I answer, There is a two-fold miserable being, one Temporal, the other Eternal. An eternal miserable being is eternally worse then a not being. But a temporal miserable being, at the worst, is better then a not being. And the reason is, because our being is far more excellent then the outward comforts of our being, these being only accidental to our being; and therefore it necessarily follows, that it is better to be without outward comforts, then to be without a being. Again, Life is better then all outward things, (Satan spake truly in the former chapter, All that a man hath will he give for his life.) That which a man parts with rather then his life, is below his life. If then life be better then riches, or health, or pleasures, then much more is our being better then all these. As a man may hold his life when all his estate and comforts are gone, so he doth hold his being when his life is gone; Life is brittle ware at the best, but mans being is of an everlasting make. I know there are some who dispute and conclude, that a being, even an eternally miserable being is better then no being: And I grant it is so in a metaphysical or a philosophical notion, but in a theological notion it is not. A Philosopher (keeping within the sphere of nature) can see no misery so miserable, or evil so bad, as not to be.1 But a Divine can, he sees two things worse. First, An everlasting stain and guilt of sin lying upon the soul. Secondly, The everlasting wrath and displeasure of God poured out upon the whole man. Hence Christ saith of Judas who betrayed him, Mat. 26.24. It had been good for that man, if he had not been borne; because that accursed act joined with his impenitence and unbelief, subjected him to everlasting misery, to wrath for evermore; It had been good he had never been borne, rather then to fall into such a sin, and from that to fall into Hell. Not to be borne, is in this place, as much as not to be. And it had been good for him not to have been borne, is as much as to say, it had been better for him not to have been borne. It had been better for him not to have been, then to have committed such a sin, to lie under such wrath, and to loose such happiness for ever.
I answer, There is a two-fold miserable being, one Temporall, the other Eternall. An eternall miserable being is eternally worse then a not being. But a temporall miserable being, at the worst, is better then a not being. And the reason is, because our being is farre more excellent then the outward comforts of our being, these being only accidentall to our being; and therefore it necessarily followes, that it is better to be without outward comforts, then to be without a being. Againe, Life is better then all outward things, (Satan spake truly in the former chapter, All that a man hath will he give for his life.) That which a man parts with rather then his life, is below his life. If then life be better then riches, or health, or pleasures, then much more is our being better then all these. As a man may hold his life when all his estate and comforts are gone, so he doth hold his being when his life is gone; Life is brittle ware at the best, but mans being is of an everlasting make. I know there are some who dispute and conclude, that a being, even an eternally miserable being is better then no being: And I grant it is so in a metaphysicall or a philosophicall notion, but in a theologicall notion it is not. A Philosopher (keeping within the spheare of nature) can see no misery so miserable, or evill so bad, as not to be.1 But a Divine can, he sees two things worse. First, An everlasting staine and guilt of sin lying upon the soule. Secondly, The everlasting wrath and displeasure of God powred out upon the whole man. Hence Christ saith of Judas who betrayed him, Mat. 26.24. It had beene good for that man, if he had not been borne; because that accursed act joyned with his impenitence and unbeleefe, subjected him to everlasting misery, to wrath for evermore; It had been good he had never been borne, rather then to fall into such a sin, and from that to fall into Hell. Not to be borne, is in this place, as much as not to be. And it had been good for him not to have beene borne, is as much as to say, it had been better for him not to have beene borne. It had been better for him not to have been, then to have committed such a sin, to lie under such wrath, and to loose such happinesse for ever.
- 1Si natus non suisset ille homo-i. e. si nunquam processisset a non esse ad esse. Melius quippe suisset nunquam su•sse quam tanta slagitia perpetrare, gratia quoque & gloria in aeternum privari, sed & appetibilius est homini absolutè non esse, quam esse damnatum, propter aeternam poenatissimamque miseriam, Dionis, Carthus in Mat. 26. v. 24.
