A DISCOURSE OF ETERNITY Collected and Composed for the Common good, By W. T.   coat of arms for University of Oxford 
ACADEMIA OXONIENSIS  SAPIENTIA FELICITATIS 
OXFORD Printed by IOH: LICHFIELD, for WILLIAM WEBBE, An. D. 1633.   



THE FIRST CHAPTER Containing an Introduction to the ensuing Discourse.  
THere is nothing can fully satisfy the mind of Man but that which is above man, 
Fecisti nos ad te domine, & inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te. Aug, lib. 1. Cons. cap. 1.  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 be of a correspondent & like condition with it, that is, infinite and immortal. Now no sublunary blessings extend thus fare: All worldly happiness, 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 avail us in the day of trial, when our bodies shall descend into the slimy valley, & our souls return to God that gave them, than all the choicest comforts of this life glide away from us as the stream, and the sun of our joy will set for ever. Our beauty wherein we have so much prided ourselves, shall turn into rottenness, our mirth into wormwood, 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 soul's welfare should we be, to bond our affections on the things of this world, what a madness beyond admiration, were it in us, to trifle out our time, to waste and wear out our most precious days in the vanities under the sun, as if God had placed us here on earth, like the Leviathan in the Sea, to take our pastime in it; to ingulfe our souls into the sensual pleasures of this life, as if we had neither hope nor expectation of a life to come, what an intolerable stupidity were it, for the short fruition of a momentary content here, to plunge ourselves for everlastingness into a sea, as it were of fire and brimstone, where we shall see no banks, and feel no bottom. Me thinks the serious consideration hereof, should even cut the heart, and damp the mirth, and wound the very soul of the most 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 endless eternity, to see how all things in him, and about him go speedily forward in a most sensible declination, to behold with his eyes, how his goods, and his greatness, his live, and his life, and all the most precious delights which his sensual heart enjoys, 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 hopeless and helpless lamentation, Anxius vixi, dubius morior, heu quo vado, I have squandered out my life in an unfruitful way, I have lived unresoluedly, and die doubtfully, and now whether away O my soul, woe is thee and alas for evermore. And such is the bitter close, and uncomfortable end of all those who go desperately on in the ways 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 clouds, yet shall they perish for ever as their dung, and the eye which hath seen them shall do so no more, job. 20.6. O then how deeply doth it concern us, to raise up our desires to things above, to fix our hearts upon the true rock, to draw our waters of comfort from the everliving fountain, to trust so much more on God, by how much we have less on earth to trust to. Now for our better encouragement to this duty, and to the end we may the more easily unloose our affections from the embracements of this world, it will not be unworthy our labour to meditate a while upon the nature of that Eternity which doth avoidable abide for us either in horror or happiness in the life to come.   

CHAP. II. Containing a description of Eternity, with a brief declaration of the nature and condition of it.  
Eternity is an infinite, endless, bottomless gulf, which no line can fathom, no time can reach, no age can extend to, no tongue can express. It is a duration always present, a being always in being, it is one perpetual day, which shall never see an Evening. Infinite are the descriptions of the Ancients, and divers their expressions, touching this Eternity. The Egyptians conceiving that God was eternal, and his duration and being to be properly termed Eternity, 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 Majesty of Vesta. And Augustus Caesar the like in honour of all the Gods: Pythagoras the better to express that God was eternal, commanded his Scholars that so oft as they accommodated themselves to the worship of God, they should turn themselves round. The Turks every morning ascend into an high Tower built in the fashion of the Egyptian Pyramids, where they devoutly salute their God and Mahomet, crying with a loud and roaring voice, Deus semper fuit, semperque erit, God always hath been, and ever will be. Mercurius Trismegistus, the most famous among the Philosophers, represented God the true Eternity by an intellectual sphere, whose Centre was every where, but without any circumference, because he was the beginning and end of all things, not bounded within any compass, nor terminated in any limits. It was an usual custom among the Nasomons, an ancient people in Africa, that they coveted to die 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 business of this troublesome world, and had now arrived at the haven of eternal quietness: 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, tyre out themselves in the expression of Eternity, and how ever they were unhappily ignorant in the ways of God in this life, yet they earnestly laboured to know what should become of themselves hereafter, and to find out the state of the life to come: Oh how justly might I (were it not a digression) take up a lamentation and deplore the wretched condition of our times, how short do we fall, even of the perfection of Heathens, what man is there amongst us, that casteth 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 drink of the sweet, and say in our hearts, no evil shall happen to us, & yet when we have done all, Omnes humanae consolationes sunt desolationes, Heart's ease will not grow in this earthly garden, the true rest will not be found, but in the true place, the eternal Jerusalem, 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 a liquid pati debere, autsponte aut invite & ita crucem semper invenies.  dispose & marshal all things to thine own hearts desire, yet shalt thou (do what thou canst) still meet with some cross or presure 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 fullness of happiness, and shall swim in streams of pleasures for evermore. Certainly there is no true rest but that which is eternal, & the sweetest refreshment our souls can find in this world, consists in the serious meditation of the joys to come, in devoting ourselves 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 finds no resting place to set her foot on, but every where storms and waves, death & hell abide her, when we have improved our contentments to the very height of our desires, when we have attained as much happiness as the world can give us, yet then may we be cut off perchance in the midst of our days, when our breasts are full of milk, and our bones full of marrow, or suppose we spin the thread 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 in this world, yet in the end time and age will ruin 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 days of darkness, 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 perpetuo una dormienda Cat.  The Sun sets, and riseth again, but we alas when our glass is run, and the short gleam of our summer's day is spent, shall never return till our last summons, when the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God, and they that hear 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, 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 Sun shall no more yield her light by day, nor the Moon her brightness 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, that examines his conscience, vnvaileth his heart, and considereth his ways. 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 entering into it, it's but a stroke of death & we are gone, even in a moment, and whether? from our short and fading delights, to an endless, easeless gulf, where our worm shall never die, nor our fire shall never out. Now let all those who swim in the streams of their voluptuousness, putting far from them the evil day, who labour to expel 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 find it. 
Postqaum 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 Opher cannot purchase them one minute of relief from their unexpressible miseries. But now, even now is the jubilee, 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 days to redeem our misspent time, and to wash out our contracted pollutions, no, one day, may through God's gracious favour, and loving indulgence, procure more mercy here, than Eternity of time may obtain hereafter, one sigh from a true sorrowful heart here, shall prevail to discharge more debts, then infinite ages shall acquit or satisfy 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, and remember our creator in the days of our youth, before the evil days come, and the years approach, wherein we shall say, we have no pleasure in them, before our dust return into the womb from whence it came, and our lungs be locked up into the brestlesse earth, before that black and gloomy day, the day of death and dissolution appear to us the which (if our timely repentance here prevent not our doom) will seal up our souls to eternal darkness. Let us consider that wheresoever we are, whatsoever we go about, we stand every minute of our time in the glorious presence of an 
Immanifestus omnia autem manifestans per omnia apparet & in omnibus.  incomprehensible majesty, whose bright and most piercing eye, is ten thousand times clearer than the Sun, who knows all hearts, sees all actions, understands all counsels, 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, & when and where he please, all power to protect, and all grace to pardon, he that finds not his mercy, shall feel his fury: and who amongst us can dwell with devouring fire, who amongst us can dwell with everlasting burn?   

CHAP. III. Expressing how all men do naturally believe this Eternity.  
WIthin 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 undertake with prayers to God? What moved Publius Scipio never to enter into the Senate house before he had ascended the Capital, avowing that principle as constantly in his practice as he did in his knowledge, A jove principium? What made Caligula (which threatened the air if it reigned on his game-plays) yet, to run under his bed, and wrap his cap about his head at a clap of thunder? What moved Attillius Regulus (who had no other teacher than a natural illumination) to prefer the obligation of his oath before the safety of his life, and rather than he would break his engaged 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 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 mere naturalists to such a fear of an oath; to such a trembling at God's judgements, to such austerity, and care, and censorious circumspection in all their ways and actions, but that they naturally apprehended what they truly & distinctly understood not, viZ: Some immortal happiness and everlasting being? and this they conceived was beyond the mountains, or above them, or in some other world, they knew not where, according as their several fancies led them.  
Certainly they would never have so much undervalved 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 immortal fruition of such joys as should abundantly countervail the loss of all their pleasures. When I revolve in my mind the Stoical reservedness, 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 own life because his enemy gave it him, and tear off the salve from his bleeding sides, which his own sword had pierced: When I thus behold these unhappy souls in the light of nature, to conquer nature itself, and to build these their resolutions vpon 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 do they tend to our condemnation. Their hope did exceed their knowledge, & our knowledge doth exceed our practice. God hath revealed to us the immortality of the soul, and the eternity to come, in a fare more clear and perspicuous manner, than ever to the heathen Idolaters, and yet we less regard it: what should more affect us here since our life is but a vapour, then to know what shall become of us hereafter? and yet the consideration hereof lies like a weight of lead upon our souls; and we judge the very thought hereof a burden. We readily apprehend such things as concern us in this world: our honours, our preferments, our pleasures we look on with a cheerful eye: but alas with how slow and dull a pace do we proceed in the pursuit of our future blessedness? we meet with many stops in our way, many turn 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, that beginning ever in beginning, in which the blessed do everlastingly enjoy their happiness, and renew their pleasures, and the damned are always dying yet never die? O that the meditation of this our future state could sink 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 sins were the chief matter of our sorrows, than should we enjoy an eternity hereafter boundless for time, endless for happiness, where our joys should be such, as should neither change nor perish.   

CAP. IU. 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 find in the world; as lively resemblances, shadowing as it were, and traceing out unto us this eternity? Solinus reports of a stone in Arcadia which being once inflamed burns perpetually. And of this matter were your burning lamps made, which continued (as Histories speak) so many hundreth years in ancient Sepulchers. Like hereunto in the nature of it is your Linum vivum, a certain kind 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 & purified by the heat thereof; and hence it was that the body of the ancient Roman Emperors when they were to be buried according to the funeral 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 itself suggests an eternity to thy soul, while it presents to thee such things as the fire cannot consume, many other such Symbols 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 vnconsumed. The like we read, of that O leum incombustibile (as Historians call it) an oil that ever burns, but will never waste, & of the matter of this was that burning torch composed, which was found in Tulliola, daughter of Cicero her sepulchre: which continued burning fifteen hundreth years. These and many other shadows and traces of eternity, God hath vouchsafed us to stir up our dead and drowsy hearts 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 Creator 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 merciful dispensation either torments or happiness 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 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 ways and with an undazeled and undesembling eye throughly to try and to descry clearly our own state, whether we be already washed with the blood of Christ and enlivened with a supernatural vigour and life of grace, or yet lie polluted in our own blood?  
Oh, how can any man be at rest and quiet in his mind, till he be assured and secured in this point; since that upon it depend his everlasting estate in another world? our days we see are woven with a slender thread, our time short, our end uncertain, and when the oil in our lamps is spent, and our glass run out, then ex unico momento pendet duplex aeternitas, we fly in a moment to an everlasting being either in horror or happiness, where we shall receive according to the works of our hands. If we have approved ourselves sincere in God's service, just in our actions, diligent in our callings, faithful 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, shall at that dismal day replenish our souls with abundance of consolations.  
Then all our tears shall be wiped from our eyes; what we have sowed in sorrow, we shall reap in joy, when we have finished our course & ended our combat with sin and death: then shall our crown be sure, our victory glorious, and our triumph Eternal; our grave shall be but as a sweet refreshing place to our wearied bodies, and death shall be our day star to everlasting brightness.  
But on the other side; if we have in the whole course of our warfare here, expended our precious time in the service of sin and Satan, and crumbled away the best and choicest of our years in the lusts of the flesh, and sports of vanity; then the issue of all will be death, and our end destruction. Our mirth will be turned into wormwood, and our joy into heaviness: all our delights in this earth shall vanish as the flower, our sun shall set in a cloud, and our days of jollity and contentation shall irrecoverably be involued and turned into perpetual darkness.   

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 ourselves, for our better encouragement to the ways of holiness, 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 vials of God's indignation to be poured on them, in a fuller measure for ever after! 
Nec qui torquet, aliquan do fatigatur, nec qui torque tuc, a liquando moritur, Bernard. meditat. cap, 3.  And that which adds abundant weight to their miseries is; they shall burn but not diminish; they shall lie buried in their flames, but not consume; they shall seek death, but shall not find it: they shall desire it, but it shall fly from them: their punishment consists not in the endurance of any proper or peculiar pain, but in the accumulation & heap of innumerable torments together. All the faculties of the soul, all the senses of the body shall have their several punishments, and that which is more, unseparable, and more than that, eternal: 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 like the Saints, but not the Saints eternity; for their eternity shall begin in horror, and proceed in confusion: their eternity shall purchase and yield to them no other fruit but yell and lamentations, & woe. Their eternity is such as turns all things into its own nature: for all things where the damned do inhabit are eternal. The fire is eternal: for the breath of God like a river of brimstone hath kindled it, and it shall never go out night nor day; but the smoke thereof shall ascend for ever. The worm is eternal, for the conscience of the damned shall be everlastingly tormented with the sense of their sin: Their worm dieth not, (saith the Prophet) and their fire never goeth out. The prison wherein they are enclosed is eternal. The 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 ruin them; out of Hell is no redemption, no ransom, no delivery, Cruciantur damnati, cruciantur in aeternum. This is the last sentence of the judge, his irrevocable decree, his immutable and eternal judgement upon the damned, which shall never be reversed: 
Adesse intolerabile, abesse impossibile.  there is no appeal will lie 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 me penitentem, timor mortis conturbat me quia in inferno nulla est redemptio. Whilst I daily sin but repent 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 mankind, but it belongs not to the damned. If therefore the yoke of repentance seem not sweet to thee (saith St Bernard) think on that yoke which thou shalt be sure to suffer, which is Go ye cursed into eternal fire. But the most deplorable thing which is eternal in hell, is the irrevocable loss of the beatifical presence of God, the eternal privation of God's sight, the uncomfortable want whereof, doth more grieve their hearts, and wound their afflicted souls, than all their bodily torments. Thus we see the unhappy estate and condition of the damned in the other world, and how the highest link in all this chain of sorrows, wherewith they are environed, is the miserable perpetuity of their torments, when their restless thoughts have carefully run through many thousands of years, yet will they not then enjoy one day, one little hour, one minute of rest and respiration. Everlasting darkness is their portion, they begin and end alike, with weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now since this is certainly true, is it possible that man should be so forgetful of God and himself? Can he so fare degenerate into a beast, and indurate into a stone, as to read these things and not believe them, or believe these things and not to tremble? Can the knowledge of these things swim in our brain without a serious and sound digestion of them into our hearts? when we see, and know, and believe, that inexplicable, eternal, endless, easeless horrors, without true and unfeigned repentance, abide us hereafter; and on the other side we know not, nor can possibly discern 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 a consideration as this, possess our thoughts and not torment them? or how can this choose but embitter our dearest pleasures, & cross our indulgence to our sensual 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 ballased on every side with the cares and disquietings & pressures of this life, and I sail on with full course towards the haven of Eternity, one little blast of death is able to plunge me irrecoverably into this bottomless gulf, where one hours' 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 myself in the days 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, when I must bid an everlasting farewell? Me thinks the thorough meditation of our future state should even strangle our sensual joys in us, & withdraw our hearts from the embracements of this world, especially when we shall to our endless sorrow understand, our dearest contents must close at the last in death and confusion, and all our precedent pleasures shall yield us no other fruit but their bitter remembrance to augment our sorrows.   

CAP. 6. Wherein the question is answered wherefore a finite sin, is recompensed with an infinite punishment, wherein also is farther showed that the severity of God's justice therein doth no way diminish the greatness of his mercy,  
NOW here ariseth a question to be resolved; how comes it to pass, that our merciful and gracious God, who is so infinite in his goodness 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 thus exalted above all his works, should be thus infinitely merciful, 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 everlastingness, in the avengement of those sins which were committed as it were in a moment of time, so that he who hath offended but temporally, should be bound to suffer pains eternally? I answer, we shall sufficiently vindicate and clear Gods righteous dealing towards us herein, if we measure his justice but by our own rules: 
Scelus non temporis longitudine sed iniquitatis magnitudine metiendum est. Aug. de Civitat. Des lib. 21 cap. 11.  for doth any law proportion out the time of punishment to the time only in which the offence is committed, and so measure the continuance of the penalty by the time of the fault? Shall the prisoner lie no longer in the Goal, than he is committing his villainy? Do not we here amongst us often see some offences which were suddenly thought of and as soon executed, yet punished with endless dateless 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 foulness 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 inquisitive minds, 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 perverseness is lodged in them, and then certainly we shall find matter enough against ourselves without farther inquiry for our endless condemnation: our own consciences will testify to the confusion of our faces, that just is the Lord, and just are his judgements, that all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, 
Nec iniusta eius gratia nec crudelis potest esse iustitia. Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 21. c. 11.  that his grace is not unjust nor his justice cruel: Add hereunto that the fault of its own nature is infinite, because it is a sin against an infinite majesty? God's justice being infinite, the violation thereof by sin must needs contract an infinite debt; because in sinning we 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 vessel is not able to hold or comprehend an infinite wrath forasmuch as we cannot bear God's indignation, propter immensitatem doloris, we must of necessity satisfy 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 aeternum vixisset, in aeternum peccasset; i.e. had he lived eternally, his sin had extended to the length of his days 
Peccandi voluntatem non amisit sed vitam. Greg.  for a man sooner ceaseth to live then to love his sin, and therefore God may justly after many thousand year's torments in Hell, iterate their torments to the damned: because if they had longer abode in their sinful flesh, they would still have perpetuated their sinful transgressions. Oh let not then sinful flesh contend with its maker, let not us pry into the heavens, nor curiously search into the secrets of Gods will, to find a reason of the obligation of a sinner to perpetual punishment, but rather in the lowliness of our hearts cry out with Daniel, O Lord righteousness 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 in the sense of our deformities, that just is the Lord, & just are his judgements. Our weak understandings can no way fathom the depth of his counsels; his wisdom is unsearchable and all his ways are truth: but did we truly apprehend the nature of our sins, we would never repine at the weight of God's judgements, for whereas God made man a noble creature, both beautiful and glorious, and after stamped on him his own Image, righteousness and true holiness, how strangely hath his sin disrobed him of all his excellencies, what rebellion hath it settled in all his members, what stains and pollutions hath it wrought in all his faculties? It is our sin which hath unjointed the confederacies and societies of the dumb creatures, and hath armed them with an antipathy and rebellion one against another. It is sin which hath so strangely altered the manners and conditions of our times, that hath turned men's brows into brass, and their hearts into stones, and their hands into blood, and their tongues into Scorpions. It is sin which hath wrought such a confusion and Chaos in all things under the Sun, which hath changed truth into flattery, substances into forms, nature into art, decency into new fangledness, renting of hearts into cutting of garments. It is sin I say which in this our age hath dissolved those sweet obligations of peace and correspondency, which were formerly knit between our neighbour nations, and instead thereof hath sent in, fire and sword amongst them; & that hath rolled up within these few years so many Noble spirits in those parts into blood and destruction. And lastly it is our sin that shall at that last & dreadful day turn the very Elements into fire, and the whole frame of this world with all the things therein, into their primitive Chaos and Original Confusion.  
Oh that we did seriously consider of, and sound digest the meditation of these things! For had we but hearts to understand, and eyes to see the deformity of our sins and did unpartially compare the stain and pollution of them with the pureness of God's nature, and the brightness of his Majesty, how should we be confounded in our souls, with the sight of our own filthiness? How ready should we be rather to admire God's patience then question his severity? How should we tremble at his glorious presence; and dread his power, and justly fear what we have worthily deserved, his everlasting judgement, since our pollutions have moved him to abhor the works of his own hands and to distain the beauty of his own creation? But if now on the other side we advisedly look into God's gracious proceed towards us, and his loving indulgence in restraining his incensed displeasure, notwithstanding our infinite provocations, and in showing us a way to escape his fury; I know not whether we shall find greater cause to vindicate his justice, or admire his mercy. For true it is, as saith Saint Agustine, 
Deus adeo bonus est ut malum nunquam sineret nisi adeo potens fuisset; ut ex malo bonum eliceret. Aug.  So Good is our God, that he would never have suffered us to fall had not his power been such, that he could extract matter out of our sinfulness to advance his own glory. Oh how unsearchable, how bottomless, how surpassing the apprehension of men and Angels is the love of God towards us! whither can we go? which way can we cast our eyes, where we shall not behold the admirable footsteps of his mercy? If we look upward, his mercy reacheth unto the Heavens, saith David: If downward, they that go 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 diversely amplifies the love of God in several places of that Epistle, by sundry appellations or epithets, 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 merciful saith the Apostle, who is rich in mercy through his love, his great love, even when we were dead by sins hath quickened us together in Christ Eph. 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 fullness 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) above all his attributes, above his justice; Mercy (saith the Apostle) rejoiceth against condemnation: Above his power; jacob wrestled with God and overcame him; above his greatness; for he humbled himself to take our nature on him; yea above all his earthly creatures; for his mercy reacheth to the Clouds, there is nothing doth more illustrate God's omnipotency then his mercy. It was no marvel that God should make the Heavens because he is power itself, or that he should frame the earth; because he is strength itself; or that he should govern the times because he is wisdom itself, or that he should give breath to all creatures, because he is life itself; But herein chief is God to be magnified, that he who is infinitely just, should yet be merciful to sinners; yea to sinners while they wallow in their blood; while they rest in sins, while they have no eye to look after him, no heart to embrace him, no foot to follow him, no tongue to glorify him, but lie woefully plunged in the dregs of their pollutions? Oh the unspeakable goodness of our God, who hath so graciously invited those sheep, who are so unhappily strayed from him: nay who doth with a 
Omnipotentissima facilitate homines ad scipsum convertit Deus, & volentes ex nolentibus 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 his enemies? Certainly there is, there can be no other reason alleged, but that which David so often iterates, because he is gracious, & his mercy endureth for ever. But alas how (may the afflicted soul say) can his goodness extend to me who am nothing but worms and dust, and wounds and sores and corruption? Who can give him no oblation but my sins, 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 else to part with surrender up thy sins, yield him thy lusts, renounce thy whole interest in thy sinful delights, in thy immoderate affections 
Nullius rei tantum in inferno est, quantum ptopriae voluntatis. Alsted.  and then thy sorrowful 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 humble spirit and 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 faithful saith the Apostle, who hath promised; he is faithful, he cannot deny himself. The Apostle saith not, he cannot deny his mercy, but he cannot deny himself. If he were any thing but mercy, than he might deny his mercy, though he did not deny himself: but now by not denying himself he giveth mercy, who by not giving mercy should deny himself. And thus we see how God is faithful and cannot deny himself. 
Superare seipsum potest desertos miserando, nega●e seipsum non potest misericordiam delerendo.  He may overcome himself by pitying the forsaken ones, but he cannot deny himself by forsakeing his pity. For how can he deny himself to us, who hath given himself for us? How can he deny us his mercy, who hath given us his life?   
The end of the first book.   

THE SECOND BOOK OF ETERNITY.  

CHAP. I. Containing an Exhortation to holiness grounded upon the consideration of Eternity.  
THE very soul and life of Christianity consists in the life of a Christian, as for outward formalities, they plausibly serve to show forth a good man to the eye of the world, but cannot make him such; it's true, external actions adorn our professions: but it is, where grace and goodness seasons them, otherwise, where the sap and juice and vigour of religion is not settled in the soul, a man is but like a goodly heart-shaken Oak, whose beauty will turn into rottenness, and his end will be the fire. It was the saying of Machiavelli; that the appearance of virtue was more to be desired then virtue itself. But Socrates a mere naturalist, advised better, who said, the good man is only wise. Certainly our glorious shows, and high applauses, and exaltations amongst the sons of men will prove but miserable comforters in the close of our age, when the days of darkness come. O then as we respect the eternal welfare of our poor souls, 
Qualis videri vis talis esse debes. Gerb. Med.  let us be what we would seem. Let us turn our words into actions, our knowledge into affection, and our speculation into practice. Let us not only in a general and confused manner acknowledge God, but rather labour to know him; let us not think it enough to believe that Christ came as a Saviour into the world, but endeavour rather by a peculiar, personal, and applicative faith to make him our own. Alas what avails it my soul, that Christ shed forth his blood for the sins of many; if 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? 
Non prodest Christi resurrectio, nisi in te quoque Christus resurgat. Gerb. Med.  what comfort to my distressed conscience that Christ is come a light into the world, if I sit in darkness and in the shadow of death? What confidence of protection can I have from hence, that Christ is a careful shepherd over his flock, if I am none of that sheepfold? O then let it be the chief desire of our souls, 
Sit scopus vitae Christus, quem sequaris in via ut assequaris in patria.  and the utmost extent of our endeavours, not only to confess 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 comformable to him: let us willingly hear & cheerfully follow the voice of that sweet guide, who is both the way, & the journey's end; that loving Physician who comes to our wounded consciences with healing in his wings; that meek and tender Lamb, who poured forth for us tears of anguish, & tears of love; tears of anguish to redeem our souls, and tears of love to compassionate our miseries. Now what a pressing persuasion 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 was fixed to the Cross? 
Totus tibi figatur in cord, qui totus prote figebatur in cruse.  How should we mourn in our souls, and weep in secret for him, quem totus mundus, tota elementa lugebant, at whose sufferings the graves opened, the Sun shut in his light, the earth trembled, and the whole frame of heaven in his nature and kind expressed its sorrow. One of the Rabins when he read what bitter torments the Messiah should suffer when he came into the world (cried out) veniat Messiah at ego non videam, Let the Messiah come, but let me not see him. Did his torments seem so dismal 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 do now? Shall we rail on judas that betrayed him, or on Peter that denied 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 sins? do we not nail him to the Cross again with our pollutions? do we not grind him in our oppressions, and as it were massacre him in our murders? What sin 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 hour from our sleep, or one fashion from our backs, for his sake? And do we thus requite our redeemer? 
Deus tuus parvus factus est, & tu te magnificas exinanivit se maiestas & tu vermiculus intumescis.  Was Christ stretched on the Cross, and shall we stretch ourselves on beds of down? Did Christ suck down vinegar for us, and shall we surfeit with plenty? Was Christ crowned with thorns, and shall we crown ourselves with Rose buds? O let it shame us to bear so dainty a body under so doleful a head: but let us conform ourselves to his life, and let our conversation be answerable to his doctrine. Let us fix our eye on this true Serpent, and fasten our hold on this sure anchor. Let us look up unto jesus the author and finisher of our faith: Where our treasure is, there let our hearts be also. We have an inestimable price, a glorious inheritance set before us, let us carefully embrace all those means that may further our progress, as the hearing of the word, receiving of the Sacraments, earnest and constant prayer to Almighty God: Let us strive as we ought, press forward with all violence. The woman in the Gospel which was so long visited with her bloody issue, it was her holy 
Victa est ad violentiam, quia violenta ad victoriam.  violence and pressing our Saviour that procured her health for her body and pardon for her soul: Let this be our endeavour, let us never think ourselves fare 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 do good unto all: whilst you have the light, walk as children of the light: judge thyself here, that thou be not judged of the Lord hereafter. Let not thy eyes slumber, nor thy temples take any rest, till thou hast found out an habitation in thy 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 repent 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: Behold the spouse comes, let us go forth to meet him: He stands at the door, and knocks, let us arise and open speedily to our beloved, to day while it is called to day, let us hear his voice, let us not put off our time, as Felix did St Paul, go for this present time, & when I have a convenient leisure I will hear 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 hear 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 well-beloved he will be gone. Therefore let our hearts even melt within us, whilst he speaks to us in his word; if we answer not when he calls us, then shall we call and he will not answer. The Stork and the Crane, and the Swallow in the air know their seasons and observe their appointed times, how much more should man, especially since times & 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 forever, 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 ourselves no fruition. But alas such is our blindness, such an obduration is grown over our hearts, that we understand these things, but feel them not; we have them swimming in our minds, 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 than his practice, our vows are in heaven, but our hearts on earth; our desires are towards our home, but our endeavours flag in the way, and we faint in our journey: we have heavenly hopes; but earthly affections; we all covet after happiness, 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 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 sinfulness, and pollution of heart, that at the same instant, when our hands are lift up to God for the pardon of old sins, 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 fare from him, our affections are buried in the things of this life. Excellent is that saying of Isidorus, 
Regnum hoc sempiternum ex omni parte beatum est, omnibus promissum, & tamen de illo altum inter nos silentium quotus quisque enim est qui de hoc commemorat, hoc uxori, hoc liberis, toti hoc familiae inculcat. Isid. Coelum negligimus, terram non retivemus, Dei favorem non acquirimus, mundi perdimus.  The kingdom of heaven, saith he, is eternal, blessed every way and promised to all men, but who is there almost that spends one moment in the serious meditation of it? What man is there that ever talks to his wife, to his children, to his family of such a Kingdom? We can riot in the praises of our native soil, but we blush to speak of, and are ashamed to commend our true country, our everlasting home. In our deal 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 eternal salvation of our souls, how deep is our silence, how slow our speech, how unskilful 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. How far are men now adays from that sweet resolution of Saint Hierome? Let others, saith he, live in their statues, in their costly monuments: I had rather have St Paul's Coat with his heavenly graces, than the purple of Kings with their Kingdoms.  
O that we would look thus lowly upon ourselves; 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? o let us not hid our talents in a napkin: let us send our good works before us into Heaven: pauca da, maxima in coelo recepturus: these slender gifts, which thou dost cheerfully distribute in this world, will procure thee an eternal compensation in the world to come. That sweet speech of Saint john is worth observation, blessed are those that die 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 itself, yea even our life itself 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 iaciuntur; our good deeds die not with us, but they are sown 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 eternal in their recompense; they build up for us, through the mercies of our God, an everlasting foundation for the time to come.  
Lo then here we have set before us viam ad regnum, the way to our eternity; let us go on herein without intermission; press forward with violence and strive to attain the crown. 
Opulentia nimis multa est aeternitas, sed nisi perseveranter quaefita nunquam in venitur. Bernard.  Eternity 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. Certainty did we as truly know, as we shall one day undoubtedly feel the bitter fruit, that our lukewarm profession, our gross 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 employed, and more faithfully exercised in the pursuit of eternity. 
illud propter quod peccamus, amittimus, et peccatum ipsum retinemus.  Oh how senseless are we, how stupid in ourselves, and wickedly injurious to our own welfare, who for a small gain, a fading 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 persuade 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 burn. But o thou delicious and dainty soul, who cherishest thyself in the joy of thy heart, & the delight of thine eyes, whose belly is thy God, & the world thy Parradise! o, bethink thyself betimes, before that gloomy day, that day of clouds and thick darkness, 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 blackness, because the time of their judgement is come. Alas with what a doleful heart, and weeping eye, and drooping countenance, & trembling loins wilt thou at that 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, despised in his members, rejected in his love; when thou shalt see the judgement seat, the 
Fiet apertio librorum scilicet conscientiarum, quibus merita, & demerita universorum, sibi ipsis & caeteris, innotescent.  books opened, thy sins discovered, yea all the secret counsels of thy heart, after a wonderful manner manifested and laid open to the eye of the whole world? what horror & perplexity of spirit will possess thee to view and behold but the very solemnities and circumstances, which accompany this judgement; when thou shalt see the heavens burn, the Elements melt, the earth tremble, the sea roar, the sun turn into darkness, and the moon into blood? And now what shall be thy refuge, where shall be thy succour? shalt thou reign, because thou cloathest thyself in Cedar? shalt thou be safe, because with the Eagle thou hast set thy nest on high? O no, it is not now the greatness of thy state, nor the abundance of thy wealth, nor the privilege of thy place, nor the eminency of thy worth, or wit or learning, that can avail thee aught, either to avoid thy doom, or prorogue thy judgement. All states and conditions of men are alike, when they appear at this Bar. There the prince must lay down his crown, and the Pear his Robes, & 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, have both countenance to defend, and power to protect them from the injuries of the times: but when the dismal face of that terrible day shall show itself, then shall they find 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 breathes under the cope of Heaven, who now fears not any created nature, Noah, not God himself, yet when he shall hear 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 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 mayst live to God hereafter; 
Sic tibi cave, ut caveas teipsu●.  go out of thyself, judge & condemn thine own soul for thy sins against God in this world, that so thou mayst comfortably receive thy sentence of absolution in the world to come. Let us learn to be wise in time; let our sorrow for sin anticipate and prevent our punishment, satius est & suavius fonte purgari quàm igne: He that grieves not hearty for his transgressions here, shall woefully smart for them hereafter. 
in inferno exomologesis non est, nec paenitentia tunc tribul potest, consumpto tempore paenitendi.  In hell there is no redemption for the time past, no confession, no repentance, but a sad and heavy exchange and most uncomfortable translation, from a short and passing joy, to an endless, easeless punishment. The serious and advised consideration of this eternal being in the life to come, was the ground of that ancient custom in the Roman Church upon the consecration of their Bishops, at which time these words were recited with a loud voice, Annos aeternos in ment habe, i. e. remember that eternal year, the date whereof will never expire. So likewise when the Bishop of Rome is brought to his pontifical chair, one goes before him, shaking a burning torch and proclaiming three times Pater sancte, sic transit gloria mundi. Certainly it would work somewhat towards the enlivening of our drowsiness, & quickening up of our dull security if we did in the beginning & end of all our undertake say within ourselves, Annos aeternos in ment habe; Remember o my soul those days of darkness which shall never close. For 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 eternal miseries. Sapienti nihil magnum videri potest, cui aeternitatis nota est magnitudo. What if with Saint Paul I underwent labours & perils, hunger & thirst, injuries and reproaches, what is all this to eternity?  
What if I did bear in my flesh the most exquisite pains and bitterest torments, that created nature is capable of, yet what were all this to eternity? For all the adversities and alterations, which happen to us under the sun, have their periods, which they cannot pass: 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 job: yet usque ad tempus haec omnia the end shall be at the appointed time. But of this eternity 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 and transitory disquietings of this world over deeply possess thy heart; but rather let the whole stream of thy meditations rnnne upon thy latter end; that at the time of thy dissolution; (thy affection being wholly alienated from the world) thy thoughts may ascend before, whither thy soul is coming after: So shall thy sufferings here, make way for thy crown hereafter.  
But how few, o 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 believe 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 days should be as happy as they are long, and being miserably-insensible of the sorrows to come, we rashly expose ourselves to an irrevocable downfall. 
Nos tales, qui mortis nostrae neque negotium ridentes exequimur. Greg.  Without sense or sorrow we run merrily to hell, where we shall everlastingly feel what we did never fear, death and darkness; weeping and gnashing of teeth. O how different are our times from those of our Ancestors? They were not more rigidly superstitious, than we are vainly secure.  
How did they pine their bodies and afflict their souls, crucify 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 society with men. And wherefore all this, but that they might disburden themselves the better 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 minds to a more serious contemplation of the joys 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 days draw to an end, and how soon we are involued into everlasting darkness. For alas what is our life here, Tota haec vita unius horulae mors est, one hour at the last will swallow up all our livelong days.  
Let us then 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 sums, that we may be able to give up a good account at the last day. Certain it is what ever we go about; whatsoever be the scope of our endeavours; we every day come nearer to the end of our course, every hour is a new step onward.  
So soon as ever a man enters this mortal life, he begins a constant journey unto death, quicquid temporis vivitur de spatio vivendi tollitur: i. e. Each part of time that we pass, 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 sin: Aegrae abstrahimur ab ijs quibus assuescimus, i.e. we are hardly drawn from those things which custom and time hath enured us unto. It is a grievous burden to a licentious heart to be drawn off from dainty fare, full cups, and good company. We lie as dead men and senseless in our damned pollutions, even drowned in our voluptuousness, 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 habitual course of transgressing, without any sense of our sin, until our short days begin to shut in, and our evening approach; at which time the weakness of our bodies, and the strength of our sins make us as unable to repent, as we were before unwilling. We many times through the incitement of some good motion begin well but fail in the execution; we make fair promises, 
Fatemur crimina, sed sic fatemur, ut in ipsa confessione non dolemus. Salu.  but we do not second them in our practice; but let us not deceive ourselves, 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 passed thy lips, then be as careful to perform, as thou wast forward before to promise.  
Lastly let us always follow that holy counsel given in Ecclesiasticus, In all thy actions think upon thy latter end, and thou shalt never do amiss: and that of the Prophet David, keep innocency, and do the thing that is right; for 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; 
Solus is charum non amittit, cui ille charus est quinon amittitur.  in me you shall have peace. Hence it was that the Saints of God always have taken exceeding joy in their tribulation; because Christ was their comfort and peace: he sweetened all their sorrows. Hence it was that Saint Augustine so resolutely broke forth; Hic ure, hic seca, modò in aeternum parcas; he regarded not what pressures God laid upon him, So he vouchsafed him patience here and heaven hereafter. What ever we do or can suffer in this life, the abundance of our eternal joy shall infinitely recompense the weight of our sorrows: Our light afflictions which are but for a moment do cause unto us a fare more excellent and exceeding weight of glory. Our combat here is short, but our triumph eternal. And who would not endure a few crosses & wind in his way when he knows they will bring him to his journey's end? Who would not for a little season expose himself to the mercy of the waves to be tossed on the sea, 
Impossibile est, ut in utroque seculo bearsu sis, ut in caelo & in terra appareas gloriosus Hier.  when he is assured with St Paul, to come safely to the shore?  
Besides, we must not expect to establish our happiness here and to enjoy our heaven hereafter. It is impossible a man should flow in his delights in this world; and then drink at the fountain of everlasting bliss 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 painful, as continual torments in the bowels. Fare better it is to Sum up our reckon here, then to have our debts upon the score hereafter; 
una hora erit gravior in paena, quam centum anni in amarissima paenitentia. Thomas de Kemp.  fare better to unloose our souls from the immoderate embracements of the comforts of this world, and to endure the straits and pinch of a more reserved & homely course for sixty or seaventy years in this life, then to suffer but one torment in the life to come: fare better to be lightly afflicted here, then eternally tormented hereafter.  
Saint chrysostom hath an excellent expression to this purpose: Suppose a man, saith he, much desiring sleep, and in his perfect mind, 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 terms? 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 eternal flames in the life to come? And therefore whiles we have our abode in this vale of misery, we should always pray with Saint Bernard, da domine, ut sic possideamus temporalia, ut non perdamus aeterna, i.e. grant us Lord that we may so partake of temporal felicities, that we may not lose eternal. All things under the Sun have their alterations and change, but things above are permanent, and of an enduring substance. Omnia ei salua sunt, cui salva est beata aeternitas; he that can be secure, and sure of the happiness to come, builds up his house upon a firm foundation. How small a model of time, how short a period is the longest life, when once it is finished? Recollect with thyself, saith Saint Augustine, the years that are passed from Adam's time until now; run 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 Adam's day till this hour; thou wouldst easily have judged, that this life hath no perpetuity in it, which flies 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 gone. I have seen an end of all perfection saith David. But here o 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 aim. Now if it be so, why art thou then so dull in thy course of holiness, so frozen in thy zeal, so inclinable to every motion of sin, so easily overcome by every incitement to wantonness, never more calm and unseasonably patiented, then when thy affections should be inflamed, and thy heart kindled with a just indignation in God's cause: and on the other side never more fretting, whining and unquiet, then when thou shouldest be meek and patiented, and cheerfully disposed under the burden of of afflictions? How can it be that we should have eternity in our minds, and yet live no better in our manners? Now that we may the easier discern the deceitfulness of our hearts herein; let us examine ourselves by the example of jacob. This Patriarch jacob served his uncle Laban seven years for Rachel his daughter, and the greatness of his affection towards her, made that time seem but as a few days. (to apply this:) Thou art a servant as jacob was, but thou serves not such a Master as jacob did, thou serves not man but God, thy maker and a faithful 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 cross accident stops thee in thy course, Every little sorrow disquiets thy soul, and lessens thy contentment. Behold here, measure by the example of jacob the strength of thy love: jacob could serve seven years with cheerfulness for a wife, but thou canst hardly serve thy God so many days with a true affection for heaven: For reckon up all the nights thou hast spent in prayer, sum up all the days that thou hast worn out in religious exercises, and canst thou then truly say to God as jacob 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, o than what would be the end of thy labour, what would thy reward be? not flocks and cattles, not the daughters of Laban, but God himself would be thy exceeding great reward, thy life and happiness; He would be unto thee every thing that, thy heart can desire or long for; Thy soul should flow, and even melt in abundance of spiritual delights.  
But now take a little view of thine own vileness, thy own nakedness, thy utter disability to any thing that may be truly called good. Thy hands are feeble to God's work, thy feet are slow to God's 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 mind prone to revenge, thy tongue voluble to blaspheme, thy affections even glued and incorporated as it were into the sensual embracements; And is this to serve God for heaven? shall the blessedness of the Saints, and the glory of Angels, and the joy, and fruition of God himself be poured forth upon such works as these? Dost thou thus requite thy maker.  
O consider, consider I say thy ways in time; labour to serve God as jacob did: labour to approve thyself as faithful to God as jacob was to his uncle Laban: And if the weight of the labour discourage thee, or adversity oppress thee, or prosperity seduce thee; then lift up thine eyes to heaven, as jacob 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 beautiful and glorious: Let thy desires go before whither thou meanest to hasten after: suffer for a season thy light affliction, having an eye to the recompense of reward; yet and but a little while, 
Eò dirigendus est spiritus quo aliquando est itutus.  and thou shalt approach the haven, where thou shalt enjoy so much the more happiness, 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 shall thy reward be in the life to come; then shall thy crosses prove thy gains, and that wellspring of joy which shall ever rise in thy heart, shall swallow up all thy sorrows.   

CHAP. II. Showing that there is no other way nor possible means to attain to the true eternity, but by a confident affiance upon the mercy 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 natural illumination, which is left in his mind to see as in a glass darkly and obscurely an eternity to come; yet is he utterly ignorant of the true way thereunto, neither hath he any possibility in nature to find it out: He is in no better state than the poor cripple 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 & extinguished in him, he is now a mere stranger from the life of God, Eph. 4.18. dead in Trespasses and sins, Eph. 1.2. reprobate to every good work. Tit. 1.16. his very mind is defiled, Tit. 1.15. his wisdom is death, Rom. 8.6. 
Nemo aliunde Deo placet, nisi ex eo quod ipse donaverit.  He is no more able of himself to lead a holy life, acceptable to God, than a dead man is to perform the actions of one that is alive. Being thus disrobed of all spiritual endowments and saving grace, how shall he attain to that joyful 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 & living way, even him, who hath styled 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, jesus Christ, yesterday and to day, and the same forever. He, and he alone is the only sure, effectual, infallible means of our salvation: He alone is the true High Priest, who was once offered to take away sins, and after that entered into the true sanctuary, the very Heaven, to appear in the sight 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 hominum. 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 cheerful, willing, & ready obedience to his heavenly will. O the infinite & in expressible tenderness of our loving Saviour towards us! When we, like sheep, had gone astray, his mercy reduced us: When we lay wallowing in our blood, his pity refreshed us: 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 oil, 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 uncleanness; He was that Son of righteousness, that came with healing in his wings. His were the wounds, that healed our sores; his was the back, that bore our sorrows; his was the price, that quit our 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 fly to this hold, and build on this foundation: For no other foundation can any man lay, then that which is laid, jesus Christ. Let us cast our souls into the arms of our Saviour: In brachijs Salvatoris mei & vivere volo et mori cupio, saith S. Bernard: O let this be our desire: Now the gate is open, let us not defer the time of entrance: Now is the acceptable time, let us not procrastinate the feason: Now he offers his mercy, he shows his long sufferance, let us not turn his grace into wantonness; let us follow the counsel of the son of Sirach: Ecclus the 5. Make no long tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from day to day: For suddenly 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 fare otherwise it is with us in our practice: 
* Magna pars vitae elabitur male agentibus, maxima nihil agentibus, 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 eternal safety lays at stake, we lie puzzling in our dust, I mean, in our worldly negotiations: But for our eternity shortly approaching, we seldom or rarely think of it. We are like Martha, troubled 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 useful to his God: it would not keep him warm in the winter, & it was too heavy for the summer: So many there be, saith S. Ambrose, who play with God and with 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 understandings. Thus both the summer and the winter of our age are unfit for God's 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, what shall be to morrow: for what is our life? It is even a vapour, that appears for a little time and afterwards vanisheth away. Hence it was that Macedonius, being invited a day before to a feast, replied to the messenger, why doth thy Master invite me for to morrow, whereas for this many years I have not promised to myself one days life? Nemo mortem satis cavet, nisi qui semper cavet. i.e. No man dreads death as he ought, but he that always expects his summons; and therefore we may truly judge such men woefully secure, and wilful 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 & unexpected death arrest men? We see and know in our daily experience, many lay themselves to sleep in health and safety, yet are found dead in the morning. Thus suddenly are they wrapped 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, within the small particle of an hour, live and sicken, and die: yet so gross is our blindness, that from one day to another, nay from one year to another, we triflingly put off the reformation of our lives, until our last hour creeps on us unlooked for, and drags us to eternity.  
Saint Augustine striving with all his endeavours against the backwardness and slowness of his own heart to turn to the Lord, bitterly complained within himself, Quamdiu, quamdiu, cras, cras? Quare non hâc horâ finis turpitudinis meae? How long (saith he) o how long shall I delude my soul with to morrow's repentance? Why should not this hour terminate my sinfulness? We are every minute at the brink of death, and every hour, that we pass through, might prove (for aught we know) the evening of our whole life, and the very close of our mortality. 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 Eternity should we be found? Whether amongst the damned, or the blessed? Happy were it for us, if we were but as careful 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 enthralled in the pollutions of sin, this alas we feel not; it neither provokes us to shame, nor moves us to sorrow. Wherefore let us look into our hearts with a sevearer eye: Let the shortness of our days stir us up to the amendment of our sinful lives; & let the hour, wherein we have sinned, be the beginning of our reformation, according to that of St Ambrose, agenda est paenitentia, non solum solicitè verùm etiam maturè, i.e. our repentance must be, not only sincere, but timely also, whilst 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 intent their own preservation and desire that happiness, which is agreeable to their nature: only man is negligent, and impiously careless of his own welfare. We see the Hart, when he is stricken and wounded, looks speedily for a certain herb, well known unto him by a kind of natural instinct; and when he hath found it, applieth it to the wound. The swallow, when her young ones are blind, knows 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 prayer, of repentance; of hearty, and sincere humiliation for his sins? We go forward still in our old way, and jog on in the same road: Though our judgement hasten, hell threaten, death stand at the door, yet we thrust onward still; & in dulcem declinamus lumina somnum: But alas miserable souls as we are, can we embrace quiet rests and vninterrupted sleeps with such wounded consciences? Can we be so secure, being so near our time?  
But you will say, we have passed already many nights without danger; no sickness in the night hath befallen us hitherto, why then should any fear of death amaze or trouble us?  
Admit all this, yea be not too confident; one hour may effect that, which a thousand years could not produce: and think with yourselves, 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 thyself, seeing that either a little bone in thy throat may choke thee, or a tile from thy house may brain thee, or some malignant air may poison thee, and then where art thou? There are a thousand ways, 
Tu te prius ad aeternitatem abrep tum miraberis, quàm metueres abripiendum.  whereby suddenly a man may come to his end; and certain it is that; Mors illa maxime improvisa est, cuius vita praecedens non fuit provida, i. e. that death is the suddainest, which is not ushered in with a foregoing preparation. It is therefore a special 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 body, so many windows are there to let in death: yea we carry our deaths continually about us in our bosoms; and who can promise himself his life till the evening? Hath not our own experience shown us many, whose sleeps in their beds have proved sleeps unto death; who have been carried from their chambers to their grave? Death doth not always send forth her harbingers to give notice of her coming; she often presseth in unlooked for, and suddenly attached the unprovided soul. Watch therefore, because ye know neither the day, nor the hour: work whilst ye have the day; for the night comes, wherein no man can work: look towards thy evening; and cast thy thoughts upon that long Eternity; Death first or last will apprehend thee: expect it therefore at every turn, and of this assure thyself, 
Qualis quisque in hac vita motitur, talis in die novissimo iudicabitur.  as death leaveth thee, so shall judgement find thee. How improvidently secure then are those, who set up their rest in the comforts of this life, and overly-regard their eternal welfare? This is the general carelessness of our times.  
If a man have a perpetuity but of five shillings yearly rent, what travel and pains and sweat, what beating of his brain and exhausting of his treasure will he run through, before he will lose one dram of his right? Yet our eternal inheritance is cast behind us, and undervalved as a trifle, not worth the seeking; and this shows 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 temporal well being, we seek with circumspection, and enjoy them with content; but matters of Eternity, we conceive of, as things fare distant from us, we scarcely entertain them in our thoughts. We busy not our understandings in the search of those things which we see not: things present, and 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 appears even in children, who presently 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 virtuous inclinations. They soon apprehend what belongs to the curiosity of behaviour, and deportment of the body, & 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 livery of their first parents, not only an indisposition, but a very opposition to goodness: And whereas for other employments and undertake, they have certain natural notions in them, bending their intentions to natural works, some one way and some another; yet they have not so much as a natural 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, until the light of God's spirit hath shined on their hearts and powerfully wrought some spiritual, holy dispositions in them. The natural 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 possibility of himself to find it out: 
Cum exulsit a patria exultat in via.  yet runs on securely in his damned way, until he fall woefully and irrevocably into the pit, where he will not have, (no not when he hath uncomfortably worn out millions of years) the least intermission of sorrow, or drop of comfort, or hope of pardon? Here on earth malefactors condemned to die, have this comfort (though wretched) that one hour commonly terminates all their griefs in this life: But the torments of the damned are not concluded in an age; nay the end and period of ten thousand years will not end their sorrow: And this is it which adds more to their sufferings, even their unhappy knowledge of the perpetuity of them; they have not so much as any hope of releasement.  
Hope in this life hath such a power in it, that it can yield some comfort in the midst of trouble; The sick man, whilst 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. The Prophet Daniel, cap. 4.14. heard the voice of an holy one, crying, hue down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake of his leaves, and scatter his fruit, nevertheless 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 and stump; nay and even all hope too, are banished away from them. The day of the Lord, saith the Prophet Malachy, shall burn them up, and leave them neither root nor branch. The very hope, saith Solomon, of the wicked shall perish; what should this teach us, but whilst our hope remains to improve our few days to our best advantage, to make straighter paths to ourselves, to abridge our inordinate appetites in some measure of their vain & fruitless joys; 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 endanger us? Then shall our dissolution prove our gain, and our death our glory: if otherwise we persist wilfully in the paths of our voluptuousness, and solace ourselves in the vain joys of our own hearts, and in the sight of our eyes; certainly it will be bitterness in the latter end. 
Extrema gaudii luctus occupat.  All our earthly delights will glide away like a swift river: The rejoicing of the wicked is short, saith job, and the joy of a sinner is but for a moment. Though his excellency mount up to the heaven, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet shall he perish for ever like his dongue, 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? Where shall we find any truly provident for immortality? Sic plerique vivimus, ac si fabula esset omnis aeternitas; we so live as though we conceived of Eternity, but as of a fable, or a dream; the sweet allurements of sin do so strangely beguile many, that by gentle degrees they obliterate and extinguish in them all love of virtue, and the very inclinations themselves to any thing, that may be truly termed good.  
But let us no longer delude ourselves by fancying a perpetuity on earth, behold the judge stands before the door: 
Momento fi et quod tota doleat aeternitas.  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 
Ante oculos prae omnibus habeamus diem ultimum, & momentis singulis supplicia timeamus dolotum aeternorum.  let us before all things have continually in our sight the last day: and let us every moment fear the punishments of eternal pains.   

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

The first conclusion.  
IF they, who run on in any notorious sin, did but rightly weigh how fast they go towards the Eternity of torments, (since that by the least command or stroke of God, 
Confecto demum scelere, eius magnitudo intelligitur.  they may be avoidable hurled to death and destruction:) Certainly they would not for all the kingdoms in Europe, for all the treasures of Asia, nay not for the whole world, defer their repentance one hour; much less would they go so confidently to their beds, without fear or horror, being so near the pits brink; and lying in the danger of so great a sin. For what would it profit a man, to win the whole world, and lose his soul? wherefore whoever thou art Nulli parcas ut soli parcas animae, 
Omnia siperdas animam servare memento.  what ever become of all other things, yet have a special care for the salvation of thy precious soul.   

The second conclusion.  
The greatest part of men do not believe this Eternity, which shall undoubtedly follow either in Heaven, or Hell to all; For were they assured of that truth, they would show more evident proof thereof in the reformation of their lives. Some indeed will seem to credit it in their words, but deny it in their actions. Their apprehensions and conceits may perchance sometimes glance at it, upon some check of conscience, it being as a thorn in their sides, and a mountain in their way towards their earthly contentment; but they are soon taken off. Such thoughts have no rooting in the ground of their hearts, but are suddenly choked by some intervenient employments: they are commonly nipped in their very bud, and killed in their birth; So that they never come to any issue. Thus many there are, who 
Caeci ad aeternitatem adeunt, ex qua nunquam exibunt.  run headlong and blindfold to their long home, like the rich glutton in the Gospel, 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: And certainly it is no marvel, this rich glutton, and many more like him, hasten thus unhappily to their unevitable downfall.  
For they go on in a pleasing and easy way. And 
In via nemo errat sed in fine viae, via pluribus placet, sed dispicet & terret viae terminus.  they are never sensible that they are out of the way, till they arrive at the end of their journey. All misery lies in the close of the day, For out of the pit is no redemption: when once the soul is split upon this 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.   

The third conclusion.  
Whosoever shall descend into himself, and take a strict and serious view of this eternity, certainly the meditation thereof sound digested, cannot but terminate his desires to a moderate and sparing fruition, even of lawful contentments.  
This will embitter his carnal mirth, take off the edge from his sweetest delights, and at length make him say with Solomon, I said of laughter thou art mad, and of joy what dost thou?  
It is recorded of Lazarus, that after his resurrection from the dead, he was never seen to laugh; The stream of his affections were now turned into another Channel; his thoughts were fixed in heaven, though his body was on earth, and therefore 
Aeternis inhianti in fastidio sunt omnia transitoria, i.e. Bern.  he could not but slight temporal things, when his heart was bend towards eternal. Oh, that we could work our hearts & souls to a vehement thirst after Christ, the true eternity! that we could cleave to that rock with steadfastness, and with unmoveable affections! For if Christ be our end, our joy shall be endless, nullo fine regnabis cum Christo, si Christus tibi finis.   

The fourth conclusion.  
The mind of man is so much the more sensible of the evil present, by how much less 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; Eternal labour, saith he, is but an equal compensation for an eternal rest. But if thou shouldest endure this eternal labour, thou couldst never arrive at that eternal rest: Therefore hath the mercy of God ordained thy sorrows to be temporal, that thy joys may be eternal; and yet saith he, 
Vbi est cogitatio Dei? nimi, profundae factae sunt cogitationes Dei Aug.  who is there, thinks on God as he ought? Such thoughts are irksome to us; But for temporal vanities we think of them with delight; and enjoy them with contentment: Now, saith he, look in and about thyself, see where thou art; God hath his hook in thy nostrils, 
Noli gaudere, ut piscis, qui in sua exultat esca: nondum enim traxit hamum piscator. Aug.  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 God's eternity? Yea though thou shouldest lengthen out thy days to many hundreths 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 thyself eternal; and be not discouraged for thy tribulations, and daily disquietings in this world: for such is God's love, such his abundant kindness towards his elect; that he 
Ideo Deus terrenis faelicitatibus amaritudinem miscet ut alia quaeratur faelicitae, cuius dolcedo non est falla●.  corrects them here, to the end they might not be condemned with the world hereafter; boni laborant, quia flagellantur ut filij, mali exultant quia damnantur ut alieni; God spareth those, who are aliens from grace, but whom he chooseth, he chastiseth; 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 temporal, but the things to come are eternal. When we see the friends of this world, the eager embracers of the comforts of this life, upon every summons of death strive to defer, what they cannot utterly avoid, their corporal dissolutions; oh how great care, what indefatigable diligence what restless 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, sola restat & non tranfibit aeternitas.  all things pass away in this life, only 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 faireday or market day, let us now buy what we want, while the fair lasts. While we have time let us do 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 moriendum erit faciantque ea quae in aeternitate constituti fecisse se gaudebunt. Amb.  Happy is the man that so life's here, that the remembrance of his well-spent life may yield 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 eternal loss in the world to come.   

The fift conclusion.  
Death is the ending our days, not of our life. For when our day shall close, and our time shall be no more, then shall our death conduct us to a life, which will last for all Eternity: For we die not here to die, 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 careful to avoid their death, and so carelessly 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 blind 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 joys to come. But when God shall enlighten the darkness of our minds, and reveal his son in us when once the day dawneth, & that daystar ariseth in our hearts o than our death will be our joy, and the rejoicing 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 die to ourselves and to our lusts here, that so in the world to come, we may everlastingly live unto Christ and in him.   

The sixth conclusion.  
Now that we may be the better encouraged to raise up our endeavours to the attainment of this eternity; Let us in a word consider the abundant and the ever-flowing happiness in the world to come; neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard, nor tongue can express the joys that God hath provided for them that love him. 
Vbi nullum erit malum, nullum latebit bonum-  Saint Augustine being ravished with the desire of this life, breaketh out with an inflamed affection, how great shall that happiness be, where there can be no unclean thing, where no good can be wanting; 
Praemium virtutis erit ipse, qui virtutem dedit.  where every creature doth praise and admire his Creator, who is all in all things. How great shall that reward be, where the giver of virtue shall be himself, the reward of virtue: how great shall that abundance be, where the author of all plenty, shall be unto me, life and soul, and raiment, health, and peace, and honour, and all things; yea the end and complete object of all my desires: For in his presence, is the fullness of joy, and at his right hand there is pleasure for evermore. How great shall that blessedness be, where we shall have the Lord our debtor, who hath promised to reward our good deeds; where we shall have the 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 Sun 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 possess 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 sadness, rest 
Quies motus non appetitus.  without labour, wealth without loss, health without languor, abundance without defect, life without death, perpetuity without corruption. Here is the beatifical presence of God, the company of Saints, the society of Angels. Here are pleasures, which the minds of the beholders can never be wearied with; they always see them, and yet always rejoice to see them: These are the flagons of wine which comforted up David, when he cried out, according to the multitude of the sorrows which I had in my heart thy comforts have refreshed my soul: In coelo est vita verè vitalis, In heaven, and only in heaven is the true life. For there our memories shall live in the joyful 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 several delights. Here is that white stone, which Saint john speaks of, even glory and immortality to them that overcome. Here is that water of life which our Saviour speaks 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, 
Coelum venale est nec multum exaestues propter pretij magnitudinem: teipsum da, & habebis illud. Aug.  and thou mayst buy it if thou wilt, and shrug not at the greatness of the price, give but thyself 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 pass through the gates of Hell, and endure infernal torments for a season, so he might be certain of so glorious and eternal an inheritance hereafter? Let all the devils in hell (saith Saint Austin) beset me round; 
Bone jesu qui parcendo saepius nos à te abijcis, feriendo effice, ut ad te redeamus Ger. med.  let fastings macerate my body; let sorrows oppress my mind; let pains consume my flesh; let watch dry me, or heat scorch me, or cold freeze and contract me; let all these, and what can come more, happen unto me, so 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 or Saviour shall martial the Saints in their distinct orders, and shall render to every one according to his works? O were thy affections rightly settled on these heavenly mansions, how abject & underneath thee wouldst 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, finds the middle steps low & beneath him, which seemed to be high to him while 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 grovelling on the earth below, now in this his transcendency he sees them under him & vilifies them all in regard of heavenly treasures. Let us therefore cheerfully follow that advice of a Reverend Father: 
Quod aliquandô per necessitatem amittendum est, pro aeterna remuneratio ne 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 eternity. For certain it is howsoever we live here like secure people of a secure age, and however we lavish out the strength and flower of our days, as if we should never account for it; yet our judgement is most sure, 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 wickedness be brought to light which now lies hid in darkness. I saw the dead (saith S. john, Rev. 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 written 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: Multorum vocatio, paucorum electio, omnium retributio, many are called, few chosen, but all rewarded according to their deeds. Oh then let us prepare ourselves 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 how many of the Saints of God trembled and quaked when they have meditated upon the last judgement. Hierome saith, as oft as I think of that day, how doth my whole body quake, and my heart within me tremble? 
Quoties diem illum cogito toto corpore contremisco. Timeo Gehen name quip interminatam  Cyrill saith, I am afraid of Hell, because the worm there dies not, 
A dentibus bestiae infernalis contremisco, quis dabit oculis meis fontem lachrymarum, ut praeveniam fletibus fletum & stridotem dentium.  and the fire never goeth out: I horribly tremble (saith Bernard) at the teeth of that infernal beast. Who will give to mine eyes (saith he) a fountain of tears, that by my weeping here, I may prevent weeping and gnashing of teeth hereafter? Let the examples of these Saints of God stir up in our hearts the like affections. Let it be the pitch of our desires, and the highest strain of all our endeavours, to attain those heauenly mansions which our Saviour hath provided for us; 
Momentaneum est quod delectat, aeternum quod cruciat.  and to avoid those endless, easeless flames which God hath prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Who would gain the purchase of a short and transient pleasure, at so high a rate, as the heavy price of eternal fire? Besides how shall our tender bodies, which so shrink at the prick of a pin, or flame of a candle endure those lasting pressures?  
Who can dwell (saith the Prophet) with eternal fire, who can abide with everlasting burn? Oh, let us set before our eyes the judgement to come, and whatsoever we find ourselves worthy to be condemned for, 
Cessat vindicta divina, fi conversio praecurrat humana.  by the just judge at that day. Let us first condemn ourselves; for where man's conversion gins, there God's displeasure maketh his period. Excellent is that advice of S. Gregory, weigh (saith he) and consider the errors of thy life while thy time serves; Tremble at that strict judgement to come while thou hast health, 
Culpam tuam (dum vacat) pensa, & districtionem futuri iudicii (dumb vales) exhorresce, ne tunc amaram sen tentiam audi as, cum nullis fletibus evada●.  lest thou hear that bitter sentence (Go ye cursed) go forth against thee when it is too late. Did man know what time he should leave the world, he might proportion his time, some to pleasure, & some to repentance. But he that hath promised pardon to the penitent, hath not assured the sinner of an hour's life. Since therefore we can neither prevent, nor foresee death, let us always expect it, and provide for it. Let us die to our sins here, that we may live to Christ hereafter, and let us suffer with Christ in this world, that we may rejoice and reign with him in the world to come. Recusat esse in corpore, qui non vult odium sustinere cum capite. When we depart this life, we go to an eternity, to an eternity I say, which shall never end, to an eternity quae facit omne bonum infinitè melius, et omne malum, infinité molestius, which maketh every good action infinitely better, and every evil action infinitely worse. Oh the unhappiness and everlasting woe of those men, who prefer the small and trifling things of this life, before the eternal 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 hereafter.    

A PRAYER.  
O Merciful God thou that art the eternal truth, the true charity, and long eternity, so illuminate the blindness of our understandings that the serious consideration of our short and transitory miseries which we run through in this life, may drive us to a more feeling apprehension of those eternal pains which abide us in the world to come Settle our hearts upon the true joy, teach us so to possess these transient things, that we lose not the enduring substance, so to lament our sins, that we may escape the punishment, so to proceed in the way, that we fail not of our journey's end. Amen, Amen.    
FINIS.   

These faults are to be corrected in some Copies.  
Pag. 9 line 2. read breathless. p. 12 l. 1. r perspicuous. p. 34. l 6 r: run. p. 52. l. 6. r. undertake.