SERMONS
UPON
DEATH.
HEB. 2. 15.
And deliver them, who through fear
of Death were all their life-time
subject to Bondage.
IN the first Chapter of
this Epistle, the Proofs
of the Eternal Deity
of Christ are produced
with that evidence
of Scripture-Light, that only
a vailed Heart, obstinate Infidelity
can resist. The Medium which
the inspired Pen-man makes use
of is, the comparing him with the
Angels, the most noble Flower
of the Creation, and shewing that
he is infinitely dignified above
them. This he does by a strong
connexion of Arguments: First,
By his Title that is divinely high
and peculiar to himself. He is
declared by the Testimony of
the Eternal Father to be his Son,
Vers. 4, 5.
in the most proper and sublime
sence: begotten of him, and therefore
having the same essential
Perfections of the God-head in
their uncreated Glory. But the
Angels are not dignified with this
Name in any places of Scripture,
where the Excellency of the Angels
is in the fullest terms expressed.
And that this Name is taken
from his Nature, is clearly proved:
because Adoration is due
to him upon this account, even
from the Angels of the highest
Order.Vers. 6.
When he bringeth in the
first-begotten into the World, he saith,
And let all the Angels of God worship
him.
Divine Worship is a Prerogative
inseparably annext to the
Deity, both upon the account of
the supream Excellencies of the
Nature of God, and his Relation
to Angels and Men as Creator,
and Preserver, the Fountain
of their Being and Happiness.
This without the most open defiance
of his Authority, cannot be
given to a mere Creature;Deut. 6. 13. & 10. 20. and
by the Command of God himself,
is to be performed as a respect
due to the filial God-head.
The Argument proceeds from
the Name to the Offices.Vers. 7.
Of the
Angels he saith, Who maketh the Angels
Spirits, and his Ministers a
flame of Fire. They are the prime
Instruments of his Providence,
most zealous and active to accomplish
his pleasure. But the
Son is God, not by Analogy and
Deputation as Princes are, nor
with a limitation and diminution,
as Moses was made a God to Pharaoh,
but absolutely and really as
subsisting in the Divine Nature:
And consequently he is the Supreme
King, and to him the Ensigns
of Majesty divinely Royal
are ascribed. But unto the Son he
saith,
Vers. 8.
Thy Throne, O God, is for
ever and ever, a Scepter of Righteousness
is the Scepter of thy Kingdom:
Whereas the Scepters of
Earthly Kings are often unrighteously
manag'd, and their
Thrones ruinously fall. There
is a further Confirmation from
his Works, that are divinely great
and glorious, wherein no Creature
has any share of Efficiency.
The making of the World, is ascrib'd
to him.Vers. 10.
Thou Lord in the
beginning hast laid the Foundation of
the Earth, and the Heavens are the
Works of thy Hands.
The Divine Attributes, the peculiar
Character of the Deity
belong to him: Eternity and Immutability.
The most solid
parts of the visible Creation shall
perish and be changed: but thou remainest,
and art the same. His
Life is an intire, uniform, unchangable
Perfection. His Glory
and Felicity are in the same invariable
Tenor for ever possest
by him. Lastly, The Son sits in
that quality at the right Hand of the
Father,
Vers. 13. in the Society of Empire,
as equal to him in Power and
Honour, commanding all in the
visible and invisible World, most
easily and irresistibly, tho' gradually
subduing his Enemies to a
consummate Victory. But the
Angels, so numerous and powerful,Vers. 14.
are ministring Spirits, employed
for the defence and benefit of
the Church.
From this summary account
we may understand how firmly
the Divinity of Christ is establish'd
in the Scripture. For
those Passages of the Prophets,
that speak of the God of Israel
as Creator, and the sole object
of Adoration are directly referr'd
to Jesus Christ. And the Name
Jehovah,
Psal. 97. 9. the Majesty of which
consists in its being incommunicable
is attributed to him. This
is the Foundation upon which
that whole Fabrick of the Gospel
is built. The Office of Mediator
in the prophetical, priestly,
and regal administration is necessarily
join'd with the Divinity of
his Person. And the revelation
of it from Heaven, is as clear as
the Sun is visible in the Firmament.
All the Difficulties in our
conceiving this great Mystery of
Godliness, are but like the shadows
that attend the Light. And
all the heretial subtilties to pervert
the sence of such plain and
positive Texts, are as impertinent
as impious.
This being establish'd, the Apople
proceeds to give an account
of the Son of God's assuming
the Humane Nature, and submitting
to Sufferings and Death.
This is a Divine Secret so miraculously
strange, that the Contrivance
was without the Compass
of the Angelical Minds, and
the discovery of it, is only by supernatural
Revelation: but when
revealed, the account of it is so
open and consentaneous to reason,
as being the most congruous
Means for the illustration of
God's Glory in the saving lost
Men, that the humane Mind, if
not deeply corrupted with the
tincture of Prejudice, must consent
to it as worthy of all acceptation.
The substance of his reasoning
is this, That it was the product of
the most wise, merciful, and
righteous Counsel of God, that
the Saviour of Men should have
communion with them in their
Nature, that he might have a
right to redeem them by his Alliance
and Propinquity:Chap. 2. 11. for he that
sanctifies, and they that are sanctified,
are all one: and that he should
undergo sufferings, even to death,
for the price of their Redemption,
and the remedy of their Infirmities:
Forasmuch as the Children
are partakers of Flesh and
Blood, he also likewise took part of
the same, that through Death he
might destroy him that had the Power
of Death, that is the Devil: And
deliver them who through fear of
Death, were all their Lives subject
to Bondage.
The Devil is said to have the Power
of Death.
1. Because he induces men to
commit sin, that meritoriously
renders them liable to Death. He
tempted the first Man cum effectu,
and was a Murderer from the beginning.
2. In that he inspires them
with furious thoughts, and inflames
their Passions, from
whence proceed Strifes and Wars,
that efficiently cause Death. He
is supreme in all the Arts of Mischief,
and always intent upon Evil.
'Tis by his instigation that
Men become like raging Beasts,
animated and bent on mutual
slaughter.
3. Because he is many times
the Executioner of God's Wrath,
and inflicts Death upon rebellious
and incorrigible Sinners.
'Tis recorded by the Psalmist,
That God cast upon the Egyptians the
fierceness of his anger,
Psal. 78. 49.
wrath, indignation,
and trouble; by sending evil
Angels: those Princes of the Air,
the Instruments of the Thunder
and fiery storm of Hail that destroyed
them.
4. Because he makes Death
more formidable to sinners, by
heightning their guilty Fears of
God's TribunaI. The false Spirit,
in tempting Men to sin, puts
on blandishments, but afterward
he is a severe accuser of them to
God, and to themselves.
Lastly, This Title may signify
his tormenting sinners with
unrelenting cruelty in Hell, which
is the second Death.
Now these Evils being the penal
Consequence of sin, our Saviour
by his Death appeas'd the
injur'd Justice of God, and thereby
destroyed the cruel tyranny of
the Devil. As the Lamb of God,
in the Notion of a Sacrifice, he
overcomes our spiritual Enemies.
Sin, Satan, and Death, lie vanquisht
at the foot of his Cross.
Besides, our Saviour having felt
such sorrows and infirmities as
are usual to his People, by that
correspondence and resemblance
between them, is compassionately
inclin'd to relieve them.
I shall now insist upon the
blessed Privilege of Believers set
down in the Text, viz.
That Jesus Christ by his
Death, frees his People from
the servile tormenting fear of
Death.
In prosecuting the Point, I
shall, 1. consider the account
the Scripture gives of Death's
entrance into the World. 2. Shew
what the fear of Death includes,
and the Bondage consequent to
it. 3. How the Death of Christ
frees us from the thraldom of
that fear. 4. Who are partakers
of this blessed Privilege.
And then apply it.
I. The Scripture gives an account
of Death's entrance into
the World, in a three-fold respect.
1. As the desertt of Sin. 2. As
the Effect of the divine Decree.
3. As the Sentence of the Law.
1. As the Desert of Sin. The
first design of the Creator was
his own Glory in conjunction
with the happiness of Man. He
was made accordingly Holy in
perfection, placed in Paradise,
and his state contained all the
Ingredients of Felicity proper to
his Nature. He was capable of
dying, as sad experience proves,
yet no Accident from without,
no Distemper from within had
impair'd his vigour, and made
him actually subject to Death
without sin. Whilst innocent he
was immortal, not from everlasting
Principles of Nature, but
by Divine Preservation, of which
the Tree of Life was the ordained
Means and sacramental Pledg.
For God unchangably loves his
own Image: and tho' by his Sovereignty
and absolute Power
he may resume the Being he gives,
yet his Goodness and Covenant
were a sacred assurance that Man's
happy Life should run parallel
with his perseverance in his Duty.
This Immortality was not the
singular privilege of Adam's Person,
but had been the Inheritance
of all his Progeny. But he soon
revolting from his just Obedience,
of Immortal became Mortal,
and according to the original
establishment of Propagation,
transmitted his Nature with the
guilt and poison of Sin to all his
Posterity. Thus by one Man Sin
entered into the World,
Rom. 5. 12.
and Death by
Sin, and so Death passed upon all
Men▪ for that all have sinned. As
his Obedience had been rewarded,
so his Rebellion is punisht in
all that naturally descend from
him. From hence it is, that so
numerous a part of Man-kind
are cut off before the commission
of actual Sin. Death enters into
the Forge of Life, and destroys
the Conception that newly began
to live. And what is more righteous
than that Man when he disobeyed
the Author of Life,
should forfeit his Life and Blessedness.
The Soul voluntarily
lost the spiritual Life by forsaking
God,Anima volens perdidit vivere, nolens ergo perdat & vivificare. therefore unwillingly
loses the natural Life by expulsion
from the Body. The Apostle
declares, the Wages of Sin is
Death,
Rom. 6. 23. not only that of the Body,
but the Death of the Soul,
which is a dreadful Concomitant
of it. And from hence we may
discover the false Philosophy of
the wisest Heathens in their Opinion
of Death. They judged it
to be the primary necessity and
condition of Nature,Hac lege intraverant, ut exirent. Senec.
fixt by irresistible
Fate: and not understanding
the true and just reason
of its coming into the World,
they could not apply a sufficient
Remedy against its Evil.
2. As the Effect of the divine
Decree respecting Sin. This is
discovered by revelation in the
Word of God, and by the real
execution of it.Heb. 9. 27.
It is appointed to Men
once to die.
Eccles. 1. 4. This Decree is universal
and unrepealable. One Generation
passeth away, and another
Generation cometh: like the ebbing
and flowing of the Sea in its stated
Periods. Nothing can interrupt
or frustrate this appointment.
There are divers Conditions of
Men, and various ways of living
in the World; some are high in
Dignity, others are level with the
Earth: some walk in a Carpetway
smooth and easy, others in
a thorny and troublesom: some
walk on the golden Sands, others
on the Mire: but the same uncontroulable
necessity of dying
involves all. And what-ever the
way be, whether pleasant or
doleful, yet every one passes
in it with equal steps, measured
by the same invariable spaces of
Hours and Days, and arrive at
the same common end of Life.
Those who are regarded as visible
Deities amongst Men, that
can by their Breath raise the Low,
and depress the Lofty, that have
the Lives of millions in their
Power, yet when the ordained
time is come, as they cannot bribe
the accusing Conscience for a
minutes silence, so neither delay
Death. I have said ye are Gods,
but ye shall die like Men.
3. Death is to be considered
as the Sentence of the Law. The
reasonable Creature was made
under a Law the Rule of his
Actions. The moral Law directed
him how to continue in
his holy and blessed State: To
which was annext the Precept of
not eating of the Tree of Knowledg
of Good and Evil, only as
a mark of his Subjection, and
for the trial of his Obedience.
This Precept had an infallible
sanction by the most high Law-giver:Gen. 2. 17.
In the day thou eatest thereof,
thou shalt die the death. Man did
not keep this Command of so
easy observation, and justly incurr'd
its doom. As Sin is the
violation of the Law, so Death
is the violation of the Sinner in
his Nature and Felicity retorted
from the Law.
The deaths of Men are very
different in their kinds; and are
comprised in the words of David
concerning Saul;
1 Sam. 26. 10.
The Lord shall
smite him, or his Day shall come to
die, or he shall descend into the Battel,
and perish. Sometimes they
are cut off by the immediate flaming
hand of God, for the more
exemplary revenge of Sin; sometimes
by surprising Accidents;
sometimes by bloody Contentions;
sometimes consuming
Diseases. But tho' Death be not
uniform, yet 'tis always the execution
of the Law upon Offenders.
As of those who are condemned
by Humane Justice,
some suffer a more easy and honourable
Death, others a more
disgraceful and torturing, some
are Beheaded, others are Crucified,
yet all die as Malefactors.
Thus some die a natural Death,
others a violent, some by a gentle
preparing sickness without reluctation,
others die upon the
Rack by sharp pains: some die
attended with their Friends, and
all supplies to sweeten their Passage,
others forsaken of all Comforters:
yet Death is the same
Sentence of the Law upon all
Men. And this if duly considered,
makes it terrible in whatever
shape it appears.
II. The next thing to be considered
is, What the fear of Death
includes, and the bondage that
is consequent to it. This I shall
explain and amplify, by considering
four things.
1. The nature of Fear in general,
as applicable to the present
Subject.
2. The particular Causes that
render Death so fearful.
3. The degree of this Fear exprest
by Bondage.
4. How it comes to pass that
men are not always under the
actual fear of Death, but subject
to the Revolutions of it all their
lives.
1. I will consider the nature
of Fear in general, as applicable to
the present Subject.
Fear is a passion implanted in
Nature, that causes a flight from
an approaching Eye. Three
things are requisite to qualify the
Object and make it fearful.
(1.) The Evil must be apprehended.
Knowledg, or at least
suspicion, excites Fear, by representing
an Evil that is likely to
seize upon us. Till the mind
discern the danger, the passions
are unmoved: and imaginary Evils
by the mere apprehension, are
as strongly fear'd as real.
(2.) The Evil must be future.
For the naked theory of the most
pernicious Evil does not wound
the Soul, but the apprehension of
falling under it. If reason can
open an expedient to prevent an
Evil, this Passion is quiet. And
Fear precisely regards its Object
as to come. Present Evils induce
grief and sorrow: past
Evils by reflection affect with
joy, and give a quicker relish to
present felicity. Approaching
Evils alarm us with fear.
(3.) The Evil must be apprehended
as prevalent to make it
fearful. For if by comparison
we find our strength superior, we
either neglect the Evil for its levity,
or determine to encounter
it; and resistance is the proper
effect of Anger, not of Fear.
But when an impendent Evil is
too hard for us, the Soul shrinks
and recoils from it.
Now all these Qualifications
that make an Object fearful concur
in Death.
1. 'Tis an Evil universally
known. The frequent Funerals
are a real demonstration that
speaks sensibly to our Eyes, that
Death reigns in the World.
2. 'Tis certainly future. All
the wretched Accidents of this
Life, such as concern us in our
Persons, Relations, Estates, and
Interests; a thousand Disasters
that a jealous Fear and active Fancy
will extend and amplify; as
they may, so they may not happen
to us. And from this mixture
of contrary possibilities,
from the uncertainty of event,
Hope that is an insinuating passion
mixes with Fear, and derives
Comfort. For as sometimes a
suddain Evil surprises not forethought
of, so often the Evil that
was sadly expected, never comes
to pass. But what Man is he that lives,
Psal. 89. 4.
and shall not see Death? Who is so
vain as to please himself with an
imagination of Immortality here?
3. 'Tis a prevalent Evil, from
hence the proverbial Expression,
Strong as Death that subdues
all,
Cant. 8. 8.
cruel as the Grave that spares
none. 'Tis in vain to struggle
with the pangs of Death. No
Simples in Nature, no Compositions
of Art, no Influence of
the Stars, no Power of Angels,
can support the dying Body, or
retain the flitting Soul. There is
no Man hath power over the Spirit
to retain the Spirit;
Ecclesiast. 8. 8.
neither hath he
power in the day of Death: and there
is no discharge in that War. The
Body sinks in the Conflict, and
Death feeds on its prostrate prey in
the Grave.
2. I shall consider more particularly
the Causes that render
Death so fearful to Men. 1. In
the apprehension of Nature.
2. In the apprehension of Conscience
1. In the apprehension of
Nature, Death hath this Name engraven
in its forehead, Ultimum terribilium,
the supreme of terrible
things, upon several accounts.
1. Because usually sickness
and pains languishing or tormenting,
make the first changes
in the Body, and the natural Death
is violent. This Hezekiah complained
of with a mournful accent,
He will cut me off with pining
sickness:
Isa. 38.
from day even to night
thou wilt make an end of me. I
reckoned till morning, that as a Lion,
so will he break all my Bones. A
Troop of Diseases are the forerunners
of this King of Terrors.
There is a preceding encounter,
and sometimes very fierce, that
Nature feels the cruel Victory
before it yields to this Enemy.
As a Ship that is lost by a mighty
tempest, and by the concussion of
the Winds and Waves loses its
Rudder and Masts, takes in water
in every part, and gradually
sinks into the Ocean: So in the
shipwrack of Nature, the Body
is so shaken and weakened by
the violence of a Disease, that the
senses, the animal and vital Operations
decline, and at last are exstinguish'd
in death.
2. Death considered in the
strictest propriety, as destructive
of the natural being, that is our
first and most valuable good in
the order of Nature, is the just
object of Fear. The union between
Soul and Body is very intimate
and dear, and like David
and Jonathan they part unwillingly.
Nature has a share in the
best Men, and works as Nature:
St. Paul declares, we would not be
uncloathed, not finally put off the
Body, but have it glorified in
conjunction with the Soul. Our
blessed Saviour, without the least
impeachment of the Rectitude
and perfection of his Nature,
exprest an aversness from Death,
and with submission to the divine
Will desired a freedom from it.
His Affections were holy and humane,
and moved according to
the quality of their Objects.
3. The natural consequents of
Death render it fearful. Life is
the foundation of all natural enjoyments,
and the loss of it induces
the loss of all for ever. 'Tis
from hence that such Evils that
are consistent with Life, and deprive
us only of some particular
content and pleasure, are willingly
chosen rather than Death.
The forfeiture of Estate, the degrading
from honour, the confinement
to a perpetual Prison, the
banishing from our native Country,
are less Penalties than Death.
There is a natural love of
Society in Man, and Death removes
from all. The Grave
is a frightful solitude. There is
no conversation in the territories
of darkness. This also Hezekiah
in his apprehensions of death
speaks of with tears.Isa. 38. 11.
I shall see
Man no more in the Land of the
Living. As in the Night,Dies moritur in noctem, & tenebris usquequaque sepelitur; funestatur mundi honor, omnis substantia denigratur, sordent, silent, stupent cuncta: ubique justitium est. Tertul. de Resurrec. Car. the
World is an universal Grave, all
things are in a dead silence; Palaces,
Courts of Justice, Temples,
Theaters, Schools, and all
places of publick Conversation
are shut up: the noise and rumour
that keeps Men in continual
observation and action ceases.
Thus when the Sun of this present
Life is set, all the Affairs and
Business, all the vain joys of
Company, Feasting, Dancing,
Musick, Gaming, ceases. Every
one among the Dead is confined
to his sealed obscure Cell, and is
alone an entertainment for the
Worms.
The Psalmist saith of Princes,
Their breath goeth forth, they return
to the Earth, in that very day their
thoughts, their glorious compassing
thoughts, perish. This the
Historian observes was verified in
Julius Caesar: After his assuming
the Imperial Dignity, he thought
to reduce the numerous Laws of
the Romans into a few Volumes,
comprising the substance and reason
of all; to enrich and adorn
the City of Rome, as was becoming
the Regent of the World:
to epitomise the Works of the
most learned Grecians and Romans
for the publick Benefit. And
whilst he was designing and pursuing
these,Talia agentem atque meditantem mors praevenit. Sueton.
and other vast and
noble things, Death surprised
him, and broke off all his Enterprises.
At the terrible Gate that opens
into Eternity, Men are stript of
all their Honours and Treasures,
and as naked as they come into the
World,
Psal. 49. 16, 17.
go out of it. Be not thou afraid
when one is made rich, when the glory
of his House is encreased. For when
he dieth, he shall carry nothing away;
his glory shall not descend after him.
Death equally vilifies, makes
loathsom and ghastly the Bodies
of Men, and reduces them to
sordid Dust. In the
Grave theAs our Divine Poet expresses it. dust is as
precious and powerful
of one as of another.The brags of Life are but a nine days wonder; And after Death the fumes that spring, From private Bodies make as big a thunder, As those that rise from a huge King.
Civil distinctions are
limited to the present
time. The prodigious
Statue in Nebuchadnezzar's
Vision, Dan. 2.
32, 33, 34, 35.Herbert. While
it was upright, the parts were really
and visibly distinct: The head
was of fine gold, the breast and arms
of silver, the belly and thighs of brass;
the legs of iron, the feet part of iron
and part of clay: but when the stone
cut out without hands, smote the Image
upon the feet, then was the iron, the
clay, the brass, the silver, and the
gold, broken to pieces together, and
became like the Chaff the wind carries
away. Who can distinguish between
Royal Dust taken out of
magnificent Tombs, and Plebean
Dust from common Graves?
Who can know who were Rich,
and who were Poor; who had
power and command, who were
Vassals, who were remarkable
by Fame, who by Infamy?2 Kings 9. 37.
They
shall not say this is Jezebel: not
know this was the Daughter and
Wife of King. The King of
Babylon, stiled Lucifer the bright
Star of the Morning, that possest
the first Empire in the World, was
degraded by Death, humbled to
the Grave, and exchanged all his
glorious State for Worms and
Putrefaction.Isa. 14. 11.
The Worm is spread
under thee, and the Worms cover thee.
In short, Death separates Men
from all their admired charming
Vanities.
2. Death is fearful in the apprehension
of Conscience, as 'tis
the most sensible mark of God's
Wrath, that is heavier than Death,
and a summons to give an account
of all things done in this
Life, to the righteous Judg of
the World.Heb. 9. 27.
'Tis appointed to all
Men once to die, and afterward the
Judgment. The Penal Fear is
more wounding to the Spirit,
than the Natural. When the awakened
Sinner quietly expects
the Citation to appear before the
Tribunal above, where no excuses,
no supplications, no privileges
avail, where his cause of
Eternal Life or Death must be
decided, and the awards of Justice
be immediately executed;
O the Convulsions and Agonies
of Conscience in that hour! when
the diseased Body cannot live,
and the disconsolate Soul dare
not die, what Anxieties surround
it? This redoubles the terrors
of Death, that the first transmits
to the second that was figured by
it. O the dismal aspect of Death
riding on a pale Horse, with Hell the
black Attendant following. This
Fear surprised the Sinners in Sion;
Who among us can dwell with devouring
Fire? who among us can remain
with everlasting burnings? This
made a Heathen, the Governor
of a Province, to tremble before
a poor Prisoner.Acts 24. 25.
While Paul discoursed
of Righteousness, Temperance,
and Judgment to come, Foelix
trembled.
Heb. 10. 31.
'Tis a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of the living
God, who lives for ever, and can
punish for ever. None is so powerful
as God, nothing so fearful as
the guilty Conscience.
3. The degrees of this Fear is
exprest by Bondage. This Passion
when regular in its Object
and Degree is excellently useful:
'tis a wise Counsellor and faithful
Guardian, that plucks off the
Mask from our Enemies, and
keeps Reason vigilant and active
to prevent a threatning Evil, or
to sustain it in the best manner.
'Tis observable in the brute Creatures,
that the weak and fearful,
are most subtile and ingenious to
secure themselves, and supply
the want of strength with artifice.
But when Fear is inordinate,
'tis a tyrannous Master, that
vexes the weary Soul, and hinders
its free and noble Operations.
Caesar chose rather to be expos'd
to suddain death,Praestat semel mori quam semper timere. than to be continually
harrast with fears how to
avoid it. The Greek word implies
the binding of the Spirit,
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from
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.
that causes an inward slavery.
And in the Apostles Writings,
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. Rom. 8. 15.
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.
the Spirit of Fear, and the Spirit of
Bondage, are equivalent. Ishbosheth,
when Abner provok'd by
the Charge about Saul's Concubine,2 Tim. 1. 7.
imperiously threatned to
translate the Kingdom to David,
was struck with such a fear, that
he could not answer Abner a word,
2 Sam. 3. 10, 11. The suddain
passion stifled his replie, and reduc'd
him to a defenceless silence.
Now the fear of Death, as 'tis
remiss or vehement, such are the
degrees of bondage from it.
1. It embitters the enjoyments
of the present Life, and makes
the most prosperous in the
World, even in the fulness of their
sufficiency to be in straits. Tho' the
senses are pleased with the quick
sweetness of Change from one
Object to another, yet the Soul
cannot have a delightful undisturbed
fruition, foreseeing that
the stream of Pleasure will issue
into the dead Sea.Eccles. 11. 7.
Truly Light is
sweet, and 'tis a pleasant thing to behold
the Sun. But how short is
this Life with all its pleasures, in
comparison of the days of darkness
that follow. Now tho' 'tis our
best wisdom and truest liberty, to
rejoice in this World, as if we rejoiced
not, and frequently to meditate
on the cooling Doctrines
of Death and Judgment, to repress
the transports of the voluptuous
appetite; yet since the Comforts
of this Life are liberally indulged
to us by the Love of God, to
be the motives of our grateful
and affectionate Obedience, to
sweeten our passage to Heaven,
we may with tranquillity of Spirit
make a pure and chearful use
of them in his service; and 'tis an
oppressing bondage, when the disquieting
anxious fears of Death
hinders our temperate enjoyment
of his Favours and Blessings.
2. The fear of Death oppresses
the Souls of Men under a miserable
Bondage to the Devil; for
his Dominion is maintain'd by the
Allurements and Terrors of the
World. Tho Men do not explicitly
acknowledg his Soveraignty, yet
by voluntary yielding to his pleasing
temptations, they are really
his Slaves. And the apprehension
of temporal Evils, especially
of Death, drest up in a frightful
representation, with its bloody
pomp,Prov. 29. is the strongest snare
to the Soul. The faint-hearted
prove false-hearted in the time of
trial: For the timerous Spirit
being wholly intent how to avoid
the incursion of a present Evil,
forgets or neglects what is indispensibly
to be done, and thinks
to find an excuse in the pretended
necessity. How many have been
terrified from their clearest Duty,
and resolved Constancy? To escape
Death, they have been guilty
of the most insufferable impieties,
by renouncing God their
Maker and Saviour, and worshipping
the Devils for Deities. Every
Age presents sad spectacles
of many that chuse iniquity rather
than affliction,
Job 36. 21. that relinquish their
duty, and by wicked compliances
save their Lives and lose
their Souls. Carnal Desires, and
Carnal Fears, are the Chains of
Hell that retain Men Satan's Captives.
But what folly, what
madness is it, for the avoiding
the impotent fury of the Creature,
to venture on the powerful
wrath of God, that exceeds all the
terrors that can be conceived by
fear. This renders them more bruitish
than the Horse, that starting at
his Shadow, springs over a desperate
Precipice.Rev. 21.
The fearful are excluded
from Heaven, and cast into the
Lake of Fire and Brimstone for ever.
3. The extream fear of Death
and Judgment, dejects and discourages
the Soul from the use of
means to prevent eternal misery,
and induces a most woful Bondage.
Fear anticipates and exasperates
future Evils: for as
knowledg excites fear, so fear
encreases knowledg, by the uncessant
working of the thoughts
upon terrible Objects. The fearful
mind aggravates the foreseen
Evil, and distils the Poison from
all the circumstances and consequences
of it. And when the
Evil is apprehended as insuperable
and indeclinable, all endeavours
to escape are cut off.
Senec. Nullum malum sine eifugio. What
a Philosopher observes of an
Earthquake, compared with other
destructive Evils, is true in this
case. There may be a safe retreat
from Fire, from Inundations,
from Storms, from War,
from Pestilence, but an Earthquake
astonishes with so violent
a perturbation,Timor fugam perdidit. that stops our
flight from the imminent danger.
So the vehement impressions of
fear from the approaches of
death, and the severe executions
upon the Sinner after it, distracts
the mind, and disables from flying
from the Wrath to come. These
Fears are more heavy by the suggestions
of Satan, who represents
God so terrible in his Majesty,
inexorable in his Justice, and
dreadful to Death, that all hopes
of obtaining his favour are lost.
As the Egyptian Darkness was not
meerly from the absence of the
Sun, but from feculent Vapours
condensing the Air, that it might
be felt. So these dark and fearful
expectations of the Divine
Wrath, are not only from the
withdrawing the Light of God's
Countenance, but from the
Prince of Darkness that foul
Spirit. And as we read of the
Egyptians, that no Man arose from
his place for three days, as if they
had been buried in that darkness,
and deprived of all active power
and motion: so the despairing
Soul sits down mourning at the
Gates of Death, totally disabled
from prosecuting the Things
that belong to its peace. 'Tis Hope inspires
and warms us with alacrity,
encourages our Endeavours, Despair
is without edg and industry.
The Soul suffers the hardest Bondage,
and the condition is inexpressibly
sad under the tyranny
of this Fear. O how enthralled,
how desolately miserable!
for despair doth meritoriously
and effectually ruin the Soul. For
whereas there is no Attribute
more Divine, no clearer Notion
of the Deity than Love and Mercy;
this Passion disparages his
Mercy, as if Sin were more omnipotent,
than his Power to pardon;
and all the Tears that flow
from it, are so far from expiating,
that they encrease Guilt: and
whereas the believing view of
Christ would as compleatly and
presently recover the Soul-wounded
Sinner, as the Israelites were
by looking to the ordained visible
Sign of their Salvation; Despair
turns away the Eye from
our Deliverer, and fixes it upon
misery as remediless and final.
4. How comes it to pass that
Men are not always under the
actual fear of Death, but subject
to the revolutions of it all their
Lives.
The Seeds of this Fear, are hid in
the guilty Breasts of Men, and at
times, especially in their Calamities,
break forth and kindle upon
them. In their leisure and Retirement,
intercurrent thoughts of
Death and Judgment sting them by
fits, and make them uneasy. The
flashes of Conscience, like moments
of Lightning, startle them,
but they relapse into their habitual
stupidity. And the account of it
will be clear, by considering the
following Particulars.
1. Men are apt to flatter themselves
with the hopes of long
Life, and look upon Death at a
great distance. Tho' there be a
dying disposition in the youngest
and strongest Persons, tho' we
live in a world of Casualties,
and Death lie in ambush to surprize
us every day, yet we are
secure: because Evils affect us
according to their apprehended
nearness. A Petty Constable
that is troublesom and vexatious,
is more fear'd by his Neighbours,
than the Grand Signior with all
his Executioners. As remote
Objects, though of vast bigness,
are lessen'd to our sight, so
through the supposed interval of
many years, Death is lookt on with
a diminution of its Terror. But
when Death presents it self before
Men ready to dispatch them,
how formidable is its appearance!
Saul tho renouned for his Valour,
yet when he understood by Revelation,
that to morrow he and
his Sons should be in the state of
the dead,1 Sam. 28.
there was no strength in
him, but he fell straight-way all along
on the Earth; struck through with
fear before he was wounded by
the Arrows of the Philistins. Belshazzar
in the midst of his luxury
and jolity,Dan. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4. attended with a thousand
Lords, and his herd of Concubines, inflam'd
with Wine, and therefore
less capable of fear, yet upon the
sight of the fatal Hand writing
on the Wall a few unknown Characters,
which his guilty Conscience
(before the Prophet Daniel
came) interpreted to be the
sentence of present Death, How
fearfully was his Countenance
changed pale as a Carcass? How
suddainly did his Blood congeal,
and his warmest quickest Spirits
die in his Heart? His whole Body
was seized by such a vehement
trembling, that his joints were
loosed, and his knees smote one
against another. This is a representation
of those who bid defiance
to Death at a distance; but
when the fatal Hour is come, and
they hear the Sentence decreed against
them, God has numbred
thy days, and finish'd them: thou art
weighed in the ballance (all thy words
and Actions, thy Thoughts and
Affections) and art found wanting:
and thy Soul shall be divided
from thy Body, the one sent to
Hell to suffer the undying Worm
of Conscience, the other to the
Grave, to be a prey to the Worms
of Corruption; how are they
overcome with horror!
2. The continual succession of
the Pleasures and Business of the
World divert the mind from the
attentive strong contemplation
of Death, and the consequences
of it. Pensive thoughts are unwelcome,
and we studiously endeavour
to cancel the memory of
such things as afflict us. 'Tis said
of the Wicked, that God is not in
all their thoughts: The consideration
of the Holy Inspector and
Judg of their Actions is tormenting,
therefore they fill their
minds with earthly Imaginations,
to exclude the Divine Presence.
We read of those, who to put
far away the evil day,
Amos 6. 3, 4.
chaunted
to the sound of the Viol, and drank
Wine in Bowls. They are rock'd
asleep with the motion of phantastick
Vanities. And sleep takes
away Fear, but gives no safety.
'Tis recorded of Marius,
Aelian. that after
his overthrow by Scylla, he
was always in consternation, as
if he heard the sound of the
Trumpets, and the noise of the
victorious Army pursuing him:
And his Fears were no longer
quiet than whilst charm'd with
Wine and Sleep. He therefore
was continually drunk, that he
might forget Himself, his Enemy,
and his Danger. Thus Men make
a pittiful shift to forget their latter
End: and whilst they are following
either secular Affairs, or
sensual Pleasures, are unconcerned
for what is to be hereafter.
But this diversion will shortly be
at an end, for in their languishing
hours, when the wasted Body
fails the carnal Mind, and sensual
Desires fail the Man, then
Conscience that spoke with a
low Voice before, is loud and terrible,
and like the rigid Exactor
in the Parable, that took his
Debtor by the throat, requires
them to pay what they owe.
3. Some are so hardned in Infidelity,
that the Powers of the
World to come make no impression
on their hearts. They mind
but little, and are less affected
with invisible things. They fortify
themselves with gross
thoughts, that the Spirit of Man
vanishes with his Breath, that
Death is the end of this Life, and
not the beginning of another, and
feed without fear. Place one in
the midst of destructive Evils,
but unseen or not believed, and
he is as fearless as a blind Person
walking on the brink of a deep
Pit. Indeed there are none less
disturbed with the terrors of
Death, than the eminently good,
or the extremely bad: for the one
sort have a blessed hope that
Death will be to them an entrance
into Life, and live like
the Angels, with a joy unspeakable
and glorious. The others are
as sensual and secure as the
Beasts that perish, having extinguish'd
the fear of eternal future
Evils, which is the proper passion
of reason. The Apostle declares,
That knowing the terror of the Lord,
2 Cor. 5. 11.
we perswade Men to be reconciled to
him, before the season of Mercy be
expir'd. But those who have supprest
the natural Notions of Eternal
Judgment, as they think it
beneath their wisdom to be perswaded
by the Promises of Heaven,
so beneath their courage to
be terrified with the threatnings
of Hell, and triumph over the
ruins of Conscience. But tho'
wicked Infidels slite the Threatnings,
they shall not escape the
Vengeance of God.
We read of Noah,Heb. 11.
that being
warned of God of things not seen as
yet, moved with fear, he prepared
an Ark for the saving of his House.
His Fear was the native issue of
his Faith. But the profane
World, in whom sence was predominant,
that despised the Oracle,
and trembled at no Judgments
but what were acting on
the visible Stage, they eat and
drank, married, and were given
in marriage, till swept away by
the unfeared Inundation. We
read that Lot being certified by
an embassy of Angels, that a
Deluge of Fire would in a few
hours pour down from Heaven
upon Sodom, he most earnestly
solicited his Sons-in-Law, Arise,
depart out of this place, for the Lord
will destroy this City: but they entertained
his compassionate advice
with derision, he seemed to
them as one that mocked, and were
surprised by those fearful Flames
that dispatch'd them from a temporal
Hell to that which is Eternal.
Thus 'twas prophesied,
That in the last days there shall come
Scoffers, walking after their own
lusts, and saying, Where is the Promise
of his coming? But let them
blaspheme and scorn the most sacred
and terrible Truths, let them
perpetuate their excess of riot, and
wild Mirth while they live, Death
will come, and Judgment as sure
as Death.
III. I now come to shew how
the Death of Christ frees us from
the tormenting fear of Death.
For the clearing this, we are
to consider, that Sin, Satan, and
Death, are Enemies in combination
against Man in his mortal
state; and the destructive Power
of Satan, and Death, is from Sin.
When Man renounc'd his Creatour
and natural Lord, he was
judicially given up to Satan as
the Executioner of Vengeance,
and to the Power of Death. Such
is the order, rather the confusion
in the World by Sin. The Empire
of Satan and Death is built
on the Ruins of our Innocence.
Now the Son of God came
from his Throne in Heaven to
deliver us: And whereas there
are two ways of obtaining freedom
from captivity, either by
Ransom, or by Power and Rescue,
in both respects our deliverance
from Bondage, to these
Capital Enemies, is ascribed to
the Death of Christ.
'Tis called our Ransom, and
that in its strict Notion has a
respect to Captivity.1 Tim 2. 6.
There is one
God, and one Mediator between God
and Man, the Man Christ Jesus:
who gave himself a Ransom for all.
His Life was the full price of
our Liberty and Salvation. God
does not pardon sin, and release
from punishment by a pure absolute
act of his Will and Authority,
as a Creditor forgives a Debtor;
but in such a way as to preserve
the Rights of Justice inviolate.
Therefore when Man was
devoted to Death, our Redeemer
exchang'd conditions with him,
and offer'd up his precious Blood,
1 Pet. 1. 18. as
our Ransom to God, in the quality
of the King and Judg of all.
Such was the dignity of his Person,
that the entire World, the
Heavens and the Earth with all
their Inhabitants, are of less value
to him, than the basest Dross
to refined Gold. Such was the
greatness of his Sufferings, in
which the highest degree of Obedience,Phil. 2. 8.
and the lowest degree of
Humility were conspicuous, as
to be a valuable Compensation,
to obtain eternal Redemption for
us.
Now when God the supreme
Judg is satisfied, Satan forfeits
the right he had to torment us,
and is devested of his dominion
over our Wills; which tho' justly
permitted, was an usurpation
upon God's Right in Man that
can never be extinguish'd. 'Tis
said by the Apostle, that our Saviour
blotting out the hand-writing of
Ordinances that was against us,
Col. 2.
which
was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to his Cross: He
abolish'd the use of the Ceremonial
Law, that was an Evidence
and Enditement of their Guilt
who performed it, and the Curse
of the Moral Law: it follows,
and having spoiled Principalities and
Powers, he made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it.
Our Saviour died victoriously;
the Tree of Infamy on which he
suffered, was the Trophy of his
Conquest. His Death disarm'd
Satan of his Weaponswhere by he
subdued us, Sin, the Law, and Death;
for tho' his actual Triumph was
in his Resurrection and Ascension
to Glory, yet it is justly ascribed
to his Death: for that meritoriously
open'd the Grave at his
Resurrection, and Heaven at his
Ascension.
And here by the way 'tis most
worthy of observation, that our
deliverance from our spiritual and
most deadly Enemies is equally
righteous, as admirable and glorious:
for our suffering Saviour
appeas'd the Wrath of God, and
broke the Powers of Darkness.
The Wisdom and Love of God had
their designs in his Death, as well as
the malice and rage of Satan, as Lines,
that are opposite in the circumference,
meet in the Centre.
And as from the Tyranny of
Satan, so the Death of our Redeemer
is our redemption from
Death, as to the curse and final
dominion of it; nay, has made
it a blessed advantage to us.
1. The Curse is removed.
Death considered as the Wages of
Sin, is all sting and poison, the
consequent of the spiritual Death,
and the introduction to eternal
Death. The sting of Death is Sin,
1 Cor. 15.
and the strength of Sin is the Law.
Death hath its wounding Power
from Sin, and Sin from the Law,
that forbids it, the discovers its
Nature, and enhanses the measure
of its Guilt, and denounces
condemnation for it. Now our
Saviour having in our stead, subjected
himself to Death, the penalty
of the Law for Sin, There is
no condemnation to those that are in
Christ Jesus.
Gal. 3.
Christ hath redeemed
us from the Curse of the Law, being
made a Curse for us. Death inflicted
on the Saints, has not that
relation to the guilt of Sin, as to
be properly satisfaction to revenging
Justice. There are no
petty payments to be made by
our Sufferings after his compleat
satisfaction to God. The Lord
laid on him the Iniquities of us all.
Isa. 53.
'Tis indeed still a declaration
of God's holy displeasure against
Sin, for that originally open'd the
way of its coming into the
World; and sometimes by the
immaturity or manner of it, 'tis
a chastisment upon good Men for
sin; that is, to make them renew
their Repentance, and mortify
their carnal Affections that
fasten them to the World. For
tho' after the last act of expiration
there is no place for Repentance;
yet in the approaches of
Death, the Soul is strongly excited
by the Call of God to review
its state, and make solemn preparation
to be found of him in
Peace. But 'tis not in a strict sence
the malediction of the Law, and
divine Revenge upon them. The
Serpent is turn'd into a Rod ofHeb. 12.
Correction in the hands of our
Heavenly Father for their good.
As the Apostle, speaking of some
that for their profaning the
Lord's Table, were fallen asleep,
1 Cor. 10. 33.
adds, that when we are judg'd, we
are chastened of the Lord, that we
way not be condemned with the World.
A Believer shall not be hurt of the
Rev. 2.
second Death.
From hence it is, that in the
Book of Life, the Scriptures,
the death of the Saints is called
a sleep.
1 Thess. 4. 14
St. Paul argues, If
we believed that Jesus died and
rose again; even so them also that
sleep in Jesus, will God bring with
him. 'Tis observable how the
Apostle varies the expression, Jesus
died, and the Saints sleep in him:
for he sustained death
with all its terrors,Annon longe gloriosius fuit, quandoquidem totum pro nobis agebatur, ut non modo passio corporis, sed etiam cordis affectio pro nobis faceret? Et quos vivificabat mors, nihilominus & trepidatio robustos, & maestitia laetos & taedium alacres & turbatio quietos sacecet, & desolatio consolatos? Bern. Serm. 1. de St. Andr.
that
it might be a calm
sleep to his People.
They enjoy as perfect
a rest in the Beds of
Dust, as ever in the
softest Down. Stephen
in the midst of a showr
of stones fell asleep.
Believers die in peace.
The Righteous is taken
from the Evil to come:
Isa. 57. 1, 2.
he enters into
peace. Being reconciled to God
through the Blood of Christ, they
are not terrified at his Call, but
with sweet tranquillity resign
their Souls unto him.Luk. 2.
Lord, now
let thy Servant depart in peace, for
mine eyes have seen thy Salvation.
There is a vast difference in God's
account, between the Death of
Righteous and the Wicked. As the
Tabernacle in the Wilderness was
taken down with care upon their
change of station, and delivered
to the Levites Charge, in order to
the raising of it again with honour;
but the House incurably
infected, was pluck'd down with
violence, and thrown into an unclean
place with execration: thus
the death of the Saints is precious in
the sight of the Lord, their Bodies
are kept in the bosom of the
Earth, to be raised in Glory;
and the death of the Wicked is
accurst. In short, as the Wood
that Moses cast into the Waters of
Mara, by a miraculous virtue
sweetned them: so the Cross of
Christ has taken away the malignity
and bitterness of Death.
2. Death is a blessed advantage,
and enriching Gain to a Believer:
it brings him to the possession of
that Good that incomparably exceeds
the Evil that remains in it.
For the Death of a Saint is not
total; but as in the Ceremony
of Purification from Leprosy,
one Bird was killed, and the other
let fly in the open Air, the mysterious
shadow of the Lepers being
restored to a state of Liberty:
thus when the Body dies and returns
to the Earth, the Spirit returns to
God, the Father of Spirits, and Fountain
of Life. Our Saviour told
the Jews, I am the living Bread that
came down from Heaven:
John 6. 48.
if any Man
eat of this Bread, he shall live for
ever; and the Bread that I will give
is my Flesh, that I will give for the
Life of the World. The Heavenly
Divine Life, that is communicated
by the Spirit of Christ to
Believers, remains entire when
the sensitive life is lost. The natural
order is, There is a time to be
born, and a time to die: the supernatural
is, there is a time to die,
and a time to be born. The death
of a Saint is aDies iste quem tu tanquam supremum reformidas, aeterni natalis est. Senec.
new Birth; the
pains of the dying Body are as
Throws, whereby the ripen'd
Soul is delivered into the Land of
the Living. The happiness of a
Saint after Death, more particularly
will appear by considering;
1. The place to which he ascends
the highest Heaven. This
inferiour World is fram'd with
exquisite Order, the Earth is
full of the Glory of the Lord; yet
'tis but the sediment of the Creation,
the habitation of Birds and
Beasts, nay of rebellious Sinners;
and by this we may raise our
thoughts to conceive something
of the seat of Life and Blessedness
Above.
'Tis for its amplitude and excellency
called the Heaven of Heavens,
which is the highest comparison
to instruct and astonish us
with the Glory of the place. The
shining Firmament, with all the
Luminaries that adorn it, are but
the Frontice-piece to it. All the
lustre of Diamonds, the fire of
Carbuncles and Rubies, the brightness
of Pearls are dead in comparison
of its Glory. 'Tis called
by our Saviour his Fathers
House, and he is the God of Glory;
'tis his Temple, wherein his sacred
Presence is fully exhibited: His
Throne, wherein his Majesty is
revealed in the most illustrious
manner.
For pleasantness; 'tis called
Paradise, in allusion to the delicious
Garden planted by the hands
of God himself for Adam, his
Favorite, whilst innocent. There
is the Tree of Life indeed, and
Rivers of Pleasure ever springing
from the Divine Presence.Col 9
'Tis
the Inheritance of the Saints in Light;
to signify literally and allegorically
the glory and joy of the
Place. For Light gives splendor
to things; and conciliates chearfulness,
and is a fit Emblem of
both. As on the contrary, Hell
is described by the blackness of
darkness for ever; to signify the
sadness and despair of the Damned,
and because in that centre of
misery, a perpetual night and invincible
darkness increases the
horror of lost Souls.
Heaven for stability is called,
a City that has Foundations, whose
Builder and Maker is God. The
present World is like a Tent or
Tabernacle set up for a time, and
with all its perishing Idols shall
shortly fall; all this beautiful
Scene shall be dissolved: But the
supreme Heaven is a Kingdom that
cannot be shaken. Our Saviour
tells us, In my Father's House are
many Mansions, to signify the amplitude
and durableness of it.
2. In that blessed Place there
is a freedom from all afflicting
Evils, that are numberless here.
The present World is a labyrinth
of Thorns, in every state we
meet with something to vex us.
You may as well count the Waves
of the Sea when inraged by a
Tempest, as the troubles to which
in this mortal open state we are
expos'd.Job 14. 1.
Man that is born of a
Woman, is of few days, and full of
trouble. A short life, and many
miseries.Tempus angustatur ad vitam, dilatatur ad miseriam. O our unhappy capacity!
the Body is liable to as many
Diseases as there are Members;
and the Soul to as many perplexities
as passions. How often are
the scenes and habits chang'd in
the time of one Man? He that
lives in pleasures, must act the
Mourner's part. Our sweetest comforts
have hidden stings: and whatever
is most pleasing may occasion
bitter grief. And usually
holy Men have a greater portion
of afflictions here: sometimes by
the malignity and violence of the
wicked; as under the Law, the
Lamb and the Dove were Sacrifices,
the Emblems of Innocence,
and Purity, and Meekness, whilst
the Vulture and the Lion the
greedy devourers escap'd. This
the Apostle declares of the Elect,
They are predestinated to be conform'd
to the Image of God's Son, who
trac'd out the way to Heaven in
his own Blood, and by the Cross
ascended to the Throne. Sometimes
more immediately Divine
Providence afflicts them, to preserve
their Spirits from the tainted
pleasures of the World, and
other Holy Ends: but there is a
rest for the People of God in Heaven.
Besides, there are Reliques
of Sin in the best of the Saints
here. Indeed Sin is depos'd from
sovereignty and rule; the imperious
Lusts are crucified, but not
quite expir'd. As those that were
nail'd to the Cross in their hands
and feet, the parts least vital and
most sensible, died a painful
lingring death. Still the flesh
lusts against the spirit, and the spirit
against the flesh. As there is a
complexion of Humours in humane
Bodies, always jarring
when they are in the soundest
health; and where there is not
this active contrariety, either the
Body is without a Soul, a mere
Carcass, or a glorified Body in
Heaven. So where there is not
this internal Combat between
Grace and Sin, either the Man is
whollyOmnes homines aut sunt penitus caro, & nihil habent spiritus, ii sunt insidele; sine regeneratione. Aut sunt tantum spiritus sine carne. li sunt sancti; qui jam in Coelo aeterna fruuntur pace sine pugna. Aut sunt partim spiritus, partim caro. li sunt omnes renati per spiritum sanctum in Christo. Aug. cont. Jul.
Carnal, dead
in sins and trespases; or
wholly spiritual reigning
in Heaven. And
there is nothing more
works on the tender
affections of a Saint,
than to find in himself
what is displeasing to
God; that still he is
under a sad necessity
of sinning. What is
said concerning an old Man wasted
and decayed in his drooping
Years, that the Grashopper is a burden
to him; is true, of the new
Man in a Christian, the sins
that are counted light in the
valuation of the World, are a
heavy weight to him. Vain
Thoughts, idle Words, irregular
Passions, unprofitable Actions,
are motives of heart-breaking
sorrow. Now Death is to a Believer
a universal Remedy against
all the Evils of this Life: it frees
him from all Injuries and Sufferings,
and from Sin in all its degrees,
from all inclinations and
temptations to it. He that is dead,
ceaseth from Sin. Death is the
passage from this Wilderness to
the true Canaan the rest Above,
that flows with better Milk and
Hony, with Innocence and Happiness
for ever. There nothing
can disturb the Peace, or corrupt
the purity of the blessed.
3. Besides the privative advantage,
the freedom from all
the effects of God's displeasure,
and the resentments of it, there
is the highest positive Good obtained
by Death; The Spirits of
just Men are made perfect in Heaven.
The Soul is the Glory of Man,
and Grace is the Glory of the
Soul, and both are then in their
exaltation. All the Faculties of
the Soul are rais'd to the highest
degrees of Natural and Divine
Perfection. In this Life Grace
renews the Faculties, but does
not elevate them to their highest
pitch: it does not make a mean
Understanding pregnant, nor a
frail Memory strong, nor a slow
Tongue eloquent, but sanctifies
them as they are. But when the
Soul is releas'd from this dark Body
of Earth, the Understanding
is clear and quick, the Memory
firm, the Will and Affections ardent
and vigorous. And they
are enrich'd with divine Light,
and Love, and Power, that makes
them fit for the most noble and
heavenly Operations. The lineaments
of God's Image on the
Soul are first drawn here, but
then it receives his last hand. All
the Celestial Colours are added,
to give the utmost life and lustre
to it. Here we are advancing,
but by Death we arrive at Perfection.
We shall in Heaven be join'd
to the Assembly of Saints and
Angels, our best Friends. Love
is the Law of that Kingdom, and
Perfectly obeyed there. Now
how charming is the Conversation
of one that is wise and holy,
especially if the sweetness of affability
be in his temper? How
pleasantly does time slide away
in the company of our beloved
Friends? We are not sensible of
its flight. But what dear satisfaction
is it to be united to that
chosen consecrated Society Above,
who love one another as themselves.
Tho' the Angels and Saints
have different degrees of Glory,
yet every one is perfectly happy
and pleased. As the strings of
an Instrument differ in the size
and sound, some are sharp and
high, some grave and deep, others
a mean, and from that variety
results the Harmony and Musick,
so that if every string had
Judgment and Election, it would
chuse to be what it is: so from
the different degrees of Glory in
Heaven, the most amiable and
equal Order of the Divine Wisdom
appears, that satisfies every
one.
We shall be in the glorious
presence of God and Christ,
where is fulness of joy, and infinite
pleasures for ever. 'Tis said of
Abraham, He rejoic'd to see the day
of Christ, two thousand Years before
his coming. When by Faith
he saw the incarnation of the Son
of God, in order to the redemption
of Men, it put him into an
extasy. Yet then our Saviour
was born to Sorrows and Miseries.
But how ravishing is the
sight of our Redeemer, set down
on the right hand of the Majesty on
high, having purged our Sins by himself,
and accomplish'd our Salvation.
Now we are absent from
God, yet in believing his infallible
Promises, we rejoice with a
Joy unspeakable and glorious; But
how much more joyful is the
fruition of them? Here the Divine
Goodness is derived to us
through secondary means, that
weaken its efficacy, but in Heaven
the consolations of the Creator
are most purely dispensed,
and his immediate Excellencies
are made known.
This Blessedness exceeds all
our thoughts and explicit desires,
and requires the eloquence and
experience of an Angel to set it
forth. The bright sum of it is
this, We shall see God in his Glory,
face to face,
1 Cor. 13. in the most perfect
manner: the sight of his
Glory shall transform us into his
Likeness;1 John 3.
we shall be like him, for
we shall see him as he is: This
shall produce in us the most
pure and ardent Love; and
Love shall be attended with inexpressible
joy, and that with the
highest praises of the blessed
God, whose influxive presence is
the Heaven of Heaven.
And that which crowns all is,
that the Life above is Eternal.
This satisfies all our Desires, and
excludes all our Fears: for unchangeableness
is an inseparable
Attribute of perfect felicity. The
Blessed are in full communion
with God, the Fountain of Life,
and Christ the Prince of Life. Because
I live, saith our Saviour, ye
shall live also. What can interrupt,
much less put an end to
the happiness of the Saints? The
Love of God is immutably fix'd
upon them, and their Love upon
him. Here their love is subject
to decays, and gradual alienations;
as the Needle in the Compass,
tho' it always has a tendency
to the North Pole, yet sometimes
it declines and has its variations.
But in Heaven the love
of the Saints is directly and constantly
set upon God. The light
of his Countenance governs all their
Affections. 'Tis as impossible to
divert their desires from him, as
to cause one that is inflam'd with
thirst, to leave a clear flowing
Spring for a noisom Puddle. In
short, Heaven is filled with eternal
Halelujahs: for there is no
appearance of Sin, no shadow
of Death there: all miseries are
vanish'd, and all that is desireable
is possess'd by the Saints: the
Circle of their Employment is
to enjoy and praise the Divine
Goodness for ever.
Now is not the blessed exchange
a Christian makes of the
present Life, for that which is
infinitely better, sufficient to make
Death not fearful, nay desirable
to him? And this Happiness was
purchas'd for us by the everlasting
Treasure of our Saviour's
Blood. The satisfaction of his
Sufferings was meritorious, as the
Merits of his active Obedience
was satisfying.
Before I proceed to the third
Head, I shall resolve a Question,
How it comes to pass, since Believers
are freed from the sting of
Death, that they die, and remain
in the state of Death for a
time.
For this there are several
Reasons.
1. By this means all the sinful
Frailties that cleave to the
Saints in this Life, are abolish'd.Rom. 8.
The Body is dead because
of Sin: And what is more becoming
the wise and holy Providence
of God, than that as
by Sin Man was at first made
subject to Death, so by Death
Sin dies entirely for ever. Thus
as in Sampson's Riddle, Out of
the Devourer comes Meat; and
our worst Enemy is conquer'd by
his own Weapons.
2. Death is continued to
the Saints, for the more eminent
exercise and illustration
of their Graces, for the Glory
of God, and in order to their
future reward.Poterat autem Christus etiam hoc donare credentibus, ut nec istius experirentur corporis mortem: sed si hoc fecisset carni quaedam faelicitas adderetur, minueretur fidei fortitudo. Quid enim magnum erat vivendo eos non mori qui crederent credere se non moriturum? Quanto est majus quanto fortius quanto laudabilius ita credere, ut se speret moriturus sine fine victurum? Aug. de pecc. Mort. Lib. 2. Faith,
and Love, and Patience,
are declared in
their most powerful
Operations in our encounter
with Death.
If every Saint were
visibly and entirely
translated to Heaven,
after a short course
of holy Obedience;
if the Wicked did visibly
drop down quick
into Hell, Faith would
be resigned to sight
here. This would confound
the Militant state of the Church
with the Triumphant. Therefore
now Death happens to the Good
as well as to the Wicked. In the next
state they shall be separated by a
vast Gulph, and an amazing Difference.
Now Faith, what-ever
the kind of Death be that a Christian
suffers, sees through the
thickest Clouds of Disgrace and
Misery, the glorious Issue. As
the illustrious Confessor who
was crucified with our Saviour,
proclaim'd his Eternal
Kingdom in the midst of insulting
Infidels. And our love
to God then appears in its radiancy
and vigour, when we are
ready for the testimony of his
Truth, and advancing his Glory,
to suffer a violent Death:
or when it comes in a gentler
manner, for 'tis even then terrible
to Nature, we are willingly
subject to dissolution,
that we may be united to God
in Heaven. And our patience has
never its perfect work, and is truly
victorious, till this last Enemy be
subdued. Death is the Seal of our
Constancy & Perseverance. Now the
Righteous Rewarder will crown
none but those that strive lawfully,
Exercitia nobis sunt non funera, dant animo fortitudinis gloriam: Contemptu mortis praeparant ad coronam. Cypr. de Mortal.
and are compleat Conquerors.
And how wise and sweet is the
Oeconomy of the Divine Providence
in this, that the frailty of
our Nature should afford us a
means of glorifying God, and of
entitling our selves by his most
gracious Promises to a blessed
Reward.
3. Our Saviour by his unvaluable
Obedience and Sufferings, has
procur'd for Believers a Celestial
Divine Life, of which the natural
Body is not capable. The Apostle
saith, Flesh and Blood cannot
enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The exigencies and decays of the
sensitive Nature require a continual
relief by food and sleep, and
other material supplies: but the
Life above is wholly spiritual,
and equal to that of the Angels.
Therefore till this earthly animal
Body be reformed and purified,
'tis not capable of the Glory
reserv'd in Heaven. This is
so absolutely requisite, that those
Believers, who are found alive at
the last Day, shall in the twinckling
of an Eye be changed, that they may
be qualified for it. Now herein
the Wisdom of God is wonderful,
that Death which by the Covenant
of Works was the deserved
penalty of Sin, by the Covenant
of Grace should be the Instrument
of Immortality. That
as Joseph by a surprising Circuit
was brought from the Prison to
the Principality; so a Believer
by the Grave ascends to Heaven.
This the Apostle in his Divine
Disputation against Infidels,
proves in a most convincing
manner; Thou Fool, that which
thou sowest, is not quickned except it
die. As the rotting of the Corn
in the Earth is necessary to the
reviving and springing of it up:
so we must die, and the Image of
the Earthly Adam be abolish'd,
that we may be transformed into
the Image of the Heavenly
One.
And to the other part of the
Question, Why the Saints remain
in the state of Death for a time?
there is a clear Answer. The
Resurrection of the Saints is delayed
till Christ's coming to
Judgment, partly for the Glory
of his Appearance: For what an
admirable sight will it be, that
the Saints of all Ages shall at
once arise glorified and immortalized
to attend upon our Saviour
in the last act of his Regal
Office, and then to make a triumphant
entry with him into
Heaven: And partly, that the
establish'd order of Providence
may not be disturbed: for the
changing of our Nature into
Glory, in a suddain and inexplicable
manner, cannot be without
miraculous Power; and if every
Believer presently after Death,
were in his glorified Body translated
to Heaven, the World
would be always filled with Miracles,
which were to cease after
the sufficient Confirmation of
the Gospel by them. But how
long soever the Interval be to the
Resurrection, it shall be with
them that sleep in Jesus, as 'tis
with those that awake out of a
quiet natural sleep, to whom the
longest night seems but as a moment:
so when the Saints first awake
from Death, in the great
Morning of the World, a thousand
Years will seem no more to
them than to God himself, but as
one day.
I now come to prove the
third Thing, That our Saviour
will abolish the Dominion of
Death over the Saints.
Whilst the Bodies of the Saints
remain in the Grave, they seem
to be absolutely under the power
of Death. The World is a Golgotha,
fill'd with the Monuments
of its Victories. And it may be
said to this our last Enemy, in
the words of the Prophet to the
bloody King, Hast thou killed and
taken possession? But we are assur'd
by an infallible Word, that the
power of Death shal be abolish'd,
and the Bodies of the Saints be
reviv'd incorruptible and immortal.
The Resurrection is a Terra incognita
to the wisest Heathens; a
Doctrine peculiar to the Gospel:
some glimmerings they had of
the Soul's Immortality, without
which all Vertue had been extinguish'd
in the World, but no conjecture
of the reviving of the Body.
But reason assists Faith in this
point, both as to the Will of God,
and his power for the performing
it. I will glance upon the natural
Reasons that induce the considering
Mind to receive this Doctrine,
and more largely shew
how the Resurrection of the Just is
assured by our Redeemer.
1. The Divine Laws are the
Rule of Duty to the entire Man,
and not to the Soul only: and
they are obeyed or violated by
the Soul and Body in conjunction.
Therefore there must be a
resurrection of the Body, that the
entire Person may be capable of
Recompences in Judgment. The
Soul designs, the Body executes:
the Senses are the open Ports to
admit Temptations. Carnal Affections
deprave the Soul, corrupt
the Mind, and mislead it.
The love of Sin is sounded in
bono jucundo, in sensible pleasures:
and the Members are the Servants of
Iniquity. The Heart is the Fountain
of Prophaneness, and the
Tongue expresses it. And the
Body is obsequious to the holy
Soul in doing or suffering for
God; and denies its sensual appetites
and satisfactions in compliance
with Reason and Grace.
The Members are the Instruments of
Righteousness. It follows then there
will be an universal Resurrection,
that the rewarding goodness of
God may appear in making the
Bodies of his Servants gloriously
happy with their Souls, and their
Souls compleatly happy in union
with their Bodies, to which they
have a natural inclination, and his
revenging Justice be manifest in
punishing the Bodies of the Wicked
with eternal torments answerable
to their guilt.
And of the possibility of the
Resurrection, the circular and
continual production of things in
the World, is a clear demonstration
of the Power of God for that
effect. There is a pregnant Instance
that our Saviour and the
Apostle made use of as an Image
of the Resurrection: A grain of
Corn sowed in the Earth corrupts
and dies, and after springs up entire:
its death is a disposition to
life. The essays of God's Power
in the Works of returning Nature,
Flowers and Fruits in their
season, instruct us how easily he
can make those that are in the
dust to awake to life. If the Art
of Man, whose power and skill
〈…〉
••
rrow and limited, can
refine Gold and Silver to such a
luster, as if their matter were not
Nomen terrae in igni reliquit. Tertul.
Earth digged out of the Mines:
If from black Cinders it can form
Chrystal Glasses so clear and shining,
how much more can Omnipotency
recompact our dust,
and reanimate it with a glorious
life? Death that dissolves our vital
frame, does not abolish the
matter of our Bodies: and tho'
'tis corrupted and chang'd by a
thousand accidents, yet 'tis unperishing;
and under whatsoever
Colours and Figures it appears,
God perfectly discerns and will
seperate it for its proper use.
More particularly, I will shew
how the Resurrection of Christ is
an assurance of the Resurrection
of Believers to Glory. As our
Surety he was under the arrest of
Death; it becoming the holy
Majesty of God, and conducing
to the ends of his Government,
not to derogate from the dignity
of his Law, but to lay the penalty
upon his Son, who interposed
for us. Now having finish'd the
work of our Redemption by his
sufferings, his Resurrection was
the just consequent of his Passion.
And 'tis observable that his Resurrection,
tho one entire act, is
ascribed as to himself,Rom. 1. 11. so to his
Father, by whose consent and concurrence
he rose again. Therefore
'tis said, Whom God raised up,
having loosed the pains of Death:
Acts. 2. 24.
since
it was impossible he should be holden
by it. 'Twas naturally impossible
upon the account of the Divine
Power inherent in his Person, and
legally impossible, because divine
Justice required that he should
be raised to Life; partly to vindicate
his innocence, for he was
reputed, and suffered as a Malefactor,
and principally because
he had fully satisfied God. Accordingly
the Apostle declares,
he died for our Sins,
Rom. 4.
and rose again
for our Justification. Having paid
our Debt, he was releas'd from
the Grave, and the Discharge was
most solemnly publish'd to the
World. 'Tis therefore said, the
God of Peace raised him from the dead:
Heb. 13.
the act is most congruously ascribed
unto God, invested with that
title, because his Power was exerted
in that glorious Work, after
he was reconciled by the Blood of the
Covenant. Briefly, Our Saviour's
Victory over Death was obtained
by dying, his Triumph by rising
again. He foil'd our common
Enemy in his own territories the
Grave. His Death was a Counter
poison to Death it self: as a
bruised Scorpion is aQui sibi ipse pulcherimum medicamentum. Celsus.
noble Antidote
against its Venom.
Indeed his Death is incomparably
a greater Wonder than his
Resurrection. For 'tis apparently
more difficult that the Son of God,
who originally possesses Immortality,
should die, than that the
humane Body united to him,
should be raised to a glorious
Life. It is more conceivable that
God should communicate to the
humane Nature some of his Divine
Perfections, Impossibility,
and Immortality, than that he
should submit to our lowest Infirmities,
Sufferings, and Death.
Now the Resurrection of Christ
is the argument and claim of our
happy Resurrection. For God
chose and appointed him to be
the Example and Principle from
whom all divine Blessings should
be derived to us. Accordingly he
tells his Disciples in a fore-cited
Scripture, because I live, ye shall
live also. Our Nature was rais'd
in his Person, and in our Nature
all Believers: Therefore He is
called the first fruits of them that sleep;
because as the first Fruits were a
pledge and assurance of the following
Harvest; and as from the
condition of the first Fruits being
offered to God, the whole Harvest
was entitled to a Consecration;
so our Saviour's Resurrection
to the Life of Glory is the
earnest and assurance of ours. He
is called the first-born among the
Dead, and owns the race of departed
Believers as his Brethren,
who shall be restored to Life according
to his Pattern. He is the
head, Believers are his members, and
therefore shall have communion
with him in his Life. The effect
is so infallible that now they are
said to be raised up together,
Ephes. 2. 6.
and made
to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
If his Victory over our Enemies
had been imperfect, and he had
saved himself with difficulty and
hazard, [as it were by Fire,] in the
Apostle's expression, our Redemption
had not been accomplish't:
But his Passion was triumphant,
and is it conceivable that he
should leave the Saints, his own
by so many dear titles, under the
power of Death? If Moses the
Deliverer of Israel from the Tyranny
of Pharaoh,
Exod. 10. 26 would not suffer
any thing of theirs, not an hoof
to remain in the House of Bondage;
will our great Redeemer
be less perfect in his Work? Shall
our last Enemy always detain his
Spoils, our Bodies, in the Grave?
This would reflect upon his Love
and Power. 'Tis recorded, to
confirm our hopes, how early his
Power was displaid in forcing
the Grave to release its chained
Captives:Matth. 27. 52, 53.
And many bodies of Saints
which slept arose, and came out of the
Graves after his Resurrection, and
went into the holy City, and appeared
unto many. What better Earnest
can we have that the strength of
Death is broken? From what he
has done to what he is able to do,
the Consequence is clear. The
Apostle tells us, He will raise our
vile bodies,
Phil. 3. 1.
and change them like unto
his glorious Body, by that Power
whereby he is able to subdue all things
to himself. Our Redemption will
then be compleat,
Rom. 8. 23. and all the bitterness
of Death past. The Redemption
of the Soul is accomplish'd
from Sin and Misery immediatly
after Death: but the Redemption
of the Body is the last in order,
and reserved to crown our
Felicity at the Great Day. Then
Death shall be swallowed up in Victory,
1 Cor. 15.
abolish'd for ever.
And O the joyful reunion of
those dear Relatives after such a
Divorce! when the Body that
was so long detained in the loathsome
Grave,1 Cor. 15. shall be reformed
with all glorious Perfections, and
be a fit Instrument for the Soul,
and partaker with it in Blessedness
and a consummate Immortality.
'Tis said that those that
wear rich Clothing are in Kings Houses:
but what are all the Robes
of costly Folly wherein earthly
Courtiers appear, to the Brightness
and Beauty of the Spiritual
Body wherewith the Saints shall
be clothed, to qualify them for
the Presence of the King of
Kings, and to be in his House for
ever? But O the miserable Condition
of the Wicked in that day!
Death now breaks their Bodies
and Souls into an irreconcilable
Enmity, and how sad will their
Conjunction be! the Soul will
accuse the Body to have been Sins
Solicitor, continually tempting to
sensualities: and the body wil upbraid
more than ever it allur'd the
soul, for its wicked Compliance:
Then the Sinner shall be an entire
Sacrifice burning but never
consumed.Mark 9. Now from the assurance
of a blessed Resurrection
by Christ, the foremention
•
d fear
of Death is conquered in Beleivers.
If the Doctrine of the
Felices errore suo quos ille timorum Maximus, haud urget leti metus, inde ruendi In ferrum mens prona viris, animaeque capaces Mortis, & ignavum rediturae parcere vitae. Lucan▪
Transmigration of Souls into
other Bodies (the invention of
Pythagoras) inspired his Disciples
with that fiery vigour, as to encounter
the most present and apparent
dangers, being fearless to
part with the Life that should
be restored; how much more
should a Christian with a holy
confidence receive Death, knowing
that the life of his Body shall
not be finally lost, but renewed
in a blessed Eternity?
The fourth General to be considered
is, the Persons that have
an interest in this blessed Priviledg.
This inquiry is of infinite moment,
both for the awakning of
the secure, who vainly presume
upon their interest in the Salvation
of the Gospel, and for the confirming
and encouraging the
Saints. And we have an infallible
rule of trial declared by St.
John: He that hath the Son, hath
Life, and he that hath not the Son,
hath not Life.
1 Joh. 5. 12. All the excellent
and comfortable Benefits procur'd
by our Saviour are communicated
only to those who are
united to him. Particularly with
respect to the present subject:
Justification, that great blessing of
the Gospel, the compleat pardon
of Sins, that disarms Death of its
sting, is not common to all that
are Christians in title, but is a priviledge
with a limitation; There
is no Condemnation to those that are
in Christ Jesus,
Rom. 8. 1. vitally as their Head
from whom are derived spiritual
influences, and judicially as their
Advocate in Judgment; and such
are described by this infallible
Character, who walk not after the
Flesh, but after the Spirit. The blessedness
after Death that is assured
by a Voice from Heaven, is with
this precise restriction, exclusive
of all others: Blessed are the Dead
that die in the Lord;
Revel.
they rest from
their labours, and their works follow
them. The glorious Resurrection
at the last Day, when the Bodies
of the Saints that now rest in
Hope, shall be incorruptible and
immortal, is the consequence of
union with him. Thus the Apostle
declares; As in Adam all die,
so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Cor. 15. 22 As
all that were naturally in and
from Adam the corupt fountain of
Mankind, are under the sentence
of Death; so all that are in Christ
the Head of the Regenerate, shall
partake of his blessed Life. Others
shall be raised by his Power, as
their Judg, but not as their Head:
rais'd to be more miserable than
Death can make them, not be
transform'd into his glorious Resemblance;
made capable of suffering
an ever-dying Death, not
revived to eternal Life.
Now the bond of our union
to Christ, is the holy Spirit derived
from him, as the Head of the
Church, and is the inward, powerful▪
and lasting principle of Holiness,
and new obedience in Believers.
He that is joined to the Lord,
1 Cor. 6. 17.
is one Spirit: that is, by the Spirit
of Holiness has a real participation
of his Life,Joh. 6. 36. is both quickned and
united to him. When the Prophet
Elisha by the outward applying2 Kin. 4. 34.
the parts of his Body to the dead
Child, inspir'd life into him, there
was no real union between them:
but Christ is by his Spirit so intimately
united to Believers,Gal. 2. 20.
that he
lives in them, and they in him. The
sanctifying Spirit renews the directing
and commanding faculties,
the fountains of moral actions;
enlightens the Understanding
with saving Knowledge, rectifies
the obliquity of the Will, purifies
the Affections, and reforms
the Life, so that the same mind is in
Christians as was in Christ; and as
his Conversation was, such is theirs in
the World. This divine Change is
not wrought by natural Reason,
tho assisted by the most powerful
Arguments. The breath of a Man
may as easily dispel a Mist, or
thaw a Frost, as humane directions
and motives to Vertue can
renew the Mind and Heart, and
produce a holy frame of Soul towards
God. Renewed Christians
are said to be in the Spirit, illuminated,
inclin'd and enabled by the
Spirit to do God's Will; and the
Spirit of God to dwell in them,
by his peculiar and eminent operations.
They live in the Spirit, and
walk in the Spirit. An Angel may
assume a Body, and act by it: but
the humane Soul enlivens it, and
performs sensible operations by
it. And such a principle is the holy
Spirit to the Soul, gives it spiritual
life, activity and power for
good Works. By what application
of the Spirit's power this is
produc'd is mysterious and inexplicable:
but as the Apostle speaks
of his rapture into the third Heavens,
that he knew it was real, and
heard unutterable things, tho how
it was performed, whether in the
body, or out of the body, he could not
tell: thus when a natural man,
the current of whose thoughts,
and affections, was to the things
of this World, becomes spiritual,
when the carnal appetite is subdued,
and sanctified Reason has
the Throne, when he feels such
strong and sweet impulsives to
holiness as engage the Will,
when the stream of his desires ascend
to the things above, and his
Life becomes holy and heavenly,
he feels and knows this wonderful
change, tho the manner how
it was wrought he cannot tell
I will shew more fully this sanctifying
work of the Spirit, that
we may the better understand our
state.
The Spirit of God is denominated
by various titles, the Spirit
of Truth,
Joh. 15. 26.
the Spirit of Holiness, the
Comforter,
Rom. 1. 4. and represented by various
types, by an Ointment that clarifies
the Eye to see things aright, by
cleansing refreshing Water, by purifying
refining Fire, correspondent
to his sacred operations in the
Soul.
As the Spirit of Truth, he illuminates
the Understanding to see
the reality and excellency of supernatural
and heavenly things,
of the great Mysteries of Godliness,
of Eternal Glory; so that a
Christian in his most deliberate,
solemn and composed thoughts,
in his exactest valuation infinitely
prefers them before the gaudy
Vanities of this transient World.
When the Eyes of the Mind are
truly enlightned, present things
appear, or rather disappear, as
shadows.
As the Spirit of Holiness he renews
the Will and Affections, inspires
the Soul with divine and
unutterable desires after the Favour
and Grace of God, and communicates
spiritual Power for the
prosecution and obtaining those
Desires.
The holy Spirit raises such a
Love to God, that habitually and
strongly inclines the Soul to obey
his Commands.
This is the most clear and essential
Character of a Christian,
the special and most excellent
Property of a Saint, upon which
all other holy Qualifications depend.
As Reason is the first and
chief excellence of Man, from
whence his other Perfections are
derived, that distinguish him
from the Brutes, and give him a
natural and regular preheminence
and dominion over them, so that
a Man is most properly defined
a Reasonable Creature: Thus the
Love of God is the most Divine
Grace, the true Form of Holiness,
the Root from whence all other
Vertues spring and flourish, and
most peculiarly distinguish a Saint
from Unregenerate Men, however
adorn'd and accomplish'd;
so that a Saint is most properly
defined to be a Lover of God.
This is the Principle of true
Holiness inherent in the Soul, and
shining in the Conversation, that
distinguishes the Sincerity of a
Saint from the Art of Hypocrisy,
an affected appearance of Religion
for carnal sordid respects: and
from Civil Vertue, that restrains
from what is ignominious and
disgraceful to our Reputation, and
makes obnoxious to penalties of
the Laws, and excites to praiseworthy
Actions, upon worldly
motives: and from Philosophical
Morality, that forbids Vice as
contrary to Reason, and commends
Vertue as the chief ornament
and perfection of humane
Nature, without a regard to please
and glorify God.
And Divine Love is the Principle
of Universal Holiness. Love
is called the fulfilling of the Law, as
'tis a comprehensive Grace, & as it
draws forth all the active powers
of the Soul to do God's Will in
an exact manner. Universal Obedience
is the exercise of Love
in various instances. As the Spouse
in the Song of Solomon is transform'd
in divers Representations;
sometimes as a Sister, sometimes
as a Warriour, sometimes as
the Keeper of a Vineyard, but she always
acted as a Lover, and her
cheif business was to please her
Beloved. This Allegorical description
of the Church, signifies
that when the Soul is inflamed
with the love of God, that affection
will be active and discover its
self in all it does or suffers in the
service of God. This will make
a Christian very desirous and diligent
to please God in all things,
and careful not to displease him
in any thing; for that is the inseparable
effect of Love. The
felicity of the natural temper, and
the force of Education, may cause
a loathing of some Evils, and dispose
to some good Works, but
with a reserved delight in other
sins, and a secret exception against
other duties. Servile fear is a partial
principle, and causes an unequal
respect to the Divine Precepts:
it restrains from sins of
greater guilt, at which Conscience
takes fire: it urges to some duties,
the neglect of which causes
disquiet: but the Love of God
causes the hatred of Sin, and
therefore 'tis against all Sin, not
only to prevent the exercise of it,
but to eradicate it out of the soul.
All the fearful consequences of
Sin do not render it so odious to
a gracious Spirit, as its own proper
idea and intrinsick evil, as 'tis contrary
to the holy Nature and Law
of God. Love unites the soul to
God, and turns the thoughts continually
to him: and the lively
sense of his Majesty and Presence,
who is so pure that he cannot behold
iniquity, causes an aversion
from all that is dispjeasing to his
Divine Eyes. And from hence it
is that a zeasous Lover of God is
frequent and strict in reviewing
his heart and ways, and upon the
discovery of sinful failings, renews
his repentance, which is the
exercise of grief and Love, and
renews his purposes of more care
and circumspection for the future▪
Love aspires to be like God in
all possible degrees of Purity: for
it inflames our desires after his Favour,
as that which is better than
Life, and all the sweetest enjoyments
of it, and Hoiiness is the
powerful attractive of God's delightful
Love to us.
Love is the principle of free,
ingenuous, and joyful Obedience.
'Twas our Saviour's Meat and
Drink to do the Will of his Father.
For Love is the fountain of
Pleasure, it moves the Soul with
Election and Liberty, and makes
every thing grateful that proceeds
from it. Therefore the Apostle
declares, that the Law is not made for
a righteous Man: that is, as it is enforc'd
by terrible penalties, to
constrain rebellious sinners to
obedience: for Love is an internal
living Law in the heart, and
has an Imperial Power over his
Actions. And this also distinguishes
the renovation of one sanctified
by the Spirit, from the imperfect
change that is made in the
unregenerate. They may stop
the eruption of corrupt Nature,
but are like Swine that being wash'd,
have an inclination to wallow in the
Mire: they may by strong impressions
of Fear be urged to do
many good things; but in this
they are like a Boul that is thrown
with such violence, as controuls
the drawing of the Bias, & makes
it run contrary to it. But Love
enclines the Soul to obey the holy
motions of the Spirit with facility:
as the Wheels in Ezekiel's
Vision turned every way with readiness
as the Spirit mov'd them.
And with holy Love there is a
spiritual Power cōmunicated, that
both the natural averseness & impotence
to what is good may be
healed. By the virtue of the sanctifying
Spirit, the Soul that was
dead, absolutely unable to perform
spiritual and supernatural
Acts, is revived to a kind of Omnipotence,
it can do all things, required
by the Evangelical Covenant, by
the new Law that is in the hands
of our merciful Mediator for Salvation.
'Tis true, there are reliques
of sin in the best, and the
Flesh and Spirit are repugnant
Principles warring against one
another: but the holy Spirit will
make no capitulation or composition
with sin, but is so predominant
that sin is gradually subdued,
and does not so freely and
frequently break forth, as it does
from the unrenewed. By the
accession of his strength we are enabled
to mortify the deeds of the Body,
to crucify the Flesh with the affections
and lust thereof: And to perform
holy Duties, with freedom, alacrity
and zeal, in such a manner
as is acceptable to God. In short,
saving Grace is distinguisht from
that which is common to the unregenerate,
by its prevalency
and constancy. There may be a
declination in the Saints tending
to a downfal; but the Seed of God,
that supernatural Grace that remains
in them, will by the power of
the holy Spirit recover the supremacy.
Others may be enlightned,
and feel some good motions,
and transient touches, as Saul had
his rapture among the Prophets;
but they are not truly, entirely,
and perseveringly converted to
God. They are not proof against
the allurements or terrors of the
World. They make a fair profession
till they are try'd by temptations.
Congealed drops of water
appear like solid Chrystal, till
the warm beams of the Sun dissolve
them, and discover the hypocrisie
of the Chrystal. False
Jewels may seem to have the luster
of Diamonds, till they are
broke by a fall, and discovered to
be Glass. Thus the Riches, the
Honours and Pleasures of the
Flesh melt some, and temporal
Evils break the resolutions of others,
and make it evident they
were not sincere Converts. But
where the holy Spirit savingly
works, he is said to dwell: he is not
like a Passenger, or a Tenant at
will, that neglects the House, and
suffers it to fall into ruine, but as
the Proprietary and Owner he
keeps perpetual residence in true
Christians, and by his continual
influence preserves them from final
Apostacy.
Now from hence we may judg
whether we have an interest in
Christ and his Benefits. For the
Apostle clearly tells us,Rom. 8. 9.
that if any
Man have not the Spirit of Christ, he
is none of his. By this sacred Signature,
we are appropriated to
Christ, and visibly distinguish'd
from the World. For tho the secret
and pure influences of the Spirit
in the soul are only known to
the person that feels them, yet
his active inspirations are declarative
of his presence and power in
the outward conversation. As the
Wind that is of so thin and subtil
a nature that 'tis invisible in it
self, but we certainly know from
what point it blows by the course
and way that the Ship makes:
thus the Spirit of God, who is
compared to the Wind, is discovered
by an infallible Indication,
his fruits and effects in a holy
Life. And those who have communion
with Christ by his Spirit,
have a share in his Victories, and
may with confidence meet the
last enemy Death: For we are
assured, If the Spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
us,
Rom. 8. 11.
he that raised up Christ from the
dead shall also quicken our mortal Bodies,
by the Spirit that dwelleth in us.
A preparative conformity to
Christ in Grace, will be followed
with a consummate in Glory.
But those who never felt the sanctifying
efficacy of the Spirit in
their hearts and lives, tho they are
Christians in profession, yet they
have no other union with Christ,
than a dead Branch with a Tree
that receives no sap and virtue
from it; or an artificial Member
joyned to the Body, that may
have the outward clothing and
ornaments proper to that part, but
derives no life and sense from it.
Whoever is in Christ is a new Creature.
2 Cor. 5. 17.
And only those who partake
in the first resurrection from Sin, shall
be exempted from the power of the second
Death, and upon just grounds
are freed from the terrors of the
first.
To apply this point, let us,
1. Consider our dear Obligations
to our blessed Saviour, who
to free us from the sting and
enslaving fear of Death, submitted
to it with all its terrors from
God and wicked Men. He felt a
sadness to an Agony in his Soul,
and suffered the equal extreamities
of Ignominy and Torment in
his Body. The Favour of God
was intercepted from him, that it
may shine upon us in that gloomy
hour. And all his terrible Sufferings,
tho foreknown by his enlightened
mind, could not weaken
his determined Will to undergo
them for us: But when Peter
regarded with a more tender eye
his Life than our Salvation, he
was repell'd with indignation.
Unparallell'd Love! no less than
divine, transcending all the instances
of humane affection. The
highest kind and excess of Love
amongst Men is to die for another,
and the highest degree in
that kind is to die to save an Enemy;
and of this our Saviour is
the singular Example. Love incomprehensible!
it passes knowledge,
and all understanding but his
who exprest it. His Love was
equal to the heighth of his Glory
from whence he descended, and
the depth of his sufferings that he
sustained in our stead. By washing
us from our sins in his Blood, he makes
us Kings,
Revel. 1. dignifies us with spiritual
Soveraignty over not only
defiling, but disturbing passions.
The freest and most confident
Sinner in the World, that rebels
against the Divine Laws without
restraint, is a slave not only under
the chains of his imperious Lusts,
but in that he is liable to the
scourgings of Conscience when
ever awaken'd, and to the servile
fear of Death every day. But the
sincere Christian has a clear and
sweet peace, a blessed tranquillity
from the tormenting apprehensions
and fears of Death, that are
the just consequents of guilt.
One of the ancient RomansMacti ingenio este Coeli interpretes, rerum
que
naturae capaces, Argumenti repertores, quo Deos homines
que
vinxistis.
highly celebrates the Astronomers
who discover'd the true Causes
of the Eclipses of the Sun and
Moon, and freed the World from
the double darkness of Ignorance
and Fear, which believed the obscuring
of those great Lights were
the fainting fits of Nature,Plin. lib. 2. and
mortal symptoms threatning an
universal Calamity. But what
Praise and Blessing is due to our
Saviour, who hath given us infallible
assurance that the death
of the Righteous is not as the heathen
World imagin'd, an irreparable
loss of Life, but a short eclipsing
of this low and mean
Light that is common to sensitive
creatures, to be restored more excellent
and permanent in Heaven;
where those Stars shine in
the Divine Presence for ever.
Thanks be to God which gives us the
Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This should render him infinitely
precious to us, and inflame our
Hearts with desires equal to our
Obligations to serve him.
2. Let us make it the main business
of our lives to remove from
our Souls the just fears of Death.
'Tis one of the solemn follies of
the World to fear where there is
no cause▪ As if a Sentinel should
mistake Gloworms in the Night
for lighted Matches, and give a
false Alarm: but 'tis a worse
folly, tho pleasing, not to fear
when there is the greatest reason
to excite it. And 'tis so in the
present Case: for the most are
without the fear of Death, that
should make them serious in preparing
for it: nay to maintain
their security, are as unwilling to
hear Conscience declare the wretchedness
of their condition with respect
to Eternity, as Ahab was the
Prophet Michaiah, who always
foretold evil things to him.
'Twas the chief design of the
Philosophers by Principles of
Reason to fortify themselves against
all frightful Accidents, and
with a masculine Mind, and an
Heart ardent with generous Spirits
toFoelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas: Atque metus mortis & inexorabile fatum Subjecit pedibus. Virgil.
encounter this inevitable
Evil. When one of them was
threatned by the Emperor Antigonus
with present Death, he boldly
replied, Threaten this to your
dissolute Courtiers that are softned
and melted by sensual pleasures,
and easily receptive of terrible
impressions, not to a Philosopher
to whom Death is contemptible
in any appearance. This
was a piece of affected Bravery,
for Pagan Philosophy could never
furnish them with Armor of
Proof against the Dart of our last
Enemy. But the Gospel assuring
us that Death is an entrance into
Immortality, makes that to be the
reality of a Christian, that was a
vain boast of the Philosophers.
Now that we may be establish'd
in that blessed Tranquillity
that Death cannot discompose,
the following Directions
are infinitely useful.
1. We must give all diligence
to be in a state of Reconciliation
with God. The things requisit to
that are, as the Apostle declares,
Repentance towards God, and Faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Act. 20. 21. Repentance
includes a Godly sorrow for Sins
past, with a detestation and forsaking
them sincerely, without
hypocrisy, and entirely, without
partiality in the heart and conversation.
'Tis call'd Repentence
from dead works:
Heb. 6. 1. the proper name
of our Sins, that deserve eternal
Death▪ By repentance we return
to Obedience that is due to
God our Maker and Lawgiver.
Faith respects the Redeemer, who
by his Blood shed on the Cross,
and pleaded in Heaven, reconciles
God to penitent Sinners. The belief
of his merciful and powerful
Mediation for our acceptance and
Pardon,2 Cor. 5. 14.
works by Love, and constrains
us to dedicate our selves in
a devoted propriety to his Glory
and Service, and to live according
to that Dedication. These
two are absolutely necessary to
the vital and salvifical state of a
Christian. And as soon as a person
sincerely repents and believes,
he is justified before God, and if
he dies will certainly obtain eternal
Glory. This should be the
early and most speedy work of
our Lives: for the delay of Repentance,
and neglect of securing
the Favour of God, arms Death
with more stings and terrors.
(1.) 'Tis direct Rebellion against
God, who commands us
to hear his Voice to day,
Heb. 2▪ 7, 8. obediently
and immediately,Quis enim satis explicet verbis quantum mali sit non obedire tanto potestatis imperio, et tanto terrenti supplicio? upon no less
penalty than being excluded from
his blessed Rest for ever. Yet the
self-flattering Sinner preaches another
Gospel to himself, and runs
in hazard of Damnation and the
eternal Curse every hour.
(2.) 'Tis the most provoking
Abuse of his Mercy and Patience
that should lead Men to Repentance.
He can in the twinkling of an
Eye, in the beating of a Pulse, cut
off the Sinner: 'tis as easy to his
power as to will it. And there's no
consideration should be so meltting
and moving as his Clemency.
We reade of David that he had
more than once in his power Saul
his unjust and implacable enemy,
and spared him: the effect of it
was, that Saul became so softned,
and under such compunction of
spirit, that he wept, confest his
guilt, and desisted from persecuting
him, overcome by that unexampled
Love:1 Sam. 26. 21.
If a Man find his
Enemy, will he let him go? And yet
Men take advantage from the
goodness of God securely to despise
his Laws.
(3.) How justly will this render
divine Mercy inexorable to their
Prayers and Tears in their extremity?
When a Roman Gentleman,
that had wasted a great Estate
by Luxury, and was wont
to revel in the Night and sleep in
the Day, petitioned the Emperor
Tiberius to relieve his poverty, he
was dismist with this upbraiding
Answer, Sero experrectus es, You
are risen too late. He never opened
his Eyes to see his Condition
till it was past remedy. This
is the sad case of many Souls that
waste the seasons of Grace, and
are careless of their Duty till they
are upon the point of perishing,
and then address themselves to
God for his Favour and Pardon,
but are justly rejected with the
reproaches of their obstinate neglect
of Salvation in the time of
their lives.
(4.) Repentance that is indispensibly
required to qualify us
for Mercy, is far more difficult
and hazardous by Mens deferring
of it. The last guilty disposition
that seals up the Damnation of
the Sinner, is Impenitence. Now
he that delays the returning to his
Duty, shall have more cause to
repent hereafter, but less will and
power. For the continuance in
Sin hardens the heart, and that
which is indisposition, will become
averseness and obstinacy.
The heart with difficulty changes
its last end: Actions may be suddenly
changed, when there is a
disability to perform them, but
the inward inclination to Sin,
without supernatural Grace, remains.
And is it reasonable to
expect the least breathings of the
Spirit, any divine Assistance, after
long resisting his holy Excitations?
God threatens, My Spirit
shall not alwayes strive with Man;
And to the forsaken Sinner the
seasons of Grace are as irrevocable
as his wasted mis-spent time.
The Delayer does not trust, but
tempt divine Mercy.
(5.) The numerous Examples
of those who have deferred Repentance
and Reconciliation with
God, and at last died in their sins,
should terrify Men, if they are not
wrought on in a more excellent
way. 1. Some presume upon the
vigour of their Youth or Complexion,
and think when they
have satiated themselves with the
pleasures of Sin, when they have
the freest vacancy, and are retir'd
from the affairs of the World,
there will be a convenient season
for making their peace with God.
And how often are they suddenly
cut off, the first symptom of
their sickness is Death, and what
the Angel with such solemnity
declared, that time should be no more,
is verified concerning them, by an
unexpected dissolution. 2. Some
that continue a while in sickness
and languishings, do not apply
themselves seriously to God, upon
the hopes of recovery. And this
hope is cherish'd by the mortal
love, the cruel deceit of friends,
who are unwilling to let them
see their danger, lest their spirits
should sink under it. And thus
many die in an unprepared state.
3. Others that are guilty, and
graceless, tho distant from Death
and Hell but a few hours, are secure
as Jonah, who slept in the
midst of a Tempest at Sea. The
tenour of their lives discovers this
to be divine Vengeance, they are
seiz'd with a spirit of slumber,
and pass without fear into the
state of everlasting desperation.
4. Others who have lived in
careless security, as if they had
made a Covenant with Death, yet upon
the near approaches of it, when
they see Death before them attended
with Judgment, and Judgment
Hell; as we read of Sisera,
who from extream Fear past to
extream Security: so on the contrary,
these self-deceivers from
extream Security have fallen into
extream Fear. Then Truth and
Conscience, that were so long under
unrighteous restraints, break
the Fetters, and terribly charge the
sinner. Then innumerable Acts
which they thought to be innocent,
appear to be sins, and Sin
that they made light of, to be infinitely
evil, and in the highest
degree hateful to God. And sometimes
by the suggestions of the
enemy of Souls, they are overwhelm'd
with despair, and their
last Error is worse than the first.
5. Others are deceived with things
that are short of true repentance,
and mistake a false peace for a
true, and asswage the anguish of
Conscience by palliating remedies.
Their sorrowful sense of
Sin, their Prayers, their resolutions
of Amendments, are the product
of servile Fear, that is ineffectual
to Salvation. And as 'tis
with crafty Tradesmen that take
up much upon trust when they
are ready to breaking; so they
are very liberal of their promises
of Reformation, when in their
own apprehension near dying.
But how often does Experience
convince us of the inefficacy of a
sick-bed Repentance? How many
that were very penitent and
devout, with one foot as it were
in the Grave, and another in Hell,
and were as a Brand pluck'd out
of the Fire, and the fear of Death
being removed, all the pangs of
Conscience, the religious Affections
that were felt and exprest by
them vanish as the morning dew?
Now converting Grace is distinguish'd
by its radication and efficacy,
not only from the meer pretences
of those who know their
own insincerity, but from the real
workings of Conscience, and
the imperfect dispositions to good
that are in the Unrenewed. And
those persons who with the return
of Health have returned to
their Sins again, if they had died
with their religious resolutions,
would have presum'd that their repentance
was unto Life, and of their
interest in the divine Mercy. The
Heart is deceitful above all things,
and above all things deceitful to
it self.
6. But supposing in the last
hours there be an unfeigned closing
with Christ according to the
Gospel-Covenant, and a cordial
change from the love of Sin to
the love of Holiness, this person
shall certainly not miss of Heaven,
but Death will be less comfortable,
than if he had in the
course of his Life declared the
truth and power of Grace in such
acts and fruits as are suitable to
it.
The sum is this: the vain hope
of living long, and being reconciled
to God when they please,
is the fatal foundation of Mens
Sins and Misery. They apply the
Word of God against the Mind of
God, and securely provoke him,
as if they could take Heaven by
violence in contradiction to the
Gospel. But they usually dispose
of that time they shal never injoy,
or presume upon that pardoning
Mercy and assisting Grace they
shall never obtain. We are commanded
to seek the Lord while he
may be found, a sad intimation that
'tis not in our power to find him
to our comfort when we please.
He spares long, but abused Patience
will deliver Sinners to revenging
Justice. Sampson was
three times in the Chamber of his
Lust exposed to Treachery and
escap'd, but the fourth time he
said, I will arise, but was surpriz'd
by his Enemies, and lost his
strength and sight and liberty. I
doubt not that some are wonderfully
converted and saved at last,
but these special Mercies are like
our Saviour's passing in the Way,
and by his miraculous Virtue healing
the two blind persons, when
great numbers remain'd uncured.
We read a prodigious story in the
Book of Kings,
2 King. 1. that a Captain and
his fifty went to Elias to command
him to come to the King;
and immediately a tempest of
Lightning destroyed them. Now
who would think it possible that
another Captain and his fifty
should be so desperate, that having
the Ashes and Reliques of
these miserable Carcases smoking
before their Eyes, as to make
the same Citation to the Prophet:
yet they did, and provok'd the
Justice of Heaven to consume
them. And this is verified in
thousands every day: for notwithstanding
they see sinners like
themselves suddenly cut off in
their evil ways, they persist unreformed
as if they were fearless
of Hell, nay as if resolved to secure
their own Damnation. I
have insisted the longer on this,
because 'tis so universally useful.
2. The careful preserving our
selves from wilful presumptuous
Sins, is an happy means to render
Death comfortable to us. The
Spirit seals our Pardon and title
to Heaven as the holy Spirit, his
Testimony that we are the Children
of God, and Heirs of Glory, is concurrent
with the renewed Conscience,
and distinguish'd from
the ignorant presumptions, blind
conjectures, and carnal security
of the unholy. As the sanctifying
Spirit he distinguishes true Christians
from the lost World, appropriates
them to God, confirms
their present interest in the Promises
of the Gospel, and their future
hopes. Briefly, Grace is the
most sensible effect and sign of
God's special Favour, the fruit of
Election, and the earnest of Glory:
and the truth of Grace is most
clearly and certainly made evident
by the continual efficacy of
it in the Conversation. The observation
of our Hearts to suppress
unholy affections, and of our
senses to prevent them, a constant
course of Holiness in our lives,
(tho many frailties will cleave to
the best) is usually rewarded with
greate peace here.
God has establish't a connexion
between our Obedience and his
Comforts. Those that keep themselves
pure from the defilements
of the World, have the white
Stone promised, the bright Jewel
of Assurance of God's pardoning
and rewarding Mercy. We read
of Enoch that the walk't with God,
was a Star shining in a corrupt
Age, the tenour of his Life was
holy, and he was translated to
Heaven without seeing Death.
Tho this was an extraordinary
Dispensation, yet there is a peculiar
reward analogical to it, for
those who walk circumspectly:
they shall not see Death with its
terrors, but usually have a holy
Chearfulness, a peaceful Joy, in
their passage through the dark
Valley to Heaven. But presumptuous
Sins against external and
internal restraints, the convincing
Law of God, and the directions
of Conscience, grieve the Holy
Spirit, and wound our Spirits,
and, if continued, sequester us
from the comfortable priviledges
of the Gospel, and render us unfit
for the Kingdom of Heaven. And
when they are retracted by Repentance,
yet there often remains
a bitter remembrance of them:
as deep Wounds, tho cur'd, yet are
felt in change of weather. And
somtimes a spring-tide of doubts
and fears breaks into humble penitent
Souls, in the last hours:
tho Death brings them safely, yet
not comfortably to Heaven.
3. The zealous discharge of the
Duties of our place and calling,
the conjunction of our resolutions
and endeavours to glorify
God, and do good according to
our abilities and opportunities of
service, sweetens the thoughts of
Death to us. For the true end
and perfection of Life is the Glory
of God, and when with fidelity
it is employed in order to it,
Death brings us to the blessed Rest
from our Labours. Our Saviour
when he was to leave the World,
addrest himself to his Father, I
have glorified thee on Earth, I have
finish't the work thou gavest me to do.
Joh. 17.
And now Father glorify me with thy
self, with the Glory which I had with
thee before the World was. A Christian
that imitates and honours
Christ, and with diligence perseveres
in weldoing, may with an
humble confidence in the Divine
Mercy expect the promised reward.
The reflection upon a wel-spent
life is joyn'd with a joyful
prospect of God's Favour and acceptance
above. But the careless
and remiss, those who are wilfully
negligent of their Duty, how
fearful is Death that summons
them to give an account of their
Talents to the Righteous Lord?
4. A holy indifference of affection
to present things, makes
it easie to part with them, and
Death less fearful to us. David,
tho a King, declares he was a
stranger on Earth, not only with
respect to his transient condition,
but his inward disposition; and
that he was as a weaned Child
from the admir'd Vanities of the
World. Chrysostom in a Letter to
Ciriacus who was tenderly sensible
of his Banishment, wrote to
him, You now begin to lament
my Banishment, but I have done
so for a long time: for since I
knew that Heaven was my
Country, I have esteemed the
whole Earth a place of exilement.
Constantinople, from whence I am
expell'd, is as distant from Paradise
as the Desert to which they
send me. But when our affections
are set upon external things, and
we are irregular in our aims, intemperate
in our use, and immoderate
in our delights, how sensible
& cutting is the division from
them? How bitter is Death that
deprives a carnal Wretch of all
the materials of his frail Felicity?
What a storm of passions is rais'd
to lose all his good things at once?
for 'tis a Rule in Nature, What is
possest with transporting Joy, is
lost with excessive Sorrow. As the
Ivy that twines so closely about
the Tree, and is intimately fastned
by so many roots as there are
branches, cannot be pluck'd away
without rending the Bark with
it; so when the World, that was
as it were incarnated with the
Heart, is taken away, the Heart it
self is grievously rent by the violent
separation.Haec enim est infaelicitas hominum, propter quae peccant Morientes his dimittunt, et ipsa pellata secum portant. Aug.
And the infelicity
of carnal and worldly persons
is heavily aggravated, in that
the guilt in procuring or abusing
those treasures and delights that
they leave here with so great sorrow,
will cleave to them, and give
Testimony against them before
their Judg. But when the Affections
are loose to the World, and
set upon Heaven, the separating
with the Earth, is no loss but gain,
and with that alacrity, as the putting
off a vile garment to be clothed
with a Royal Robe.Stemus expeditae ad omnem vius, nihil habentes quod relinquere timeamus; Retinacule ista sunt spei nostrae. De cult. Foem.
'Twas
the wise Counsel of Tertullian to
the Women of the first Ages of
the Church, not to value and love
the Jewels and Ornaments of
Gold, that they might be more
ready and resolved to obtain by
Death Martyrdom, and by Martyrdom
Eternal Glory. And that
we may disentangle our Souls
from those voluntary bands that
fasten us to present things, we
must have a sincere uncorrupted
judgment of their meanness. The
Apostle exhorts Christians to moderation
in their temper and conversation
with respect to the business
and enjoyments here, that
they who have Wives, be as tho they
had none; that those that rejoice, be as
tho they rejoiced not; and they that
buy, as tho they possessed not; and they
that use the World, as not abusing it:
for the fashion of the World passeth
away. To a wise and pondering
Observer, what comparison is
there between Shadows and
Dreams, and substantial everlasting
Blessedness? If Men had the
same opinion of this World whilst
they live, as they will have when
they are to die, they would not
set over it. They who have magnified
temporal Honours and Riches,
and lived in Pleasures without
remorse, yet in their dying
hours, when Men speak with most
feeling and least affectation, how
have they vilified those empty
appearances of happiness? with
what moving expressions declared
the vanity and brevity of
worldly things? As when the Israelites
were to go through the
River Jordan, that opened it self
to make a free and dry passage
for them; the lower part of its
Waters ran into the Dead Sea,Josh. 3. 16.
and utterly fail'd:Ad instar Montis intumescentis, apparebant procul. but the Waters
that came from above, rose
up and appear'd like a Mountain;
thus when Men come to the universal
passage, from this to the
next life, inferiour things absolutely
fail, and are lost in the dead
Sea, but the things above, that are
eternal, then appear in their true
greatness, exceeding all humane
comprehension: from hence is
the change of mind and language
concerning the one and other.
5. Solemn, affectionate, and frequent
Converse with God in Religious
Duties will render Death
not fearful to us. The whole life
of a Christian, as such,1 John 3. is a continual
Communion with the Father, and with
Jesus Christ. For he performs all
good works by divine Grace communicated
from above, and refers
all to the Divine Honour. As in a
pair of Compasses, one foot is fixt
in the Center, whiles the other
moves in the Circumference: so
the Heart of a Christian is in Heaven,
his aims are for God, whilst
he is active here in the World. His
Natural and Civil Actions are
heightened to a supernatural end:
And thus his Conversation is in Heaven.
But this was spoken of before:
and that which is now specified
is the more immediate Service
of God in holy Meditation,
Prayer, and the Ordinances of the
Gospel, which is the noblest part
of the spiritual Life.
Our blessed Saviour who was
a Comprehensor upon Earth, always
saw the Face of God, and
invariably sought his Glory in all
things, yet had his special times of
Prayer and Heavenly-Communion
with God, and the most glorious
testimonies of his Favour in
those times. Our Communion
with God here is as true as in
Heaven, but the influence and
fruition is different according to
our capacity. When the Soul
feels the vigorous exer
•
ise of the
thoughts & affections upon God,
and the raised operations of Grace
in holy Duties, 'tis as certain a
sign of God's Favour and Acceptance,
as when Fire descended
from Heaven to consume the Sacrifice.
And often our affe
•
tionate
Duties are rewarded with
sensible Consolations, and holy
Souls are dismist from the Throne
of Grace as they shall be received
at the Throne of Glory, with the
reviving testimonies of God's approbation.
Now the assurance
of God's Love conquers the fear
of Death.
This Communion must be frequent.
As love and respects between
Friends are maintained by
constant Visits and Letters, and
mutual Confidence arises from
Acquaintance: so by the interchange
of holy Duties and divine
favours we preserve a lively sense
of God's Love, and an humble
familiarity with his Majesty, that
his Presence is not a terror to us.
A Christian that walks with God
here, when he leaves the World,
(to use the words of a dying St.)
changes his Room, but not his Company.
God was always with him on
Earth, and he shall be ever with
God in Heaven.
But cold and seldom converse
begets strangeness, and that makes
us shy of God. When Religious
Duties are performed as a complemental
Visit without zealous
Affections, or used only in times
of Affliction and Exigency, as
Cordial Waters in swooning Fits,
the Divine Presence is uncomfortable
to us. They who prefer
carnal sweets before acquaintance
with God, cannot with
Peace and Joy think of appearing
before him. O how unwelcome
is Death to such, for then the
Spirit returns to God that gave it.
6. Let us strengthen our belief
of the blessed state after Death.
Divine Truths lose their influence
and efficacy when they are not
stedfastly believed.Heb. 11. 1.
Faith is the
substance of things not seen, and the
evidence or conviction of things hoped
for. The Spirit confirms our Faith
not by a pure Physical Act, but
by convincing Reasons of the
truth of the Gospel. The Life of
Christ so glorious in holiness, his
Doctrine so becoming the Wisdom
and other excellent Attributes
of the Deity, his Miracles so
great, numerous, open, and beneficial,
not meerly to surprize the
Spectators with astonishment, but
to touch their Hearts; his Death
foretold by the Prophets, and exactly
agreeing in all the circumstances
of the Predictions; his
Resurrection the most noble operation
of the Divine Power, are
the strong
•
st Proofs that what he
has reveal'd as the Counsel of
God for our Redemption, and the
Preparations of Glory for the
Saints in Heaven, are divine Truths.
And the efficacy of the Spirit of
Christ in sanctifying his Disciples
in all Ages, is a continual and as
satisfying an Argument that the
Gospel is derived from God the
fountain of Truth, as extraordinary
Miracles. For Holiness is as
•••
parable a property of the Divine
Natu
•
〈…〉
the sancti
•
〈…〉
divine an ef
•
ect
〈…〉
of the Body. Now,
〈…〉
God enters into Covenant with
obedient Believers, to be their God,
a title and relation, that supposing
them the most happy here, all the
enjoyments of this World cannot
fulfil. This Covenant is not dissolv'd
by Death, for he uses this
stile after the death of his faithful
Servants: and from hence it follows
they are partakers of his
Glory and Joys in the next Life.
For the honour of his Veracity is
most dear to him. The Psalmist
declares, that he has magnified his
Word above all his Name. No perfections
of his Nature are more
sacred and inviolable than his
Truth. The foundations of Nature
shall be overturn'd, and the
most solid parts of the Creation
destroyed, but his Promises shall
be compleatly accomplish'd. We
are assured by his Infallible Authority,
that there remains a Rest
for the People of God. And he that
receives this Testimony, sets to his
Seal that God is true: honours the
Truth of God's Word, and binds
himself more firmly to his Service,
and is encouraged to leave
this sensible World, for that which
is infinitly better. Our confidence
and patience in well-doing, and in
suffering the utmost evil to Nature,
is from the pregnant apprehensions
of the reality of eternal
things. We know, saith the Apostle,
if our earthly tabernacle be dissolved,
we have a Building not made
with hands,
2 Cor. 5. 1.
eternal in the Heavens.
This fortified him against the terrors
of Death. When Stephen
saw the Heavens open, and the Son of
God ready to receive him, with what
courage and constancy did he encounter
the bloody Rage of his
Murderers? Faith supplies the
want of Vision, it pierces the
Clouds, opens a Window in Heaven,
sees the Crowns of Righteousness
prepared for the Saints,
and sweetens the bitterest passage
to it. But if our Faith be weak
and wavering, our Courage will
decline in the needful hour. 'Tis
with Christians in their last passage
from Earth to Heaven, as
with the Apostle walking upon
the Waters to Christ: whilst his
Faith was firm in Christ, he went
upon the Waves as on the firm
Land: but upon the rising of a
Storm his Faith sunk into Fear,
and he sunk in the Waters; till
our Saviour upon his earnest Prayer,
Lord, save me, took hold of
him, and rais'd him with that
compassionate Reproof, O thou
of little Faith, wherefore didst thou
doubt?
The last Use is, to excite the
Saints to die with that courage
and chearfulness as becomes the
Gospel of Christ. The encouragement
of Joshua to the Israelites
against the Giants that terrified
them from entring into the Land
of Canaan, the type of Heaven,
Be not afraid of them, they are
Bread for us, we shall obtain an
easy Conquest over them, is applicable
to this purpose: do not
fear Death the Enemy that interposes
between us and the true
Canaan; for our Conflict shall be
the means of our Victory, and
triumphant possession of the holy
and blessed Land above. This
is very honourable to our Redeemer,
and recommends Godliness
to the judgment, affections, and
practice of others.Epist. Jul. S. Basil tells
of a custom to annoint the tops
of Doves Wings with some fragrant
liquor, that mixing in company
with other Doves, they
might by the scent allure them to
follow to the Dove-houses. Thus
when holy Persons live and die
with peaceful joy, those that converse
with them, are drawn by
that Fragrance of Paradise to
apply them to serious Religion.
'Tis the Apostle's Consolatory
Advice to Believers,1 Thess. 4.
Not to
be sorrowful for those that sleep in
JESUS, and those that are without
hope.
When Jacob saw his Beloved
Son's Coat rent and stain'd
with Blood, he abandoned himself
to desperate Sorrow, and
mourned for his Death, when
Joseph was advanc'd in Authority
and Dignity next to Pharoah in
the Kingdom of Egypt. Thus when
we see the Garment of Mortality
rent by Diseases, we mourn for
departed Saints, as if Death had
absolutely destroyed them, when
their Souls are reigning in Glory.
This immoderate Sorrow is an
Heathenish Passion, suitable to
their ignorance of the future happy
state, but very unbecoming
the plenary Assurance the Gospel
affords us of it. So for the Wicked
to die with fears and palpitations
of heart, to be surrounded
with impendent horrours, when
such a precipice and depth of misery
is before them, is very just
and reasonable; but for the Saints
to die uncomfortably under inordinate
fears, is a disparagement
to the Blessed Hope establish'd upon
the revelation of Life and Immortality
by the Gospel.
Now in three things I shall
propound the duty of dying Christians.
1. To submit to the Divine
Pleasure with resigned spirits, as
to the means, the manner, and
time of Death. God has a Sovereign
Right and Dominion over
us. The present Life is his most
free Favour, and he may justly
resume it when he pleases. His
Will should be the first and last
Rule of ours. Whether he gently
untwines the Band of Life, or
violently breaks it, we must placidly,
without reluctation, yield
up our selves. By what means
soever Death comes, all second
causes are moved by an impression
from above, in what Age of
Life soever, all our times are appointed
by the divine Counsel:
And a Saint ought with that readiness
and submission receive it,
as if he heard an express Voice
from Heaven calling him to God,
and say in his heart with Samuel,
Here I am, thou didst call me. This
is the last act of our obedience,
and very pleasing to God. We
read of the marvelousIlle excrit gladium, ille cervicem, uno voto, una devotione: sub tanto non dic
•
m humanitatis, sed potius naturae ipsius
•
etu, laeti sunt. Consent
of Abraham and his son Isaac, the
Father to offer up his Son, and the
Son his Life, (that were both the
gifts of God) in compliance with
the divine Command, and from
Heaven he declared his high approbation
of it. This is to make a
vertue of necessity, and turn Nature
into Grace. But discontent and reluctancy,
as if our Lives were our
own, and taken from us unjustly
or unseasonably, is rebellious
unthankfulness, unbecoming a
Creature, much more a true Christian,
who exchanges a perishing
life for that which is eternal.
2. To receive Death not only
with Patience, but earnest desires
to be with Christ. I know Death
is naturally unwelcome. Our Saviour
tells St. Peter, When thou art
old, another shall bind thee,
John 21. 41.
and lead
thee where thou wouldest not: Signifying
his Martyrdom.Secutus a corpore volebat esse cum Christo, sed si sicri posset prater mortis molestiam. Nolens ad c
•
m venit, sed volens c
•
m vicit. Aug. Tract. 123 in Joan.
The circumstance
[when thou art old] is
remarkable, and intimates the natural
unwillingness to die, when
there was little time to live. But
his rational sanctified Will was
superiour and prevalent. The
universal desire of the Saints is to
be happy in the presence of God.
for the Divine Nature communicated
to them is intelligent and
inclining towards its chief good:
and if the obtaining it, were not
by being uncloathed, but clothed upon
by an imediate translation to Heaven,
how willingly would they
leave this World? But there is
a bitterness in Death that makes
it unpleasant, and many holy
Souls that desire the Glorious Liberty
in Heaven, yet are loth to
leave their Prison. Now there
are so many Arguments to make
the Saints desirous of dying, that
methinks since Life is cheifly valued
and dear to them, as it is the
way to Heaven, when they are
come to that blessed end, it should
not be longer desirable. What is
this lower World that chains us so
fast? 'Tis the Devil's circuit wherin
he ranges seeking whom he may
devour: 'Tis the Theater of contentions:
The low aspire to rise;
the exalted fear to fall. The Poor
envy the Rich; and the Rich despise
the Poor. 'Tis a foreign
Countrey to the Saints, and as
Pilgrims and Strangers, they are
liable to reproaches, injuries, and
hard dealings from the Wicked,
the natives of the Earth. What is
the present momentany Life that
so enamours us? 'tis surrounded
with Temptations, opprest with
Fears, ardent with irregular desires,
and continually spent in vanity
or vexation. In Adversity 'tis
deprest and melancholy: in Prosperity
foolish and proud. 'Tis a
real infelicity under the deceitful
appearance of felicity. But above
all other motives, the evil of Sin
from which we cannot be clearly
exempted here, should render
Death desireable. The best suffer
internal divisions between the law
of the Flesh, and the law of the Mind;
as Rebecca felt the twins, Esau and
Jacob, repugnant in her Womb,
How hard is it to be continually
watching the Heart that Corruptions
do not break out, and the
Senses that temptations do not
break in? How difficult to order
the Affections, to raise what
is drooping, and suppress what is
rebellious? for they are like the
People of whom the Historian
speaks, qui nec totam servitutem pati
possunt, nec totam libertatem. How
many Enemies of our Salvation
are lodg'd in our own bosoms?
The Falls of the Saints give sad
evidence of this. If the Body
were unspotted from the World
as in the Creation of Man, there
might be a just Plea of our unwillingness
to part with it, but
since it is the insentive and instrument
of Sin, we should desire
to be desolved that we might
be perfectly holy. Death is the
final remedy of all the temporal
and spiritual evils to which we are
liable here. And the love of Christ
should make us willing to part
with all the endearments of this
life, nay desirous to enter into
the Caelestial Paradice, tho we
must pass under the Angels Sword
the stroke of Death to come into
his Presence. He infinitely deserves
our love, for we owe our
Salvation and Eternal Glory, to
the merit of his Humiliation and
the power of his Exaltation. With
what earnest affections did St.
Paul desire to be dissolved and to be
with Christ?
Phil. 1. Love gave Wings of
Fire to his Soul, ardent desires
mounting to Heaven. How valiant
were the Martyrs in expressing
acts of love to Christ? How
boldly did they encounter Death
that interpos'd between them and
the sight of his Glory? their love
was hotter than the Flames that
consumed them. They as willingly
left their Bodies, as Elias let fall
his Mantle, to ascend to Heaven.
And how does it upbraid the
coldness of our love, that we are
so contented to be here, absent
from our Saviour. That the Moles
of the Earth who never saw the
light of the Sun, and feed on bitter
roots, are pleas'd in their dark
receptacles is no wonder; but if
Birds that are refresht with his
chearful Beams, & feed on sweet
Fruits, should willingly be confin'd
in Caverns of the Earth, it
were unnaturally strange: thus
if Pagans, and those who are so
in heart, tho different in profession,
that are so short-sighted, and
depraved, that only present and
sensible things are perceived and
affect them, that they are unwilling
to die is no wonder; for
then all that is valuable and delightful
to them is lost for ever:
but for those who are inlightned
by the Revelation of God so
clearly concerning the state of
Glory, and have tasted the goodness
of the Lord, and know the
incomparable difference between
the mean and frail felicity here;
and the inestimable immutable
felicity hereafter, for them to be
unwilling to leave this World for
that which is infinitely better is
astonishing. Such was the love
of our Saviour, that his personal
Glory in Heaven did not fully
content him, without the Saints
partaking of it with him:John 17.
Father
I will that those whom thou hast given
me be with me where I am, that they
may behold my Glory: If our Hearts
do not answer his, 'tis a sad indication
that we have not an interest
in him: for the application of his
Merits is alwayes joyn'd with the
imitation of his Vertues, and the
reflection of his Love. The Lovers
of Christ will joyn with the
inflamed Spouse,Cant. 1.
Draw us and we
will run after thee: O loosen our
affections from this World that
we may readily ascend to thee:
they will renew the sighs of holy
David in his Banishment, O when
shall we come and appear before God!
Lastly, To die with thanksgiving
and joy. 'Tis usual to
compare this Life to a Voyage;
the Scripture is the Chard that describes
the Coasts we must pass,
and the Rocks we must avoid;
Faith is the Compass that directs
the Course we must steer; Love is
the Rudder that governs the Motion
of the Ship; Hope fills the
Sails: Now what Passenger does
not rejoice at the discovery of his
Country where his Estate and
Heart is, and more at the near approach
to the Port where he is to
land? Is not Heaven the Countrey
of the Saints? is not their
Birth from above, and their tendency
to their Original? and is
not the blessed Bosom of Christ
their Port? Oh what joyful
thanksgivings are due to God,
when by his Spirit and Providence
they have happily finish'd
their Voyage through suchQuamdiu in Salo isto, tamdiu inter naufragia. dangerous
Seas, and are coming into
the Land of the Living? How
joyful was to Noah the coming of
the Dove with an Olive Branch,
to shew him the Deluge was asswaged,
and the time was come
of his freedom from the troublesom
company of Animals, and
from the straitness and darkness
of the Ark, to go forth and possess
the World? How joyful should
Death be to a Saint, that comes
like the Dove in the evening, to
assure him the Deluge of Misery
is ceas'd, and the time is come of
his enlargement from the Body,
his deliverance from the wretched
sinful society here, and his possessing
the Divine World? Holy
Souls are immediately transported
by the Angels to Christ, and
by him presented to his Father,
without spot or wrinkle, compleat
in Holiness, and prepared for
Communion with him in Glory.
How joyfully are they received
into Heaven by our Saviour and
the blessed Spirits? they are the
reward of his Sufferings, the precious
and dear purchase of his
Blood: The Angels that rejoice
at the Conversion of a Sinner,
much more at the Glorification
of a Saint: and the Church of the
First-born who have before us
enter'd into Glory, have a new
accession of Joy, when their
younger Brethren arrive to the
undefiled immortal Inheritance.
And is it not very becoming Believers
joyfully to ascend to the
Seat of Blessedness, to the happy
Society that inspires mutual Joys
for ever? For our encouragement
there are numerous instances
of Believers that have with
peace and joy, tho in various degrees,
past through the dark Valley
to the Inheritance of Light.
Some have died with more Joy
than they lived,Accitus sum ad id miraculi, videri exultantem in mor
••
hominem
〈◊〉
insultan
•••
morti. Bern. 26 Serm. in Cant.
and triumph'd
over the last Enemy with the vocal
Praises of God: others with
silent affections have quietly commended
their Spirits into his hand.
Some have inward Refreshings
and support; others exuberant
Joys and Ravishments, as if the
Light of Glory shined into them,
or the Veil of Flesh were drawn,
and their Spirits were present with
the invisible World. Some of the
Martyrs in their cruellest Sufferings
felt such impressions of Confidence
and Alacrity, that as in
the House of Lamech there was
accorded at the same time two
discordant Callings by the two
Brothers;Gen. 4.
Jubal the Inventer of the
Harp and Organ, and Tubal-Cain the
first Artificer in Brass and Iron: the
one practised on Instruments of
Musick, breathing harmonious
sounds and melodies, the other
used Hammers & Anvils making
noise and tumult: So in some
persons whilst the heaviest strokes
fell on their Bodies, their Souls
were ravish'd with the sweetest
Joy and Exultation. Indeed 'tis
not thus always with the Saints:
for tho Sin be pardoned, yet the
apprehensions of Guilt may remain.
When a Stream is disturbed
it does not truly represent the
Object: When the Affections are
disordered, the Mind does not
judge aright of a Christian's state.
A Serpent may hiss when it has
lost its sting. Death may terrify
when it cannot hurt us. I doubt
not but some excellent Saints
have been in anxieties to the last,
till their Fears were dispell'd by
the actual fruition of Blessedness.
As the Sun sometimes sets in dark
Clouds, and rises in a glorious
Horizon. We reade our Evidences
for Heaven by the Light of
God's Countenance: his Image
is made visible in our Souls by
the illustration of his Spirit: and
he exercises Prerogative in the
dispensation of his Comforts. 'Tis
his pleasure to bestow extraordinary
Favours on some, and deny
them to others that are as holy.
But every Penitent Believer has
just cause of Joy in Death: for
Jesus Christ has reconciled God,
destroyed Satan, and conquered
Death: and the last day of his
Life is the first of his Glory.
FINIS.
SERMONS
UPON
Eternal Judgment.
Acts 17. 31.
Because he hath appointed
a Day, in the which he will
judg the World in Righteousness,
by that Man whom he hath ordained:
whereof he hath given
assurance unto all Men, in that he
raised him from the dead.
SAint Paul had this Title of
Honour eminently conferred
upon him, the Apostle
of the Gentiles: This Office he
performed with persevering diligence,
diffusing the Light of Life
to those that sate in darkness, and in
the shadow of Death. In this Chapter
we have recorded the substance
of his Sermon to the Athenians;
wherein his admirable
Zeal and Prudence are remarkable,
in the Matter and Order of
his Discourse, to convince and
perswade them to receive the
saving Truth of the Gospel.
He first lays down the Principles
of Natural Religion, to prepare
them for the more easy belief of
supernatural revealed Religion.
The depravation of the Minds
of Men was in no instance more
prodigious than in their vilifying
Conceits of the Deity: They
attributed his Name and Honour
to various Idols, and ascribed to
him their own Figure, and which
was infinitely more unworthy
and dishonourable, their own
Passions and Vices. They adored
their own vain Imaginations.
The Idols of their Hearts were
erected on their Altars. Venus
was a Goddess, because impure
Love reigned in their Brests.
Bacchus had Religious Rites, because
sensual Pleasures as sweet
as Wine intoxicated their Spirits.
These Errors, as gross as impious,
were universal: the Philosophers
themselves were not exempted
from the Contagion.
The Apostle therefore makes use
of the clearest Arguments, to
give Authority to the plain conspiring
Voice of Nature, that had
so long in vain recall'd them from
Idolatry to the Worship of the
only true God. He therefore declares,
that the Divine Maker of
all things,Vers. 29.
the Father of Spirits,
could not be represented by corporeal
and corruptible things, but was to be
acknowledg'd and ador'd in a
manner becoming his spiritual
and infinite Perfections. That he
made all Nations of one Blood,
Vers. 26. tho'
distinguish'd in their Habitations
and Times, that they might seek
and serve the one universal Creator.
And though the Pagan
World for many Ages had lived
in an unnatural Oblivion of God,
and he seem'd unconcerned for
their violation of his Laws, yet
it was not from the defect of Justice,
but the direction of his
Wisdom, that his Patience was
so long extended to them. And
this he proves by the new and
most express declaration of his
Will: But now he commandeth all
Men every where to repent; because
he hath appointed a day, in which he
will judg the World in Righteousness,
by the Man whom he hath ordained:
whereof he hath given assurance to
all Men, in that he raised him from
the Dead.
In the words, the Eternal
Counsels of God are revealed in
two great things.
1. The determining a time
wherein he will righteously judg
the World: He hath appointed a
Day.
2. The designation of the Person
by whom he will perform
that eminent part of Soveraignty:
by Jesus Christ whom he hath raised
from the Dead.
In order to the handling of the
main Point, it is requisite to premise
briefly some Propositions.
1. That God is the Universal
Monarch of the World, and has
supreme Authority to govern
reasonable Creatures, antecedent
to their Election and Consent.
The Psalmist calls to the Heathens,Psal. 100.
Know ye that the Lord is
God: that is, the most glorious
Being, and absolute Sovereign;
for it is he that made us, and not we
our selves. He formed all things
by his Almighty Goodness, and
is King by Creation.
2. The two principal and necessary
parts of his Soveraignty
are, to give Laws for the ruling
of his Subjects, and to pass final
Judgment upon them for their
Obedience or Disconformity to
his Precepts. Mere natural Agents
are regulated by a wise establishment,
that is the Law of their
Creation. The Sun and Stars
are moved according to the just
Points of their Compass. The
Angels are under a Law in Heaven,
and obey his Commandments.
The Humane Nature of Christ,
though advanced to the highest
capacity of a Creature, yet received
a Law. And his whole Work
upon Earth for our Salvation, was
an Act of Obedience to the Will
of God. If a Prince out of affection
to his Friend will leave
his own Dominions, and live
privately with him in a Forreign
Country, he must be subject to
the Laws of the Place. Indeed
it is not conceivable that a Creature
should be without a Law;
for this is to make it supreme and
independent: Supreme, in not being
liable to a superior Power
to confine and order it: Independent,
as to its Being and Operations;
for dependance necessarily
infers subjection. There is
a visible connexion between
those Titles;Isa. 33. 22.
The Lord is our Judg,
the Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord
is our King. And sometimes in
Scripture his Soveraignty is intimated
in the Title of Judg: thus
in that humble Expostulation of
Abraham for Sodom; Shall not the
Judg of all the World do right? He
addresses his request to God under
that Title, to soften his
Power, and incline his Clemency
to save the Wicked for their
sakes who were comparatively
Righteous, that is, innocent of
their crying Sins.
3. As his right to govern and
judg the World is natural, so are
his Attributes, his Wisdom, Holiness,
Justice, and Power, that
qualify and render him most
worthy to exercise this Government.
These are finite separable
Qualities in Angels or Men,
but essential Perfections to the
Deity. 'Tis more rational to
conceive that things may be congeal'd
by the heat of Fire, or
turn'd black by whiteness, than
that the least act of injustice can
be done by the Righteous Lord.
The Apostle rejects with extreme
detestation, the blasphemous
Charge of unrighteousness
in God's proceedings: Is
God unrighteous that taketh Vengeance?
Rom. 3. 5, 6.
God forbid: For then how
shall God judg the World? He may
as soon renounce his Nature, and
cease to be God, for as such he is
necessarily Judg of the World,
as violate his own Perfections in
his judicial proceedings with
us.
4. God being invisible in his own
Nature, hath most wisely ordained
the last Judgment of the World
to be transacted by a visible Person:
because Men are to be only
judged, and not the Angels, and
the whole Process of it with
them, will be for things done in
the Body. The Person appointed
for this Great Work, is Jesus
Christ the Son of God united to
the Humane Nature. The Father
judgeth no Man:
Joh. 5. 22. Not as if he descended
from the Throne, and
devested himself of his Supremacy,
but not immediately; but
hath committed all Judgment to the
Son.
Vers. 26, 27. And it follows, As the Father
hath Life in himself, so hath he
given to the Son to have Life in himself:
And hath given him authority
to execute Judgment also, because he
is Son of Man; that is, as Mediator.
The quality of this Office
requires no less Person for the
discharge of it.
1. Upon the account of its
superlative Dignity. No mere
Creature is capable of such a glorious
Commission. To pass a
Sovereign Sentence upon Angels
and Men, is a Royalty reserv'd
for God himself. We read that
no Man in Heaven, or Earth,
Rev. 5.
was
able to open the Sealed Book of his
Eternal Counsels, as unsearchable as
deep: only Jesus Christ who was
in the Bosom of the Father, the Seat
of his Counsels and Compassions,
and was acquainted with all
his Glorious Secrets, could unfold
the Order of the Divine Decrees
about the Church. And if
no Creature was worthy to be
admitted into God's Counsel,
much less to be taken into his
Throne. The Eternal Son, the
express Image of his Person, is alone
fit to be his authorised Representative
in Judgment. Our Saviour
declares, that the Father invested
the Son with this Regal
Power, that all Men should honour
the Son,
John 5. 23▪
with the same religious
Reverence, and supreme adoration,
as they honour the Father.
2. Upon the account of the
immense Difficulty, no mere
Creature is able to discharge it.
To judg the World, includes two
things. 1. To pass a righteous
and irrevocable Judgment upon
Men for all things done in this
Life. 2. The actual execution
of the Sentence. And for this
no less than infinite Wisdom, and
infinite Power are necessary. If
a select number of Angels of the
highest Order were deputed, yet
they could not manage the judicial
trial of one Man. For besides
the innumerable acts and
omissions in one Life, the secrets
of the Heart, from whence the
guilt or goodness of Moral Actions
is principally derived, are
not open to them. He alone that
discerns all things, can require an
account of all.
2. The Son of Man is invested
with this High Office as the
Reward of his Sufferings. We
must distinguish between the essential
and oeconomical Power
of Christ. The Son of God,
considered in his Divine Nature,
has an original Power of Judgment
equal with the Father, but
considered as Mediator, has a
Power by delegation. In the
quality of the Son of Man, he
is inferior in dignity to the Father:
The Apostle declares this
in that scale of Subordination, of
the Creatures to Believers, and
of Believers to Christ, and of
Christ to God. All things are
yours, and you are Christ's, and
Christ is God's. Aud observing
the beautiful Order that arises
from the superiority and dependance
between things, he saith,
The Head of every Man is Christ, and
the Head of the Woman is the Man,
and the Head of Christ is God. Now
this Power by Commission was
conferr'd upon him as the Reward
of his Sufferings. The Apostle
expresly declares it, that
Christ being in the Form of God,
and without any usurpation truly
equal to him in Divine Perfections
and Majesty, humbled himself,
and came obedient to the Death of the
Cross. Wherefore God hath highly
exalted him, and given him a Name
above every Name: that at the Name
of Jesus every Knee should bow, of
things in Heaven, and things in
Earth, and things under the Earth;
and that every Tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory
of God the Father. His victorious
Sufferings are the Titles of his
Triumphs, his being so ignominiously
deprest and condemn'd
by Men, is the just reason of
his advancement to judg the
World.
5. There is a Day appointed
wherein the Son of Man will
appear in sensible Glory, and
exercise his judicial Power upon
Angels and Men. He is now
seated at the right hand of the Majesty
on High, and the Celestial
Spheres are under his Feet: Universal
Nature feels the power of
his Scepter: He reigns in the
Hearts of the Saints by his Word
and Spirit, and restrains the Fury
of his Enemies in what degrees
he pleases: but still his Servants
are in distress, and his rebellious
Enemies insolently break his
Laws▪ and the Curtains of Heaven
conceal his Glory from us:
therefore a Time is prefix'd,
when in the Face of the World
he will make an eternal difference
by Rewards and Punishments
between the Righteous and the
Wicked, and his Government
shall have its compleat and glorious
Issue. This is stiled the Judgment
of the Great Day.
1. With respect to the appearance
of the Judg. When
the Law was given from Mount
Sinai, the Mountain was covered
with Fire, and the Voice of God
as loud as Thunder proclaimed
it from the midst of the Flames,
so that the whole Army of the
Israelites was prostrate on the
Plain, struck with a sacred Horror,
and almost dead at the amazing
sights and sounds. From
hence 'tis said, that in his right
hand was a fiery Law. And if
the Law-giver appear'd in such
terrible Majesty at the proclaiming
the Law, how much more
when he shall come to revenge
the Transgressions of it? 'Tis set
forth in Scripture in the most
lofty and magnificent Expressions.
He shall come in his Father's Glory,
Luk. 9. 26▪
and his own Glory, and the Glory of
the Angels. A devouring Fire
shall go before him, to consume
all the Works of the Universe.
He shall descend from the highest
Heavens, glorious in the attendance
of innumerable Angels,
but more in his own Majesty,
and sit on a radiant Throne high above
all.
2. 'Tis great, with respect to the
appearance of those who are to be
judg'd: All the Apostate Angels,
and the universal Progeny of Adam.
The bowels of the Earth, and the
bottom of the Sea, and all the
Elements shall give up the Dead.
The mighty Angels the winged
Ministers of Justice, shall fly
to all Parts, and attaque the
Wicked to bring them as miserable
Prisoners before that high
Tribunal. And those blessed
powerful Spirits shall congregate
the Righteous, to present them
at his right hand.
3. 'Tis great with respect to
what shall be then done: He
shall perform the most glorious
and consummate act of his Regal
Office, after a righteous Trial
pronounce Judgment, upon which
the eternal Destiny of the World
depends. And immediately the
Saints shall ascend with him to
the everlasting Mansions of Glory,
and the Wicked shall be
swallowed up in the fiery Gulph
for ever.
To define the particular Time
when this shall be accomplish'd,
is beyond the knowledg of the
Angels of highest dignity. 'Tis
inter Arcana Imperii, among the
Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven.
'Tis observable that God
has revealed the Times precisely
wherein some great Events
should come to pass: after how
many Years the Israelites should
be freed from Egyptian Bondage:
after what space of Time
they should be restored from the
Captivity of Babylon: when the
Messiah should die for the expiation
of Sin: but there is no designation
by certain Characters
of the particular Day, nor Year,
nor Age, in any Prophecy of
our Saviour's coming to Judgment.
And of this an Account
may be given. The special End
of those Predictions was, that
those who lived to see their accomplishment,
notwithstanding
the seeming Impossibilities, might
believe the Truth and Power of
God to fulfil the Revelation of
his Purposes for the time to come.
But at the last Day, all the Promises
and Threatnings will be
fulfilled, nothing will remain to
be the Object of Faith, and consequently
it was superfluous to
declare the certain Time, since
the exact accomplishment of it
according to the prediction, will
neither be useful to confirm Believers
or convert Infidels.
Lastly, The Resurrection of
Jesus Christ is the most convincing
and commanding Evidence
of this Doctrine, that he shall
judg the World. For he was
charged with Blasphemy deserving
of Death for this Testimony:
Mat. 26. 64, 65.
I say unto you, hereafter
shall you see the Son of Man sitting
on the right hand of Power, and
coming in the Clouds of Heaven. He
dedicated Martyrdom in his own
Sufferings. Now God in raising
him from the Dead, confirmed
the truth of his Testimony by
that visible Miracle, and the belief
of it converted the World to
Christianity.
I will now proceed to illustrate
and prove the main Point,
which is this:
That God will judg the World in
Righteousness by Jesus Christ.
The Mediator, who shall be
Judg in the Union of both Natures,
considered as the Son of
God, is essentially Holy and Righteous,
and considered as the Son
of Man, was holy, harmless, undefiled,
and separate from Sinners.
In him all Vertues shin'd in their
absolute Purity: and who is so
worthy and qualified to reward
Holiness and punish Wickedness,
as the holy one of God? 'Tis said of
him,Heb. 1.
Thou hast loved Righteousness,
and hated Iniquity, therefore thy God
hath anointed thee with Oil of gladness
above thy Fellows: Consecrated
him to the Regal Office, and enrich'd
his humane Nature with
Endowments suitable to it.
'Twas prophesied of him,Esa. 11. 2, 3, 4.
The
Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon
him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding,
the Spirit of Counsel and
Might, the Spirit of Knowledg, and
of the Fear of the Lord; and shall
make him of quick understanding in
the Fear of the Lord, and He shall
not judg after the sight of his Eyes,
neither reprove after the hearing of
his Ears. But with Righteousness
shall he judg the Poor, and reprove
with Equity. Humane Judgments
are often unrighteous from vicious
Respects and Affections that
pervert the Will, or fair Appearances
that deceive the Understanding:
by Gifts or Guile, Innocence
is cast, and Guilt acquitted:
but the Judg of the World
is inflexible to partiality, and all
things are entirely open to his sight.
In the Act of Judgment he is represented
sitting on a white Throne,
Rev. 20. 11.
the emblem of unspotted Holiness.
The Righteousness of God's
Judicial Proceedings will appear
by considering three things.
1. The Equity of his Law the
Rule of the great and final Judgment.
2. The Evidence of the Facts
and Matter, which shall be produc'd
as the Reason of the Judgment.
3. The impartiality of the
Sentence.
1. The Equity of the Law
which shall be the Rule of the
last Judgment. This will appear
by considering the Law of
Nature, and the Law of Faith,
in their Precepts and Penalties,
annext to enforce the observation
of them.
1. The Law of Nature, which
is the Rule of Man's Duty, will
be the Rule of Judgment: for
without the Law there is no Transgression;
and consequently a Person
is unaccountable for his Actions.
This Law is composed of
such Rules as are most becoming
the wise and gracious Creator to
give, and the reasonable Creature
to receive and obey: for
they entirely agree and concenter
in his Glory and the good of
his Subjects. The Apostle adorns
the Law with the most
excellent Elogy,Rom. 7. 12.
'tis Holy, Just,
and Good. Holy as it enjoyns all
Acts of Piety to God: the adoration
of his Majesty resulting
from his inexpressible divine Perfections,
the imitation of his Purity,
a reliance on his Goodness,
a resignation to his most wise
Providence, and a dutiful obedience
to his Will. Such a sense
of our dependance and subjection
to God, is the proper Character
of the reasonable Creature,
as dignified above inanimate and
mere sensitive Beings. The Law
is just, as it directs us how to demean
our selves in our various
Relations. Justice is the Cement
of Societies, without which they
disband and fall into Confusion.
And the sum of the Law is virtually
comprised in one Rule, to
do to others as we would they should do
to us, than which nothing is more
equal. 'Tis good to Man that
keeps it, commanding nothing
but what is influential upon his
well-being here and for ever. It
does not infringe his true Freedom,
but allows him unstain'd
Delights, and enjoyns what is
proper to advance and secure his
Dignity, Felicity, and Perfection.
It forbids every thing that
defiles and debases him, and
causes a degeneration from his
native excellency. If we prescind
in our thoughts the sacred
authority of the Law-giver, all
the Precepts of the Law for their
moral Goodness, deserve our esteem
and choice, and entire observation.
The sanctified Mind
approves them universally. I
esteem all thy Precepts concerning all
things to be right,
Psal. 119. 128. saith holy David.
Nay, in the Wicked there is an
intellectual assent to the goodness
of the Law, tho' the corrupt
Will doth not embrace it:
there are some inclinations and
wishes to obey it, but controll'd
by vicious desires. 'Tis said of
the convinced Sinner,Rom. 2. 18.
Thou knowest
his Will, and approvest the things
that are more excellent.
It may be objected, that the
Law being pure, and Man in a
frail state, surrounded with innumerable
temptations, to require
perfect obedience from him, and
condemn him for his Failings,
seems hard. The Law lays a
restraint upon all the Senses, and
forbids all fleshly Lusts; this
may be easy to separate Souls, but
for Men to live in the Body, as
if they were out of it, to be always
vigilant against the insinuations
or attaques of Sin, is impossible.
Thus the Carnal Mind is
apt with some colour, to traduce
the Righteousness of God's Government.
But it will be clearly
vindicated, by considering,
1. The Law supposes Man in
a state of integrity, furnish'd
with sufficient Power to comply
with every Precept, tho' free to
fall from his Duty and Happiness.
To command absolute
Impossibilities, is tyrannical, and
utterly inconsistent with the Nature
of the Blessed God.
2. The first Man wilfully
transgrest the Law, and lost his
Holiness: And Nature being
poison'd in the Fountain, is corrupt
in all the descendants from
him. Mankind was justly degraded
in rebellious Adam, and
is destitute of spiritual strength to
perform all that the Law requires.
3. This disability is vicious
and culpable, and can be no pretence
against the Rights of the
Law-giver. A natural disability
from the want of requisite
Faults is a just excuse. 'Tis no
Fault that a Man cannot stop the
Sun as Joshua did, nor calm a
Tempest as our Saviour did by
his Word. But the disability
that arises from a depraved disposition,
renders a Person more
guilty. And this is the present
Case. The Will of Man is disobedient
and perverse, and as
soon as it can exercise El
•
ction,
chooses Evil: and by custom in
Sin becomes more hardened and
obstinate. And from hence the
Prophet charges the contumacious
Jews; Behold their Ear is uncircumcised,
Jer. 6. 10.
and they cannot hearken.
Were they uncapable of hearing
the Divine Commands? No, but
the Word of the Lord was to them
a reproach, they had no delight in
it. And our Saviour upbraids
the Pharisees, How can ye believe,
which receive Honour one of another,
Joh. 5. 44.
and seek not the Honour that comes
from God only. They were in high
reputation for their Holiness, which
made it impossible for them in an
humble penitent manner to submit
to our Saviour. In short, the
primary end of the Law was the
happiness of Man in the performance
of his Duty, and his first
Sin, and consequent impotence
to fulfil it, was by his own Fault.
As the Obliquity of a Line cannot
be ascrib'd to the strait Rule,
but to the Error of the Hand
that draws it. And from hence
'tis clear, that if God should
with a terrible exactness require
of Men unsinning Obedience
upon the pain of Damnation, he
could not be taxt with unrighteousness.
But God has been pleased to
mitigate and allay the Severity of
the Law by the Gospel; so that
although the least breach of it
makes a Person an Offender and
obnoxious to Judgment, yet the
Law of Faith propounds such
merciful Conditions to the Guilty,
that upon the performance
of them, they may plead their
Pardon seal'd with the Blood of
their Redeemer, and shall be saved
and crown'd in the Day of
Judgment. We are commanded
so to speak and do,
James 2. 12.
as they that shall
be judged by the Law of Liberty.
Thus the Gospel is stiled, in that
it frees the Conscience, tho' not
from the obedience, yet from the
terrors and condemnation of the
Law; for there was not the least
signification of Mercy by it. But
in the Gospel, the Grace of God
most illustriously appears.
1. In that when our Innocence
was lost, there may be a renovation
of the Sinner by Repentance:
to which the plenary pardon
of Sin is assured,
〈…〉
Wash ye, make
ye clean, put away the evil of your doings
from before mine Eyes: Cease to
do evil, and learn to do well, saith
the Lord: and tho' your Sins be as
Scarlet, they shall be white as Snow;
tho' they be red like Crimson, they shall
be white like Wooll. God will not
pardon those who forgive and
flatter themselves in their Sins;
but those who confess and forsake them,
shall find mercy.
2. Sincerity of Obedience is
accepted where Perfection is
wanting. When a Person with
consent of Heart and serious endeavours
strives to obey the Holy
Will of God, without the exception
of any known Duty, or
the indulgence of any Sin, God
will spare him,
Mal▪ 3. 17.
as a Father spares
his Son that serves him. 'Tis not
so much the Matter as the Allowance
that makes Sin deadly.
Where there is guile in the heart,
it will be severely imputed. 'Tis
not according to some particular
Acts of Sin, but the Tenor of
the Life, that the state of Men
will be decided.
3. Unfeigned Faith in the
Lord Jesus, that is, such a belief
of the Truth and Goodness of
his Promises, as induces us to receive
him as our Prince and Saviour,
as purifies the Conscience, the
Heart, and Life, will free us
from Hell, and entitle us to Heaven,
according to the Covenant
of Grace. In short, the final
Resolution of a Man's Trial and
Case will be this; either he has
performed the gracious Conditions
of the Gospel, and he shall
be saved; or rejected them, and
he shall be damned.
If it be objected, that the terms
of Evangelical Justification, tho'
in themselves comparatively easy,
yet are of impossible performance
to Men in their natural sinful
state. The Answer is clear;
1. That although the natural
Man be dead in Sin, without spiritual
strength to resolve and perform
his Duty, and holy heat of
desires to it; and nothing is alive
in him but his corrupt Passions,
that are like Worms generated in
a Carcase; yet by the Grace
that is offered in the Gospel, he
may be enabled to perform the
Conditions of it, for in this the
Gospel excels the Law: the
Law discovers Sin, but affords
no degrees of supernatural
Power to subdue it, and directs
to no means for the expiation of
its Guilt. As the Fire in the Bush
discovered the Thorns without
consuming them. But the sanctifying
Spirit, the true Spring of
Life and Power,
2 Tim. 1. 7. is the concomitant
of the Gospel, as St. Peter
declares,1 Pet. 1. 12.
With the preaching of the
Gospel the Holy Ghost was sent down
from Heaven. And the Spirit by
illuminating, preventing, and
exciting Grace, assists Men to repent
and believe; and is promised
in rich and liberal supplies to
all that humbly and ardently
pray for it. This our Saviour
assures to us by a most tender
and endearing Comparison:Luk. 11. 13.
If
ye that are evil know how to give
good things to your Children, how
much more shall your Heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those that
ask it?
2. From hence it follows, that
'tis from the perverseness of the
Will, and the love of Sin, that
Men do not obey the Gospel.
For the Holy Spirit never withdraws
his gracious assistance, till
resisted, grieved, and quenched by
them. It will be no excuse that
Divine Grace is not conferr'd in
the same eminent degree upon
some as upon others that are converted:
for the impenitent shall
not be condemned for want of
that singular powerful Grace that
was the priviledg of the Elect,
but for receiving in vain that measure
of common Grace that they
had. If he that received one Talent
had faithfully improved it,
he had been rewarded with
more, but upon the slothful and
ingrateful neglect of his Duty,
he was justly deprived of it, and
cast into a Dungeon of Horrour,
the Emblem of Hell. The Sentence
of the Law has its full
force upon impenitent Sinners,
with intollerable aggravations for
neglecting the Salvation of the
Gospel.
Concerning the Heathens, the
Scripture declares,
1. That although the Law
publish'd by Moses was not communicated
to them, yet there
was a silent, though less perfect
Impression of it in their Hearts.
The Law of Nature in the fundamental
Precepts of Religion,
and Society, and Temperance,
was better known than obeyed
by them.Rom. 1. 26, 27. Therefore the Apostle
endites them for atrocious
Crimes, such as natural Conscience
consenting with the Law of
God, severely forbids upon the
pain of damnation. Thus 'tis
said of the Heathens,Rom. 1. 32.
who knowing
the Judgment of God, That
they which commit such things are
worthy of death; not only commit
the same, but have pleasure in them
that do them. And at the last Day,
As many as have sinned without the
Law,
Rom. 2.
as delivered to the Jews, shall
be judged and perish, not according
to that Law of Moses, but the
Law of Nature that obliged
them to do good, and restrain
themselves from Evil; of which
the counterpart was not totally
deleted in their Hearts.
2. Although the Revelation
of Christ in his Person, Office,
and Benefits, is not by the preaching
of the Gospel (that is necessary
for the begetting of Faith)
extended to all Nations; yet the
Grace of the Redeemer is so far
universal, that upon his account
the indulgent Providence of God
invited the Heathens to Repentance.Rom. 2. 4.
His renewed Benefits
that sweetned their Lives, and his
powerful patience in forbearing
so long to cut them off, when
their Impurities and Impieties
were so provoking,Acts 14. 17. was a testimony
of his inclination to clemency
upon their reformation.
And for their abusing his Favours,
and resisting the methods of
his Goodness, they will be inexcusable
to themselves, and their
condemnation righteous to their
own Consciences.
We are next to consider the
Sanction of the Law that enforces
Obedience, and it will appear
that God is not extream, but
wisely and justly ordained Eternal
Death to be the punishment
of Sin.
This will appear by considering,
1. The end of the Sanction
is to preserve the Authority of
the Law in its full vigour, to render
it most solemn and awful;
and consequently the punishment
must be so heavy, as to overpoise
all Temptations that might otherwise
induce the Subjects to
transgress its Precepts.
Therefore to Adam the first and
second Death was threatned upon
his Disobedience; and Fear
as a Sentinel was planted in his
Breast, that no guilty Thought,
no irregular Desire, no deceitful
Suggestion should enter to break
the Tables of the Law deposited
therein. Now since notwithstanding
the threatning, Man was
so easily seduc'd by the insinuations
of the Tempter to break
the Law, and disorder the Government
of God in the World,
'tis evident that such a restraint
was not over-rigorous to secure
his Obedience. I shall not insist
on what is sadly visible since
the first Apostacy, that there is in
Mankind such a prodigious propensity
to sensual things, that
without the fear of Hell, no Arguments
are strong enough to
prevent the bold violation of the
Divine Law.
2. 'Tis consented to by common
Reason, that there ought to
be a proportion between the quality
of the Offence,—Adsit Regula peccatis, quae poenas irroget aequas. Horat.
and the degrees
of the Punishment. Justice
takes the Scales into its hand
before it takes the Sword. Now
sin against God is of such an immense
Guilt, that an eternal Punishment
is but equivalent to it.
This will appear by considering,
1. The Perfections of the
Law-giver who is infinitely above
us. One Act of Sin is rebellion
against God, and includes
in it the contempt of his Majesty,
before whom the highest Angels
cover their Faces with reverence
and adoration,Isa. 6. 2, 3. as unworthy to
behold his Glory, and cover their
Feet as unworthy that he should
behold them: the contradiction
of his Holiness that is his peculiar
Glory: the denial of his
Omniscience and Omnipresence,
as if he were confin'd to the superior
World,Job 22. 14. and busy in regulating
the harmonious order of
the Stars, and did not discern
and observe what is done below:
the defiance of his Eternal
Power, and provoking him to jealousy,
as if we were stronger than
he.
2. If we consider the Obligations
of the reasonable Creatures
to obey his Commands, the guilt
of Sin rises prodigiously. They
were made by his Power with
this special character of Excellency,
according to his Image:
they were happy in his Love:
they were endowed with intellectual
Faculties capable to understand
and consider their Obligations
to their bountiful Lord.
From hence it appears that Sin is
the most unnatural Rebellion
against God, and in it there is a
concurrence of Impiety, Ingratitude,
Perfidiousness, and whatever
may inhance a Crime to an
excess of Wickedness.
3. The meanness of the Motives
that induce Men to prefer
the pleasing their depraved Appetites
before Obedience to his Sacred
Will, extreamly aggravates
the Offence. Of this we have a
convincing Instance in the first
Sin committed upon Earth. Deceitful
Curiosity, flattering Pride,
a secret pleasure of acting according
to his own Will, join'd
with the low attractives of sence,
blinded and transported Adam to
eat the Mortal Fruit, against the
express Command of God. And
ever since, the vanishing shadows
of Honour, or Gain, or
Pleasure, are the only perswasives
to Sin. And what can be
more provoking, than for a Trifle
to transgress the Law of God,
and equally despise his Favour
and Displeasure? Can any punishment
less than Eternal expiate
such Impieties? The Rules of
Humane Justice may discover to
us the Equity of the Divine Justice.
'Tis ordained by the wisest
States, that many Crimes which
may be done in a few minutes,
shall be punish'd with Death,
and the Offender be deprived of
his natural Life for ever: And is
it not most just that Treason against
the Great and Immortal King,
should be revenged with Everlasting
Death?
4. That which farther clears
the Divine Justice in punishing
Sin with Hell, is this, That God
by his infallible Promise assures
us, that all who sincerely and
uniformly obey him, shall be
rewarded with Heaven for ever:
a Blessedness most worthy the
greatness and love of the Eternal
God to bestow upon his Servants:
a Blessedness that surpasses
our most comprehensive
Thoughts. Now if Everlasting
Glory be despised, what remains
but endless Misery to be the Sinner's
Portion? The Consequence
is remediless. If Sin with an
eternal Hell in its Retinue be
chosen and embrac'd, is it not
equal that the rational Creature
should inherit his own choice?
How just is it that those who are
the Slaves of the Devil, and
maintain his Party here, should
have their recompence with him
for ever? That those who now
say to the Almighty, depart from us,
we desire not the knowledg of thy
Ways, should hear the Dreadful
Depart from me into everlasting Fire?
As there will be no vain-boasting
in Heaven, where the Reward
is the Gift of pure Bounty; so
there will be no righteous Complaint
against God in Hell, where
the Punishment is inflicted by
powerful Justice. He that voluntarily
sins, by consequence
chuses the Punishment due to
it.
5. The estimation of an Offence
is taken from the disposition
of him that does it. When
'tis done with pleasure and obstinacy,
there is no place for Favour.
Now final impenitence
alone makes Sin actually and eternally
damning to the Sinner.
Those that, notwithstanding all
gracious Means, live continually
in rebellion against God, those
that impenitently die in their
Sins, those that desire to live here
for ever, that they might enjoy
their sweet Sins; those that are so
hardned and naturaliz'd in their
Vices, that if they were revived
and brought again into this World
of Temptations, would certainly
return to the pleasures of Sin; is it
not righteous that their incorrigible
obstinacy should be punish'd
for ever?Paenae aequalitas non nude spectanda ut in ponderibus & mensuris, sed expenso proposito, & voto ejus qui deliquit. Grot.
Is it not just that those
who would continue under the dominion
of Sin, should forfeit all
their claim to the Divine Mercy?
For if we consider them as unrepentant
and irreclaimable from
their Wickedness, there are in
them the just provocations and
true causes of God's final rejection
and hatred: and if we consider
God as revealed in his Word
and Works, his essential Properties,
Wisdom, Purity, Justice,
necessarily work upon such Objects
in such a manner. How
zealous an indignation did the
Son of God express against the
obdurate Pharisees? You Serpents,
you Generation of Vipers, how should
you escape the damnation of Hell?
Mat. 23. 33.
They in despite of all his Miracles,
the equal Expressions of his
Goodness and Power, resisted his
Authority, blasphemed his Person,
and slighted his Salvation.
Now tho' other Sins are of an inferior
Nature, and weaker Evidence,
yet Obstinacy added to
them, makes a Person unworthy
and uncapable of Mercy.
From hence the misery of the
Damned is without Redemption,
without Hope, without Allay
for ever.
2. I shall now proceed to
consider the Evidence of the
Facts that is produc'd as the Reason
of that Judgment.
The temper of Divine Justice
is very observable in the
particular Judgments recorded
in Scripture. In the first process
of Justice on Earth, we read,
that God made the enquiry of
Adam,
Gen. 3. 11.
Hast thou eaten of the Tree
whereof I commanded thee that thou
shouldst not eat? and by palpable
Evidence convinc'd him before
he condemn'd him. Thus before
the fiery Vengeance upon
the wicked Cities, the Memory
of which will never be extinguish'd;
The Lord said to Abraham,
Gen. 18. 20, 21.
Because the Cry of Sodom and
Gomorrah is great, and because their
Sin is grievous, I will go down now,
and see whether they have done according
to the Cry of it, that is come
up unto me: viz. whether they
were so numerously and excessively
wicked: if not, I will know.
God is pleased to incarnate himself
in Man's Expression, to declare
more sensibly to us, that he
never punishes with precipitation,
but after an equal trial of
the Cause. Thus we read of
that prophane King of Babylon,
Belshazzer,
Dan. 5. 27.
That he was weighed in
the Ballance, and found wanting, before
he was sentenc'd to be deprived
of his Kingdom and Life.
And the destruction of the Antichristian
State is attended with solemn
Halelujahs for the righteousness
of that Judgment.Rev. 19. 2, 3. And
in the last Day the Righteousness
of God's Proceedings shall be
universally manifest and magnified.Rom. 2. 5.
'Tis therefore called the
Day of the Revelation of the Righteous
Judgment of God. Now
in order to this, the Scripture
informs us, that all the Works of
Men shall be brought in to
Judgment,Eccl. 12. last.
even every secret thing,
whether good or evil. And the Apostle
saith,2 Cor. 5. 10.
That we must all appear
before the Judgment-Seat of Christ,
that every one may receive the things
done in his Body, according to that he
hath done, whether it be good or bad.
All Sins, whether secret or
openly visible, shall be accounted
for. Those Sins that have
been acted in the most secret Retirement,
so that no eye of Man
could take cognizance of them;
Nay, the Sins of the thoughts and
affections, of which Satan could
not accuse Men, when the inward
Fire of Lust or Malice is
not discovered by the least smoke
or sparkles, by no expressions,
all those shall be brought to
Judgment:Rom. 2. 16.
God will judg the Secrets
of Men by Jesus Christ.
The sins of Omission of our
Duty that are so numerous, from
carelesness and diversions, from
slothfulness and delays, and that
now so little affect us; for we are
more sensible of what we do, than
of what we have not done; the
guilt of all these shall then be
heavily charged on the Conscience
of the Sinner. The neglect of improving
all the Means, Advantages,
and Opportunities of doing
or receiving Good, will be a
great part of that Judgment.
The Lord called his Servants to
an account for the Talent committed
to their trust, and required
profit in proportion to their number
and worth.
All sins of Commission in Youth
and Age, whether gross Sensuality,
as Lasciviousness, Lusts, excess
of Wine,
1 Pet. 4. 5.
Revellings, Banquetings,
and abominable Idolatries, and all excess
of Riot, shall be accounted for to
him who is ready to judg the quick and
the dead: or acts of unrighteous-to
others.Col. 3. 25.
He that doth wrong,
shall receive according to the wrong
he has done. And sins of a lesser
guilt, for which the most are not
touch'd with grief or shame,
shall then be produc'd in Judgment.
All the sins of our words,
so easily committed, and not so
easily observed, shall then be called
to a heavy remembrance. The
Judg himself tells us;Mat. 12. 36.
I say unto
you, that every idle word that Men shall
speak, they shall give account thereof
in the Day of Judgment. And if
vain words, the Signs and immediate
Effects of a vain Mind,
shall sadly encrease our Accounts,
how much more all the
contentious, fierce and revengeful
words, the detracting, false,
contumelious and injurious
words, the impure, filthy, and
contagious words, the prophane,
blasphemous, and impious words
that flow from the evil Treasure of
the Heart? O their dreadful number,
and oppressing weight!
And all the Aggravations and
Circumstances of Mens Sins, that
raise their Guilt to such fearful
heights, shall be enumerated in
order to Judgment. For thus
'twas foretold;Jud. 14, 15.
Behold, the Lord
cometh with ten thousand of his Saints,
to execute Judgment upon all, and to
convince all that are ungodly among
them, of all their ungodly Deeds
which they have ungodly committed;
and all their hard Speeches which ungodly
Sinners have spoken against him.
And all the good Works of the
Saints shall then be remembred,
even to the least work of Piety,
the giving of two Mites to the Treasury
of the Temple;
Luk. 21. 3, 4. and the least
work of Charity,Mat. 10. 42. the giving a
cup of cold Water to a Disciple, upon
the account of his Relation
unto Christ. All their secret
Graces and Duties shall then be
rewarded.
The manner of this Judicial
Evidence is set forth to us in
Scripture, by the opening the Books;
congruously to proceedings in humane
Judgment, wherein the
Information and Charge is produc'd
from Writings for the conviction
of the Accused. Thus
it was represented to St. John in a
Vision;Rev. 20. 12.
I saw the Dead, small and
great, stand before God; and the
Books were opened, and the Dead
were judged out of the things that
were written in the Books, according
to their Works.
1. The Books of the Law and
Gospel shall then be open'd in all
the Injunctions and Prohibitions,
and our Lives compar'd with
them. Our Saviour told the
Jews,John 5. 45.
Do not think that I will accuse
you to my Father, there is one
that accuseth you, even Moses, in
whom you trust: not the Person, but
the Law of Moses. And he denounced
against those that reject
the Gospel;John 12. 48. the Word that I have
spoken, the same shall judg them in
the last Day. The Law is the exact
Transcript of God's Sacred
Will, the natural and immutable
Rule of Righteousness; 'tis
pure, forbids all Sin, and enjoyns
universal Holiness; 'tis Spiritual,
requires not only a conformity
in Words and Actions, but inward
sanctity in mind and heart:
for the Soul is the principal part
of Man, entirely open to God's
Eye, the Maker and Judg of it.
And the most enlightned Saints
have but an imperfect knowledg
of it here. This made Holy
David, after his meditation upon
its purity and perfection, to cry
out in an Agony, Who can understand
his Errors! cleanse thou me
from secret sins.
Psal. 19. This when opend
in its spiritual and comprehensive
Nature, by a wise and
zealous Preacher, darts a Light
into the Conscience, and discovers
many secret Sins, that like
so many Serpents were still and
quiet in the dark; but upon the
suddain breaking in of the Light,
fly upon the Sinner, and torment
him with their mortal
Stings. But when the Law-giver
himself shall expound the Law
in its full extent and perfection,
with respect to all the Duties it
commands, and Sins it forbids,
how guilty will Men appear?
how unable to answer one Article
of a thousand charg'd upon
them?
2. The Omniscience of God
will give most convincing Evidence
of all our Works. All things
are naked and open to his Eyes,
Heb. 4. 13.
with
whom we have to do in Judgment.
The Psalmist declares the infinite
perspicacity of his sight: The
Darkness hides not from thee,
Psal. 139.
but the
Night shines as the Day. As his
Light and transcendent Brightness
is invisible to us,1 Tim. 6. 16. so our
thickest darkness is visible to him.
We cannot see things in the
Night, because it hinders the reception
of the Rays, that insinuate
into the Eye and causes
sight: but the Eyes of our Judg
are like a flame of Fire,
Rev. 1. 14. dispelling
all darkness. From his Throne
in Heaven, his piercing Eye sees
through all the concealments of
Mens Sins. Thou hast set our Iniquities
before thee,
Psal. 90. 8.
and our secret
Sins in the Light of thy Countenance.
He discovered the Sacrilege of
Achan, the Lie of Gehazi, the Deceit
of Ananias. Saul's disobedience
in sparing the Amalekites devoted
to destruction,1 Sam. 15. 21. had the colourable
pretence of Piety, and,
as a Sacrifice, was laid on the Altar.
2 Sam. 11. 25 And David's Murder of
Uriah was imputed to the chance
of War as a sufficient excuse. But
tho' they might have deceived others,
they could not deceive
God. He is intimately present
with the Souls of Men, that are
unsearchable to the most discerning
Angels of Light, and knows
all their most secret Designs and
Desires. The Pharisees in whom
Pride was the first Property, and
Hypocrisy a second Nature, could
not, with all their saintly shews,
impose upon our Saviour: for he
knew what was in Man.
Mat. 23. 14. He discover'd
their Alms to be not the
effect of Charity but Ostentation,Mat. 6. 2. and their specious Acts of
Devotion to be a train to surprise
some rich Prey.Mat. 23. 14.
And this Divine Knowledg of
Men and their Actions is in order
to Judgment. Thus the
wise King declares,Prov. 24. 12.
Doth not he
that ponders the Heart consider it?
and he that keepeth thy Soul, doth not
he know it? And shall not he render
to every Man according to his Works?
And God himself testifies,Jer. 17. 10.
I the
Lord search the Heart, even to give
to every Man according to his Works.
For this Reason he is said to keep
a Register of Mens Sins. Thus
he speaks of the impure Idolatries
of the Jews; Behold, it is written
before me,
Isa. 65. 6. to signify his exact and
actual knowledg, I will not keep
silence, but will recompense, even recompense
into their Bosoms. And at
the Day of Judgment he will declare
his Knowledg of their Sins
before all, and the most secret
shall be made evident, as if written
in their Foreheads in the
most plain and legible Characters.
And all the goodness of the
Saints shall then be revealed by
the Judg.O si nobis animam boni viri liceret inspicere, quam pulchram faciem, quam sanctam, quam ex magnifico, placidoque fulgentem videremus! Senec.
Their greatest Excelcellencies
are invisible to the Eyes
of Men: the sanctity of their
Aims and Affections, which gives
Life and Value to all the Acts
of Obedience, their secret Duties,
wherein the sincerity and
ardency of their Souls is most
exprest, are only known to God.
And such is the excellent humility
of the Saints, that the more
they are enrich'd, and abound
with the gracious influences of
the Spirit, the less they discover
to the World: as the Celestial
Bodies, when in nearest conjunction
with the Sun, and most
fill'd with his Light, are least in
appearance to the Inhabitants of
the Earth.Mal. 3. 16, 17. But there is a Book
of Remembrance before him, for
them that feared the Lord, and
thought upon his Name. And
they shall be mine, saith the Lord of
Hosts, in the day when I make up my
Jewels: and I will spare them as a
Man spares his Son that serves him.
3. The Conscience of every
Man shall then be open'd, and
give an accusing or excusing testimony
of all things:Rom. 2. 15, 16. for these
Acts of Conscience in the present
Life, have a final respect to
God's Tribunal. And tho the
Accounts are so vast, there shall
be an exact agreement between
the Books of God's Omniscience
and of Conscience in the Day of
Judgment. Now indeed the Conscience
of Man, tho never so inquisitive
and diligent in examining
and revising his Ways, is unable
to take a just account of his Sins.
As one that would tell the first
appearing Stars in the Evening,
before he can reckon them others
appear and confound his Memory
with their number: so when
Conscience is seriously intent in
reflecting upon it self, before it
can reckon up the Sins committed
against one Command, innumerable
others appear. This
made the Psalmist, upon the survey
of his Actions, break forth
in amazement and perplexity;
Mine Iniquities are more than the
Hairs upon my Head,
Psal. 40. 12.
therefore my
Heart fails me. But it will be
one of the Miracles of that Day,
to enlarge the view of Conscience
to all their Sins. And O the formidable
spectacle, when Conscience
enlightned by a Beam from Heaven,
shall present to a Sinner in
one view the sins of his whole
Life! Now Conscience is a Notary
in every Man's Bosom; and
tho 'tis not always vocal, yet
writes down their Actions. The
Sin of Judah is written with a Pen
of Iron,Jer. 17. 1.
and with a point of a Diamond
'tis graven upon the Tables of
the Heart. But then it shall be
compell'd to give a full Charge
against the Guilty. Of this we
have an infallible presage in this
world, when Conscience turns
the point against the Brest of a
Sinner, and enforces the Tongue,
by a secret instigation to accuse
the Person. And this Information
of Conscience at the last
will make the Sinner speechless:
for the Book of Accounts with
Divine Justice, was always in
his own keeping; and what-ever
is recorded there, was written
with his own hand. And how will
those hardned Sinners that now
kick against the Pricks of Conscience,
be able to repel its strong
and quick Accusations before that
terrible Tribunal?
4. Other numerous Witnesses
will appear to finish the process
of that Day. Not as if God,
that knows all things, wants information,
but for the publick
conviction of the Wicked.
Satan will then bring a bloody
Charge against them. Such is
his Malignity, that he is a Complainer
of God to Man, and by
calumniating the Blessed Creator,
seduc'd our first Parents; and
he is the Accuser of Men to God.
He is stiled the Accuser of the Brethren
before God day and night.
Rev. Sometimes
falsly, as when he taxed Job,
that his Piety was mercenary; and
often truly to provoke the Divine
Displeasure. But tho his Charge be
just against them as Sinners, yet as
Penitent Sinners they are absolved
by the Judg upon the
Throne of Grace. This we
have represented to the Prophet
Zechary,
Zech. 3. 1, 2, 3. Joshua the High
Priest, a Type of the Church,
standing before the Angel of the Lord,
and Satan standing at his right hand
to accuse him; for that was the
place of Accusers. But Christ
the Blessed Reconciler interposed.
And the Lord said to Satan,
the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even
the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem
rebuke thee. But he will principally
act the part of an Accuser
at the Last Judgment. This is
intimated in that fearful imprecation,
Let Satan stand at his right
hand;
Ps. 109. 6, 7
When he is judged, let him be
condemned. He is now an active
watchful Spirit, whose Diligence
is equal to his Malice, and by
glittering Snares, or violent
Temptations, draws Men to
sin. But then he will be their
most bitter Accuser, not from
zeal of Justice, but pure Malignity.
Then he will aggravate
their Crimes by the most killing
Circumstances; tho in accusing
them he endites himself, their sins
being usually done by his sollicitations.
And the Wicked themselves
will accuse one another. In this
World Fellow-sinners usually
conceal one anothers Wickedness,
restrain'd by their own obnoxiousness.
But then all that
have been jointly engaged in
the commission of Sin, will impeach
each other. The voluptuous
Sinners that have excited
one another to Lust or Luxury;Prov. 7. 18.
Come let us take our fill of Love till
the Morning: Come, I will fetch
Wine,
Isa. 56. 12.
and we will fill our selves with
strong Drink, for to morrow shall
be as to day, and much more abundant:
All the Charming Companions
and Associates will with
fierceness charge one another.
And the malicious cruel Sinners
that say,Prov.
•
.
Come let us lay wait for
Blood, let us swallow them up quick
as the Grave, will then like enraged
Furies fly upon one another.
In all Sins of Combination,
the inferior Instruments
will accuse their Directors for
their pernicious Counsel, and the
Directors will accuse the Instruments
for their wicked Compliance.
And all the Holy Servants of
God, who by their Instructions,
Counsels, Admonitions, Examples
have endeavoured to make
the World better; especially
those who by their Place and
Relation were more concerned,
and more zealously & compassionately
urged and perswaded those
under their Care to reform their
Lives, and save their Souls, will
give a heavy Testimony against
them. Indeed the very presence
of the Saints will upbraid the
Wicked, for their resisting all
the warming, melting Intreaties,
all the grave and serious Reproofs,
all the tender earnest Expostulations,
that were ineffectual
by the hardness of their
Hearts.
Briefly, the Scripture attributes
to the Signs and Circumstances
of Mens sins, a vocal Evidence
against them. Thus the Prophet
speaking of the House built
by Rapine and Extortion, The
Stones of the Wall cry,
Hab. 2. 11.
and the Beams
answer them; and with concurrent
testimony accuse the unrighteous
Builder. And St. James declares,
That the Wages of the Hireling, kept
back by fraud,
Jam. 5. 3, 4.
cry against the Oppressor.
And the rust of Gold and Silver treasured
up, is a Witness against the Covetous.
And this by the recognition
of Conscience will be a Memorial
against them hereafter.
To what the Scripture speaks
of this kinde of Evidence of
Mens sins, I shall add a useful Representation
fram'd by a Heathen,
to signify that wickedness,
how secretly soever committed,
shall be brought to light in Judgment.
He tells us, that the Soul
of a very guilty Wretch, was after
Death arraigned before one
of the severe Judges below. And
at his Tryal, because his atrocious
Crimes were done in secret,
he stood upon his defence, denying
all. The Judg commanded
his Lamp to be produc'd, that
was an Eye Witness of his Wickedness.
The Lamp appear'd,
and being demanded what it
knew of him, answered with a
sigh, Would I had been conscious
of nothing, for even now
the remembrance of his Villanies
makes me tremble. I wish
my Light had been extinguish'd,
that the Oil that maintained, had
quench'd it. But I burnt with
disdain, and cast about some
Sparks to fire his impure Bed, and
was grieved that my little Flame
was so weak as not to consume it.
I said within my self, If the Sun
saw these Villanies, it would be
eclips'd, and leave the World in
Darkness. But I now perceive
why I was constrain'd to give
Light to him, that being a secret
Spy of his Uncleanness, his
Thefts and Cruelties, I might
reveal them. But we that are
enlightned by Faith, and know
that God is Omnipresent, and
that what-ever Sin is done, tho'
in the deepest and darkest recess,
is manifest to him,Ipse timendus est in publico, ipse in secreto. Lucerna ardet? videt te. Lucerna extincta est? videt te. In cubile intras? videt te. in corde versaris? videt te. Ipsum time. have no
need of Lucian's Lamp to make
our Judg to be feared by us.
3. The impartiality of the
Sentence will make the Justice of
God conspicuous before the
whole World. This consists in
two things.
1. There will be no distinction
of Persons.
2. There will be a distinction
of Causes in that Judgment; and
according to their Nature, the
Sentence will pass upon all.
1. There will be no distinction
of Persons. In Humane
Courts, the Judges sometimes extend
and amplify, sometimes
contract or smother the Evidence,
and are more rigorous or
favourable in their Sentence, as
they are byast towards the Persons
before them. But the Righteous
Judg of the World is uncapable
of being inclin'd to favour
or severity upon such base
Motives. This is frequently declared
in Scripture, to possess us
with his Fear. If ye call upon
the Father, who without respect of
Persons judges according to every
Man's Work,
1 Pet. 1. 17.
pass the time of your
sojourning here in fear. No spiritual
Priviledges upon which Men
are so apt to presume, viz. that
they are Members of the Reformed
Church; that they are enrich'd
with excellent Gifts; that they
enjoy the Ordinances in their purest
Administration, will availe
them without real Holiness in
their hearts and lives. The being
united to Societies of the most
glorious Profession, of strictest
Purity, and sublime Devotion,
does no more prove one to be a
real Saint, than the being of an
eminent Company of Merchants
proves one to be a rich Citizen.
Those that bow the Knee and not the
Heart in faithful Reverence, that
give the empty title of Lord to Christ,
without the tribute of Obedience, will
be rejected by him.
Mat. 7. 22.
Many shall say at
the Day of Judgment, Lord, Lord,
we have prophesied in thy Name, and
done many wonderous works. Then will
the Judg say, I know you not: Depart
from me ye workers of Iniquity. No
degrees of Civil Greatness will be
of any moment and advantage in
that day. St. John testifies, I saw
the Dead, small and great, stand before
God, in an equal Line, to receive
their Trial. Kings shall
then be devested of their Imperial
Titles, of their Crowns and Scepters,
and their Robes of State, and
only be accompanied with their
Works. Of this we have an undoubted
Proof, in that they are
no more exempted from the
common Law of dying than the
meanest Slave. Death, that rugged
Officer arrests them without
Ceremony, and summons them
to appear before that Tribunal.
The Royal Purple could not
protect Herod from being devoured
by Worms. The Apostle
speaks indefinitely in the forecited
place; He that does wrong,
shall receive for the wrong he has
done;
Col. 3. last.
and there is no respect of Persons.
No circumstantial Accidents
can derive true worth, or
truly debase Persons, but inherent
Qualities, and the Actions
that flow from them: and accordingly,
the High and Holy God
will accept or disapprove them.
What St. Paul observes of the
saving Grace of the Gospel being
indifferently offer'd to all, is applicable
in this case. He tells us,
There is neither Greek nor Jew,
Col. 3. 11.
Barbarian
nor Scythian, Bond nor Free,
that are prefer'd or excluded upon
a Carnal account, but that
all may equally partake of Spiritual
Blessings. Thus the difference
of Nations will be no
Priviledg or Prejudice to any in
the Day of Judgment. The most
rude and contemptible shall have
as fair and equal a Trial, as the
most polite and civiliz'd. The
ignorant Barbarians, as the Learned
Grecians, that so much boasted
of their vain Excellencies
above them. The Negroes in
Africa, as the People of Europe:
for they have the same Relation
to God their Maker, and as truly
bear the impression of God
stamped upon the Humane Nature
in the Creation, and therefore
common to the whole species
of Mankind: An Image
may be fashion'd in Ebony, as
well as in Ivory. Briefly, all Men
are equally subject to his Laws,
and shall be equally accountable
for their Actions. The Rich and
the Poor shall then meet together,
without d
•
stinction, before God the
Marker and Judg of them all.
2. There shall be a distinction
of Causes, and every Man be
judged according to his Works, the
tenor of good Works, and the
desert of bad. The Apostle assures
us,Gal. 6. 7, 8.
That whatsoever a Man
sows, that shall he reap: He that
soweth to the Flesh, shall of the Flesh
reap Corruption: But he that soweth
to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap
Life everlasting. The Harvest
shall be according to the Seed,
both in kind and measure.
1.Rom. 2. 7.
Those who by patient continuance
in well-doing, seek for Glory,
and Honour, and Imortality, shall
obtain eternal Life.
Rom. 6. last. Indeed, eternal
Life is the Gift of infinite bounty,
nay of pure Mercy,
Jude 21. and Mercy
excludes Merit. 'Tis said of the
Blessed Martyrs, who contended
for the Truth and Purity of the
Gospel to the Death,Rev. 7. 14. that their
Robes were wash'd white in the Blood
of the Lamb, not in their own
Blood? Their right to Heaven
was from the application of his
Merits to them. But the Reward
is dispens'd from God according
to the Evangelical Law;
not only as a Magnificent Prince,
but as a Righteous Judge. All
those whom the Gospel ordains
to Eternal Life, shall infallibly
obtain it, and none that
the Gospel excludes. Those
who were sensible of their Sins,
and cordially forsaking them,
did humbly and entirely depend
upon the Grace of God, through
the Blessed Reconciler and Saviour,
shall be justified and glorified.
Then the Judg will discern
between unfeigned Faith
and vain Presumption, and
will justify the Faith of the
Saints by the genuine Fruits of it,
the Godliness, Righteousness, and
Sobriety of their Lives, and a victorious
perseverance in their
Duty, notwithstanding all the
pleasing Temptations or Tortures
to withdraw them from it.
Thus the Apostle expresses his
humble confidence;2 Tim. 4. 7, 8.
I have fought
the good Fight, I have finish'd my
Course, henceforth there is laid up
for me the Crown of Righteousness,
which God the Righteous Judg will
give me at that day: and not only to
me, but to all that love his appearance.
We read in the Description
of the Last Judgment, That
the Book of Life was opened:
Rev. 20. 12.
the
Names of all that were written in
Heaven, shall then be declared,
that it may appear they are saved
by Grace. For it was his most free
pleasure to select some from the
common Mass of Perdition, who
were naturally as guilty and corrupted
as others, and to predestinate
them to Eternal Glory,
and effectual persevering Grace
to prepare them for it. The
Saints are created in Christ Jesus unto
good Works which God hath before
ordained, that they should walk
in them. And the New Creation
is as undeserved and entire an Effect
of God's Love as the first
was. But 'tis said, That every
Man was judged according to his
Works. For Eternal Election
does not entitle a Person immediately
to Heaven, but according
to the order establish'd in the Gospel.
Thus the King at the last
Day speaks to the Elect;Mat. 15. 34, 35.
Come, ye
Blessed of my Father, inherit the
Kingdom, prepared for you before the
foundation of the World: for I was
hungry, and ye fed me; naked, and ye
clothed me.
And according as the Saints
have excell'd in Fidelity and Zeal
in God's Service, they shall be
rewarded with a more excellent
Glory. The Stars of Paradise
are of a different brightness and
greatness, as the Stars of the
Firmament. Indeed all are perfectly
happy, withoutPlus amant illud Regnum in quo
•
on timent habere confortes. Aug. de Civit. Dei. jealousie,
that any is equal or superior
to them in that Kingdom. But
God will crown his own Graces
as the Saints have improved
them. Our Saviour valued the
Widows two Mites, as transcending
all the magnificent Gifts
of others; because of the degrees
of Love in the giver. There
was a richer Mine of affection in
her Heart, Gold of a more noble
Vein, more pure and precious
than all their Riches. This
was of greater price in God's account,
who weighs the Spirits in
his Ballance.2 Cor. 8. 12. God will accept and
reward according to what a Man has,
and not according to what he has not.
He that improves but two Talents
with his best skill and diligence,
shall have a greater Reward
than another that had ten
Talents, and was remiss and less
careful to employ them for his
Masters profit. The Rule will
be exactly observed, He that sows
bountifully, shall reap bountifully;
and he that sows sparingly, shall reap
sparingly.
And if God will be thus impartial
in rewarding the Saints,
much more in punishing the
Wicked. For the renumeration
of our Duty is the effect of his
most free Favour; but the recompences
of Sin are due, and
decreed by Justice, in Number,
Weight, and Measure. The severity
of the sence will be in proportion,
as Mens Sins have been
more numerous and heinous. Altho'
all the Damned shall be equally
miserable in dispair, all
broken on an endless Wheel, yet
the degrees of their Torment are
different. Sins of Ignorance are
extenuated in comparison of Rebellious
Sins against knowledge.
The first are like a Servant's dashing
against his Master in the dark;
the other like the insolent striking
of him in the light: And as they
incur greater Guilt, will expose
to greater Punishment. Accordingly
our Saviour predicts,Luke 12. 47. 48. that
the Servant which knew his Lord's
Will, and prepared not himself, neither
did according to his Will, shall be beaten
with many stripes. But he that
knew not, and did commit things worthy
of stripes, shall be beaten with few
stripes. Unactive Knowledge is
worse than Ig
•
orance. For this
reason the case of Heathens wil be
more tolerable than of the Jews:
for tho' some natural Principles
were strong and quick in their
minds, that made them sensible
of their duty and danger, yet they
were not so clear and perfect as
the Law delivered by Moses.
Those Sins that were infirmities
in a Pagan, were presumptuous
in a Jew. And the case of the Jews
will be more tolerable than of
disobedient Christians, who enjoy
the Gospel less charged with Ceremonies,
and more abundant in
Grace than the Mosaical Dispensation.
Those that have set before
them the Life of Christ, the
Model of all Perfection, that are
excited by such lowd Calls to flee
from the Wrath to come, and yet are
deaf and regardless to the Commands,
nay to the melting Invitations
and precious Promises of
the Gospel, shall have a more intolerable
Judgment than the most
guilty Sinners, even the Sodomites
and Sidonians that were strangers
to it. The precious Blood of the
Son of God despised, induces a
Crimson Guilt. And as Sins are
committed with pride and pleasure,
with eager appetite and obstinacy,
the revenge of Justice will
be more heavy upon Persons.
More particularly, Sins of consequence,
whereby others are
drawn to Sin, will heighten the
Guilt, and the retribution of Justice
will be to every Man according
to his ways, and according to the
fruit of his doings.
Jer. 17. 10.
This will principally concern
Superiours in eminency of place,
whose dignity has always a concomitant
proportion of Duty.
Their vicious Actions are Examples,
and their Examples more
powerful Rules than their Laws,
and give countenance to others
to sin licentiously. They sin with
an high Hand, and involve the
ruine of innumerable persons
that depend upon them. As the
Dragon in the Revelation, whose
fall from Heaven drew a train of
lesser Stars with him. And all inferiour
Magistrates, who by personal
commission, or partial connivance,
encourage and harden
others in Sin, and by their power
discountenance serious Religion,
and obstruct the progress of it,
heap up Damnation to themselves.
And the Ministers of the Word,
who are obliged to watch for the
Souls of Men; and should, like the
Heavens, by their light, influence,
and motion, their Doctrine and
Lives, guide and quicken others
in the ways of Holiness, if by their
neglect and wickedness others are
lost for ever, their Account will
be most heavy and undoing.
Of this number are those, who
by their unholy Conversation
weaken the Authority and Efficacy
of the Word, and more successfully
perswade Men to do
Evil, than by their Preaching to
do well: for we are apt to take
deeper impression through the eye
than through the ear, and to follow
the Physician's Practice rather
than his Counsel. These perish
not alone in their Iniquity. And
such who are unfaithful Dispensers
of the Treasures of their
Lord, and by loose Doctrines
corrupt the Minds of Men, to
fancy a Mercy in God derogatory
to his Holiness, that altho they
live indulgently in Sin, they may
obtain an easy Pardon and Happiness
at last. And such who employ
their high Commission for
low and base ends: Those who
instead of preaching Jesus Christ,
and him crucified, the pure and saving
Truths, derived from the
Fountain of the Gospel, entertain
their hearers with flashy Conceits,
and studied Vanities, to give a relish
to Curiosity, and to have the
applause of Fools, and obscure
the native Majesty of the Word,
enervate its force, and render it
powerless to Conscience.
And those who spend their zeal
in things of no moment to Salvation,
and let fly bitter Invectives
against those that dissent from
them in unconcerning Matters,
by which they harden Atheistical
Scorners in vilifying the Office of
the Ministry as a Carnal invention,
set up and used for Secular ends;
and induce ot
•••
s to place Religion
in Formalities and slight colours
of it, as if Conformity to
needless Rites would exclude the
defects of substantial Holiness.
'Tis observ'd in the Chaldee-Paraphrase,
when God was inquiring
of Cain concerning Abel, that
he charges him, The voice of thy
Brother's Bloods cries unto me. As if
Cain were a Murderer not of a
single Man only, but of a numerous
Race that might have descended
from his Brother. Thus
a wicked Minister will be charg'd
not only for murdering himself,
but as many precious Souls as
might have been converted and
saved, if he had faithfully performed
his Duty.
And Parents that should instil
the Principles of Godliness into
their Children in their early age,
and season their minds with the
knowledge of the Divine Laws,
to regulate their Lives, and make
them sensible of their Obligations
to obey them, that should recommend
Religion to their Affections
by an holy and heavenly
Conversation, if by the neglect
of their Duty their Children are
exposed as a prey to the Tempter,
and ruin'd for ever, it will
enhance their last Reckoning, and
encrease the score of their Guilts
beyond expression.
And Masters of Families, and
all others that have authority and
advantage to preserve or reform
from evil those that are committed
to their Care, and to instruct
and command them to do what
is pleasing to God and profitable
to their Souls, will be sadly accountable
for those that perish by
their neglect.
In short, we see by common
experience, that Company and
mutual Consent is a usual Motive
to Sin; and many persons that alone
would with abhorrence reject
some Temptations, yet are
sociably sinful. Now all those
who by excitation or example,
lead others to destruction, as they
are first in Sin, will be chief in
the Punishment. We reade in
the Parable of the rich Voluptuary,
that being in Hell,Luke 16. 28. he desired
a Messenger might be dispatch'd
from the Dead to warn his Brethren,
left they should come to
that place of Torment. Is there
such Charity in Hell to the Souls
of others?Non orat pro fratrum salute qua non tangitur reprobus, sed pro se ne ipsius tormenta ex consortio fratrum a
•
geantur. No, that Furnace always
burns with its proper flames,
there is not a spark of that Divine
Fire there. But remembring how
guilty he had been of their Sins,
feared that his Torments would
be encreased by their coming thither.Brugen.
Society in endless Sorrows
does not divide but reflect them.
Now if Damnation for Sin be
such a Misery as is exprest in the
Scripture by the most violent Figures
and words of the heaviest
signification; if all the possible
Tortures suffered here are but a
Lenitive to the preparations of
Wrath in Hell, how miserable
shall those be, who, as if a single
Damnation were a light matter,
do not only commit Sin in their
own persons, but are in combination
with Satan to corrupt and
destroy others, and multiply the
sentences of Damnation against
themselves? These treasure up
Wrath against the day of Wrath.
Briefly, the whole Process of
that Day, the Arraignment and
Sentence are so ordered, as to
clear the Judge, and confound
the Guilty. God will be justified in
his Sentence, and overcome when he
judgeth.
I shall now come to apply this
great Doctrine.
1. Let us from what has been
discours'd of Judgment to come,
be excited to confirm our Faith in
this great and useful Doctrine;
and by serious and frequent
thoughts to apply it to our selves.
Some within the Church have only
a superficial belief of this, as
a point of the Religion wherein
they were educated, but carnal
Affections, Fear, Hope, Love, and
Desire, controul their Assent, as
to its operation upon them. They
believe in the general that God is
the Judge and Rewarder of our
Actions, and in the absence of
temptation resolve to obey him:
but when a strong Tryal comes
from some temporal Good or Evil
that is present, their Faith is
negligent, and unactive to keep
them from Sin. Now to make
our Faith powerful, we must,
First, confirm it by convincing
Arguments, that it may be an
undoubted Assurance, a certain
Light, directive and perswasive
in the course of our Lives. Some
Doctrines of Religion, that are of
an incomprehensible nature, and
should be received with silent adoration
for the Authority of the
Revealer, are obstinately contradicted
by some, upon a vain pretence
that nothing is to be believed
that will not endure the rigorous
inquisition of Reason, and
be comprehended by our narrow
Minds: but Reason, tho darkned,
sees the necessity of a future Judgment.
Nature and Scripture testify
there is a God, and that he
has a Right, and Power, and Will
to distribute the rewards of Vertue,
and the penalties of Vice to
his Subjects. To deny this, is
directly against the implanted
Notion of the Deity in the heart.
There is a real difference between
Moral Good and Evil, not depending
upon Opinion, but arising
from the immutable nature
of things, and the eternal Law of
God. Otherwise, considered in it
self, it were no more faulty to
murder a Parent, than to kill a
Fly; nor to rob a Travellor, than
to chase a Deer. But the Conscience
of the most profligate wretch
would startle at such an Assertion.
The disposition and admirable
order of the World in its
various parts, and the vicissitude
of Seasons, declare to the obsering
Mind, that a most wise, good,
and powerful God governs and
preserves all things by his vigorous
Influence. And can it be that
the Divine Providence, so visibly
wise and good in regulating the
course of Nature, should be defective
towards Man, the most
noble part of the World? And
can it be extended to humane affairs,
if there be no other than the
present state, wherein the Righteous
are afflicted, and the Wicked
prosper? where Sins of the deepest
stain and the lowdest cry are
unpunish'd; and the sublime and
truly heroick Vertues are unrewarded?
nay, where Vice receives
the natural reward of Vertue,
Honour and Felicity, and Vertue
the just wages of Vice, Disgrace
and Sufferings. 'Tis necessary
therefore that there be a future
state, and a righteous distribution
of rewards, according to the good
and evil of Men's Actions here.
The Heathens disguised this
terrible Truth under the Fictions
of the Infernal Judges, Minos, and
Rhadamanthus, and Eacus. And the
Furies and Vultures, and fiery
Lake, which they thought tormented
the Wicked in the next
World,Testimonium animae naturaliter Christiana. Tert. discover what apprehensions
they had of the desert of
Sin, and the punishment that certainly
attended it. The Guilty
would fain be freed from the terrours
of it, and strangle Conscience,
that is bound over to give
Testimony in the Day of Judgment,
that they may sin without
scruples. But tho Fear be a troublesom
and involuntary Passion,
they cannot totally extinguish the
internal sense and presages of future
Judgment; but as the motions
of Courage came upon Sampson
at times; so Conscience awakened
by sharp Afflictions, by
sudden Dangers, and the approaches
of Death, makes a sad deduction
of past Sins, and sorecasts
cruel things. It cites the
Offender before the enlightened
Tribunal of Heaven, scourges
with remorse, and makes him
feel even here the strokes of Hell.
Tho' the Sin be secret, and the
guilty Person powerful, not within
the cognizance or reach of humane
Justice, yet Conscience has
a Rack within, and causes pain
and anxiety, by fearful expectations
of Judgment to come.
And Divine Revelation is most
express in declaring this great
Truth. The Light of Faith is
more clear and certain from the
infallible Word of God, than the
Light of Reason. Before the
Flood, Enoch in the early Age of
the World foretold it;Jude 14, 15.
Behold, the
Lord cometh with ten thousand of his
Saints, to execute Judgment upon all.
Solomon under the Law repeats
this Doctrine,Eccles. 12. that every secret
thing shall be brought into Judgment,
whether good or evil. And God
himself speaks in the sublimest
stile of Majesty, and swears by
himself, for our firmer belief, As
I live,
Isa. 45. 23.
saith the Lord, every Knee shall
bow to me, and every Tongue confess
to God, the glory of his Justice.
From whence the Apostle infers,Rom. 14. 10, 11.
so then every one of us shall give an
account to God for himself. In the
Gospel we have distinctly described
the Person of the Judge,Mat. 13. 42, 43. & 23. 30, 31. the
glorious Attendants of his Coming,
and the manner of his proceedings
in that Day. Now the
many Predictions in Scripture so
visibly accomplish'd in the Person
of Jesus Christ,An verè extribuit nobis omnia quae promisit, & de solo die judicii nos fefellit? and by him,
give infallible assurance, that all
his Promises and Threatnings are
equally certain,Aug. and shall be fulfilled.
As sure as our Saviour is
come in his humble state, and has
accomplish'd the Prophecies of
his Sufferings, he will come in his
Glory to judg the World.
2. That the belief of eternal
Judgment may be powerful in
our hearts and lives, it must be
actuated by frequent and serious
thoughts. Faith gives life and
efficacy to our notions of eternal
things, and Consideration makes
our Faith effectual. As the natural
Life is preserved by the activity
of the vital Principles, the
Circulation of the Blood, the
drawing of the Breath, the motion
of the Pulse; so the spiritual
Life is maintained by the exercise
of Grace. The carnal Affections
dare not appear before Reason
and Conscience, when awakened
by the serious believing Consideration
of eternal Judgment. The
Evangelists relate, that when our
Saviour was asleep in the Ship, a
sudden Tempest arose that was
likely to over-set it in the Sea:
but awakened by the cry of his
Disciples, Lord, save us, we perish;
he presently rebuked the Wind, and
a Calm ensued. Thus whilst the
habit of Faith is asleep in the Soul,
there will be great danger from
the concurrent violence of Temptations
and Corruptions; but
when 'tis awakened by lively and
powerful thoughts, it does Miracles
in subduing the strongest
Lusts. 'Tis monstrous and beyond
all belief, did not sensible
experience make it evident, that
notwithstanding the minds of
Men are convinc'd of the certainty
of the Divine Judgment, and
the Recompenses that immediatly
follow, yet their Wills remain
unconverted, and their Affections
cold and unactive in their preparations
for it: That such numbers
who have so much Christianity
as to believe that an irrevocable
Doom will pass upon the
Wicked, and so little Christianity,
that they cannot justly hope
to escape from it, yet are so careless
of their Duty, nay joyful in
their sinful courses, as if Judgment
were a dreadless thing.
What is the cause of this prodigious
security? 'Tis the neglect of
considering, that we must all appear
before the Judgment-Seat of Christ, to
receive according to the things done in
the body, whether good or evil.
Their senses and faculties are
so imployed abroad in the World,
they have neither leisure nor desire
to think seriously of it. Their
hearts are so ravisht with dreams
of sensuality, and engaged in terrene
affairs, that they are very averse
from exercising their minds
upon such displeasing objects.
I have read of an excellent
Preacher, that in a Sermon described
the last Judgment in all its
Terrors, with such ardent expressions,
and those animated with
such an affecting Voice, such an
inflamed Countenance and Action,
that his Hearers broke forth
into passionate Crys, as if the Judg
himself had been present to pass
the final Sentence upon them. In
the heighth of their Commotion
the Preacher bid them stop their
tears and passions, for he had one
thing more to add, the most afflicting
and astonishing Consideration
of all the rest, That within
less than a quarter of an hour,
the memory and regard of that
which so transported them would
vanish, and their affections return
to carnal objects in their usual
manner.
The neglect of Consideration
makes even the Doctrin of Judgment
to come to be without efficacy.
'Tis necessary therefore that
the belief of this be so firmly
seated in the Heart as its Throne,
that it may comānd the thoughts
to be very attentive to it, and may
have Regal power over our wills
and affections, that our lives may
be ordered according to its Rules.
2. The Consideration of Eternal
Judgment will vindicate the
Proceedings of Divine Providence,
and the honour of God's
governing this World, from the
imputations of Unrighteousness.
God is provoked every day, yet
spares the Wicked, and heaps an
abundance of Favours on them.
His Patience and Goodness they
prophanely abuse, and become
more obdurate and inflexible.
They are apt to blaspheme the
Excellency of his Nature in their
Hearts,Psal. 14. 1. thinking that he is ignorant
or careless, impotent or unjust.
They implicitly deny his
Providence and Judgment, that
he does not observe their Sins,
and will not require an account
for them. Or else they interpret
his Permission to be an Approbation
of their Sins. These things hast
thou done,
Psal. 50.
and I kept silence, thou
thoughtest I was such an one as thy
self. Thus the Heathens transplanted
the Vices of Earth to
Heaven, and represented their
Gods to be sensual, jealous, furious
as Men, and accordingly expected
an easy Absolution for
their Sins. Or else the distance
of Judgment to come so hardens
them, that they hear God's Thunder
with less fear, than Boys do
their Squibs and Crackers. Because
Sentence against an evil Work
is not speedily executed,
Eccl. 8. 2.
therefore the
hearts of the Sons of Men are fully
set in them to do evil. But how desperate
is the madness of Sinners?
God now seems to wink at their Sins,
Acts 17. 30.
but hath appointed a day of Accounts.
He suffers them to live
in prosperity,2 Pet. 2. 4.
but they are reserved
to the day of Judgment to be punish'd,
and possibly sooner: for sometimes
they are cut off by visible
vengeance, to convince the World
that the supream Judg does not
bear the Sword in vain. But tho 'tis
delayed for a time, yet he declares,
that their Sins are laid up in
store with him,
Deut. 32. 34
and sealed up among
his Treasures. To him belongs Vengeance
and Recompence. He is a mild
Judge now, and his Clemency
suspends their Punishment; but
Amos 8. 7. Justice will not forget it. He
threatens the secure Sinner,Psal. 50. 21.
I will
reprove thee, and set thy Sins in order
before thine eyes. How will the
scornful obstinate Sinner change
complexion & tremble, when an
Army of Sins more terrible than
so many Furies, shall be ranged
in Battel, and with fiery Darts
wound his naked Soul? How
will the stubborn Atheist, that
pleases himself with vain imaginations
of the Eternity of the
World, and the Mortality of the
Soul, be confounded when he
feels the truth of Scripture-threatnings,
to his eternal sorrow? then
all their Ralleries will be turn'd
into Lamentations. 'Tis not for
Cum habeat in potestate vindictam mavult diu tenere patientiam. want of power that God spares
the Wicked, but because they
are alwayes in his hands, and
he can make them as miserable
as they are sinful when he pleases.
Cyprian. de bon. Patient.
'Tis not through the neglect
of Justice, but for most wise and
holy Reasons, as shall appear in
the last day, when a decisive irreversible
Judgment shall be propronounc'd,
and immediately ininflicted
upon them before the
World.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
, &c. Cum hi novissimi versus in Tragoedia Euripidis pronuntiati essent, totus populus ad ejiciendum & Actorem & Carmen consurrexit uno impetu: donec Euripides in medium prosiluit petens ut expectarent, viderentque quem admirator auri exitum faceret. Senec. Epist. 115. When an Actor at Athens
spoke with Admiration of
Riches, as the most valuable Acquisition,
and of the Felicity of
Rich Men: the People were in
an Uproar at the immorality of
the Speech, and were ready to
chase him from the Stage. But
the Poet himself appeared, and
desired them to stop their Fury
till they saw the Catastrophe, the
wretched end of that sordid Miser.
Thus we are apt to accuse
the ways of God when the Wicked
flourish; but we should stop
our tumultuous thoughts, for their
end will absolve Divine Providence
from all undue reflections
upon the account of their temporal
happiness.
And the sound belief of this
will rectify all mistaking apprehensions,
and clear all perplexing
appearances about the Sufferings
of the Righteous here.
Indeed if we consider the holiest
Men as they are Sinners, their
Afflictions are so far from blemishing
the Justice of God, that
they are the signs of his Mercy:
for all is a Favour on this side
Hell to those that deserve it. David
an excellent Saint, acknowledges
the righteousness of God's
Judgments with respect to himself.
But when the Saints suffer
for a righteous Cause, and, as the
Psalmist expresses it,Psal. 44.
for thy sake
are we killed all the day long, and are
counted as Sheep for the slaughter;
there is not a visible correspondency
between the Providence of
God in his governing the World,
and the unchangeable Rules of
Justice, that those who do evil
should suffer evil, and those who
do well should be happy. As the
Apostle speaks to the persecuted
Christians,2 Thess. 6▪ 7
•
It is a righteous thing
with God to recompence Tribulation to
them that trouble you, and to you who
are troubled rest with us. Now there
is a day coming, when the Persecutors
shall be punish'd, and the
Saints be rewarded for all their
Sufferings, and the distribution
of Recompences shall be in the
presence of the World, for the
glory of Divine Justice. For the
distinction that is made between
Men at Death is private and particular,
and not sufficient for the
honour of God's Government.
But at the last Day all Men that
have lived in several successions
of Ages shall appear, and Justice
have a solemn Process and Triumph
before Angels and Men.
As some excellent Piece that is to
be expos'd to publick view, is covered
with a Traverse, to prevent
the disturbance in the working,
and the discovery of the Work
till brought to such perfection as
will surprise with wonder those
that see it: So God is pleased to
cover his proceedings for a time,
but in the last day there will be
such a Revelation of the righteous
Judgment of God,
Rom. 2. 7. that those who
now doubt, or complain of his
Justice, shall admire and adore
it.
3. The belief of this Doctrine
as it vindicates Divine Providence,
so 'tis powerful to comfort
the Saints under Persecutions
for Righteousness sake; especially
when Innocence is wounded
with slanderous Darts, and Calumnies
are joyned with Cruelties,
representing them as worthy
of publick hatred. It was one
of the Subtile Artifices of Julian
the Apostate, to mingle the Images
of the Heathen Gods with
those of the Emperours, that the
doing reverence (as the Christians
were commanded) to all together,
might imply a dereliction
and renouncing of their Religion,
and their Simplicity seem Impiety:
or if, jealous of slipping from
their profession, they refused to do
it, they might seem to deny the
expressions of honour due to their
Emperours, and be reputed to
suffer not as Christian Martyrs,
but as Rebels. But the believing
Consideration of God's righteous
Judgment will make them despise
the Censures & Reproaches
of malicious Adversaries. With
me, saith the Apostle,1 Cor. 4. 5.
it is a very
small thing that I should be judged by
Man's Judgment; he that judgeth me
is the Lord. The severest Censure
was of no more weight compar'd
with the approbation of God, than
the lightest Feather that flies in
the Air, put in the Scales against
the Globe of the Earth. The assurance
of a righteous Cause,Inter Judicem justum, & conscientiam tuam, noli timere nisi causam tuam. Aug.
and a
righteous Judg, will preserve an
inward and joyful tranquillity of
Soul in the midst of all the Storms
of Reproach and Scandalous Imputations;
like the calmness of a
Haven when the Sea is tempestuous
without. And this will fortify
Believers to bear with an invincible
courage all the violence
that is offered to them for their
fidelity to God. All the wrongs
and injuries they endure, shall be
redrest with infinite advantage.
The extreamest Evils to which
they are exposed for Christ, are
like the Chariots of Fire sent from
God, not to consume but conduct
Elias in triumph into the highest
Heaven. God will give them
present Support, inward Consolations,
and a future Crown.
There is an appointed day when
oppressed Innocence shall obtain
the noblest Victory▪ and disgraced
Godliness the most publick and
highest Honour.1 Pet. 1. 7.
The Faith of sincere
Christians shall be found to praise
and glory. They may suffer under
the tyranny of Time, but shall
reign in the Kingdom of Eternity.
The belief of this, when firmly
radicated in the heart, is so
powerful as to make them glory
in the sharpest Tribulations, and joyfully
triumph over Satan, with his
perverted malignant World. Cantando
rumpitur Anguis. But alas,
the Sin, and a great part of the
trouble of the Saints, arises from
their weakness of Faith, and not
patient waiting for the Day of
the Lord. When heavy Persecutions
and great Distresses are
continued by the restless Adversaries,
they are apt through impatience
and instability of mind, to
be full of sorrowful Complaints
that God delayes their particular
Deliverance. And as sometimes
the Clock out-runs the motion of
the Sun, that is the true measure of
Time; so their hasty desires prevent
the eternal Counsel of his Will,
that has determined the period of
the Miseries of his People, and of
the Prosperity of the Wicked in
the fittest time. And that he suspends
his glorious Coming to
judg the World in Righteousness,
discourageth weaker Christians,
and makes them ready to faint in
the day of Adversity.
2 Pet. 3. 9.
But the Lord is
not slack in performing his Promise,
as Men count slackness. There is
not the least reason to question
his Fidelity and Power, or to suspect
his Love and Remembrance
of his People. And as the Stars
of Heaven enlighten the Earth,
but the Candles on Earth cannot
enlighten the Heavens: so the
Wisdom of God's Counsel and
Providence should direct us patiently
to expect his appointed
time, but our glimmering reason
cannot direct him.
4. The serious belief of future
Judgment is the most effectual
restraint from secret Sins. Men
are apt to encourage themselves
in evil upon the account of secrecy:
'tis the usual tinder of Temptations.
If solitude and silence,
if the darkness of the night, or
any disguises may conceal their
Wickedness from humane Eyes,
they are bold and secure as to
God. The Psalmist declares what
is the inward principle that acts
them, what is the language of
their hearts:Psal. 94. 5. 6.
All the workers of Iniquity
boast themselves, they say, The
Lord shall not see, neither shall the God
of Jacob regard it. But O the brutish
folly of Men, to think, that
because they do not see God, that
he does not see them. As if one
should shut his Eyes in the face
of the Sun, and do some foul abominable
thing, thinking himself
to be unseen, because he sees
no person. How vain is the impure
diligence of the Adulterer,
the crafty diligence of the Deceiver,
the sollicitous diligence of
other Sinners to hide things from
the Judge of all? Shall not God
search it out, for he knows the very
secrets of the heart? What a confounding
discovery will be made
of secret Wickedness at the last
day? Here obscurity is the mask
of Shame that conceals it from
the World. Or if only Children
and Fools that are not capable to
judg of the indecency and turpitude
of Actions, be Spectators,
Men are not touch'd with shame
for foul things. But then their
Wickedness shall be displayed before
God, the holy Angels and
Saints. The actual belief of this
would deprive Satan of one of his
greatest Advantages, and be a
blessed Preservative from many
Sins that allure the consent by the
temptation of secrecy. A considering
Christian will reject them
with indignation, saying with Joseph,
How can I do this great Wickedness,
and sin against God? The Sins
undiscovered and unpunish'd by
temporal Tribunals, shall then
receive a just recompence.
5. The remembrance of that
strict Judgment, is the most natural
and powerful remedy against
sensual Temptations that so easily
insinuate and engage the hearts
of Men. S. Peter reckoning up
the Heathen Sins,1 Pet. 4. 3, 4.
Lasciviousness,
Lusts, excess of Wine, Revellings, and
abominable Idolatries, tells the Christians,
that the Gentiles thought it
strange that they did not run with them
to the same excess of riot▪
As the
Disciples when our Saviour walkt
upon the Waters, thought he had
been a Spirit, judging that no real
Body could tread on them without
sinking: thus Men are apt to
think it impossible to restrain their
carnal appetites when allured by
pleasing objects. But the belief
of the Terrors of the Lord, will
damp the sensual affections when
most strongly enclin'd to forbidden
things, and extinguish delight
in Sin: for delight and fear
are inconsistent. Therefore the
wise Preacher gives this Counsel,
Rejoice O young Man in thy youth,
Eccles. 11.
and
let thy heart chear thee in the days of
thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy
heart, and sight of thine eyes: but
know thou for all these things God will
bring thee to Judgment. This will
change the apprehensions of the
mind, and alter the taste of the
appetite, and make the most enticing
and irresistible Lusts, the
objects of our greatest detestation.
6. The consideration that the
Son of God, clothed with our nature,
shall judg the World, affords
strong Consolation to his People, and
is a motive of great terror to the
Wicked. How comfortable is it
to his People that he who loved
them above his Life, and was
their Redeemer on the Cross, shal
be their Judg on the Throne?
He is the same Jesus Christ, yesterday,
to day, and for ever; the same indulgent
Saviour, in the exaltation
of his Glory, as when under sufferings,
reproach and shame. He
is described in that glorious Appearance,
by the conjunct Titles
of his Majesty and Power,Tit. 12. 13.
The
Great god, and of his Compassion
and Mercy, Our Saviour, to signify
his Ability and Affection to
make them happy. When he
comes with a heavenly Train of
Angels to Judgment, he will be
as tender of his Servants, as when
he suffered for them in his humble
state. He that paid their Debt,
and seal'd their Pardon with his
own Blood, will certainly publish
the Acquittance. How is it possible
he should condemn those
for whom he died, and who appear
with the impressions of his
reconciling Blood upon them?
How reviving is it that Christ,
whose Glory was the end and
perfection of their Lives,Phil. 1. shall
dispose their states for ever? that
he, who esteems every act of their
Charity and Kindness done to his
Servants as done to himself, shall
dispense the blessed Reward? Then
the King will say to them plac'd on his
right hand, Come,
Mat. 25.
ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the Kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the
World. O the transports of joy
to hear those words from his Life-breathing
Lips! The Prophet
breaks forth in an Extacy, How
beautiful are the feet of the Messengers
of Peace, those that bring gladtidings
of Salvation? but how much
more beautiful is the face of the Author
of our Peace and Salvation? O
how full of Serenity, and Clemency,
and Glory! The expectation
of this makes them languish
with impatience for his
Coming. Tho the Preparations
of that Day are so dreadful, when
the Sun shall be darkned,
Acts 2.
and the
Moon turned into Blood, and the
Stars fall like leaves in Autumn,
yet 'tis stiled a Day of Refreshment
to the Saints. But how dreadful
will his Coming in Majesty to
Judgment be to the Wicked!Videtis vulnera quae inflixistis, agnoscitis latus quod pupugistis, quoniam & per vos, et propter vos apertum est, nec intrare voluistis.
They
shall see him whom they have pierced,
and with bitter lamentation remember
the indignities offered to
him. What Excuses can they alledg,
why they did not believe
and obey the Gospel? Our Saviour
revealed high Mysteries, but
confirm'd them with great Miracles.Aug.
He requir'd strict Holiness,
but offer'd divine Grace to enable
Men to do his Will. He poured
forth his Spirit upon them, but their
hearts were as hard as the Rocks,
and as barren as the Sands. Then
he will reproach them for their
undervaluing neglect of the great
Salvation, so dearly purchased, and
so freely and earnestly offered to
them: for their obstinacy, that the
Purple streams that flow'd from
his Crucified Body, that all the
Sorrows and Agonies of his Soul
were not effectual Perswasives to
make them forsake their Sins:
for their preferring the Bramble to
reign over them, Satan the Destroyer
of Souls, and ungrateful
rejecting the true Vine, the blessed
Saviour, who by so many miraculous
mercies sollicited their love
and deserved their service; this
will make the sentence as just as
terrible, and the more terrible
because just. This will exasperate
the anguish, that the Gospel
shall be a savour of Death to them;
and the blessed Redeemer pronounce
them cursed, and dispatch
them to everlasting Fire, prepared for
the Devil and his Angels for ever.
The Judgment of the Redeemer
will be more heavy than that of
the Creator. For all the riches of
his goodness which they despised,
shall be the measure of their guilt
and woes. All the means of Grace
used for their conversion, but frustrated
by their perversness, shall
rise up in Judgment against them.
Justice will revenge the abuse of
Mercy. Do they hope to soften
the Judg by Submissions and Deprecations?
alas, he will be inflexible
to all their Prayers and
Tears. The Lamb will be then
a Lion arm'd with terrours for
their destruction. Or can they appeal
to an higher Court to mitigate
or reverse the Sentence?
No, his Authority is supream, and
confirm'd by the immutable Oath
of God. Or,Rom. 14. do they think to resist
the execution of the sentence?
Desperate Folly! The Angels,
notwithstanding their numbers
and strength, could not for a moment
escape his revenging hand.
The whole World of Sinners is of
no more force against his Wrath,
than the light dust against a whirl-wind,
or dry Stubble against devouring
Fire. Or do they think
by a stubborn Spirit to endure it?
Self-deceiving Wretches! If the
correction of his Children here,
tho allayed, and for their amendment,
make their beauty and strength
consume away as a moth, how insupportable
will the Vengeance be
on his obstinate Enemies? Who
knows the power of his Anger? who
can found the depths of his displeasure?
7. The Consideration of eternal
Judgment should be a powerful
Incentive to prepare our selves
for it. 'Tis the Inference the
Apostle makes from the certainty
of our appearing before the righteous
Judge,2 Cor. 5. 9.
Wherefore we labour
that whether present, or absent, in this
or the next life, we may be accepted
of him.
2 Cor. 5. 9. This was his great Design,
his chief Care, his Duty and
his Glory: Never did any person
more ardently aspire, and ambitiously
endeavour for the obtaining
a Kingdom, than he did to secure
his own Acceptance with
the Lord. In order to this I will
lay down the Rules of our Acceptance
in that Day, and conclude the Argument.
1. Unfained Faith in the Lord
Jesus is absolutely necessary, that
we may be accepted. This is such
a belief of his all sufficient Merits,
and his merciful inclination to
save us, that the guilty and self-condemned
Sinner entirely consents
to the terms of the Gospel,
as well as to the priviledges of it,
with a reliance upon his Merits,
and a resolution to obey his Precepts.
He is a Priest on a Throne, a
Prince, and a Saviour, and so must
be acknowledged and received.
Upon this condition his Righteousness
is freely imputed to us for
our Justification unto Life, without
which we must perish in our
Sins. For,
1. The best Saints are guilty
and deeply obnoxious to the Law,
and the Judgment of God is invariably
according to Truth; so
that appearing in their Sins, they
will be cast for ever. God's Tribunal,
like that of the severe
Roman Judg, is Reorum Scopulus,
a Rock that dashes in pieces all
the Guilty that come to it. Therefore
the Psalmist so earnestly deprecates,
Enter not into Judgment
with thy Servant, O Lord; for in thy
sight shall no Man living be justified.
And the Aposte, tho' a transcendent
Saint, devests himself of his
own righteousness, that he may
be entirely covered with the righteousness
of Christ, and renounces
all things, that he may be found
in him as his Surety in that Day of
Accounts, and obtain Pardon by
virtue of his Satisfaction for Sin.
We cannot perfectly obey the
Commands, nor appease the Displeasure
of God: but the expiatory
Sacrifice of Christ propitiats
the Divine Justice. This alone
can make us stand in Judgment
before the fiery Law, and the fiery
Tribunal, and the Judg who is a consuming
Fire, to all the Guilty that
appear in their Sins before him.
The Blood of the Mediator has
sprinkled the Throne of God in
Heaven, and our Consciences being
sprinkled with it by a purifying
Faith, we may appear before
God the Judg of all with an humble
confidence, and enter into the
Holy of Holies, the Celestial Sanctuary
with joy.
2. Not only the pardon of our
Sins, but the acceptance and rewarding
of our services with eternal
Glory is upon the account of
our Saviour's compleat Righteousness.
There are defilements
in the persons, and defects in the
works of the Saints. Their most
holy and fervent Prayers are
perfum'd by the Incence of his
Intercession,Rev. 8. 3. and so become grateful
to God. Our best Vertues are
mix'd and shadowed with imperfections;
but in him all Graces
were conspicuous in their consummate
degrees. Our Obedience,
supposing it perfect, is of no
desert: When we have done all, we
are unprofitable Servants: but his
Obedience was infinitely meritorious
by the union of the Deity
with his humane Nature, and is
the foundation of the excellent
Reward. Not that his Merits derive
a value to our Works to make
them worthy of eternal Glory:
as some noble Mineral infused
into Water, that is in it self without
taste or efficacy, gives it a medicinal
tincture and virtue; for
this is impossible, since the infinite
Dignity of his Person, and his
most perfect habitual and actual
Holiness, that are the fountains
and reasons of his Merits, are incommunicable
to our persons and
works. For this would render us
equal to our Saviour, and our
works to be divine as his. But the
active and passive Righteousness
of Christ is so satisfactory and
meritorious, that God is pleased
graciously to reward with the
Crown of Life the mean services
of those who are by a lively and
purifying Faith united to him.
2. Sincere Obedience, that is,
an uniform and entire respect to
all the Commands of God, will
alone be accepted in that day:
for his Authority runs through
all, and binds them on the Conscience.
David had this Testimony
from God himself, that he was a
Man after his own heart, that fulfilled
all his Will. And St. John refers the
decision of our state to this, If our
hearts condemn us of any allowed
Sin of omission or commission,1 John 3. 20, 21.
much more God will, who is greater
than our hearts, and knows all things.
But if the illuminated tender Conscience
condemns us not of insincerity,
we have confidence towards
God, that he will spare and accept
us notwithstanding our frailties,
and give free and safe access into
his presence. The lives of many
are chequer'd with a stran
•
disparity, they are restrain
〈…〉
some Sins of apparent odiousness,
but indulgent to others; they are
strict in some duties, but loose
and slack in others, as if they
hop'd by way of commutation to
be accepted of God; to expiate
their Delinquencies in one kind
by supererrogating in another.
Some are painted Pharisees in the
duties of the first Table, very exact
in the formalities of outward
Devotions, but gross Publicans
in the duties of the second: careless
of Justice and Equity, and
Charity to Men: Others are in
appearance strictly moral in the
discharge of their duties to Men,
and negligent of their obligations
to God. But partial obedience can
never endure the trial of Conscience,
much less of God. For what
is the weak light of our minds, to
the pure eyes of his Glory? It
will make us liable to inward
rebuke now, and to open confusion
at the last. St. Paul's rejoycing
was from the Testimony of his
Conscience,
2 Cor. 1. 12.
that in simplicity and godly
sincerity he had his conversation in the
World: and, as he expresses it in
another place, it was his daily exercise
to have a Conscience void of offence
towards God, and towards Men.
Tho our conquest of Sin be not
compleat, yet our resolution and
endeavours must be to mortify it
in every kind. Tho' our obedience
has not the perfection of degrees,
we must be equally regarding
the Divine Law. If there be
any secret-favoured Sin either of
omission or commission, it will
render our Petitions unacceptable
at the Throne of Grace, and
our Persons at the Throne of
Judgment; If I regard Iniquity in
my heart, the Lord will not hear my
Prayer. The Law requires the
performance of our Duty without
abatement, or denounceth
the penalty without allay or mitigation:
the Gospel has not relax'd
the strictness of the Law
as 'tis the Rule of Life, but as it
was the condition of obtaining
Life. Sincere obedience is accepted
by that gracious Covenant,
where the Legal Perfection is wanting:
but that is indispensibly required
of all. I may illustrate this
by a passage of Alexander the Great,
who being desirous to learn Geometry,
applied himself to a skilful
Instructer in it. But his warlike
disposition made him more
capable to conquer than to measure
the Earth, so that tired with
the first Propositions, he desir'd
his Master to make the Scheme
more clear and plain, and easy to
him:
•
ui praecep
•
or: ista inquit omnibus eadem sunt, aeque difficilia. Senec. Epist. 91. To whom the Master replied,
that the Theorems of that
Science were equally difficult to
all and requir'd the same attention
of mind to understand them.
Thus the Gospel of Mercy requires
of all sincere Sanctification,
and serious endeavours to perfect
Holiness in the Fear of God,
and without this none shall be exempted
from Condemnation.
To the sincerity of Obedience,
I shall add a more restrained Notion
of it as respecting Religion.
The duties of Piety consist of an
outward and inward part; and
the one without the other is but
as a Carcass without a quickning
Soul. Now there will be an exquisit
Anatomy of the Heart in
that Judgment, a discovery of all
the Principles and Motives by
which Men were acted, and then
he that is a Saint inwardly, in the
Spirit, who with pure aims and
holy affections hath served God,
shall have praise of him. And those
who have us'd God to injoy the
World, that have assumed pretences
of Piety for secular ends,
shall be reproved. This will be
a cause of wonder in that day,
that many who are highly esteemed
by Men as excellent Saints, shall be
an abomination to God. That in
the broad way to Hell thousands
go thither is sad beyond expression,
but not strange at all: but
that in the path of Heaven any
should descend to Hell, is astonishing.
That those who live
without God in the World, in the
prophane neglect of his Worship,
in a dissolute disorderly course,
should fall under Condemnation,
is believed of all: but that those
who have appeared zealous in
Religion shall be at last rejected,
is contrary to universal expectation.
And not only the gross
Hypocrite that deceives others,
but he that deceives himself by
the external practice of holy Duties
without correspondent lively
Affections; that prayes with that
coldness as if he had no desire to
be heard, and hears with that
carelesness as if he had no desire
to be sanctified by the Word, and
is conversant in other parts of divine
service in that slight manner,
as if he had no design to be saved,
shall by a convincing upbraiding
Light see his Wickedness in dishonouring
that God whom he
pretended to worship, and neglecting
his Soul. When the Upright
as pure Gold shall be more
radiant by the Fire, the Insincere
like reprobate Silver shall not endure
that severe trial.
3. The frequent discussion of
Conscience, and reviewing our
ways, is necessary in order to our
comfortable appearing before
our Judg. This is a duty of constant
revolution: for while we
are in flesh, the best Saints, notwithstanding
all their vigilance
and diligence, are overtaken by
surprisal, and sometimes overborn
by strong temptations; and
'tis more necessary to beg for
daily pardon, than for our daily
bread. Under the Law if any
one had by touching a dead Body
contracted Uncleanness, he
was to wash his Cloaths in the
evening, and not to lie down in
his Uncleanness. This was typical
of our duty, that we should
wash away our sinful defilements
every day in the purifying Fountain
of Christ's Blood, that is set
open for Sin and for Uncleanness. And
the method of the Gospel to obtain
the grant of Pardon, and our
comfortable sense, and the blessed
effects of it is this, there must be
a mournful sight, and serious acknowledgment
of our daily sins,
and a judging our selves by the
domestical tribunal in our breasts
as worthy of Condemnation: for
tho we cannot satisfie Divine Justice
for the least Sin, we must
glorify it: and with humility and
fervency desire that God would
graciously forgive our renewed
Sins, with unfeigned Resolutions
and Care against them for the future.
Thus we are to sue out our
Pardon for Sins committed every
day. And whereas many Errors
in regard of our frailty, and their
fineness, do slip from us, we
should with contrite Spirits implore
the Divine Majesty to cleanse
us from our secret Sins,
Psal. 19. 12. such as
through ignorance or inadvertancy
escape from our observation.
If we are obliged to be reconciled
to an offended or offending Brother
before the night, and the Sun
must not go down upon our wrath,
much more to be reconciled to
an offended God, that his displeasure
may be atoned. The morning
and evening Sacrifice was a
Figure of the constant use of
Christ's Merits and Mediation for
us; The secure neglect of renewing
our Repentance for our renewed
Sins, deprives us of the
comforts of the Covenant, and
will make the thoughts of Judgment
as heavy as Mountains upon
the Conscience, when 'tis awakened
out of its slumber. But when
the Soul's Accounts are kept clear
with Heaven every day, O what
a blessed Rest does the penitent
Believer enjoy in the Favour of
God! O the divine calm of Conscience
when our Debts are cancell'd
in the Book of God's Remembrance!
If we should be unexpectedly
summoned to appear
before the Judg of all, the sight of
our Sins will rather excite thankful
affections, and joyful praises
of God for his Mercy, that he hath
pardoned them; than fearful despairing
thoughts of his Mercy,
that he will not pardon them.
And as this considering our
ways leads to Repentance, and is
a remedy for past Sins, so 'tis a
powerful Preservative from Sins
afterwards. For as in War the
greatest care is to fortify the weakest
part of a besieged Town, and
make it impregnable; so a Christian
by the experience of his infirmity
and danger, will be more
wise and wary, more circumspect
and resolved against those Sins
whereby he has often been foil'd,
to prevent the daily incursion,
and sudden surreption by them.
And according to the degrees of
our Innocence, we have confidence
of Acceptance with God in
Judgment.
4. Let us improve with a wise
and singular diligence the talents
committed to our trust: for in
that day we shall be responsible
for all that we have received. All
the Blessings we possess, whether
natural, our Life, our Faculties,
our Endowments, our Health and
Strength; or Civil, Honour and
Dignity, Riches and Reputation;
or Spiritual, the Gospel in its light
and power, the graces and assistance
of the Holy Ghost, as they
are gifts from God's Love, so they
are talents to be imployed for his
Glory. We are Stewards, not
Proprietaries: for the Supream
Lord does not relinquish his right
in our Blessings, that we may
dispose of them at our own pleasure,
but hath prescribed Rules
for our using them in order to his
Glory, our own Good, and the
Benefit of others. And 'tis sad to
consider that usually those who
enjoy the greatest gifts render the
least acknowledgments, and the
most abundant in Favours are
most barren in Thankfulness.
Time, that unvaluable treasure,
that is due to God and the Soul,
the price of which arises from the
work of Salvation to be done in
it, how is it squander'd away?
Conscience would blush at the
serious reflection that every day
so much is spent in the business
of the World, or Pleasures, and
so little redeemed for Communion
with the holy God: that as
in the Prophetick Dream the lean
Kine devoured the fat, so unconcerning
vanities take up that time
that should be employed for our
last and blessed End. While
time is miserably wasted, the Soul
lies a bleeding to everlasting
Death. More particularly, we
shall be accountable for all the
days of the Son of Man that we
have seen, all the special seasons
of Grace: these we should improve
for our Eternal Advantage,
to prepare us for the Divine Presence
above. But alas, the Lord's
Day that is consecrated for the
immediate Service of God, and
should be entirely spent in it, and
in things that have a necessary
subordination to it, yet neither
the enforcement of Duty, nor incitations
of Love prevail upon
the most, conscienciously to imploy
it in spiritual affairs. If they
afford their presence at the Publick
Worship 'tis thought enough,
and, as if the rest of the Day was
unsanctified time, they waste it in
either Complemental Visits, or
Secular Business, in Recreations,
or things impertinent to their Salvation.
Riches are an excellent Instrument
of doing good: Gold is
the most precious and extensive
Metal, and by a marvellous Art
an Ounce may be beaten out into
some hundred Leaves: but 'tis a
more happy Art by giving it, to
enrich our own Souls, and supply
the Necessities of many others.
But great Estates are often used
to foment Mens vicious guilty affections,
Pride, and Sensuality;
and 'tis calledNullis vitiis desunt pretiosa nomina. Plin. lib. 73. Greatness & Magnificence
to waste them in sumptuous
Vanities. I instance in
these Talents, because they are
usually abused to the dishonour
of the Donor. If the slothful
Servant that hid his single Talent
in a Napkin, and returned it without
advantage to his Lord, was
cast into outer darkness, where there
is weeping and gnashing of teeth, a
fearful Image of what will befal
all unprofitable persons, how severe
will their Accounts be who
lavish out their numerous Talents
to gratify their carnal Appetites,
and betray the Blessings of
God to his enemy the Devil? Only
the wise and good Servant that
with prudent Contrivance and
zealous Endeavours improves his
Talents, shall from the gracious
Lord, in whom are all attractives
and remuneratives of our service,
receive an excellent Reward.
5. Another Rule of our Acceptance
at the last Day is, That
we must with Courage and Zeal
maintain in our rank and places
the Cause of Christ. For thus he
declares expresly,Matth. 10. 33, 34.
Whosoever shall
confess me before Men, him also will
I confess before my Father which is in
Heaven. But whosoever shall deny
me before Men, him also will I deny
before my Father which is in Heaven
When the truth, purity, and power
of Religion, in Doctrine, Worship
and Practice, is discountenanc'd
and over-born, our Saviour
commands, and will reward
our undiscouraged visible Constancy
in it. He will not only
reign in our hearts,Rom. 10. but be honoured
with our lips, and in our
conversations. We usurp the title
of Christians unless we adhere to
our Duty in despite of all opposition.
The temptations that usually
withdraw Men from confessing
and glorifying Christ, are
such as work upon the passions of
Fear and Shame. And the consisideration
of the last Judgment
will fortify us against both.
1. Sometimes Religion exposes
the Professors of it to the loss
of all temporal enjoyments, and
of Life it self. And when the
Honour of our Saviour requires
such a Service of us, when that
Confirmation is necessary to recommend
Divine Truth to the
belief & affections of others, when
our chearful and couragious Example
in suffering would animate
those that are fearful to constancy
of Confession, then from Cowardise
to withdraw our Testimony,
is to betray him again. When our
Duty is attended with extream
Dangers, then the sincerity and
perfection of our Love to Christ
is brought to the strictest trial.
As true Carbuncles are discovered
in the night, for the darkness
redoubles their splendor: so the
fidelity of Christians is evident in
Persecutions that enflame and excite
their Zeal to magnify the
Name of Christ unto the Judgment
of the World. There is no
Fear in Love,
1 Joh. 4. 18.
but perfect Love casts
out Fear. But Fearfulness hinders
the expressing acts of Love
to Christ, and betrays to Apostacy.
For as every Passion is a Perturbation,
so especially Carnal
Fear that blinds and disturbs the
mind, and hinders the serious consideration
of the reasons of our
Duty, and those motives to persevere
in it, that are the fountains
of our strength. From hence the
timerous are often treacherous,
and Faith lies buried under the
cold pale Ashes of Fear. Now
the irregularity of this Passion is
best cured by directing it to the
most powerful Object. As the
Rod of Moses swallowed up the
Rods of the Magicians, so a stronger
Fear will subdue that which
is in a weaker degree. Our Saviour
therefore threatens those that
for the fear of Men (who can but
kill the Body) dare not own and
defend his Truth and Cause, that
he will renounce them before his
Father in the great Day, the immediate
consequence of which
will be the destruction of Body and
Soul in Hell.
Matth. 10. 31, 32, 33. If Earthly Potentates
had a Jurisdiction over Heaven,
if Men were to be tried by
their Laws at the last Day, if their
Power extended to Eternity, they
might exact unlimited Obedience
to their Wills, but Conscience is
a more desirable Friend and terrible
Enemy than Caesar, and all
temporal Tribunals are subordinate
and accountable to the Supream
and Eternal: there is one
Lawgiver and Judg,
Jam. 2.
who is able to
save, and to destroy for ever. It is
the worst Perdition to secure our
selves by the neglect of our Duty,
when we ought to perish for the
Glory of our Saviour.Mark 8. 35.
He that
saves his Life shall lose it.
2. Shame wounds deeper the
Breasts of some than Violence.
Zedekiah would rather expose his
Kingdom and Life to the fury
of the Chaldean Armies,Jer. 38. 19. than be
himself exposed as an object of
derision by surrendring it. And
Satan who understands the temper
of Mens spirits, suits his temptations
accordingly. The Purity
and Holiness of Religion, exprest
in the actions of the Saints,
is by the scurrilous Reslections and
bitter Sarcasms of prophane Persons
made contemptible. This is as
foolish and malicious, as if a slave
should reproach the Son of a
King that he was like his Father
in his Countenance and actions;
for by how much the resemblance
of God's Holiness appears
with more evidence and eminence
in their lives, their divine
relation is more certainly
and justly to be acknowledged.
Yet how many are ashamed of
this Glory? And Zeal to vindicate
the Honour of Religion is
traduc'd and vilified either as the
effect of designing Faction, or of
the indiscretion and rashness of a
weak Judgment and strong Passions.
In every Age the faithful
Servants of God are by scornful
titles despised:1 Cor. 4. 17.
We are accounted,
saith the Apostle, the off-scouring of
the World. But a generous Christian
looks upon disgrace for the
sake of Christ as his honour. The
Apostles rejoyced that they were accounted
worthy to suffer shame for his
Name. 'Tis said of the Baptist,
he was not that Light,
Acts 5. 41.
but came to bear
witness to that Light: intimating as
if that were the next degree of
dignity to it. And our Saviour,
speaking of the Proofs of his divine
Mission, reckons up the Witnesses
of such dignity, that 'tis not
possible for sacred Ambition to
aspire to higher Honour than to
be in Conjunction with them:
they are John the Baptist,
John 5. 33, 36, 37, 39.
his Miracles,
his Father, and the Scriptures.
Let us appeal then from the
light depraved Fancies of carnal
Men, to the wise and faithful
Judgment, and Authority of the
Son of God. He will at the last
Day in the presence of his Father
and all the Court of Heaven, give
an incomparable Crown to all
that have despised Shame for his
sake. But those vile Spirits, whose
Courage of Straw is quell'd by
vain opinion, and the reproaches
of Fools, and have deserted the
Cause of Christ, shall then be
clothed with Confusion; for this
we are assured by our Judge,
that whosoever shall be ashamed of
me and my words,
Mark 8. 38.
in this adulterous
and sinful generation, of him also shall
the Son of Man be ashamed when he
cometh in the glory of his Father, with
the holy Angels. If the unnatural
Brothers were astonish'd when
the Governor of Egypt told them,
I am Joseph whom ye sold, how much
more will false Christians, when
the Lord of Glory shal tell them,
I am Jesus whom for base shame
ye denied? How will it confound
those abject Wretches to be a
spectacle of abhorrence and scorn
before that Universal Glorious
Confluence? They would chuse
rather to be covered under the
ruins of the World. If we value
and desire the approbation of the
King of Angels, if we fear a final
rejection from him, to obtain the
one, and avoid the other, we must
entirely adhere to his Interest,
without any respect to the eyes
and esteem of the perverse deceived
World.
6. A cordial beneficent Love
to the Saints, is a requisit qualification
of our Acceptance in the
Day of Judgment. Then shall the
King say to them on his right hand,Matth. 25. 34, 35, 36.
Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit
the Kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the World. For I was
an hungry, and ye gave me meat; I
was thirsty, and ye gave me drink;
I was a stranger, and ye took me in;
naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick,
and ye visited me; I was in Prison,
and ye came unto me. The union
and endearments betwixt Christ
and his People are mutual and reflexive;
as they are extreamly
tender of his Glory, so he is concern'd
in all that is done to them.
And tho the perfection of Love
consists more in the affection of
the heart than in outward offices,
yet our Saviour most congruously
produces in Judgment the conspicuous
effects of Love to them,
the supplying their wants, allaying
their sorrows, owning them
when obscured and deprest by
afflictions, and injuriously treated
by others. This love of service
that is directed and exercised towards
the Saints, for the Image
of God shining in them, because
they are the Children of God, and
Members of Christ, and therefore
extended to all in whom the
reason of that Love appears, shall
be gloriously rewarded: For he
interprets what is done upon his
Account to those who are his
own by so many dear titles, as
done to himself. And what is
more becoming his excellent
Goodness than to reward his
works of Mercy with saving Mercy?
But those who when Christ
presents himself to them in his
poor distressed Members, and solicits
their assistance, to protect
them from injuries, to refresh
their sorrows, to support them in
their exigencies, those that have
ability but want affection to do
them good, and incompassionately
neglect the suffering Saints,
shall be sentenc'd to be tormented
with the Apostate Angels for
ever. What indignity is it to the
Son of God, that those for whom
he shed his Divine Blood, should
be in less value and regard with
many, than the Dogs and Horses
maintained for their pleasure?
And if those on the left hand shall
be condemned to eternal Fire,
for the coldness of their Love,
how terrible will the Judgment
bet of those that from the heat of
their enmity outragiously persecute
the Servants of Christ for his
sake, in their Persons, Estates, Reputations,
that with a worse than
barbarous inhumanity seek their
ruine? Is there any Sin of a more
mortal guilt? The infernal Furnace
is seven-fold heated for the
punishing such wickedness.
To conclude this Argument,
let us observe the Command of
our Saviour, To watch and pray always,
that we may be counted worthy
to stand before the Son of Man. These
are Duties of universal influence
into our Lives, the one prevents
carelesness, the other vain confidence
in our selves, and the consideration
of Judgment to come,
is the greatest motive to them,
and the first principle of Holiness.
This should work more powerfully
in us, considering the Day
of Death is equivalent to the Day
of Judgment to every person;
for then a particular Sentence decisive
and irrevocable passes, that
shall be publish'd at the last Day.
Methinks the terrors of the Lord
should engage our Souls and Senses
to a continual preparation for
his Coming. 'Tis represented so
as to affect the Eye, and keep it
vigilant:Jude 15.
Behold, the Lord comes
with ten thousand of his Saints, to execute
Judgment upon all. Behold, he
comes in the Clouds,
Rev. 1. 9.
and every Eye shall
see him. And to call the Ear, and
make it attentive; The Lord himself
shall descend from Heaven,
1 Thess. 4. 16.
with
the voice of the Arch-Angel, and with
the Trump of God. How circumspect
should we be in all our
ways, since every action shall be
reviewed by our Judg. St. Peter
strongly infers from the dissolution
of the World, as a most cogent
Argument, that we should be exactly
and universally holy: seeing
then all these things shall be dissolved,
2 Pet. 3. 11, 12.
what manner of persons ought we to be
in all holy Conversation and Godliness?
But the consideration of the eternal
Judgment immediately succeeding
the destruction of the
World, O how powerful should
it be upon Conscience and the
Affections to regulate the whole
course of our Lives with a final
respect to God's Tribunal.
In short, That which we read
of the success of the Apostle's
preaching to the Athenians upon
the present subject, the Immortality
of the Soul, comprised in the
Resurrection of the Body and the
future Judgment, is the same in
all times and places: And when
they heard of the Resurrection of the
Dead,
Act. 17. 32, 34.
some mocked; and others said,
We will hear thee again of this matter;
and others believed. There are three
differences of the Hearers of this
Doctrine of so great importance:
some deride it as an extravagant
fancy: some believe it, and yield
up themselves entirely in obedience
to it: others do not absolutely
reject it, as the first, nor accept
it, as the second, but have a
Conjecture, or slight superficial
Opinion of it, or a speculative Assent
as to a history of things that
do not concern them, and defer
the serious consideration and applying
of it to themselves. And
of this third sort (O Grief!) are
the most of those who are Christians
in name. They delay till
Death, the solemn reflecting upon
the final Judgment, and the
inevitable Consequence of it, a
blessed or miserable estate for ever.
And whereas the Apostle,
who had infallible assurance of
God's Love, did with an holy severity
and self-denial abstain from
all Carnal Complacencies that
might hazard the never-fading
Crown;1 Cor. 9. 27.
I keep under my Body, and
bring it into subjection, lest by any
means when I have preached to others,
I should be a Cast-away.
Vae miseris nobis qui de electione nostra nullam aedhuc Dei vocem cognovimus, et jam in otio quasi de securitate torpemus. Greg. lib. 29. Moral. Yet the
most live and die in a secure state,
without preparation to appear
before the Presence of his Glory.
FINIS.