One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 13
SERMON XIII. Weighty Conſiderations upon Eternity.
JOH. 17.2.
That to as many as thou hast given him, he ſhould give Eternall Life.
ETernall Life is the glorious gift mentioned in the Text, and though I was concluding this verſe, yet the conſideration of this glorious matter ſhall make me once more endeavour throughly to poſſeſs your hearts therewith. It was the fault of one of the Kings of Iſrael that he did not ſtrike arrows often enough to the ground, 2 King. 13.19. for then he ſhould have obtained more victories. It ſhall therefore be my endeavour, if poſſible, that the arrows of this truth may be ſtricken often even through and through your hearts. And that I may further quicken you hereunto, conſider theſe particulars, as ſo many effectuall concluſions upon this ſubject.
And firſt,1. The great queſtion that all ought to put is, How may I have eternall life? The chief and moſt principall and neceſſary queſtion which every one ſhould ſeriouſly propound, ought to be that Luk. 18.18. What ſhall I do to inherit eternall life? Not indeed upon ſuch a corrupt opinion as he did, who thought by his own works meerly to obtain this eternall life; No, that cannot be, it's the gift of God: and when we have done all, this eternall life is of grace, not merit, but in a right ſenſe, viz. what way ought we to walk in, what is to be done that at laſt we may not eternally periſh. This (I ſay) is a moſt noble and neceſſary queſtion, if this were more ſtudied and practiſed, it would advantage the ſoul ten thouſand times more then other unneceſſary and impertinent diſputations. The beſt method in morall Philoſophy is to begin firſt with the end, becauſe that is the chiefeſt, there muſt be firſt a knowledge and deſire of that: Now all Divinity agreeth with morall Philoſophy in this, it's wholly practicall. The firſt thing then in your thoughts and meditations ſhould be, What is that end for which I was made? how may I obtain that eternall life for which I came into this world? Oh why are we buſie in unneceſſary things? for what end and purpoſe were you made? Was it to heap up wealth? To ſatisfie the luſts and pleaſures of the fleſh? No, it was at laſt to injoy this eternall life. The Heathen did well call man the orizon of time and eternity; for in reſpect of his body, he partaketh of time, in reſpect of his ſoul eternity: So then the chief and more excellent part of thee, that which makes thee differ from a beaſt, it is that which relateth to eternity, ſo that the firſt and the laſt thing thou haſt to think on is, how to come to this eternall life. The Apoſtle uſeth an emphaticall word, 1 Tim. 6.12. Lay hold on eternall life; as a man that runneth in a race, at the end thereof ſtreacheth out himſelf to lay hold on the garland; ſo that as he who runneth in a race neglects all the pleaſant objects he runneth by, and hath his eye only upon the prize: Thus it ought to be with us, neither riches, honours, friends or earthly advantages ought to be inordinately minded by us, but eternall life that is the prize, upon that our eye is to be, after that we are to pray and ſtrive: But who may not blame himſelf, and judge himſelf for neglect herein? Oh how little is this eternall life in thy affections and hopes; thy cares about thy body, about thy eſtate will greatly condemn that ſluggiſhneſs about eternall life.
2. We muſt take the right way to anſwer that queſtion.2. As this ought to be the great queſtion we are to riſe with and go to bed with, ſo we muſt take the right way to anſwer it. It's not enough to make the queſtion as Pilate did to Chriſt, What truth was? and never matter an anſwer; but we are to be reſtleſſe in our ſouls till we have a full anſwer, till we know the way. Now that we can only be inſtructed in from Gods Word, John 6.68. Whither ſhall we go, thou haſt the words of eternall life. The Scripture then is this Tree of Life, the fruit thereof and the leaves likewiſe are for eternall healing. Hence our Saviour in the next verſe tels us, what is the way to have this eternall life, even by knowing of God and Jeſus Chriſt. As all the Heathens were in dark confuſed thoughts about immortallity, ſo they were in Egyptian darkneſſe, or like the blinde Sodomites, groping and feeling for a way to it, but could never get in. Wouldſt thou therefore be reſolved in this, How may I have this eternall life, betake thy ſelf then to the Scriptures, make them thy counſellers; do not attend to the waies of the world, matter not what they ſay, or what they do, for that telleth thee the way to heaven is clean contrary to the manners and practiſes of the world. If you do not rectifie your ſelf by the Scripture, and reſolve to follow the light of this ſtarre, though you ſhould hear many hundred Sermons of eternall life, yet they would do you no good; ſay then, let me conſider what way the Scripture would put me into, my life I yet live is wholly repugnant to Gods Word, whatſoever courſe that preſcribeth, though never ſo contrary to my luſts, to my former practiſes, yet I will gladly renounce all. Do this and then expect eternall life.
3. Conſider upon this little moment we have here depends all eternity.3. Conſider this deeply, that upon this little moment we have here depends all eternity. Thou haſt a ſhort brittle life in this world, and upon the good improvement of this depends all eternity. Oh the ſearchings and turnings of heart this particular ſhould make in you; My everlaſting condition, that eſtate which is to be for ever and ever, it wholly hangs upon this uncertain life. It may be thou haſt but a day, an hour to live longer, and all thy eternity depends on this: Oh men fooliſh and unwiſe, who will not lay theſe things more to heart. God hath given us a candle to work by, a ſhort day we have to improve, and if this paſſe over thy head, then comes unchangeable eternity. As at thy death thou art caſt for eternall life or everlaſting torments, ſo it muſt be without ever any recovery or alteration. Oh how precious ſhould thy time be, how dear ſhould every day every hour be, all this hath influence into eternity. Well might the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 5.16. command us to redeem the time. Time is the moſt precious jewell in the world, eternity depends on it, and therefore wilt thou let thy luſts or wicked companions ſteal away this jewel that is more worth then all the world? Oh let us ſo live every day, every hour as thoſe that ſay, as I do now, ſo will eternity be to me.
4. Conſider this, that the moſt of men even called and injoying the means of grace, 4. That moſt ſhall miſſe of eternall life.ſhall miſſe of this eternall life. What is a thunderbolt if this be not, Luk. 13.24. There are few that enter into the ſtrait gate, and many are called, but few choſen; our Saviour uſed that apothegm more then once. How formidable and dreadfull ſhould theſe words many and few be unto us! Many periſh in the broad way, few enter in the ſtrait way: What will make thee caſt off preſumption, ſecurity and negligence, if this do not? The number of thoſe who ſhall have this eternall life is very few, a little flock they are comparatively to thoſe many millions that are caſt into everlaſting flames. Oh how long ſhall we hear theſe things and yet be void of all ſpirituall underſtanding. If ſuch an aſſeveration ſhould be uſed concerning any temporall miſery or calamity, Many ſhall dye of the plague, few ſhall eſcape; Many ſhall be cut off by famine or the ſword, and a very few ſhall be preſerved, who would not fear leſt he ſhould be one of the many? And yet in theſe things many are as idle, having ears they hear not, and hearts they underſtand not.
5. Deſire to have ſuch thoughts and reſolutions now, 5. Deſire ſuch thoughts now as if thou wert already in eternity.as if thou wert already in eternity: For if the damned in hell that ſee no eſcape from thoſe everlaſting flames were asked, what they thought of their ſinne, how they loved it? would they not make miſerable howlings, it's that which hath undone us, oh that is the ſting that enters into the very bowels, that's the ſcorpion which pierceth to the very heart: Oh we mad men and void of all underſtanding, who though forewarned of this, and threatned about it, yet regarded nothing, beleeved nothing; but now, oh now, after millions of years in this tormented place, we are as unlikely to come out, as at the firſt. Think you they are not then altered and changed, do they not cry out of thoſe bitter ſinnes which were once ſo ſweet? Should God give them leave to be here again upon the earth, would they not repent in ſackcloth and aſhes? would they not day and night mourn after God and his forgiveneſſe? Oh that every wicked man, who findes pleaſure and delight in his ſinnes, would think and ſay, Do the damned in hell judge it ſo? Do they feel ſinne ſo ſweet? And thus alſo deſire to have the ſame inlarged affections and delight in God, as thoſe glorified Saints in heaven have. Doſt thou finde thy heart worldly, unruly, diſtempered, ſay, Do thoſe in eternall life rejoyce no more? have they no more enlivened flames of zeal for God then I have? Thus to judge as thoſe who are in eternity, would be an excellent ſpurre to all piety.
6. Remember this likewiſe, 6. Better a man had not been born then to miſſe of eternall life.that it's farre better thou hadſt never been born then to miſſe of this eternall life. It had been farre more eaſie to have been an abortive, or that the womb had been thy ſepulchre and grave, then to live here, and at laſt to dye thus eternally. Shall Job and Jeremiah ſo paſſionately curſe the time of their lives, and wiſh there had been no day or ſunne, and only becauſe of ſome temporall extremity, which yet did not endure very long? what outcries and wiſhes ſhall theſe have who are to dye eternally, and yet ſhall never dye? Job ſpeaks of ſome that deſire death, Job 3.21. but cannot have it; thus ſhall all thoſe deprived of eternall life call to mountains and hils to cover them, bite the tongue with madneſſe, and call for death to devour them, but it cannot be. Though Judas could make away himſelf out of this hell he had here, yet he cannot out of the hell afterwards.
7. Conſider with thy ſelf, how unable thou art to bear any extream pain, 7. Conſider how unwilling thou art to bear any extream pains.though it be but for a night or day: what toſſings and tumblings, when it's night wiſhing for day, and when it's day wiſhing for night: Now if a moments pain be ſo grievous, what is eternall? If thou art not able to endure the ſudden ſcorch of fire, what then to be in everlaſting fire, Iſa. 33.14. Who amongſt us ſhall dwell with the everlaſting burnings. Oh how ſhould this meditation even ſwallow us up; If we are not able to endure the rod, how ſhall we the ſcorpion? If the gout, the ſtone be thus grievous, what is everlaſting torment? Should not we judge him a mad man, that to have one night of quiet reſt and ſweet ſleep, would all his life after be tormented with reſtleſſe nights and terrifying dreams? ſuch folly is in all wicked men, They to have this ſhort life of pleaſures and jollity, which is but a dream, will undo themſelves for ever in this endleſſe and eaſeleſſe wo: Oh remember this eternity is ſo incomprehenſible by thee, that when thou haſt thought and thought ten thouſand millions of imaginary years, yet it is to hold as long as at the firſt beginning. Some have repreſented it thus, Imagine, ſay they, that all that vaſt ſpace which is between heaven and earth were full of ſand, and once in every thouſand year, no oftner, a bird carry away one crum of it in her bill, what a long while would it be ere this vaſt huge heap would be carried quite away; yet if the damned in hell might have eaſe at the period of ſuch a time, though ſo infinitely long, yet there would be ſome hope; but now it's everlaſting fire, it's a fire that cannot be quenched, but as long as God is God, ſo long ſhall they be in their chains of darkneſſe. God you heard was properly eternall, becauſe he had neither beginning or end; therefore he was ſaid by the Heathens to be a circle, whoſe center was every where, his circumference no where. Hence the Heathens repreſented his eternity by a ſnake, or a ring, that hath no beginning or end. The Romans built their Temples round, and Pythagoras rule was when to worſhip, turn thy ſelf round: Here they had confuſed notions about eternity; but the Scripture doth moſt clearly affirm his eternity: Now our life is eternall only becauſe it ſhall have no end, and ſo for the future it will abide for ever, and never change: What a great word is this, never to change; thy happineſſe will never change, thy miſery will never change. Theſe things duly pondered will be of great uſe. But thou wilt ſay, this ſubject is indeed very neceſſary, this eternity is a wonderfull and tranſcendent point, oh that I could riſe with it and walk with it;Helps to be affected with eternity. how then ſhall I poſſeſſe my ſelf with it, how ſhall I be affected with it? Do theſe things.
In the firſt place, Exerciſe a firm and ſtrong faith about it, that there is ſuch a thing. This is a good and neceſſary foundation, for as long as Atheiſm or unbelief is in thee, and thou thinkeſt there is nothing after this life, thou doubteſt whether there be any ſuch eternity or no, as long as this wicked diſpoſition is on thee there cannot be any good in thee. Faith is the ſubſtance of things hoped for, Heb. 11. ſo that this eternall life which is the great hope and expectation of the godly, by faith is made really to ſubſiſt in the heart, it doth as lively imbrace it, as if it were already in eternity. Oh then let a firm and divine aſſent over-rule thy heart, ſay, I do beleeve it more then any thing of ſenſe or of reaſon, more then that I breath or live▪ For the Word of God is ſo punctuall and poſitive in afirming ſuch a condition of eternity hereafter, that faith muſt needs bear witneſſe to it. Now this Divine faith of ſuch a thing would be like ſo many ſparks of fire in our breaſt, it would make us ſpeak and live and do all for this eternity, we do ſo certainly beleeve it.
And 2. Do not only beleeve, but accuſtom thy ſelf to frequent and ſerious meditations about it. Meditation in the Word of God is made a bleſſed thing, and certainly this is a duty, though much neglected, yet wonderfully neceſſary, to ſet thy ſelf to meditate and think over and over ſome main points of Scripture truth, whereof this eternity is not the leaſt. Meditation is like the birds ſitting upon her egges, if ſhe ſhould not be conſtant upon them, there would never be warmth enough to cauſe living young ones; thus it is here: It's not a tranſient thought, it's not a ſudden motion, but it muſt be a conſtant ſerious meditation upon eternity; certainly if thou wert carefull in this, thou wouldſt finde it raiſing up thy heart, heating thy affections, and making of thee earneſtly deſire this eternall life.
3. Conſider this, that one great end why God hath thrown ſo many bitter roots in every thing here below, why there are ſo many ſad exerciſes and afflicting troubles, it is to ſeek after eternall life. Thou haſt not perfect health, thou haſt not full content, every day hath ſome evil or other, and why is all this? becauſe eternall life ſhould be deſired by thee. God ſeeth thy mouth cannot be brought off from ſucking the breaſts of the creatures, therefore they are rubbed with wormwood to wean thee. As God therefore ſuffered the Egyptians to afflict and oppreſſe the Iſraelites, that ſo they might be weary of Egypt, and long for Canaan, thus it is here, God makes this world a valley of tears and fears, a valley of death, there is no ground but ſome worm or other devoureth it, and all this, that thou ſhouldſt long for an haven, who art toſſed in this reſtleſſe ſea of the world: Look then upon all the afflictions, pains, miſeries, or whatſoever bitter thing it be that thou art to grapple with, and ſay, The Lord doth this to make me undervalue theſe things below, it's to make me eſteem a better life. If every thing were here as I would have it, heaven would not be ſo wellcome: Had the Prodigall not met with husks and extream hardſhip,The effects of lively meditations on eternity accompanied with firm faith. he would not have reſolved to go back to his Father again. Think and practiſe theſe things, ſo wilt thou be greatly affected with eternity: And to encourage thee herein, conſider the bleſſed effects which a lively meditation of eternity, accompanied with a firm faith, will put thee upon.
For firſt, Who ſo hath this eternity ſet upon his heart he will not be immoderatly and inordinatly deſirous after theſe things below. 1. A low eſteem of the world.As the beams of the ſunne will put out the fire, ſo will the thoughts and affections about eternall things, overcome temporall. The Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 7. preſſeth all upon an hard duty, To marry as if we married not, to buy as if we bought not; Why ſo? becauſe the time here is ſhort, eternity is coming upon us: And thus thoſe holy Patriarchs mentioned Heb. 11. they accounted themſelves pilgrims and ſtrangers, and they ſought a City to come, not built with hands. Thou complaineſt thy heart is ſo full of deadneſſe, dulneſſe, ſo full of the world, the cares and diſtractions thereof devour thee up, there is nothing will help thee againſt this temptation, then often thoughts and affections about eternity.
2. As the thoughts of eternall life will thus moderate our affections, 2. A longing for the coming of Chriſt.ſo it will work in us … longing for and haſting of the coming of Chriſt, who then will beſtow this eternall life upon us. We wonder how Paul ſhould be lifted up above all theſe earthly comforts, as to deſire to depart and to be with Chriſt, Phil. 1. It ſeemeth very difficult to us, that any haſten in their praiers and deſires Chriſts coming, but all this is becauſe our hearts are not as full of hope and expectation of eternall life as theirs were: Alas, many of us know no better, and ſo cannot deſire any better then what may be had in this world, and therefore the thoughts of death and the coming of Chriſt are unwelcome to us: Whereas to The godly, it's the coming of the bridegroom, and they are to lift up their heads with joy, when that approaches, Matth. 26. Let then that godly ſoul which doth ſo complain that it loveth life too dearly, and feareth death too immoderately, let that be ſtrengthened and comforted with the ſure hopes of this eternall life: If an heavenly frame of heart were powerfull in us, this very world would be a wilderneſſe, it would be tedious to us to be kept ſo long from that home we have in heaven. The Saints have a reſt provided for them, and who doth not deſire to be at his reſt? Oh blame your ſelves more, that you have not Davids exclamation, and now Lord, what long I for? truly my ſoul waiteth for thee, As the heart panteth after the water brooks, ſo doth my ſoul after thee O God, Pſal. 42.1. David ſpake this but of enjoying God in the Ordinances in this life, Oh but how greatly muſt the ſoul be inflamed for the life to come.
3. Calm the ſoul under any troubles.3. Powerful thoughts of Eternity will quiet and wonderfully calm the ſoul under any afflictions and troubles. No ſuch antidote as this; Paul abundantly witneſſeth that we account not the light afflictions of this life comparable to that eternal weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4. ſo this Eternity made him not value or regard any temporary affliction: It was this that made the Martyrs joyfully take the ſpoiling of their goods, and the loſſe of their lives: Thus in every affliction and exerciſe, if ſanctified to thee, how ſweetly and joyfully maiſt thou dwell in heaven while thou art on earth; Thou maiſt be in heaven every day, even while thy condition is beſet with many troubles; It's thy ſinne and unbelief if thou makeſt thy houſe a priſon, Thy ſelf a torment to thy ſelf, if thou ſet faith on work about this Eternity, it will put thee into heaven before thou comeſt to poſſeſſe it: Eternal Life will give thee a better body, a better houſe, a better heart, oh this Eternal life, it's the health of our bones, the light of our countenance, a continual Feaſt, and a perpetual cordial; Hence the godly even in this life are ſaid to have Eternal life, becauſe of the right they have to it, and partly becauſe they have the beginnings and firſt fruits of it upon their ſouls.
Ʋſe of Admonition, Take this Subject more into your thoughts, how many roving thoughts haſt thou? but if placed on Eternity, it would be great profit; How many thoughts haſt thou unbeleeving, diſquieting and troubling, if fixed on Eternity, they would all vaniſh, eſpecially let the wicked man turn from all ſinne, ſaying, There is an Eternity; If it were only death, that would not ſo much trouble thee, but it's Eternity after Death.