A Glimpse of Eternity, Half title – Table of contents
Fox's Time and End of Time.
A GLIMPSE OF Eternity.
Very Uſeful To Awaken Sinners, and to Comfort Saints.
Profitable to be Read in Families, and Given at Funerals.
By ABR. CALEY.
Theſe ſhall go away into Everlaſting Puniſhment, but the Righteous into Life Eternal, Mat. 25.46.
The Third Edition, with Amendments.
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Parkhurſt, at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapſide, and G. B. at the Bible under the Gate on London-Bridge. 1683.
To the Reader.
BEing importuned to peruſe this Book, in order to another Impreſſion, I have read it over with the greater Diligence; and the more I read, the more I muſt needs ſay I am delighted with it; not only for the Excellency of the Subject, but alſo for the accurate handling of it. If the Books penn'd by the Jeſuit Drexelius, and by Cardinal Bona, treating of Eternity, put into an Engliſh Dreſs, have found much acceptance, methinks this Choice Diſcourſe, written in our Mother-Tongue, by an Eminent Proteſtant Divine, ſhould be greedily peruſed, and heartily embraced by all ſound Proteſtants: Since ſuch will be more apt to confide, that the Notions are Orthodox, when Communicated by an able Teacher of their own Profeſſion, who paints for Eternity, in a more excellent Senſe than Zeuxis did, giving Life to each Head from the Infallible Oracles of God, and embelliſhing the Whole not by Engrav'd Pictures, but pertinent and delightful Enlargements from both Divine and Humane Story; apt Reſemblances, and acute Sentences, ſtill conſonant to the Gravity of the Matter. Here's a Method very eaſie and natural, a Stile not mean nor ſwelling; here are Explications clear and full, Arguments ſtrong and concluſive, Cautions judicious and neceſſary, Lamentations and Expoſtulations pathetical, Exhortations lively and pertinent, Motives powerful and ſuaſive, Directions proper and advantagious, and all correspondent to the Subject. 'Tis true, we here below are but of yeſterday, and know nothing, our days on earth being a ſhadow; yet conſidering God is from everlaſting to everlaſting, we are concerned to walk in the way everlasting, having this everlaſting Conſolation and good hope through Grace, that He will ſave us with everlaſting Salvation. His Strength is everlaſting, and ſo is his Mercy; which may excite us to go up the Hill, and take a Piſgah-ſight of the heavenly Canaan; which is ſo ſurpaſſing, that the moſt refined Souls here, after all their diligent Searches and Reſearches, can get but a Glimpſe or Glimmering of it; which He who inhabits that pleaſant Seat, is alone able to deſcribe. But ſince we breathe after it, we ought with all modeſt inquiſitiveneſs to conſider the Import of thoſe Notices we have of that Unchangeable State, which flows from the Being of God, (who is the Eternal) [the I AM] or moſt properly, Eternity it ſelf, even as unbounded Space doth from his Omnipreſence. Eternity we may get ſome Proſpect of by the Glaſs of the Scripture, as a mode of Being connoting a changeleſs and endleſs Duration, it being like one great ſmooth Sea, without any curl of change. Time notes the coming of things into Being, and ſo implies a change: The best Temporals are but as the fineſt Picture upon Ice, which melts away with the Thawe: But all will be fix'd in the unmovable State of Eternity. Whatever in this lower State ſeems firmer than other, comes neareſt to reſemble it, as the laſting Hills, before which the Almighty was, and after them will be, without variableneſs or ſhadow of turning. All Ages of Time are comprehended in Eternity, as Drops encircled in the Ocean. It concerns therefore every created Immortal Being to take all advantages in this alterable State, of minding that unchangeable Miſery or Felicity which abides us all, that we may not ſlide unawares into an unalterable State of endleſs Torment, but, by getting an Intereſt in the Bleſſed Jeſus, when we are diſlodg'd theſe cumberſom clayie Cottages, enter into his Joy, even that entire duration of endleſs Delight. Our Author hath put one of the beſt Perſpectives into our hands; That we may uſe it for the End to which it is deſign'd, is the heartieſt Prayer of him who recommends it to the Chriſtian Reader.
R. A. June 5th. 1683.
The CONTENTS.
THe Introduction.
Chap. I. Of Eternal, Inviſible Things. The firſt Argument from God.
II. Of the Meritorious Cauſes, and the Nature of Happineſs and Puniſhment, and the Immortality of Man.
III. Of Scripture-proofs of Eternal Happineſs, conſiſting in Sight, Love, Joy, Praiſe; with created Acceſſories: and Eternal Miſery, expreſſed by Wrath, Worm, Fire, Priſon, Darkneſs, Burning, Torment.
IV. Of the Sublimeneſs of Eternity, as tranſcending all Expreſſion, Knowledge (of it ſelf, or Meaſure) and all Imagination.
V. Of the Importance of Eternity, from the Endleſneſs of it. Conſidering God will not, nothing elſe can put an end to it.
VI. Of Eternity without ſucceſſion, or without conſumption.
VII. Of Eternal Happineſs and Miſery, without intermiſſion, and without mixture, in Heaven or Hell.
VIII. Of Lamentation for thoſe at eaſe, and careleſs of Eternity, from three ſeveral Aggravations; with Expoſtulations.
IX. Of Caution to prevent Miſtakes about the Adverſity of the Godly, & the Proſperity of the Wicked in this ſtate.
X. An Exhortation to Reſtrain from Sin, and Redeem Time.
XI. An Exhortation to look on Eternal Things, by our Meditations, Expreſſions, Affections of Deſire, Hope, Love, Delight, and Endeavours.
XII. Of looking to Eternal Things as our End; enforced by eight ſeveral Arguments.
XIII. Of Motives drawn from other Things, other Men, our ſelves, and the unſpeakable Benefits of a Proſpect of Things Eternal.
XIV. Of various Conſiderations, to move us to make Proviſion for Eternity.
XV. Of Directions to help us in looking after Eternal Bleſſedneſs: With Anſwers to ſome Objections, and Cautions.
A Glimpſe of Eternity.
2 Cor. 4.18.
The things which are not ſeen, are Eternal.