One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 12
SERMON XII. A Conſideration of Eternal Life compared with this preſent life, And with its contrary, viz. Eternal Death.
JOH. 17.2.
That he ſhould give to them Eternal Life.
6. It's an eternall life.ETernal life in the nature and ſome properties of it hath been treated on; There remains one more, which I ſhall mention, viz. that in the Text Eternall; Therefore take the beſt wine at the laſt, That which crowneth all, and without which whatſoever happineſſe or glory might be had, it would in time fall as the leaf from the Tree, and this is Eternity; And here again we muſt be more in our acclamations and divine amazements at it then deſcriptions of it. The Schoolmen they tell us, that Eternity is like a fixed ſtarre now, whoſe whole is altogether; There is no ſucceſſion, no former or latter in Eternity, but all is together: I ſhall not perplex you with ſuch intricacies, Eternity it ſelf being only a fit ſpace to know what Eternity is This only take notice of, That a thing may be ſaid to be eternal in a twofold ſence, 1. Abſolutely and ſimply, ſo that it hath neither beginning or ending, and thus only God is eternal. Thus Deut. 33.27. God is called the Eternall God: Or elſe Eternal is uſed for that which had a beginning but never ſhall have an end, this is called Eternum a poſteriori; and ſo this bleſſed life is called eternal, for although it had a beginning, yet it ſhall never have an end, but after millions and millions of imaginary years, they are to continue in this life, as if it were the firſt moment; Let us then conſider as much as we are able what an infinite and incomprehenſible happineſs this is, which ſhall be for ever, Then ſhall we be with the Lord for ever, ſaith Paul, 1 Theſ. 4.17. Who is not put into extaſies and raptures, while he ſeriouſly meditateth on theſe things? Alas in this life if we had the confluence of all deſirable comforts, yet becauſe our life is ſhort and uncertain, our joy alſo can be no longer; But there, whatſoever glory thou doſt once partake of, thou ſhalt never loſe it; It will be thy Crown for ever, thy Kingdom for ever, thy glory is ever laſting glory; O the depth and unſearchableneſſe of this grace and love of God: well might Chriſt ſay, he would give it, and Paul call Eternal Life the gift of God, Rom. 6.23. For who can think that theſe duties which we do here are meritorious of ſuch eternal glory, for grant they were perfect, and had no droſſe in them, yet there is no proportion in the time, for thy faith, thy repentance, they were tranſient acts, ſuch as do paſſe way, but this Eternity abideth for ever. So in that it is eternal, the freeneſſe of it is neceſſarily implied; What hath a cup of cold water given in the Name of Chriſt of condignity with an eternal reward: Oh then that by faith we could fix our hearts upon this eternal life, that we could ſay, what do we here? What is this life that we now live to that eternal life? Why have I not this more in my thoughts and deſires? Why do I not riſe and go to bed with hungrings and thirſtings after this? eſpecially let wicked men, who for to fulfill every baſe and unworthy luſt, loſe this eternal life, to go home weeping and how…ing, and making bitter Lamentations; For they for a luſt that paſſeth in a moment, undo themſelves to all Eternity.
Thus you have heard the properties of it:II. Eternal Life conſidered comparatively with this preſent life. In the next place conſider it comparatively with this preſent life, and you will ſee what a Mole-bill is to the vaſt heavens, that is, this life to eternal life.
For 1. This life is but ſhort, fading, and fleeth away as a ſhadow; It's not a life but a ſhadow of a life; We live but in a dream, We act a life upon a Stage, There is but a life repreſented not really lived;1. This life is but ſhort. Hence the Scripture uſeth ſo many ſimilitudes to expreſſe this nothing; Sometimes this life is called a flower, Pſa. 90. which though ſweet for a while, preſently dieth; Sometimes a Floud, that makes a ſudden noiſe, and is immediately ſwallowed up in the earth; Sometimes to a bubble, to a vapour, to a ſhadow, to a threed: Now why are all theſe expreſſions? but to tell us. This life is no life, it deſerveth not the name of a life, and yet as poor and ſhort as it is, what an imbred deſire have we to it? Skin for skin, and all that we have we would exchange for it; how welcome then and deſired ſhould eternal life be, which compared with this life, is like the Ocean to a drop? Now lay up both theſe lives together, this fading moment, and that enduring Eternity, and admire the madneſſe of wicked men, who ſay, Give me this life, Let me here live in my pleaſures and luſts, though I be deprived of eternal life, This fooliſh choice is made by every wicked man.
2. This life as it is ſhort ſo it is full of troubles and miſeries; 2. Full of troubles and miſeries.Few and evil have my daies been, ſaid Jacob, Gen. 49.9. though a godly man who had ſometimes the preſence of God immediatly refreſhing him in this Pilgrimage. It hath been the ſaying of ſome, That if they were to live the life they have lived, over again; They would not accept of ſuch an offer, becauſe the water of it hath been more then the wine, the gall then the honey: Hence Job ſaith, Man that is born of a woman is for adverſity as the ſparks fly upwards, Job 5.7. Nothing is ſo connatural and proper for man as to be miſerable: Compare then Eternity with this where all evil is done away: Nothing but glory and fulneſſe of abundance; Eternal and happy may the Saints glorified ſay, their daies are; Yet here again is a great diſcovery of every wicked mans madneſſe, To have a few evil daies, wherein thou haſt more vexation then comfort, thou wilt loſe this eternal bleſſed life, and if thou ſaiſt, I hope not ſo, I do not intend to do ſo, that will not avail thee, for this eternal life is vouchſafed to none, but thoſe that repent of, and wholly forſake their ſinnes; Never then blinde thy eyes, and delude thy ſelf with vain hopes; Thou for thy ſinnes ſake doſt voluntarily refuſe this eternal life.
3. This life is full of fears, We are obnoxious unto death from principles of corruption within, as alſo from violence without;3. Full of fears. So that if we could ſuppoſe an univerſal good in this life, That we had mercies and no ſorrow mingled with them, yet the fear of loſing them or our death no longer to enjoy them, may juſtly be the death in the pot, or the root of bitterneſſe in all our joys: There is no ground we can ſhadow our ſelves under, but a worm will ariſe either from it, or from our ſelves, or God will create one to deſtroy it, ſo that when all things are to our hearts deſire, yet we are not able to ſay, I fear not the loſſe of it, neither death, or the violence of man can deprive me of it, but ſtill we are ſubject every moment to an alteration, ſet we then this eternal life by it, and there we ſhall ſee how glorious that is comparatively, for as there is an univerſal good, ſo there is a quiet, full, and ſecure poſſeſſion of it; There is no danger from within or from without: Adam though created happy, yet was mutable, The devil ſeduced him out of all his felicity; but now there is a confirmation of the Saints in heaven, if once in poſſeſſion of glory there cannot be any to eject them, unleſſe there could be a ſtronger then God: It's not ſo much happineſſe as ſecurity in happineſſe that makes a man bleſſed, Fear to loſe it takes off from the enjoying of it, but it's not ſo with this eternal life, There is all quietneſſe, all ſecurity, and eaſe, and certainly if the Apoſtle Rom 8. even in this life can make ſuch a glorious charge: Who ſhall ſeparate us from the love of God through Chriſt? Neither death, nor things preſent, nor things to come. How much more ſhall they in heaven triumph after this manner? If thoſe that are toſſed up and down in the Sea have ſuch ſecurity, what may they have who are in the haven? Upon this account it is that our Saviour bids them treaſure up that wealth, Mat. 6.20. where theeves cannot break through and ſteal; By that he means no ſecret craft or open violence can get away that treaſure; Here again we ſee the madneſſe of wicked and earthly men; They venture their ſouls, and God, and heaven and all to get this uncertain wealth, theſe uncertain pleaſures, which when they have they may fear every moment that voice from heaven; Thou Fool, this night thy ſoul ſhall be taken from thee; Thus they do when a ſecure, certain and permanent treaſure is to be tendered to them: It's a rule which all commend for the wiſedom of it, Tene certum, & dimitte incertum, and this they will keep too in earthly affairs, but then for heaven and eternal happineſſe, there they are devoid of all underſtanding.
4. Meaſured by time.4. This life is meaſured by time, as are all the things therein: There is a ſucceſſion of comforts, we cannot have all comforts together: All theſe things in the world are in a ſwift motion, and nothing ſtands ſtill: The comforts we had the laſt year, or the laſt day, or the laſt hour, they are gone, we cannot have them any more; Thus every thing in this world being meaſured by time is in a continual flux: There is the firſt, and the ſecond, and ſo ſtill all is paſſing, and what is paſt we have not, and what is to come we do not yet enjoy, ſo that there is nothing but the preſent advantages that we are properly ſaid to poſſeſſe, now put eternal life to this, and it's the clean contrary, even as Eternity is to time, for whereas time is in a continual tranſient being, Eternity is an whole and full poſſeſſion of all together; There is no paſt, preſent, or to come in Eternity, but Eternity comprehends all theſe things together, even as the greater wheel comprehends at once all the motions of the leſſe wheel within it, and certainly this conſideration is able to ſwallow us up, Thy comforts do not flow and reflow, They do not paſſe and others come, but thou art in a ſtable, permanent way of enjoying all happineſſe together, Thou canſt not be leſſe happy at one time then at another; Thou canſt not expect greater joy then thou haſt, neither canſt thou wiſh for any joy that is paſt, ſo great a matter is Eternity.
5. Full of disſatisfaction·In the Laſt place, This Life is full of disſatisfaction, even in the vertical Point of all its bleſſedneſſe; The heart of a man morally as well as naturally is alwaies in motion, never lieth ſtill: It's alwaies hydropical, the more it drinketh the thirſtier it is ſtill: Solomon you heard that made it his ſtudy and endeavour to have content in this world, yet it could not be, he may as ſoon think to make an Oiſterſhell hold the Ocean, as that theſe earthly things can fill the heart; What man is there who liveth a meer earthly life, that can ſay, he is ſatisfied, he deſireth nothing? Indeed we reade of Paul Phi. 4. ſaying, I have all things, and abound, but that is through grace, becauſe enjoying of God otherwiſe, the Air can as ſoon fill the hungry ſtomack as earthly things the appetite of the ſoul; But compare this eternal life hereto, and there is all fulneſſe and ſatisfaction▪ They never deſire a change, they cannot wiſh it better with them; We ſee Peter but in a taſte of it, yet cried out, It's good to be here, Let us dwell here, he would not have parted with joy; The ſoul in heaven is arrived at its haven, it's come to its journeys end, it's now fallen to its center, it cannot go any further; It now cryeth out, Here is enough (Lord) here is enough, yet this fulneſſe breeds not nauſeating as they were weary of Manna: No, it exciteth deſire and yet filleth it; It provoketh love, and yet ſatiateth it, ſo that this particular likewiſe proclaimeth the madneſſe of all wicked men, for why is thy ſoul like the devil, compaſſing about the earth, ſeeking out for this comfort, and then for another; Even as children cry for this thing, and then quickly weary, cry for another, and in the mean while doth neglect that which would be inſtead of all.
Thus have we handled it comparatively,II. Eternal life conſidered oppoſitely to eternal death. the laſt way is to conſider it oppoſitely, for that is an old Rule, contraries put together, illuſtrate one another the more; The Sunne is moſt glorious after the breaking out of a black thick cloud; Now the contrary to Eternal life, is eternal death, ſo that we may apprehend the good of the one by the evil of the other, and indeed man is ſo ſlaviſh and bruitiſh that fear doth more prevail then love; Therefore though we propound all the joys of heaven, and invite to this eternal life, yet few make that Queſtion, as he did to Chriſt, Maſter, what ſhall I do that I may inherit eternal life? but if we ſpeak of eternal death in all the terrour of it, then fear may for a while at leaſt, awaken them, Let us then conſider wherein the contrary to this eternal life conſiſteth.
And 1. That is in the deprivation of God, and an utter departure from him, Eternal death lieth,and this privative part of eternal death is the great aggravation of it; At the day of judgement, that dreadful doom runneth thus, Depart from me, Mat. 25.1. In the deprivation of God. 41. That is worſe then the eternal fire they are caſt into, you have heard that God was the fountain of all good, every creatures goodneſſe is but a ſtream from that Fountain; At thy right hand (ſaid David, Pſa. 16.11.) are rivers of pleaſure for evermore; So that this eternal death takes thee from the light of his countenance; Thou art never to be admitted in his preſence, and when God departs, all comfort, all hope departs with him: Oh that wicked men would lay this to heart, you that now bid God depart from you, you will have none of his knowledge, none of his commands, God will requite you in your own kinde, he will then command you to depart from him: Were it not that Athieſm and unbelief did reign in your hearts, this truth would make your ears to tingle, and your heart to tremble, while you hear it: Was it not death to Abſalom to be kept from his Fathers preſence? Why do ye not kill me, ſaith he to Joab, rather then let it be alwaies thus, yet he was but an earthly Father, he could not give peace and joy to the conſciences of men, but this heavenly Father is a Father of ſpirits, whom he bids Depart from him, all terrour and horrour immediatly ſeizeth on that man; There is no quietneſſe in his bones, Michah had loſt but an Idol-God, Judg. 18. and he wringeth his hand, and crieth out bitterly; Oh but what roarings and yellings when we ſhall have loſt the true God and his favour for ever.
2. This eternal death brings all the poſitive evil that can be feared or imagined upon a man; For as here we told you,2. It is ſeen i… that it brings all the poſitive evil that can be feared or imagined. was not one kinde of comfort but an aggreſſion of all, therefore the Scripture delights to repreſent it under ſeverall deſirable good things, ſo neither is hell one kinde of miſery, one kinde of torment, but the Scripture repreſents it under every thing that is terrible, Becauſe death is ſo much feared, therefore it's called death, becauſe fire and brimſtone are ſo terrible in burning it's called that; Becauſe a dark dungeon and priſon with chains in the darkneſſe are ſo miſerable, It's reſembled to that, becauſe men in extremity of pain and miſery do uſe to weep and wail, and gnaſh their teeth, therefore is hell ſet out by all theſe dreadful things, ſo that as the glorified in heaven have every thing they can deſire, there is no good they want; Thus the damned in hell have every thing they fear; There is no torment or pain imaginable but they partake of it, and this they are filled with, having not the leaſt eaſe or reſpite: Dives deſired but a drop of water to cool only the top of his tongue, and he could not obtain ſo much; Oh that men who give themſelves up to the pleaſures of ſin would remember theſe torments; Theſe howlings to all Eternity: What are we preaching follies and fictions to you? If you beleeve the Scripture, you muſt beleeve thoſe things to be the portion of every unreformed ſinner; O what a vaſt difference will there be between thy pleaſures here and eternal torments hereafter, and not to have a drop of eaſe in all thy miſery.
3. To all Eternity.3. This eternal death as it hath fulneſſe of torment ſo likewiſe Eternity; For heaven and hell have no period; There is no time ſet when the fire of hell ſhall go out, called therefore unquenchable fire, So that theſe two properties eaſeleſſe and endleſſe might ſtartle and amaze every ungodly man, Why wilt thou buy theſe eternal torments at ſo dear a rate, for a moments pleaſure to have everlaſting woe? So that here are two Eternities before thee, an Eternity of happineſſe, an Eternity of miſery, Sinne ſaith, and the devil ſaith, taſte of the honey of ſinne, God ſaith, There is eternal gall for this; Now which wilt thou beleeve, either ſinne tempting, or God threatning? Was not Eve at firſt undone? becauſe ſhe would hearken to the devil againſt God; What fruit or profit had Judas for thirty peeces, procuring to himſelf eternal horrour and trembling?
Thus you have ſeen eternal life in the contrary to it, We have been upon the Mount of Bleſſing, and upon the Mount of Curſing; If good things will not allure,Life a gift, death is deſerved. let dreadfull things aſtoniſh and terrifie; Only you muſt know the grand difference between eternal life and eternal death in the manner of coming to it: So you ſee in the Text it's given by Chriſt, and it's called the gift of God, but eternal death comes by deſert, It's the wages of ſinne, Rom. 6. ult. Our ſinnes deſerve hell, but our graces do not heaven, and whereas it might be thought an unjuſt thing in God for a tranſient ſinne to inflict eternal torments, yet that is no wonder.
Why God for a tranſient ſin will inflict eternal torments.For 1. We ſee amongſt men, that Malefactors for a crime committed by them, which was acted in a very ſhort time, do yet ſuffer death, which as to this world is their eternal deſtruction, they can never come back to live here again. 2. All ſinne being committed againſt God who is of infinite glory hath thereby an infinite guilt, and ſo deſerveth eternal damnation. Hence it is that D…vines ſay, Omne peccator punitur citra condignum, Even hell it ſelf is not a puniſhment adequate to the nature of ſinne, for Gods honour is more worth then ever our ſufferings can make up again: And laſtly, There is no injuſtice becauſe all thoſe torments can never make any ſatisfaction; For hence it is that thy miſery is eternal, becauſe thou canſt not pay the utmoſt farthing; Thou art never able to diſcharge the debt, therefore thou muſt for ever lie in priſon: Thus there is juſtice in every mans damnation, and there is only mercy in every mans ſalvation.
For 1. Thoſe graces and good works thou doſt have no proportion to this Eternal and glorious reward. The Apoſtle did not account his ſuffering which ſeem to be the moſt efficacious for ſalvation, any whit comparable to that eternal weight of glory; If a man ſhould have the whole world given him for lifting up a ſtraw, that is not ſo great a diſproportion as to give heaven for Martyrdom, the higheſt act of love to God.
And 2. It's only of grace, becauſe he who giveth the Crown giveth us legs and ſtrength to runne in the race: Coronat dona ſua, non merita noſtra; ſo that we are ſo farre from meriting by good works, that the more we do, the more we are beholding to the grace of God.
Ʋſe Of Invitation,Ʋſe. Who is there of you that hath heard of the nature and properties of this eternall life that is not brought in love with it? Who is there that hath heard of this pearl, that will not ſell all, throw away every ſinne to enjoy it? If there were nothing but this it might work on thee: Haſt thou any luſt that will be equivalent to eternall life, that will be in ſtead of that to the…? What wilt thou do when a mortall diſeaſe hath ſurprized thee? thy friends weeping, thy children crying, and thou dying, Will theſe luſts then help call to them and ſee if they can give thee eternall life? What, wilt thou be worſe then Balaam? he wiſhed, Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous, and his later end might be like his: And ſhall there be not ſo much as a deſire, as a ſigh, though, if there be no more, if thy life be not the righteous mans life, thy death cannot be his.