A treatise of the difference bbtwixt [sic] the temporal and eternal composed in Spanish by Eusebius Nieremberg ... ; translated into English by Sir Vivian Mullineaux, Knight ; and since reviewed according to the tenth and last Spanish edition.

CAP. III.

Of that moment which is the medium betwixt Time and Eternity, which being the end of Life is therefore most terrible.

WE ought then seriously to consider (which is certainly a matter of great amazement) all which is to passe in that moment of death, for which the time of this life was onely bestowed upon us, and upon which depends the eternity of the other. O most dreadful point, which art the end of Time and begin∣ning of Eternity! O most fearful instant, which shut∣test up the prefixed tearm of this life, and determines the business of our Salvation! O moment, upon which depends Eternity, how oughtest thou to be placed in our thoughts with profit, that we may not hereafter (when it is too late) remember thee with repentance! How many things are to pass in thee? In the same instant life is to finish, all our works to be examined,

and that sentence given, which is to be executed for all eternity. O last moment of Life, O first of Eterni∣ty, how terrible is the thought of thee, since in thee not onely life is to be lost, but to be accounted for, and we then to enter into a Region which we know not! In that moment I shall cease to live, in that moment I shall behold my Judge, who shall lay all my sins open before me with all their weight, number, and enormity. In it I shall receive a strict charge of all the Divine benefits bestowed upon me: and in it a judgment shall pass upon me either for my salvation or damnation eternal. How wonderful is it that for so many matters, and of so great importance, there is no more time allotted than the space of an instant, no place left for reply, intercession of friends, or appeal. O fearful moment, upon which so much depends! O most important instant of Time and Eternity! Admi∣rable is the high wisdom of God, which hath placed a point in the middest betwixt Time and Eternity, unto which all the time of this life is to relate, and upon which the whole Eternity of the other is to depend. O moment, which art neither Time nor Eternity, but art the Horizon of both, and dividest things Temporal from Eternal! O narrow moment! O most dilated point, wherein so many things are to be concluded, so strict an accompt is to be given, and where so ri∣gorous a Sentence, as is to be pronounced, is ever to stand in force! A strange case that a business of eter∣nity is to be resolved in a moment, and no place al∣lowed for the intercession of friends, or our own dili∣gence. It will be then in vain to repair unto the Saints in Heaven, or the Priests upon Earth; those will not intercede for thee, nor can these give thee absolution: because the rigour of the Judge in that instant where∣in thou expirest allows no further mercy.* 1.1 St. John sayes that Heaven and Earth shall flye from the pre∣sence of the Judge. Whither wilt thou then goe, to what place canst thou repair, being the person against

whom the Process is commenced? It is therefore said that Heaven and Earth shall flye away, because nei∣ther the Saints of Heaven shall there favour thee with their intercession, neither can the Priests of the Earth assist thee with the Sacraments of the Church. There shall be place for nothing that may help thee. What would then a sinner give for leave to make one poor Confession when it is too late? that which would now serve thy turn, and thou despisest, thou wouldest then have done and canst not. Provide thy self therefore in time whilest it may avail thee, and deferre it not until that instant, wherein nothing can do thee good. Now thou mayest help thy self; now the Saints will favour thee; expect not that moment wherein thy own endeavours will be useless, and wherein the Saints will not assist thee. To the end we may frame a more lively conceit of what hath been said,* 1.2 I will relate a Story, which St. Peter Damian rehearseth in an Epistle of his to Pope Alexander the second of that name: whereof the Saint sayes, it caused dread in him as often as it came to his mind. Thus it was, That two men going to fell wood in a Forest, there issued forth a Serpent, ugly and of a huge size, with two heads, and mouths of both open, thrusting out their tongues with three points or small darts in each of them, and seeming to cast out fire at his eyes set upon them. One of the two men of more spirit and courage, at the first assault of the Serpent, struck it with his hatchet, and cut off one of his heads: but unfortunately let fall his hatchet. The Serpent feel∣ing himself wounded, full of fury and rage, took him at the disadvantage without his weapon, and roled his train round about his body. The miserable man cried out to his Companion for help, or at least that he would give him his hatchet to defend himself, or do some execution upon his enemy, that was now dragging him towards his Den. But his Companion was so cowardly, that he durst not any wayes succour

him, but affrighted and astonished fled away, leaving that wretched man in the power of the Serpent, which with great rage carried him to his Den without resi∣stance, or any succour at all, notwithstanding the hi∣deous out-cries and lamentations the poor Captive made. This History is but a slight draught of what a Sinner will experience in the instant of the departure of his Soul out of this life, when without any aid at all, or hope of it, he shall find himself at the mercy of the infernal Dragon, who will use him with all vi∣olence imaginable. St. Peter Damianus sayes, he could not express the horror this sad accident caused in him, insomuch that it made him tremble many times to consider what pass'd betwixt the Serpent and the man in that Den: there being no body to afford any help to the poor fellow in that distress, where neither his strength, nor cries could any wayes avail him to de∣cline the fury of that ugly Monster now ready to tear him in pieces. Wherefore if to be void of all hopes of temporal life, and to be in the power of a Serpent is a thing so dreadful, what fright and astonishment will it cause, when a Sinner in the instant of Gods judgment shall see himself delivered over into the power of the infernal Dragon without all hopes of ever escaping from him, who will seize upon a Soul, and carry her to the abyss of hell? Let us call to mind with dread that which the holy Prophet feared and said of the Devil: God grant he lay not hold on my soul like a Lion, when there will be none that will set me at liberty, or relieve me. O what a lamentable thing will it be for one to see himself in the power of Luci∣fer, not onely abandoned by Men, but also by the An∣gels, and by the Queen of Men and Angels, and even of God himself Father of all mercies! Let us provide our selves in time for that which is to be done in a moment, on which depends our Eternity. O moment, in which all time is lost, if a Soul doth lose it self in it, and remains lost for ever, how much doest thou avail

us! Thou givest an assurance to all the good works of this life, and causest an oblivion of all the pleasures and delights thereof, to the end that Man may not wholly give himself over to them, since they will then be of no benefit to him: and persevere in vertue, since it will not secure him, unless he persevere in it to the last.

§. 2.

How can men be careless seeing so important a bu∣siness, as is the salvation of their Souls, to depend upon an instant, wherein no new diligence nor preparations will avail them? Since therefore we know not when that moment will be, let us not be any moment un∣provided; this is a business not to be one point of time neglected, since that point may be our damnati∣on. What will a hundred years spent with great pe∣nance and austerity in the service of God profit us, if in the end of all those years we shall commit some grievous sin, and death shall seise upon us before re∣pentance? Let no man secure himself in his past ver∣tues, but continue them until the end; since if he die not in grace all is lost, and if he doe, what matters it to have lived a thousand years in the greatest troubles and afflictions this world could lay upon him? O moment, in which the just shall forget all his labours, and shall rest assured of all his vertues! O moment, in which the pains of a Sinner begin, and all his plea∣sures end! O moment, which art certain to be, un∣certain when to be, and most certain never to be a∣gain; for thou art onely once, and what is in thee de∣termined, can never be revoked in another moment! O moment, how worthy art thou to be now fixed in our memory,* 1.3 that we may not hereafter meet thee to our eternal mine and perdition! Let us imitate the Abbot Elias, who was accustomed to say, That three things especially made him tremble; The first, when

his Soul was to be pluckt out of his Body; the second, when it was to appear before God to receive judg∣ment; and the third, when sentence was to be pro∣nounced. How terrible then is this moment, wherein all these three things so terrible are to pass? Let a Christian often whilest he lives place himself in that instant; from whence let him behold on one part the time of his life which he is to leave, and on the other the eternity whereunto he enters: and let him consi∣der what remains unto him of that, and what he hopes for in this. How short in that point of death did those near-hand a thousand years, which Mathusala lived, appear unto him, and how long one day in Eternity? In that instant a thousand years of life shall appear un∣to the Sinner no more than one hour, and one hour of torments shall appear a thousand years. Behold thy life from this Watch-tower, from this Horizon, and measure it with the eternal, and thou shalt find it to be of no bulk, nor extension. Sec how little of it re∣mains in thy hands, and that there is no escaping from the hands of Eternity. O dreadful moment which cuts off the thread of Time, and begins the web of Eter∣nity! let us in time provide for this moment, that we may not lose Eternity. This is that precious pearl for which we ought to give all that we have or are. Let it ever be in our memory, let us ever be sollicitous of it, since it may every day come upon us. Eternity de∣pends upon death, death upon life, and life upon a thread, which may either be broken, cut, or burnt, and that even when we most hope and most endea∣vour to prolong it. A good testimony of this is that which Paulus Aemilius recounts of Charles King of Na∣varre,* 1.4 who having much decayed and weakned his bo∣dily forces by excess of lust, unto which he was with∣out measure addicted, the Physicians for his cure com∣manded Linnens steeped in Aqua vitae to be wrapped close about his naked body. He who sewed them, ha∣ving nothing in readiness to cut the thread, made use

of a candle, which was at hand, to burn it: but the thread being wet in those spirits, took fire with such speed, as it fired the Linnen, and before it could be prevented, burnt the body of the King in that manner as he immediately dyed. Upon a natural thread de∣pended the life of this Prince, which concluded in so disastrous a death; and no doubt but the thread of life is as easily cut as that of flax; time is required for the one, but the other is broken in an instant; and there are more causes of ending our life, than are of break∣ing the smallest twist. Our life is never secure, and therefore we ought ever to fear that instant, which gives an end to Time, and beginning unto Eter∣nity.

Wonderful are the wayes which death finds out, and most poor and contemptible those things upon which life depends. It hangs not only upon a thread, but sometime upon so small a thing as a hair. So Fa∣bius. a Roman Senatour was choaked with a hair which he swallowed in a draught of milk. No door is shut to death, it enters where air cannot enter, and en∣counters us in the very actions of life. Small things are able to deprive us of so great a good.* 1.5 A little grain of a grape took away the life of Anacreon: and a Pear, which Drusus Pompeius was playing with, fell in∣to his mouth and choaked him. The affections also of the Soul, and the pleasures of the Body become the high way unto death. Homer dyed of grief, and Sopho∣cles of an excess of joy. Dionysius was kill'd with the good news of a victory which he obtained. Aurelia∣nus dyed dancing when he married the Daughter of Domi••ian the Emperour. Thales Milesius beholding the sports in the Theater dyed of thirst:* 1.6 and Cornelius Gallus. and Titus Etherius dyed in the act of lust. Gia∣chetto Saluciano and his Mistress dyed in the same ve∣nerial action, and their bodies were both found con∣joyned in death, as their souls went joyntly to hell. Upon small matters and unexpected accidents depends

the success of that moment, upon which depends Eter∣nity. Let every one open his eyes and assure not him∣self of that life which hath so many entrances for death; let no man say, I shall not dye to day, for ma∣ny have thought so, and yet sodainly dyed that very hour. By so inconsiderable things, as we have spo∣ken of, many have dyed, and thou mayest dye without any of them. For a sodain death there is no need of a hair, or fish bone to strangle thee, nor affliction of me∣lancholy to oppress, or excess of sodain joy to surprize thee; it may happen without all these exteriour cau∣ses. A corrupt humour in the entrails, which flyes unto the heart without any body perceiving it, is suf∣ficient to make an end of thee; and it is to be admi∣red that no more dye sodainly, considering the dis∣orders of our lives and frailties of our bodies; we are not of iron or brass, but of soft and delicate flesh. A Clock though of hard Mettal in time wears our, and hath every hour need of mending, and the breaking of one wheel stops the motion of all the rest. There is more artifice in a humane body than in a Clock, and it is much more subtle and delicate. The nerves are not of steel, nor the veins of brass, nor the entrails of iron. How many have had their livers or spleen cor∣cupted or displaced, and have dyed sodainly? no man sees what he hath within his body, and such may his infirmity be, that although he thinks and feels himself well, yet he may dye within an hour. Let us all tremble at what may happen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Apoc. 20.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 1. Epist. 10.
• * 1.3

  In vit. PP. l. 5. p. 565. apud Rot,
• * 1.4

  Paulus Aemilius l. 9. A••∣cidita anno 1387.
• * 1.5

  Valer. Max. lib. 6.
• * 1.6

  Vid. An∣dream E∣borensem de morte non vul∣gari.