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. VI.

Of the End of all Time.

BEsides the end of the particular time of this life, the universal end of all time is much to be consi∣dered; that, since humane ambition passes the limits of this life, and desires honour and a famous memory after it, Man may know that after this death, there is another death to follow, in which his memory shall also die and vanish away as smoke. After that we have finisht the time of this life, the end of all time is to succeed, which is to give a period unto all which we leave behind us. Let man therefore know that those things, which he leaves behind for his memory after death, are as vain as those which he enjoyed in life. Let him raise proud Mausoleums, Let him erect Statues of Marble, Let him build populous Cities, Let him leave a numerous Kindred, Let him write learned Books, Let him stamp his Name in brass, and fix his Memory with a thousand nails, All must have an end; his Cities shall sink, his Statues fall, his Fami∣ly and Linage perish, his Books be burned, his Me∣mory be defaced, and all shall end, because all time must end. It much imports us to perswade our selves of this truth, that we may not be deceived in the things of this world, That not only our pleasures and de∣lights are to end in death, but our memories at the farthest are to end with Time; And since all are to conclude, all are to be despised as vain and perishing. Cicero, although immoderately desirous of fame and honour, as appears by a large Epistle of his written un∣to a friend, wherein he earnestly entreats him to write the conspiracy of Cataline, which was discovered by himself, in a Volume apart, and that he would allow something in it unto their ancient friendships, and

Publish it in his life time, that he might enjoy the glo∣ry of it whilest he lived: yet when he came to consi∣der that the world was to end in Time, he perceived that no glory could be immortal, and therefore sayes, By reason of deluges and burnings of the earth, which mu•••• of necessity happen within a certain time, we cannot attain glory not so much as durable for any long time, much less eternal. In this world no memory can be immortal, since Time and the World it self are mortal; and the time will come, when time shall be no more. But this truth is like the memory of death, which by how much it is more important, by so much men think lest of it, and practically do not believe it. But God, that his divine providence and care might not be wanting, hath also in this taken order, that a matter of so great concernment should be published with all solemnity, first by his Son, after by his Apo∣stles, and then by Angels. And therefore St. John writes in his Apocalyps, that he saw an Angel of great might and power, who descended from heaven, ha∣ving a Cloud for his Garment, and his head covered with a Rainbow, his face shining as the Sun, and his feet as pillars of fire, with the right foot treading up∣on the Sea, and with the left upon the Earth, sending forth a great and terrible voice as the roaring of a Lyon, which was answered by seaven thunders with other most dreadful noises; and presently this pro∣digious Angel lifts up his hand towards Heaven. But wherefore all this Ceremony? wherefore this strange equipage? wherefore this horrid voice and thunder? all was to proclaim the death of Time, and to per∣swade us more of the infallibility of it, he continued it with a solemn Oath conceived in a Set form of most authentique words, listing up his hand towards Hea∣ven, and swearing by him that lives for ever and ever, who created Heaven and Earth, and all which is in it, There shall be mo more time. With what could this truth be more confirmed, than by the Oath of so great and powerful and an Angel?

The greatness and solemnity of the Oath gives us to understand the weight and gravity of the thing af∣firmed both in respect of it self, and the importance of us to know it. If the death of a Monarch or Prince of some corner of the world, prognosticated by an E∣clipse or Comet, cause a fear and amazement in the beholders, what shall the death of the whole World, and with it all things temporal, and of Time it self foretold by an Angel with so prodigious an appariti∣on, and so dreadful a noise produce in them, who se∣riously consider it? For us also this thought is most convenient, whereby to cause in us a contempt of all things temporal. Let us therefore be practically per∣swaded, that not onely this life shall end, but that there shall be also an end of Time. Time shall be∣reave Man of this life, and Time shall bereave the World of his, whose end shall be no less horrible than that of Man; but how much the whole World and the whole Race of mankind exceeds one particular person, by so much shall the universal end surpass in terrour the particular end of this life. For this cause the Prophecies, which foretell the end of the World, are so dreadful, that if they were not dictated by the holy Spirit of God, they would be thought incredible. Christ therefore our Saviour having uttered some of them unto his Disciples, because they seemed to ex∣ceed all that could be imagined, in the conclusion con∣firmed them with that manner of Oath or Asseverati∣on, which he commonly used in matters of greatest im∣portance: Amen (which is, By my verity, or verily) I say unto you, that the world shall not end before all these things are fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall fail, but my words shall not fail. Let us believe then that Time shall end, and that the World shall die, and that, if we may so say, a most horrible and disastrous death; let us believe it, since the Angels and the Lord of Angels have sworn it. If it be so then, that those memorials of men, which seemed immortal, must at last end, since

the whole Race of man is to end, let us only strive to be preserved in the eternal memory of him, who hath no end; and let us no less despise to remain in the fa∣ding memory of men who are to die, than to enjoy the pleasures of our senses which are to perish. As the hoarding up of riches upon earth is but a deceit of A∣varice, so the desire of eternizing our memory is an errour of Ambition. The covetous man must then leave his wealth when he leaves his life, if the Theef in the mean time do not take it from him: and fame and renown must end with the World, if envy or ob∣livion deface it not before. All, that is to end, is vain; this World therefore and all which is esteemed in it is vain, all is vanity of vanities, Let us onely aim and aspire unto the eternal, because the just onely, as the Prophet sayes, shall remain in the eternal memory of God. The memory of man is (as men themselves) frail and perishing. What man ambitious of a perpe∣tual memory would not rather choose to be esteemed by ten men, who were to live a hundred years, than, by a thousand, who were to die immediately after him? Let us therefore desire to be in the memory of God, whose life is eternity. Our memory amongst men can last no longer than men themselves, which shall all die like us; and there can be no memory im∣mortal amongst those who are mortal. It is therefore very expedient, that the end of the World should be accompanied by the universal Judgement of all men, wherein shall be revealed their most secret and hidden thoughts and anions: That the murtherer who hath slain his neighbour, lest he should discover his wick∣edness, may not hope that therefore it shall remain conceal'd: and That no, man should be bold to sin for want of witnesses, since the whole World shall then know that, which, if any but himself had known here, would have burst his heart with shame and sorrow.

Notes

• Cieer. in Ep. ad Luc.
• In Somn. Scip.
• Apoc. 10.
• Math. 13. Luc. 21.