5. Often meditate on the Eternity of God. The Holiness, Power and Eternity of God, are the fundamental Articles of all Religion, upon which the whole body of it leans; His Holiness for conformity to him, his Power and Eternity for the support of Faith and Hope. The strong and incessant Cries of the four Beasts, representing that Christian Church, are, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. *Though his Power is intimated, yet the chiefest are his Holiness, three times expressed; and his Eternity which is repeated, v. 9. who lives for ever and ever. This ought to be the constant practice in the Church of the Gentiles, which this Book chiefly respects: The meditation of his converting Grace manifested to Paul, ravished the Apostles heart, but not without the triumphant consideration of his Immortality and Eternity, which are the principal parts of the Doxology.* Now unto the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. It could be no great transport to the Spirit, to consider him glorious without considering him immortal: The unconfinedness of his perfections in regard of time, presents the Soul with matter of the greatest complacency. The happiness of our Souls depends upon his other Attributes, but the perpetuity of it upon his Eternity. Is it a comfort to view his immense Wisdom; his overflowing Goodness; his tender Mercy; his unerring Truth? What comfort were there in any of those, if it were a Wisdom that could be baffled; a Goodness that could be damped; a Mercy that can expire, and a Truth that can perish with the Subject of it? Without Eternity, what were all his other Perfections, but as glorious, yet withering Flowers; a great, but a decaying Beauty? By a frequent meditation of Gods Eternity, we should become more sensible of our own vanity and the worlds triflingness: How nothing should our selves; How nothing would all other things appear in our eyes? How coldly should we desire them? How feebly should we place any trust in them? Should we not think our selves worthy of contempt to dote upon a perishing glory, to expect support from an Arm of Flesh, when there is an eternal Beauty to ravish us, an eternal Arm to protect us?
5. Often meditate on the Eternity of God. The Holiness, Power and Eternity of God, are the fundamental Articles of all Religion, upon which the whole body of it leans; His Holiness for conformity to him, his Power and Eternity for the support of Faith and Hope. The strong and incessant Cries of the four Beasts, representing that Christian Church, are, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. *Though his Power is intimated, yet the chiefest are his Holiness, three times exprest; and his Eternity which is repeated, v. 9. who lives for ever and ever. This ought to be the constant practice in the Church of the Gentiles, which this Book chiefly respects: The meditation of his converting Grace manifested to Paul, ravisht the Apostles heart, but not without the triumphant consideration of his Immortality and Eternity, which are the principal parts of the Doxology.* Now unto the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. It could be no great transport to the Spirit, to consider him glorious without considering him immortal: The unconfinedness of his perfections in regard of time, presents the Soul with matter of the greatest complacency. The happiness of our Souls depends upon his other Attributes, but the perpetuity of it upon his Eternity. Is it a comfort to view his immense Wisdom; his overflowing Goodness; his tender Mercy; his unerring Truth? What comfort were there in any of those, if it were a Wisdom that could be bafled; a Goodness that could be dampt; a Mercy that can expire, and a Truth that can perish with the Subject of it? Without Eternity, what were all his other Perfections, but as glorious, yet withering Flowers; a great, but a decaying Beauty? By a frequent meditation of Gods Eternity, we should become more sensible of our own vanity and the worlds triflingness: How nothing should our selves; How nothing would all other things appear in our eyes? How coldly should we desire them? How feebly should we place any trust in them? Should we not think our selves worthy of contempt to dote upon a perishing glory, to expect support from an Arm of Flesh, when there is an eternal Beauty to ravish us, an eternal Arm to protect us?
- *Revel. 4.8.
- *1 Tim. 1.15.16, 17.
