loathsom condition The ungodly at their death are like the Thistle-seed but at their rising they will be like the Thistle grown more noysom offensive and provoking to rejection abundance Then such dishonour shame and contempt will appear in them that neither God nor Christ Saints nor Angels will so much as once regard them or vouchsafe one to come near them He beholdeth the wicked a far off because in the day of Grace they would not come to hand and be saved therefore now they shall all as thorns be thrust away as with fences of Iron 2. Sam. 23. 6 7. Their rising is called the Resurrection of the unjust and so they at that day will appear and will more stink in the nostrils of God and all the Heavenly Hosts then if they had the most irksome Plague-soars in the World running on them If a man at his Birth be counted as one cast forth to the loathing of his person how loathsom and irksom dishonourable and contemptible will those be that shall arise Godless Christless Spiritless and Graceless when the Trumpet sounds to their Judgement they coming out of their Graves far more loathsom and filthy then if they should ascend out of the most filthy hole on Earth Thirdly As the Just shall arise in power so the wicked and unjust in weakness and astonishment Sin and guilt bringeth weakness and faintness in this life how much more when both with all their power and force like a Gyant fasten on them as God saith Can thy hands be strong and can thy heart indure in the day that I shall deal with thee Eccless 22. 14. Now will the gastly Jaws of despair gape upon thee and now will condemnings of Conscience like Thunder-claps continually batter against thy weary Spirit It is the Godly that have boldness in the day of Judgement but the wicked will be like the Chaffe which the Wind driveth away 1 John 4. 17. Psal. 1. 4. O the fear and the heart-aking that will seiz them in their rising the frightful thoughts that then will fill their throbbing hearts Now must that Soul that hath been in Hell-fire among the Devils possess the body again Possess it I say with the hot scalding stink of Hell upon it They shall not be able to lift up the head for ever pangs shall take hold on them all their hands shall faint and every mans heart shall melt They shall be amazed one at another their faces shall be as flames Isa. 13. 6 7 8. Every thing they see hear or think of shall tend to their discomfort They must needs be weak whom God hath left whom guilt hath seized and whom death is swallowing up for ever Fourthly As the Just shall arise spiritual Bodies so the unjust shall arise onely as meer and naked lumps of sinful nature not having the least help from God to bear them up under this condition Wherefore so soon as ever they are risen out of their Graves they will feel a continual sinking under every remembrance of every sin and thoughts of Judgement in their rising they fall fall I say from thenceforth and for ever And for this Reason the Dungeon into which they fall is called bottomless Rev. 20. 1. Because as there will be no end of their misery so there will be no stay or prop to bare them up in it Onely as I said before they shall not now as afore be separate Body from Soul but both together be bound in the cords of sin and iniquity in which they shall now tremble as Theeves and Murderers c. as they go before the Judge to hear what he will say unto them Now when the wicked are thus raised out of their Graves they shall together with all the Angels of darkness their fellow Prisoners be brought up being shackled in their sins to the place of Judgement where there shall fit upon them Jesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Lord chief Judge of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth On whose right hand and left shall fit all the Princes and Heavenly Nobles the Saints and Prophets the Apostles and Witnesses of Jesus every one in his Kingly Attire upon the Throne of his Glory Joel 3. 11 12 13 14. Then shall be fulfilled that which is written As for these my enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them before me to slay them Luk. 19. 27. When every one is thus set in his proper place the Judge on his Throne with his Attendants and the prisoners coming up to Judgement forthwith there shall issue forth a mighty fire and tempest from before the Throne which shall compass it round about Which fire shall be as Bars and bounds to the wicked to keep them at a certain distance from the Heavenly Majesty As David saith Psal. 50. 3. Our God will come and not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him And again Dan. 7. 9. His Throne was like the fiery flame and his Wheels like burning fire A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him c. This Preparation being made to wit the Judge with his Attendance on the Throne the Bar for the Prisoners and the Rebels all standing with gastly Jaws to look for what comes after Presently the Books are brought forth to wit the Books both of Death and Life And every one of them opened before the sinners now to be judged and condemned For after that he had said before Dan. 7. 10. A fiery stream issued and came â—orth from before him he adds thousands thousands ministred to him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Judgement was set and the Books was opened And again I saw a great white Throne and him that sate upon it from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no more place for them and I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book were opened which is the Book of Life And the Dead were Judged out of the things that were written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 11 12. He doth not say the Book was opened as of one but the Books as of many And indeed they are more than one two or three out of which the Dead shall in the Judgement be proceeded against First then there is the Book of the Creatures to be opened Secondly The Book of Gods Remembrance Thirdly The Book of the Law And fourthly The Book of Life For by every one of these that is out of what is written in them shall the World of the ungodly be judged And the Books were opened First The Book of the Creatures shall be opened and that first it concerns mans nature and next as it relates to all other Creatures First he will shew in what the principles if nature were as they were Gods Creation
one year two years ten yea twenty and twenty years and all to try thee Yea now also will he bring to thy view how many times he warned rebuked threatned and chastised thee for thy wickedness how many awakening Providences and Judgements he continually laid before thy face yea how many a time thou didst like Balaam run upon the point of the Sword of Justice and how he gave back as being loath to kill thee Numb 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33. Now also again shall be brought before thee and all men how many struglings God had with thy heart on thy sick Bed to do thee good yea and at such times how many Vowes Promises Ingagements and Resolutions thou madest before God to turn if he would release thee from thy affliction and take off his Rod from thy back Mar. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. and yet how thou didst like the man possessed break and snap in twain all these Chains of Iron with which thou hadst bound thy Soul and that for a very lust and sin Here also will be opened before thee how often thou hast sinned against thy light and knowledge how often thou hast laid violent hands on thy own Conscience how often thou hast laboured to put out that light that hath stood in thy way to hinder thee from sinning against thy Soul Ah Lord what a condition will the Christless Soul be in at this day How will every one of these things afflict the damned Soul they will pierce like Arrows and bite like Serpents and sting like an Adder With what shame will that man stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ who must have all things he hath done against God to provoke the Eyes of his Glory to jealousie laid open before the whole Host of the Heavenly train It would make a man blush to have his Pockets searched for things that are stolen in the midst of a Market especially if he stand upon his Reputation and Honour But thou must have thy heart searched the bottom of thy heart searched and that I say before thy Neighbour whom thou hast wronged and before the Devills whom thou hast served yea before God whom thou hast despised and before the Angels those holy and delicate Creatures whose holy and chast Faces will scarce forbear blushing while God is making thee Vomit up all thou hast swallowed for God shall bring it out of thy belly Job 20. 12 13 14 15. For as for God to forget iniquity is one of the chief heads of the Covenant of Grace and is an Argument of the highest nature to beget and to continue Consolation in the godly so the remembrance of Iniquity by the Lord it is one of the heaviest loads and Judgements that can befall any poor Creature Lord saith the Prophet remember not against us former iniquities And again if thou Lord shouldest mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand Psal. 130. 3. And the Reason is because that which the Lord forgetteth is forgiven for ever but that which he remembreth it is charged for ever and nothing can take it away Heb. 8. 12. Rom. 4. 6 7 8. Though thou wash thee with nitre and take thee much Soap yet thine iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord God Jer. 2 22. The third Book that will at this day be opened and out of which God will judge the World it is the Book of the Law or ten words given forth on the Mount Sinai But this Book will more specially concern those that have received it or that have had knowledge thereof Every one shall not be judged by this Book as there delivered though they shall be judged by the works of it which are written in their hearts Rom. 2. 14. As many as have sinned without Law shall perish without Law and they that have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law Rom. 2. 12. That is the Heathens that never knew the Law as delivered on Sinai they shall be judged by the Law as it was written in mans heart in his Creation which is comprised within the Book of the Creatures but those that have knowledge of the Law as delivered on Sinai they shall be judged by the Law as there given Now then this Book when it is opened at the day of Judgement it will to those to whom it especially relates be a most terrible Law far surpassing the two afore-mentioned This Law as I may so say it is the chief and most pure Resemblance of the Justice and holiness of the Heavenly Majesty and doth hold forth to all men the sharpness and keenness of his wrath ' above the other two that I have before mentioned I say both because it hath been delivered more plain and open both as to the duty injoyned and the sin prohibited and therefore must of necessity fall with the more violence upon the head of all that shall be found within the compass of it This Law it hath in it to be opened at this day these two general heads First A discovery of the evill of sin that is so against plain light and truth And Secondly A discovery of the vanity of all things that will at this day be brought by sinners for their help and plea at the Judgement Alas who can but imagine that the poor World at the day of their Arraignment should muster up all that ever they can think of as Arguments to shelter them from the execution of that fierce wrath that then with sinking Souls they will see prepared for them As to the first of these the Apostle tells us that the Law was added that the offence might abounâ— or be discovered what it is As he saith again I had not known sin but by the Law Rom. 5. 20. Rom. 7. 7. Rom. 7. 13. Thus it is in this life and thus it will be in the day of Judgement that is those that see sin and that in its abounding nature and in its exceeding sinfulness they must see it by the Law for that is indeed the Glass by which God discovereth sin Jam. 1. 22 23 24 25. And the filthy spots of leprosie that is in the Soul Now those that have not the happiness to see their sin by the Law in this life while there is a Fountain of Grace to wash in and be clean they must have the misery to see it at the Judgement when nothing is left but misery and pain as the punishment for the same At which day those little Titles of this holy Law that now men so easily look over and sin against with ease they will every one of them appear with such dread and with such flaming Justice against every offence committed that if Heaven and Earth it self should step in to shelter the sinner from the Justice and wrath due to sin it would turn them up by the Roots It is easier for Heaven and Earth to passe away then for one tittle of the Law to fail Luke 16. 17. If there
doth tell Sardis that those among them that stood it out to the last gasp in the Faith and Love of the Gospel should not be blotted out of the Book of Life but they with the work of God on their Soul and their labour for God in this World should be confessed before his Father and before his Angels Rev. 3. 5. This part of this Book is in another place called The Book of the Word of the Lord because in it I say is Recorded those famous acts of the Saints against the World flesh and the Devil Numb 21. 14. You find also how exact the Holy Ghost is in Recording the travels pains labour and goodness of any of the Children of Israel in their Journey from Egypt to Canaan which was a Representation of the Travels of the Saints from nature to Grace and from Grace to Glory King Ahasuerus kept in his Library a Book of Records wherein was wâ—it the good Service that his Subjects did for him at any time which was a Type also of the manner and order of Heaven And as sure as ever Mordecai when search was made in the Rolls was found there to have done such and such service for the King and his Kingdom Esth. 6. 1. 2. so surely will it be found what every Saint hath done for God at the day of inquiry You find in the Old Testament also still as any of the Kings of Judah dyed there was surely a Record in the Book of Chronicles of their memorable acts and doings for their God the Church and the Common-wealth of Israel which still doth further hold forth unto the Children of men this very thing That all the Kings of the New Testament which are the Saints of God have all their acts and what they have done for their God c. Recorded in the Book of Chronicles in the Heavenly Jerusalem Now I say when this part of the Book of Life shall be opened what can be found in it of the good deeds and Heaven-born actions of wicked men Just nothing for as it is not to be expected that Thorns should bring forth Grapes or that Thistles should bear as Figs so it cannot be imagined that ungodly men should have any thing to their Commendations Recorded in this part of the Book of Life What hast thou done man for God in this World Art thou one of them that hast set thy self against those strong struglings of pride lust covetousness and secret wickedness that remain in thy heart like Job and Paul Job 1. 8 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. 2. And do these struglings against these things arise from pure love to the Lord Jesus or from some legall terrours and conviction for sin Gal. 5 6. 3. Doest thou I say struggle against thy lusts because thou doest in truth love the sweet holy and blessed leadings of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus its leadings of thee I say into his blood and death for thy Justification and deliverance from wrath to comâ— Phil. 3. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 5. 14. 4. What acts of self-denyal hast thou done for the name of the Lord Jesus among the Sons of men I say what house what friend what Wife what Children and the like hast thou lost or left for the Word of God and the Testimony of his truth in the World Matth. 19. 27 28. Revel 12. 10 11. 5. Wast thou one of them that didst sigh and afflict thy self for the abominations of the times and that Christ hath marked and Recorded for such a one Ezek. 9. 3 4. Zeph. 3. 18. 6. In a word Art thou one of them that wouldest not be won by neither fear frowns nor flatteries to forsake the wayes of God or wrong thy Conscience or art thou one of them that slightest those opportunities that Satan and this World did often give thee to return to sin in secret Heb. 11. 14 15. These be the men whose prayse is in the Gospel and whose commendable and worthy acts are Recorded before the Judge of all the World Alas alas these things are strange things to a carnal and wicked man Nothing of this hath bin done by him in this life and therefore how can any such be Recorded for him in the Book of Life wherefore he must needs be shut out of this part also As David saith Let them be blotted out of the Book of the living and not be written with the Righteous Psal. 69. 28. Thus I say the wicked will find nothing for their comfort either in the first part of this book where all the names of the Elect are neither will they find any thing in the second part thereof where is recorded the true nature and operation of effectual Conversion of Faith or Love or the like and I say neither can any thing be found in this third part wherein is recorded the worthy acts and memorable deeds of the Saints of the Lord Jesus Thus when Christ therefore hath opened before them this book of life and convinced the ungodly at this day out of it he will then shut it up again saying I find nothing herein that will do you good you are none of my Elect you are the sons of perdition For as these things will be found clear and full in the book of life so they will be found effectually wrought in the hearts of the Elect all whose conversion and perseverance shall now be opened before â—hy eyes as a witness I say of the truth of what thou here seest opened before thee and also of thy unregenerate estate Now thou wilt see what a turn what a change and what a clinging to God to Christ and his Word and wayes there was found in the Souls of the saved ones here shall be seen also how resolvedly unfeignedly and heartily the true child of God did oppose resist and war against his most dearest and darling lusts and corruptions now the Saints are hidden ones but then they shall be manifest this is the morrow in which the Lord will shew who are his and who they are that fear the Lord and who that fear him not Psal. 83. 3. Sam. 8. 19. Numb 16. 5. Mal. 3. 18. Now you shall see how Abraham left his Country how close good Lot did stick to God in prophane and wicked Sodom Heb. 11. 8. 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. Mat. 19. 29. how the Apostles left all to foâ—low Jesus Christ and how patiently they took all crosses afflictions persecutions and necessities for the Kingdome of Heavens sâ—ke how they indured burning starving stoning hanging and a thousand calamities how they manifested their love to their Lord his Cause and people in the worst of times and in the dayes when they were most rejected slighted abused and abased then shall the King say to them on his right hand and that when all the Devils and damned sinners stand by Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World you are indeed the truly converted
the like and cut off all opportunity of good leaving no place for mercy or amendment these shall go away into everlasting punishment c. Mat. 25. 40. This word depart c. is the last word the damned for ever are like to hear I say it is the last voice and therefore will stick longest and with most power on their slaughtered souls there is no calling of it back again it is the very wind-up of Eternall Judgement Thus then the judgement being over the Kingdom ceaseth to be any longer in the hand of the Man Christ Jesus for as the Judges here among men when they have gone their Circuit do deliver up their Commission to the King so Christ the Judge doth now deliver up his Kingdom to his Father And now all is swallowed up of Eternity Mat. 21. 8. The damned are swallowed up of eternal justice and wrath the saved of eternal life and felicity and the Son also delivereth up I say the Kingdom to the Father and subjects himself under him that did put all things under him that God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 24 25 26 27 28. For now is the end come and not before even the end of the reign of death it self for Death and Hell and sinners and Devils must now together into the Lake that burns with fire and Brimstone Rev. 20. 14 15. And now is the end of Christs Reign as the Son of Man and the end of the Reign of the Saints with him in this his Kingdom which he hath received of his Father for his work sake which he did for him and for his Elect. Then cometh the end faith Paul when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God the Father But when shall that be why he answers saying When he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power for he must reign saith he untill he hath put all his enemies under his feet which will not be untill the finall Sentence and Judgment be over for the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death For God hath put all things under his feet but when he saith all things are put under him it is manifested he is accepted that did put all things under him And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that did put all things under him that God may be all in all All things being now at this pass to wit every one being in its proper place God in his Christ in his the Saint in his and the Sinner in his I shall conclude with this brief touch upon both the state of the Good and Bad after this Eternal Judgment 1. The Righteous now shall never fear Death the Devill and Hell more And the Wicked shall never hope of life 2. The Just shall ever have the Victory over these things But the Wicked shall everlastingly be swallowed up of them 3. The Holy shall be in everlasting Light But the Sinner in everlasting Darkness Without light I say yet in Fire ever burning yet not consumed always afraid of death and hell vehemently desiring to be annihiâ—â—ted to nothing Continually fearing to stay long in Hell and yet certainly sure they shall never come out of it Ever desiring the Saints happiness and yet alwayes envying their felicity They would have it because it is easie and Comfortable yet cannot abide to think of it because they have lost it for ever Ever loaden with the delight of sin and yet that is the greatest torture alwayes desiring to put it out of their Mind and yet assuredly know they must for ever abide the guilt and torment thereof 4. The Saints are always inflamed with the Consideration of the Grace that once they imbraced but the Wicked most flamingly tormented with the thoughts of rejecting and refusing it 5. The Just when they think of their sins they are comforted with the thoughts of their being delivered from them but the Ungodly when they think of their righteousness will gnaw themselves to think that this would not deliver them from Hell 6. When the Godly think of Hell it will increase their Comfort but when the Wicked think of Heaven it will twinge them like a Serpent Oh this Eternal Judgment What would a damned Soul give that there might be though after Thousands and Hundreds of Thousands of Millions of Years an end put to this Eternal Judgment But their misery is they have sinned against a God that is Eternal they have offended that Justice that will never be satisfied and therefore they must abide the Fire that never shall be quenched Here is Judgment Just and Sad. Again As it will be thus with Good and Bad in general so again more particularly when the Wicked are thus adjudged and Condemned and also received of the Fiery Gulph then they shall find That as he that busieth himself to do good shall have more glory than others So they that have been more busie and active in sin than others they shall have more Wrath and Torment than others For as doing good abundantly doth inlarge the Heart to receive and hold more Glory So doing evil abundantly doth inlarge the Heart and Soul to receive Punishment so much the more And hence it is that you have such Sayings as these It shall be more tolerable in the Judgment for Sodome than for others that is then for those that had sinned against much greater Light and Mercy For these as he saith in another place shall receive greater Damnation Yea it standeth to reason that he who had most Light most Conviction most means of Conversion and that was highest towards Heaven he must needs have the greatest Fall and so sink deepest into the Jaws of Eternal Misery Luke 10. 12. Luke 20. 47. As one Star that is as one Saint differeth from another in Heaven so one damned Soul shall differ from another in Hell It is so among the Devils themselves they are some worse than others Matth. 9. 34. Mar. 3. 22. Belzebub is the Prince or the Chief of the Devils That is One that was most glorious in Heaven Chief among the reprobate Angels before his Fall Isa. 14. 2. and therefore sinned against the greater Light Mercy and Goodness and so became the Chief for wickedness and will also have as the wages thereof the Chief of Torments For that will be true of the damned in Hell which is prayed for against Babylon Revel 18. 7. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her Can it be imagined that Judas should have no more torment who betrayed the Prince of Life and Saviour of the World than others who never came near his Wickedness by ten thousand degrees He that know his Masters Will and prepared not himself neither did according to his Will shall be beaten with many stripes With many moâ—e stripes than others that through ignorance did commit sin worthy of many stripes But what should I thus discourse of the degrees of the Torments of the damned Souls in Hell For he that suffers least will the waters of a full Cup be wrung out to him The least measure of wrath it will be the Wrath of God eternal and fiery Wrath insupportable wrath it will lay the Soul in the Gulph of that Second Death which will for ever have the Mastery over the poor damned perishing Sinner And Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire which is the Second Death And whosoever was not found in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of fire Rev. 20. 14 15. FINIS See more of this in their Judgement The first Book opened in its first part Mans nature is a Book or law to it self The Book of Gods Remembrance opened The Witnesses give in their Evidence The sinners plea for himself at the Judgment-Seat The Book of Life opened
Sixthly The dependence that all the Creatures have upon God they teach thee to depend on him that made thee yea and will in the Judgement condemn thee for thy unlawful practices and dealings for thy preservation The young Ravens seek their food from God and will condemn thy lying cheating over-reaching defrauding and the like they provide neither Store-house nor Barn but thâ— art so greedy of these things that thou for them shuttest thy self out of the Kingdom of Heaven Psal. 147. 9. Job 38. 41. Luk. 12. 24. Prov. 17. 16. Seventhly The love and pitty that is in their hearts to their young and one another will judge and condemn the hard-heartedness that is in thee to thy own Soul What shall I say The Heavens shall reveal thy iniquity and the Earth shall rise up against thee Job 20. 27. That is all the Creatures of God they will by their fruitfulness and subjection to the will of their Creator judge and condemn thee for thy disobedience and rebellion against him Now as these Creatures do every day call unto thee and lay before thee these things so he hath for thy awakening in case thou be asleep and senseless Creatures of another nature as 1. Thy Bed when thou lyest down in it preacheth to thee thy Grave thy sleep thy death and thy rising in the morning thy Resurrection to Judgement Job 14. 12. Job 17. 13. Isa. 26. 19. 2. The Goal that thou seest with thy eyes and the Felons that look out at the Grate they put thee in mind of the Prison of Hell and of the dreadful state of those that are there Luke 12. 58 59. 3. The fire that burns in thy Chimney it holds forth the fire to Hell unto thee Isa. 10. 16. Rev. 20. 14. 4. The ugly smell stench and steam of the burning Brimstone it shews thee the loathsom odious and dreadful torments of Hell Rev. 19 20. 5. The darkness of the night in solitary places and the fears that do commonly haunt those that walk therein it preacheth to thee the fears and frights the scares and amazements that will for ever attend all damned Souls Matth. 8. 12. Deut. 28. 65 66 6. 7. 6. By thy delighting when thou art cold to lay sticks on the fire to warm thy self not caring how fiercely they flame therein so thou canst be warm and be refreshed thereby by this I say God preacheth to thee with what delight he will burn sinners in the flames of Hell for the easing of his mind and the satisfaction of his Justice Ah! saith he I will ease me of my adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies Isa. 1. 24. 7. Yea by thy blowing the fire that it may fasten upon the wood the better thou preachest to thy self how God will blow the fire of Hell by the rigour of his Law to the end it may be its flames to purpose kindle upon damned sinners Isa. 3. 33. All these things as inconsiderable and unlikely as they may appear to you now yet in the Judgement will be found the Items and warning words of God to your Souls And know that he who could overthrow the Land of Egypt with frogs lice flies Locusts c. will overthrow the World at the last day by the Book of the Creatures and that by the least and most inconsiderable of them as well as by the rest This Book of the Creatures it is so excellent and so full so easie and so suiting the capacity of all that there is not one man in the World but is catched convicted and cast by it This is the Book that he who knows no letters may read in yea and that he who neither saw New Testament nor Old may know both much of God and himself by 'T is this Book out of which generally both Job and his friends did so profoundly discourse of the Judgements of God and that out of which God himself did so convincingly answer Job Job was as perfect in this Book as we are many of us in the Scriptures yea and could see further by it then many now a dayes do see by the new Testament and old This is the Book out of which both Christ the Prophets and Apostles do so frequently discourse by their Similitudes Proverbs and Parables as being the most easie way to convince the World though by reason of their ignorance nothing will work with them but what is set on their heart by the holy Ghost One word further and I have done with this and that is God hath sealed the Judgement of the World by the Book of the Creatures even by mans own carriage unto such of them which through any impediment have disappointed his expectations As thus if thou hast but a Tree in thy Orchard that neither beareth fruit nor ought else that is good why thou art for hewing it down and for appointing it as fewel for the fire now thou little thinkest that by thy thus judging thou shouldest passe sentence upon thy own fruitless Soul but it is so For now is the Ax laid to the Roots of the Trees and every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire For as truly as thou sayest of thy fruitless Tree cut it down why doth it cumbet the ground so truly doth thy Voyce cause Heaven to Eccho again upon thy head Cut him down why doth he cumber the ground Mat. 3. 10. Luk. 13. 6 7 8. Ezek. 15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Further The inclination of thy heart towards fruitless and unprofitable Creatures doth fore-preach to thee the inclination of the heart of God towards thee in the Judgement If thou hast either Cow or any other Beast that is now unprofitable to thee though thou mayst suffer them for some time to be with thee as God suffereth sinners in the World yet all this while thy heart is not with them but thou wilt take thy time to clear thy hands of them Why just so shall thy Judgement be as God saith Though Moses and Samuel stood before me that is to pray me to spare this People yet my heart could not be towards them therefore cast them out of my sight and let them go forth Jer. 15. 1. Ezek. 14. 13 14. Thus I say will God judge the World at the last day he will open before them how they have degenerated and gone back from the Principles of nature in which he created them Also how they have slighted all the instructions that he hath given them even by the obedience fruitfulness wisdom labour fear and love of the Creatures and he will tell them that as to their Judgement they themselves have decided it both by their cutting down that which was fruitless and by the withdrawing of their hearts from those things which to them were unprofitable As therefore the Tarâ—s are gathered and burned in the fire so shall it be in the end of this World As men deal with weeds and rotten Wood so will God
appeared such flames such Thunderings and Tempests as there were at the giving of the Law what flames and blackness will there appear at the execution thereof and if at the giving of the Law there appeared so much Holiness and Justice that it made all Israel flie yea holy Moses exceedingly fear and quake what will become of these that God shall judge by the rigour of this Law in the day of Judgement Exod. 19. 16. Heb. 11. 21. O what Thunderings and Lightnings what Earthquakes and Tempests will there be in every damned Soul at the opening of this Book then indeed will God visit them with Thunder and Earthquake and great noyse with Storm and Tempest and the flame of a devouring fire For behold saith the Prophet the Lord will come with fire and with his Chariots like a Whirl-wind to render his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire Isa. 29. 6. Isa. 66. 15. The Lord will come with fire that is in the flaming heat of his Justice and Holiness against sin and sinners to execute the rigour of his threatnings upon their perishing Souls Secondly The second general Head that is contained in this Law to be opened at this day is its exactness and purity and strictness as to all acts of good that any poor Creature hath done in this life whereby he in the Judgement will think to shelter or secure himself from the wrath of God This is the Rule and Line and Plummet whereby every act of every man shall be measured and he whose righteousness is not found every way answerable to this Law which all will fall short of but they that have the Righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ he must perish as he saith Rom. 3. 21. 22. Judgement also will I lay to the line and Righteousness will I lay to the Plummet and the Haâ—l shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the water shall overflow the hiding places Isa. 28. 17 18. That is though men may now shelter themselves under legall Repentance cold profession good meaning thinkings and doings yet all these things must be measured and weighed in the ballance of Gods most righteous Law and as I said whatever in that day is not found the Righteousness of God it will be found a reâ—uge of lies and will be drowned by the over-flowing of the wrath of God as the waters of Noah over-flowed the World Mal. 4. 1. And hence it is that all the ungodly will at this day be found as stubble and the Law as fire As it saith From his Right hand went a fiery Law And again his lips are full of indignation and his tongue as a devouring fire Deut. 33 2 Isa. 30. 27. For as fire where it seâ—zeth doth burn eat destroy devoure and consume so will the Law all those that at this day shall be found under the transgressioâ— of the least tittle of it It will be with theâ—â— Souls at the day of Judgement as it is witâ— those Countries that are over-run with moâ—â— merciless Conquerours who leave not any thing behind them but swallow up all with fire and sword For by fire and by his Sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many Isa. 66. 16. There are two things at the day of Judgement will meet in their height and utmost strength and they are sin and the Law for the Judgement will not be till the iniquity of the World be full ripe Joel 3. 13. Rev. 14. 15 16 17 18 19 20. Now then when sin is come to its full having plaid all its pranks and done all the mischief it can against the Lord of Glory then God brings forth the Law his holy and righteous Law one of which will now reign for ever that is either the Law or sin Wherefore sin and sinners they must tremble with all that help and hold them up for God will magnifie the Law and make it honourable Isa. 42. 21. That is will give it the Victory over the World for ever for that is holy just and good they are unholy unjust and bad Therefore by this Law will the Lord rain snares fire and Brimstone and a horrible Tempest this shall be the potion of their Cup. Psal. 11. 5 6. Let no man say then that because God is so famous in his mercy and patience in this day of his Grace that therefore he will not be fierce and dreadful in his Justice in the day of Judgement for Judgement and Justice is the last thing that God intends to bring upon the stage which will then be to the full as terrible as now his goodness and patience and long sufferance is admirable Lord who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath Psal. 90. 11. You may see if you will a few of the sparks of the Justice of God against sin and sinners by his casting off Angels for sin from Heaven to Hell by his drowning the old World by his burning of Sodom and Gomorah to ashes condemning them with an overthrow making them an example to those that after should live ungodly 2 Pet. 2. 4 5 6. Jude 6. 7. For whatsoever the Law saith it saith it to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the World become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. Moses seems to wonder that the Children of Israel could continue to live when they did but hear the Law delivered on the Mountain Did ever People saith he hear the Lord speak out of the midst of the fire as thou hast done and live Deut. 4. 73. O that ye did but know the Law and the wonderous things that are written therein before the Lord cause that fearful Voyce to be heard Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to do them which curse must fall on all that walk not in all the Commandements of God without iniquity which none do I say but they that walk in Christ who hath alone fulfilled them all Gal. 3. 10. Ezek. 33. 15. Col. 2. 10. The Law is that which standeth at the entrance of the Paradice of God as a flaming Sword turning every way to keep out those that are not righteous with the righteousness of God that have not skill to come to the throne of Grace by that new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Gen. 3. 24. Heb. 1. 19 20. for though this Law I say be taken away by Christ Jesus for all that truly and savingly believe yet it remains in full force and power in every tittle of it against every Soul of man that now shall be found in his Tabernacle that is in himself and out of the Lord Jesus Col. 2. 14. Rom. 3. 19. Job 18. 14. it lyeth I say like a Lyon rampant at the gates of Heaven and will roar
upon every unconverted soul fiercely accusing every one that now would gladly enter in through the gates into this City Joh. 5. 45. So then he that can answer all its most perfect and legal commands and that can live in the midst of devouring fire and there injoy God and solace himself he shall dwell on high and shall not be hurt by this Law His place of defence shall be the munitions of Rocks bread shall be given him and his waters shall be sure thine eyes shall behold the King in his Beauty they shall see the Land that is very far off Isa. 33. 14. 15 16 17. Blessed then is he whose Righteousness doth answer every point of the Law of God according to 1 Cor. 1. 30. he shall be able to escape all those things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man for in himself ouâ— God is a consuming fire and man out of Christ is but as stubble chaff thorns briers and fuel for the wrath of this holy and sinner-consuming God to seize upon for ever Nah. 1. 6. Heb. 12. 29. Mala. 4. 1. Mat. 3. 12. Heb. 6. 7 8. Isa. 27. 4. 2 Sam. 23. 6 7. Who can stand before his indignation Who can abide the fierceness of his anger His fury is poured ouâ— like fire and the Rocks are thrown down by him Now when these three Books are thus opened there will without doubt be sad throbbing and pricking in every heart that now stands for his life before the Judgement-Seat of Christ the Righteous Judge and without all question they will be studying a thousand wayes to evade and shift the stroak that by the sin that these three Books do charge them with will immediately fall upon them But now to cut off all these at a blow forthwith appear the Witnesses who are ready to evince and make full and Soul-killing proof of every particular charged against them And the first is God himself I saith he will be a swift witness against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against false swearers and against those that oppress the hireling of his wages the widow and the fatherless and that turn aside the stranger from his right and that feareth not me saith the Lord. Mal. 3. 5. This must needs be of great sway with every Soul that God should now come in I will witness saith God that these things of which you are accused before the Judge is true I hâ—ve seen all know all and writ down all There hath not been a thought in your heart nor a woâ—d in your Tongue but I have known it altogether all things have alwayes bin open and naked to my Eye Yea my Eye-lids try the Children of men I have known your down-sitting and your up-rising and have understood your thâ—ughts a far off I have compassed your path and am well acquainted with all your wayes Heb. 4. 13. Psal. 11. 4. Psal. 139. 1 2 3 4. 1. You have not continued in that state of nature in which I did at first create you Eccles. 7. 29. you have not liked to retain that knowledge and understanding of God that you had and might have had by the very Book of the Creatures Rom. 1. You gave way â—o the suggestions of fallen Angels and so your foolish â—earts were darkned and alienated and estranged from God 2. All the Creatures that were in the World have even condemned you they have been fruitful but you fruitless they have been fearfull of danger but you fool-hardy they have taken the fittest opportunity for their own preservation but thâ—◠〈◊〉 both blindly and confidently gone on to thy punishment Prov. 22. 3. 3. Touching the Book of my Remembrance who can contradict it Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord was not I in all places to behold to see and to observe thee in all thy ways My eye sâ—w the Thief and the Adulterer and I heard every Lye and Oath of the wicked I saw the hypocrisie of the dissembler They have committed villany in Israel and have committed Adultery with their Neighbours Wives and have spoken lying words in my name which I have not commanded them even I know and am a Witness saith the Lord. Jer. 29. 23. 4. God will also come in against them for their transgressing his Law even the Law which he delivered on Mount Sinai he will I say open every tittle thereof in such order and truth and apply the breach of each particular person with such conâ—â—â—â—g Argument that they will fall down silenced for ever Every mouth shall be stopped and all the World shall become guilty before God Secondly There is yet another wâ—â—â—â—s for the condemning the transgressors of these Laws and that is Conscience their Consciences also beating witness saith 〈◊〉 Apostle Rom. 2. 14 15. Conscience is a 〈◊〉 Witnesses Conscience it will cry Amen to every word that the Great God doth speak against thee Conscience is a terrible accuser it will hold pace with the Witness of God as to the truth of Evidence to a hairs bredth The Witnesses of Conscience it is of great Authority it commands guilt and fastneth it on every Soul which it accuseth And hence it is said if our hearts or Conscience condemn us 1 Joh. 3. 20. Conscience will thunder and lighten at this day even the Consciences of the most pagan sinners in the World will have sufficiently wherewith to accuse to condemn and to make paleness appear in their faces and breaking in their loins by reason of the force of its conviction O the mire and dirt that a guilty Conscience when it is forced to speak will cast up and throw out before the Judgment-Seat it must out none can speak peace nor health to that man upon whom God hath let loose his own Conscience Cain will now cry My punishment is greater then I can bear Judas will hang himself and both Belshazzer and Felix will feel the joynts of their loins to be loosened and their knees to smite one against another when Conscience stirreth Gen. 4. 13. Mat. 27. 3. Dan. 5. 6. Acts 24. 23. When Conscience is once thorowly awakened as it shall be before the Judgment-Seat God need say no more to the sinner then Solomon said to filthy Shimei Thou knowest all the wickedness that thy heart is privy to 1 King 2. 44. As who should say thy Conscience knoweth and can well inform thee of all the evill and sin that thou art guilty of To all which it answereth even as face answereth to face in a Glass or as an Eccho answereth the man that speaketh as faâ—â— I say as God chargeth Conscience will cry out guilty guilty Lord guilty of all of every whit I remember clearly all the Crimes thou layest before me Thus I say will Conscience be a witness against the Soul in the day of God Thirdly As God and Conscience will at this day be most dreadful witnesses against the sinful man at this day so
speaking for themselves behold how earnestly they groan how gastly they look and how now the brinish tears flow down like Rivers from their eyes ever re-doubling their Petition Lord Lord Lord Lord first thinking of this thing and then of that ever contending seeking and striving to enter in at this strait Gate As Christ saith When once the Masters of the House is risen up that is when Christ hath laid aside his mediation for sinners and hath taken upon him onely to judge and condemn then will the wicked begin to stand without and to knock and contend for a portion among them that are the blessed Ah how will their hearts twitter while they look upon the Kingdom of Glory and how will they ake and throb at every view of Hell their proper place still crying O that we might inherit life and O that we might escape eternal death But now to take away alâ— cavils and objections that of this nature will arise in the hearts of these men forthwith the Book of Life is brought ouâ— for a conclusion and a finall end of eternall Judgment As John saith The Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judgâ—â— out of those things that were written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 12. But this Book of Life it is not at this time opened because there are not any godly to be tryed for as I have shewed before their Judgment is past and over before the wicked rise The Book of Life then it is now opened for further conviction of damned Reprobates that their mouths may be stoped for ever as touching all their cavils contendings and Arguments against Gods proceeding in Judgement with them For believe it while God is judging them they will fall to judging him again but he will be justified in his sayings and will overcome when he is judged at this day Rom. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Yet not by a hasty and and angry casting them away but by a legall and convincing proceeding against them and overthrowing all their cavils by his manifest and invincible truth Wherefore to cut off all that they can say he will now open the Book of Life before them and will shew them what is written therein both as to Election Conversion and a truly Gospel-Conversation And will convince them that they neither are of the number of his Elect neither were they ever regenerate neither had they ever a truly Gospel-Conversation in 〈◊〉 World By these three things then out of this Book thou who art not saved must at last be judged and overcome First Here will be tryed whether thou art within that part of this Book wherein all the Elect are Recorded for all the Elect are written here as Christ saith Rejoyce that your names are written in Heaven And again in thy Book saith he to his Father are all my members written Luk. 10. 20. Psal. 139. 16. Heb 12. 22 23. Now then if thy name be not found either among the Prophets Apostles or the rest of Saints thou must be put by as one that is cast away as one polluted and as an abominable branch Isa. 14. 18 19. Thy name is wanting in the Genealogies and Rolls of Heaven Ezra 2. 62. Thou art not prickt for everlasting life therefore thou must not be delivered from that Soul-amazing misery for there are no Souls can though they would give a thousand Worlds be delivered at the day of God but such that are found written in this Book Every one of those that are written though never a one of those that are not written shall in that day be delivered from the wrath to câ—me Dan. 12. 1. But O methinks with what careful hearts will the damned now begin to look for their names in this Book Those that when once the long suffering of God waited on them made light of all admonition and slighted the Counsel of making their Calling and Election sure would now give thousands of Treasures that they could but spy their names though last and least among the Sons of God but I say how will they fail how will they faint how will they die and languish in their Souls when they shall still as they look see their names wanting What a pinch will it be to Cain to see his Brother there Recorded and he himself left out Absalon will now sound and be as one that giveth up the Ghost when he shall see David his Father and Solomon his Brother written here while he with all is written in the Earth among the damned Thus I say will sadness be added to sadness in the Soul of the perishing World when they fail of finding their names in this part of the Book of the life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. Secondly The second part of this Book is that in which is Recorded the nature of Conversion of Faith Love c. And those that have not had the effectual Word of God upon them and the true and saving operation of Grace in their hearts which is indeed the true life which is begun in every Christian they will be found still not written in this Book for the living the holy living Souls are they onely that are written therein as the Prophet saith And he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem Isa. 4. 3. Eternal life is already in this life begun in every Soul that shall be saved as Christ saith He that believeth in me hath everlasting life And again Who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day Joh. 6. 54. And hence they aâ—e called the living that are written in this Book Here then the Lord will open before thee what Conversion is in the true and simple nature of it which wher thou beholdest thou wilt then be convinced that this thou hast mist of for it must needs be that when thou beholdest by the Records of Heaven what a change what a turn what an alteration the work of Regeneration maketh on every Soul and in every heart where the effectual Call or the Call according to his purpose is that thou who hast lived a stranger to this or that hast contented thy self with the notion onely or a formal and feigned profession thereef I say it cannot be but that thou must forthwith fall down and with grief conclude that thou hast no share in this part of the Book of Life neither the living onely are written herein There is not one dead carnall wicked man recorded here No but when the Lord shall at this day make mention of Rahâ—b of Babylon of Philistia and Ethiopia that is of all the cursed â—abble and crue of the damned then he will say that this man was born there that is amongst them and so hath his name where they have theirs
namely under the black Rod in the Kings black Book where he hath Recorded all his Enemies and Traytors It shall be said of this man of this ungodly man that he was born there Psal. 87. 4. That he lived and dyed in the state of nature and so under the curse of God even as others for as he said of wicked Coniah Jer. 22. 30. Write this man childless so he saith of every ungodly man that so departeth out of this World Write this man Graceless Wherefore I say among the Babylonians and Phylistians among the unbelieving Moors and Pagans his name will be found in the day when it will be inquired where every man was born for God at this day will divide the whole World into these two Ranks the Children of the World and the Children of Zion Wherefore here is the honour the priviledge and advantage that the Godly above the wicked will have at the day of their counting When the Lord maketh mention of Zion it shall be then acknowledged that this and that good man was born in her the Lord shall count saith the Prophet when he wrighteth up the People that this man was born there Psal. 87. 5 6. This man had the work of Conversion of Faith and Grace iâ— his Soul This man 〈◊〉 Child of Zion of the Heavenly Jerusalem which is also written in Heaven Blessed is the People that are in such a case Gal. 4 26 Heb 12. 22 23. Psal. 144. 1â—â— But poor Soul Counters will not go for Gold now for though so long as thou didst judge thy self by the crooked rule of thy own reason fancy and affection thou wast pure in thy own eyes yet â—ow thâ—u must be judged alone by the words and rule of the Lord Jesus Which word shall not now as in times past be wrested and wrung both this way and that to smooth thee up in thy Hypocrites hope and carnall confidence but be thou King or Keser be thou who thou wilt the Word of Christ and that with this interpretation onely It shall judge thee in the last day Joh. 12. 44. Now will sinners begin to cry with loud and bitter cryes Oh! ten thousand Worlds for a saving work of Grace Crowns and Kingdoms for the least measure of saving Faith and for the love that Christ will say is the love of his own Spirit Now they will begin also to see the work of a broken and a contrite spirit and of walking with God as living 〈◊〉 in this World But alas these things appear in their hearts to the damned too late as also do all things else This will be but like the repentance of the Thief about whose neck is the â—alter and he turning off the ladder for the unfortunate hap of the damned will be that the glory of Heavenly things will not appear to them till out of season Christ must now indeed be shewed to them as also the true nature of Faith and all Grace but it will be when the door is shut and mercy gone they will pray and repent most earnestly but it will be in the time of great Waters of the flouds of eternall wrath when they cannot come nigh him 1 Tim. 6. 15. Matth. 25. 10 11. Psal. 32. 6. Well then tell me sinner if Christ shouâ—d now come to judge the World canst thou abide the tryal of the Book of Life Art thou confident that thy Profession that thy Conversion thy Faith and all other Graces thou thinkest thou hast will prove Gold Silver and precious Stones in this day behold he comes as a Refiners fire and as Fullâ—rs Soap shalt thou indeed abide the melting and washing of this day Examine I say before hand and try thy self unfeignedly for every one that doth â—ruth cometh to the light that their deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Joh. 3. 21. Thou sayest thou art a Christian that also thou hast repented dost believe and love the Lord Jesus but the question is whether these things will be found of equall length heighth and bredth with the Book of Life Or whether when thou art weighed in the ballance thou wilt yet be found wanting Dan. 5. 27. How if when thou comest to speak for thy self before God thou shouldest say Siboleth instead of Shiboleth that is though almost yet not rightly and naturally the Language of the Christians Judg. 12. 4 5 6. If thou miss but one letter in thy evidence thou art gone for though thou mayst deceive thy own heart with Brass instead of Gold and with Tin instead of Silver Gal. 6. 7. yet God will not be so put off You know how confident the foolish Virgins were and yet how they were deceived They herded with the Saints they went forth from the gross pollutions of the World they every one had shining Lamps and all went forth to meet the Bridegroom and yet they mist the Kingdom They were not written among the living in Jerusalem they had not the true powerful saving work of Conversion of Faith and Grace in their Souls they that are foolish take their Lamps but take no Oyl no saving Grace with them Mat. 25. 1 2 3 4. Thus you see how sinners will be put to it before the Judgment-Seat from these two parts of this Book of Life But Thirdly There is yet another part of this Book to be opened and that is that part of it in which is Recorded those noble and Christian acts that they have done since the time of their Conversion and turning to Christ. Here I say is Recorded the Testimony of the Saints against sin and Antichrist their suffering for the sake of God their love to the members of Christ their patience under the Cross and their faithful frequenting the Assemblies of the Saints and their incouraging one another to bear up in his wayes in the worst of times even when the proud was called happy and when they that wrought wickedness were even set up As he there saith Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of Rememrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name Mat. 3. 14 15 16. For indeed as truly as any person hath his name found in the first part of this Book of Life and his Conversion in the second so there is a third part in which there is his noble spiritual and holy actions Recorded and set down As it is said by the Spirit to John concerning those that suffered Martyrdom for the truth of Jesus Write blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works follow them Rev. 14. 13. And hence it is that the labours of the Saints and the Book of Life are mentioned together signifying that the travels and labours and acts of the godly are Recorded therein Phil. 4. 3. And hence it is again that the Lord