frame must suffer only by the action of this element, there will many bodies escape, and not only heaven but earth will not be at an end, but rather a beginning. For at present it is not earth, but a composition of fire, water, earth, and air; but at that time, spoiled of these ingredients, it shall appear in a substance more like itself, its ashes. Philosophers that opinioned the world's destruction by fire, did never dream of annihilation, which is beyond the power of sublunary causes; for the last action of that element is but vitrification, or a reduction of a body into glass; and therefore some of our chemists facetiously affirm, that at the last fire all shall be crystallized and reverberated into glass, which is the utmost action of that element. Nor need we fear this term, annihilation, or wonder that God will destroy the works of his creation : for man subsisting, who is, and will then truly appear a microcosm, the world cannot be said to be destroyed. For the eyes of God, and perhaps also of our glorified selves, shall as really behold and contemplate the world in its epitome or contracted essence, as now it doth at large and in its dilated substance. In the seed of a plant, to the eyes of God, and to the understanding of man, there ex what is hidden from us, more because it is hidden, than from any benefit which the knowing of it would confer. In my opinion, one of the wisest rules that can be observed in study, is to eschew those subjects which afford no footing to the mind; among which we must certainly reckon all speculations on the effects of the material elements on the soul, though we see that, in our present state, their influence extends to the innermost recesses of our spirits.-ED. ists, though in an invisible way, the perfect leaves, flowers, and fruit thereof: (for things that are in posse to the sense, are actually existent to the understanding.) Thus God beholds all things, who contemplates as fully his works in their epitome, as in their full volume; and beheld as amply the whole world in that little compendium of the sixth day, as in the scattered and dilated pieces of those five before. Men commonly set forth the torments of hell by fire, and the extremity of corporeal afflictions, and describe hell in the same method that Mahomet doth heaven. This indeed makes a noise, and drums in popular ears: but if this be the terrible piece thereof, it is not worthy to stand in diameter with heaven, whose happiness consists in that part that is best able to comprehend it, that immortal essence, that translated divinity and colony of God, the soul. Surely, though we place hell under earth, the devil's walk and purlieu is about it: men speak too popularly who place it in those flaming mountains, which to grosser apprehensions represent hell. The heart of man is the place the devils dwell in (106) I feel sometimes a hell within myself; Lucifer keeps his court in my breast; Legion is revived in me. There are as many hells as Anaxagoras conceited worlds: there was more than one hell in Magdalene, when there were seven devils; for every devil is a hell unto himself: he holds enough of torture in his own ubi, and needs not the (106) "The heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."-ED. H misery of circumference to afflict him. And thus, a distracted conscience here is a shadow or introduction unto hell hereafter. Who can but pity the merciful intention of those hands that do destroy themselves? The devil, were it in his power, would do the like; which being impossible, his miseries are endless, and he suffers most in that attribute wherein he is impassible--his immortality. I thank God that (with joy I mention it) I was never afraid of hell, nor never grew pale at the description of that place: I have so fixed my contemplations on heaven that I have almost forgot the idea of hell, and am afraid rather to lose the joys of the one, than endure the misery of the other-to be deprived of them is a perfect hell, and needs, methinks, no addition to complete our afflictions: that terrible term hath never detained me from sin, nor do I owe any good action to the name thereof. (107) I fear God, yet (107) Perhaps Sir Thomas Browne had not yet sufficiently studied his own heart; he might otherwise have found the motive he here disparages lurking at the bottom of many an action apparently traceable to a very different source.-Ignorance only can excuse men for thus disparaging the wisdom of their Creator; for, if by implanting the fear of future punishment in the human breast, he designed to produce salutary effects, to say that it produces no such effects is to claim something like an independence of the Deity. On this ground alone can we excuse Burns, who says, "The fear o' hell's a hangman's whip To haud the wretch in order; Honour, forsooth! Philosophy, to say nothing of religion, would have quickly convinced him that honour, as honour has always been understood in the world, is no check to truly disho am not afraid of him; his mercies make me ashamed of my sins, before his judgments afraid thereof. These are the forced and secondary methods of his wisdom, which he useth but as the last remedy, and upon provocation; a course rather to deter the wicked, than incite the virtuous to his worship. I can hardly think there was ever any scared into heaven: they go the fairest way to heaven that would serve God without a hell. Other mercenaries that crouch unto him, in fear of hell, though they term themselves the servants, are indeed but the slaves of the Almighty. And, to be true, and speak my soul, when I survey the occurrences of my life, and call into account the finger of God, I can perceive nothing but an abyss and mass of mercies, either in general to mankind, or in particular to myself: and whether out of the prejudice of my affection, or an inverting and partial conceit of his mercies, I know not; but those which others term crosses, afflictions, judgments, misfortunes, to me, who inquire further into them than their visible effects, they both appear, and in event have ever proved the secret and dissembled favours of his affection. It is a singular piece of wisdom to apprehend truly, and without passion, the works of God; and so well to distinguish his justice from his mercy, as not to miscall those noble attributes: yet it is likewise an honest piece of logic, so to dispute and argue the nourable actions. The most honourable man will, under certain circumstances, utter falsehood; but would forthwith murder any friend who should venture to tell him so.-ED. proceedings of God, as to distinguish even his judgments into mercies. (108) For God is merciful unto all, because better to the worst than the best deserve; and to say he punisheth none in this world, though it be a paradox, is no absurdity. To one that hath committed murder, if the judge should only ordain a fine, it were a madness to call this a punishment, and to repine at the sentence rather than admire the clemency of the judge. Thus our offences being mortal, and deserving not only death, but damnation; if the goodness of God be content to traverse and pass them over with a loss, misfortune, or disease, what frensy were it to term this a punishment, rather than an extremity of mercy; and to groan under the rod of his judgments, rather than admire the sceptre of his mercies! Therefore to adore, honour, and admire him is a debt of gratitude due from the obligation of our nature, states, and conditions; and with these thoughts, he that knows them best will not deny that I adore him. That I obtain heaven, and the bliss thereof, is accidental, and not the intended work of my devotion; it being a felicity I can neither think to deserve, nor scarce in modesty to expect. For those two ends of us all, either as rewards or punishments, are mercifully ordained and disproportionably disposed unto our actions; the one being so far beyond our deserts, the other so infinitely below our demerits. (108) This was the design of the Paradise Lost: "To vindicate eternal Providence, And justify the ways of God to man."-ED. |