A Prospect of Eternity, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Concl. 6 Mans eternall condition admits of no decay or Conſumption.
THere is no decay in eternity, no Autumnes; nor in eternity ſhall the dayes grow ſhorter. There ſhall be no waſt, or wearing out or moth to eate out in eternity. All things ſhall ſubſiſt in the ſame force and vigour, in the ſame ſtate and ſtrength. The Sun of eternity ſhall not decline. Nothing ſhall moulder away towards a concluſion. Here all things are in a conſtant tendency to ruine and devaſtation; the moſt excellent and flouriſhing pieces of the Creation are continually poſting to abolition. There is a moth in the richeſt garments, a worme in the talleſt Cedars, ruſt in the fineſt gold. Nor can our greateſt care ſhed an immotality on our choiſeſt enjoyments, but duration and time dampes and ſoyles the rareſt excellencie…, and every thing yeilds to the force and fury of age. Continued and numbred years wrinckle and deface the moſt pleaſing beauty, and leaves it to the ſurpriſall of a neceſſary deformity; the freſheſt youth, whether it be appropriated to man, or be predicate of inanimate creatures, here ſoon it loſeth its ſplendor, and goeth upon the crutches of decay. But in eternity all things ſhall ſubſiſt in the ſame vigor and vivacity, not any thing ſhall be overtaken with hoary age. Heraelitus foreign.his axiome ſhall be inverted, Nulla erit in aeternitate ſeneſeentia, the pillars in eternity ſhall never ſhake nor moulder. There ſhall be no fading leaſ, or falling fruit; (though no ſuch thing may be found in eternity) but every thing ſhall be preſerved in its full maturity, without the leaſt periſhing or putrefaction. The Suns motions, Aepyptian Pyramids, and other laſting Monuments of Antiquity, are but the darker hieroglyphickes of the unperiſhable and undecaying eſtate of eternity. But more particularly,
There ſhall be no waſte or decay of time in eternity, time ſhall not ſlide away or ſpend, (but of this more at large in a particular concluſion.)
There ſhall be no waſte ſeize on the perſons of them, that are ſet upon the ſhoar of eternity. The ſouls of the Saints ſhall not undergoe the leaſt dotage by long duration, nor be impaired in their bleſſedneſſe or capacities. Millions of ages ſhall not enfeeble the ſtrength of their memories, or cloud the brightneſſe of their minds, or incurvate their ordinate wills, or depreſſe their ſeraphick deſires. The ſouls of the Saints in eternity ſhall not contract any debilitation or craſineſs; but their intellectuals ſhall remain pure and perfect, untainted by the largeſt tracts, or circuits of ages. Here indeed, in this life, the very minds of Gods people ſeem to languiſh with their bodies, and to be ſubject to the force and tyranny of age; there is a decay in their intellectualls, and the eye of their underſtanding groweth dimme: but in eternity no heſitancies or doubts ſhall diſtract; nor clouds of ignorance darken and obnubilate the ſun of their Mind.
And ſo the bodies of the Saints admit of no decay in eternity, no weakneſſe, diſeaſe, or diſtemper ſhall ever batter or ſurprize them; but they ſhall be preſerved in the ſame reſplendency and beauty for ever: all the iſſues of infirmity which beſet the bodies of the Saints here, ſhall be dryed up in illuſtrious radiancy; and their bodies ſhall ſhine for ever in a greater glory, then the Sun when blazoned in its moſt vigorous light and irradiations; (as before was ſuggeſted.)
And ſo on the contrary: The ſouls of the reprobates in eternity, ſhall not ſaint away in their torments; nor ſhall they ever be bleſt with the happineſſe of temporary ſwoon; but they ſhall continue in their beings and exiſtencies for ever, and ſhall be preſerved in their miſerable immortalities. They ſhall be ſpending, vitam morientem, Auguſt.as the Father ſpeaks, a dying life for ever; and ſo their bodies, thoſe cooperating Mar. 9. 48.inſtruments of ſin, ſhall not be ſcorcht into aſhes by the infernall flames; but like curſed Salamanders ſhall ever live in thoſe fires; their bodies ſhall be immortall capacities of torment, while Gods juſtice and Satans malice ſhall make everlaſting depredations upon them.
There ſhall be no decay or waſte, in the loſſes or poſſeſſions of eternity; the Saints bleſſedneſſe ſhall not be impaired by duration, nor wither by vaſt continuances. They ſhall be cloathed with happineſſe, and their Deut. 5. 29.cloaths ſhall not wear. And therefore the eternall felicity of the bleſſed conſiſts in a fulneſſe of joy, Pſal. 16. 11. Not the fulneſſe of the veſſell; there may be an evaporation in that; but of an Ocean that admits no droughts, of a Spring that is continually fed: and to this fulneſſe is added perpetuity, in the ſame verſe, for evermore: that if we ſuppoſe this fulneſſe may ſhed or ſpend; the holy Ghoſt tels us, it is an everlaſting fulneſſe: It is a bounty that continues for ever up to the brim. The Originall is very ſignificant in this foreignplace. There ſhall be a ſaturiry of joys. The ſouls of the bleſſed ſhall have their fill of happineſſe. There ſhall be no want or deficiency, nor place for a requeſt. And this ſatiety ſhall be Saturitas cum Hebraeis maximam abundantiam ſignificat. Gerard.eternized. And ſo the Prophet, Iſa. 35. 10. ſpeaking of the future glory of believers, he ſaith there ſhall be foreign, Everlaſting joyes on their heads, to ſhew the immarceſſibleneſſe of the Saints glory. Their ſight of God, admirations of Chriſt, full draughts of the Spirits joyes, and thoſe divine Raptures which ſhall flow from that communion they enjoy with unſpotted Angels, and glorified Saints, ſhall never receive the leaſt abatement, or graduall decreaſe. Their felicities ſhall never decay, nor after millions of ages grow tedious; but their joy ſhall ſpring in the ſame vivacity for ever.
And ſo the miſeries of the damned, they ſhall not be ſlackned or mitigated by continuance of time; their woes ſhall be as weariſome and painfull after many ages, as the firſt moment. Nor ſhall the accuſtomedneſſe of the damned to endure the fury of God, and the torments of Satan, ſo harden, or eaſe the perſons, that they ſhall be any thing the more inſenſible, or inapprehenſive of the pain. That of the Prophet is very remarkable, and ſeriouſly to be conſidered, The * Iſa. 30. 33. foreignflaming breath of God ſhall ever feed their torments. And therefore the ſame Prophet, Iſa. 33. 14. makes mention of Everlaſting burnings; the calamity ſhall ever be in the ſame impetuous fury. Nor ſhall one ſparke of divine fury and diſpleaſure die, or be blown …ver.
There ſhall be no decay or waſte either in the love, or wrath of God towards thoſe who are caſt upon eternity.
The love of God to the bleſſed ſhall be as vigorous, and full, after innumerable centuries, as at the firſt enterview with the Saints. Duration in eternity, as it cannot inflame, ſo it ſhall not allay divine affection. Gods heart ſhall be as much Jer. 31. 3.let out after numberleſſe ages to his glorified ones, as at the firſt arrivall at their heavenly Countrey. There ſhall no dampe ſeiſe on Gods inexpreſſible love. Indeed what ſhould procure a decreaſe of Gods love to his people in glory? Sinne and deviation, and whatever may have Rev. 21. 27.the ſent of the leaſt irregularity, is baniſht heaven; there will be no failings or miſdoings to wrincle the face of God into a frown, (to ſpeak after the manner of men). And therefore as there ſhall not be any averſation in God to his glorified Saints; ſo neither ſhall for ever the leaſt faintneſſe or abatement ſurpriſe divine affection.
And ſo neither ſhall the wrath of God to the damned ever wear away, or be allayed. The wrath of God to the reprobate is no paſſion; that time Heb. 12. 29. Apoſtolus hic Moſem ſecutus, non de gratia, ſed de ultione dei loquitur. Corn. A lap.may quench, or moderate; but the execution of Gods juſt ſeverity, which ſhall alwayes burn in an equall flame. And indeed, what can the damned produce to mitigate or divert Gods wrath? Alas! neither their tears, nor their blaſphemies, nor their cries can do it; all theſe are but the echoes of divine juſtice: Nothing but the bloud of Chriſt can allay this heat, and that fountain is dry to the dead ſinner, that is caſt upon eternity. No, ſurely Gods indignation as it is juſt, ſo it ſhall be ever full, nor ſhall eternity waſt or ſpill one drop of the Vials of his wrath. Here indeed God Jer. 18. 8.makes frequent promiſes upon repentance Ezek. 33. 14.of turning away from his wrath, and laying aſide his rod, but in eternity God ſhall whip the damned with Scorpions for ever, nor ſhall one ſparke of his anger be quenched by multiplyed durations; there ſhall be no waſte in his incenſed, yet juſt fury.