do it in heaven To this end Let us every day take a turn or two with Christ on Mount Tabor take a prospect of heaven and turn every Solemnity into a school of Divinity Let us say as Fulgentius did when he saw the Nobitity of Rome sit mounted in their bravery Si talis est Roma terrestris qualis est Roma caelestis If Rome be such a glorious place what is Heaven If the Musick on earth be so delightfull how unconceivably sweet and melodious will the Musick of heaven be Thus a Sanctified fancy may make every creature a ladder to heaven Use 2 To close up al with a word of Consolation This Doctrine may be as an Alabaster box of precious oyntment to refresh and revive the spirits of all true Believers all the Saints and Servants of Christ in the midst of all the troubles and trials sorrows and sufferings that can befal them There is a Crown of Eternal Glory prepared for you which may make your hearts dance for joy yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry and when he comes he brings his Reward with him Rev. 22.12 Then shall ye hear him speaking comfortably to you he will speak to your hearts and say Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Enter ye into the joy of your Lord and Master Mat. 25 20. q. d. This joy cannot enter into you because of your straitness but ye may enter into it because of its fullness The Sea cannot enter into a Hogshead because the Vessel cannot contain it But the Hogshead may enter into the Sea because the Sea can fill it To conclude There are 4. principal Names whereby the Holy Ghost expresseth the felicity of the Saints in heaven 1. It is called a Life and such a Life as is Eternal 2. It is called a Glory and such a Glory as is a Crown 3. It is called a Kingdom and such a Kingdom as is Immutable and Unmoveable 4. It is called an Inheritance and such an Inheritance as is Immortal Now tell me poor fainting drooping Soul What is it that thy heart can wish Or what can bear up thy spirit under all afflictions reproaches difficulties and discouragements whatsoever if this cannot do it Is there any thing thou lovest better than life Is there any better life than a life of glory Is there any glory greater than a Crown of glory Is there any Crown so desireable as that which comes by Inheritance Is there any Inheritance so admirable or delightfull as that which is immortal undefiled and such as newer shall fade away Lift up thy head therefore because thy Redemption and eternal Glorification are so near at hand say to thy own Soul as that godly man did on his death-bed Hold out faith and patience thy work is almost at an end Encourage thy self as Basil tells us the Martyrs encouraged one another when they were cast out naked in a Winters night being to be burned at a stake the next day Sharp it the cold but let us endure a while and Abraham's bosom will warm us Troublesond is the way but the end of the journey will be sweet and pleasant Let our feet burn awhile that we may dance for ever with the Angels Let our hands feel they fire that we may lay hold on Eternal Life The Lord Jesus work these things upon our hearts that they may make an abiding Impression Amen I have done with the Text. Let me speak something to the Occasion How seasonably this Text may be applied to our dear deceased Brother Daniel Waldoe Esquire one that fined for Alderman in this famous City whose Funerals we this day solemnize ye that knew him and his Conversation may easily conceive He was a man trained up in the school of affliction for many years together being exercised with that acute and tormenting disease of the Stone about 30. years And doubtless God by that long and sharp affiction was preparing him for eternal glory partly by purging out his dross and making him white as the Scripture phraseth it Dan. 11.35 and partly by teaching him the exercise of Patience and perseverance For that speech of the Apostle was verified in him Rom. 5.3 Tribulation worketh patience It is a Paradox to Reason for affliction in its self and its own nature worketh Impatience and makes a man fret and fume like a wild Bull in a net as the Prophet speaks Isa 51.20 But when God works with it then it worketh patience and makes a man say with David Be silent unto the Lord O my Soul Psal 62.5 Do not utter an impatient word Yea his Afflictions taught him not onely Patience and submission but also self-denial and sympathy or a fellow-feeling with others miseries He could sigh in their sorrows and bleed in their wounds and be affected with their sufferings as if they had been his own In brief the Rod taught him that excellent Lesson To have a heart weaned from the world for the Rod has a voice Micah 6.9 and it spake to him in that language which the Prophet used to the Jewes in Babilon Micah 2.10 Arise ye and depart for this is not your rest The Testimony therefore that I may give of this worthy Citizen without flattery or partiality is this First He was a very humble man low in his own eyes no way self-consident or self-conceited And I am of the same opinion with that famous Divine Dr. Harris late of Oxford that was wont to say He valued no man for his gifts but for his humility under them Certainly the more Grace any man hath in his heart the more base he will be in his own eyes Did ye
easie the glory of beleever in the life to come is a weighty glory Weighty did I say Yea It is an hyperbolical or transcendent glory The Apostle useth such a high-flown expression here in the Text as is not to be found in any other Author sacred or prophane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exceeding excessive weight He could not find a word high enough to express the greatnesse of it Deus coeâ—um non patiuntur hyperbolen God is so â—nfinitely great and heaven is so unconceiveably glorious that we cannot either think or speak too highly of them for eye hath not seen nor ear heard neiâ—her have entred into the heart of man then things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Thirdly The Afflictions of a Beleever in this life are but for a moment the glory wherewith he shall be invested in the life to come is an everlasting glory The words being thus opened and cut out there are three points of Doctrine especially observable in them which will draw out the strength of the Text Viz. Doctr. 1 1. The Afflictions which the godly meet with here on earth make way for that glory and happiness which is laid up for them in heaven Doctr. 2 2. The Afflictions of this life are but light and eafie The glory of the life to come is a weighty and transcendent glory Doctr. 3 3. The Afflictions of this life are but for a momenty The glory prepared in the life to come is an everlasting glory To begin with the first Doctrine which is this The Afflictions which the godly meet with here on earth make way for that happinesse which is laid up for them in heaven For the explication and confirmation of this truth there are three Queries would be satisfied 1. What those afflictions are which the godly meet with here on earth 2. Why God will have his children exercised with those afflictions 3. How or in what respect these afslictions make way for that glory and â—appiness that is laid up for them in â—eaven For the first Querie What those afâ—lictions are Ans The godly meet with afflictions of all sorts both inward and outward â—roubles 1. They are exercised often with inward troubles viz. temptations and spiâ—â—ual desertions the tumblings tosâ—ings and disquietments of their own pirits which lye as a heavy burden upâ—n the soul far more afflictive and inâ—upportable then any outward crosse or â—ffliction on the body or estate can be for a wounded spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 Thus ye hear Heman that godly wise man complaining Psal 88.3 My soul is full of troubles and David crying out Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquteted within me yea it sometimes falls out that the terrors of the Almighty do set themselves in battel array against them Job 6.4 and come upon them with that violence that they are distracted under them Psal 88.15 While I suffer thy terrors saith Heman I am distracted so that a godly man ye see may be brought to the condition of distraction and a child of light may for a time walk in darkness without the least sense or apprehension of peace or comfort Isa 50.10 Secondly The godly are exercised with outward troubles such as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the five terrible things that Aristotle speaks on Viz. Ignominy poverty persecution sickness and death For the first of these viz. Ignominy the best of Gods children have been reproached and reviled counted troublers of Israel as Elijah was 1 Kings 18.17 and men of contention is Jeremy was Jer. 15.10 and pestilent fellows and movers of sedition as Paul was Acts 24.5 Yea they are counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the scum and off-scouring of all things to this day 1 Cor. 4.13 Was not the lord Jesus reviled to his very face John 8.48 Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil Yea accounted an Impostor or deceiver Matth. 27.63 a blasphemer Matth. 26. 65. he hath spoken blasphemy and a sad-man John 10.20 He is mad and â—ath a devil why do ye hear him For the second of these Viz. Poverâ—y it hath been the condition of the Saints here on earth God hath kept them very low that by the poverty of their condition they might be brought to poverty of spirit God usually keeps his soundest sheep on the shortest Commons Ye read of poor Saints 〈◊〉 Jerusalem Acts 15.26 They were precious Saints yet very poor yea some of whom the world was not worthy yet wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute wanting some necessaries for a time afflicted and tormented Heb. 11.37 For the third particular viz. Persecution it hath been the portion of Gods most eminent servants as our Saviour has foretold Matth. 10.23 They shall persecute you from one City to another yea all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Christ himself was no sooner born then banished Matth. 2.13 It was the Motto of famous Mr. Rothwel who was called the Apostle of the North Persecutio est pignus futurae gloria Persecution is the pledge of that eternal glory which we expect For the fourth viz. Sickness the best of Cods servants are exercised with it Timothy was a rare yong man eminent for piety nourished or nursed up in the words of faith and of good doctrine 1 Tim. 4.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had sucked piety with his mothers milk yet he was much acquainted with bodily sickness and distempers as appears by Pauls counsel to him 1 Tim. 5.23 Drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomacks sake and thine often infirmities He had not onlyone infirmity but divers infirmities and those not once but often disturbing his health yea God will have it so that the sickness of the body may conduce to the health of the soul A very Heathen could say Tunde Anaxarchi manticam nam Anaxarchi minime teris Beat my sack saith he meaning his body but thou canst not hurt my soul So here God will have the body which is but the sack for the soul is the treasure in the sack beaten and bruised with sickness aches and infirmities that the soul may be preserved and kept without hurt till the day of the Lord Jesus For the fifth particular viz. Death The best of Gods servants are not exexempted from it for what man is he that liveth and shall not see death shall he deliver his soul h. e. his life from the hand of the grave Psal 89.48 It is true the Lord Christ has delivered his members from the sting of death but he hath not exempted them from the storke of death and the reason may be this because he will have his members conformable to their head that as the Captain of our salvation was made perfect by sufferings Hebr. 2.10 and by the gates of death entred into glory so must all his
in strong afflictions and violent temptations For the third Head Thirdly God will have his children exercised with afflictions in reference to their Duties Partly to Fit them for service Quicken them in service 1 To fit them for service Roses while they are in a Nosegay carryed in your hand they are of little use but put them in a Still and bring them to the fire and then they yeeld you both a sweet Cake and sweet Rosewater So here while God carries us as it were in his hand or dandles us on his lap in a way of prosperity we are in a manner uselesse or do him very little service but when he brings us to the fire of affliction we are more usefull to him and he has more service from us Remarkable is that Scripture Acts 9.15,16 Our Saviour speaking of Paul He is saith he a chosen vessel to me to bear my Name before the Gentiles I but how does it appear that he was a vessel so serviceable to his Master It follows in the next words For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my Names sake as if he should say By sufferings I will fit him for service 2. As afflictions fit us for service so they help to quicken us in service we are usually in our way to heaven like tops we run no longer then we are whipt In working for our Lord and Master we are for the most part like a team of horses that if the whip be not held over them they will quickly be at a stand 3d. Querie for Explication is this How or in what respect these afflictions make way for that glory and happiness that is laid up for the Saints in light Ans The Text tells ye They work for us or make way for the obtaining of that Crown that is set before us Quest But how do they work for us Ans They work not by way of merit as the Papists would have it for what proportion is there between finite sufferings and an infinite or endless reward between light and inconsiderable sufferings and a superlative weight of glory If our afflictions were meritorious they must bear some proportion with that reward of glory which we work for and wait for at the great day of Christs appearing but there is no more equality or proportion between our afflictions in this world and the glory of the world to come then there is between a drop of water and the whole Ocean see what the Apostle saith to this purpose Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed I dare boldly say If a man could endure the torments of Hell for a thousand yeers on earth he could not thereby merit one hours fruition of glory in heaven The Papists therefore that hope by their Pennances and Purgatory satisfactions to merit heaven at the hands of God shall be so far from meriting by their sufferings that they shall suffer for their merits Quest But if afflictions do not work glory by way of merit how then do they work it Ans They work glory on a threefold account 1. By the free grace and mercy of a bountiful God and Father who rewards the services and sufferings of his children for his own sake and his promise sake and according to his own heart so doth David acknowledge in that gratulatory confession 2 Sam. 7.21 For thy words sake and according to thy own heart hast thou done all these great things Yea he looks especially at the merits of his own dear Son our blessed Redeemer who has purchased this priviledge for us with his own blood that all things even afflictions themselves should work together for our good Rom. 8.28 2. Afflictions work or make way for glory by making us conformable to Christ our Head for he first drunk of the brook in the way that is as he passed through the world he drunk of a troubled brook of bitter sorrows and sufferings in the day of his humiliation before he lifted up his head in the day of his exaltation Psal 110.7 And therefore our Saviour used that language to his Disciples Luke 24.26 Ought not Christ first to have suffered these things and so to enter into his glory So then these afflictions when they are sanctified make us conformable to a suffering Saviour and if we be conformable to him in his Cross We shall also be conformable to him in his Crown If we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him Rom 8.17 3. Afflictions work glory for us because they work us for that glory that is they fit us and prepare us for the fruition of it They help to make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 Qu. How do they fit us or make us meet to be partakers of that eternal glory Ans These three ways do they fit us for glory 1. They help to purge out that drosse and filth of corruption which as it is odious to the Lord so is it prejudicial to our own salvation for there shall in no wise enter into heaven any thing that defileth Rev. 21.27 Now affliction helps to purge out this filth to purifie us and make us white Dan. 11.35 Hence is it that affliction is compared to a furnace Isa 48.10 I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction Look what the fire is to the mettal or the fan to the chaffe or the file to the rough iron the same is affliction to every teachable sinner It helps to rub off his rust to cleanse him from his chaffe and to refine him for his Masters use 2. They fit us for glory by helping us to act and exercise our graces and the more our graces are brightned the more fit are we to have communion with a holy God Therefore he corrects us for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Herb. 12.10 Now the more holiness we have here the more we are fitted for eternal happiness hereafter Thirdly they fit us for glory Because they wean us from the world and the love of it The Lord by some smarting rod or other knocks us upon the fingers when he sees us take too fast hold on these uncertain vanities the hardship and several straits that we meet with on earth make us long to be in that place where all tears shall be wiped from our eyes Revel 21.4 yea everlasting joy shall he upon our heads and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Isai 35.10 Vse 1 For the Application of this Point We may improve it 1. By way of Information There are these two Doctrinal Inferences that may be hence deduced First Lesson The first is this That afflictions are not so evil grievous or hurtful as we take them to be We look upon afflictions usually with an eye of prejudice an evill eye and therefore when any unexpected crosse or calamity does befall
The afflictions of this life are but light and easie the glory of the life to come is a weighty and superlative glory There are two Branches in this Doctrine which I must distinctly open and confirm Viz. 1. That the afflictions of this life are but light and easie 2. That the glory of the life to come is a weighty and superlative glory Branch 1 For the first of these That our afflictions are light and easie This ye will say seems very strange and incredible for it may be objected Object Do not we see Gods own children sometimes groaning under such heavy burdens as are ready to break their backs or sink them down into the dust doth not David say Psal 69.2 I sink in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me doth not Heman that godly wise man complain Psal 88.7.15 Thy wrath lies hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves yea I am so sadly afflicted that I am ready to die and that which â—s yet sadder these afflictions have lasted not a few days or years but a long time Even from my youth up till this say And does not holy Paul speaking of the trouble which befell him in Asia say expresly 2 Cor. 1.8 That we were pressed out of measure above strength insomuch that we despaired even of life How then can the afflictions of the godly be said to be light and easie Answ To this I answer The afflictions of the godly are not light and easie in themselves but lye heavy upon them and make them sometimes cry out in the anguish and bitterness of their spirits as Job did chap. 6.12 Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh of brass Am I made of so hard mettal that I can endure any thing Am I a sea or a whale that thou settest a watch over me ch 7.12 How long wilt thou not depart from me nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle ver 19. But in two respects they may be said to be light and easie to be born 1. If ye consider them comparatively compared either with The torments of Hell which are prevented Or the joyes of heaven which are prepared for them For the first of these Compare the afflictions of this life with the Torments of hell and they are but a fleabiting in comparison of that worm that dieth not and that fire that shall never be quenched Oh who is there living upon earth that understands the power of Gods anger or that dreadful indignation the mountains and milstones of wrath that lie upon the damned in hell and will lye for evermore Psal 90.11 It was a devout Meditation of Austin Domine hic ure hic seca modò in aeternum parcas Lord cut me here on earth with the sharpest knife of affliction bruise me here nay burn me here to that thou spare me hereafter and keep me from everlasting fire For the second Compare the afflictions of this life with the joyes of heaven that are prepared for the godly and then they are exceeding light and inconsiderable what is a drop of Vinegar put into a hogshead of Wine it is nothing it is swallowed up and not discerned What is it for a Prince to travel in a rainie stormie day when he is riding to take possession of a Kingdom He esteems steems the rain not worth regarding Pericula non respicit Martyr coronam respicit saith Basil A Martyr looks not at the danger that is before him but at the Crown of glory that is beyond that danger If one of you should have a Jewel of five hundred pound thrown at you and in the throwing it gives you a blow upon the hand but you have the Jewel for the blows sake you would esteem the blow as nothing for the Jewels sake What one affliction crosse or calamity is there that can be named which is able to posze one smile of Gods face And if a smile an earth be able to sweeten the bitterest cup and to ease the heaviest burden that can lie upon us what will the full fruition of God in glory be If a woman in travel though she have torturing pain for a while yet as soon as she is delivered of the child remembers the anguish no more for joy that a man is born into the world as our Saviour tells us John 16.21 How much more may that unconceivable joy and happiness that is laid up in heaven when it is enjoyed but one day nay but one hour make the godly forget all their sorrows and sufferings which they endured here on earth for many yeers together 2. Afflictions are light and easie in regard of Gods gracious supportation that he affords his servants in bearing of them Here the Psalmist speaking out of his own experience Psal 94.17 19. Unless the Lord had been my helper my soul had almost dwelt in silence When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy o Lord held me up In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Gods supporting hand made a heavy burden easily born And indeed it is worthy our Observation ☜ Obs When God does not support a man in the day of tryal the lightest affliction will be so heavy that he shall sink under it see it in Ahitophel when he saw that his counsel was not followed a man would have thought this had been a very small tryal for so wise a man and so great a Politician to grapple with but God leaving him to himself he sinks under it he goes home to his house and hanged himself 2 Sam. 17.23 On the contrary when God does support a man in a dark and cloudy day as the Prophet calls it Ezek. 36.12 the heaviest affliction that can befall him shall be so equally poized that he shall be able to stand under it see an instance in David 1 Sam. 30.1 6. His City Ziklag is burnt with fire his two wives Ahinoam and Abigail were taken captive David and the people that were with him wept till they could weep no longer and that which was yet worst of all the people spake of stoning him for very grief and anger that their sons and daughters were carried captive here was a sore affliction indeed such a doleful distress as might have broken a man to pieces but God supporting David he stands under it without fainting He encouraged himself in the Lord his God Thus I have made good the first Branch of the Doctrine That the afflictions of the Godly are light and easie Branch 2 The second Branch is this That the glory of the life to come is a weighty and superlative glory It is called here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A weight of glory alluding to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies both weight and glory It is the weight of gold that adds much to the value of it The more weighty a Crown is the more it is
in the Kingdome of their Father Matth. 13.43 Vse For the application of this Doctrine If the glory of the life to come be so weighty and transcendent then we learn this undoubted truth That the service of God is no unprofitable service It was a lying slander that those Blasphemers cast upon the ways of God when they said Mal. 3.14 It is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Just like some at this day What good is got by fasting and praying and that precise walking that Preachers presse us to from day to day O had these men ever seen but one glimpse of that beauty that is in grace which is glory begun or one tast of that heavenly glory which is grace ferfected then they would acknowledg we can serve no such master as God is either for work or wages as he is the best master so is he the best pay-master To thee therefore that walkest after the course of this present evill world and according to the will of the Prince of the air the fpirit that worketh mightily in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 Let me propound that Question which Saul did to his servants that stood about him 1 Sam. 22.7 Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds So say I to you Can sin or Satan or the world give you such wages as this such transcendent glory as this in seeing God enjoying God and being made like to God No no they will pay you with sorrow and vexation with shame and confusion and condemnation to all eternity Consider seriously of it before it be too late for the time will come when you will befool your selves and say O what sots and senseless wretches were we that willingly deprived our selves of that weighty and transcendent glory for a few stinking lusts and the pleasures of sin for a season We thought the service of God unprofitable and burdensome saying What A weariness is it Mal. 1.13 But now Oh that we had been a thousand years fasting and praying mourning and weeping Oh that we had been ten thousand years excercising the strictest duties of Religion self denial renewing repentance mortification contempt of the world and the like rather then have lost this weight of glory for it is an invaluable unconceiveable and irrecoverable loss the tears of Hell are not sufficient to bewail the loss of Heaven Thus will it be I say it again thus will it he with all you that neglect so great salvation and account Gods service an unprofitable service The Lord of his infinite mercy awaken you to Repentance So much for the second Doctrine Doct. 3 The third Doctrine is this viz. That the afflictions of this life are but for a moment the glory of the life to come is an everlasting glory That the Afflictions of this life are but for a moment appears in this Because our life if it were ten times longer then it is in comparison of Eternity is but a moment of time Mine age is nothing before thee Psal 39.5 It is but as a drop of water in comparison of all the water in the Ocean That the glory of the life to come is an everlasting glory the Scripture brings in abundant Testimony the Righteous shall enter into everlasting life saith our Saviour Matth. 25.46 And heaven is called a Kingdom that cannot be shaken Hebr. 12.28 Earthly Kingdoms are quickly shaken to pieces the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords can as easily tosse Kingdomes as we can toss a Tennis ball where are the four great Monarchies of the world the Babylonian Persian Grecian and Roman They devoured one another and death devoured them all but this heavenly Kingdom cah never be moved neither is it capable of any change corruption or alteration Doth not the Apostle call it an inheritance incorruptible and undesiled and suck a one as fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1.4 Doth he not call it a crown of glory that never withers of waxethold 1 Pet. 5.4 O this ETERNITY ETERNITY ETERNITY It is such a great depth or bottomless Ocean that it swallows up all our thoughts it is that which makes every mans condition either infinitely happy or incomprehensibly miserable In reference to the wicked such as have no interest in Christ no work of grace upon their hearts no fear to offend God nor care to please him It may smite their hearts with that fear and consternation that gastly horror and doleful confusion that if I had the tongue of men and angels I were not able to express it suppose a little Bird should every thousandth year fetch a drop of water out of the Ocean how many millions of years would it be before this bird could empty the Ocean Surely this is but a picture of eternity so long and infinitely longer shall those damned wretches suffer the torments of Hell fire without end or ease without mitigation or intermission In reference to the godly this Eternity may ravish their hearts with admiration and holy exaltation or rejoycing in Spirit that the glory prepared for them is such as shall never have end After a million or thousand thousand years expired their glory is but begun and when ten thousand millions are past their glory is not hear to an end That golden speech of Bernard Momentaneum est quod delectat aternum quod cruciat The pleasures of sin are but for a moment the punishment of sin is everlasting may by way of Inversion be fitly applyed to all true beleevers the sufferings they meet with are but for a moment the pleasures at the right hand of God which they expect are for evermore at thy right hand saith David Psal 16.11 are pleasures for evermore In brief it is the highest pitch of the misery of the damned in Hell that their punishment is everlasting and yet their torments are so great that every moment seems an eternity On the contrary It is the highest pitch of the Saints happiness in heaven that their joyes are everlasting and yet these joyes are so fresh that their eternity seems but a moment Vse For the Application of this Point There are four duties of infinite concernment that I would presse upon you in reference to this eternal glory O that I could prevail with you to put them in practise Duty 1 First Give all diligence to clear your title to this eternal glory that you may know it is prepared for you I say for you Quest But how may we clear our title to this Inheritance Ans Ye must labour to get evidences of your election make your calling and election sure saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 that is make your Election sure by your calling prove one and prove both if ye be called with an internal as well as an external vocation ye may be confident