A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs, Part 2 · Section 15
Sect. XV.
…N thinking of ETERNITY,Of Eterni…y Right thoughts of it, as that which is ſo ſhortly approaching, and nearly concerning every …e, that he thinks it ſtrange that …y one ſhould almoſt think of …y thing elſe, for thinking of Eternity; But that he think again of that World of Atheiſme that is in the World, never fully to be confuted, But by death and Judgement; and oh, thinks he,Atheiſts in this world what a ſad thing it is that they are foreign, we read without God in the World, but th… word is, Atheiſts in the World yea but as ſoon as ever they go ou… of the World, Eph. 2, 12 No Atheiſts to Eternity,they continue Atheists no longer. Thoſe tha… would not believe that there wa… a God, and a Chriſt, by his patience and providence, by his preſerving them, and proffering t… ſave them,Shall ſee there is a God & Chr, ſhall then ſee th… there is a God, and a Chriſt to… (every eye ſhall ſee him) and fe… that there is a God by his terrou… taking hold upon them; Rev 1, 7Mal 3, 19Then ſh… they return and diſcern (thou… they would not ſee the Lord when … hand was lifted up in his word a… works in the World) they ſhall … and be aſhamed. Iſai. 26, 11 Pſal. 58, 11So that a man ſhall ſay verily there is a GOD. And …hoſe that would not believe that …here was a Devil, by their daily …onverſing with him, and his in…luencing them, by his filling their …earts, becauſe they ſay they ne…er ſaw him,Feel there is a Devil, ſhall then certainly …now they are with him, as he …nows now that he is with them; …or,In hell ſhare ſtake with him, as he ſhares ſtakes with them … ſin, they have their part, and …e hath his part; ſo ſhall they …e forc't to ſhare ſtakes with him … Hell,Mat. 25, 91 for they ſhall have their …rtion with the Devil and his An…ls. And Oh thinks he,As he with them here in ſin, how …ill the dainty Dives, and the …eleſs and delicate Daughters, do … ſpend that Eternity? That muſt …ve ſo many devices and diver…ements, Playes and Pastimes, …h!Miſery of the wicked wretched word that thinks …) and all to wear out the te…uſneſs of a little time. To ſpend that Eternitie, when th… ſmoak of that bottomleſs pit, Rev. 14, 10 11muſt be their onelyonly Air, to breath in Fire, their Food; Brimſtone▪ their Perfume, full Viols of Divine wrath, their Drink; Aſtoniſhment, their Wine; Bitter weeping, and flowing Fountains, an… ever Running Rivers of Tears, Mat. 22, 13i… ſtead of their Rich Baths, and pleaſ…nt Springs,Luke 16, 28 and artificial Fountains; And wailing, yelling, and howling, their onelyonly Muſick; And ſo other mens torments an acceſſio… to their pains. Rom. 1, 32As they had take… pleaſure in other mens ſins (whic… made Dives ſo loath of his Br… threns Company as we may we… think.) The Books muſt be opened in ſtead of their pleaſing Pla… Books, Rev. 20, 12and Romances, Gods Book and the Book of their Conſcience… (that they never could endure i… all their lives to look into) mu… now be pored upon by them, b… the Fire of Hell, without intermiſſion, recreation or other diverſion; and the wanton Eye, that buiſy and unſatisfyed Gazer upon every thing (but the Bible)Mat. 25, 30 muſt be (otherwiſe) impriſoned in utter darkneſs for ever;Pſalm 12, 4 And the Lordly tongue that muſt needs be their own, ſhall be their own to torment them; as formerly ſet on Fire of Hell with a world of wickedneſs, ſo now of woes; James 3, …Red hot then with Rage againſt God, and revilings of his Saints, now burning with flames, Luke 16, 24and not receiving ſo much as one ſingle drop of cold …ater, that was wont to ſwim in Wine, and for that bewitching …nce of touch, its dalliances and de…ghts, there ſhall onelyonly ſucced …oſe hideous gnaſhings of teeth, and …awings at Heart, in the woe …at never ceaſeth, and by the worm …at never dies. And thus, Ah …inks he,Joſh. 8, 7, 16 as Joſhua taught the men of Succoth with the Thornes and Bryars in the Wilderneſs,) The Hebrew is, He made them to know; to know who he was, and to know what they had done, in deſpiſing his Meſſengers, in rejecting his motions, &c.) ſo will Ieſus teach the Atheiſtical World with tortures to Eternity, and make them to know who He is,2 Chr: 36, 16 whoſe Meſsengers they mocked, Pſal. 50, 17whoſe Laws they caſt behind their backs, Prov. 1, 3…whoſe Councels they hated, and would none of his Reproofs.
eternal happineſs of the Saints,But thinks He on the other hand, of thoſe in whoſe Hearts are the ways of them that are the holy Pilgrims, the true Travailers, that declare plainly that they ſeek a Countrey, (viz) an Heavenly, that can ſay of a good Sermon Lord evermore give us of this Bread of a lively ſtirring Sacrament,John 6, 34 a Soul-humbling Confeſſion an… Prayer, an Heart raiſing Meditation, 'tis good to be here; that think the preſent time too ſhort, and their Hearts too narrow, to hold enough of God and Chriſt; what a bleſſed ſtate will they count that, when the perfecting of their holineſs, and ſo of their ſpirits, and the changing of their vile bodies, Heb. 12, 23 Phil. 3, 21and the faſhioning them like unto Chriſts Glorious Body, ſhall widen them as much from the ſtraits of their hearts, as Eternity ſhall do from the straits of time, And ſo they ſhall have as much of God and Chriſt as their heads & hearts can hold, and theſe ſhall hold as much as they can deſire, without interruption, or Change,…or: 12, 7 or fear of Change for ever,…ev 10, 12 for they ſhall EVER be with the Lord.