A Glimpse of Eternity, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the Meritorious Cauſes, and the Nature of Happineſs and Puniſhment, and the Immortality of Man.
A Second Argument may be taken from the Meritorious Cauſes both of the Happineſs of Heaven, and the Puniſhments of Hell. 1. The Meritorious Cauſe of the Happineſs in Heaven, is the Merit and Suffering of Chriſt. The coming of Chriſt into the world, and ſuffering for us, that he might thereby free us from the wrath to come, and entitle us to eternal happineſs, is that great deſign which the whole Trinity have been thanſacting from all eternity: ſo Wiſdom tells us.(l)Prov. 8.30, 31. That from everlaſting he was as one brought up with the Father, rejoycing always before him: Rejoycing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights were with the Sons of Men. And to the like purpoſe the Apoſtle,(m)2 Cor. 5.19. That God was in Chriſt reconciling the World to himſelf: Of all thoſe works of God, ad extra, ſuch as concern the creature, this is the moſt ſublime and glorious, (as one ſaith excellently) neither the Creation of all things out of nothing, which was the beginning of the works of God, and put an end to that long Sabbath, that had no beginning; nor the Reſurrection from the dead, and Reſtoration of all things, the laſt work that ſhall go before that everlaſting Sabbath, which ſhall have a beginning but no end; neither that firſt, nor this laſt; though admirable works, and worthy of the Author, may be compared with this; It is the maſter-piece of Gods works, that great work in which he hath broken up all the depths of his mercy, in which he hath diſplayed all the banners of his Love, and exhibited the largeſt draughts of his power, wiſdom, love, and mercy: The whole Scripture, (n)Jac. Arnac. Incarnation of the Son of God.[ſaith Anhalt, who was both a Prince, and Preacher] is nothing elſe but the ſwadling bands of the Child Jeſus. All the Types, Ceremonies, Waſhings, Sacraments, Sacrifices, and whatſoever elſe we read of under the Law, were but as leaves that promiſed this great fruit; as hands in the Margin pointing at …his truth; as lines ending in this centre, they all had their accompliſhment in this great Myſtery, God manifeſted in the fleſh: The Goſpel is nothing elſe than a Declaration of theſe glad tydings, which is the ſumme and ſubſtance of both Teſtaments, briefly. If the Scripture be a ring of Gold, which God hath ſent his Church as a token of his love, Chriſt is as the Diamond in this Ring, that chiefly makes it ſo valuable: if the Scripture be as the field mentioned in the Goſpel, Chriſt is the one pearl of great price hid in it, which the wiſe-man ſelleth all he hath to purchaſe: if the Scripture be a precious box, Chriſt is the Oyntment contained in it, filling the whole world with a precious ſavour. But to apply this to the preſent purpoſe; if there be no eternal condition of man after this life, what need was there of Chriſt coming and ſuffering? What other end might God have in that grand deſign? No wiſe man will undertake any great expenſive buſineſs, but propound ſome end proportionable to the pains he takes, and the expences he is at; much leſs the only wiſe God: this great work will evince at leaſt, that there is a future condition of man after this life, and I think alſo the eternity of that condition; this the Scripture makes the end of his coming (o)John 3.16.God have his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him, ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting life; The end of his ſuffering, that they which are called might receive the Promiſe of an eternal inheritance; the end of that Power which God gave him, as a reward of his ſuffering,(p)Heb. 9.15. Thou haſt given him power over all fleſh, that he ſhould give eternal life to as many as thou haſt given him (q)John 17.2..
But if the coming and ſuffering of Chriſt conſidered ſimply in it ſelf, will not conclude the Eternity of our future condition, it may farther be evinced from this following conſideration; Chriſt being God as well as Man, his Merits and Sufferings muſt needs be of infinite worth and value, and ſo, conſequently, meriting an infinite happineſs. It would be inconſiſtent with the wiſdom of Chriſt, in whom are all the treaſures of wiſdom, to pay an infinite price for a finite purchaſe; nothing ſhort of an infinite happineſs can bear any ſuitable proportion with the infinite price Chriſt paid. Now Man being but a Creature, and ſo finite, is not able at once to graſp and comprehend an infinite happineſs; though the happineſs purchaſed be objectively infinite, becauſe God, who is infinite, is enjoyed in Heaven, yet it is not infinite in regard of man, whoſe Nature and Capacities are finite and limited; and becauſe the happineſs enjoyed is not infinite intenſively, in regard of the greatneſs, it muſt be infinite extenſively in regard of the duration and continuance; what is wanting in the one, is made up in the other: Eternity is put into the ſcale to make up the weight, otherwiſe there would be no proportion between the price and the purchaſe; which is not to be imagined of God, who doth all things in order, weight, and meaſure.
2. The like is to be ſaid of Sin, which is the meritorious Cauſe of the Sufferings in Hell: Sin is objectively infinite, as being committed againſt an infinite God, and conſequently deſerving an infinite puniſhment; which becauſe it cannot be infinite in regard of intenſiveneſs and greatneſs, being inflicted upon a finite Creature, therefore it is requiſite that it ſhould be infinite in regard of the extenſiveneſs or continuance; becauſe the puniſhment the creature can bear, comes ſhort of the demerit of ſin; ſo, as he cannot pay the whole debt at once, he muſt lye in Hell till he hath paid the uttermoſt farthing. And as there is an infiniteneſs, ſo there is an eternity in Sin, not onelyonly an objective eternity, as being committed againſt the eternal God, and conſequently demeriting an eternal puniſhment; but there is in a ſort a further eternity in ſin: Gregory ſaith, there is an infinite eternal malice in ſin, ſo as if wicked men ſhould live eternally, they would ſin eternally: and it is but juſt, that they ſhould never want puniſhment, who, if they had been ſuffered, would never have wanted ſin. That wicked men do not ſin eternally, is only becauſe they are hindred by Death; ſhould they live for ever, they would ſin for ever. What Luther in humility ſpake of himſelf, I have no other name than Sinner, Sinner is my name, Sinner is my firname, this is the name by which I ſhall be always known; I have ſinned, I do ſin, I ſhall ſin in infinitum, may be more juſtly ſpoken of obdurate ſinners, whoſe hearts are fully ſet in them to do evil. Let none think, if wicked men were ſuffered to live longer, they would bethink themſelves, and break off their ſins by repentance; the men of the Old World lived many of them eight or nine hundred years, yet they were ſo far from repentance, that, as the Father ſaith, they made no other uſe of that ſpace given them for repentance, than to patronize their wickedneſs and impiety. The like would be done by other wicked men, if they might live as long, or a far longer time: and in evil, as well as good, God looketh more at the Will, than at the Deed. What lets us (ſaith Seneca) to call Lucius Scilla Tyrant, though he gave over killing, when he had no more enemies to kill? And what lets him to be a ſinner ſtill, who leaveth not ſin, till ſin leave him? He that doth not ſin becauſe he cannot, doth ſin, although he doth not; that he doth not ſin eternally, is onelyonly becauſe he is prevented by death: A Poſtiller ſets it out by this Compariſon; A company of Gameſters, who are reſolvedly ſet down to play, when their candle is burnt out, that they have no longer light, are forced to give over; whereas if their light had laſted, they would have plaid longer, till perhaps ſ…me had loſt all their money: So it is with wicked men in regard of ſin.
Yet further, beſide this potential Eternity in ſin, whereby men would ſin always, if they might live alwaies; there is a further, an Actual eternity in mens ſins; though Death puts an end to mens lives, yet not to their ſins; Hell is as full of ſin, as it is of puniſhment; Though the School-men determine, that after this life, men are capable neither of merit nor demerit, and therefore by their ſins do not incur a greater meaſure of puniſhment, yet they grant that they ſin ſtill; though when the creature is actually under the ſentence of Condemnation, the Law ceaſeth as to any further puniſhment, yet there is an obligation to the precept of the Law ſtill; though man be bound only to the curſe of the Law, as he is a ſinner, yet he is bound to the precept of the Law, as he is a creature: ſo that though the demerit of ſin ceaſeth after death, yet the nature of ſin remaineth; though by ſinning they do not incur a higher and greater degree of puniſhment, yet as they continue ſinning, ſo it is juſt with God there ſhould be a continuation of the puniſhment already inflicted.
3. A third Argument may be taken from what the Scripture ſpeaketh of the happineſs in Heaven, and the torment in Hell; both which are deſcribed to be incomparably and unconceivably great. In Heaven there is fulneſs of happineſs, In thy preſence is fulneſs of joy; (u)Pſal. 16.11.though it be not a redundant overflowing fulneſs, as Chriſts is, of whoſe fulneſs we receive, as well happineſs for happineſs, as grace for grace; yet it is the higheſt fulneſs the creature is capable of; being not only a fitting congruous fulneſs; as we ſay a houſe, well ſtored, is full of houſhold-ſtuff; ſuch a fulneſs as the Saints partake of in this life: But an equal fulneſs, as when a veſſel is full of water, that nothing can be added to it; and ſo full it can ſcarce properly be ſaid to be, if it were fading: and therefore the Pſalmiſt having ſaid, in thy preſence is fulneſs of joy, he adds, and at thy right hand, there are pleaſures for evermore.
Again, it is deſcribed to be a perfect happineſs; we read of the Spirits of juſt men made perfect (z)Heb. 12.23., perfect in happineſs as well as holineſs, which perfection excludes all imperfection; When that which is perfect is come, that which is in part ſhall be done away (a)1 Cor. 13.10.: Though the Saints in heaven have a Negative imperfection, becauſe there are ſome perfections in God, which being incommunicable, they are not capable of, yet they have no Privative imperfection; they want nothing which may conduce to their happineſs in their kind: whereas if their happineſs were not eternal, there were ſomething, nay, the chief thing wanting to the perfection of it.
The Apoſtle in the verſe before the Text, calleth it, a far more exceeding weight of glory. The Arabick Verſion renders it, It worketh for us a weight of glory, in the moſt eminent and largeſt degree, and meaſure: The Siriack reads it, An infinite glory: Haymo, A greatneſs of Glory, beyond all bo…nds and meaſure; yet none of theſe reach the height of the Apoſtles Rhetorick, (c)foreign.neither is any tranſlation able to expreſs it; now thus it could not be, unleſs it were eternal: therefore that is put into the ſcale to make up the weight; a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory.
Again, it is deſcribed to be a ſatisfying happineſs. I ſhall be ſatisfied when I awake, with thy likeneſs (d)Pſal. 17.15.. They ſhall be abundantly ſatisfied with the fatneſs of thy houſe (e)Pſal. 36 8.; but ſatisfie it could not, unleſs it were eternal; there is, as in every creature, ſo in man eſpecially, a twofold deſire; a deſire of Perfection, and a deſi… of Perpetuity; a deſire to advance his Being to the higheſt degree of Perfection and happineſs he is capable or; …d a deſire to perpetuate this happineſs. And … impoſſible he ſhould receive full content, till be… theſe deſires are ſatisfied; though in Heaven th… Saints have a preſent freedom, from all the ev…l that can poſſibly fall within the compaſs of their fea…s; and an actual enjoyment of all the good, that can fall within the compaſs of their hopes; yet if they had no aſſurance of the perpetuity of this, they muſt needs be reſtleſs and unſatisfied.
Yet further, the greatneſs and perfection of this happineſs, muſt neceſſarily exclude all ſuch things as are inimical to it; I ſhall name only two: Fear; Perfect love caſteth out fear (f)1 John 4.18.: and Sorrow; They ſhall obtain joy and gladneſs, and ſorrow and ſighing ſhall flee away (g)Iſa. 35.10., Whereas if this happineſs were not eternal, there would be cauſe for both; firſt, the Saints would be in fear of loſing this happineſs; and where there is fear, there is Torment, in that fore-named Text; and this fear muſt needs be productive of ſorrow; were it not for the eternity of this happineſs, it would be hard to ſay, whether there would be the more joy or ſorrow in Heaven; we may probably think, there might be as much ſorrow ariſing from the fear of their future loſs, as there is joy from the apprehenſion of their preſent enjoyment, and that there ſhould be either fear, or ſorrow in Heaven, is not only contradictory to the fore-named Text, but utterly inconſiſtent with the bleſſedneſs of that eſtate. In ſumme, if we Believe what the Scripture ſpeaketh of the greatneſs of this happineſs, we muſt needs grant it to be eternal; And this Aquinas maketh Uſe of, as the ſtrongeſt Argument to prove the eternity of this happineſs.
The like is to be ſaid of the torments of Hell, which could not be ſo grievous as they are deſcribed, if they were not eternal; were they to laſt a thouſand thouſand years, there would be ſome hopes they would end at laſt, and this hope will adminiſter ſome kind of eaſe, and comfort; when ſome thouſands of theſe years were expired, it would be ſome comfort that there were ſo many already paſt, and by ſo many the fewer yet to come; and ſo forward; the further decreaſing of the time would add a proportionable encreaſe to their hope and comfort; whereas that Cup of Wrath, the Dregs of which they ſhall wring out, and drink, is without mixture, *Pſal. 75.8.without any mixture of hope, eaſe, comfort, or any thing which might alleviate their miſery; and that which chiefly maketh it uncapable of theſe, is the eternity of this miſery; it muſt be indeed confeſſed, that the Torments of Hell are intenſively moſt grievous: Bernard ſaith that the leaſt puniſhment in Hell is more grievous, than if a Child-bearing woman ſhould continue in the moſt violent pangs and throws a thouſand years together, without the leaſt eaſe or intermiſſion. An ancient writer, mentioned by Diſcipulus de tempore, goeth much further, affirming, that if all the men which have been from Adams time till this day, and which ſhall be till the end of the world, and all the Piles of graſs in the world, were turned into ſo many men to …ugment the number; and that puniſhment inflicted in Hell upon any one, were to be divided amongſt all …heſe, ſo as to every one might befall an equal part of that puniſhment: yet that which would be the portion but of one man, would he far more grievous than all …he cruel deaths, and exquiſite tortures, which have been inflicted upon men ever ſince the world began: But though they be thus dreadful in themſelves, yet that which mainly, and indeed infinitely adds to the greatneſs of them, is, becauſe they are eternal; as one ſaid: If Hell were to be indured but a thouſand years, methinks I could bear it; but for ever, that amazeth me. Bellarmine [i]De arte bene moriendi., out of Barocius, tells of a learned man, who after his death appeared to his friend, complaining that he was adjudged to Hell-Torments, which, (ſaith he) were they to laſt but a thouſand thouſand years, I ſhould think it tolerable; but alas, they are eternal. And as it is the eternity of theſe ſufferings which chiefly maketh them ſo great: ſo the greatneſs of them proveth them to be eternal: otherwiſe they could not be ſo great as they are deſcribed.
4. A fourth Argument to prove the point, may be taken from man himſelf, who is[k]foreign. an immortal Creature[l]Wiſd. 2.23., God created man to be immortal, and made him an Image of his own eternity; though he be not eternal and immortal as God is, who is therefore ſaid only to have immortality [m]1 Tim. 6.16., and therefore Divines diſtinguiſh between the eternity of God, and the ſempiternity of man; God is a whole eternity, both backwards and forwards, from everlaſting to everlaſting; man's onelyonly a half eternity, forwards, but not backwards: to, not from everlaſting. God's is a ſimple eternity, he can no way ceaſe to be: man's only in ſome reſpect, becauſe he may be annihilated by God's power. God's is an uncreated, man's a created eternity; God's cauſal, man's derived: God's independent, being onelyonly from himſelf: man's dependent and limited: but though he be not eternal as God is, he is truely and properly an immortal Creature. There are two eſſential parts of man, the ſoul and the body, and in regard of both theſe, he is immortal: Firſt, the ſoul is an immortal ſubſtance, and that not only by the grace, and favour of God, as the body of Adam was in the ſtate of innocency, and as the bodies of the Saints ſhall be at the Reſurrection; but, by its own nature, having no internal principle of corruption, ſo as it cannot by any thing from within it ſelf ceaſe to be: neither can it be annihilated by any thing from without (r)Math. 10.28.. Fear not them which kill the body, but are rot able to kill the ſoul. Gregory obſerveth, there are three ſorts of Created Spirits: the firſt of thoſe whoſe dwelling is not with fleſh, or in fleſhly bodies, they are the Angels; the Second of thoſe which are wholly immerſed in fleſh, the ſouls of beaſts, which riſe out of the power of the fleſh, and periſh together with it, the third is of thoſe which inhabit bodies of fleſh, but neither riſe out of the Power of the fleſh, nor dye when the body dyeth: and theſe are the ſouls of men; when the body returneth to the earth, as it was, the Spirit ſhall return to God who gave it (s)Eccleſ. 12.7.. From this immortality of the Soul, we may inferr the eternity of mans future condition. The ſoul being immortal, it muſt be immortally happy, or immortally miſerable. I ſhall not ſtand to enumerate thoſe many arguments that are brought to prove the ſouls immortality; but whatſoever Arguments are, or may be uſed to prove this, they will all undeniably conclude the eternity of mans future eſtate.
A further proof of it may be taken from the body, which though it be ſubject to death, yet not to diſſolution. Simo Stenius, Profeſſor of the Greek Tongue at Heidelberg, being viſited by the Miniſter, lying upon his Death-bed, amongſt other Diſcourſes, the Miniſter asked him, if he deſired with Paul to be diſſolved, and to be with Chriſt? rendering the word after the vulgar Tranſlation; he anſwered with ſome kind of indignation, that that was not the proper ſignification of the word(u)foreign. uſed by the Apoſtle, which properly ſignifies to depart, to be unlooſed, not to be diſſolved. Death is only a change, not an annihilation; After a Creature is once in being, it is never wholly annihilated. Birth is a River (ſaith) Heraclytus) which never drieth up, but is continually ſupplyed by an acceſſion of freſh waters; though the Body be ſubject to death, and after death to a thouſand tranſmutations; as men caſt away at Sea, may be devoured by Fiſhes, thoſe Fiſhes after eaten by men; poſſibly, ſome of thoſe men devoured by wild Beaſts, thoſe Beaſts by Dogs, thoſe Dogs eaten up by Worms, thoſe Worms conſumed to duſt, that duſt ſcattered upon the Earth; yet after all theſe revolutions, and tranſmutations, there is ſomething remaining, and God is able to make thoſe diſperſed pieces of duſt, like thoſe ſcattered bones, Ezek. 37. to come together one to another: take twenty ſeveral ſorts of ſeeds, and mingle them together in the ſame veſſel, a skilful Gardiner is able to ſever them one from another: mingle the filings of Steel or Iron with ſo much duſt, that the filings are not perceived, yet by the help of the Load-ſtone you may ſeparate the filings from the duſt, according to their firſt quantity: They ſay, ſome exact Chymiſts are able, out of the ſame herb, to draw out the ſeveral elements by themſelves. That men can do this, it is becauſe God teacheth them; as the Prophet ſpeaketh of the Husbandman(w)Iſaiah. 28.26., And he that teacheth men knowledge, ſhall not he know (x)Pſalm. 94.10.? He that firſt made man out of nothing, can much more repair him, out of that ſomething yet remaining. Auguſtine hath a good meditation to this purpoſe; Think, (ſaith he) with thy ſelf, how old thou art, whether twenty, or thirty years old, before that time what waſt thou? Where waſt thou? In the Grave whither thou goeſt, there will be duſt, or aſhes, or ſomething to be found toward a man, whereas before that time, there was neither duſt, nor Aſhes, nor any thing to be found towards thy Nativity. God who at firſt made the body out of nothing, can and will remake it out of ſomething pre-exiſtent; and when it is thus re-made, it ſhall be made Immortal, and incorruptible: So the Apoſtle,*1 Cor. 15.42.53. It is ſown in corruption, it ſhall be raiſed in incorruption; This corruptible muſt put on incorruption; and this mortal muſt put on immortality: We read, Levit. 14. If the Plague of Leproſie were in a houſe, they muſt ſcrape the walls, and pull out the ſtones, and plaiſter, and put other plaiſter in the room; but if the Leproſie brake out again, they muſt pull down the houſe with the ſtones, timber and morter thereof. There is in every man, the fretting Leproſie of ſin: In the work of Converſion, God as it were, takes out the Timber, and Stones, and putteth others in their room, while he worketh a thorow change in the ſoul; but ſtill the Leproſie of Sin continueth, till at laſt, God ſends Death, which pulleth down the houſe, with the timber and ſtones, and thereby takes away both the Leproſie of ſin, and that mortality and corruption which ſin bringeth: As a Watch, being battered, or clogged with duſt, is taken in pieces; pulled joynt from joynt, and wheel from wheel, to the end it may go better than before; or, as ſome goodly Statue of Braſs, being defaced, is taken down, pulled in pieces, put into the Fire; but all this is, that it may be put together again, and made a more goodly work manſhip: Or, if we ariſe and go into the Potter's-Field, and behold his workmanſhip; is not the Veſſel made of Clay, that was marred in the hands of the Potter? *Jer. 18.4.yet he either maketh it the ſame Veſſel, ſo as nothing is wanting but its former deformity; or if he pleaſeth, a m…re honourable veſſel than before; In like manner, the body being by Adam's ſin made liable to Death, and Corruption, God ſeeth good to take it in pieces by death, that being put together again at the Reſurrection, it might be freed from this corruptibleneſs, and put into an eſtate of immortality, and incorruption: To what end is the Body made thus immortal, if not to continue in an eternal, immortal condition?
From all this we conclude, if man be an immortal Creature, both in regard of his Soul, which is immortal in its own Nature, and in regard of his Body, which ſhall be made Immortal by Gods Power; his future condition muſt of neceſſity be immortal and eternal; whether he be admitted into Heaven, or doomed to Hell, his condition is eternal and everlaſting.