Christian geography and arithmetick, or, A true survey of the world together with the right art of numbering our dayes therein being the substance of some sermons preached in Bristol / by Thomas Hardcastle.

Rule 7.

The seventh Rule in this Christian A∣rithmetick is; number and compare thy dayes with Eternity, an age breaks no square in Eternity: for a moment of time, is more unto all that time that hath been since the Beginning of the World, * 1.1 and shall be unto the end of it, than all that time is unto Eternity; be∣cause a moment by repetition will mea∣sure

all that time; but all that time will never by any repetition whatsoever measure Eternity: it is not the least part of it; a Man that should have sinned the first moment of the Worlds Creati∣on, and should have had his punishment deferred till the last moment of the Worlds duration, his punishment should have been swifter in regard of Eterni∣ty; than his punishment in regard of all that time of the World's continuance, that should have sinned the first moment of time, and have been punished the ve∣ry next or second moment. Observe that expression of Peter,* 1.2 Beloved saies he, be not ignorant of this one thing; and what is this one thing, that is so special a thing, that of all other they should not be ignorant of, namely this, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day; in the point of Eternity, a day and a thou∣sand years are all one, and that which happens in a thousand years, is all one as if it happened within a day; and so on the contrary, to him that stands upon the pinacle of Eternity, and loooks down thence below upon the shreds and snippets of time: and therefore mark but that the Prophet Ahijah saies in re∣gard

of the festination of God's Judg∣ment upon the house of Wicked Jero∣boam. * 1.3 The Lord, saies he, shall raise up a King over Israel, who shall cut off the House of Jeroboam that day; but what •• even now. He stood upon the pinacle of Eternity; and therefore that snippet of time which seemed to the World a great while, was nothing to him: which made him when he had spoken of cut∣ing off the House of Jeroboam that day, to use the revocation, but what? even now, that day and even now is all one to Eternity. And the seeming contra∣diction of the Preacher tending to illu∣strate this very thing, is well worth the observing: He had spoken of the not speedy executing sentence against an evil work, that it encouraged sinners to go on in their sins, but in the next verse he answers thus: Though a Sinner do e∣vil an hundred times, * 1.4 and his dayes be prolonged; yet, surely I know it shall be well with them that fear God, but it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his Daies, which are as a shadow? How is it true that he may pro∣long and not prolong his dayes? How but only that though they may be pro∣longed in regard of us, that have but a

few ends of time, yet they are nothing in regard of the Ball of Eternity, which is alwayes winding and never unwound, in this regard he shall not prolong his dayes, which are as a shadow, as as meer vanity to this Eternity, and an∣swerable to this is that like place of the Prophet Habbakuk: * 1.5 The vision saies he, is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, it shall not lie; though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry? How! but only that which is a long tarrying to time is no tarrying to all Eternity: and this is the seventh Rule, which if it be well observed will make us quickly remove our dwellings out of the hurry of time, unto the borders of Eternity, still wait∣ing every hour when we shal lanch forth into that Sea, and be swallowed up of that Ocean.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mr. G.
• * 1.2

  2 Pet. 3.8.
• * 1.3

  1 King. 14.14.
• * 1.4

  Eccl. 8.12.
• * 1.5

  Hab. 2.3