Chapter 28: How we should know how it will be with us for eternity, and what we should do that it may be well with us eternally

IF you say, How shall I know how it shall be with me for eternity? shall it be well, or not well with my soul when I am beyond things that are for a season? You may have some guess by those thoughts you have had upon things for eternity: you that have given liberty to yourselves, to satisfy yourselves in the things of the flesh, and your hearts have been fully satisfied in the things of the world, and this point is a strange point to you, you have cause to conclude with yourselves, that you are in a miserable condition for eternity; but if your consciences can testify that this point, the getting of your hearts from things that are but for a season, and setting them upon the things that are eternal, is that which the Lord has setled upon your hearts for many years, when you wake in the night, or in the morning, the same thoughts that are presented to me by the Word, the Lord has presented to me by his Spirit, the strength and chief of my thoughts have been busied about this argument. It is a good sign, that God does intend good for that soul to eternity, whom he is pleased to possess with the thoughts of it so deeply for the present.

Again consider, could you not wish in your hearts, that you might live always? and that the content and delight in this world, in meat, and drink, and sports do satisfy you, and you think yourselves happy in the enjoyment of them; certainly God has not yet savingly made known the things of eternity to you. Those that God does prepare for his eternal mercies in Heaven, God does take off their hearts from all things in the world; that if it were put to your choice, though you might have a thousand worlds, you would not have them for your portion; no, there are more glorious, more excellent things for my soul to have, and therefore God forbid I should have my portion in these things, though they were to endure.

Augustine brings in Plotinus, acknowledging it the mercy of God to man, that his soul is in a mortalbody, that the body is not immortal, but that after a little time the bodies of men may be dissolved, and so their souls be there for ever where the soul of the world is; that is his expression.

3. A third Argument that it shall be well with you for eternity, is this, To know what seeds of eternity God has begun to plant in your hearts. This is a certain truth, There is no soul that God intends eternal life unto, but God begins eternal life in this world. You know what St. John says, He that hateshis brother, has not eternal life abiding in him. Eternal life is begun in this world in all that shall be saved; therefore think with yourselves, What seeds of eternity have I put into my soul? All common graces, and moral vertues are not a seed that will grow up to eternal life, but saving grace will; though it be under the clods for the present, it will grow up eternity.

Fourthly, Examine the Scriptures, look into the book of God, and see whether the Scripture speaks well on your side, because that in this Book, in this Scripture, there God has revealed the eternal counsels of his will, and the great things about mans eternal estate: there is little in all the Book of the Creature, the Book of Creation, revealed of the counsels of Gods will, about bringing man to his eternal estate; but in this Book of the Scripture he has revealed his will concerning this; and therefore confider, does this speak well of your side? Thus by these arguments you may know how it shall be with you for eternity.

But what shall we do to get a portion in those things that shall be eternal?

First, labor to bring all things in subordination to eternity, do not make other things your scope, make them an underling, and take no further content in them, then that they may further your souls to eternity. Suppose you have an estate encreasing more then another, what will you do with it? how will you use it? in which do you count the good of it to consist? that by these things I have coming from God, I hope to make use of them, to fit me for eternal mercies, and to treasure up eternal mercies by a sanctified holy use of these things; but when temporal things come in, and your hearts rest upon them, without subordination to eternal things, this is infinitely dangerous.

Secondly, make conscience of the little time you have; O it is but a little time you have, let that be consecrated and devoted to God: it is eternal happiness that you look for hereafter, why should you not be willing to spend as much of this little time for it as can be?

Thirdly, labor to be exact in all that you do, for you are working for eternity. As Zeuxis the Painter, when he was askt, why he was so accurate in his Painting, says he, I Paint for eternity: Let us in our Christian profession be exact in our way, because we live for eternity; There is nothing that does make men so accurate in their way as this; and let the men of the world know, that this is the reason of the exactness of the ways of Gods people, because they know they live to eternity. Hypocrites, who in Religious duties aim only at some present, some temporal good, they are not exact, they rest in outsides; but the Saints who make eternity their aim, are exact in all things, especially those things that have a more immediate influence into eternity.

Fourthly, be sure all you do, you do upon divine and eternal grounds, take heed of being carnal, and earthly in your spiritual services; but in all duties in Gods worship, look to an eternal God, and let your principles, aims, grounds, and intentions be eternal. The Temple was called Bethgnolam, the house of Eternity; do all you do in the house of God, in his Ordinances, in order to eternity, that it may indeed be an house of eternity unto you.

Lastly, be sure you be constant, abide constantly to the end, do not only begin, and now and then in a good mood, have some thoughts of a good life, and providing for your souls, but abide, be constant. And if you take these ways, by this you shall come to choose Moses Choice. O that now in my winding up of all, by all that has been said, some soul or other may have cause to bless God in being inclined to choose the same Choice: If you would choose Moses Choice, use Moses argument; and this is the special argument that moved Moses to make this Choice, he looked upon all these things as for a season, and he looked upon eternity: O that you being moved by Moses argument, you may this day be brought to choose Moses Choice, that you may sing Moses Song, Rev. 15. 3, 4. Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorifie your name? for you only art holy. O that that Choice by this argument were made, that so you might sing hereafter this part of Moses Song; O Lord, there was a time that I never saw you in your glory, and never minded you, but now Lord I see, worthy you art to be feared, and glorified for ever, for you art holy: The Lord give us hearts upon this argument, to make this Choice.