Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. Exhortation to ſeek after eternal things.
THe laſt Uſe, is an Uſe of Exhortation, that ſeeing nothing that is for a ſeaſon, can ſatisfie the heart, what remains but that we ſhould ſeek after that which is beyond a ſeaſon, for the ſatiſfaction of our hearts? Look at the things that will ſatisfie an immortal ſoul, let it be of the largeſt extent that can be, theſe cannot upon this ground, becauſe they are but for a ſeaſon: Then let our hearts be after eternal things. I am this day to ſpeak to divers hundreds of you here, that muſt every one of you live in eternity one way or other, yong and old, you muſt live in a time beyond this ſeaſon: Now having to ſpeak to you that muſt live eternally, this is that which I have to do, To get your hearts up, to ſeek after eternal things; and O that this might be done, if I ſhould never preach more, and you ſhould never hear more, yet if this ſhould be obtained, that you ſhould live eternally, that you ſhould have your hearts got up to eternal things, you ſhould be bleſſed, and I ſhould think my ſelf happy.
Philip King of Macedon, would have a man come and cry to him every morning, You are mortal; this is that which I ſhould rather chooſe, that you might daily here a voyce, that You are immortal; The better part of you muſt live eternally: Were it that eternity were preſented to us in the reality of it, how mightily would it work to draw our hearts to eternal things? Certainly our thoughts are not upon eternity; the thoughts of eternity are mighty prevailing thoughts, they are over-awing thoughts, ſoul ballacing thoughts, that would ballaſt our hearts; they are infinite pertinent thoughts, that do infinitely concern us. You that have had a company of ſleight thoughts, and have ſet the ſtrength of your ſpirits in thinking of chaffy things; O this day here is an object preſented to you, to help you againſt ſleight thoughts: This one word Eternity, and the thoughts of this word, may be enough for you, to baniſh vain and chaffy thoughts away for ever; it concerns us to have the ſtrength of our ſpirits buſied about this.
There is a requeſt that I have to every one of you, and I will put it as fair, and eaſie, and low as may be, becauſe I would not have it denyed; that is, That every one that God by his providence hath brought this day here into this Aſſembly, would reſolve in their own thoughts, and covenant with God, to ſpend but one half quarter of an hour in meditating of eternity every day; there is no ſuch great difficulty in it, to have ſuch thoughts as theſe renewed every day: This body of mine, though frail and mortal, it muſt live for ever, and this ſoul of mine, it muſt live eternally; I have ſpent a great deal of time in ſeeking after contentment to my fleſh for the preſent, but, O Lord, what have I done to provide for eternity? The renewing of this daily, and ſetling of this daily upon the heart, what might it do? It cannot be imagined what it might do: Precious are the thoughts of eternity, ſo precious, that there is many a ſoul, that would not for a thouſand worlds, but have had thoſe thoughts to be ſetled upon them; ſo precious, as many ſouls are now in Heaven, magnifying and bleſſing of God, that they had ſuch ſerious thoughts of eternity, before they left this world.
Certainly, until you come to have your thoughts ſetled in ſome meaſure upon this, you do not underſtand wherefore you were born, nor unto what you were born; you never have done any thing to purpoſe about the great buſineſs that God hath ſent you into the world for, until you come to have ſerious working thoughts about eternity: you have had all this while a ſeduced heart, that hath deceived you, and all your life hath been a dream. If God ſhould begin to dart thoughts into your hearts, and ſtick them upon your minde, about this argument, now you begin to live, and to awake, it were not poſſible that any luſts ſhould ſtand before theſe thoughts: you complain often of weakneſs, and that you meet with temptations that are very ſtrong, behold here a means to reſiſt ſtrong temptations, to ſtrengthen you againſt the ſtrongeſt temptations that you can poſſibly meet withal in the world, namely the ſerious thoughts of things that are beyond this ſeaſon. It is reported of the cuſtoms that have been obſerved amongſt the Rites and Ceremonies, in making of Biſhops, they had this ſpeech to them, Have eternity in your mindes: O that this ſpeech were renewed upon us, in all our conditions and buſineſſes, that ſo it may prevail with us, to ſeek after that which is eternal! And to that end, that what I ſpeak this way, may not vaniſh, and come to nothing, (for it is a ſerious argument that we are about, & I am loth that it ſhould come to nothing) conſider theſe motives.
Firſt, it is onelyonly the rational creature that knows 1. Motives to minde eternity.any thing that is beyond this ſeaſon: this is the excellency of a rational creature, that it hath any notion about any thing that is eternal: Now that God hath made us of ſuch a nature, and no creature elſe, but us, and Angels, ſurely there is ſomething in it: Mens hearts do naturally deſire eternity, and think this is good if it might laſt. That is very obſervable therefore that we have in Hoſ. 14. 5. concerning Gods expreſſion of himſelf to his people; where he would expreſs himſelf ſo as to ſatisfie his people, he ſays, I will be as the dew unto Iſrael, he ſhall grow as the Lilly, and caſt forth his roots as Lebanon. The dew and the Lilly are ſweet things, but the dew though it be ſweet is quickly gone, and the Lilly is ſweet, but it is obſerved by the Naturaliſts, that the Lilly does not take much root in the earth, therefore mark what follows, and he ſhall caſt forth his roots as Lebanon; you ſhall have the ſweetneſs of the Lilly, but you ſhall have the roots of Lebanon; Lebanon was the place of Cedars, and the roots of Cedars are deep. They that dwell under his ſhadow ſhall return, they ſhall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine. It might Hoſ. 14.be ſaid the corn laſts but a year, therefore God adds, and grow as the vine; the Vine does not onelyonly bud, and ſend forth his branches and grapes one year, but the next year, and the next year it continues: therefore that God might preſent his mercies fully to the hearts of his people, he does preſent them in this ſatisfying way, that his mercies ſhall be abiding mercies. Why ſhould we be as Children, to run after bubbles? Men ſeek after inheritances, and to have things made ſure for perpetuity, ſo it ſhould be with us.
Secondly, let us look upon things that are beyond 2.this ſeaſon, that are eternal, becauſe that in theſe times of the Goſpel, God hath revealed eternity, and eternal things abundantly more clearly then ever they were revealed in the Law: in the time of the Law there was little made known concerning eternity, but the times of the Goſpel being renewed, now the treaſures of eternity are opened; Immortality is brought to light by the Goſpel, 2 Tim. 1. 10. Now the glorious things of eternity are ſet before our eyes, and we the Miniſters of God are commanded to preſent them to you, and you living under the Goſpel, where you hear ſo much of eternity revealed, it would be dreadful if you ſhould be deceived with things that are but for a ſeaſon.
Thirdly, every one of you as you are born, are born with your backs upon Gods eternity, and your 3.faces towards hells eternity, and therefore you had need look beyond things that are but for a ſeaſon, and minde the things of your eternal good with all your might.
Fourthly, all your eternal good does depend upon 4.the ſhort uncertain moment of your lives; if the thrid be but cut, and you have not provided for your eternal good, you are loſt and undone for ever, you do not know but upon every moment depends eternity.
Fifthly, know you may be far nearer to the Ocean 5.of eternity, then you are aware, and therefore you had need have your thoughts faſtened upon eternity; Who knows but that before the morning ſome that are here may underſtand what eternity means, and be lanching into the infinite Ocean of it: there is many a man that is in his jollity, ſtrength, and health, that is called forth by God, ſuddenly to lanch into this Ocean; If God call you ſuddenly before you be ready, what will become of you? now you may be near it. You that are old are certainly near it, within a few years you muſt know what eternity means, you ſhall know a great deal of difference between things that are for a ſeaſon, and beyond a ſeaſon: and yong ones may, as we have daily examples; now you that are yong, conſider thoſe examples, and put the caſe, Suppoſe I had been called to la…h into eternity, when ſuch a one was called, had I been ready? what had become of me? O conſider how near you may be unto it, and therefore look not upon things that are temporal, but let your hearts be after things that are eternal.
Again, conſider how happy thoſe ſouls would 6.think themſelves that are in their eternal eſtates, and are miſcarried, if they had time to provide for eternity again. Many are gone, and ſnatched away from all things that are for a ſeaſon, and are ſwimming in the infinite Ocean of eternal miſery, and they look about them, and ſee vaſtneſs, no limits, no end, no land: If they could but come back again, and have their time again, how do you think would they carry themſelves about things that are but for a ſeaſon? do you think temptations would draw their hearts again? If company ſhould come to draw them to drinking, and uncleanneſs, would they yield then? they would with indignation caſt away thoſe temptations, and ſay, God forbid I ſhould be drawn with theſe things, that are but for a ſeaſon, I know what eternity means. O now you have time, improve this argument, and labor to provide for eternity: now prayers and tears may do you good for eternity; within a while, if you could let ſtreams of blood iſſue from you, it can do you no good, and if this argument prevail to get off your hearts beyond things that are for a ſeaſon, there will ariſe theſe two queſtions: O that I did but know how it ſhould go with me eternally! O how ſhall I get eternal things to be my portion!