Chapter 27: Exhortation to seek after eternal things

THe last Use, is an Use of Exhortation, that seeing nothing that is for a season, can satisfy the heart, what remains but that we should seek after that which is beyond a season, for the satisfaction of our hearts? Look at the things that will satisfy an immortal soul, let it be of the largest extent that can be, these cannot upon this ground, because they are but for a season: Then let our hearts be after eternal things. I am this day to speak to divers hundreds of you here, that must every one of you live in eternity one way or other, yong and old, you must live in a time beyond this season: Now having to speak to you that must live eternally, this is that which I have to do, To get your hearts up, to seek after eternal things; and O that this might be done, if I should never preach more, and you should never hear more, yet if this should be obtained, that you should live eternally, that you should have your hearts got up to eternal things, you should be blessed, and I should think myself happy.

Philip King of Macedon, would have a man come and cry to him every morning, You are mortal; this is that which I should rather choose, that you might daily here a voyce, that You are immortal; The better part of you must live eternally: Were it that eternity were presented to us in the reality of it, how mightily would it work to draw our hearts to eternal things? Certainly our thoughts are not upon eternity; the thoughts of eternity are mighty prevailing thoughts, they are over-awing thoughts, soul ballacing thoughts, that would ballast our hearts; they are infinite pertinent thoughts, that do infinitely concern us. You that have had a company of sleight thoughts, and have set the strength of your spirits in thinking of chaffy things; O this day here is an object presented to you, to help you against sleight thoughts: This one word Eternity, and the thoughts of this word, may be enough for you, to banish vain and chaffy thoughts away for ever; it concerns us to have the strength of our spirits busied about this.

There is a request that I have to every one of you, and I will put it as fair, and easie, and low as may be, because I would not have it denyed; that is, That every one that God by his providence has brought this day here into this Assembly, would resolve in their own thoughts, and covenant with God, to spend but one half quarter of an hour in meditating of eternity every day; there is no such great difficulty in it, to have such thoughts as these renewed every day: This body of mine, though frail and mortal, it must live for ever, and this soul of mine, it must live eternally; I have spent a great deal of time in seeking after contentment to my flesh for the present, but, O Lord, what have I done to provide for eternity? The renewing of this daily, and setling of this daily upon the heart, what might it do? It cannot be imagined what it might do: Precious are the thoughts of eternity, so precious, that there is many a soul, that would not for a thousand worlds, but have had those thoughts to be setled upon them; so precious, as many souls are now in Heaven, magnifying and blessing of God, that they had such serious thoughts of eternity, before they left this world.

Certainly, until you come to have your thoughts setled in some measure upon this, you do not understand therefore you were born, nor unto what you were born; you never have done any thing to purpose about the great business that God has sent you into the world for, until you come to have serious working thoughts about eternity: you have had all this while a seduced heart, that has deceived you, and all your life has been a dream. If God should begin to dart thoughts into your hearts, and stick them upon your mind, about this argument, now you begin to live, and to awake, it were not possible that any lusts should stand before these thoughts: you complain often of weakness, and that you meet with temptations that are very strong, behold here a means to resist strong temptations, to strengthen you against the strongest temptations that you can possibly meet withal in the world, namely the serious thoughts of things that are beyond this season. It is reported of the customs that have been observed amongst the Rites and Ceremonies, in making of Bishops, they had this speech to them, Have eternity in your mindes: O that this speech were renewed upon us, in all our conditions and businesses, that so it may prevail with us, to seek after that which is eternal! And to that end, that what I speak this way, may not vanish, and come to nothing, (for it is a serious argument that we are about, & I am loth that it should come to nothing) consider these motives.

First, it is only the rational creature that knows any thing that is beyond this season: this is the excellency of a rational creature, that it has any notion about any thing that is eternal: Now that God has made us of such a nature, and no creature else, but us, and Angels, surely there is something in it: Mens hearts do naturally desire eternity, and think this is good if it might last. That is very observable therefore that we have in Hos. 14:5 concerning Gods expression of himself to his people; where he would express himself so as to satisfy his people, he says, I will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow as the Lilly, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. The dew and the Lilly are sweet things, but the dew though it be sweet is quickly gone, and the Lilly is sweet, but it is observed by the Naturalists, that the Lilly does not take much root in the earth, therefore mark what follows, and he shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon; you shall have the sweetness of the Lilly, but you shall have the roots of Lebanon; Lebanon was the place of Cedars, and the roots of Cedars are deep. They that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine. It might be said the corn lasts but a year, therefore God adds, and grow as the vine; the Vine does not only bud, and send forth his branches and grapes one year, but the next year, and the next year it continues: therefore that God might present his mercies fully to the hearts of his people, he does present them in this satisfying way, that his mercies shall be abiding mercies. Why should we be as Children, to run after bubbles? Men seek after inheritances, and to have things made sure for perpetuity, so it should be with us.

Secondly, let us look upon things that are beyond this season, that are eternal, because that in these times of the Gospel, God has revealed eternity, and eternal things abundantly more clearly then ever they were revealed in the Law: in the time of the Law there was little made known concerning eternity, but the times of the Gospel being renewed, now the treasures of eternity are opened; Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel, 2 Tim. 1:10 Now the glorious things of eternity are set before our eyes, and we the Ministers of God are commanded to present them to you, and you living under the Gospel, where you hear so much of eternity revealed, it would be dreadful if you should be deceived with things that are but for a season.

Thirdly, every one of you as you are born, are born with your backs upon Gods eternity, and your faces towards hells eternity, and therefore you had need look beyond things that are but for a season, and mind the things of your eternal good with all your might.

Fourthly, all your eternal good does depend upon the short uncertain moment of your lives; if the thrid be but cut, and you have not provided for your eternal good, you are lost and undone for ever, you do not know but upon every moment depends eternity.

Fifthly, know you may be far nearer to the Ocean of eternity, then you are aware, and therefore you had need have your thoughts fastened upon eternity; Who knows but that before the morning some that are here may understand what eternity means, and be lanching into the infinite Ocean of it: there is many a man that is in his jollity, strength, and health, that is called forth by God, suddenly to lanch into this Ocean; If God call you suddenly before you be ready, what will become of you? now you may be near it. You that are old are certainly near it, within a few years you must know what eternity means, you shall know a great deal of difference between things that are for a season, and beyond a season: and yong ones may, as we have daily examples; now you that are yong, consider those examples, and put the case, Suppose I had been called to la[••]h into eternity, when such a one was called, had I been ready? what had become of me? O consider how near you may be unto it, and therefore look not upon things that are temporal, but let your hearts be after things that are eternal.

Again, consider how happy those souls would think themselves that are in their eternal estates, and are miscarried, if they had time to provide for eternity again. Many are gone, and snatched away from all things that are for a season, and are swimming in the infinite Ocean of eternal misery, and they look about them, and see vastness, no limits, no end, no land: If they could but come back again, and have their time again, how do you think would they carry themselves about things that are but for a season? do you think temptations would draw their hearts again? If company should come to draw them to drinking, and uncleanness, would they yield then? they would with indignation cast away those temptations, and say, God forbid I should be drawn with these things, that are but for a season, I know what eternity means. O now you have time, improve this argument, and labor to provide for eternity: now prayers and tears may do you good for eternity; within a while, if you could let streams of blood issue from you, it can do you no good, and if this argument prevail to get off your hearts beyond things that are for a season, there will arise these two questions: O that I did but know how it should go with me eternally! O how shall I get eternal things to be my portion!