A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

28 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGments, yet upon such a promise would infinitely lejoice, anddeem himself not to be damned. But, alas ! when all thoseyears are gone, there are thousands upon thousands more tobe endured, even through all eternity and beyond." Howheavy and horrible is the weight of everlastingness in thatburning lake, and those tormenting flames, when a damnedman would think himself in heaven in the mean time if hemight have but hope of coming out of them after so manyinfinite millions of years in them !3. That it would not profit a man though he should gainthe whole world, if he lose his own soul ; and that a mancan give nothing in exchange for his soul. Christ himselfsaid so. Suppose thyself crowned with the confluence ofall worldly felicity, to have purchased a monopoly of allpleasures, honours, and riches upon the whole earth, to beattended with all the pomp and state thy heart could desire :yet what were this momentary golden dream unto a realglorious eternity 1 Kow stinging would be the most exquisitedelight, curiously extracted out of them all, accompaniedwith this one thought—the soul is lost everlastingly 1All these painted vanities might seem perhaps a gaudyparadise to a spiritual fool, who hath his portion in thislife ; but what true pleasure can a man in his right wits,but morally enlightened no further than with philosophy,take in them, since, setting other respects aside, they are sofading and he so frain For the first, God hath purposelyput a transitory and mortal nature into all things here below; they spring, and flourish, and die. Even the greatestkingdoms and strongest monarchies that ever were, havehad their infancy, youthful strength, man's state, oldage, and at last the grave. See the end of the mightieststates that ever the sun saw shadowed by Nebuchadnezzar'sgreat image (Dan. ii, 35). There was never empire uponearth, were it never so flourishing or great, was ever yet soassured, but that in revolution of time, after the manner ofother vvorldly things, it hatli as a sick body been subject tomany innovations and changes, and at length come tonothing. Much more, then, the pride and pomp of allother inferior earthly glory hath fallen at last into the dust,and lies now buried in the grave of endless forgetful ness.For the second ; imagine there were constancy and eternityin the forenamed earthly Babels, yet what man of sensewould in the least prize them, since his life is but a bubble,and the very next hour or day to come he may utterly becut off from them all for ever? " To-day he is set up, andto-morrow he shall not be found ; for he is turned into dustand his purpose perisheth." Take them both together thus.