their great happiness consists in this that they have God for their Reward and Portion so this is said to be eternal Thou art the strength of my heart and my Portion for ever (d) Psal 73.26 But this will further appear if we consider what ways or in what manner God may be said to be enjoyed by the Saints all generally agree that the great happiness consists in the enjoyment of God but there is a great dispute amongst the Schoolmen about the way namely what act or operation of the Soul it is by which God is more chiefly enjoyed The Thomists contend for the understanding affirming that it chiefly consists in the sight and knowledge of God The Scotists would have it consist in the love of God a third sort place it in that delight and complacency the Soul takes in God But after we have scanned all the Arguments brought by each party it will be hard to determine to which of these it is more chiefly to be referred it is not to be doubted but it consists in all these and though any one of these singly much more all joyntly make for the greatness of this happiness yet that which is the Crown and Zenith of this happiness is because it is eternal as appeareth from Scripture in the fore-named Particulars 1. Much of Heavens happiness consists in the sight of God which is therefore termed the Beatifical Vision Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God (e) Mat. 5.8 When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is (f) 1 Joh. 3.2 It is disputed whether we shall see God in his essence or only some beamings forth of him if in his essence whether the Divine essence shall be immediately represented to our sight or whether there be a light of Glory strengthning and enabling the sight to behold him if so whether that be an uncreated light to wit that infinite splendour and brightness streaming from God himself of which the Psalmist speaketh in thy light we shall see light (g) Psal 36.9 or whether it be a created light created by God to this purpose whether this sight be only mental as most determine or whether the bodily eye shall be so strengthned and elevated as to see God as may be Problematically argued from two Texts the one Text is As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness (h) Psal 17. last where the Prophet seems to speak of a further sight he should have of God when he awaked at the Resurrection whereas that mental sight he should have before his awaking The other Text is Now we see through a glass darkly then face to face now we know in part then shall we know as we are known (i) 1 Cor. 13.12 Either the latter clause must be only an exegesis an explanation of the former which is not so likely or else there must be some difference between seeing and knowing which is the sight of the mind but these disputes I wave as not so pertinent to the present purpose whatsoever sight it be it will be a blessed one the chief reward of the blessed and that which chiefly makes it so is because it is for ever what our Saviour speaketh of the Angels that they always behold the face of his Father (k) Mat. 18.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perpetuo Aethiop at all times and throughout all times may be as truly spoken of the Saints who in respect of immortality are said to be equal to the Angels (l) Luk◠20.36 as they shall always be with the Lord (m) 1 Thes 4.17 so they shall always see his face and be everlastingly satisfied with his likeness 2. From the sight of God I come to the love o◠God which followeth upon the other our love o◠things is usually proportionable to the knowledge we have of them things not at all known are not at a◠loved things but in part known are but in part loved here we know God but in part we see parts of his ways but how little a portion is heard of him [o] Job 26.14 We do not see a thousandth part of that beauty nor taste a thousandth part of that sweetness that is in him and that is one reason why our love to him is so weak wereas in Heaven when we shall see God in all his beauty when that Sun of Righteousness shall appear in all his glory displaying on every side the rayes of his Divine perfections Oh what loves what ardent and tenflamed affections will the sight of God produce in us when we shall see him as he is we shall love him as he is when we shall see him face to face we shall love him heart to heart our love will be every way proportionable to our sight and knowledge as we shall see him eternally so we shall love him eternally Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God [p] Rom. 8.39 it is true both of Gods love to us and ours to him but the latter say our Annotators seemeth better to agree with the antecedents Charity never faileth Prophecies and Tongues and some kinds of Knowledge cease but Charity never [q] 1 Cor. 13.8 13. and in this respect chiefly it is preferred to Faith and Hope when Faith is turned into fruition and Hope into possession Charity is in its greatest lustre 3. Others place happiness chiefly in that joy and delight the Saints have in the enjoyment of God and this followeth upon the former as their love is proportionable to their knowledge so their joy to their love as their knowledge and love is full and perfect so their joy so full as that it cannot enter into them but they enter into it Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord [s] Mat. 25.21 If in this life when they see him not yet believing they rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory [t] 1 Pet. 1.8 Oh what joys what extasies what ravishments of Spirit must needs flow from that full and perfect sight and enjoyment of God in Heaven God will be as a deep Sea of blessedness saith Nazianz. [u] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sea that hath neither bank nor bottom the Saints as mystical fishes solacing themselves in those Crystal streams yea God will be as their great Shepherd carrying them into his green pastures and leading them beside the still waters and they like sheep feeding among the Lillies of his Divine Perfections God as that great Master of the Feast setting them at his own Table and himself coming forth to serve them [w] Luke 12.37 they as chearful guests filling and satisfying themselves with the fatness of his house God as a great Load-stone saith Salvian perpetually drawing by the powerful attractives of his love and sweetness the Saints as the Iron clinging to him by an inseparable love
we do every work we do is a step to Eternity as every step a Traveller taketh bringeth him nearer to his journies end so every motion and action done by us is a step to our eternal condition every good action setteth us nearer an eternity of happiness every bad action carrieth us nearer an eternity of misery No sooner is any thing acted but it is presented to the All-seeing eye of God and being viewed and censured is forthwith transmited either to eternal reward or eternal punishment many things in this life which are transient in their nature are yet durable as to their issue A lease is written over in three or four hours yet the concernment of it may be for many years sometimes for many lives in like manner it is with us our thoughts words and actions do not dye as soon as they are past but are as seeds which are sown in time and come up in Eternity whether we pray or sin whether we do well or wickedly we are sowing and these several seeds sown in this world will certainly come up in the world to come We read of some Rivers which after they have run some space fall under-ground and cannot be seen but after many miles running under the earth break up again into a great stream there are many actions we do which are no sooner done but we as soon forget what we have done they pass out of our sight but every one of these will rise up in eternity and will make our eternity either more happy or more miserable Cast thy seed upon the waters saith Solomon for after many days thou shalt find it (c) Eccles 11.1 It is more properly meant of works of Charity but will hold in all other works which though at present they pass out of our sight yet after many days will come up with a plentiful Increase and if this were well considered by us what manner of persons would we be how careful and circumspect in all our actions Chroniclers have said Some Kings though otherwise they would have taken more liberty yet have been more circumspect in their actions knowing what they did would be registred and transmitted to posterity the like circumspection would we have if we did seriously consider that all we do will be cetainly transmitted to Eternity 7. As it would have a mighty influence upon other actions so chiefly upon our duties our religious performances in which our Eternal condition is more especially concerned What Moses tells the Israelites Set your hearts to all the words which I testifie this day for it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life (d) Deut. 32.46 47. may be said of every duty we do it is our life our soul our Salvation our Eternity depends upon it and how strong should that cable be that hath so great a weight hanging on it Caesar said being in a hot fight At other times I fought for my honour now I fight for my life In many other things we act for our credit for our profit but in holy duties we act for our life our Eternal life is concerned and therefore whatsoever we do we should do it with all our might It was a boasting speech of Zeuxes that he painted for Eternity time hath long since defaced his work but it is certain whatsoever we do in Gods service we do for Eternity we pray for Eternity and hear for Eternity and if he for that reason did whatsoever he painted with the greatest accurateness would not so much as draw a line but with all possible care much more should we do it in all the duties we perform When formality indifferency deadness sleepiness creeps upon us we should do well to consider that our Eternity lies at stake and this would be a good help against these Distempers we would not then put off God and content our selves with such dull and languid performances this would be like Oyl to the Jack or wings to the bird like sails to the ship or wind to the sails to carry us on with a full plerophory of affection It is a direction some give that we should do every thing we do as if it were the last time we should do it Seneca in an Epistle to a friend saith That he wrote then to him with that mind and affection as if he should be called away by death as soon as he had written We should do so much rather in our â—ddresses to God we should pray and hear and perform every duty as if it were the last prayer we should make the last Sermon we should hear the â—ast duty we should perform as if as soon as we had â—one we should be called away by death and forthwith enter upon our Eternal condition and this would â—uestionless raise up our affections to the highest â—itch of fervency and intention When we go to â—ear a Sermon did we consider that it is our life that our Eternal welfare depends upon it we would give â—he more earnest heed as the Apostle exhorteth (e) Heb. 2.1 We would hear as the Bereans did with all readiness and greediness of mind * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Christs hearers who are said to have their eyes fastned upon him †Luke 4.20 and 19.48 wholly intent upon him to hang upon him so the word there used doth signifie as catching at every word he spake when we address our selves to God in prayer did we set Eternal happiness before us and consider that this depends upon our speeding or not speeding in prayer we would with a holy violence wrestle with Almighty God we would neither give our selves nor God any rest but would lye at the feet of God as so many monuments of importunity resolving with Jacob not to let him go unless he bless us 8. It would render us more quiet and peaceable in our carriage one toward another it is some wordly interest that mainly causeth one man to bite and devour and act the part of a Devil toward another From whence come wars and figthings among you come they not hence even of your lusts (h) James 4.1 4. and what lust it is chiefly is laid down Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whereas the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated * James 3.17 There is a Fish which Aelian calleth the Adonis of the Sea because it meddleth with no living thing but preserveth a sweet peace with all the off-spring of the Sea for which cause it is loved and courted as the darling of the waters the heavenly minded Christian liveth on the earth as that Fish doth in the Sea pursuing the things which make for peace and as much as in him lyeth living peaceably with all men Nazianzen when there arose a contention in the Synod about his Bishoprick used this speech to those that were assembled It is an
wholly annihilated Birth is a River saith Heraclytus which never drieth up but is continually supplyed by an accession of fresh waters though the Body be subject to death and after death to a thousand transmutations as men cast away at Sea may be devoured by Fishes those Fishes after eaten by men possibly some of those men devoured by wild Beasts those Beasts by Dogs those Dogs eaten up by Worms those Worms consumed to dust that dust scattered upon the Earth yet after all these revolutions and transmutations there is something remaining and God is able to make those dispersed pieces of dust like those scattered bones Ezek. 37. to come together one to another take twenty several sorts of seeds and mingle them together in the same vessel a skilful Gardiner is able to sever them one from another mingle the filings of Steel or Iron with so much dust that the filings are not perceived yet by the help of the Load-stone you may separate the filings from the dust according to their first quantity They say some exact Chymists are able out of the same herb to draw out the several elements by themselves That men can do this it is because God teacheth them as the Prophet speaketh of the Husbandman (w) Isaiah 28.26 And he that teacheth men knowledge shall not he know (x) Psalm 94.10 He that first made man out of nothing can much more repair him out of that something yet remaining Augustine hath a good meditation to this purpose Think saith he with thy self how old thou art whether twenty or thirty years old before that time what wast thou Where wast thou In the Grave whither thou goest there will be dust or ashes or something to be found toward a man whereas before that time there was neither dust nor Ashes nor any thing to be found towards thy Nativity God who at first made the body out of nothing can and will remake it out of something pre-existent and when it is thus re-made it shall be made Immortal and incorruptible So the Apostle * 1 Cor. 15.42.53 It is sown in corruption it shall be raised in incorruption This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality We read Levit. 14. If the Plague of Leprosie were in a house they must scrape the walls and pull out the stones and plaister and put other plaister in the room but if the Leprosie brake out again they must pull down the house with the stones timber and morter thereof There is in every man the fretting Leprosie of sin In the work of Conversion God as it were takes out the Timber and Stones and putteth others in their room while he worketh a thorow change in the soul but still the Leprosie of Sin continueth till at last God sends Death which pulleth down the house with the timber and stones and thereby takes away both the Leprosie of sin and that mortality and corruption which sin bringeth As a Watch being battered or clogged with dust is taken in pieces pulled joynt from joynt and wheel from wheel to the end it may go better than before or as some goodly Statue of Brass being defaced is taken down pulled in pieces put into the Fire but all this is that it may be put together again and made a more goodly work manship Or if we arise and go into the Potter's-Field and behold his workmanship is not the Vessel made of Clay that was marred in the hands of the Potter * Jer. 18.4 yet he either maketh it the same Vessel so as nothing is wanting but its former deformity or if he pleaseth a mâ—re honourable vessel than before In like manner the body being by Adam's sin made liable to Death and Corruption God seeth good to take it in pieces by death that being put together again at the Resurrection it might be freed from this corruptibleness and put into an estate of immortality and incorruption To what end is the Body made thus immortal if not to continue in an eternal immortal condition From all this we conclude if man be an immortal Creature both in regard of his Soul which is immortal in its own Nature and in regard of his Body which shall be made Immortal by Gods Power his future condition must of necessity be immortal and eternal whether he be admitted into Heaven or doomed to Hell his condition is eternal and everlasting CHAP. III. Of Scripture-Proofs of Eternal Happiness Consisting in Sight Love Joy Praise with created Accessories and Eternal Misery Expressed by Wrath Worm Fire Prison Darkness Burning Torment HAving endeavoured to demonstrate the point from Arguments I proceed to prove it from Scripture though it be unusual in the method of Preaching to bring Arguments before Scripture-proofs yet it is frequent in Argumentation to reserve the strongest Proof till last Ruffinus reporteth that at the Council of Nice a Godly man of no great learning was the means of Converting a learned Philosopher whom the Bishops with all their Arguments could not perswade the person brake forth into this speech Against words I opposed words and what was spoken I overthrew by the art of speaking but when instead of words power came out of the mouth of the speaker words could no longer withstand truth nor man oppose the power of God Possibly what is spoken by way of Argument may not be so convincing to some who will seek to elude the strength of one Argument by another whereas proofs from plain places of Scripture silence all cavils and exceptions that therefore I have reserved for the last proof There is a twofold Eternity one of Happiness the other of Misery the Scripture is abundant in the proof of both I begin with the Happiness of Heaven The Schoolmen distinguish of a two-fold happiness one they call the essential happiness which they make to consist in the enjoyment of God the other accidental consisting in the enjoyment of those glorious things which God together with himself giveth unto his people Others say to the same purpose that there is an uncreated reward which is God himself I am thy exceeding great reward (a) Gen. 15.1 and a created reward consisting in those good things which God hath created to make his people happy both these the Scripture describeth to be Eternal 1. The great Happiness in Heaven consists in the enjoyment of God God is the happiness of the Saints in Heaven not only Efficiently as he is the author of it nor only finally as he is the end of it but objectively as being the object of this blessedness he is both the Giver and the Gift the Rewarder and the Reward the Crowner and the Crown it is God who both bestoweth the happiness and is himself the happiness of the Saints Whom have I in Heaven but thee (b) Psal 73.25 God shall be all in all (c) 1 Cor. 15.28 as this will hold in some other particulars so in this and as
swim out but if he be cast away in the midst of the Sea after he hath a while struggled for life and wrestled with those impetuous waves he must unavoidably sink and yield to the fury of the merciless waves in like manner the Understanding may keep footing while it wades in the shallows of time though extended to anâ— hundred thousand years but soon will be swallowed up in stupor and amazement when it cometh to lanch forth into that deep sea of Eternity as when we cast a stone into the water one circle begets another and the latter is still bigger than the former so in Eternity one deep calleth upon another it is a wheel within a wheel there is difficulty after difficulty one mystery folded up in another it is a great Maze or Labyrinth full of infinite windings and turnings after alâ— our searchings and indagations we may well lose ouâ— selves but can never retreat when our thoughts are seriously engaged in it much less find any bound that may set limits to our meditations it is a Well which being both deep and dark there is no seeing to the bottom of it we may say of that as the woman did of Jacobs well the well is deep and we havâ— nothing to draw with it is an overflowing and ever flowing Fountain which is neither spent nor draw dry but bubleth forth into a continued stream which is alwaies running and will be running throughout all ages and generations it is â—â—boundless Sea the further we enter into it the deeper we find it the eternal happiness in Heaven is a deep Sea where the streams of life are ever flowing and re-flowing by a continued succession Hell is a deep sea of wrath and vengeance having neither bottom nor bank no bottom for any anchor of hope to fix on no bank that might set any limits to the inundations of Gods displeasure it is a Sun that never sets a Day that never ends a Taper that never burns out an End that hath no end an infinite unlimited duration where millions of years are but so many Cyphers signifying nothing it is a thing of the most amazing consideration able to swallow up our thoughts in stupor and astonishment 2. There is a knowledge of the measure of them and that is done either by Numeration by which we count how many things are or by ponderation by which we try how weighty things are or by mensuration by which we find out the dimensions of things but by none of these are we able to come to a clear knowledge of eternity The first way of knowing is by numbering thus we count how many years have been since the birth of Christ the Flood the Creation of the world Some undertake to tell how many Barly-corns would reach from Earth to Heaven but who is able to reckon the years and ages of Eternity Suppose saith à Lapide ten hundred thousand millions of millions of millions of years add to these all the thoughts of Angels and men from the first moment of their Being to eternity all the motions mutations changes of the several Creatures and things in the World and add to them all the numbers of Arithmetick and fill with them so many numberless volumes of Paper as would reach from Earth to Heaven you are not yet come to the end not to the middle scarce to the beginning of Eternity and then adds how long shall eternity endure For ever when shall it end never So long as Heaven is Heaven so long as Hell is Hell so long as God is God so long shall be eternity So long shall Heaven contain the Saints and Hell torment the wicked there is no number either numbring or numbred which is able to set it forth no number numbring as when we say hundreds or thousands or millions Boëtius saith well a minute and a thousand years hold better proportion than a thousand years and Eternity an easie Arithmetician will tell you how many minutes there are in a thousand years but none can tell how many thousands or millions there are in Eternity the vastest numbers that can be reckoned are but so many cyphers signifying nothing and as no number numbring can reach it so no number numbred as when we say so many as there are stars in Heaven or piles of grass upon the earth or drops of water in the Sea any one of these would amount to a vast unconceivable number but none of these will hold parallel with eternity nay put all these together and a thousand times more you are not able to measure the duration of Eternity 2 By Ponderation and that is done either by the help of artificial weights when we put the thing we weigh into one ballance and the weight by which we weigh it in the other or else it is done without the help of such artificial weights when we poyse things in our hands or lift them up at the Arms end as Porters do their burdens to know their weight but there is no way by which we can find out the weight of eternity God is said to weigh the mountains in scales and the bills in ballances (e) Isa 40.12 but there are no scales or ballances by which we can find out the weight of an everlasting condition When we would know the weight of things we usually put something as heavy in the other end of the ballance but what may be laid in the ballance to preponderate Eternity The weightiest things that can be brought are to it but as the drop of a bucket or the small dust of the ballance 3 By Mensuration by which we find out the height length breadth and depth of things but neither thus can we find out the dimensions of Eternity God is said to measure the waters in the hollow of his fist to mete out the Heavens like a Span to comprehend the dust of the earth in a measure but who beside God himself who inhabiteth Eternity is able to measure the height or span the breadth or fathom the depth of an infinite eternity there is neither measure that can reach it nor any thing to be measured that is commensurate to it Astronomers find out imaginary lines by which they measure the Heavens and the Earth Mathematicians have their Jacobs staff whereby they take the height of the sun and stars Mariners have their Plummet by which they sound the depth of the Sea but there are no Engines or Inventions by which we may reach the height or sound the depth or measure the length of an infinite unlimited Eternity I may say of it as Zophar doth of God * Job 11.8 9. It is as high as heaven what canst thou do deeper than Hell what canst thou know the measure thereof is longer than the earth or broader than the sea By all this it appeareth that Eternity transcends all our knowledge and Understanding the knowledge of it is too wonderfull for us 3. Yet further Eternity transcends our conception
to sin prevailed so far as to dispossess him of it yet he can never come into that Heavenly Paradise he was long since thrown out and his place no more found in Heaven Heaven is guarded from the intrusion of those Apostate Angels not only by the power of God who cast them out of their first Habitation and shut them up under chains of darkness but by its own inaccessable and impenetrable Nature We often read in Scripture of the opening of Heaven (a) Joh. 1.51 Acts 7.55 from which some gather that Heaven is impenetrable to any Creature but by a Miracle opened to Elect Angels and Saints The Devils though Spirits and therefore are able to pass through the hardest stone walls are no more able to pass through them than to pass out of their own Nature and Being and this is mentioned as a ground of joy in Heaven The Accuser of the Brethren is cast down (b) Rev. 12.10 3. Sin cannot Heaven is a Holy Habitation a Land wherein dwelleth Righteousness (c) Deut. 26.15 not harbouring any sin which might dispossess the Saints of the blessedness they enjoy There shall that be fulfilled The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found (d) Jer. 50.20 4. Death cannot I am perswaded that neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from the love of God (e) Rom. 8.38 Death is so far from separating from God's Love and that Happiness the fruit of his Love that next to Jesus Christ it is the Believers greatest friend putting him into an everlasting possession of his desired Happiness On the other side There is no end of the sufferings of the damned in Hell Some indeed have contended for it Origen thought that after a thousand years both Devils and Men should be released out of Hell-torments After him the Hereticks called the Aniti (f) L. 21. de civ Dei broached the same Doctrine Others that Angustine speaketh of contended that not all but some should be delivered out of their sufferings some that all Christians some all Catholicks some those that had received the Sacraments of the Faith some those only who persevere to the end in the Catholick Faith others those who were addicted to works of Mercy and Charity But who are these who darken Counsel by words without knowledge These fond conceits are solidly refuted by Aquinas and others who prove by undeniable Arguments that these sufferings if nothing else yet Death puts an end to them in the Grave the Prisoners rest together and those who are weary are at rest but Death shall not put any end to Hells punishment it is a death that never dyeth an end which hath no end a defect without any deficiâ—ncy It is a death that ever liveth an end which never beginneth a defect which never faileth we may well say of it as one doth Oh killing life Oh immortal death If it be life how doth it kill if death how doth it indure (h) Bellarm. de arte moriendi l. 2. c. 3. It is neither death nor life for both these have something of good in them Oh how happy would those poor miserable creatures think themselves if there might be any end of their misery they shall seek for death and dig for it as for hid treasures but all in vain They shall seek death and shall not find it and desire to die and dâ—ath shall flee from them (i) Rev. 9.6 They shall study plots and methods to dispatch themselves they shall cry to the Mountains to fall upon them and if possible to crush them to nothing they shall desire that the Fire that burns them would consume them to nothing that the Worm which feeds on them would gnaw them to nothing that the Devils which torment them would tear them to nothing They shall cry to God who first made them out of nothing to reduce them to that first nothing from whence they came but he who made them will not have mercy on them he that formed them will not shew them so much favour When the Angel pleaded with God in behalf of Jerusalem Zech. 1.12 How long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years It is said the Lord answered the Angel with good words and comfortable words (k) Zech. 1.12 When the Souls under the Altar cryed How long Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood upon them which dwell upon the Earth (l) Rev. 6.10 Answer was returned how long they must stay and in the mean time were given them long white Robes but when those poor Creatures in Hell shall cry out How long Lord how long wilt thou torment the workmanship of thy hands how long will it be e're thou put an end to our misery There is no answer to be expected which might give them any hopes of the ending of their suffering God here often called to them How long ye simâ—le ones will ye love simplicity How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee * Prov. 1.22 Jer. 4.14 but they turned a deaf ear to Gods call and therefore it will be just with God when they cry how long not to hear them but to laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear cometh And that these sufferings are without any end or expiration this above all other things torments the damned and drives them to despair were there to be any end of their misâ—ry though after the vastest tract of time there would be some hopes they would end at last Some of the Ancients have well improved their Meditations in setting forth this One thus If they were to end after a little Bird should have emptied the Sea and only carry out her bill full once in a thousand years Another thus If the whole world from the lowest Earth to the highest Heavens were filled with grains of Sand and once in a thousand years an Angel should come and fetch away only one grain and so continue till the whole heap were spent A third to this purpose If one of the damned in Hell should weep after this manner that he should only let fall one tear in a hundred years and these should be kept together till such time as they should equal the drops of water in the Sea how many millions of ages would pass before they could make up one River much more a whole Sea and when that were done should he weep again after the same manner till he had filled a second a third a fourth Sea if then there should be an end of their miseries there would be some hope they would end at last but that they shall never never never end this is that which sinks them under horror and despair and fetcheth from them yellings and howlings able to rend Rocks and Marbles asunder CHAP. VI. Of Eternity without
Creation yet it continueth as full as it was at first as it sends out some it receiveth in other waters After they have incircled the earth and glided along through their several channels they at â—ast empty themselves again into the Sea so that it â—s both as full and large as at first If it looseth in one place it gaineth in another and if after so long a â—ract of time there be no sensible decay in these great master-pieces of Nature much less in Eternity where all things continue in the same state and degree There is no wasting in the eternal happiness of the Saints Provide your selves bags which wax not old a treasure in the Heavens that faileth not it is an inherâ—tance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not awaâ— [l] Luke 12.33 2 Pet. 1.4 An incorruptible Crown [m] 1 Cor. 9.25 A Crown of glorâ— that fadeth not away [n] Deuâ— 34.7 It is spoken of Moses as â— thing extraordinary that after an hundred and twenâ— years his eye was not dim nor his natural force abateâ— (o) Deut. 29.5 and that of the Israelites in the Wilderness waâ— as strange that after forty years their cloaths aâ— shooes waxed not old But what is recorded as â— strange unwonted thing in them holds true in Heaven the Saints shall ever see God and yet their sighâ— never wax dim shall be cloathed with the Garmenâ— of Salvation and those Garments never wax old â—bel hath been in Heaven five thousand years and upward and were there so many thousands to be dâ—ducted from his future happiness it would be somâ— dimunition to it but this adds much to his happiness that after so long a tract of time he is not one whâ— nearer the expiration of his happiness On the other side there is no wasting in the eternaâ— punishments in Hell Drexellius makes this observation from those words of our Saviour [p] John 15.6 If a man abiâ— not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire aâ— they are burned Where he observeth the words â— not run in the future tense he shall be cast forth and shall be cast into the fire and burned but all â— the present tense he is cast forth is withered mâ— cast them into the fire and they are burned This saitâ— he is the state and condition of the damned they are burned that is they are alwayes burning when a thousand years are past as it was at first so it iâ— still they are burned after a thousand thousanâ— years more as it was before so it is still they anâ— burned If after millions of years the question werâ— asked What is now their state and condition what do they what suffer they how doth it fare with them There can be no other answer returned but they are burned continually and eternally burning The Apostle saith of the Sodomites that they were set forth as an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire it was many hundred years before the Apostle wrote this that they were doomed to those prisons of Fire yet all that time before they had been burning at this day they are still burning and so shall continue burning to all eternity All the burnings they have already endured deduct nothing from their future sufferings nor in the least abate the tale of their ensuing calamities but they have as much to suffer and if I may so speak as long a time to suffer in as when they went first to their own place CHAP. VII Of Eternal Happiness and Misery without intermission and without mixture in Heaven or Hell 4. ETernity is without any intermâ—ssion There is no intermitting in time in the days of Joshua when the Sun and Moon stood still and some say there was the like pause in the Stars yet time did not stand but posted on its wonted course in the daies of Hezekiah when the Sun went backward ten degrees yet time went on the men then living were not the younger for that retrograde motion and if there be no intermissions in time much less in eternity and this undeniably followeth upon what was before spoken for if there be no succession in eternity but whatsoever good is enjoyed in Heaven and whatsoever suffering is endured in Hell be all at once it will thence follow that there is no interruptions in the happiness of the one nor any intermissions in the punishment of the other 1. There is no interruption in the happiness enjoyed iâ— Heaven and this adds not a little to the greatness oâ— it The best enjoyments in this life are often interrupted yea even the spiritual enjoyments of Believers God is often as a stranger in the Land of their souls and as a Wayfaring-man who tarrieth but for a night his visitations are less frequent and when they are many times not lasting the best of the Saints have experience of Gods access and recess of his drawing near them and his with-drawing from them God sometimes looks through the window shews himself through the Lattice shineth upon them with the light of his countenance makes some of his glory and goodness pass before them so as at present they are able to say with the Church The Lord is my Portion saith my soul but at other times God hideth his face withdraws his comforting presence so as at present they have no taste of his goodness nor smell of the sweet savour of his precious Oyntments nor intimations of his love nor illapses of the light of his Countenance they seek him but cannot find him they cry and shout yet he shutteth out their Prayer they go to the Word to hear what God will speak to them hoping that God may create the fruit of the lips peace yet cannot hear one word of comfort they follow God from Duty to Duty from Ordinance to Ordinance and yet God asnwereth them neither by Prophets nor by Dreames neither by Prayer nor Word nor Sacrament so as they many times cry out I have lost God the Comforter who should relieve my soul is far off from me or in the language of Sion The Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me And as they have these sad interruptions in their sense and feeling of Gods love so likewise in that joy and comfort which results from it what they say of Apes and Monkies that in the full of the Moon they are pleasant and jocund often skipping up and down doing their apish tricks but in the wane are dull and sottish not caring to stir in like manner Believers while the candle of God shineth upon their head they are filled with joy and that sometimes beyond what they are well able to bear as Ephâ—aim who begged of God Lord withdraw a while thy joyes from me the weakness of this earthly vessel is not able to hold so great joyes And Severinus that Indian Saint being recovered out of a great sickness in which he found the