A Prospect of Eternity, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Concl. 7 Mans eternall condition admits of no future hopes or expectations.
ETernity confines all the hopes both of the bleſſed and the reprobate: there is then an end of all the expectations of man. Here indeed the faith of a believer ſwels, and the ſailes of hope are filled with future expectations of greater promotions Heb. 11. 25, 26.and bleſſedneſſe, having an eye to the recompence of reward. Nay oftentimes 1 Cor. 15. 19.Meditation is ſweetned, when enlarged in the thoughts of thoſe tranſcendent poſſeſſions which ſhall crown eternity. How doth a believer here often pleaſingly compute his riches he ſhall enjoy in the immediate viſion, and perpetuall ſmile of God? Nay, the very formall profeſſour is raiſed and elevated in the hopes of future, although but fancied, glory. But eternity is the nil ultra, the ſtop of all expectation; the end and period of the ſouls anhelations. And this will appear more clearly, if we divide eternity into its uſuall duplicity.
For the hopes of the bleſſed they ſhall all run out in eternity.
1. Becauſe they enjoy all the end of their hopes; the fruit and iſſue of all their prayers, tears, ſighs, and patient Heb. 11. 13.expectations. After Jobs change there was an end of all his waiting. Job 14 14.Heaven is ſuch an harbour, as will ſatisfie to the full all the curious inquiſitions, the fervent ſupplications, the vaſt, high, and boundleſſe computations of the Saints. It containes quicquid deſiderabile, quicquid optabile, quiquid amabile, whatever is deſirable, appetible, or lovely. Whatever was compriſed in the large circuits of the Saints hopes, or fell within the travailes of their moſt ambitious thoughts, is to be found in glory. There the glorified believers ſhall rejoyce in the ſupernumerary accompliſhments of all the deſires. Jacob ſaid it is Gen. 45. 28.enough; I ſhall ſee Joſeph before I die; but the glorified Saint ſhall ſay, it is 2 Cor. 12. 9.enough, I ſhall ſee God, and never die, Grace is ſufficient, but glory is ſuperabundant. In eternity the Saint ſhall enjoy whatever his eye can glance at; there ſhall be a plenary ſatisfaction of all his hopes, of all the pantings and breathings of his ſoul.
There ſhall be no future or further expectation in the eternity of the bleſſed, becauſe they have arrived at perfection; and to look for any thing beyond perfection is a vain contradiction; if it could be ſurpaſſed and outvied, it were no longer perfection, but imperfection: what may be better'd, Perfectum eſt cui nihil addi poteſt. Ariſt.and caſt into a nobler form, fals ſhort of perfection. Now the Saints in glory enjoy a double perfection.
1. A perfection in their perſons: They are perfect in all purity, holineſſe, and unſpotted tranſcendency, their beings are refulgent, with all rich and rare enoblements, in all excellent capacities; their natures ſhall ſhine with the diamonds of perfection, (as I may ſo ſay). And
2. A perfection of inheritance, the fulneſſe of poſſeſſion; and therefore 2 Tim. 4. 8.heaven is alwayes repreſented by the Luk. 12. 32.moſt ſublime enjoyments. A Crown, Joh. 3. 16.a Kingdome, life, a throne. Now perfection Rev. 3. 21.that is the bound and bank to As they ſaid of Cyrus, Satia te ſanguine Cyre: So I may ſay, Satia te gloria Sancte.limit all expectation. Our deſires cannot ſail beyond the pillar of perfection: Nor fly above an foreign, the top: the firmament confines the eye of the body; and heaven the ambition of the ſoul.
And thirdly, There can be no further hopes in the bleſſeds eternity; becauſe the Saints in eternity enjoy God immediately; which is, Summum bonum in ſummo gradu, the chiefeſt good in the higheſt degree: God is comprehenſively all inconceivable good. As the Sun containes more light, gradu eminentiori, in a more eminent degree and conſideration, then all the candles in the world, when lighted. The beatificall viſion is not all happineſſe epitomized, but enlarged in the moſt incomprehenſible latitudes. And when the Saints ſhall come to enjoy a free and full ſight of God, without the interpoſure of cloud or curtain; then ſhall they ſay, as the Queen of Sheba concerning Solomons glory, 1 King. 10. 7. Behold, the one halfe was not told me. All the expectations of the glorified ones ſhall be ſwallowed up in inexpreſſible admirations. How ſweet thoſe glorious intuitions ſhall be, that the Saints ſhall enjoy in heaven; our moſt vaſt conceptions are not able to comprehend; God being eſſentially whatever deſerves the name of good. And I need not by way of amplification of the Argument, make mention of that glory, that the humane nature of Chriſt ſhall ſhine in, and how pleaſing that pretious ſight will be to the redeemed ones, when arrived at the heavenly countrey. And therefore to look for further happineſſe, is a ſoleciſme in a bleſſed eternity.
And as eternity ſhall confine the hopes of the Saints, ſo it ſhall bury all expectations of the ſinner. Hell ſhall be the grave of all the reprobates hopes. Here indeed all hope was not ſmoothered and evaporated; they had a reconcileable God. Gods bowels 2 Cor. 5. 19.were not totally reſtrained, but repentance might have enlarged them, the treaſury-door of mercy and grace was not lockt up, but faith could have opened it, and the oyle of grace might have procured the oyle of gladneſſe; and there was ſtill a blanck in the leaſe for the ſinners name to be put in upon converſion to God. Mat. 25. 1.But in the eternity of the damned, every door of hope is ſhut and lockt up, and all expectation of change or compaſſion ſhall be ſilenced. All longing for, or looking after, either
1. A totall extinction of the remembrance of them that ever there were ſuch caytiffes in the World might ceaſe. Or
2. A releaſment from their torturing extremities. Or
3. An advancement to happineſſe, and change of the wrack into a throne. I ſay all theſe hopes ſhall ceaſe and evaporate in the damneds eternity. Nay further, the reprobates carnall hopes, which was their pleuriſie here, and with which they were ſo elevated and rejoyced, their hopes of pleaſure and profit; All their ſinfull hopes, that curſed tympany they did ſwell with here; their hopes to ſatisfie their luſts, the titillation of their ſinfull hearts: nay, all their formall hopes, that Chriſt would not blaſt a profeſſed Chriſtian, ſhall all die and fade in their eternity. And the damned ſhall be overwhelmed with curſed deſperation, as full of torment, as void of comfort and hope for evermore; the wretched deſpaire of Judas, being the monſter his exulcerate conſcience brought forth, was but a ſad embleme of the Reprobates condition in eternity, when they ſhall lie in an hopeleſſe, helpleſſe, endleſſe, eaſeleſſe condition of extremity to all everlaſting. And it muſt be ſo,
Becauſe the Reprobate never had any true hope, or rationall expectation in this life. Indeed happily they were inflated with preſumption here; and their hearts were deluded into a vain dream of future glory: but their ſoules were never winged with true hope, it may be with the blaze of hope, but not with the grace of hope. They never were raiſed with the Heb. 11. 1.expectation of faith; and the reaſon is, becauſe they never had any intereſſe in Chriſt, which is objective, objectively the ſumme of all true hopes. Nor Col. 1. 27.was their hope faſtned to, or fixed upon a promiſe; for they had no title to a Goſpell-promiſe. Indeed all the hopes and expectations of a ſinner here; they are but the ebullitions of fancy: an anchor in the water; both uſeleſſe, and ridiculous. And if their hopes were but counterfeit coyne, and alchymie expectation here, what ſhall their hopes be in miſerable eternity, when they ſhall be out of ſight of the land of promiſe?
And what ſhould be a ground to the damned of hope?
1. The greatneſſe of their torment; this is but commenſurate to regular juſtice; their inexpreſſible miſeries are but the execution of Gods juſtice, which is eſſentiall to the divine nature; and which after this life is inexorable; the very miſeries of the reprobate ſhall be the glory of Gods righteous ſeverity, and the very flames of hell (as I may ſay) ſhall caſt a light on divine juſtice; Gods compaſſions in eternity are ſeal'd up to reprobate ones. Or
2. Shall the duration of their torments fill the reprobate with hope? Alas! every ſin they have committed, deſerves eternall calamity; and that propter infinitam Majeſtatem offenſam, becauſe of an infinite Majeſty offended: For ſin being infinite ratione objecti, in reference to the object, the perſon incenſed, and becauſe no puniſhment can be adequate to the deſerving of ſin in the greatneſſe of it: For how can a finite creature undergoe an infinite wrath? what is abated in greatneſſe, ſhall be made up in the duration of the puniſhment. So that the duration of miſery ſhall be no argument to ſuggeſt the leaſt hopes to the damned; for eternall pain ſhall be proportionate to divine juſtice. So that hope, the laſt comforter of a wicked man, ſhall leave him in eternity; and everlaſting deſpaire ſhall be as an ever corroding worme to him. The Prophet Daniel ſpeakes of an Angell coming down from heaven, and ſaying, Hew the tree down and deſtroy it, cut off Dan. 4. 23.her boughs, ſhake off her leaves, and ſcatter her fruit abroad, yet leave the ſtumpe of the roots thereof in the earth: Upon which words, Ambroſe deſcants elegantly, ſaying, the leaves and the fruit are ſhaken off, but the root is preſerved; that is, delights are taken from us here, and puniſhments are inflicted upon us; but yet hope is not taken away from us, the roote is preſerved, hope remaines; but in hell it hath no Prov. 13. 12.rooting, there is no ground, no argument, Mat. 4. 1.no object, no dawning or comfort of hope there; but the damned ſhall be ever giving up the ghoſt in the extremity of torment, and yet never die, or be coffin'd in inſenſible oblivion.