A Prospect of Eternity, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Concl. 5 Mans eternall condition admits of no meaſure or commenſuration.
ETernity is an Ocean without a ſhoare, a Sea without land, it hath neither bottome nor banks; it is an unlimited eſtate. As Boetius forementioned, Status interminabilis, an unconfin'd estate. What is ſaid of eternall joy, 1 Cor. 2. 9. It hath not entred into the heart of man; is true likewiſe of eternall miſery. Who can tell how eternity begins, or when it ends? who can divide or parcell out eternity? who can ſet landmarkes to meaſure, or find plummets to fadome it? It is nothing but the vaſt Ocean, the eye cannot ſee to the end of it, nor the underſtanding reach to the bottome of it. The moſt curious, and criticall brain in the greateſt abſtractions, cannot comma, or put a ſtop in eternity. Aſtronomers find out fictitious, and imaginary lines to meaſure the heavens and the earth, the Aequator, Meridian, Horizon, &c. but what imaginary circles ſhall compaſſe eternity? who can ſay, ſo much is gone, ſo many Centuries, ſo many Luſtra, ſo many Olympiads, and ſo many ages are yet to come? Eternity is a boundleſſe being, Aeternitas nec tempus, nec temporis ulla pars eſt (nec e. in menſuram cadit) ſed quod nobis tempus eſt, ſolis motu definitum, hoc aeternis aevum eſt. Greg. Naz.there is no infancy in it, no ſtrength of years, no decrepitneſſe, Nec effloreſcentia, nec caneſcentia aetatis; no triumph or decay of age. There are no diviſions, or ſubdiviſions in it. Numbers and multiplications, are paradoxes in eternity. There is no leaſe or determinate time, time it ſelf being a riddle (as before). But more particularly, Eternity is unlimited,
In the poſſeſſions of it: the eternall joy of the Saints is ſaid to be full, Pſal. 16 11. In thy preſence is fulneſſe of joy; 1 Joh. 3. 2.but this is a faddomleſſe fulneſſe: who can tell the portion of everlaſting happineſſe, or count it out? It is a ſumme that cannot be meaſured by number or figure. The bleſſedneſſe of the S…ints, ſhall be ineffable, inalterable, inconceivable. Who knowes how ſoft the down of the Saints reſt is? how ſweet the boſome of Chriſt? how pleaſant the ſmile of God? who can tell how delightfull the taſte of the rivers of pleaſure in heaven is? There is no meaſuring or confining the Saints happineſſe. How unſpeakably ſweet is communion with God here, that ſometimes the S…int can ſet it out more by admiration then eloquence? how raviſhing then are thoſe extaſies of joy, which the glorified ones ſhall be raiſed and ſublimated with?
And ſo on the contrary, the miſery of the damned, how inintolerable? how incomprehenſible? how unmeaſurable? who can tell how hot Gods wrath is, when turn'd into a flame? Or can any weigh the torments of the damned, and ſay they riſe to ſuch an height? As they are inſupportable, ſo they ſhall be innumerable and inconceivable. Here indeed God corrects in meaſure, both the wicked Jer. 10. 24.and the godly; he ſeemes here to proportionate his bounds; but what boundleſſe calamity ſhall ſwallow up the reprobate in eternity? God will then draw his arrow to the head, and ſcrew his wrath to an unconfin'd degree. What ſhall limit, or be a banke to the inundations of Gods everlaſting diſpleaſure? Thou canſt not tell how many drams of poiſon God will put into the cup of trembling, which the wicked muſt be drinking off for evermore; there is no ultimum, aut maximum quod ſic. as Philoſ. ſpeaks: no ſtated or terminated height in thoſe anguiſhes; the element of fire hath its ſtated heat, which it cannot flame beyond; and if all the fuell and materialls of the Creation were caſt into one conflagration; yet there would be a termination in thoſe ſcorching flames, but what bounds or rampires hath the Anger of the Lord in eternity?
Eternity is a boundleſſe eſtate in the fountain of it, which is God, he Duobus modis aliquid aeternum eſſe poteſt; uno modis ab intrinſeco, alio modo ex influxu alterius aeterno. Suarez.ſhall ſtretch the future condition of man out to eternity; he that is bottomleſſe in power, and juſtice, and love, he ſhall ſupport the beings of men for ever; The incomprehenſible God ſhall break down all banks in eternity. The originall and efficient cauſe of eternity is the unlimited Jehovah, the infinite Majeſty ſhall add fuell to his wrath for ever to the damned, and fill the cup of the Saints joy for everlaſting.
In the ſpace of it. What Arithmetician can number the ages of eternity? or by an exact multiplication can ſum up the infinite centuries in it? Who can caſt up the ſeverall millions of durations? what thouſands multiplied can fill up one moment of eternity? the duration of eternity as it is indiviſible, ſo it is unlimited; there is no terme, bound or ſtop in it. Could we reckon up as many ages in eternity, as there hath paſt moments ſince the Creation, yet then we are not within view of any ſtoppage or period. In eternity our thoughts may range, as into a bottomleſſe ſea, and ceaſe in a non-pluſt admiration. Our Contemplations and enquiries may ſail for ever and ſee no ſhoare. There are no Anno Dominies, or Epochees, or Hegiraes in eternity; no term to reckon from, and no time to reckon in; but it is an inimaginable, unconfin'd condition.