Serious Reflections on Time and Eternity, Tract · Chapter 18
XVIII. The conſideration of the certain near Approach of an Everlaſting State amplified, and prest, to inforce an Holy Life.
IN this World we begin a Year, and quickly come to the end of it; and ere long the little number of our Years, and Days, will be expired. But when Death conveys us into the World of Spirits, the day of Eternity ſhall never be cloſed with an Evening. Of how fearful conſequence is that Death, by which an Eternity muſt be decided! What attention, what ſeriouſneſs, what diligence, what care, doth the diciſion of ſo important a matter call for! ETERNAL! what will be the next word, O my Soul! how much am I concerned to know it! will it be Bleſſedneſs, or Miſery? will it be Life or Death? This one word is the Joy of Angels, and the Horror of Devils; the unſpeakable delight of bleſſed Saints, and the confuſion and deſpair of condemned Sinners.
At the Creation of the World, Time got the ſtart of us, and was five days elder then we: but our Immortal Souls ſhall endure beyond the utmoſt limits of Time, and laſt as long as the Everlaſting Father of Spirits, of whoſe duration there is no end. Shall I then exiſt and live, though my Body periſh and ſee corruption? Shall my Soul, my Self exiſt beyond the Grave, in Felicity or Miſery, and that for ever and according to my preſent Actions? What am I then moſt concerned to mind? What am I to chuſe? What am I moſt to fear, to wiſh, to do? What is a ſhadow of Honour and Reputation among dying Men? What are a few drops of fleſhly Pleaſure for a Moment, to eternal Rivers of Pleaſure, at God's right hand? What are the ſufferings of an hour or two, to the pains and anguiſh of Eternity? What can the World, Fleſh, or Devil give me, comparable to eternal Life? What can I ſuffer in the way of Holineſs, that may be ſet in the Balance againſt an Everlaſting Hell? And yet how often, O my Soul! how boldly, how unconcernedly, how fooliſhly do I hazard the one, and forfeit the other, for the Sins and Vanities of this World! Whereas one proſpect of Eternity ſhould make every thing that is Temporal, appear little in my Eyes: the higheſt elevation of earthly Greatneſs, abundance of Riches, the great Affairs, Buſineſs, and Imployments of the World, Pomp, and Splendor, and Reputation, and all that now flatters the Senſes, and the vanity of Mankind.
Oh that I could but live as believing and expecting an Eternal State! as having it in my Eye, managing all my affairs with a viſible reference to it; diſcovering to all the World by my Behaviour and Deportment, that I do in earneſt believe it certain; for be it never ſo Certain, if I do not apprehend, and conſider it as ſuch, it will no more affect me than a Fable. Neither is it enough to conſider it as certain, but as near: for the moſt weighty, the moſt terrible things, apprehended as at a great diſtance, will little move. Thinking of the long Interval between the advantage of being exempted from ſuch Evils for ſo long a time, will pleaſe me more than ſuch diſtant Calamities will affright.
Let me therefore endeavour to impreſs the conſideration of Eternity, as at hand, more deeply on my Heart, that I may walk, and live, diſcourſe, and pray, and demean my ſelf in every thing, as near an unchangeable State. Am I not convinced that this is certain, from the nature and operations of my Soul, from the reflections of Conſcience, from the Righteouſneſs of God, in his Government of the World, from the preſent unequal diſtributions of Good, and Evil by his Providence, and from the plain and frequent aſſertions of his Revealed Will? I have nothing to object, nothing to reply; but I find a neceſſity of inculcating and urging the conſideration of it in order to its influence. I find it needful to reflect often, how near I am to ſuch an endleſs State: that in one Inſtant, by Death, I enter upon it: and that this Inſtant may be as near me, as my next Thought. That the holy Scripture deſcribes the two contrary Conditions after death, (and every Man and Woman in the World ſhall ſhare in one of them) as both Everlaſting: the one, by Eternal Life, Eternal Glory, an incorruptible Crown, that fadeth not away, an incorruptible Inheritance, an Houſe Eternal in the Heavens, &c. the other, by unquenchable Fire, a Priſon whence no eſcape, Eternal Damnation, Everlaſting Burning, everlasting Puniſhment, everlaſting Deſtruction, a Worm that never dies, wrath that is ever to come, blackneſs of darkneſs for ever, ever, &c.
Think, O my Soul! that in one of theſe two contrary States, I muſt abide for ever; In endleſs Joy, or Sorrow: Bleſſed in the Preſence of God, or for ever baniſhed from it. And whoever thou art that readeſt this, apply it ſeriouſly to thy ſelf, 'tis thine own caſe. Yea I tell thee from God, that Holineſs of Heart and Life is abſolutely neceſſary to the former, and that without it thou ſhalt never ſee his Face, but be puniſhed with Everlaſting Deſtruction from the Preſence of his Glory.
Is this an unqueſtionable Truth? O let me conſider it, till I feel the Power and Efficacy of ſo important a Principle! let the Impreſſion be deep and laſting! let it pierce and enter into my very Soul! to cool the heats of Luſt, to quench ſenſual and earthly deſires, and to mortifie all inordinate affections to this World; and fix my reſolutions to mind and ſeek Eternal Life with all my Heart!
Theſe are not difficult and perplexed Niceties, which wiſe and holy Men differ and diſagree about. They are not Metaphiſical Subtleties, which few can underſtand; but the expreſs Word of God, and the daily dictates of my own Reaſon and Conſcience, which all Chriſtians, and almoſt all Men in their Wits, except in an hour of great Temptation, confeſs and own; or whether they will or no, are forced to expect and fear, if they are not in a condition, to conſider them with a joyful Hope.
Lord! cure the unbelieving doubts concerning theſe Great things, which notwithſtanding the plaineſt Evidence, the Devil may at any time ſuggeſt! let a confirmed Faith, be the Reality of what is thus future, that my Soul may be influenc'd by them, as it is wont to be by things preſent! Let it be the Subſtance of things hoped for, and the Evidence of things unſeen, and as yet at a diſtance; as if the Day of Judgment were already come, and there were no intermediate Time to paſs between this and that.
O Eternity! Eternity! the more I conſider it, the more unfathomable ſtill I find it. Ʋnchangeable Bleſſedneſs, or remedileſs, endleſs Torments! An Eternal bliſsful Day, or everlaſting Horror, Darkneſs, and Deſpair! Life or Death, Glory or Deſtruction, to laſt as long as the immutable Living God! None of the Patriarchs who lived longeſt, arrived to the period of a Thouſand years, which in compariſon of God's Everlaſtingneſs is ſet forth but as one day. But ſtrictly conſidered, millions of Years and Ages have no proportion with it; becauſe no multiplication of them will amount to Eternity. Whereas one hour hath ſome proportion to an hundred thouſand years, Becauſe a certain number of Hours will amount to ſo many years. But no number of Years or Ages, never ſo often multiplied, will make up Eternity: as no ſubſtraction of Millions of Years will leſſen it: and entire Eternity will be ſtill to come, and will ever be to come. When innumerable myriads of years are paſt, Eternity ſhall then ſeem but to begin; becauſe when as many more are over, it ſhall be as far from an end. Oh that the thoughts of Eternity may be powerful and prevailing above all others! that I may Judge of every thing by its relation to it, by its influence upon it! Chuſe now, my Soul! whether Everlaſting Joys, or Miſeries, ſhall be thy Portion: but conſider well, that thine Eternity is concerned in thy preſent choice: and that this choice muſt be purſued with ſtedfaſtneſs and conſtancy, as long as I live: And what are a few years to prepare for an Eternal State? were we obliged to ſpend ſeveral hundred years in ſerious humble preparation for it, with the greateſt ſtrictneſs and ſeverity of Life, during all that Time; it were infinitely leſs than to ſpend an hour or two in preparing for the greateſt Dignity and Imploy on Earth, which can be enjoyed but for a few years at longeſt. For to theſe an hour hath ſome proportion; but an hundred or thouſand years have none, with an Everlaſting Duration. Therefore to conſider how many years of toyl, and pains, and diligence, many beſtow on the probable proſpect of ſome Temporal Good, ſhould reprove and ſhame my negligence and remiſneſs in providing for Eternity.