Unseen Things to Be Preferred to Seen Things 2
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Before we illustrate these instances of disparity, let us take a view of TIME and ETERNITY in themselves; and as compared to one another.
TIME is the duration of creatures in the present earthly state. Time commenced at the creation, and some six thousand years of it have since elapsed. And how much of time yet remains—we know not.
But this we do know: that the duration of the world itself—is as nothing in comparison of eternity. But what is our personalduration, when compared with the duration even of this world? It is but a span, a hair's-breadth; sixty, seventy, or eighty years—is generally the highest limit of human life, and it is by far the smallest number of mankind who arrive to these upper limits. Most people die like a flower blasted in the morning, or at noon; and we have more reason to expect that this will be our fate—than to hope for a long earthly life.
The short span of time we enjoy in life—is all the time we really have; we have no more property in the rest of time—than in the years before the flood! Beyond our brief span—is eternity. ETERNITY! We are alarmed at the sound! We are lost in the prospect!
Eternity with respect to GOD—is a duration without beginning—as well as without end. Eternity, as it is the attribute of HUMAN nature, is a duration that had a beginning, but shall never have an end. This "eternity" is inalienably entailed upon us poor, dying worms! Let us survey our inheritance:
Eternity! It is a duration that exceeds all number and computation: days, and months, and years, yes, and ages, are lost in it—like drops in the ocean! Millions of millions of years, as many years as there are sands on the sea-shore, or particles of dust in the globe of the earth, and these multiplied to the highest reach of number—all these are nothing, when compared to eternity! They do not bear the least imaginable proportion to it—for these will all certainly come to an end! But eternity will never, never come to an end! Eternity is a line without end! Eternity is an ocean without a shore! Alas! What shall I say of it! It is an infinite, unknown something, that neither human thought can grasp, nor human language describe!
Now place TIME—in comparison with ETERNITY—and what is it? It shrinks into nothing, and less than nothing! What then is thatlittle span of time in which we have any present interest? Alas! It is too diminutive a point to be conceived! Indeed, properly speaking, we can call no part of time our own—but the present moment, this 'fleeting now'!
Future time is uncertain—and we may never live it; the breath we now inspire may be our last!
And as to our past time, it is gone—and will never be ours again. Our past days are dead and buried, though perhaps guilt, their 'spirit', may haunt us still. And what is a moment—when compared to eternity? The disparity is too great to admit of comparison!
Let me now resume the former particulars, implied in the transitoriness of visible things—and the eternity of invisible things.
VISIBLE things are perishable and may soon leave us. When we think that they are ours—they often fly from our embrace!
Riches may vanish into smoke and ashes—by an accidental fire!
We may be thrown down from the pinnacle of honour —and sink into utter disgrace!
Sensual pleasures often end in excess and disgust—or in sickness and death!
Our friends are torn from our bleeding hearts by the inexorable hand of death!
Our liberty and property may be wrested from us by the hand of tyranny, oppression, or fraud!
In a word, there is nothing which we now enjoy—but we may quickly lose!
On the other hand, our miseries here on earth are temporary. The heart receives many a wound—but it heals again. Poverty may end in riches. A blemished character may clear up, and from disgrace—we may rise to honor. We may recover from sickness. And if we lose one comfort—we may obtain another.
But in eternity—everything is everlasting and unchangeable! Happiness and misery are both without end—and the subjects of both well know that this is the case.
It is this eternality and perpetuity, which completes the happiness of the inhabitants of heaven; the least suspicion of an end—would intermingle itself with all their enjoyments, and embitter them; for the greater the happiness, the greater the anxiety at the expectation of losing it. But oh, how transporting for the saints on high, to look forward through the succession of eternal ages, with an assurance that they shall be happy through them all, and that they shall feel no change—but from glory to glory!
On the other hand, this is the bitterest ingredient in the cup of divine displeasure in the future state—that the misery is eternal! Oh, with what horror does that despairing cry, "Forever! Forever! Forever!" echo through the vaults of hell!
Eternity is such an important property, that it gives infinite weight to things that would be insignificant, were they temporary. A small degree of happiness, if it is eternal—exceeds the greatest degree of happiness that is transitory. And a small degree of misery that is everlasting—is of greater importance than the greatest degree of misery that soon comes to an end. You would prefer to endure the most painful tortures that nature can bear for a moment—rather than an eternal toothache or headache!
Again, should we consider all the ingredients and causes of future happiness and misery—we would find them all everlasting. The blessed God is an inexhaustible and perennial fountain of bliss! His image can never be erased from the hearts of glorified spirits—the contemplation of the great God will always be obvious to them; and they will always exist as the partakers and promoters of mutual bliss. On the other hand, in hell the worm of conscience never dies, and the fire is never quenched! Divine justice is immortal. Malignant spirits will always exist as mutual tormentors, and their wicked habits will never be extirpated.
And now, need I offer anything further to convince you of the superior importance of invisible and eternal things—to visible andtemporary things? Can a rational being be at a loss to choose, in so plain a case? Can you need any arguments to convince you that an eternity of the most perfect happiness—is rather to be chosen than a few years of sordid, unsatisfying delight? Or that the former should not be forfeited—for the sake of the latter? Have you any remaining scruples, whether the little concerns and mortifications of a pious life—are more intolerable than everlasting punishment? Oh! It is a plain case! Why then, does the infatuated world, lay out all their concern on temporal things—and neglect the important affairs of eternity?
Let us illustrate this matter by a supposition. Suppose a little bird were to pick up and carry away a grain of sand or dust from the globe of this earth, once in a thousand years, until this present world should at length be wholly carried away. The duration which this would take up, appears a kind of eternity to us. Now suppose it were put to our choice, either to be happy during this length of time—and miserable ever after; or to be miserable during this length of time—and happy ever after; which would you choose? Why, though this duration seems endless—yet he would be a fool who would not make the latter choice! For, oh, oh! behind thisvast duration—there lies an eternity, which exceeds it infinitely more than this duration exceeds a moment!
But we have no such seemingly puzzling choice as this; the matter with us stands thus—Will you choose the little sordid pleasures of sin that may perhaps not last an hour, or at most, not many years—rather than everlasting pleasure of the sublimest kind? Will you prefer to endure intolerable torment forever—rather than endeavour to be holy here on earth for a short time? What does your conduct, my friends, answer to these questions? If your tongues reply, they will perhaps for your credit give a right answer; but what does your prevailing disposition and common practice say? Are you not more thoughtful for time—than eternity? Are you not more concerned about visible vanities—than invisible realities? If so, you make a fool's choice indeed!
But let it be further considered, that the transitoriness of visible things may imply that we must before long be removed from them! Even if they were eternal—it would be nothing to us, since we are not so in our present state. Within a few years at most—we shall be beyond the reach of all happiness and misery from temporal things!
But when we pass out of this transitory state—we enter upon an everlasting state. Our souls will always exist, exist in a state of unchangeable, boundless happiness—or misery. It is but a little while ago, that we came out of a state of eternal non-existence, and into being; but we shall never relapse into that state again. These little sparks of being shall never be extinguished! They will survive the ruins of the world, and kindle into immortality! When millions of millions of ages are past—we shall still be in existence! And oh! in what unknown region? In that of endless bliss—or of interminable misery? Is this the most anxious inquiry of our lives?
Seeing then we must soon leave this world—and all its joys and sorrows; and seeing we must enter on an unchangeable, everlasting state of happiness or misery—it must be our chief concern to end our present pilgrimage well. It matters but little whether we lie easy or not—during this short night of existence—if so be we awake in eternal day. It is but a trifle, hardly worth a thought—whether we are happy or miserable here on earth—so long as we are happy forever hereafter! Why then—all this hustle and bustle of mankind about the fleeting things of time? Oh, sirs, Eternity! Solemn, all important eternity—is the only thing that deserves a thought!
II. The INFLUENCE of Seeing Things Aright
I now come, to show the great and happy influence a suitable impression of the superior importance of invisible to visible things, would have upon us. This I might exemplify in a variety of instances, with respect to saints—and sinners.
When we are tempted to any forbidden pleasures—how we would shrink away with horror from the sinful pursuit—had we a due sense of the misery incurred, and the happiness forfeited by it!
When we find our hearts excessively eager after earthly things, had we a suitable view of eternal things—all these things would shrink into trifles hardly worth a thought, much less our principal concern!
When the sinner, for the sake of a little present ease, and to avoid a little present uneasiness, stifles his conscience, refuses to examine his condition before God, casts the thoughts of eternity out of his mind, and thinks it too hard to attend on all the means of grace—has he then a proper estimate of eternal things? Alas! no! He only looks at the things that are seen. Were the mouth of hell open before him—that he might behold its torments; and had he a sight of the joys of paradise, they would harden him into a general insensibility to all the sorrows and anxieties of this life, and his inquiry would not be whether these things required of him are easy—but whether they are necessary to obtain eternal happiness, and avoid everlasting misery!
When we suffer any reproach or contempt for the sake of Christ—how would a due estimate of eternal things fortify us with undaunted courage and make us willing to climb to heaven through disgrace—rather than sink to hell with the universal applause of men!
How would a realizing view of eternal things, animate us in our devotions? Were this thought impressed on our hearts when in thesecret or social duties of religion, "I am now acting for eternity," do you think we would pray, read, or hear with so much indifference and languor? Oh, no! It would rouse us out of our dead frames, and call forth all the vigor of our souls. With what unwearied importunity would we cry to God! With what eagerness would we hear the word of salvation!
How powerful an influence would a view of future eternal realities, have to alarm the secure sinner who has thought little of eternity all of his life—though it is the only thing worth thinking of!
How would it hasten the determination of the lingering, wavering sinner, and shock him at the thought of being unprepared to meet God, while living on the very brink of eternity!
In a word, a suitable impression of this would quite alter the aspect of things in the world, and would turn the concern and activity of the world into another channel. Eternity then would be the principal concern. Our inquiries would not be, "Who will show us any temporal good? What shall we eat, or what shall we drink?"—but rather, "What shall we do to be saved? How shall we escape the wrath to come?" Let us then endeavour to impress our hearts with invisible realities, and for that purpose consider, that:
We shall, before long, be engulfed in this solemn eternity, whether we think of it—or not. A few days or years will surely launch us there—and oh, the surprising scenes that will then open to us!
Without deep impressions of eternity on our hearts, and frequent thoughtfulness about it—we cannot be prepared for it.
And if we are not prepared for it—oh, how inconceivably miserable is our case! But if prepared, how inconceivably happy!
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen—but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary—but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18
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