Cap.28. prayers and tears may do you good for eternity; within a while, if you could let ftreams of blood iffue 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: 0 that I did but know how it should go with me eternally! O how fhall I get eternal things to be my portion!

I.

CHAP. XXVIII.

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.

I'

your

F you fay, How fhall I know how it shall be with me for eternity fhall it be well, or not well with my foul when I am beyond things that are for a feafon? You may have fome guess by those thoughts you have had upon things for eternity: you that have given liberty to your felves, to fatisfie felves in the things of the flesh, and your hearts have been fully fatisfied in the things of the world, and this point is a strange point to you, you have cause to conclude with your felves, that you are in a miferable condition for eternity; but if your confciences can teftifie that this point, the getting of your hearts from things that are but for a feafon, and fetting them upon the things that are eternal, is that which the Lord hath fetled upon your hearts for many years, when you wake in the night, or in the morning, the fame thoughts that are prefented

to

to me by the Word, the Lord hath prefented to me Cap.28. by his Spirit, the strength and chief of my thoughts have been bufied about this argument. It is a good fign, that God does intend good for that foul to eternity, whom he is pleafed to poffefs with the thoughts of it fo deeply for the prefent.

Again confider, could you not wifh in your hearts, that you might live always and that the content and delight on this world, in meats and drink, and fports do fatisfic you, and you think your felves hap! py in the enjoyment of them ; certainly God hath not yet favingly made known the things of eternity to you Thofe that God does prépare 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 thoufand worlds, you would not have them for your portion no, there are more glorious, more excellent things for my foul to have, and therefore God forbid I fhould have my portion in these things, though they were to endure.

2.

Auguftine brings in Plotinus, acknowledging it the Deciv. De mercy of God to man, that his foul is in a mortal lib.9.c.10. body, that the body is not immortal, but that after a little time the bodies of men may be diffolved, and fo their fouls be there for ever where the foul of the world is that is his expreffion.

anima

3.

3. A third Argument that it fhall be well with Ut ipfa ibi you for eternity, is this, To know what feeds of eter- forent femnity God hath begun to plant in your hearts. This per, ubi eft is a certain truth, There is no foul that God intends mundi. eternal life unto, but God begins eternal life in this Aug.de world. You know what St. John fays, He that hates

Civ.Dei.l

9. Ca.10.

Cap.28. his brother, hath not eternal life abiding in him. Eternal life is begun in this world in all that shall be faved; therefore think with your felves, What feeds of eternity have I put into my foul? All common graces, and moral vertues are not a feed that will grow up to eternal life, but faving grace will; though it be under the clods for the prefent, it will grow up eternity.

4.

How to

get et rnal

things to

be our portion.

Queft.2.

I.

Fourthly, Examine the Scriptures, look into the book of God, and fee whether the Scripture fpeaks well on your fide, because that in this Book, in this Scripture, there God hath revealed the eternal counfels of his will, and the great things about mans eternal eftate: there is little in all the Book of the Crea ture, the Book of Creation, revealed of the counfels of Gods will, about bringing man to his eternal eftate, but in this Book of the Scripture he hath revealed his will concerning this; and therefore confider, does this fpeak well of your fide: Thus by thefe arguments you may know how it fhall be with you for eternity.

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

First, labor to bring all things in fubordination to eternity, do no make other things your scope, make them an underlag, and take no further content in them, then that they may further your fouls to eternity. Suppofe you have an eftate encreafing more then another, what will you do with it how will you ufe it? wherein do you count the good of it to confift? 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 fanctified holy use

of

of these things, but when temporal things come in, and your hearts reft upon them, without fubordination to eternal things, this is infinitely dangerous.

you

Secondly, make confcience of the little time have, Oit is but a little time you have, let that be confecrated and devoted to God: it is eternal hap piness that you look for hereafter, why should you not be willing to spend as much of this little time for it as can be?

because

343 Cap.28.

2.

3.

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 fo accurate in his Painting, fays he, 1 Paint for eternity: Let us interniour Chriftian profeffion be exact in our way, tati pingo. we live for eternity; There is nothing that does make men fo accurate in their way as this; and let the men of the world know, that this is the reafon of the exactness of the ways of Gods people, because they know they live to eternity. Hypocrites, who in Religious duties aim onely at fome prefent, some temporal good, they are not exact, they reft in out-fides; but the Saints who make eternity their aym, are exact in all things, especially those things that have a more immediate influence into eternity.

Fourthly, be fure all you do, you do upon divine and eternal grounds, take heed of being carnal, and earthly in your fpiritual fervices; 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 be an houfe of eternity unto you. Z 4

may indeed

Laftly,

4.

Cap 19.

Laftly, be sure you be conftant, abide constantly to the end, do not onely begin, and now and then in a good mood, have fome thoughts of a good life, and providing for your fouls, but abide, be conftant. And if you take thefe ways, by this you shall come to choofe Mofes Choice that now in my winding up of all, by all that hath been faid, fome foul or other may have caufe to blefs God in being inclined to choose the fame Choice: If you would choofe Mofes Choice, alc Mofes argument; and this is the fpecial argument that moved Mofes 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 Mofes argument, you may this day be brought to choofe Mofes Choice, that you may fing Mofes Song, Rev.15.3.4.Who fhall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorifie thy name? for thou only art holy.O that that Choice by this argument were made,that fo you might fing here after this part of Mofes Song; O Lord,there was a time that I never faw thee in thy glory, and never minded thee, but now Lord I fee, worthy thou art to be feared, and glorified for ever, for thou art holy The Lord give us hearts upon this argument, to make this Choice.